An emergency relief fundraiser has been organized in Winnipeg on Feb 11th for Partners in Health/Zanmi Lasante’s incredible efforts in Haiti. Performers include John K. of the Weakerthans!!

Here are some other events across Canada.

Donations to highly recommended relief efforts which are actually respectful of Haitian sovereignty can be seen here:

canadahaitiaction.ca

…and finally, some context is provided by the excellent and uncompromising journalist and film-maker, John Pilger.

the Harper government, who clearly use their lips and tongues every morning to clean the shitted arses of the Bush administration, are doing everything they can to prevent conscientious objectors from coming up here and demanding refugee status. after the supreme court of canada ruled that refugee claim appeals would not be heard, a positive motion was passed on dec. 6th recommending that war resisters and their families be allowed to stay in canada. the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommends:

“…recommends that the government immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members (partners and dependents), who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations and do not have a criminal record, to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and that the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions that may have already commenced against such individuals.”

Please visit these websites and support these folks!!

www.resisters.ca

www.vaiw.org

If you happen to be around the Winnipeg area, consider coming to this speaking event tonight. Roger Annis will drive another nail into the coffin of the notion of Canadian humanitarianism and benevolent foreign policy this evening, as he relays information gathered during his recent visit to Haiti. Please refer to his blog site below for an important perspective that you won’t see or hear via complicit media outlets such as CNN, CBC, CTV, Global, etc…

Should we blindly trust the intentions of the government and business interests of countries such as Canada, the USA, and France in Haiti!??! METHINKNOT.

Roger (niceguy) Annis dispels the delusions and helps to show what regular people can do to put a wrench into the repressive designs to keep poor people poor, and rich people stinking rich.

Tuesday, September 11th/07

HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATE TO HAITI TO SPEAK IN WINNIPEG

MAIN PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENT:

HAITI TODAY: ECONOMIC CALAMITY, FOREIGN INTERFERENCE

MONDRAGON BOOKSTORE, 91 ALBERT ST (EXCHANGE DISTRICT)
7 PM

ADMISSION: FREE (donations accepted)

Roger Annis, trade union activist, and member of Haiti Solidarity BC, and
the Canada Haiti Action Network (CHAN), participated in a human rights
delegation to Haiti from August 5 -18, 2007. The delegation, sponsored by
the US based Fondasyon Mapou and the Haiti Priorities Project, had
arranged meetings in Haiti with US/Canadian/French embassies,
representatives from international financial institutions in Haiti,
grassroots and popular organizations, and Haitian government
representatives.

Further information about the delegation can be found at:

http://www.fondasyonmapou.org/delegation.shtml

Mr. Annis also posted a blog while in Haiti, which can be accessed at:

http://thac.ca/blog/9

on saturday june 9th, we’ll be taking part in a major fundraising effort in winnipeg. the 5th annual RUN FOR RIGHTS is taking place, to raise $ for 14 Winnipeg organizations working for social justice and human rights. Chrissy-boy and Jordy-boy are taking pledges to support the Canada-Haiti Action Network (CHAN), while Beaver-boy and Toddy will be raising $ for Welcome Place, a Winnipeg based organization that assists refugees new to our city.

for more info on CHAN, please visit the CHAN website.

to contribute financial support directly to the CHAN-Winnipeg credit union account, please click here.

all funds raised will go directly to assist these organizations based in Haiti, working to expose the Canadian/American/French anti-democratic, imperialist policies which are currently active in repressing the rights of Haiti’s poor majority. (See the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti and Confédération des travailleurs haitiens.)

your assistance is critical, and will be greatly appreciated!!!

Sitting in front of my fart-freckled face stood a book by Jamie Brownlee, “Ruling Canada: Corporate Cohesion and Democracy”.

“Oh Heavenly Fart!”, i heard that squeaky voice in my head exclaim! Here it is!! The MA thesis that was put out a couple of years ago by Fernwood Publishing was written by a fellow Portage la Prairian, and one i knew only too well!!

