• Immediately and unconditionally release the 43 detained medical and health workers;

• Ensure the safety of these detainees, provide unlimited access to their family members and legal counsel while in custody of the military; and

• Conduct an impartial investigation into the legality of their arrest and detention, and the allegations of torture and indignities inflicted on them while in detention.

Furthermore, we join with other KAIROS members in calling on the Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to protect citizens from persecution, intimidation and violence directed against opposition groups, and ensure that the coming national election in May is not marred by violence and fraud.

We join the international community in calling the Government of the Philippines to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, which seek to bring an end to human rights violations in the country.



We urge you to write letters to the Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to join our call for the immediate release of the detainees and to ensure their safety while in the custody of the military.

To read a sample letter, please click here.

View video



For more information contact Connie Sorio
Asia-Pacific Partnerships Program Coordinator
csorio[at]kairoscanada[dot]org

For Immediate Release
Friday, December 18, 2009

(Toronto) KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives denies allegations by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney that it is anti-Semitic and decries the apparent politicization of aid that led to its funding being cut by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It wants CIDA funding restored.

“Minister Kenney’s charge against KAIROS is false,” KAIROS says in a statement released today. “Two points need to be made: Criticism of Israel does not constitute anti-Semitism; and CIDA was developed to fund international aid and not to serve political agendas”.

KAIROS’ response goes on to say, “Minister Kenney’s statement, in a highly charged environment, raises very disturbing questions about the integrity of Canadian development aid decisions. If aid decisions are based on political rumour rather than on due diligence, development criteria and CIDA’s own evaluation process then this is a matter of grave concern for the entire international development sector -- and for the Canadian people who pay for this aid”. On November 30th, a senior CIDA official informed KAIROS that the agency would no longer fund KAIROS’ human rights program, despite a 35-year collaboration. The only reason given was that KAIROS no longer “fit” CIDA program priorities. However, there has been widespread speculation that the real reason for the CIDA funding cut was to sanction KAIROS for its views on the environment and other controversial issues.

KAIROS, a church-based non-governmental organization that represents seven of Canada’s largest church denominations, works on a range of social justice issues, including human rights in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

Since 1973, KAIROS and the church coalitions from which it was formed had received funding from CIDA to support partners in countries with the world’s most egregious human rights violations including Sudan, the Philippines, Colombia, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

KAIROS work is highly regarded in Canada and around the world. It supports 21 ecumenical and civil society groups overseas. Hundreds of thousands of people benefit from and depend on KAIROS’ support.

Since news of the cuts broke a week ago, the government has been under increasing pressure to reverse its decision. Canadians from across the country, churches and non-governmental groups have written letters of support for KAIROS and called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister Bev Oda to reverse the decision. Questions have been raised in the House of Commons and all opposition parties and the Green Party have also issued media releases calling on the government to reverse its decision.

Click here to read full text of the KAIROS statement.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Adiat Junaid
Communications Program Coordinator
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
(416) 463 5312, ext. 223
1 877 403 8933, ext. 223
ajunaid[at]kairoscanada[dot]org
www.kairoscanada.org

The Minister of International Cooperation, Bev Oda, has been telling KAIROS, Parliament and the Canadian people that funding to KAIROS was cut because its work did not fit current Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) priorities of economic growth, food security and children and youth.

On Wednesday, however, a completely different reason was given in a speech by Jason Kenney, Minister of Immigration. Addressing the Global Forum to Counter Anti-Semitism in Jerusalem, Minister Kenney described his government’s fights against anti-Semitism and, as an example, said the government had “defunded organizations … like KAIROS for taking a leadership role in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign” against Israel.

Minister Kenney’s charge against KAIROS is false. KAIROS did not lead this campaign. In 2007, KAIROS took a public position opposing sanctions and a boycott of Israel.

A recently released document, Kairos Palestine, 2009: A Moment of Truth, is not a document of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. Kairos is a Greek word meaning “God’s time” and is commonly used by Christian groups.

A Minister of the Crown says that his government decided, for what is a highly political reason, to cut funds for a proposal developed in consultation with and approved by CIDA.

