Learn first-hand about ...
HONDURAS' PRO-DEMOCRACY, ANTI-MILITARY COUP REGIME MOVEMENT
BELOW:
- Speaking tour in Ontario and Winnipeg (Manitoba),
Canada - February 7-19
- Delegation to Honduras - March 19-27
- Delegation to Honduras - May 14-22
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SPEAKING TOUR
MINING & TOURISM IN HONDURAS: How Canada is Impeding the Pro-Democracy People's Movement and the Re-foundation of Honduras
CONTACT: Karen Spring, spring.kj@gmail.com (or Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org) to plan and host events.
WHEN: February 7 - February 15th, 2011 (Ontario), February 16-19, 2011 (Winnipeg)
WHERE: Ontario, Quebec (Montreal area), Winnipeg
WHO: Karen Spring, Rights Action. Karen is from Ontario. With Rights Action since early 2009, she lives and works in Honduras and Guatemala.
OPPOSITION TO HONDURAS' REPRESSIVE REGIME
On June 28, 2009, the Honduran military, in collusion with economic and political elites, the Catholic Church and media, overthrew the democratic government of President Zelaya. Since that date, a massive movement of the Honduran people has come together to oppose the coup and the post-coup regime, and to re-found their State and society and build a real democracy.
Both Canada and the United States failed to strongly denounce and oppose the coup and now continue with 'business as usual' - maintaining and pursuing political, economic and military relations with the repressive regime that is committing wide-spread repression against its own population.
RESISTANCE TO HARMFUL MINING
Canadian mining companies continue to operate in Honduras eager to expand and start new operations despite the widespread repression and social conflict related to resistance to their operations and nation-wide resistance since the coup d'etat.
Today, the post-coup regime is working to pass mining law reforms (that the ousted government of President Zelaya had put on hold) that will directly favour global mining companies and investors.
TOURISM
Along with the Canadian government, Canadian tourists and investors are 'white washing' the repressive nature of the current government. Buying up land on the north coast of Honduras, the tourist projects have evicted local Garifuna communities and threatened their livelihood and existence.
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Since 1998, Rights Action has been working in Honduras with local struggles in mining affected communities and with the Garifuna people on the coast.
Combining photos and short documentary films, these are the issues that Karen will be addressing, as well as focusing on how Canadians can support these people's struggles for community development, environmental justice and human rights.
Rights Action will ask interested organizations to raise funds and contribute towards the over-all costs of the tour. All profits from speaking engagements will go to the community based organizations that Rights Action supports and works with in Honduras and Guatemala.
CONTACT: Karen Spring, spring.kj@gmail.com (or Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org) to plan and host events.
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EDUCATION DELEGATIONS TO HONDURAS - March 19-27, or May 14-22
PRO-DEMOCRACY PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT *versus* NORTH AMERICAN TOURIST, MINING & SWEATSHOP INVESTMENTS & INTERESTS
Both educational delegations will visit with various groups that form the Honduran pro-democracy and anti-coup resistance movement that came together after the June 28th, 2009 military coup and continue to remain strong in demanding the re-foundation of Honduras.
Over 7 days (& 8 nights), group members will meet various community leaders and organizations. Participants will come to understand the vision of the people's pro-democracy, anti-coup movement, that contrasts with the north-south global economic actors that were supporters of the coup. This includes harmful mining practices conflicting with community development and environmental justice; and/or North American tourist business versus indigenous land rights; and/or the multi-national sweatshop industry conflicting with workers rights.
The group will travel by van to: Siria Valley where communities are resisting the possible expansion of Goldcorp's San Martin mine; to Trujillo on the north coast to visit a campesino land recuperation movement in the community of Guadalupe Carney; to Garifuna communities battling the social and environmental effects of large scale tourist projects; and finally to San Pedro Sula to speak with workers demanding better conditions in multi-national sweatshops and/or banana workers united in their constant struggle against major North American banana companies.
Led by Karen Spring of Rights Action, these delegations to Honduras will enable participants to learn first hand community development and human rights struggles and organizing, the unjust global economic 'development' model while making the 'north-south' connections between struggles in Honduras and those in North America. Participants will also learn about how to get involved, in North America, with political activism and organizing in support of community-led development, environmental and human rights work.
COST: $825. Fee covers: 8 nights of hotel; 2 meals a day for 7 days (plus arrival day dinner & departure day breakfast); transportation in-country; trip organization, guiding, translation; donations to some people/groups we meet with. Participants pay for their travel to and from Honduras.
DATES:
March 19-27: Arrive Tegucigalpa, Sat., March 19 - depart Sun., March 27
May 14-22: Arrive Tegucigalpa, Sat., May 14 - depart Sun., May 22
FOR WHOM: Citizens and activists, donors, professors and educators, media, health, environment and legal professions, who are concerned about exploitation-poverty-"development" / foreign interventions and repression / environmental destruction in countries of the "global south", and about community-based resistance and work for equality, justice and locally controlled development and environmental well-being.
CONTACT: Karen Spring: spring.kj@gmail.com [or Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org]. For information on Rights Action's work, visit www.rightsaction.org
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