ATTN KELOWNA: Challenge the new face of corporate power‏

I'd like to extend a special invitation to you to join me for a public discussion on "CETA, FIPA, TPP: The New Face of Corporate Power." This event will be part of an eight-city speaking tour in B.C. to build opposition to Canada's corporate trade agenda.

Event details:

Wednesday, May 22

7-9 p.m. 

French Cultural Centre, 702 Bernard Ave, Kelowna (map)

Hosted by the Kelowna Chapter of the Council of Canadians

For more information call: 250-769-1977 or email: kareneh@silk.net

The Government of Canada has signed, is negotiating and is hoping to ratify a variety of new corporate rights treaties that promote and lock in the rights of corporations to make a profit while undermining communities' abilities to make decisions in their own interest. Like NAFTA before them, these deals are not about trade. Every new agreement further entrenches a corporate vision of deregulation, resource exploitation and privatization. 

These "next generation" deals include the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union, the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations that Canada joined this past December, and countless investor rights pacts, like the one with China, called Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (FIPA / FIPPA).

Opposition to these deals is building. More than 80 municipalities have passed resolutions voicing their concerns or opposition to the CETA negotiations. Nearly 100,000 people signed a petition against the Canada-China FIPA, and the Hupacasath First Nation has launched a constitutional challenge to its ratification. Communities are beginning to organize and educate about the TPP in solidarity with global trade justice movements.

The Council of Canadians is hosting this speaking tour in B.C. to build collective opposition to all of these agreements. In the spirit of the anti-WTO Battle for Seattle and the Quebec City protest against the defeated Free Trade Area of the Americas, we hope to bring our vibrant movements back into the streets to derail Canada's corporate rights agenda and dismantle the treaties that lock it in.

 

I hope you can join me!

Stuart Trew, Trade Campaigner

The Council of Canadians, 700-207 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC, V6B 1H7

(604) 688-8846, 1-888-566-3888 | bc-yukon@canadians.org | www.canadians.org

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Things To See and Do in Vancouver, BC . . .

Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver BC

Colorful Tropical Birds - Bloedel Conservatory


Downtown

MUST READ: 'Syrian Sacrilege'

This is an eye opener . . .

What our media is showing/writing about a dangerously grave situation in Syria is all seems to be a copy paste type reporting from the western media. To date we don't have a single correspondent from India who ever had gone to such risky places for real time or online reporting, thanks to our policies which protect our nationals outside the country.

A freelance journalist Shri Uday K Chakraborty has reported on the basis of email replies from few ordinary Syrian co-workers of his past journeys to Syria; 

THIS IS HOW IT APPEARED IN PRESS (excerpts from 'Syrian Sacrilege')

Sunnis and Alawites in Syria have no communal hatred between them. The Government forces from Assad so far never have assaulted civilians, as is evident on interviewing the civilian victims. 

There are instances where terrorists have used civilians as their shield to fight government forces and thus the civilian casualties. These terrorist as western media calls them FSA (Free Syrian Army) are all foreign mercenaries as described by the victims as they don't talk in the familiar tongue.

Actually it is a time tested strategy of the war loving US, UK and the allies. You take rebels from a particular country add some corrupt politicians, anti-national elements to it take help of lawbreakers of the soil, group them. Give them chance to get their target i.e. allow the corrupt politician to achieve their wasted interests. Help anti law/social elements to get their hold on unlawful activities & in turn the war loving countries get their access to the vast natural resources . . . oil in this example.

They applied it successfully in Vietnam & Iraq. Now Syria has become victim for the same reason. Additionally this is a punishment to Syria as they supported Palestine against Israel.

There are footages of Syrian military personnel parading before western media. These actually are the detained soldiers of Syrian army who have no choice but to march quietly to support western theory.


GO THROUGH THESE FACTS AND DECIDE 

• BBC showed the clippings of Syrian hospitals where victims every time stated that they were attacked by unknown mob & not the Syrian army 
• Despite the attacks by these mercenaries Govt. forces have largely been able to repulse insurgents from major cities 
• Quite a few unarmed Syrian press persons have been killed by insurgents
• Horrific brutality & savagery of the insurgent forces are increasingly coming out in open where innocent postal people & ordinary citizens killed ….. in an attempt to eliminate the independent national thinking which may be inherited to the coming generations 
• Insurgents are getting material & weapons from Western countries & monarchies of Middle East like Saudi Arabs & Qatar 
• Typical issues like impose no fly zone, bogey of stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction MSD - chemical version this time." 