Canadians need the truth.

Two points must be made: criticism of Israel does not constitute anti-Semitism; and CIDA was developed to fund international aid and not to serve political agendas. Minister Kenney’s statement, in a highly charged environment, raises very disturbing questions about the integrity of Canadian development aid decisions. If aid decisions are based on political rumour rather than on due diligence, development criteria and CIDA’s own evaluation process then this is a matter of grave concern for the entire international development sector -- and for the Canadian people who pay for this aid.

Many non-governmental organizations have proposals before CIDA that have been on Minister Oda’s desk for months. Others are about to apply for funding. How can they possibly trust this decision-making process in the future?

In the past two weeks, Canadians from across the country have called for the restoration of CIDA funding to KAIROS.

People working for human rights are the true victims of the funding cut to KAIROS.

This decision cuts funding for a new legal clinic in the Congo to help women who have been raped in the brutal conflict there. The 5,000 members of the Women’s Popular Organization in Colombia will lose funding for life-saving protection against rampant human rights abuses in their country.

To label KAIROS criticism of Israeli government actions as “anti-Semitic” silences dissent and honours no one. KAIROS has a clear position of support for the legitimate right of the Israeli people to a safe and secure state.

KAIROS asks that our funding be restored.

Gustavo Mejicanos, co-ordinator for the Agricultural Workers Alliance, which was instrumental in the unionization of workers at Mayfair Farms in Portage la Prairie, said managers of Itzke River Farms attempted to prevent him from speaking to workers on several occasions and asked him to leave."

Go to this article in 'The Lance'

• Investigate these cases as rapidly and thoroughly as possible.

• Ensure that those responsible for the crimes be held responsible.

• Ensure the protection and reparation for the victims of these crimes and their families, as well as all others living in this region who are demanding the rights to their land.

A sample letter and contact information can be found on their website:
http://www.justapaz.org/-English.




For more information contact KAIROS' Humand Rights Program Coordinator, John Lewis:
416.463.5312 x224
1.877.403.8933 x224
jlewis@kairoscanada.org

or

Rachel Warden, Latin American Partnership Program Coordinator:
416.463.5312 x242
1.877.403.8933 x242
rwarden[at]kairoscanada[dot]org

October 2, 2009

Connie Sorio, KAIROS Coordinator for Asia-Pacific partnerships, sends KAIROS a letter from her current trip to Fiji, Philippines and Indonesia.

"Thank you for your thoughts and concern. I am now in Jakarta, just arriving a few hours ago. I'm fine. I left the Pacific a day after the tsunami struck Samoa and Tonga while the whole of the South Pacific was put under tsunami alert. Simultaneous to this tragedy in the Pacific were the earthquakes that hit Sumatra and Padang in Indonesia. At the same time, in the Philippines, many parts of the capital and 25 other provinces are still recovering from the flash floodingand mudslides. The condition of victims was further aggravated by the lack of support and immediate relief and assistance.

This is almost too much to digest and come to terms with as someone who is not directly affected but who happened to be in the region while these tragedies were happening. It is so much more devastating to the people who are living it and are directly impacted. What can we do, how can we be relevant? These are the questions raging inside me at the moment.

Just before the tsunami struck, I spent the whole day with our partner, the Pacific Conference of Churches (with their Climate Change team), discussing our program for the next 4 years. In that meeting was a very young intern from Tonga, very passionate on the climate change issue. He told me that what prompted him to apply for this internship was the reality his people in Tonga are currently facing- the disappearing shorelines, the rising sea level and the increased salinity in the soil that makes vegetation growth impossible. He also talked about the impending need to relocate or evacuate their lands and their islands - and the threat this poses to their culture and their way of life as a people. This was pretty scary, particularly hearing this from a 20 year old man. Then the tsunami struck... Here in Jakarta, in the few hours I've been here, I've already been asked what can KAIROS do. A similar question came from partners in the Philippines. It's not so much about responding to the emergency relief and assistance needs but, programmatically, through raising awareness, advocating for policy change and supporting groups on the ground responding to these realities. In my discussion with the Pacific Conference of Churches, what was made very clear was that climate change and the disastrous economic models that are currently in place should not be seen as two different realities, but rather as intricately linked. This very much resonates with the reflection we shared as staff during our recent retreat-responding to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are not two separate approaches. They are one.

