CFSC Welcomes Churches’ Support for Conscientious Objectors

May 15, 2012

On this, International Conscientious Objectors Day (May 15th), The Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace has released a letter that it wrote to the Jason Kenney, the Minister of Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism asking “the Government of Canada to either allow the US war resisters to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or to create a mechanism, perhaps a revision of Bill C-440 that would enable them to apply for status from within Canada.”

Hand-delivered to the Minister’s office this morning by members of the Council’s Commission on Justice and Peace, the Council’s letter (English, French) comes out firmly in support of rights of conscience, specifically conscientious objection to military service and war: “As churches, rights of conscience and religion hold a particular significance for us as we seek to encourage people to live faithful lives. We are of the opinion that when they have followed their conscience in the decision they made to refuse to serve in war and to come to Canada then their circumstances warrant humanitarian and compassionate relief. Their beliefs are protected under domestic and international law, and facilitating their punishment by returning them to the United States, in our opinion, is regrettable.”

Delivering the CCC-CJP letter to Minister Kenney's office, left to right: Colin Grimmond, Orthodox Church of America; Bill Janzen, Mennonite Church Canada; Keith Helmuth, Religious Society of Friends. Photo: Jason John, Mar Thoma Church, North American Diocese.

The letter gave particular attention to the controversial Operational Bulletin 202, a directive to immigration staff regarding handling of military deserters who seek entry to Canada: “The first paragraph of the directive implies that military deserters from other countries who are seeking refugee protection in Canada may also be serious criminals and therefore inadmissible to Canada, as desertion is a serious crime in some countries. When this effort to discourage military personnel prevents them from exercising conscientious objection rights guaranteed in the UN Handbook for Refugees then this is not in accord with respect to Canada’s adherence to the norms of universal human rights.”  Canadian Yearly Meeting (the national church body of Friends in Canada) is a member of the Canadian Council of Churches.

The secular War Resisters Support Campaign has also made this year’s International CO Day a Day of Action. They are asking for supporters of conscientious objectors “to send a message to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, to demand that he rescind Operational Bulletin 202 and respect the rights of conscientious objectors to the Iraq War”.  Several church members of the Council (or church-related agencies of Council members) support the WRSC’s Declaration of support for the US war resisters, including Quakers, Mennonite Central Committee Canada, and The United Church of Canada.

Report from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – Day 2

May 11, 2012

At this the 11th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII), the “issues” to be discussed during the session include the rights of Indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty, the situation of Indigenous peoples in places such as Central and Eastern Europe, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples slated for 2014, and the special theme of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ – the way courts justified the annexing of indigenous lands – and the right to redress for past conquests.’

The Doctrine of Discovery is viewed as the basis from which national and domestic laws that are discriminatory to Indigenous Peoples are formed.  From the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: “… all doctrines, policies and practices based on advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust”.

We are fortunate to have our long time partners, Roger Jones of the Assembly of First Nations and Paul Joffe of the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), present for the week ahead as Jennifer Preston (CFSC staff) works closely with them to prepare meaningful interventions during the sessions of the PFII. Jennifer is a respected colleague on whom our partners rely.

Though the issues are many, the frame for the interventions and discussions is the theme of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’. On Monday, we were able to hear the intervention, to which we signed on, delivered by National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, entitled “The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the right to redress (article 28 and 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)”.

As usual we are impressed by the manner of National Chief Atleo, not only in his graciousness in appreciation of our work, but in the way he makes his intervention with calm, clear authority. Clearly he is a respected voice in the room. In meeting in the hall after, Monica Walters-Field (CFSC volunteer) was rendered (uncharacteristically) speechless as she shook hands with National Chief Atleo.

On Monday night, Jennifer and Monica, as Board members, attended the Board Meeting of First Peoples Human Rights Coalition. FPHC is a New York based partner with which CFSC works closely. The event was over dinner.  Conversation, ideas and discussion were rich and confirmed the basis for further work.

On Tuesday May 9th, we were joined by our Friend Don Alexander (CFSC board member) who maneuvered the registration procedure like an expert. We were very glad to see him.