As i snuck the book under my hoodie and ran out the door (naay, jussi jokinen!!), many memories of young student jamie, a good friend my younger bro’ jeremy, started coming back to me. Seeing those guys drunk……JUST DRUNK!!, stinking up the ol’ house we used to live in was a very familiar sight (and smell) back in the day. Young Jamie had a bit of a surly mean streak to him when he’d indulged in the drink….a favoured drinking characteristic chosen by many-a-Plapper. Awesome to see that generalized anger take shape into stickin’ it to the man…..in this case, the Canadian man, by taking time and care to expose and detail the unique intricacies of the Canadian economic/political elite. I’ve spent the last few late nights reading the book, and i have to say, “fuckin’ A rights! way to go!”.

Updating our “Resource” section will be a priority of mine later in the day…..right after a quick meeting at Hairy H. Hole’s place, and a thorough thumping of Big Ern’s Boys in the ASHL Division D2C hockey playoffs later in the afternoon.

Phleeeeeeeeeebp!

if you’re in vancouver, edmonton, or winnipeg over the next week, please consider checking out this documentary film. we had the opportunity to meet kevin last year. he’s a great guy, and his film deserves as much attention as possible. he’ll be on hand to present the film in each city….please see below!!

A fundraising tour for the Haiti Information Project. Donations requested.

Kevin Pina is an independent journalist and filmmaker who risked his life over the past two years to tell the shocking story of Haiti that the world’s mainstream media covered up, namely the massive human rights violations that occurred following the foreign invasion and coup that removed the elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004. Pina’s riveting documentary film, “Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits”, tells the story of these rights violations by a coup regime backed by the U.S., Canada, France and the United Nations Security Council. The film also describes the heroic struggle of the Haitian people to regain their stolen democracy, a struggle that continues today.

“Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits” can be seen:

Vancouver: Friday Oct 13th
7 PM @ SFU Harbour Centre, Fletcher Room, 515 W. Hastings (one block from Waterfront Skytrain)

Edmonton: Monday Oct 16th
6PM @ U of Alberta, Tory Lecture Theatre 2

Edmonton: Tuesday Oct 17th
7PM @ Grant MacEwan College, Room 6-241

Winnipeg: Wednesday Oct 18th
7PM @ U of Winnipeg, Bulman Center

*******************************

Human rights catastrophe in Haiti during foreign rule

In September 2006, the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet published a study revealing that in the capital city Port au Prince alone, an estimated 8,000 people were killed and 35,000 women were victims of sexual assault in the two years following the 2004 coup in Haiti.

********************************

the boys propagandhi will be participating as fundraisers at the 5th annual ‘run for rights’, here in winnistink, on june 10th.

buddy-derek the hoguelater x-press put together this handy link where you can support the effort to create the Jean Dominique Popular University Project in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. please check out the info about this project and pledge your support below!!

pledge now!

….judging by the size of the steaming bean-pile in kowalski’s back yard, i’d say he’s the early favourite for this race……he’s going to blast off, shooting to the finish line in world record timelike a noisy rocket balloon, happily leaving the rest of us in his “dust”….

(jordy-boy horcoff for mvp)

visit here for other cdn participation:

http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/action.php

that’s all folks!! off to band practise……phweeeeeeeeup!!

The Winnipeg branch of Canada Haiti Action Network (CHAN-Winnipeg) and supporters will be at the RCMP headquarters at 1091 Portage Ave. as part of a national week of action in cities across Canada in solidarity with the people of Haiti. Originally scheduled to coincide with the Haitian national elections that had been set for Nov. 20th but which have since been postponed to Dec. of this year, the public events being organised across the country aim to raise awareness of Canada’s complicity in the catastrophic human rights situation in Haiti right now.

RCMP headquarters was chosen as the location for the action in Winnipeg on Saturday because Canada, along with four other nations, is aiding Haiti with about 100 RCMP officers in the mission called CIVPOL. They are to back-up and supervise the larger numbered and corrupt Haiti National Police, who are carrying out the violent repression being employed to defend the government that was installed through the coup d’etat orchestrated by the governments of Canada, France and the US in Feb. 2004.