I'm feeling a bit at a loss on how to approach this visit in the face of all these human made "natural" tragedies. While I have a very clear set of trip objectives, I'm afraid that is this going to be an imposition to partners to ask them to discuss program planning and program implementation strategy when they are physically and emotionally preoccupied in dealing with their current realities, particularly in the Philippines where three new storms are expected to hit the country this weekend.

I'm wondering too if KAIROS can encourage statements of solidarity and accompaniment to our affected partners in the Pacific, in Indonesia and the Philippines in the face of all of these tragedies.

Abrazos,
Connie "


Want to respond...
Send statements of solidarity, donate to KAIROS` ongoing work with global partners, and act for climate justice!

Statements of Solidarity
Please consider sending brief statements of solidarity and accompaniment to our affected partners in Asia Pacific listed below with a copy to Connie at csorio[at]kairoscanada[dot]org:

Ecumenical Consortium for JustPeace, Philippines
c/o The National Council of Churches (NCCP)
Rev. Rex Reyes, Jr., General Secretary
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
padirex[at]gmail[dot]com

KONTRAS, Indonesia
(The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence)
Usman Hamid, Coordinator
kontrasaceh_federasi[at]yahoo[dot]com, indriafernida[at]gmail[dot]com

JATAM, Indonesia
(Mining Advocacy Network in Indonesia)
Siti Maemunah, Coordinator
jatam[at]jatam[dot]org

Pacific Conference of Churches, Fiji
Mr. Fe'iloakitau Kaho
Tevi, General Secretary
pacific[at]connect.com[dot]fj

Donate To support these and other global partners in their ongoing work on the structural injustices that magnify the impact of these disasters, go to Act for Climate Justice If you want to take action on climate change--to address what's happening in Asia Pacific and around the globe---please go to the Week of Action (October 17-24, 2009) page on our website at http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/ecojustice/climate-change/kairos-week-of-action/ for education and worship resources.

Summary

Background

The village of Bil'in in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories, has held non-violent popular protests against the Israeli barrier wall since 2005. The barrier cuts across village land, and annexes an estimated 60 per cent of Bil'in, according to Israeli lawyer Emily Schaeffer, who is representing the village in an unprecedented lawsuit currently before the Quebec Superior Court.

The village inhabitants oppose a Canadian-Israeli settlement construction project on their lands, which they say is illegal according to international law.

Now, only months after his visit to Canada, Khatib has been arrested. During the early morning hours on Monday August 3, Israeli forces entered Khatib's home in Palestine, and arrested him in front of his wife and children. At present, Mohammed Khatib remains in Israeli custody despite the fact that no charges have been brought against him. He joins an estimated 8,000 Palestinian prisoners currently being detained by Israel authorities.

Protesters say the Israeli military forces have stepped up nighttime raids in the village, targeting key activists involved in protests. “Hundreds of soldiers are entering at night, hiding between the olive trees and houses, where we can barely see them. Masks cover their faces and we can only see their eyes. They shoot teargas and sound bombs and the entire village is awake, several times a week”, noted one resident.

"Mohammed Khatib along with other leaders of the Palestinian popular struggle are being targeted because they mobilize Palestinians to resist non-violently," says Abdullah Abu Rahme, co-ordinator of Bil'in's Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. “The wall and settlements built on occupied Palestinian land are illegal under international law. In the case of this village, even the Israeli court declared the [wall] route illegal.”

According to the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine, in the past month alone, the Israeli military has arrested 19 Palestinian activists in nighttime arrests. The majority of those arrested remain in prison. In recent weeks, Bil'in villagers have marched in the early mornings to raise awareness internationally about the nighttime raids and arrests.

