ABORIGINAL JUSTICE DELEGATION

to Algonquin Territory

DATES: May 31-June 8, 2008

At the Robertsville Mine, about 80 km north of Kingston, Ontario, two Algonquin First Nations communities are struggling to protect their unceded land from uranium exploration and mining. The mining company, Frontenac Ventures (FVC) is licensed under the Ontario Mining Act to conduct exploratory drilling on 60 square kilometers of historic Algonquin territory. An open-pit uranium mine would release toxic radon gas and polonium, and leave behind millions of tonnes of radioactive tailings that will permanently pollute groundwater. The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFN) says, "Uranium mining will lead directly to our social, spiritual and cultural demise." Algonquin leader Bob Lovelace has been jailed for his nonviolent resistance to illegal and immoral actions by the Ontario government, while many other Algonquin leaders from both Shabobt Obaadjiwan First Nation and AAFN face heavy fines. This delegation will coincide with the continued court proceedings related to this situation.

After occupying the Robertsville Mine for 107 days throughout the summer of 2007, both First Nations participated in a mediation process with the federal and provincial governments and FVC, talks which broke down when the provincial government predetermined that the outcome must include drilling. In February and March, an Ontario Superior Court judge issued prison sentences and stiff fines to Algonquin leaders for their nonviolent resistance to a court injunction which prohibited the blockade. The Algonquins have called for a moratorium on uranium exploration and are seeking a resolution to their historic national land claims. The resistance campaign to prevent uranium mining is supported by local "settler" (non-Algonquin) residents.

The CPT Aboriginal Justice Delegation will meet with Algonquin leaders and settler and environmental activists; seek the perspectives of those who are in support of uranium exploration (including government officials); make visits to the historic blockade site; develop an analysis of colonialism; participate in undoing racism training; and organize a public witness in support of the Algonquin's struggle for justice.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: $275 (US or CDN) Delegates arrange their own transportation to Toronto or Kingston, Ontario.

U.S./MEXICO BORDERLANDS

DATES: May 27 - June 5, 2008

In the wake of the U.S. Congress' inaction on comprehensive immigration reform, millions of immigrants contend with a broken system that takes advantage of their contribution to the economy, yet promotes the criminalization of immigration offenses. Meanwhile, mothers and fathers desperate to provide for their families continue to make the risky trek into the U.S. from Mexico. U.S. Border policies in recent years have forced migrants into increasingly dangerous and remote areas, causing more than 200 deaths annually in the Arizona desert.

Members of CPT's Borderlands delegation will monitor human rights, meet with representatives of human rights groups and government officials, and carry out a nonviolent public witness confronting unjust immigration policies. They will visit individuals on both sides of the border, including in Lomas de Poleo, Mexico, where residents of a farming community live virtually under siege as they await a court ruling verifying their ownership of the land. The delegation will be based in Tucson and Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, and travel to the Mexican cities of Agua Prieta and Juarez. Delegation members arrange their own transportation to Tucson, Arizona.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: $500 US or CDN, covers on-ground costs. Participants arrange their own transportation to Tucson, Arizona.

COLOMBIA

DATES: May 14-27, July 16-29, and September 24-October 7, 2008. Each delegation has a special focus as described below

May 14-27, 2008 (Nariño - focus on Indigenous and Afro-Colombian groups): This delegation offers a unique opportunity to travel to Nariño, in southern Colombia, where CPT has accompanied war-affected indigenous communities at the invitation of the Council of Awa Elders of Ricaurte (CAMAWARI) since December 2006. In addition to meeting with these communities, the delegation will visit Afro-Colombian communities and human rights workers in and around Tumaco on Colombia's Pacific coast.

Nariño province is an area of great natural and cultural beauty. Lush Andean rainforests, rushing rivers and tropical coastal beaches are the homes or close neighbors of five major indigenous nations and Afro-Colombian communities dwelling on collectively held lands. Whether despite or because of this richness, these areas are among those that have suffered most from the U.S.-funded "Plan Colombia," a package of primarily military aid and coca fumigation. Aerial spraying of coca crops in nearby Putumayo and Cauca departments has displaced a lot of Colombia's coca production to Nariño, which in turn has brought paramilitary groups and increased conflict. The FARC and ELN guerrilla groups already had a strong presence in Nariño, and with U.S. aid, the Colombian government has launched new military offensives to combat these groups. Actions of all armed parties, whether through threats, direct violence, or the laying of landmines, have killed and forced mass displacements of civilians, especially Awa and Afro-Colombian communities.

These communities are also affected by Colombia's economic policies that favor participation in the global economy over support for sustainable local economies. Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities have needed to organize to resist the appropriation of their traditional lands by government or big business for mega-projects such as hydroelectric dams and African palm plantations (used to make bio-diesel). Visits to Ricaurte and Tumaco will highlight not just the challenges facing indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in Nariño, but also the organizing efforts they have undertaken to assert their sovereignty, maintain their traditional culture, increase their security, and maintain their territory.

