LabourStart wants to thank CoDev (CoDevelopment Canada) for inviting us to attend their 7th International Solidarity Conference in Vancouver on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Delegates learned, heard and discussed a lot about international solidarity and unionism, and got some labour updates from around the world.
Here’s a few highlights that made an impression on our delegate (aka me):
– You’ve likely heard people say, or seen online memes that say, we should deal with problems at home before trying to help the rest of the world. Anne-Catherine Bajard and Angelo Aguilar Maurer of the BC Council for International Cooperation reminded us those don’t need to be either/or choices. Yes. We can do both.
– When labour rights and human rights are under attack, how can you NOT talk about capitalism and imperialism’s roles in these. Um, yeah. That’s a good one too.
– Caren Weisbart of Common Frontiers said with everything going on, Latin America is at risk of falling off our radar. She referred to Donald Trump’s re-determination to dominate the Western Hemisphere (the Trump Corollary to the Munroe Doctrine) and Canada’s response to US actions against Cuba. Canada is not demonstrating courageous leadership on that issue, she said.
– The day after the US and Israel started bombing Iran, BCGEU’s Masoud Aminsavvar gave us an informative short talk on Iran. He was imprisoned there for three years under the Islamic regime.
– Luiz Eduardo Azmitia of Capilano University talked about Honduras, CODEMUH, the women’s collective there, and Canadian company Gildan’s role in that country.
How valuable is international solidarity? “I’m alive because of it,” he said. International solidarity saved his father’s life in Guatemala.
– Karen Ranalletta, CUPE BC president, talked about a 2022 trip to meet with trade unionists in Cuba. A timely and insightful presentation considering current events.
There was lots more to get people fired up to take action.
Labour News Network 