A cross-Canada series of events that raise two key questions: Are recent security laws and policies in Canada undermining civil liberties? Has mainstream media in Canada adequately framed and analyzed this issue? From Halifax to Vancouver, CitizenShift and Ã?berculture with the participation of refugee and immigrant advocacy groups have organized two exciting weeks of film screenings and panel discussions in over ten Canadian cities. These symposiums will be held from October 17-30, 2005, and are meant to provide an open and accessible forum for debate on the issues of immigration, media, law and national security in our country. Lots more info. Read on...Immigration/Media/Law
These three intersecting components of Measuring Security Measures provide a framework for discussion with audience and panellists. Changes in Canadian laws and policies since September 11, 2001 and the consequences of these laws for many immigrants and refugees will be examined, analyzed and discussed through new short films and panels. The media's role in framing and covering such debate will also be discussed. Following one hour of film screenings, audiences will hear from the panellists, then be invited to join in a discussion. Does protecting national security interfere with Canadians' civil liberties and fundamental human rights? These questions will be at the centre of this public forum. The events, occurring from coast to coast are free and open to all. For more information on Measuring Security Measures please contact us or visit these Web sites: [link] [link] For CitizenShift: Patricia Kearns, p.kearns (at) onf (dot) ca, 514.283.9478 For Uberculture: Ezra Winton, ezra (at) uberculture (dot) org, 514.313.3478 Measuring Security Measures will take place in ten cities across Canada in the last two weeks of October, 2005. So far the following list is where events will take place and who's organizing them. As information comes in, we'll add it to the list. For now, if you live in one of these cities and want to be involved, drop us a line. OTTAWA
When: Wednesday, October 19, 7 PM Where: Library and Archives Canada: 395 Wellington Street OttawaPanelists: Riad Saloojee Canadian office of Council on American-Islamic Relations Cair-Com (Media) Paul Copeland (Criminal lawyer with life long interest on Security issues. Lawyer for Mohamed Harkat) Sophie Harkat (Wife of Mohamed Harkat, Activist) Alex Trudeau (Moderator) TBC Principle Organizers: Dave McMurran [email] FILM PROGRAM: Measuring Security Measures
Security Consciousness: Detained in Guelph produced and directed by Reel Alternative Productions, 2004, Canada, 35min 12 min. excerpt will be shown With no film-making experience six University of Guelph undergraduate students and a Sheridan College student created a project using the medium of film to engage a wide audience in dialogue about the role that post-9/11 security consciousness has had on the detention and deportation of immigrants and refugees in Canada. The film's starting point is the recently negotiated use of the Guelph correctional facility for detaining immigrants. The film aims to inspire collective opposition to current practices of detention. Whose Rights Anyway? directed by Anice Wong, produced by Anice Wong and Hugh Gibson, 2005, 23 min. The film revolves around the security certificate case of Mohamed Harkat as told by his Canadian wife, his lawyer, and an activist. The documentary speaks of the initial arrest and how his fundamental human rights have since been violated. It also deals with the racism felt by the Arab and Muslim community since the events of September 11, 2001, and how it is against this backdrop that the Canadian government is allowing itself to limit certain rights in the name of "national security." Harkat has been detained in a provincial jail in Ottawa since December 10, 2002. He was arrested under a security certificate, a provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which allows for his detention not on solid evidence, but solely on assumptions suggesting that he may be linked to terrorism. No charges have been laid. Furthermore, the government of Canada has withheld all evidence it has from him and his lawyer, making it next to impossible for them to defend themselves in court. This is an updated version of the film that was shown in 2004. Sophie, directed and produced by Alexandre Roy, 2004, 3 min. A hard hitting short animation that tells the story of Sophie, a young Quebecoise who wins a BBQ but refuses to take the prize when she realizes that racism has tainted the contest. Threadbare, a work in progress, produced and directed by Arshad Khan. 50 min., 2005, Canada 20 min. excerpt will be shown August 14th 2003: After having their apartment doors kicked in and belongings trashed, nineteen men were arrested in pre-dawn raids in the Greater Toronto Area on suspicion that they might be a threat to National Security. They were asked, "Are you Pakistani? Are you Muslim?" The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) carried out these and several other raids with the help of The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Threadbare is a film about racism against Pakistanis and South Asian Muslims in the Canadian Immigration and Legal justice system. The documentary film revolves around the struggles of the 25 Project Thread detainees, many now deportees, that were a target of the RCMP Al-Qaeda investigation in August 2003. All allegations of terrorism against the detainees were dropped within two weeks of the arrests, yet the detainees spent two to five months in a maximum security prison outside Toronto. Threadbare also documents the activist campaign - Project Threadbare in its struggle to exonerate, compensate, apologize, naturalize the detainees. Take Back the Days: Step by Step to Ottawa, produced and directed by Eylem Kaftan, 12 min., Canada 2005 June 2005- Solidarity Across Borders, a Montreal-area coalition initiated by several groups active in defending the rights of migrants, immigrants and refugees organized a march in solidarity with all non-status persons in Canada, and in support of the main demands of the Solidarity Across Borders network: the regularization of all non-status persons in Canada; an end to the deportation and detention of migrants; and the abolition of security certificates. The film documents the journey giving voice to those who walked with purpose to Ottawa. We see the solidarity, hope and commitment shared amongst the marchers and witness the profound effect the trip had on them. The format for the evening is that doors will open at 6:15, and the films will start showing at 7:00 PM. Alexandre Trudeau is the Moderator for the evening and will introduce the evening. When Anice Wongâ?™s film is shown she will give a brief introduction. They are approximately 70 minutes in length. Just before intermissions Sophie (Harkat) will do a fundraising pitch for the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee. We will then have a 15-20 minute break and then the panel will begin. Each panelist will speak for approximately 10 minutes and then there will be a question period. The evening should finish by 9:30. We will serve food and beverages both prior to the start of the films and during the intermission. I am also seeing if I can find a musician who will play during the intermission. The food we will serve will be samosas and spinach pies that we buy and baked goods that hopefully volunteers will make. We will also sell water, coke, ginger ale, and orange and apple juice. I also hope to be able to sell coffee. Does one of you have a good contact at Bridgehead to see if they will donate coffee for the evening? We should be able to net 300-400 dollars profit if we have a good crowd. That is approximately what we usually made each evening at the One World Film Festival. Any suggestions as to best place buy pop, water and juice would be appreciated. We will need the following volunteers for the evening.
1. Person to pickup Paul Copeland at the airport at 5:15 PM and drive him back to the airport immediately following the panel. His return flight is 11:00 PM 2. Person to bring drinks and cups to Archives for 4:30 Same person to take way any leftovers at end of evening 3. Two people to help set up (Could be the same person who brings the drinks) 4. Two people at the doors to greet attendees and hand out brochures 5. Two people for Justice for Mohamed Harkat table 6. Three people to help with the collection just before intermission The two people who were handing out brochures could help out here 7. Two people to assist me selling Food & Beverage 8. Two people to help cleanup
