[van-announce] Dec 13: Advancing anti-racist and anti-colonial struggle

[Harsha]

Advancing anti-racist and anti-colonial struggle:
Re-examining the question "Where was the Color in Seattle"

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Saturday, December 13
4-7pm
706 Clarke Drive (between Venables and Hastings)
Hearty dinner provided

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Along with many other important struggles, December 10th, 2008 -
International Human Rights Day - marks the one year anniversary of the
historic airport action to prevent the deportation of Mr. Laibar Singh.

Over 1500 supporters - primarily elderly, women, and working class South
Asians - converged at the Vancouver International Airport and surrounded
the vehicle. This physical prevention of a deportation by a grassroots
community mobilization has served as a powerful inspiration to movements
across North America. Now, just shy of a year since that action, Laibar
has returned to India.  He left under conditions of extreme fear,
isolation, continual harassment by CBSA officers (despite him being in
sanctuary), intense media and public scrutiny, constant threat of
incarceration and deportation, and an overwhelming sense of precarity. In
addition, the strength within the community of supporters was broken by
political manoeuvring, government pressure, and the internalized impacts
of a significant racist backlash.

Although we feel angry and saddened by the recent turn of events, we
believe it is more important for us to engage in critical reflection. In
honour of the anniversary of the December 10th action and its symbolism to
grassroots movements for the self-determination of racialized migrants, we
invite you to gather and discuss questions of solidarity, alliances and
movement building.

As part of a facilitated discussion we'll consider:

. What are long term implications of significant community mobilizations?
How are actions sustained and continuity established?

. What are the roles of allies in struggles for justice and
self-determination for migrants?

. How do anti-racist and anti-colonial migrant struggles fit into broader
efforts toward anti-globalization and social justice?


Join us for an evening of discussion, the sharing of personal experience
and reflection on these events. How do we imagine moving forward?

Organized by No One Is Illegal-Vancouver. Call: 604.339.3234 or email
noii-van at resist.ca. Visit us at: www.nooneisillegal.org

* All Power to the Brown People: Desis Rage Against the Deportation
Machine by Leah Lakshmi in Colorlines
http://www.colorlines.com/article.php?ID=296

* On Laibar Singh's Return to India by No One Is Illegal-Vancouver:
http://noii-van.resist.ca/?p=917