March 16 is the seventh anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old International Solidarity Movement (ISM) volunteer who was run over by an Israeli army bulldozer while she was trying to stop the demolition of a home in the Gaza Strip. Her parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, are still fighting to hold the government to account, and are currently in an Israeli court with their civil suit.
From March 24 until October 31, Canada was at war in Libya. This involvement included not just the use of Canadian jets flying dozens of bombing runs, but also overall leadership of NATO’s military operations, under Canada’s Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard. All three major political parties supported the war. In June, one of the first acts of the New Democratic Party (NDP) federal caucus, in its new role as official opposition, was to vote with the Harper Tories (and the Liberals) to extend Canada’s involvement in the war.
Prize for best performance of “The Internationale” sung in your language so bring your friends and your singing voices for the singing contest.
What are the tasks of activists in the Global North, when mass movements against oppression erupt in the Global South? In the 1970s and 1980s, this was posed sharply by the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. In Canada, the United States and many other countries, activists in the unions and social movements worked to build solidarity with the anti-apartheid campaign. Today, we are confronted with the same questions with regards to many struggles internationally.