We proceeded to the chambers on Tuesday, three strong, equipped with the photo and sound recording abilities that Don brought with him.  Don is our official roving recorder with iPad and camera in hand.  He is expertly clicking and recording not only pictures, but sound bites from our partners and those attending the Forum.

At the end of the day this is Don’s reflection: “My respect for the United Nations and the way it builds informed and influential world-wide networks has been affirmed. Aboriginal peoples have found shared interests here.  I notice again and again how representatives are dealing with similar concerns.  They have been led to shared ways to describe harm done by colonization and conquest. For the aboriginal peoples here I sense a powerful resolve that is a product of the coming together that has been afforded by the United Nations process.

“I am here to take some video for our Quaker service web-site.  I am an observer. I see so many people come to check-in and compare notes with Jennifer Preston. CFSC has provided the means to have this long-time relationship with the UN Permanent Forum.”

The Quaker UN Office-New York’s (www.quno.org) provision of nearby Quaker House as an informal off-the-record meeting place has worked wonders in bringing people together and, in friendship, finding a shared resolve to move toward a more peaceful and respectful world. We look forward to being at Quaker House on Wednesday and being in the presence of this dynamic company of Indigenous and States representatives.

On this Day 2 we split for side events. Jennifer went off with Paul Joffe to a side event on implementing the Declaration in Canada. This was hosted by the Indigenous Bar Association; Paul and Jennifer were called on to share our experiences with the ad hoc coalition and the presentations we have done. Willie Littlechild also spoke at the event, and thanked Paul and Jennifer for our ongoing work – including our booklets!!

To end Don’s day, Monica and he (while Jenn attended a supper meeting!) attended the opening reception of 11th PFII.  What a celebration! We were hosted to entertainment by Indigenous groups from around the world, refreshment and the evening ending with dancing to the beautiful sounds of the pipes of Latin America.  Amongst the vast crowd with many in traditional dress, Monica could be seen dancing and Don taking a photo record of the festive event.  Tired bodies and feet went home that night.

 

 

 

CFSC at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

CFSC staff and volunteers are at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan area of New York City for two weeks in May 2012, along with about 1500 other people from around the world, mostly Indigenous Peoples, to explore common concerns. This year’s Forum is focused on the Doctrine of Discovery. (Pictured: Monica Walters-Field, CFSC volunteer, second from the left in the front row, with Indigenous representatives from around the globe).

Update from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – May 9, 2012

Dear Friends,

We are in our second day of the Eleventh session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII).

Jennifer Preston (CFSC staff) and Monica Walters-Field (CFSC volunteer) registered for the session on Sunday afternoon and picked up our SINGLE secondary pass that gives us access to the sessions. A single pass for each registered group. This single pass strategy is the newest solution that the UN has to accommodate a registration of 1800 in a room that holds 500. The first word of this new rule was posted on Friday morning – after registrants were on their way to the PFII from all directions of the globe. Jenn, set into gear phoning, texting and emailing to see if this was changeable. Seldom, does Jenn’s network fail to bear fruit. We are off to the Eleventh PFII with one secondary pass!

This officialdom was to be the start of the tone of this year’s PFII. Proceed to the chambers where confused participants in the PFII , not sure if  they will get in – though the opening ceremonies was to be held in the Chamber of the UN General Assembly which is a room large enough to accommodate all.  We are here with relief and needing to secure seats for our partners. Roger Jones (of the Assembly of First Nations) with whom Jennifer works closely requests that we secure seats for National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and his assistant. This excites us, so we head into direct mode, which sees Jenn seat securing and Monica signing up the National Chief on the speaker list. We know how to do this – we have practiced this many times over the years … We have seats and a place second on the list.

The forum opened in the General Assembly Hall with the unique sound of the Australian digeree-do calling the delegates to their seats. Thomas Stelzer, assistant secretary-general at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, presided, providing the initial welcoming. He introduced the spiritual leader of the Onondaga Nation Tadodaho Sidney Hill, in accordance with the customs of the Indigenous Peoples and recognition of the peoples of this land.