Across Canada, planned events include a march on Parliament Hill in
Ottawa on November 12th, film screenings, reports from journalists who’ve worked on the ground in Haiti, leafleting on the street, and an international day of action on Nov. 18th.

We are demanding that the Government of Canada:
* Withdraw the support of Elections Canada and all other bodies from any elections held under current conditions of repression, which include hundreds of political prisoners, police killings and terror, and the exclusion of the poor from participation;

* Demand the immediate release of Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Father Gérard Jean-Juste, former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, the folksinger Annette “Sò Ann” Auguste, and all other political prisoners;

* Discontinue all RCMP training and logistical support for the human rights-abusing Haitian National Police, and withdraw all Canadian logistical support for the UN “peacekeeping” mission-turned repression operation;

* Announce Canada’s support for the position of the governments of the Caribbean community countries (CARICOM) and the African Union, both of which are demanding an investigation into the circumstances of President Aristide’s removal;

* Withdraw and withhold recognition of Haiti’s coup government until President Aristide is returned to oversee the holding of fair elections without repression.

visit the link below for protest actions across canada this upcoming week:

I have a couple of things to announce, most importantly this here book launch for anyone around the winnipeg area to consider attending. This promises to be very informative, and I’m sure most of us out there would indeed be surprised at the scale of canadian bullshit being forced upon the poor peoples of haiti.

Come on out!! Refreshments following discussion!

Book Launch – Canada in Haiti: Waging War On The Poor Majority

October 20th, 2005, 7 PM, 91 albert street, 3rd floor $5 or pay what you can

Presentation and video with authors Yves Engler and Anthony Fenton followed by a discussion.

Behind the mask humanitarianism, canada is carrying out a murderous and destructive foreign policy in haiti. At every turn, canada has declined opportunities to uphold democracy in haiti, while taking the lead in overthrowing the country’s democratically elected government and legitimizing a power grab by haiti’s wealthy elite.

See the event poster here.

A new type of solidarity movement is emerging out of a growing awareness of the policies that are being carried out in haiti, policies that can only be described as genocidal. All of the western powers share a history of genocidal conquest. Ironically, this process began on the very island that haitians occupy, in 1492. It should enrage but not surprise us that governments such as canada and the united states, who have perfected the means of internal colonization through the subjugation and dehumanization of indigenous people, should export these methods to haiti. Our role is to understand these realities and devise ways to dismantle them. (Anthony Fenton)

Secondly, am item of much less political flavour, yet something I feel obligated to expose in the simple name of truth.

It has come to my attention that our bass player toddy (pigpen) kowalski, has mentioned on city-wide radio last night, that I “outfarted Bill Stevenson” during our mix dates in fort collins, co this past july.

Apparently, Bill is the godfather of farting in the music world.

The truth of the matter is Bill was literally blown away at todd’s seemingly limitless resevoir of intestinal gas. Anyone who knows todd, who happens to be a male member of our pathetic species (he actually manages to hold his gas around females for some reason, then blows around the horizon like an untied balloon once he’s alone or exclusively in the company of other spatter-faced unlucky and groaning men) will be able to back my claims.

Claims like todd is the canadian king of farts.

Claims that todd’s favourite joke in the world is farting and then blaming them on others.

Little does todd know, that during his incredible fort collins anal performance, chris and I happened to overhear a private conversation in which Bill Stevenson, punk rock fart god he is, approached todd with this comment:

“yeah man, it’s kinda weird. With your farting and stuff…..I’ve never met anyone else like you before. I thought I was alone in this world.”

Yup. We were in the alcove next to the kitchenette discussing sequencing ideas when this happened.

If anyone feels the need to corroborate my claims, please feel free to email Bill at bill@blastingroomstudios.com.

the proof is in todd’s everflowing pudding. I tire of having his pudding being slapped on my face. People who fart and blame it on others, are simply put, posers.

Fart posers.

Todd kowalski is thee pre-eminent fart poseur.

Thank you for your time, I feel much better cleaning this off my chest.