http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/index.php To receive our Bulletin, Annual Report, or Occasional Papers by mail, please contact us with your mailing address and we will be happy to add you to our print mailing list. Hard copies of all documents are available upon request. Thur, 27 May 2010 15:25:00 GMT en-ca http://www.interpares.ca/en/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/index.php In every place that Inter Pares works, a central issue is the uncertainty people face about their future on the land they call home. This Bulletin describes how Inter Pares and our counterparts defend people against displacement from their land and homes, and promote the policies required to sustain rural livelihoods and urban communities. Thur, 27 May 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control This report, researched by Mining Watch Canada, CENSAT-Agua Viva, and Inter Pares, examines four case studies of Canadian extractive industry investment projects in Colombia for potential human rights risks. Referring to principles developed by the UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, the report identifies the need for transparent and independent human rights impact assessments to avoid the risk of human rights violations in existing and proposed extractive projects. Thur, 27 May 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/ar-2009/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/ar-2009/index.php Several years ago, an Inter Pares staff member had the opportunity to participate in a biodiversity festival in Andhra Pradesh, India, organized by the Deccan Development Society. It was an extraordinary sight. The festival was comprised of women farmers who walked from village to village, accompanied by a procession of carts pulled by oxen garlanded with flowers. The carts, decorated with sheaves of grain, flowers, and colourful fabrics, carried baskets of seed varieties the women saved and used in the growing season. The women sang and danced, proudly displaying the rich biodiversity that is the foundation of their agriculture. When the procession ended... Tues, 27 Apr 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control Inter Pares collaborators Étienne Roy-Grégoire and Jamie Kneen testified before the Standing Parliamentary Committee on International Trade on December 1, 2009. They presented the results of a joint study by Inter Pares, Mr Roy-Grégoire, Mining Watch Canada and CENSAT Agua Viva on Canadian investment in the mining and oil sectors in Colombia. Their presentation contributed to the committee’s reflections on Canada-South America trade relations. Tues, 27 Apr 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#violence http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#violence In November 2009, Inter Pares’ Rebecca Wolsak was invited to testify before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights as part of its examination of Canada’s international and national human rights obligations, particularly concerning women, peace and security. Rebecca spoke of the experiences of our Burmese counterparts who have documented rape as a weapon of war in Burma, and their recommendations about how to address it. Tues, 27 Apr 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/201002/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/201002/index.php Last September, Inter Pares colleague Charm Tong testified before Canada’s Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Charm Tong told the members of the committee that she was a refugee from Shan State in Burma, and that she had grown up in an orphanage on the Thai-Burma border. She explained how hundreds of thousands of people like her had become refugees as a result of the war conducted by the Burmese military junta. Tues, 2 Feb 2010 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#economy http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#economy This article, written by Inter Pares staff member Peter Gillespie and published in Au Courant, states that each year hundreds of billions of dollars are illegally transferred out of developing countries. This massive loss of domestic resources, which is far greater than aid inflows, maintains poverty, contributes to inequality, and deprives developing countries of the ability to invest in essential public goods and services. It is only recently that the role of offshore tax havens in enabling these losses has been examined. The article outlines the scope of the problem as well as proposed civil society measures. Mon, 26 Nov 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/200911/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/200911/index.php As Kalissa admits, her story is different than that of the typical farm family. Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, she has seen many farms disappear and never dreamt of becoming a farmer herself. Like many other farmers, Kalissa's parents encouraged their children to keep their options open, get a university education and leave the farm. Kalissa's older siblings all became engineers and she ended up in British Columbia, first studying horticulture, and later, jazz. It was on campus, and not on the farm, that Kalissa started to really think about food for the first time. As she puts it, “As commercial grain growers, we don't eat what we grow. Farmers are often just as disconnected from their food as others.” Mon, 2 Nov 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control This report, researched by Mining Watch Canada, CENSAT-Agua Viva, and Inter Pares, looks at four case studies of Canadian extractive industry investment projects in Colombia, analyzing their associated potential human rights risks. Referring to principles developed by the UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, the report identifies issues and circumstances that clearly indicate that independent human rights impact assessments are necessary. Mon, 2 Nov 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#control Canada's recently signed free trade agreement with Colombia and engagement to increase the use of biofuels in Canada are bound to increase the volume of importation of palm oil from Colombia. However, the cultivation of African oil palm in Colombia in recent decades has been directly related to violence perpetrated by right-wing paramilitaries against Afro-Colombian communities. This report examines the socio-economic, human rights, cultural, and environmental impacts of the expanding production of African oil palm and analyzes Canada's current and future role. Mon, 2 Nov 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-sept_2009/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-sept_2009/index.php The daily newspapers sit on the kitchen table at the Inter Pares office, where everyone can flip through their pages and see the headlines. Fear. Crisis. Security. Risk. These words are used to describe a range of world events, simplifying complex problems into bite-sized concepts. As we read them, we are encouraged to worry about the world we live in and to fear certain people with whom we share this planet. But headlines and articles have no meaning if they are stripped of context. Mon, 7 Sep 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-june_2009/index.php In July 2008, Inter Pares staff Nadia Faucher and Karen Cocq travelled to Peru to participate in a regional exchange on truth, justice, and reparation (TJR), organized by Inter Pares' main counterpart in Latin America – Project Counselling Service (PCS). Nadia and Karen were among a group of thirty-five participants from Peru, Guatemala, and Colombia who spent a week together sharing their experiences with armed conflict, and learning about strategies of the victims' movement to push for redress. Fri, 5 June 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/photo_essay/9/index.php In July 2008, Inter Pares staff Nadia Faucher and Karen Cocq travelled to Peru to participate in a regional exchange on processes of truth, justice, and reparation (TJR), organized by Inter Pares' main counterpart in Latin America – Project Counselling Service (PCS). Nadia and Karen were among a group of thirty-five participants from Peru, Guatemala, and Colombia who spent a week together sharing their experiences with armed conflict, and learning about strategies of the victims' movements to push for redress. This piece was inspired by Nadia's photos and travel journal. Fri, 5 June 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/ar-2008/index.php http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/ar-2008/index.php Every year, as we prepare this report, we are struck with the mix of the familiar and the new that each year brings. Like so many people, we fnd plenty of evidence that little really changes, and the world continues to confound our hopes for what we know is possible. Sometimes we even fail to imagine how things could work differently, so convinced are we of the permanence of the world as we know it. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:25:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#violence http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#violence This report and reflection paper documents a roundtable convened by Inter Pares in September 2007. This event brought together over twenty women's rights activists from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Canada, who have significant experience working on issues related to sexual violence against women in armed conflict. This report presents the tensions, dilemmas, and contradictions confronting work on sexual violence against women in armed conflict, as well as the political and institutional challenges and opportunities. Mon, 2 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/407 Canada's engagement with Africa is frequently seen as ‘progressive' or perhaps anodyne. But the reality is murkier. This special issue, jointly published by Pambazuka News and AfricaFiles, analyzes why Canada became a superpower in mining investments and why Canadian stock exchanges are a global centre for risky investments. The issue includes case studies from the DRC, Ghana, Tanzania, and a report on Canadian civil society efforts to hold our companies accountable for overseas activity. Mon, 26 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/reportsandpresentations.php#engagement Fundraising for social change is about building a financial and political base for socially transformative programs. In Inter Pares staff members Samantha McGavin and Rachel Gouin's article, they outline ways in which the Internet and e-mail can be harnessed in this movement-building. This article is available directly from the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training for a nominal fee. Mon, 2 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://embassymag.ca/page/view/venezuela_colombia-10-8-2008 In this article, Inter Pares staff member Jean Symes offers her perspective on Canada's engagement with Colombia. Mon, 2 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-feb_2009/index.php Staff member Rachel Gouin recently travelled to Guinea-Bissau to meet with young organizers who are building a better future for their country. The following is an excerpt from Rachel's trip report. Mon, 2 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/pdf/IntheShadow-Junta-CEDAW2008.pdf Surprisingly, Burma's military regime ratified the Convention on the Elimination for All forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1997, and claims that existing laws and social practices of the country are compatible with the Convention. This shadow report, which is the outcome of a year-long collective process among women's groups, civil society groups and networks along all of Burma's borders, presents the reality. Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-nov_2008/index.php In 2008, the world food crisis reached unprecedented levels. In many parts of the world, grain prices doubled or even tripled. Food riots erupted on various continents, and desperate pleas were made by the World Food Program for governments to increase their support to food aid to feed 850 million hungry people. Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-sept_2008/index.php When floodlights from armoured cars blinded sixteen-year-old Tin Maung Htoo and the hundreds of other demonstrators, they sat down in unison still singing protest songs. Tin heard automatic rifle fire and closed his eyes, "because I knew we were going to die." Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/photo_essay/8/index.php It is hard to imagine life in Burma under the military regime of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The generals have extensive systems for controlling the content and flow of information into or out of this beleaguered nation. Inter Pares has been working with community-based organizations from Burma since 1991. Through the eyes of colleagues in these organizations we get a unique perspective on life in Burma - here, we provide a rare glimpse of the reality of life under this cruel regime. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/bulletins/html/bul-june_2008/index.php From April 28 to May 1, farm and civil society leaders from Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, and the Philippines toured six Canadian cities. Under the title "Cars, Crops and Climate Change," they revealed how producing crops for fuel is already changing world agriculture, with major consequences for people, ecosystems and the planet. The public forum in Ottawa was recorded and can be watched online. Wed, 4 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/pdf/caas_presentation_edmonton_may3.pdf Molly offers her reflection on issues and dilemmas facing international NGOs today dedicated to international solidarity with people in Africa. By exploring the political economy of the aid industry and its implications for work promoting social justice and peace in the world, she invites us to press our government for concrete actions and also raises fundamental questions for anyone interested in global solidarity. Wed, 4 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/photo_essay/7/index.php In this photo essay, Inter Pares staff member Eric Chaurette provides an inside perspective on the exciting social movements coming together to advance the global movement for food sovereignty. From an international gathering in Mali to farmers' fields in Guinea Bissau, the photo essay provides a glimpse of this rapidly growing movement taking root in Africa and globally. Fri, 7 Dec 2007 20:15:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/video/burma.php During the recent peaceful demonstrations in Burma that were brutally crushed by the regime, many Canadian organizations working in solidarity with Burmese social movements were contacted by media. Inter Pares answered many of these calls from newspaper, radio and television reporters. Wed, 7 Nov 2007 19:05:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/publications/pdf/Embassy_article.pdf In this article, which was published in Embassy (www.embassymag.ca), Inter Pares counterparts Asha El-Karib and Fahima Hashim outline Sudanese women's struggles for equality. Wed, 7 Nov 2007 19:05:00 GMT http://www.interpares.ca/en/photo_essay/6/index.php The photo essay "Searching for Justice in Guatemala" features photographs and excerpts from the travel journal of Samantha McGavin, who along with Alison Crosby, travelled to Guatemala, and learned more about women's struggles to rebuild their communities and society after war. Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:10:00 GMT