Tadodaho Sidney Hill is the spiritual leader of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy. His invocation was spoken in the Onondaga language, and for the first time translated through the official UN translation system. The opening words of his invocation were “People, listen”. Sid Hill said further that “No matter how many the number of people at one place are gathering that it be first his word the giving of thanks. This is become my duty. I put through the first words. Now then, that this day, as it is, the sunlight, as it is, that peaceful our minds should be.” Throughout the invocation, he expressed thanks to the Creator and prayed for the good mind among the delegates. The good mind is a Haudenosaunee practice in which individual or collective thoughts are directed positively.

This too is our hope.

“This year Indigenous Peoples around the world will turn their eyes to the most important effort to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery, a 15th century Papal bull that has been exploited for five centuries to deny the human rights of hundreds of millions of people who continue to be subject to its powers”.  The theme of the Permanent Forum is “The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the right to redress for past conquests (articles 28 and 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)”.

Each year a Chair is appointed from the members of the Forum. For the first time in history of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues we have a chair elected from North America – Grand Chief Ed John!” Jessica Danforth, founder and director of Native Youth Sexual Health Network, wrote on her Facebook page. “And as he visited with our Youth Caucus today and told us the story of how they tried to beat the Indian out of him in residential school, all I could think of is if those school officials only knew he would grow up to be an official member of the UN Permanent Forum and tell the truth on an international human rights level so no other child’s story of abuse goes unrecognized.”

Grand Chief John is a Hereditary Chief of Tl’azt’en Nation located on the banks of the Nak’al Bun (Stuart Lake) in northern British Columbia, according to a biographical sketch on the First Nations Summit website. A lawyer for 30 years, Ed John has long pursued social and economic justice for Canada’s Indigenous people. He participated in the development of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In January 2011, he was appointed to a three-year term as North American Representative to the Permanent Forum.

This good news set the tone for the traditional opening welcome and prayer. Chief Ed John welcomed everyone and thanked the multitude of people, organizations and officials participating in the Permanent Forum.  He also paid heartfelt tribute to the Indigenous peoples of the world ‘who relentlessly pursue their struggles for their survival, rights, dignity wellbeing, their own self determination, development divisions and priorities’. He recognized that IPs face an incredibly difficult struggle.

After the opening ceremonies the proceedings continued with the opening panel of experts on the Doctrine if Discovery. The panelists were all extremely informative, with a special highlight of Professor Robert Williams – awesome presentation. The dialogue was rich, the substance deep – it was so good and we were so engrossed that we didn’t bang out a summary for you – we just soaked it up. However, special note to Rob Williams presentation particularly criticizing Canada and its extinguishment policies – which he emphatically stated as being illegitimate. Am trying to get his presentation to circulate.

Former PFII member Tonya Gonnella Frichner was also on the panel. She spoke to how the Doctrine of Discovery could actually be called the Doctrine of Domination and she named it as the foundation of racism and sexism.

The other fantastic speaker was Moana Jackson – Maori – “may we all together walk on the path to justice”. He defined “discover” as “open up to the eyes of others” and spoke to the need to redefine and reclaim rights, rediscover who we were and who we might be.

Your friends in NY – Monica, Jennifer and now joined by our roving communications man – Don Alexander (CFSC board member)!

 

 

 

National Chief addresses UN Permanent Forum

May 8, 2012

CFSC joins the Assembly of First Nations and other partners in a statement to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on the subject of the Doctrine of Discovery. This statement was presented by National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo May 7, 2012.

 

FAO Voluntary Guidelines need redress

April 27, 2012

There is a critical need to affirm and safeguard the customary land and resource rights of Indigenous peoples – especially in the context of food security.  Yet, as currently drafted, the 2012 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Guidelines could serve to seriously undermine the rights of Indigenous peoples globally and weaken the international human rights system.

CFSC added support to our Indigenous partners in a Joint Submission in response to the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. The proposed guidelines have serious problems and we add our voice to the need for evaluation and improvement. States cannot use international mechanisms to evade human rights responsibilities.

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