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

[Frieda Werden]

We're media women - so, covering it would be good.

On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 4:32 AM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 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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>


-- 
Frieda Werden, Series Producer
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
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