This Week on GR
by C. L. Cook - Pacific Free Press
It's an all too common story, one besmirching the good name and reputation of Canada every time it occurs; international mining corporations, using this country as a flag of convenience to rape and pillage the earth and peoples of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and right here at home.
Listen. Hear.
BUT, worse perhaps than these bad actors hiding behind our nation's lax legal restraints to conduct their dirty business is when actual Canadian outfits shirk responsibility.
Just such is the charge leveled against Exellon Resources Inc., whose critics claim it, through subsidiary, Minera Excellon de México has endangered the environment, and ripped off the people of Ejido La Sierrita in Durango, Mexico.
Alejandra Ancheita is a Mexican human rights advocate and attorney, and founder and Executive Director of the Project for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, or ProDESC. She was litigation specialist at the renowned Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center and served at the Center for Labor Support and Reflection, and for more than a decade has fought for under-represented workers and communities throughout Mexico.
Alejandra holds a graduate degree in International Law and Global Justice from Fordham University Law School, and while a visiting scholar at its Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics, developed the research initiative, 'Towards a Genuine Transnational Collaboration: Constructing Transnational Justice for Migrant Workers.' She was also honoured this year as a Wasserstein Fellow by Harvard Law School.
Alejandra Ancheita will be in Victoria this Friday, April 19th presenting, in conjunction with the Mining Justice Action Committee, 'Mexico and Canada: The Human Rights and Environment Connection.'
Alejandra Ancheita in the first half.
And; the current government of British Columbia recently green-lighted a scheme to make of a rock quarry at Shawnigan Lake a receptacle for Victoria's toxic waste. The locals, when they became aware of the plan, had misgivings, and lots of questions. In the interim, those concerns have not abated, and their anxiety has grown as the dead-line for final approval arrives. It's the subject of filmmaker, Paul Manly's latest effort, 'Troubled Water.'
Manly is a Vancouver Island-based filmmaker, sound-designer and musician, who credits his multi-cultural extended family with informing his interest in social justice, racism, and cultural struggle. Some of his documentary credits include: 'A Gathering of Nations,' and 'The Awakening of Elizabeth Shaw,' and 'Bringing Truth to Light,' the latter both collaborations with director of photography and editor, Eva Manly, and 'Sombrio,' a chronicle of the families "squatting" on that beach for generations and their eviction.
Paul has also worked as media production teacher at the Video In Studios artist-run centre in Vancouver, served with the Chiapas Media Project in Mexico, and initiated a technical internship program, and coordinated the Collectives Mini-Grants program here. His Manly Media production company also released 'You, Me, and the SPP: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule,' part of which contains the widely controversial uncovering of police agents provocateur at the anti-globalization manifestation at Montebello, Quebec.
Paul Manly and Troubled Water for Shawnigan in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us news from our city's streets and beyond. But first, Alejandra Ancheita and Canada's corporadoes, living up to a low reputation.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
G-Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in the corporate media.
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