Despite its natural beauty, Nariño receives few tourists and little international attention. This makes the accompaniment of CPT delegations and the team's ongoing presence all the more important for these communities.

July 16-29, 2008 (Mining Zone): The San Lucas Mountains in southern Bolívar house the most valuable and largely unexploited gold reserve in the Americas. More than 30,000 people depend on small-scale mining for a living. Long-recognized as a centre for guerrilla activity, paramilitaries began to move into the area in the last decade. Today, the Colombian Armed Forces are increasingly committing human rights violations, as they "secure" the zone for multinational investment, including that by Canada's Kinross Gold Corporation (BEMA), which works in conjunction with the multinational Anglo Gold Ashanti. In order to reclaim their rights, small miners have organized themselves and their communities to demand respect from armed actors and the State. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet with Colombian mining, human rights and social justice organizers in both Bogotá and Barrancabermeja, where CPT's full-time Team has been based since 2001, as well as with rural communities and their leaders in southern Bolívar's mining zone.

September 24-October 7, 2008 (Micoahumado): Delegates will meet with church leaders, human rights workers and others in Bogotá to gain an overview of the situation. They will then travel to the port city of Barrancabermeja in the Magdalena Medio region, where CPT's long-term team is based, and to the municipality of Micoahumado. The Magdalena Medio region has a complex history of engagement with both the armed conflict and the organization of non-violent, civil society alternatives. As Colombia's richest oil and gold producing region--as well as an important region for coca growing, processing, and transportation to northern markets--the Magdalena Medio continues to be a centre of conflict between the Colombian Armed Forces, left-wing guerrilla organizations, and right-wing paramilitaries. In spite of the ongoing violence and the negative impacts of State-sponsored programs such as coca fumigation, many communities have organized themselves into Humanitarian Spaces that work to build a culture of peace and basic human rights. Delegates will meet with rural communities and their leaders in the municipality of Micoahumado.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: US $1900 / $2200 Canadian, which includes round-trip airfare.

IRAQ (Kurdish North)

DATES: July 31-August 14, 2008. (APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 9.)

Join CPT's first ever delegation to the Kurdish north of Iraq. Hear first-hand stories of a people subjected to decades of violence and oppression by the Western-backed regime of Saddam Hussein, international economic sanctions, and the US-led invasion, occupation and betrayal. While governments of the West continue to debate the future of lands and peoples not their own, this delegation is an opportunity for you to engage in bridge-building between people here and at home, to experience the hospitality and hope of the Kurdish region and its people, and to come to a deeper understanding of the history and stakes for all the Iraqi people.

CPT has had a presence in Iraq since October 2002, first in Baghdad and since November 2006 in the Kurdish north.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: $3000 (US or Cdn),which includes round-trip airfare.

PALESTINE / ISRAEL

DATES: May 27 - June 9 (FULL), July 22 -August 4 (FULL), October 14-27, November 19 -December 2, 2008

As our governments talk about a "Middle East Peace Process," Israelis and Palestinians continue to suffer losses from violent incidents. Expanding Israeli settlements threaten Palestinian land and homes. Israeli military imposed road closures, checkpoints, and home invasions affect the daily lives of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation. Israel's separation barrier (much of it built on confiscated Palestinian land) not only separates Palestinian communities from each other but also acts as a barrier between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians seeking to come together for peace.

CPT delegation members will gain a perspective on how these issues affect daily life. Delegates will meet with Palestinian and Israeli human rights representatives and peace workers in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They will visit Palestinian families whose home and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They will travel to the city of Hebron and the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills and experience firsthand CPT's work alongside Israeli and Palestinian partners. They will challenge the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent public witness.

CPT has had a continuous presence in Hebron since June 1995 and in At-Tuwani since September 2004.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: US $2200 / $2500 Canadian, which includes round-trip airfare.

PHILIPPINES

DATES: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Human rights agencies report hundreds of extra-judicial killings and disappearances in the Philippines since 2001. Victims have included community activists, journalists and church leaders. In the southern island of Mindanao, a decades-long armed conflict between indigenous Muslim groups and the Philippine government continues despite peace negotiations. Peace and justice advocates rejoiced in the closure of U.S. military bases in 1991, but a subsequent Visiting Forces Agreement re-opened the door for the ongoing presence of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines. Hazardous waste materials left by the U.S. military at the closed Subic Bay Naval Facility and Clark Air Force Base still seriously endanger the health of impoverished communities nearby.

Members of the CPT delegation will visit human rights organizations and church leaders in the Manila area to gain awareness of the current situation. They will meet with residents near the former U.S. military bases and learn about the campaign to hold the U.S. accountable for military base cleanups. They will travel to the southern island of Mindanao to meet with those affected by the conflict there. Delegates will listen to the voices of ordinary Filipinos and local groups involved in violence reduction and justice advocacy, and plan a nonviolent public witness in support of local efforts. They will become equipped to raise awareness about initiatives of their own governments, such as U.S. military aid, that can adversely affect citizens of the Philippines.

FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: $2500 (US or Cdn), includes roundtrip airfare from the U.S. or Canada.