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November 2009
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November 2009
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." ...
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The slums of Metro Manila are not easy places for anyone to live. This is true especially for young people, whose yearning for the "good life" they see presented in the media runs up against the grinding poverty in which they live. It is in these neighbourhoods where Inter Pares' counterpart, Likhaan, has formed a strong and vibrant youth organization known as PiLaKK Youth.
Young people in these communities face diverse and major challenges. ... Click here to read the rest of this article
Once among the most emancipated in the region, Sudanese women have spent the last twenty-six years subject to shariah law, which is based on a conservative interpretation of Islamic principles. Under the guise of religion, Sudan's fundamentalist military regime legitimizes the violation of women's legal rights and civil liberties. Many of these restrictions manifest around controlling women and girls' sexuality: strict dress codes, no penalization of rape and "honour crimes," decriminalization of female genital mutilation, victimization of sexual assault survivors. ...
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Dig In! is an interactive workshop that explores the concept of food sovereignty. This concept means ensuring food for everyone; building food systems that are controlled locally; and honouring ecosystems and traditional knowledge.
The workshop was developed by youth from across the country including young farmers, urban youth, aboriginal youth, and food activists. ... Click here to read the rest of this article
"Inter Pares," among equals in Latin, is not just a name - it's the philosophy that guides our internal and external relationships. Inter Pares is run by a co-management team, in which all full-time staff share equal responsibility for the organization's management and receive equal salaries. It's a non-hierarchical structure that has proven well-suited to welcoming and nurturing younger people's leadership. ...
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"Welcome to the weekly broadcast of Youth Hour, your radio program informing Huancavelica's community about human rights, governance and other hot topics." The launch of Youth Hour, a radio program researched and hosted by members of the Network of Facilitators (REDFAH), is now well-known in Huancavelica, a mountainous region of Peru profoundly marked by twenty years of armed conflict. REDFAH was founded in 2004 by a group of young professionals who were among the first participants of the Diploma and Leadership School on Human Rights, Governance, and Democracy offered by a coalition of Inter Pares' counterparts. As Fanny Cusi, one of REDFAH's founding members, explained, "We wanted to create
a space to continue our reflections sparked by the training and share our new knowledge with other young people." ...
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Giving is good, but giving good is better.
Our holiday tradition continues: to offer an ethical and environmentally friendly gift option to all. It's called "Give Something Big." After all, what could be bigger than equality, social justice, or peace on planet Earth? This year, give those on your shopping list a contribution to creating a better world and send cards that move with meaning. By making a donation to Inter Pares, you'll support organizations around the world working towards social transformation. You'll also receive up to ten printed or electronic cards that you can personalize (attach your own photo to an e-card!). By mail or by e-mail, your loved ones can receive a card that says that sometimes, our fondest holiday wish is something that just won't fit under a tree.
Peru's civil war killed close to 70,000 people, and left hundreds of survivors of sexual violence, primarily indigenous women. Hidden from view high in the Andes, the brutality of the armed conflict shocked Peruvians when the truth was revealed in 2003. Inter Pares' 30-minute film Rising From the Ashes presents an inspiring story of women taking on new roles in Peru and seeking a more just and peaceful society.
The film will be screened in Toronto on November 9th as part of the "Women, Violence & Resistance" series of the Centre for Women's Studies in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Please see our website for more details.
The food system is at a crossroads. What food future will we choose? Join Inter Pares, the National Farmers Union and friends for a free evening in Ottawa on Thursday, November 26th, where we will hear from farmers, farm movement leaders, and global thinkers from Canada and the global South. Please see our website for more details.
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. You can read the report here.
Fuelling Underdevelopment in Colombia: Poverty, human rights and Canada's role in the African palm oil sector
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. You can read the report here.
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With the support of thousands of Canadians, Inter Pares works in Canada and around the world with social change organizations who share the analysis that poverty and injustice are caused by inequities within and among nations, and who are working to promote peace, and social and economic justice in their communities and societies. Charitable registration number (BN) 11897 1100 RR000 1.
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