From seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca Mon Aug 18 17:05:30 2008 From: seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca (The Latin-Canadian Organization of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:05:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Several Job Opportunities at Seinforma.ca Seinforma Canada Headlines/Titulares Seinforma Canada -English-Espanol Message-ID: <2111.67.212.11.102.1219104330.squirrel@mail.resist.ca> THE PETROLEOS MEXICANOS (PEMEX) PRIVATIZATION IS NOW A MATTER TO GET WORRIED Energetic Reform and Media vs. Pacific Civil Resistance Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been target of verbal attacks against his reputation and arguments, as a result of the Pacific Civil Resistance movement that he leads and all the claims against the Energetic Reform. The greater preoccupation and subject: the privatization of PEMEX ------------- SME (MEXICAN ELECTRICITY TRADE UNION) KEEPS TURNING ITS BACK ON US Trade Union Marches: The Usual Ritual To be present at a trade union demonstration is to witness a performance, even when the stage is built by a historic trade union, such as SME. During the 2008 Winter-Spring season it came out playing its part, representing the LFC (Light and Force of the Centre). ------ SEINFORMA CANADA SPECIAL SERIES: WAR CORRESPONDENTS REPORTING FEELINGS FROM THE FRONT LINE: JORGE SILVA: ?After going for the first time, you don't know if it is worth risking your life" A brief stay in Bagdad as a photojournalist for Reuters reveals the approach of a young journalist to a conflict through one of the contemporary methods used to help the correspondents? coverage: staying with the army troops. ------------ A pre-hispanic world in the Latin American education The inclusion of the regional visions of the world and history in the education is necessary within a globalised society established by foreign elements. The recognition of the identity in Latin America must be framed by a knowledge of its past experiences. ---------- MONROE: Let's reformulate! The history of domination in which Latin America was involved since its colonization, results the biggest yoke upon America's back. The history of domination in which Latin America was involved since its colonization, results the biggest yoke upon America's back. --------- PRESIDENT LEONEL FERNANDEZ FACES URGENT CHALLENGES: CORRUPTION AND FOOD CRISIS The same bitter soup for four more years for the Dominicans The biggest problem in Dominican Republic is and always will be the corruption, which does not allow the wealth (which grows 10% a year) to be redistributed equally among the people. Let?s hope that during the next four years new leaders arise, so the Dominican people do not have to choose the lesser out of two evils on the next elections. Let?s hope real options exist. -------- GLOBAL WARMING AND THE DEGRADATION OF CANADA?S BOREAL FOREST Turning up the heat A recent report released by Greenpeace finds that logging in Canada?s Boreal Forest is making global warming worse by releasing greenhouse gases and reducing carbon storage. ESPANOL PREOCUPA LA PRIVATIZACI?N DE PETR?LEOS MEXICANOS (PEMEX) Reforma Energ?tica y Medios vs Resistencia Civil Pacifica Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador ha sido el blanco de ataques de desacreditaci?n, a ra?z del movimiento de Resistencia Civil Pac?fica que encabeza y que ha tenido como protesta los argumentos en contra de la Reforma Energ?tica. Su preocupaci?n mayor: la privatizaci?n de Pemex ---------------- SME SIGUE DANDONOS LA ESPALDA Marchas Sindicales: el ritual de lo habitual Presenciar una marcha sindical, es asistir a una puesta en escena m?s aun cuando el escenario lo monta alg?n sindicato hist?rico como es el caso del SME, as? en su temporada de invierno-primavera 2008 sali? a tomar su papel histri?nico, quienes representan a los trabajadores de Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LFC). ---------------- SERIES ESPECIALES SEINFORMA CANADA -CORRESPONSALES DE GUERRA REPORTAN SENTIMIENTOS DESDE EL FRENTE JORGE SILVA: "Despu?s de que vas la primera vez, no sabes si vale la pena arriesgarte" Una breve estad?a en Bagdad como fotorreportero de la agencia Reuters revela el acercamiento de un joven periodista a un conflicto mediante uno de los m?todos contempor?neos que se gestionan para facilitar la cobertura de los corresponsales: a trav?s de una estad?a con las tropas del ej?rcito. -------------- Un mundo prehisp?nico en la educaci?n latinoamericana La necesidad de incluir las cosmovisiones hist?ricas en la educaci?n resulta evidente ante una sociedad globalizada establecida por elementos for?neos. El reconocimiento de la identidad en Am?rica Latina debe estar enmarcado por un conocimiento de sus experiencias pasadas. -------------- MONROE: REFORMULEMOS! La historia de dominaci?n en que se vio envuelta Am?rica Latina desde su colonizaci?n resulta el mayor yugo sobre las espaldas de Am?rica From seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca Tue Aug 26 20:55:09 2008 From: seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca (The Latin-Canadian Organization of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:55:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: About a war resister deportation/sobre deportacion de un war resister Message-ID: <4428.67.55.23.85.1219809309.squirrel@mail.resist.ca> English and Spanish Services -Canada Servicios en Espanol e Ingles -Canada DEPORTED WAR RESISTER HAS THREE OPTIONS: TO GO TO JAIL, TO KILL, OR TO BE KILLED How to incite crime and then punish the ?criminal? in Canadian style The deportation of the US conscientious objector Robin Long was surrounded by censorship and by an erroneous concept of peace. The Omar Khadr case; the passport requirement for Canadians who travel to the United States, effective as of 2009; and the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) -all matters related to sovereignty and in which Canada has come off bad, are conditioning our ?autonomous? judicial and immigration systems. Should we allow another 200 war resisters to be deported and to continue criminalizing peace? www.seinforma.ca/leading.html ESPANOL DESERTOR DE GUERRA DEPORTADO TIENE TRES OPCIONES: LA C?RCEL, ASESINAR, O SER ASESINADO C?mo impeler al crimen y luego castigar al ?delincuente? al estilo canadiense La deportaci?n del objetor de conciencia estadounidense Robin Long estuvo salpicada de censura de prensa y de un err?neo concepto del pacifismo. El caso Omar Khadr; la entrada en vigencia en el 2009 del pasaporte canadiense obligatorio para ingresar a EE.UU; y el Nafta, asuntos todos relacionados con soberan?a y en los que Canad? sale mal parada, est?n condicionando nuestros ?aut?nomos? sistemas judicial y migratorio. Permitiremos que deporten a los otros 200 war resisters y se contin?e criminalizando el pacifismo? www.seinforma.ca/editorial.html --- From seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca Wed Aug 27 19:04:22 2008 From: seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca (The Latin-Canadian Organization of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression) Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:04:22 +0000 (GMT) Subject: Latin party for sick children -Windsor/Rumba latina por los ninos enfermos -Windsor Message-ID: <485400.37003.qm@web23807.mail.ird.yahoo.com> English & Spanish Services -Canada Servicios en Espanol e Ingles -Canada The Hungarian community from Toronto and Windsor City are inviting to a Latin party at the Hungarian Cultural Centre, 790 Hanna Street East, on September 13, 2008. This is a fundraiser for Operation Herbie at the Hospital for Sick Children. Please see/distribute the attached flyer. Thank you. Executive Director Specialized Journalistic Services -Seinforma Canada Visit www.seinforma.ca PS: If you cannot visualize the flyer or open the file attached, please contact the mailing list administrator and we will provide you one. --- Las comunidades hungaras de Toronto y Windsor invitan a una rumba latina el 13 de Septiembre de 2008 en el Centro Cultural Hungaro ubicado en el 790 de Hanna Street. Los fondos recaudados seran destinados a la Operacion Herbie del Hospital for Sick Children. Por favor ver/distribuir el volante adjunto. Muchas gracias. Director Specialized Journalistic Services -Seinforma Canada NOTA: Si no puede visualizar el volante o no puede abrir el archivo adjunto, por favor contacte al administrador de esta lista de correos y con gusto le enviaremos uno. __________________________________________________ Correo Yahoo! Espacio para todos tus mensajes, antivirus y antispam ?gratis! Reg?strate ya - http://correo.yahoo.es -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: latin night.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 982561 bytes Desc: not available URL: From seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca Sun Aug 31 15:52:15 2008 From: seinforma-l at lists.resist.ca (Seinforma Canada News/Noticias Seinforma Canada) Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:52:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Marching against War on Labour Day/The Bullet on the Labour Day Message-ID: <3136.67.212.4.223.1220223135.squirrel@mail.resist.ca> ENGLISH SERVICES -CANADA 1. From Windsor Peace Coalition: Marching against War and Militarization on Labour Day 2. From The Bullet: Labour Day 2008 and Canadian Workers 3. From The Bullet: Out of Sight -- Out of Mind: Toronto's 'Streets to Homes' Response to Homelessness 1. On Thu, 8/28/08, Windsor Peace Coalition wrote: From: Windsor Peace Coalition Subject: Marching against War and Militarization on Labour Day To: Received: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 4:30 AM WAR AND A MILITARIZED ECONOMY ARE NO SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS IN MANUFACTURING March with the Peace Coalition in the Labour Day Parade - Monday, September 1, 2008 - You are invited to march with Windsor Peace Coalition in the Labour Day Parade this Monday, September 1 at 10 am. Look for our blue and yellow banner INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT IN WAR! The parade forms up in the Holy Rosary church parking lot on the corner of Drouillard and Wyandotte East starting at 9 am. and will start moving west on Wyandotte at 10 am. to the riverfront Festival Plaza for speeches, refreshments and a children's program. As the crisis in manufacturing deepens, leading to hardship and insecurity for many in communities such as ours, the Harper government is pushing war and militarization of the economy as a "solution". Under its "Canada First" plan, $490 billion is to be poured into military spending over the next 20 years to step up Canada's integration with the U.S. war marchine and build up the Canadian forces in preparation for new wars of aggression as part of NATO or other "coalitions" operating outside of international law while continuing theillegitimate, failed occupation of Afghanistan. Billons of public dollars will be diverted from social spending into the arms industry, making Canadian universities centres for military research and promoting "jobs" and "exciting careers" fighting with the Canadian forces as cannon fodder for the monopolies who profit from the destruction of war. Harper is cynically trying to brand this plan of imperialist war and militarization as one of " putting Canadians to work protecting Canadians". It must be rejected! The interests of Canadian workers do not lie in putting our natural and human resources in the service of immoral, illegal wars and empire building. Join with us this Labour Day in demanding that investments be made in addressing the needs of people and our communities - for a dignified livelihood and social programs for all in a sovereign Canada - and not in war, militarization and the annexation of our country to a foreign superpower bent on world domination. 