EXPOSING THE "WAR ON TERROR"
Community workshops against Capitalist Globalisation,
(Para-)Militarisation, and Colonialism
2 February to 17 March
www.warofterror.ath.cx

Popular education series leading up to the International Day against the
Occupation of Iraq, 19 March 2005 ...

BELOW:

1. Schedule
2. Workshop descriptions
3. The Project
4. Organising groups

----> SCHEDULE <-----

All workshops and closing panel: free entry; free childcare; translation.

Wednesday, 23 February, 7:00 pm
Cafe la Petite Gaule
2525 Centre St. (metro Charlevoix), POINTE ST-CHARLES
>> War-Profiteers

Thursday, 24 February, 5:30 to 7:30pm
Centre des femmes d'ici et d'ailleurs
7737 St-Denis (métro Jarry), VILLERAY
>> A century of "neo"-colonialism in America
For women only; please confirm 495-1624.

Friday, 25 February, 6:00pm
419 St-Roch (Parc metro), PARC EX
>> RCMP in Iraq, Haïti and Kanehsatake
Food provided!
Organised with: Comite Hatien d’animation et intervention sociale (CHAIS)

***Saturday, 26 February, 12:00pm
Complexe Guy-Favreau (metro Place Des Arts)
>> RALLY IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF HAITI
Organised by: Haiti Action Network

Sunday, 27 February, 12:00pm
Salle Pichette, L’Oratoire Saint-Joseph
3800 Queen Mary, COTE DES NEIGES
>> RCMP in Iraq, Haïti and Kanehsatake
Note : 7.00$ for the meal.

Tuesday, 1 March, 7:00pm
Patro Le Prévost
7355 Christophe Colomb (metro Jean Talon), VILLERAY
>> “Security”, racism and the “war on terror”
Organised with: Conseil communautaire Solidarités Villeray and Réseau
Justice et Foi

Thursday, 3 March, 1:30 to 3:30pm
8535 Pie-IX, MONTREAL NORD
“Security”, racism and the “war on terror”
Organised with: l'Organisation populaire des droits sociaux (OPDS)
St-Michel et Montréal Nord

Friday, 4 March, 7:00pm
Grand Salle, Cegep de Saint-Laurent
625, Sainte-Croix Blvd. (metro du College), VILLE ST-LAURENT
>> Migrating to Modern Slavery

Saturday, 5 March, 1:00pm
419 St-Roch (Parc metro), PARC EX
>> “Security”, racism and the “war on terror”
Organised with: Société internationale du Bangladesh

Wednesday, 9 March, 7:00pm
Herzberg Building (main entrance), John Abbott Cegep
21,275 Lakeshore Rd. (211 bus from Lionel Groulx metro), STE-ANNE DE BELLEVUE
>> Elections under occupation

Thursday, 10 March, 6:30 to 9:00pm
3340 Ontario East (metro Préfontaine), HOCHELAGA
>> “Security”, racism and the “war on terror”
Preceded by a spaghetti dinner from 5:00pm
Organised with: OPDS and ADDS

Sunday, 13 March, 6:00pm
Maison de l’Amitie
120 Duluth East (metro Sherbrooke), PLATEAU
>> Screening of “Taliban Country”
with speaker and facilitated discussion

Thursday, 17 March, 7:00pm
DS-R510, Pavillon De-Sève, UQAM
320 Ste-Catherine E. (metro Berri UQAM)
>> CLOSING PANEL: Unmasking Canada in the War of Terror
Food provided!

***Saturday, 19 March, 1:00pm
Dominion Square (metro Peel)
>> March against  the Occupation of Iraq
Organised by: Echec a la guerre

----> WORKSHOPS <-----

++Confronting Fortress North America: Migrating to Modern Slavery
This workshop will explore how migration and displacement are linked to
the project of capitalist globalization and racism;  how refugees and
(im)migrants survive the nightmare of the so-called “American Dream" and
America’s War on Terror. The discussion will focus on the racist
underpinnings of Canada's immigration policies and state borders in
general. It will also explore the existing and emerging struggles of
migrant communities for basic justice and dignity, as part of a broader
campaign against deportations and detentions, and for full status for all
migrants.

