[tadamon-l] Tadamon! Delegation to LEBANON 2006. Voices for Justice: from Montreal to Beirut.

[Tadamon!]

Tadamon! MONTREAL - Lebanon Delegation Summer 2006
Voices for Justice: from Montreal to Beirut....!

In July of 2006, Tadamon! [Solidarity! in Arabic], a Montreal-based 
collective of social justice organizers & media activists, will be sending 
a delegation to Lebanon. In the context of historic political change 
taking place in Lebanon & throughout the Middle East region, this 
delegation will develop connections between grassroots political 
organizing for social & economic justice and independent media networks in 
Beirut and Montreal.


----> Tadamon! Delegation Activities in Lebanon:

In Beirut, members of Tadamon! will be producing independent media reports 
concerning the current political, social and economic situation in 
Lebanon, for dissemination through alternative media networks in the 
Middle East, North America and internationally.

Tadamon!'s reports will be published, broadcast and distributed through 
CKUT Radio Montreal, the Electronic Intifada, the National Campus 
Community Radio Association of Canada [NCRA], Free Speech Radio News of 
Pacifica Radio, CitizenShift of the National Film Board of Canada, the 
Rabble Podcast Network, the World Association of Community Radio 
Broadcasters [AMARC] and the Independent Media Center of Beirut....

The Tadamon! delegation ALSO aims to meet and network with groups & 
organizations in Lebanon involved in struggles for social and economic 
justice, with the goal of establishing joint projects and campaigns 
between Montreal & Beirut.


----> Tadamon!'s Political Orientation & Experience:

Tadamon!, through its organizing work both in Montreal & Beirut, aligns 
itself with social justice movements in Lebanon, Canada and globally which 
are anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian in orientation.

Participants of Tadamon!'s 2006 delegation to Lebanon are committed social 
justice organizers & media activists based in Montreal. Collectively, the 
Tadamon! delegation represents years of experience organizing in support 
of immigrant & refugee quests for dignity in Canada, support work for 
indigenous struggles for self-determination, the development of diverse 
initiatives in solidarity with anti-colonial & anti-imperialist struggles 
in other regions of the world, and work in support of queer & feminist 
movements....

Tadamon!'s delegation members also have diverse & wide-ranging experience 
in creating radio productions and writing for independent & major media 
institutions both in Canada, North America & internationally.

[Previous reports produced by Tadamon! on Lebanon listed below.]


----> Tadamon! Delegation Political Focus:

The delegation takes place in the context of a re-colonization of the 
Middle East region under the pretext of a 'War on Terror', driven largely 
by an allegiance of North American state forces, in cooperation with some 
economic & political leaders in the Middle East region. Militarily-imposed 
political liberalism - 'democratization' - and ongoing neo-liberal 
economic reforms - 'development' - are not only undermining human rights & 
denying the self-determination of people in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, 
Afghanistan & throughout the region, but are also undermining people's 
ability to survive....

Tadamon!'s delegation will focus on three areas of struggle, each of which 
presents opportunities to strengthen relations of solidarity between 
people fighting for self-determination in Montreal & in Beirut:

* Economic Justice in Lebanon:

Tadamon!'s independent reporting in Lebanon will highlight grassroots 
struggles for economic justice. The delegation will seek out groups and 
individuals working for alternatives to the neo-liberal economic model 
imposed on Lebanon throughout the post-civil war period.

The U.N. recently estimated that upwards of 40% of the Lebanese population 
lives in poverty. Wealth disparity, poverty and economic exploitation are 
increasing in Lebanon. Economic realities, which are a direct result of 
neo-liberal economic policies pursued by current and past governments, 
strikingly similar to the IMF / World Bank structural adjustment policies 
which have gutted local and national economies throughout the global 
south.

* Lebanon & Migration:

Today, countless Lebanese are choosing to flee the increasingly difficult 
economic & political situation, seeking opportunities in North America or 
Western Europe. However, Lebanese & other migrants from the region are 
faced by racism & increasingly oppressive immigration laws, which seek to 
confine immigrants & refugees to a highly-exploited underclass of 
society.... From the streets of Beirut to Montreal, Tadamon!'s delegation 
will attempt to document elements of this reality.