2. ---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: Labour Day 2008 and Canadian Workers From: "The Bullet" Date: Sun, August 31, 2008 7:25 am To: seinforma at resist.ca -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 135 .... August 31, 2008 ________________________________________________________________ Labour Day 2008 and Canadian Workers Greg Albo Labour Day 2008 in Canada sees a number of longer term trends over this period of neoliberalism intensifying -- downward pressures on real wages, growing precarious and marginal work, undermining of public sector services and work, increasing reliance on migrant workers with restricted rights, and mounting global inequalities. A recession resulting from the overaccumulation of capital in key sectors in the U.S. and Europe has been spreading across the world market. This cyclical crisis of global capitalism has been aggravated by the turmoil in the financial sector due to the overextension of credit, and the tax-cutting excesses and liberalisation policies of national governments and the international financial institutions. This has weakened labour markets across the major capitalist countries and encouraged employers to step up their political struggles against unions in favour of further policies of labour flexibilization. ** Economic Slowdown ** These global economic trends have ended the export-led -- particularly driven by high demand and prices for Canadian commodity exports in metals and fossil fuels -- mini-boom in Canada over the last six years. Over the first half of 2008, the Canadian economy has been growing at well under 1 percent for the year, with growth forecasts continuing to be lowered. Export growth has now fallen for four consecutive quarters, and is down 5 percent, as the U.S. recession lowers demand for autos, oil and gas and lumber. The nonsense from business and government economists that Canadian resources would somehow insulate Canada from the U.S. downturn has again been confirmed. The most significant sign of the export decline has been the fall in the value of the Canadian dollar from well above par last year to below 95 cents US. These developments have meant that consumption-sensitive sectors, such as housing and retail, are all stalling. While the credit bubble in Canada -- in mortgages, personal and commercial credit -- is not as devastating as in the United States, parallel problems exist. Bank credit and loan capital of all kinds is tightening, even with a looser monetary policy. Job losses are consequently mounting in the labour market. The economic recession, with the hardships and pressures it will bring for working class Canadians, should be a major factor in the coming federal election as the minority government, led by the hard right Conservatives of Stephen Harper, dissolves. ** Labour Movement Challenges ** The Canadian labour movement is thus faced with major challenges and struggles as fall 2008 approaches. The economic recession points to the incredible absence of an anti-neoliberal movement and agenda in Canada, and the need for the Left in the labour movement to be at the forefront of this effort. The continuing announcements of workplace closings in the manufacturing sector, and pressures on collective bargaining across all sectors, suggests the need to build an anti-concessions movement that is willing to explore more militant workplace tactics. The public sector confronts new limits to workers' rights and working conditions in the context of still ascendant neoliberal policies. A few campaigns here -- notably some of the anti-privatization struggles around health care, universities and municipal services -- have had some successes, but these community-union alliances remain fleeting, even when major campaigns and demonstrations suggest their enormous potential. Without major support from the main political parties, and in the absence of new Left organizational capacities forming in Canada, these efforts have not been able to shift the balance of social forces. Organizing campaigns in the service sector and with migrant workers have also made some gains, but these have not yet been able to push past stagnant union density levels (at levels that have fallen substantially from high points) in Canada. And crucial international solidarity campaigns, notably with respect to the miserable conditions of Palestinian workers in the Occupied Territories and inside apartheid Israel, the continued assaults on unionists in Columbia, and against the NATO alliance wars and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq, have only built up fragile support. These essential internationalist campaigns require major mobilizing efforts by the Canadian Labour Congress and the union affiliates. Significant educational work and targeted political activity could play a major role in breaking Canada's imperialist