People First Media program archive
Header

What women really want: West Coast LEAF releases report card on women’s rights

October 29th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on What women really want: West Coast LEAF releases report card on women’s rights)

Annual report card grades the B.C. government on its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), ratified by Canada in December 1981

picture 591VANCOUVER — On October 16, 2014, West Coast LEAF released its 6th annual report card on women’s rights in BC. The CEDAW Report Card is West Coast LEAF’s annual assessment of how well BC is measuring up on international legal standards of women’s equality set out in the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

(more…)

,

Paul Manly on El Salvador’s struggle with a Canadian-Australian mining giant

September 23rd, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Paul Manly on El Salvador’s struggle with a Canadian-Australian mining giant)

Nanaimo filmmaker Paul Manly has been visiting communities and hearing from individuals affected by mining projects in El Salvador and the tactics of Investor State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) used by mining companies

picture 586

On September 10, 2014, dozens of organizations from Canada, El Salvador and around the world confronted Canadian-Australian mining company Oceana Gold, whose subsidiary is suing the nation of El Salvador for $301 million (USD). El Salvador’s offence was refusing to a grant a permit to a gold mine that would contaminate 60 per cent of the population’s drinking water.

The Council of Canadians, the Latin American Solidarity Network, the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network and others planned to descend on the company’s Toronto headquarters to present a letter from people affected by the decision. The letter demands that the company withdraw the lawsuit.

(more…)

, , ,

Mount Polley disaster may portend more of the same as mining activity is on the rise

September 23rd, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Mount Polley disaster may portend more of the same as mining activity is on the rise)

B.C. New Democrats say citizens living near the Mount Polley disaster are facing fall rains and winter setting in without even knowing what the plans are for the massive cleanup effort that is needed

Sub NDP MLAs visit Mount Polley I“The scale is hard to imagine,” wrote Peter Moskowitz at Vice.com, “…gray sludge, several feet deep, gushing with the force of a fire hose through streams and forest—coating everything in its path with ashy gunk. What happened on [August 4, 2014] might have been one of North America’s worst environmental disasters in decades, yet the news barely made it past the Canadian border.”

A breach in the Mount Polley mine tailings dam released water and mine tailings into pristine Quesnel Lake. The spill has been called one of the biggest environmental disasters in modern Canadian history. But now, it seems, just over a month later, that news about Mount Polley is barely making it to British Columbians, let alone any farther.

(more…)

, ,

Do you know what’s in your food?

July 15th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Do you know what’s in your food?)

Food security includes access to healthy, affordable food; it also includes knowing what is in the food we eat

picture 563New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Murray Rankin (Victoria) recently put forward a motion in the House of Commons calling for the mandatory labeling of food products containing ingredients that have been genetically modified. The New Democrats take the position that consumers have a right to know what they are buying, that labeling genetically modified foods will allow people to make their own choices.

Endorsements for the motion have have come from industry organizations, consumer advocacy groups, prominent environmentalists and food retailers that agree people have a right to know if they are consuming GMOs.

(more…)

, , ,

The federal government’s prostitution bill is immoral, faith groups say

July 7th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on The federal government’s prostitution bill is immoral, faith groups say)

34 clergy and faith groups from Victoria and across Canada have signed a statement of concern about the proposed federal bill that makes buying and advertising sex illegal

picture 559

Faith leaders in Victoria and across the country are speaking out against a federal prostitution bill they say increases potential dangers for sex workers and is immoral, reports the Times Colonist. “This is a human rights issue,” Bruce Bryant-Scott, rector at St. Matthias Anglican Church, said. “We’re concerned about the health, safety and lives of sex workers.”

Bill C-36, titled the “protection of communities and exploited persons act” is now under consideration by Parliament. The bill was tabled after the Supreme Court struck down Canada’s existing prostitution laws seven months ago because they violated the Charter rights of sex workers.

(more…)

, , , ,

B.C.’s poverty reduction projects aren’t reducing poverty

June 24th, 2014 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on B.C.’s poverty reduction projects aren’t reducing poverty)

Advocate Adrienne Montani says that some good work was done assisting families with crisis situations, but there is no evidence that they are no longer living in poverty

HiddenIn April 2012 the government of British Columbia announced that seven communities across the province would participate in a pilot project using poverty-reduction strategies targeting the unique needs of local families struggling to get out of poverty. Prince George, Cranbrook, Port Hardy, Surrey, New Westminster, Stewart and Kamloops were selected for the project, as they reflect a mix of metro, urban, rural and remote communities.

(more…)

, , ,