In 2007 opposition to the Security
and Prosperity Partnership of North
America took centre stage. As thousands
of Canadians got involved
in the fight against the SPP, the
Harper government was left on
the defensive. This is understandable,
given that every other sitting political
party in Canada has raised serious questions
about the secrecy behind the SPP,
and its implications for Canadian social
programs, environmental protections,
human rights and security policies.
At the Council of Canadians, we kicked
off 2007 by welcoming U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of
Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to
Canada with a street protest on February
23 – despite the blistering cold. We
could feel the energy and enthusiasm
building, and it sustained us through
the winter months as we worked with
dozens of social justice organizations
and labour unions – including the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
and the Canadian Labour Congress – to
put together a massive teach-in called
Integrate This! Challenging the Security
and Prosperity Partnership of North
America.
The energy was palpable in Ottawa during
the teach-in from March 30 to April
1, as more than 1,500 people, including
activists, academics, workers, policy
experts, journalists, artists, musicians –
and even breakdancers – crammed into
a concert hall and a high school to learn
about the SPP and how to fight it. The
teach-in was hosted by broadcaster Avi
Lewis, and featured dynamic speakers,
including Judy Rebick, Maureen Webb,
Antonia Juhasz and, of course, the
Council’s own Maude Barlow.
The Integrate This! teach-in spurred a
flurry of activity around the SPP, and the
ripple effect was felt across the country.
The dangers of the corporate vision for
North American relations became crystal
clear in May, when the Ottawa Citizen
revealed that Canada was set to raise the
allowable limits of pesticide residues on
fruit and vegetables, as part of an SPP-related
effort to harmonize Canadian
pesticide rules with the United States.
This was one of many issues that convinced
thousands of people to join the
Council of Canadians in the streets
of Ottawa, Montebello and dozens of
other cities across the country, to protest
against the SPP on August 20 and 21.
While U.S. President George Bush and
Mexican President Felipe Calderón met
with Prime Minister Stephen Harper behind closed doors, we brought hundreds
of people together at a public
forum, packing an auditorium at the
University of Ottawa. Maude Barlow,
along with civil society representatives
from the U.S. and Mexico, condemned
the SPP and promoted a vision of a more
just and sustainable North America.
The Council then boarded the bus to
Montebello (where the leaders were
meeting), carrying more than 10,000
letters from Council of Canadians members,
demanding a moratorium on SPP
negotiations and a debate with the public
about its implications for Canadians.
While in Montebello, we were front and
centre in exposing the Quebec provincial
police’s use of undercover “provocateurs”
during the SPP protests, after
Nanaimo chapter member Paul Manly
caught Sûreté du Québec officers posing
as masked protesters attempting to
throw rocks, and posted the footage on
YouTube. The Council of Canadians has
joined with citizens and civil liberties
organizations to call for a public inquiry
into the issue of police interference in
Montebello.
In the meantime, we’ve launched a new
“SPP Watch” feature on our Integrate
This website, which we’ve been updating
frequently with hard-hitting research
and commentary. In 2008 we will
continue to expose the SPP, and push
for the federal government to scrap the
“partnership,” and instead consult with
Canadians in a meaningful way about
the future of relations between Canada,
the U.S. and Mexico.
There are so many opportunities to get involved in the fight for a better Canada. Consider joining your local chapter today. |
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Annual report 2007 (including summary statement of revenue and expenditure)
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