Take It Back!
Annual general meeting promotes a peoples’ vision of North America
In October 2007, chapter activists
and social justice advocates from
across North America converged
in Kelowna, B.C., for the Council
of Canadians’ 22nd annual general
meeting. In keeping with the
AGM theme, the panels and workshops
focused on ways to take back what is
ours – our democratic right to participate
in discussions about Canada’s
future within North America.
Public forum
More than 500 people attended a public
forum on Friday, October 26, to
hear keynote speakers Maude Barlow,
Wenonah Hauter and Claudia Campero
Arena.
Wenonah is the executive director of
Food & Water Watch in the U.S. She
has worked extensively on energy, food,
water and environmental issues at
the national, state and local level. She
focused on the way that U.S. corporations
have eroded environmental and
health and safety regulations, and how
citizens and consumers can fight back.
Claudia is a founding member of
COMDA (Mexican Committee for
Defense of Water Rights), and is currently
involved in the campaign to
enshrine the right to water in the
Mexican constitution. She focused on
ways that activists from northern and
southern countries have worked in
solidarity with each other to challenge
water privatization.
Peace rally
Council members joined the local chapter
of the Canadian Peace Alliance and
the Raging Grannies in a peace march
and rally to protest against the war in
Afghanistan.
Water workshop on wheels
National Water Campaigner Susan
Howatt and Kelowna chapter member
Carol Kergan organized a bus tour to
the top of Knox Mountain to explore
issues of sustainability and how to protect
our water for people and natureMarch 13, 2008 from UBC Okanagan, spoke about
how urban sprawl is putting pressure
on local watersheds. Susan spoke about
how a national water policy could help
protect water in 
Kelowna and across
the country.
Awards and celebration
During the 2007 AGM, the
Council of Canadians
presented awards to longtime
activists to honour their
commitment to the Council and to
social justice. Art Manuel from the
Indigenous Network on Economies
and Trade was named Activist of
the Year, in recognition of his outstanding
leadership and commitment
to achieving recognition for
Aboriginal Title and Treaty Rights
at the national and international
levels. Anita Strong (Kamloops
chapter) and Karen Abramsen
(Kelowna chapter) were given the
Ken Wardroper Founder’s Award
in recognition of their many years
as chapter activists in British
Columbia. Nanaimo chapter
member Paul Manly and CEP
President Dave Coles were
presented with Special Awards,
recognizing their role in exposing
police provocateurs at a peaceful
protest during the Montebello
Summit in August 2007.
To hear keynote speeches and see
more photos from the Council of
Canadians’ 2007 AGM, visit our
website at www.canadians.org/AGM.
Donna James is the Council of Canadians’
Executive Assistant and the coordinator of
the 2007 AGM.
Printer-friendly version: Take It Back! in PDF Format (120kB)
Photo credit: Paul Manly