Canadian connection

In June 2009, Mohammed Khatib traveled to Canada for the preliminary hearings of a historic lawsuit launched by Bil’in village against two Quebec-based companies, Green Park International and Green Mount International. The night-time raid of August 3 is just one in a series of many carried out by Israeli forces in Bil’in since June 2009. These military raids coincided with the commencement of legal proceedings against Green Park International and Green Mount International in Canada.

The village has accused two Quebec-based companies, Green Park International and Green Mount International, of being involved in constructing illegal Israeli-only settlements on Bil'in lands.

Bil'in's lawsuit is based on Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, signed into law in 2000. The landmark legislation facilitates the Canadian legal system's ability to hear cases rooted in breaches of international law.

The Bil'in lawsuit calls on the Quebec Superior Court to rule on whether the settlement construction violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, signed after the Second World War, which outlines international legalities for civilians and lands under foreign occupation. An initial ruling on the lawsuit in the Quebec Superior Court is still pending. Justice Louis-Paul Cullen is expected to rule within the next six months.

What you can do:

•  Write a solidarity note to Bil’in villagers as they continue their non- violent protests and face continued arrests: committee[at]bilin-village[dot]org

•  Write to your Member of Parliament or give your constituency office a call. Express your concern about the violent dispersals of peaceful demonstrations and the detention of protesters without charge, both of which have escalated since the village launched its lawsuit in a Canadian court. To find contact information for your MP, use this link: http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

 All postal mail can be addressed for free to:
(MP’s name), House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6

•  Learn more about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel.

Links to more information

Bil’in village committee: www.bilin-village.org

YouTube video of recent arrests and tear-gassing of demonstrators: http://www.youtube.com/user/haithmkatib

Canadian MPs visit Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/gazadelegation/2009/08/canadian-mps-visit-jordan-west-bank-and-gaza

Video- Demonstrator killed in Bil’in by Israeli forces:  http://palsolidarity.org/2009/04/6185

KAIROS endorsement of national tour by Bil’in representatives: http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/rights-and-trade/news-list/news/archive/2009/06/article/kairos-endorses-national-tour-of-palestinian-villagers-and-jewish-allies/?tx_ttnews[backPid]=56&cHash=27ccf762b2

KAIROS action, December 10 2008: http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/get-involved/urgent-actions/urgent-action/archive/2008/12/article/peace-in-israel-and-palestine-solidarity-action-from-kairos-to-celebrate-the-60th-anniversary-of-th/?tx_ttnews[backPid]=257&cHash=c6b8d045fc

Montreal solidarity committee: http://bilinmtl.blogspot.com/

News article detailing the raids on Bil’in: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=217418

Dominion interview with Abdullah Abu Rahme of the Bil'in Popular Committee: http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2850

Protest, Grief as Barrier Segregates Palestinian Village from Farms (2005 article):
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/5571

The industry has dramatically altered ecosystems and economies, and continues to grow at a startling rate despite the recent economic downtown. It affects indigenous groups, local communities, and workers.

In an effort to communicate the scope of the tar sands, KAIROS has developed a variety of digital resources: 

• A photo gallery of the delegation’s experience, including visits to Edmonton, Fort McMurray and the indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan.
• A photo gallery of KAIROS staff member Sara Stratton’s flyover of the tar sands, taken in September 2008.
• A video tour of the delegation’s flyover of the tar sands.

A full video summary of the delegation will be available early September. This video will act as an educational resource, providing more information on the delegation’s reactions and interpretations of tar sands development.

Misabiko was arrested on 24 July and charged with "threatening state security" because his organization, Association Africaine de défense des Droits de l'Homme in Katanga province (ASADHO/Katanga), published a report alleging state complicity in illegal mining at a uranium mine in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a controversial mine that critics claim is polluting the air and water of the region. Misabiko was being detained at the Prosecutor's Office under a pre-trial detention request by the Prosecutor.

On 24 August, the High Court agreed to release Misabiko on bail out of concern for his deteriorating health. While detained, Golden Misabiko was forced to sleep outdoors on a cardboard box to avoid the crowded and unsanitary conditions of the main holding cell.