foreign policies as the American empire's greatest ally. ** Labour Movement Impasse ** These are, indeed, major challenges for Canadian workers. It is important to underline that key struggles and signs of political resistance keep surfacing in all these areas, from both inside the labour movement and also associated social forces and movements. But aside from a few important initiatives in locals and labour councils -- the most visible being some of the living wage and immigrants' rights struggles undertaken by the Toronto and Vancouver District Councils, the union movement remains directionless and limited by defensive and weak leadership. The CLC convention of this summer is notable only for its complete lack of a sense of urgency of the issues facing the union movement and the failure to move any significant organizing, mobilizing or political agenda ahead. This failure of vision and initiative has pushed union affiliates increasingly toward 'competitive unionism,' and striking special agreements with employers (such as the CAW-Magna Framework of Fairness agreement), and collective agreements laced with moderate wage proposals and workplace concessions. Some unions, notably the Canadian Auto Workers, following other unions in the educational, construction and commercial sectors, into an embrace of the Liberal Party, while the rest of the labour movement clings tenaciously to the NDP, even while that party moves ever further away from union and working class issues toward a 'post-partisan', 'post-class', and 'post-campaigning' political organization. The lack of a socialist Left, with ties to rank and file and activist groupings across the working class in all of Canada's regions and diverse communities, is plainly evident in all this. This impasse inside the Canadian labour movement is reflective of a wider decline of the Canadian Left. The long-term drift of the NDP, going back to the late 1970s, toward U.S. style Democratic Party politics and British 'Third Wayism', led to a now more than two decade long period of denial of the social democratic realignment and an effort to work through social coalitions and networks amongst social activists. None of these -- even in their loosest organization form as national and local offshoots of the World Social Forum -- exist as actual movements in Canada today. The New Politics Initiative to reposition the NDP was, perhaps, its last significant effort. This failure to comprehend the new political challenges posed by neoliberalism was matched by the stale rigidity of a range of the small left radical groupings that maintain a marginal presence in progressive campaigns in Canada. But in taking their political instruction from London, New York or Havana, they have been stuck in political frameworks formed in quite different political moments and contexts. The ideological, political and organizational terrains have long since shifted and a period of experimentation in new political formations and political creativity is now on the agenda. This can be seen by the important political struggles in Latin America, but also the significant political realignments and breakthroughs unfolding in Greece, Germany, France and Portugal. From once leading some of the most significant fightbacks against neoliberalism and globalization over the 1980s and early 1990s, the Canadian Left is now fractured, at a major impasse and fighting only minor rearguard actions. ** Labour Day ** Labour Day in Canada is not only a day to celebrate the historical accomplishments of Canada's unions and working people to build a just political order. This we should do, as well as take heart in the many important struggles and battles being waged daily in our workplaces and unions. But we should also take time to reflect on the obstacles we are now confronting in Canada and the limits of our current organizational capacities. Even the best campaigns and most significant struggles have been stalling. There is an imperative to building an anti-capitalist movement and politics to support the immediacy of the fights, for example, against neoliberalism, the wreckage of the recession, the needs of migrant workers and Canada's growing military role in Afghanistan and the Middle East. There is also, finally, the active rediscovering of a 21st century socialism to confront the mounting ecological, militarist and social barbarism of capitalism. The Canadian labour movement and Left has often played a key role in advancing these struggles. We should also reflect on Labour Day on how we can do so again. The Labour Platform below is a contribution by the Socialist Project to the debate on the kind of orientation that our labour and socialist movements in Canada need to consider to move forward. Greg Albo teaches political economy at York University. ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** Labour Movement Platform As workers, we are today confronted with the challenge of defending what we have and making gains in the face of an ever-expanding and relentless employer offensive. The employers' drive to increase productivity and profits -- central to capitalism everywhere -- demands that we accept job loss and insecurity, concessions, new forms of speedup, and expanded management control in the workplace. More of us are forced to work in precarious forms of employment, making ourselves 'flexible' without access to unemployment and other social benefits or hope of a decent pension. Our economic insecurity makes it possible for employers to divide us and force upon us a false choice between jobs or the environment. Governments continue to reinforce the power of our employers with policies designed to undermine both individual and collective resistance. Our unions are weakened by divisions over how to respond, but most pursue strategies that fail to challenge the underlying causes of the problems we face. Many of us are experiencing a terrible isolation, as we lose both our links to the labour movement and our confidence in collective struggles. Given these realities, many of us are asking: How can we rebuild workers' strength and confidence? How can our movements retake the initiative and turn things around? 3. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 134 .... August 27, 2008 ________________________________________________________________ Out of Sight -- Out of Mind: Toronto's 'Streets to Homes' Response to Homelessness John Clarke The City of Toronto's 'Streets to Homes' program is a finalist for one of two awards that will be presented during the celebration of United Nations' World Habitat Day. These annual awards are given for 'practical and innovative solutions to current housing needs and problems'. 'Streets to Homes' is an initiative that focuses on placing people who are on the streets in housing units, and is presented as a bold and vital step that can actually eliminate the destitution of poverty in Toronto. "Streets to Homes is helping us to end street homelessness," Toronto Mayor David Miller has claimed. "It is making Toronto a more inclusive city, and the world is taking notice. This recognition is a tribute to both City staff and our community partners, who have worked together tirelessly and seamlessly to help some of our most vulnerable citizens." As I write this article, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is preparing to take a delegation to the office of the Coroner of Ontario to challenge the death of yet another person whose homelessness had been 'solved' by 'Streets to Homes'. He was dumped in substandard accommodation in an outlying part of the city without the supports that would enable him to survive. He perished in that setting. There is a glaring contradiction between the 'Streets to Homes' initiative as it is presented by its boosters in Toronto City Hall and the quiet, hidden misery that plays out in the lives its 'success stories'. Even viewed, simply and immediately, as a program that has put some 1,500 homeless people into housing units over three years, there is much that is flawed and even shameful about 'Streets to Homes'. However, the bigger question and the greater outrage lies in its role in both concealing and serving an agenda of driving the poor and homeless from the centre of the city in the interests of redevelopment. Before we can grasp the significance of 'Streets to Homes', we must first look at the essential nature of this process and the ways in which it is being pushed forward. ** Urban Redevelopment and the Poor ** Redevelopment in Toronto is proceeding under conditions where the scale and depths of poverty have already been increased by declines in real wages and the removal of important elements of social provision. Unemployment insurance has been gutted, social assistance rates slashed and the governmental initiatives that once generated housing for low income people have been scrapped. Some 70,000 people sit on waiting lists for social housing in this city, while the housing stock they wait to occupy crumbles for lack of basic upkeep. It is under these regressive conditions that poor communities find themselves targeted by upscale redevelopment. Decades ago, developers focused on generating suburban sprawl but the driving down of property values in the central area that this facilitated, created, over time, a reverse process. Since these are market forces and not rational planning, this process has turned into a frenzied drive to create an oversupply of upscale housing. The developers' appetite for profits may be unlimited but urban space is decidedly finite. Much of the territory slated for redevelopment is already spoken for. Poor people have created homes and neighbourhoods. Public housing projects have been constructed. People marginalized by deindustrialization and social cutbacks have moved into the city centre where they stand the greatest chance of surviving. These low income populations are, therefore, in the way and, as peasants were once driven out to make room for sheep grazing, so poor and homeless people are to day removed to provide space for luxury condos. Middle class professionals moving into these contested areas are not comfortable with the evidence of social destitution around them. The merchants who cater to the new occupants want to be free of the homeless. The logic of investment, property values and 'quality of life' demands they be removed. An unholy alliance of business interests, higher income residents, media, cops and politicians is formed to take on this job. Since it is the municipal level of government that has been developed to carry out the public functions that are most closely related to the needs of property investment, City Hall has a central role to play in this regard. Continue reading: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet134.html#continue John Clarke is an activist with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty in Toronto. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Bullet is produced by the Socialist Project. Readers are encouraged to distribute widely. Comments, criticisms and suggestions are welcome. Write to info at socialistproject.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: