Schedule of Upcoming Toronto Events

1. Showing of "Uranium" and talk with AAFN lawyer Chris Ried - April 25

2. Updated schedule for Toronto Citzens' Iniquiry on Uranim Mining - April 26

3. Aboriginal minister Michael Bryant and Paul Martin on "aboriginal economic development" - May 1

4. Gold mining and indigenous resistance: (i) Barrick Gold events in May; (ii) Goldcorp events in May

Posted by Students Against Climate Change http://studentsagainstclimatechange.blogspot.com/
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1. Showing of "Uranium" and talk with AAFN lawyer Chris Ried - April 25



Friday, April 25 - 7 p.m. Uranium, 49 minutes, NFB, is a 1990 documentary that explores the consequences of uranium mining in Canada. Because of toxic and radioactive waste, there are profound, long-term environmental hazards. For uranium miners, there is the substantially increased risk of getting cancer. And, because most of the mining has been on First Nations’ land, uranium mining violates the traditional economic and spiritual lives of many aboriginal people.

After the screening, Chris Reid, lawyer for the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation will speak and answer questions about the current struggle in Sharbot Lake and the case of the imprisoned KI 5.

Each of the films in this series will be preceded by a brief introduction, and will be followed by a commentary, and an open floor discussion period.

OISE, 252 Bloor St. West, Room 2-212
at the St. George Subway Station. Everyone welcome. $2 donation requested.

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2. Updated schedule for Toronto Citzens' Iniquiry on Uranim Mining - April 26

The schedule is under constant revision as speakers request different spots. However, as of this date, here is the schedule. Unfortunately, there is no more room for additional speakers at this point, but written statments will be accepted. Please note that Chief Paula Sherman is unable to make it due personal issues, but this space will be filled by either AAFN lawyer Chris Reid or Bob Lovelace's contribution from prison to the Citizens' Inquiry. The proceedings will be videotaped and written submissions and videos submitted to the Ontario government and to the media and made available to the public for future reference.

TORONTO CITIZENS’ INQUIRY ON URANIUM MINING

Sat. April 26, 2008 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hart House, East Common Room, 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto

9:00 - 9:30 Introduction, opening ceremonies
* Traditional aboriginal prayer by Catherine Longbow
* Prayer to the Creator by Rev. Ralph Carl Wushke, ecumenical chaplain

Health Effects forum
9:30 -10:10 : Faye Moore, Port Hope Health Concerns Committee - on uranium processing
10:10 - 10:30 : Dr. Dorothy Goldin-Rosenberg, University of Toronto
10:30 - 10:45 : Marion Odell, International Institute of Concern for Public Health
Questions and discussion

BREAK 10:45 - 11:00

Colonialism & mining forum
11:00 – 11:30 : Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFN) rep. OR Letter from Bob Lovelace
11:30 - 11:45 : Lorraine Rekmans, First Nations speaker, author of "This is My Homeland"
- on uranium contamination of Serpent River First Nation, near Eliot Lake
11:45 – 12:00 : Doctor Jorge Sorger, McMaster University, on colonialism
12:00 - 12:15 : Erin Chiblow, member of Mississauga First Nation, on industrial toxins
Questions and discussions

LUNCH 12:30 - 1:00

Music by Michael Johnson (of Streets are for People)
Poem by Chai Khevlar (of Just 1 World)
Video art by Txus the rebel activist clown
Song by Tom: "what’s good for the Earth"

1:00 - 1:10 : Venezuela We Are with You - statment of solidarity
1:10 - 1:20 : Rosalia Paiva, indigenous activist

Community resistance to mining forum
1:20 - 1:35 : Donna Dillman, Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (CCAMU)
1:35 - 1:50 : Mike Nickerson, Sustain Well Being
1:50 - 2:00 : Frank Morrison - whose land was staked near Sharbot Lake
2:00 - 2:10 : Questions and discussion

2:10 -2:20 : Rob Milling, Greenpeace Canada - on environmental concerns
2:20 – 2:30 : Barry Weisleder, Socialist Action, NDP - statment of solidarity
2:30 – 2:40 : Judi Deutsch, Science for Peace - on depleted uranium and nuclear weapons
2:40 – 2:50 :
2:50 – 3:00 : Frank DeJong, Ontario Green Party