KAIROS calls for all charges against Golden Misabiko to be dropped. KAIROS urges the Congolese government to ensure the free participation of civil society in debates on the management of Congo's mineral resources and to safeguard the security of human rights advocates.

KAIROS also urges that no Canadian company become involved in mining in the DRC which adversely impacts the environmental and social well-being of Congolese citizens.

Background

Golden Misabiko, Chair of ASADHO/Katanga, was arrested on 24 July in Lubumbashi, DRC. Timothée Mbuya, Vice-Chair of ASADHO/Katanga, was also arrested on 24 July but released on the same day.

Both men were interrogated in Lubumbashi by members of the Congolese intelligence agency. Misabiko has been charged with "undermining State security" and "making defamatory statements".

Misabiko, a human rights advocate, together with local civil society groups, campaigns for increased transparency and accountability in the management of mineral wealth in the province of Katanga, a copper and cobalt rich region. He has been arrested and intimidated several times in the past for his human rights activities.

ASADHO/Katanga released a report on 12 July 2009 about the Shinkolobwe uranium mine denouncing state authorities for supporting illegal and dangerous mining and for signing a contract in March with the French nuclear group AREVA under opaque circumstances.

In 2004, a United Nations assessment team found high risks of mine collapse and potential chronic exposure to radiation at the Shinkolobwe mine, and concluded that the mine must remain closed. The assessment followed an earlier mine collapse in July 2004 that killed eight people.

"The situation in Shinkolobwe could be described as anarchistic-there is no respect for mining safety regulations," according to Mr. Bernard Lamouille, an expert in artisanal mining of the United Nations assessment team.

The mine at Shinkolobwe is also described as unleashing radioactive materials into the air and water of the region. According to experts, the mine is contaminating the small rivers of the area, rivers that eventually feed into the Congo River, a major source of food and transport for the entire country.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the 21 resource rich African countries implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global initiative for increased transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors. The participation of independent civil society is a fundamental component of the multi-stakeholder nature of the EITI and Congolese civil society organisations are playing an active role to ensure that their country becomes fully compliant with the initiative.

KAIROS has been calling for more transparency in Congo's mining sector, including renegotiating and/or cancelling mining contracts that do not meet the needs of local populations. While the KAIROS website is offline, please visit our sister organzation, Africafiles.org, for more information.

Action

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY:

· Demanding that the authorities drop all charges against Golden Misabiko.
· Urging them to guarantee Golden Misabiko's right to freedom of expression, including the right to conduct research, publish and disseminateinformation, a principle recognized by the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:
President
Son Excellence Joseph Kabila
Président de la République
Palais de la Nation
Avenue de Lemera
Kinshasa-Gombe
Democratic Republic of Congo
E-mail: presipp[at]yahoo[dot]fr

Justice Minister:
Luzolo Bambi Lessa
Ministre de la Justice
Ministère de la Justice
228 Avenue de Lemera
BP 3137
Kinshasa-Gombe
République Démocratique du Congo
E-mail : pourtous.justice[at]yahoo[dot]fr

Governor of Katanga:
Moise Katumbi Chapwe
Please leave a message
on the Governor's official website :
www.katanga.cd/misc/contact.php

SEND COPIES TO:
Mrs. Louise NZANGA RAMAZANI
Chargé d'Affaires
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
18 Range Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J3
Fax: (613) 230-1945

John Lewis
Program Coordinator - International Human Rights
KAIROS
310 Dupont Street
Toronto, ON
M5R 1V9
jlewis[at]kairoscanada[dot]org

Download a PDF version of the report here.

FECCLAHA is a long standing human rights and peace-building partner of KAIROS.  One of its member councils is the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC, the ecumenical Church of Christ in the Congo) which works closely with KAIROS human rights partner Héritier de la Justice to combat gender based violence in Eastern Congo.

For more information on KAIROS’ work with Congolese and Great Lakes-region partners, contact Jim Davis (Global Partnerships Program—Africa) at 1877 403 8933 x 238 or jdavis@kairoscanada.org