Four leaders of Colombian social movements representing women, Indigenous peoples, workers and faith-based communities are coming to Canada February 9 to 20, 2009 to speak out about the human rights impacts they believe will result if the recently signed Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement is implemented.
The Colombian leaders include: German Casama, a leader of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC); Maria del Carmen Sanchez, National President of the Colombian health workers’ union ANTHOC; Yolanda Becerra, National Director of the Popular Women’s Organization (OFP); and Brother Omar Fernandez, Director of the Inter Franciscan Commission for Justice, Peace and Reverence for Creation.
All four are also leaders of the Coalition of Social Movements, which brings together a range of civil society movements and organizations representing women, workers, Indigenous peoples, Afro-Colombian communities, small farmers and churches. COMOSOC represents almost two million people.
The visit to Canada takes place from February 9 to 20, 2009. All four leaders will be together for events in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal (Feb 8 -15) and then separate to visit British Colombia, the East Coast and central Canada. The program will include both public events and meetings with members of parliament, the Canadian government and Canadian social movements.
The goal of the tour is to provide credible, firsthand testimony about the reality of widespread human rights abuses in Colombia, and the impact of trade and investment that will be expanded via the Canada-Colombia FTA on the rights and livelihoods of Colombian communities. As well, the tour aims to deepen links of understanding and solidarity between Canadian and Colombian social movements in the struggle for peace with social justice in Colombia.
Background
On 21 November 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe announced the signing of the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement. Earlier in the year, after conducting a human rights study, the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade called on the Canadian government to ensure that an independent human rights impact assessment be carried out and the results dealt with adequately before signing, ratifying or implementing a free trade deal with Colombia.
Many Colombian and Canadian organizations are concerned that the free trade agreement has been signed without regard for the widespread and very serious human rights violations that continue to be the daily reality in Colombia.
In Canada, the tour is being organized by KAIROS, RedLEIDH-York University, United Church of Canada, Americas Policy Group of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation, and Amnesty International Canada (English Speaking Branch).
BIOGRAPHIES OF COLOMBIAN TOUR DELEGATES:
Brother Omar Fernández Obregón has been a member of the St Peter the Apostle province of Franciscans since 1980. He is a member of the Provincial team on permanent education and a teacher of popular education, working with some of the most marginalized sectors of Bogota. Omar is co- founder and director of the Inter-Franciscan Commission of Justice, Peace and Reverence with the Creation, the main force behind the Movement of Christians for Peace with Justice and Dignity which forms a part of the Coalition of Social Movements and Organizations of Colombia (COMOSOC). Omar is a member of the political secretariat of (COMOSOC).
Internationally, Omar is a member of the Global Trade Strategy Group of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) of which KAIROS is also a member. Omar has coordinated and participated in many national and international events and tribunals on human rights both in Colombia and in other countries.
Yolanda Becerra Vega is a well known-human rights defender and leader of the grassroots women’s movement in Colombia. She is the national director of the Popular Women’s organization (OFP), based in Barrancabermeja and leader of the social movement of women against the war and for peace in Colombia which forms a part of the Coalition of Social Movements of Colombia (COMOSOC). She is also a member of the political secretariat of COMOSOC. Yolanda has been recognized nationally and internationally for her courageous work in human rights and as a leader of the women’s movement. Among other awards, she received the prestigious Per Anger human rights prize from Sweden in 2007 and was nominated as one of the 1,000 women to receive the Nobel Peace prize in the campaign One thousand women and one Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Maria del Carmen Sanchez Burgos is currently the national president of the Colombian health workers’ union (ANTHOC), after a long history of union activism and leadership. She has been working in the health sector since she was 16 years old. In 1975 her capacity and leadership was recognized and she was elected general secretary of her union local. By 1977 she was elected president of the municipal section and a few years later departmental president. A few years later Maria led a campaign for decent wages and job stability of healthcare workers and one the biggest marches in the history of the movement, which resulted in the peaceful occupation of the Ministry of Health. As well, as her formation in the union movement, Maria is a graduated from the University of Pedagogy and Technology with a degree in Pharmacy.
German Casama Gindrama has been working since his youth to protect and defend the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Colombia. He has become a well-known and respected leader in the department of Chocó, and was one the founding members of the regional Indigenous organizations, OREWA which has been defending the rights of Indigenous peoples in Chocó for over 25 years. He now works for the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) as the coordinator of a national training school for Indigenous peoples which focuses on strengthening self government and Indigenous structures as a way doing advocacy and defending Indigenous rights.
For further information please contact: Rusa Jeremic, rjeremic@kairoscanada.org
Basic Itinerary
Feb 9-13- all delegates will be in Ottawa
Feb 14-15 – all delegates will be in Montreal
Feb 16 – Yolanda and Maria del Carmen in Montreal
German – Six Nations
Feb 17-19 – Omar - in Nova Scotia
German – in BC
Yolanda and Maria – Ontario – Toronto and Hamilton
Feb 20- Public event in Toronto- all delegates