3:00 – 3:15 BREAK

3:15 – 3:25 :Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, Toronto Climate Campaign; Sharon Howarth, Next Generation
3:25 – 3:35 : Karen Buck, Citizens for a Safe Environment
3:35 – 3:45 : Brian Burch, Toronto Action for Social Change - on use of uranium in weapons
3:45 – 3:55 : Margaret Sumadh, KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives)
4:00 – 4:10 : Kevin Best, anti-mining activist - on non-violent direct action to close mines
4:10 – 4:20 : Angela Bischoff, Greenspiration
4:20 – 4:30: Chai Khevlar
4:30 - 5:00 : Discussion

Contact pyork_2002@hotmail.com for more information.
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3. Aboriginal minister Michael Bryant and Paul Martin on "aboriginal economic development" - May 1



Summit on Aboriginal Economic Development

Source: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/faculty_content.asp?itemPath=1/13/0/0/0&contentId=1708
Developing Aboriginal Economies
May 1, 2008
9:00am – 5:00pm
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Bennett Lecture Hall, 78 Queen's Park

On May 1, 2008, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, in partnership with the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, will be hosting a summit entitled "Developing Aboriginal Economies." The summit is a one-day symposium featuring two roundtables with a diverse group of panelists. The goal of this summit is to provide a forum for new ideas and new approaches to economic development in Aboriginal communities.

Canada’s Aboriginal communities are extremely diverse, and so too is the range of economic challenges facing these communities. The Faculty of Law recognizes that meeting the challenge of developing Aboriginal economies will require complex and multifaceted solutions. Thus, the intention of this summit is not simply to generate ideas, but to bring together the parties needed to forge unique and useful coalitions. With this in mind, our panelists include not only members of the bar and the Academy but also elected officials such as Ontario's Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, business persons, and Aboriginal people in their capacities as leaders, bankers, and heads of corporations.


Preliminary Program [below]
Registration is required.
Register using the online registration form
Directions to the law school
Registrants can attend the conference without charge. If you wish to purchase tickets to support this event, please contact Douglas Sanderson at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto: d.sanderson@utoronto.ca

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Agenda
May 01 / 2008 Summit:
Developing Aboriginal Economies
Welcome: Dean Mayo Moran
Key Note Address: Rupert Ross, author and Crown Attorney
Round table 1 -- Moderator: Shin Imai
Discussion until 12:30pm. A 10 minute break will occur mid-morning.

Lands and Resources: Control, Access, Consultation and Accommodation
The speakers at this round table will explore the constitutional, regulatory, statutory, and jurisdictional issues that affect Aboriginal economies and their development.

Panellists
Jason Madden, counsel Métis Nation of Ontario
Former Chief Mike Carpenter, Attawapiskat First Nation
Professor John Borrows, University of Victoria
John A. Olthuis, partner at Olthuis, Kleer Townsend
Professor Michael Trebilcock, University of Toronto
John Richards, Simon Fraser University, and the CD Howe Institute.
Darwin Hanna, Counsel to many BC First Nations, Adjunct Professor, UBC
Murray Sinclair, Justice, Court of Queens Bench, Manitoba (TBC)
Roberta Jamieson, CEO, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (TBC)

Lunch Time Greetings and Welcome (12:35pm)
The Hon. Michael Bryant, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Province of Ontario

1:00-2:00 pm
Student Presenters
Round table 2 – Moderator Darlene Johnston
Discussion set to last until 5:00pm. A 10 minute break will occur mid-afternoon
Overcoming the Legacy: Developing Aboriginal Economies

The speakers at this roundtable will examine strategies for transforming Aboriginal economies and institutions.
Panellists
Herb George, First Nations Governance Institute
Douglas Sanderson, Visiting Scholar, University of Toronto
Stephen Cornell, co-director of The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic
Development, and Director of the Udall Centre for Studies in Public Policy and Professor of
Sociology and of Public Administration and Policy at The University of Arizona
Sylvia Maracle, Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres
Clint Davis, President and CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
Manny Jules, Chairman, First Nations Tax Commission
Professor Marianna Prado, University of Toronto
Rochelle Cote, University of Toronto, Department of Sociology,
Closing Remarks (5pm)
Faculty of Law, Dean Mayo Moran
Reception
Speakers: Paul Martin

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4. Gold mining and indigenous resistance

On May 6 and May 20 there will be peaceful protests and press conferences outside the AGMs of Barrick Gold and Goldcorp in Toronto, two of the world's largest gold mining operations. Here is a report from a Barrick action we did last year: http://www.protestbarrick.net/article.php?id=198

Toxic mining tailings, the exploitaint and disregard for indigenous peoples, human rights abuses, murder, corruption, violence and environmental devestation are the topics of the press conferences. Indigenous activists will be flown in for both.