(via Somesh Sitoke)

Canada is NOT doing the best of the G8

We KNOW that the Canadian economy has contracted. However, the harper reform/alliance gov't continue to tell Canadians that "we are the best of the G8".

Today, I heard a Canadian banker mention how the Canadian banks are succeeding because they operate in OTHER countries who's GDP's are between 6-8%!!

Wait . . . what? There are countries with GDP's at 6-8%?

I had to look this up and here's what I found . . .

With regard to harper's claim of "Canada is doing the best of the G8". Here's the G8 and their number in the world of 217 listed countries and their GDP. Seems he's lied again.

96   Russia 3.6
137 Japan 2.2
138 United States 2.2
147 Canada 1.9
166 Germany 0.9
184 France 0.1
188 United Kingdom 0.2
207 Italy -2.3

harper is failing Canadians.

Resource:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_real_GDP_growth_rate_(latest_year)

New rules unlikely to affect Chinese takeovers of Canadian companies

NOTE THE DATE OF THIS ARTICLE 

Date: Friday, 11-January-2008

New rules unlikely to affect Chinese takeovers of Canadian companies: Emerson

BEIJING (CP) - The new national security test on foreign takeovers in Canada should have little impact on China's ability to buy out Canadian firms, including in the much-eyed resource sector, International Trade Minister David Emerson said Tuesday.

The minister told reporters in a conference call from Bejing that he assured Chinese officials during his visit there that the new guidelines proposed by Industry Minister Jim Prentice were not designed to thwart Chinese investment in Canada.

"Canada is anxious to have Chinese investments in Canada, including investments from the (state-owned) China Investment Corp.," he said, adding that Chinese officials welcomed his reassurance.

He said the rules outlined by Prentice in December were not meant to discourage acquisitions from state-owned corporations, but only to ensure these companies "are operating as economic and commercial companies not as a political arm or corporate arm that is simply delivering a political strategy in another country."

Although he did not elaborate, Emerson appeared to signal that he considers Chinese investments through its sovereign wealth fund to be primarily business related, rather than political.

Responding to the high level of foreign takeovers in Canada during the past few years, the government appointed a blue-ribbon panel to study the issue last summer, but also announced in December that it would take a closer look at state-owned takeovers as part of a national security test.

Prentice announced that the guidelines would apply on the "rare occasions when foreign investments by state-owned enterprises with non-commercial objectives and unclear corporate governance and reporting may not benefit Canadians."

He gave no examples of such takeovers, but many interpreted the new rules as being directed mostly at China, a government that Prime Minister Stephen Harper had openly criticized for its human rights record.

Among other things, the guidelines will assess whether a Canadian business to be acquired by a non-Canadian, state-owned enterprise will continue to have the ability to operate on a commercial basis regarding:

-the participation of Canadians in its operations in Canada and elsewhere;
-support of ongoing innovation, research and development; and
-the appropriate level of capital expenditures to maintain the Canadian business in a globally competitive position.

The government will also consider whether Canadians will be appointed as independent directors, employed in senior management positions and whether the Canadian business or its new foreign owner lists shares on a Canadian stock exchange.

Emerson, who wrapped up his visit to China on Tuesday before heading to Mongolia, also expressed optimism that a tourism agreement with China can be signed.

But if China keeps stalling, he said, Canada will have no choice but to launch a complaint to the World Trade Organization because he said China's Approved Destination Status agreement with the U.S. and 132 other countries discriminates against Canada.

This article was saved and reposted. This is because upon a Google search for the archive, this was what remained; (The article requested is no longer available.)

Guide to Family Medicine and Residency with Jade

We had the amazing opportunity to speak with an amazing young woman just starting her first year Residency in Family Medicine. Here's her story . . .

Jewel of the Caribbean - Xcalak Mexico

In the south of the Yucatan Peninsula is Costa Maya with the town of  Mahahual and  about 50 or so km away, Xcalak. Both are gems, with Mahahual being larger with boutique hotels, many restaurants and services. Xcalak  is smaller and if you check on a map, it is actually at the end of a peninsula so it is south enough to be by location in Belize.

The main activities that attract tourists and visitors is the amazing clear waters for diving and snorkeling, great sport fishing in the mangroves and on the flats and bird watching is also becoming popular. There are kayak excursions to take you further away from civilization into this spectacular area.

music by   Artist: Keyn project  Title: sapphire