Occupy Your Rights: From Government Rhetoric to Action
A Teach In with Joan Russow

Sponsored by Occupy Public Engagement Group

Thursday March 22
7:00 pm
First Met United Church
Balmoral at Quadra

In this teach in, Joan Russow will discuss how the 99% can work from the ground up to make our rogue government comply with its international obligations and commitments.  In addition, there will be references to a number of international conventions that protect the rights of the land and peoples that would be violated by the Enbridge pipeline.

Everyone welcome. Free admission.

OWS (Occupy Wall Street) and the other Occupies have been characterized as lawless, but from an international point of view, our governments, not the Occupy movement, are the outlaws.

The Occupy movement has also been characterized as having no demands. However, a distinction can be made between demanding change as a wish and demanding the rights to which we are entitled. Canada, along with the majority of the world’s nations has signed and ratified significant agreements on human rights, the environment, social and economic justice, on the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Although parts of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights have been enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadian governments have often failed to enact the necessary legislation to ensure compliance with their obligations and commitments  under conventions that were signed and ratified, and many declarations and conference action plans that were adopted.

Through these international instruments, we have a blueprint for the entitled rights of global citizens and the earth. What is missing is the moral and ethical integrity of our politicians.

It’s time to demand that governments act in good faith on the agreements they have signed and respect the rule of international law.
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Joan Russow holds a PhD in interdisciplinary studies UVic, and an MEd, in teaching human rights linked to the environment, social  justice and peace within a framework of international law. Joan has represented the Voice of Women Canada at many UN and international conferences. As a member of independent media, Joan has attended climate change conferences and tried to expose the hypocrisy of governments that neglect their obligations and commitments. Joan is a former national leader of the Green Party of Canada.