ProtestBarrick.net (http://www.protestbarrick.net/) and Rights Action (http://www.rightsaction.org/) are the two groups sponsoring these events. Students Against Climate Change will be at both in support.

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(i) Barrick Gold events culiminating in protest and press conference May 6

Communities from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Chile, and the U.S. will be speaking over the next month about their resistance to Toronto’s Barrick Gold, the world’s largest gold miner.

Sunday, May 4th: Indigenous Voices Against Barrick.Our guest will make presentations, show short films, and answer questions about mining on thier land. Steelworkers Hall. 7-9pm. 25 Cecil. sponsored by Mining Watch Canada, ProtestBarrick.net, Mineral Policy Institute (AUS), Friends of the Earth (AUS) and Western Shoshone Defense Project (U.S.)

Tuesday, May 6th: Barrick shareholders meeting10am, Rally to express your disapproval of Barrick’s conduct abroad and join voices calling for mandatory regulation to hold Canadian Mining Companies accountable. 250 Front Ave.

Wednesday, May 7th: Film Screening and Speakers. "Pascua Lama: a contemportary quest for El Dorado" with film-maker Prof. Carolina Loyola-Garcia, writer Asad Ismi, and Indigenous guests. 6pm Steelworkers hall. 25 Cecil. sponsored by Toronto the Better, and the U of T Anthropology dept.

Thursday, May 8th Photo exhibit "Someone Else’s Treasure: Barrick’s legacy in the Philippines, and Other Struggles Against Mining Expoitation" Photo exhibit by Allan Cedillo Lissner 8pm Leonardo Galleries. 133 Avenue Road ( just south of Davenport). Part of the 2008 CONTACT Photography Festival.

For more information see http://protestbarrick.net

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(ii) Goldcorp

THE "OTHER GOLDCORP SHAREHOLDERS"
TO MEET IN TORONTO & GUATEMALA CITY

On May 20, Goldcorp Inc. (www.goldcorp.com) will hold its Annual Shareholder Meeting at 2:00pm: Le Royal Meridien, King Edward Hotel, Toronto, 37 King St. E, Toronto.
Building on our "Investing in Conflict" speaking tour, and upon years of critical education and resistance work by groups in Central and North America, Rights Action - in conjunction with organizations and concerned citizens in Honduras, Guatemala and North America - is planning educational and activist events in Toronto and Guatemala, to coincide with Goldcorp's Annual Shareholder Meeting.

Goldcorp Inc. operates mines throughout the Americas, including the "San Martin" open pit, cyanide leaching gold mine, that has caused a health and environmental crisis in the Siria Valley, Honduras, and the "Marlin" gold and silver open pit mine that is contributing to health and environmental harms in numerous Mayan communities of San Marcos, Guatemala. Both mines operate without community consent; they are depleting and contaminating vital water sources; they are contributing to repression and to community tensions and breakdown.
Unbeknownst to them, many USA and Canadian citizens are shareholders in Goldcorp Inc.

Example: The CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) has over $200,000,000 of investments in Goldcorp. Many other North American investment firms and pension funds are invested in Goldcorp (as well as in other mining, resource extraction and military production industries).

IN TORONTO: Is your organization/ community interested in planning your educational activities in the days leading up to May 20th and/or coordinating events and activities with Rights Action? Are you interested in organizing a group of people to join a mid-day peaceful information picket at the Le Royal Meridien, King Edward Hotel on May 20th?

IN GUATEMALA: For more information about activities being planned in Guatemala City, contact: info@rightsaction.org.

CONTACT: info@rightsaction.org, 1-860-352-2448 .

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