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Reserve your place NOW for the 16th annual Alternatives’ Days!!
Dates : 27, 28, 29 August 2010
Place : Camp Papillon de St-Alphonse de Rodriguez
Limited space, reserve now!!
Call: (514) 982-6606 poste 2221
Alternatives welcomes you to the 16th edition of Alternatives’ Days to participate with hundreds of other activists in debates, discussions and activities grouped this year under the title: Solidarity in Action!
Once again this year the activities will be held in a summer camp, Camp Papillon de St-Alphonse de Rodriguez in the Laurentiens. In addition to the hundreds of activists from here, there will be a dozen or more international activists and will reflect and strategize together on ways to act on important themes such as ecology, human rights and social justice to construct a society we want for us.
Bring your family along! There will be arrangements for daycare services!
Preliminary Program
Three main themes are proposed for intellectual debates towards understanding the issues leading to strategizing actions and ways of your participation.
A. Climate Justice
Following the abject failure of governments to propose a political solution to climatic crisis during the Copenhagen conference of December 2009, Bolivia organized a People’s Summit on Climate and Rights of the Earth. From April 20 to 22, 2010 over 35 000 delegates representing social movements, First Nations, NGOs from 146 countries came together during this Summit to discuss ways to save our planet from the catastrophe caused to its environment by the neoliberal markets and the capitalist system.
The next people’s summit is scheduled for December this year in Cancun. Moving towards that rendezvous, people and movements all over the world will organize various actions on the issue of climate justice through referendums, popular consultations and tribunals to judge the country, people and governments responsible for destruction of the climate and aggravating climate change. The capitalist system will be on the bench of the accused.
Activities:
1. Opening Panel: From Copenhagen to Cancun: While the governments are sacrificing the planet for profits, people are organizing. In Quebec, a coalition for climate justice is a necessity.
2. Film screening: Petropolis
3. Preparing the International Tribunal for environmental crimes
4. Campaign 1: Europe-Canada Free trade: It smells Tar Sands!
5. Mining Companies: Digging our graves with impunity
Panelists (To be completed): Amir Khadir, Louise Vandelac, Ian Angus, Christophe Aguiton, Georges Lebel and representatives from environment groups in Canada and other countries.
B. Quebec/Canada: Democracy Now!
Since the coming to power of the present Conservative Canadian government we are witnessing intensifying attacks on democratic institutions, practices, rights and liberties. At the national level we are witnessing decreasing transparency on governmental actions, muffling of dissenting voices, ignorance and disrespect for decisions made by international tribunals, growing disrespect for international laws and restrictions on freedom of expression and media. These systematic attacks are aimed at shutting the voices of dissent, difference of opinions and views critical of the Canadian government policies.
While many organizations and people are mobilizing on this issue in Quebec, the government of Charest is preparing to steal the middle class and the poor sections of the society of $3.5 billion which is four times more it is collecting from the big companies ($800 million). Its time to mobilize!
Activities:
1. Opening Panel: No Democracy without Voices
2. Fighting for Public Services
3. Combating the rise of the Christian Right
Panel (To be completed): Louis Roy, Micheline Thibeaudot, Jacques Letourneau, Raphael Canet, Alexa Conradi
C. Movement for Human Dignity
Millions of people the world over are subjected to discrimination and have been deprived a life of dignity. Freedom to be able to live a life of dignity, to be able to choose ways of living and working is a prerequisite to dignified human existence. Among these millions we find the aboriginals, Dalits, bonded laborers, migrant workers colonized people to name a few categories. This is a movement for dignity, freedom, rights, justice and actions for the discriminated of the world with special focus on Palestine and the settler colony of Israel internationally and rights of migrant workers and people of the First Nations in Quebec.
Activities:
1. Opening Panel: Combating New Colonialism
2. BDS Campaigns in Quebec and Canada
3. Mobilization for World Education Forum in Palestine and the WSF-2011 in Dakar
4. Twenty Years after OKA!
5. Migrant workers rights in Quebec
Panel (To be completed): Pierre Beaudet, Franklin Midi, Mireille France Fanon, representatives from CUPW, CJPP, Tadamon, Mustafa Heneway, CSQ, First Nations, etc.
In addition to all these, there will be cultural shows, workshops on rooftop gardens, international internship programs, tools of communication.
