ACTION ALERT: Int'l Trade Committee needs to hear Afro-Colombian position, not just corporate position, on Bill C-23

November 18, 2009

As we told you yesterday, the Standing Committee on International Trade (CIIT) has rejected a request from Carlos Rosero, a leading expert and advocate for Afro-Colombian rights with Proceso de Comunidades Negras, to give evidence at tomorrow’s (Thursday) CIIT meeting.

Rosero was to speak about the human rights situation in Colombia, particularly in the context of extractive industries and other resource developments affecting the traditional territories of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Peoples.

We now know that the CIIT will instead hear from two more Canadian corporate lobby groups – the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) – that support Bill C-23. This is after hearing from the Canada Pork International this week, and from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association two weeks ago.

The North-South Institute, which had brought Rosero to Ottawa to hear about the lives of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous peoples under the Colombian regime of President Alvaro Uribe, have written to Conservative MP Lee Richardson who chairs the CIIT and whose decision it was to block Rosero from presenting.

TAKE ACTION
Write to CIIT Chair Lee Richardson (Richardson.L@parl.gc.ca) and copy the members of the international trade committee (Brison.S@parl.gc.ca; Cannan.R@parl.gc.ca; Guimond.C@parl.gc.ca; Harris.R@parl.gc.ca; Holder.E@parl.gc.ca; Keddy.G@parl.gc.ca; Silva.M@parl.gc.ca; Rae.B@parl.gc.ca; Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca; JuliaP@parl.gc.ca) today urging them to reverse this decision in the name of a balanced analysis of the proposed free trade deal with Colombia! (Please CC strew@canadians.org on your emails.)

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SEND A LETTER NOW:

Subject
Recipients	Richardson.L@parl.gc.ca; Brison.S@parl.gc.ca; Cannan.R@parl.gc.ca; Guimond.C@parl.gc.ca; Harris.R@parl.gc.ca; Holder.E@parl.gc.ca; Keddy.G@parl.gc.ca; Silva.M@parl.gc.ca; Rae.B@parl.gc.ca; Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca; JuliaP@parl.gc.ca
Compose your letter in the box below.
Dear Mr. Richardson, I am very disappointed to hear that The North-South Institute’s request for its Colombian research partner, Carlos Rosero of Proceso de Comunidades Negras, to testify this Thursday, November 19 to the Standing Committee on International Trade (CIIT) was denied. Mr. Rosero has valuable views to share on the potential impact of the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement on ethnic communities. He is a leading expert and advocate for Afro-Colombian rights, a specialist in environmental and social impact assessment, and has extensive knowledge of the human rights situation in Colombia, particularly in the context of extractive activities and other resource developments affecting the traditional territories of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Peoples. Mr. Rosero also has considerable knowledge on governance matters related to these topics, including the issue of trade. He would bring to life for Committee Members the realities that communities in Colombia are currently facing, together with their concerns and hopes for the future. To not hear from him is a missed opportunity if the goal of the committee is to have better informed and balanced debate on Canada's trade relations with Colombia, particularly given the potentially significant human rights impacts in Colombia of free trade legislation. As you know, this week's roster of witnesses was comprised solely of business people – other views need to be heard as well in order to provide a stronger platform to make a better legislative decision. Ultimately, this process will set a precedent for future negotiations of free trade agreements with other developing countries . The stronger and more balanced it is, the better the outcomes all around for now and the future. I urge you to reconsider your decision, and to invite Carlos Rosero to testify this Thursday. I look forward to hearing from you in the very near future. Sincerely,
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