++Elections under occupation: Iraq, Palestine and Kanehsatake
Elections are broadly accepted as the hallmark of democracy and the
standard of a government’s legitimacy. However, elections have been used
to legitimate the domination of colonised people and to formalise new,
oppressive forms of governance under the guise of humanitarianism and
modernization. This workshop will focus on the recent elections in
Palestine and Iraq, and the upcoming elections in Kanehsatake, with a
focus on Canadian involvement in all three elections. In all three places,
elections have been significally shaped by external interests. This
workshop aims to broaden the understanding of the historical use of
elections as a tool of colonisation in Canada, as well as provide an
opportunity to discuss the significance of these three contemporary
elections, taking place under occupation in the context of the “war on
terror”.

++War-profiteers and the “war on terror”
Canada’s industry is heavily involved in war-making and profiteering
around the world. There is perhaps no better example of Canadian
war-profiteering than giant engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. SNC is involved
in the entire cycle of destruction and reconstruction, from selling
bullets to the US military for use in the occupation of Iraq, to investing
in war-torn countries in ways which will ensure continued economic
domination of western countries. The workshop will also look at the
involvement of several multinationals (including Canadian multinationals)
in Colombia, where union leaders, peasants, students, human rights
activists and the general public are subject to violent repression. It
will show how the economic interests of foreign multinationals are never
far removed from the repression that is justified in the name of a fight
against “narco-terrorists”.

++A century of "neo"-colonialism in America: War on Communism, War on
Drugs, to the War on Terror
This workshop aims to look behind the rhetoric to expose what has become a
U.S.-sponsored war on the people for economic profit and resource control
in Colombia and other parts of the Americas. In the last fifty years, the
U.S. has used three different justifications for the empire’s military
presence in its "backyard". There has been consistency throughout the
changes in rhetoric: military cooperation between the United States and
its Third World protegés has continued to serve economic profit and U.S.
global dominance. A "dirty war" is being waged by the US and Colombian
states, paramilitaries and foreign companies against peasants and rural
indigenous peoples whose existence hinders access to valuable natural
resources and creation of trade routes through their territories. Links
will be made between this and other "Wars on Terror” being carried out
around the world.

++RCMP in Iraq, Haïti and Kanehsatake: still on a mission
The friendly Mountie in his bright red tunic and hat, seated on a fine
horse, is one of Canada’s national symbols. This workshop shows another
side of the RCMP: their founding as a tool for quelling the resistance of
Metis and indigenous people to colonisation; the role they are currently
playing in Kanehsatake and other indigenous communities; and the role they
are playing in Iraq and Haiti as part of the “war on terror”. Participants
will be invited to discuss whether the role the RCMP played in colonising
Canada continues to this day, both inside and outside the country. The
workshop will question Canada’s self-image as a peacekeeping nation.

++“Security”, racism and the “war on terror” in Canada
As Immigration Canada seeks to further harmonize its policies with those
of US Homeland Security, migrants and refugees are facing heightened
racist attacks and repression. Meanwhile, indigenous communities are
experiencing continued violations of their sovereignty by the Canadian
government. This workshop will take a look at security measures in Canada,
focusing on the examples of "security certificates" for immigrants and the
proposed "Smart Cards" for the Cree and Mohawk Nations. The discussion
will focus on how the "war on terror" has increased surveillance, which
groups have been subjected to this increased scrutiny, and how to respond.

++Film screening and discussion: Taliban Country (45 mins, Australia, 2004
EN)
A film by award winning investigative reporter Carmela Baranowska, who
travelled in Afghanistan both as an embedded and independent reporter.
Baranowska's footage offers disturbing first-person accounts of the
treatment being dealt Afghans by U.S. marines in the war on terror and has
led to the opening of two U.S. military investigations. Film followed by a
facilitated discussion of the role of the Canadian military in Afghanistan
and the current situation in Afghanistan.

