Forward On Climate Rally, Washington D.C., Feb 17: PHOTOSTREAM

The Canadian Progressive recommends:

HISTORY: #ForwardOnClimate Rally in Washington, D.C., Feb. 17

By Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive, Feb. 15, 2013:

Grammy-award winning rapper Eve to perform at Forward On Climate rally in Washington D.C., Sunday, Feb 17, according the Sierra Club, one of the organizations leading and supporting the event.

The details:

What: Grammy-award winning rapper Eve and popular NY turntablist DJ Kalkutta will perform at the Forward on Climate rally, the largest climate rally in American history

By Sierra Club | Feb. 14, 2013:

ATLANTA, GA – As President Obama visits Decatur today, members of the Georgia Beyond Coal Campaign will rally around the downtown Decatur MARTA station to call on the president to protect future generations by addressing climate disruption with bold executive action to hold fossil fuel polluters accountable and kick start the clean energy economy. The president’s visit comes just days before a large group of Georgia residents plan to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Forward on Climate” rally on Sunday, February 17, the largest climate change rally in United States history.

via Sierra Club:

Crippling drought. Devastating wildfires. Superstorm Sandy. Climate has come home — and the American people get it.

What: The largest climate rally in U.S. history.
When: February 17, 2013, Noon – 4:00 p.m. (please arrive by 11:30 a.m.)
Where: The National Mall in Washington, D.C. Gather at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument (Closest Metro subway stations: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian)

It may be the only response left to combat the ideologues ruling Canada.

by John Bennett |  Troy Media, Feb. 5, 2013:

Idle No More protest on Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Dec 21 2012

All the benefits Roslyn Kunin attributes to life in Canada in her recent column, including peace and order and good government came about through civil disobedience. The suffragettes who won women the right vote did not shy away from it.

Civil disobedience is breaking an unjust law or breaking a law to draw attention to an unjust law. It has played a major role in creating democracy around the world. We shouldn’t forget that ever.

Former prime minister was the architect of the 2005 Kelowna Accord

By Jennifer Clibbon | CBC News, Jan 17, 2013 4:58 AM ET

Few Canadian leaders know the issues raised by Idle No More better than former prime minister Paul Martin.

As Canada’s 21st prime minister, Martin will be remembered as the architect of the 2005 Kelowna Accord, which envisioned the investment of $5 billion over 10 years for education and social welfare programs for aboriginal Canadians. The project fell apart when Stephen Harper took over that year as prime minister, and cut the funding.

Martin’s interest in the lives and problems of aboriginal peoples dates back to his teenage years in the 1950s, when he worked on the shores of Hudson’s Bay and as a deck hand on tugboats going up and down the Mackenzie River. There, he saw firsthand the inequities faced by aboriginal friends, and it left a deep impression.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2013/01/16/f-idle-no-more-paul-martin.html

by Michèle Audette | Native Women’s Association of Canada,  Jan 16, 2013

Michèle Taïna Audette, President, Native Women’s Association of Canada

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

by Assembly of First Nations | Jan 16, 2013

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is pleased to offer this update regarding recent discussions, strategy sessions, meetings and developments regarding the First Nation-Crown relationship, and the continued priorities of First Nations in achieving change for our peoples, communities and nations.

Meeting of First Nations Leaders and the Prime Minister, January 11, 2013

To further the support and calls for a meeting between First Nations and the Crown, by consensus the AFN National Executive sent an Open letter to the Prime Minister and Governor General on December 16, 2012 requesting a meeting to deal with matters of Treaty implementation and inherent rights. This request took forward and expressed support for the actions of Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence as well as the growing chorus of grassroots members demonstrating and advocating for change.

By Chief Allan Adam,  Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation,  Jan 15, 2013:

January 15, 2013 – Fort McMurray, AB: In the wake of Idle No More and the AFN’s calls for blockades, peaceful protests and a stall of the Canadian economy Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) has made waves with talk of potential long term blockades in Northern Alberta.

“At this time we have no plans to organize or facilitate the organization of roadblock on highway 63 for January 16^th or any set date. However, the people are upset with the current state of affairs in this country and things are escalating towards more direct action.”

The Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Christ Lewis, has taken to YouTube to silence self-righteous racists who are urging the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to apply force against the Idle No More movement’s peaceful protest actions. Only last week, an extremist Ontario Superior Court judge slammed the OPP for not nuking an #IdleNoMore protest.

Lewis makes two things clear in his address. First, through Idle No More,  First Nations have the ability to “paralyze this country by shutting down travel and trade routes”. Second, it’s not the job of the OPP or any police force, to solve longstanding, colonialism-inspired disputes between First Nations and the governments of Canada.

“I’d rather be criticized for a decision to not jeopardize, take or lose lives than for taking unnecessary aggressive action that undoubtedly will,” Lewis said.

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