[Wamvan] Fwd: Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Women’s Memorial March Committee Challenge BC Government’s Decision Regarding Missing Women’s Inquiry

[Joanna Chiu]

This is awful! I'll pass this on, but is there anything else we can do to
help?



On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 2:23 AM, Tami Starlight <tamistarlight at gmail.com>wrote:

> FYI
>
>
>
> http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/inquiry/
>
> Press Release: Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Women’s Memorial March
> Committee Challenge BC Government’s Decision Regarding Missing Women’s
> Inquiry
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> ATTENTION: ALL NEWS EDITORS
>
> Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Women’s Memorial March Committee
> Challenge BC Government’s Decision Regarding Missing Women’s Inquiry
>
> May 24, Vancouver Coast Salish Territories – The Downtown Eastside Women’s
> Centre and Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee are strongly
> condemning the BC government’s decision to not provide funding to support
> their participation in the Missing Women’s Inquiry.
>
> The Coalition of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Feb 14th Women’s
> Memorial March Committee were granted full standing to participate in the
> evidentiary hearings. Commissioner Wally Oppal further recommended that
> the provincial government provide funding to 13 applicants, including the
> Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March
> Committee. This, however, was turned down by the BC government in an
> announcement made by Attorney General Barry Penner on Thursday May 19,
> 2011, making the participation of these organizations in the Missing
> Women’s Inquiry entirely impossible.
>
> “While we support the decision to assist with the legal fees of families
> of murdered and missing women, we strongly condemn the decision to
> systematically exclude Downtown Eastside, Women’s, and Indigenous advocacy
> and service organizations from the Missing Women’s Inquiry,” says Angela
> Marie MacDougall.
>
> According to Harsha Walia of the Downtown Eastside Womens’ Centre “It is
> disgusting that the Vancouver Police Department and the Government of
> Canada – who are the ones on trial here – will have well-paid lawyers and
> unlimited tax dollars to defend themselves. Meanwhile, voices from the
> Downtown Eastside, particularly those of Indigenous women, will continue
> to be deliberately marginalized and shut out.”
>
> “This inquiry has a responsibility to highlight those systemic injustices
> that allowed the unimaginable deaths and disappearances of so many women
> from the Downtown Eastside. The membership of organizations and groups
> like the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Feb 14th Women’s Memorial
> March Committee provide the critical context necessary for this Inquiry as
> we knew the women and their lives and their struggles,” states Marlene
> George, Chair of the Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee.
>
> “We were witness to the system’s gross negligence as well as racism and
> sexism in investigating these disappearances and murders,” says Alice
> Kendall, who has worked at the Downtown Eastside Womens’ Centre since
> 1996. “While the government has established an inquiry which we have
> demanded for years, we are seriously questioning the integrity of this
> Inquiry now for a number of reasons,” she continues.
>
> “We are sick of this. This Inquiry was supposed to be about a measure of
> justice for us, but it is just more of the same injustices,” says Beatrice
> Starr, who has resided in the Downtown Eastside for 30 years and whose
> sister and niece were both murdered.
>
> - 30 –
>
> MEDIA CONTACTS:
>
> Marlene George 604-665-3005
> Alice Kendall 604 681 8480 x 223
> Harsha Walia 778 885 0040
> Angela Marie MacDougall 604-808-0507
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Meegwetch/Thank you/Merci
> *Tami M. Starlight*
> Vancouver, Canada
> tamistarlight at gmail.com
> tami.cosmic (facebook)
> tami_starlight (twitter)
> 604-200-2445home
> 604-790-9943cell
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wamvan mailing list
> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>
>


-- 
Joanna Chiu

Freelance Writer
joannachiu.com <http://www.joannachiu.com/>
twitter.com/joannachiu

Organizer, WAM! Vancouver
wamvancouver.wordpress.com
twitter.com/wamvancity
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