----> ABOUT THIS PROJECT <-----

These workshops aim to create an opportunity to discuss critical aspects
of what is happening around the world - and here in Canada - under the
guise of the "war on terror". The five grassroots groups which came
together to organise the series have been involved in direct solidarity
and
accompaniment projects in Colombia, Iraq, Palestine, and Turtle Island
(that is, colonial North America) as well as refugee and immigrant
communities in Quebec and Canada. Solidarity workers or speakers from
these places will facilitate discussions exploring the links between their
various struggles. Taking place in different neighbourhoods in Montreal,
the series aims to open more space at the community level for developing
better strategies to understand, survive and challenge the war of terror
and the projects of economic and political domination which underpin it.
It will culminate with a panel discussion in downtown Montreal to provide
a global perspective on the issues. The series builds up to the
international day of action against the occupation of Iraq on 19/20 March,
in a way that connects what is happening in Iraq to many different
struggles, both overseas and here at home.

----> ORGANISING GROUPS <-----

Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement (IPSM) is a collective whose
primary goal is to support Native communities in the active fight for
self-determination. IPSM employs a diversity of actions in its work,
ranging from popular education to mobilisation to direct action. email:
ipsm at resist.ca.

International Solidarity Movement (ISM-Montreal). The ISM is a
Palestinian-led group of Palestinians and internationals that are working
to raise awareness of the struggle for Palestinian freedom and an end to
Israeli occupation. The ISM uses nonviolent, direct-action methods of
resistance to confront and challenge illegal Israeli occupation forces and
policies while also recognizing the Palestinian right to resist Israeli
violence and occupation via legitimate armed struggle. ISM-Montreal
further believes in the important links between anti-colonial struggles in
Palestine and the struggle of indigenous peoples inside the Canadian
state. We acknowledge that we ourselves live on stolen land, and are
committed to engaging in solidarity work with indigenous communities on
Turtle Island, while also raising awareness about the Palestinian struggle
for
self-determination. e-mail: ism-montreal at resist.ca; web:
http://www.ismcanada.org.

The Iraq Solidarity Project is a grassroots initiative to provide support
to Iraqis struggling against the occupation; strengthen the mobilisation
against economic and military domination and anti-war work in Quebec and
Canada; and build links of solidarity between struggles against the
occupation of Iraq and struggles against oppression in Canada and Quebec.
tel: 514 846 9325, email psi at riseup.net.

No One Is Illegal - Montreal. The No One Is Illegal campaign of Montreal
is part of a worldwide movement for the self-determination of migrants,
refugees and indigenous peoples. We recognize that struggles for
self-determination, and for free movement against colonial exploitation,
are led by the communities who fight on the frontlines. Our campaign lends
tangible support to these struggles in our capacity as allies. Our
campaign also asserts a clear link between capitalist globalization and
the displacement of peoples from the majority world. We confront a
colonial system built on the dispossession and genocide of indigenous
peoples and racist anti-immigration laws. We maintain that there are no
illegal human beings, only illegitimate governments and states. We seek to
contribute to a global movement of justice and dignity, building links
between communities of resistance worldwide. tel: 514-859-9023; e-mail:
noii-montreal at resist.ca; web: http://clac.taktic.org.

PASC - Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie - supports the struggle
of Afro-Colombian peasant communities who are engaged in a strategy of
civil resistance for Life, Land, Self-Determination and Dignity. PASC
undertakes the dual goal of raising local awareness about the "dirty war"
that is taking place in Colombia (in which many domestic multinationals
are involved), and in supporting the fight of communities in resistance by
offering them the security of an international on-the-ground presence,
facing the repression of paramilitary groups (tacitly supported by the
Colombian state). tel: 409-2641; email: pasc at riseup.net; www.pasc.ca.

-------------

www.warofterror.ath.cx
psi at riseup.net
tel 514 859 9023