The reality of forced migration is mirrored within the region, as people 
flee war & poverty in search of survival, some arriving in Lebanon. There, 
often divided by nationalisms & living in a precarious underground, 
migrants compete with the existing underclass for jobs - as house workers, 
street cleaners, or construction workers - in which basic human dignity 
can seldom be salvaged. Tadamon!'s delegation will attempt to connect with 
groups working in solidarity with migrant labour in Lebanon....

* Lebanon: Social Solidarity.

Even as the sectarian nature of Lebanon's political system is challenged 
by voices calling for social solidarity across religious lines, dominant 
political forces within the country continue to manipulate sectarian 
divisions for political gain....

Tadamon! will network with activists within the country who articulate 
ideals of social justice rooted in broad-based social solidarity and who 
are promoting the full rights of all people, regardless of gender, sexual 
orientation, national or regional identity, legal status or religious 
affiliation.


----> Tadamon! Delegation: Call for Solidarity.

Tadamon! is calling for your political & financial support for the 
delegation to Lebanon. ALSO, we are requesting ideas, comments and 
suggestions for the delegation, so please get in touch....!

in Solidarity,
Tadamon! Montreal
tadamon[at]resist.ca
tel. 00 514 690 8499


----> Details on financial support for the Tadamon! Montreal delegation:

Your financial support for the delegation is greatly appreciated! Please 
write checks payable to 'Tadamon' & mail them to the following address:

Tadamon! Montreal
C/O CKUT Radio Montreal
3647 University Street
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 2B3, Canada


----> Accessing Tadamon!'s Independent Media Reports from Lebanon:

* Radio Reports: Reports, documentaries & feature produced by members of 
the Tadamon! delegation will be regularly broadcast on CKUT Radio in 
Montreal, at 90.3fm. These reports will also air on Radio TADAMON!, a 
monthly radio program which airs the first Tuesday of the month between 
5pm & 6pm. - http://www.ckut.ca

ALSO members of Tadamon! will be producing regular reports for Pacifica 
Radio's Free Speech Radio News [FSRN], which is a daily news program 
broadcast on over 90 public & community radio stations throughout North 
America. - http://www.fsrn.org

* Electronic Intifada: Throughout the delegation members of Tadamon! will 
be posting various written, audio & photographic reports online at the 
Electronic Intifada website. - http://www.electronicintifada.net

* Podcasting: Tadamon! will be uploading audio reports as Podcasts to 
Citizenshift, an online project of the National Film Board of Canada 
online at: http://www.citizen.nfb.ca & the Rabble Podcast Network online 
at: http://www.rabble.ca/rpn

* Announcement List: Tadamon! Montreal maintains an announcement email 
list on which ALL reports, articles & radio reports prepared by the group 
will be sent out. You can subscribe to the email list at:

https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tadamon-l


----> Previous Media Reports from Lebanon by Tadamon! Members....

Radio Documentary: Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4119.shtml

Lebanon / Syria: Border Lock Down....
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4045.shtml

Growing Grassroots in Beirut
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4058.shtml

>From Montreal to Ein el-Hilweh: Deportation, Destitution & Dignity
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3990.shtml

Ein el-Hilweh Refugee Camp: A Photo Essay
http://gallery.cmaq.net/Ein-el-Hilweh

Burj el-Shemali Refugee Camp: A Photo Essay
http://gallery.cmaq.net/burj-el-shemali


----> TADAMON! Basis of Unity....

Tadamon! [Solidarity!, in Arabic] is a Montreal-based collective of 
social-justice organizers & media activists, working to build 
relationships of solidarity with grassroots political movements for social 
and economic justice between Beirut & Montreal.

In the context of historic political changes taking place in Lebanon, 
Tadamon! through it's political work, aims to support struggles for social 
justice and human rights of ALL people living in Lebanon, through direct 
coordination and organization between activists in Beirut & Montreal.

In Montreal, Tadamon! aims to organize within the Lebanese Diaspora, 
through popular education, cultural work and political action, which 
address struggles facing the Lebanese community, such as immigration, 
racism, poverty and labour rights.

Through organizing work both locally and internationally, Tadamon! aligns 
itself with social justice movements in Lebanon, Canada and 
internationally which are anti-capitalist & anti-authoritarian in nature.

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