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Free Trade with Colombia - at what Cost?
February 11, 2009
Four leaders of Colombian social movements representing
women, indigenous peoples, workers and faith-based communities are now in
Canada to speak about the human rights impacts they believe will result of
the recently signed Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement is implemented.
OPSEU Social Justice Fund Board heard from two of
the representatives on February 9 at their Board meeting. Maria del Carmen
Sanchez is National President of the Colombian Health Care Workers' Union (ANTHOC)
and German Casama is a leader of the National Indigenous Organization of
Colombia (ONIC).
Maria will also speak at a lunch and learn on Tuesday Feb 17
at OPSEU and will be joined by Yolanda Becerra, National Director of the
Popular Women's Organization (OFP).
The goal of the tour is to provide testimony about the
reality of widespread human rights abuses in Colombia and the impact of the
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement on the rights and livelihood of
communities . The tour also aims to deepen links of understanding and
solidarity between Canadian and Colombian social movements.
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