LA ESCUELA NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA E HISTORIA
A través de la COORDINACIÓN DE LA LICENCIATURA EN ETNOHISTORIA
Y el COLECTIVO XOCHIPILLI
Tienen el agrado de invitar al público interesado en el estudio del
tema a participar en el
QUINTO SIMPOSIO MULTIDISCIPLINARIO
"DROGAS: CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD"
que se realizará en la Ciudad de Mexico, del 30 de julio al 3 de agosto de 2007,
en las instalaciones de la Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia
(ENAH) situada en Periférico Sur y Zapote, colonia Isidro Fabela, de
13 a 17 horas.
Las mesas temáticas serán las siguientes:
1. Las drogas a través de la historia
2. Usos rituales en distintas culturas y empleo moderno de las
drogas en la sociedad occidental.
3. Relación entre drogas, arte y cultura.
4. Efectos y consecuencias sociales del consumo de drogas.
5. Etnografía de las drogas (chamanismo, adicciones, grupos de ayuda)
6. Filosofía, derecho y marco legal.
7. Enfoques científicos (química, medicina, biología)
Informes e inscripciones en los siguientes correos electrónicos:
mavaldovinos@ yahoo.com. mx
xochipillipower@ yahoo.com. mx
Se otorgará constancia cubriendo un mínimo de 80 % de asistencia a
los eventos.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Improving worker conditions in Canada!
TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - Garment and service workers across North America
will join workers from a Canadian warehouse in leafleting American Eagle
Outfitters stores in 18 cities over three days. From Vancouver to Pittsburgh,
thousands of Canadian and U.S. shoppers will learn of unfair treatment of
workers at the third-party warehouse, National Logistics Services (NLS), that
distributes merchandise to American Eagle stores throughout Canada. American
Eagle Outfitters, the largest customer of NLS, manufactures casual clothing
for young men and women and operates nearly 1,000 stores in North America.
In late April, a majority of workers at National Logistics Services
(NLS), in Mississauga, outside of Toronto, applied to the Ontario Labour
Relations Board to have UNITE HERE certified as their union in order to
improve their working conditions, including stagnating wages and a lack of job
security. Employing a tactic outside the norm of labour relations in Ontario,
NLS hired a U.S.-based labour relations firm that orchestrated an anti-union
campaign of harassment and intimidation against the 180 workers. After this
campaign of misinformation, workers lost the vote for a union despite
expressing a desire to form a union just one week before.
"We work hard and want to be treated fairly," said an NLS worker who
spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation. "We feel insecure about our jobs
because of the company's intimidation. We need a union because we have no
voice."
While American Eagle now outsources its distribution operations to NLS,
the clothing company directly owned and operated the distribution centre until
early 2006. Since the takeover by NLS, workers have reported that conditions
have deteriorated.
American Eagle has, thus far, denied any responsibility, in direct
contradiction to its stated responsibilities outlined in its Code of Conduct
for Contractors, part of the retailer's efforts to promote "corporate social
responsibility.
will join workers from a Canadian warehouse in leafleting American Eagle
Outfitters stores in 18 cities over three days. From Vancouver to Pittsburgh,
thousands of Canadian and U.S. shoppers will learn of unfair treatment of
workers at the third-party warehouse, National Logistics Services (NLS), that
distributes merchandise to American Eagle stores throughout Canada. American
Eagle Outfitters, the largest customer of NLS, manufactures casual clothing
for young men and women and operates nearly 1,000 stores in North America.
In late April, a majority of workers at National Logistics Services
(NLS), in Mississauga, outside of Toronto, applied to the Ontario Labour
Relations Board to have UNITE HERE certified as their union in order to
improve their working conditions, including stagnating wages and a lack of job
security. Employing a tactic outside the norm of labour relations in Ontario,
NLS hired a U.S.-based labour relations firm that orchestrated an anti-union
campaign of harassment and intimidation against the 180 workers. After this
campaign of misinformation, workers lost the vote for a union despite
expressing a desire to form a union just one week before.
"We work hard and want to be treated fairly," said an NLS worker who
spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation. "We feel insecure about our jobs
because of the company's intimidation. We need a union because we have no
voice."
While American Eagle now outsources its distribution operations to NLS,
the clothing company directly owned and operated the distribution centre until
early 2006. Since the takeover by NLS, workers have reported that conditions
have deteriorated.
American Eagle has, thus far, denied any responsibility, in direct
contradiction to its stated responsibilities outlined in its Code of Conduct
for Contractors, part of the retailer's efforts to promote "corporate social
responsibility.
of employees to associate freely, join organizations of their choice and
bargain collectively without interference.
"If American Eagle is serious about their Code of Conduct, then they will
demand compliance from NLS for Canadian workers, just as they will for garment
workers in China sewing jeans or shorts," said UNITE HERE's Canadian
Co-Director, Alex Dagg. "Furthermore, American Eagle should not think it can
flout its own rules by going across the border to Canada or across the ocean
to Asia."
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Fuimos parte de la Historia y no nos dejaran fuera!
| Latinos y veteranos |
| JOE MOZINGO . LOS ANGELES TIMES Martes 29 de mayo de 2007 |
| Durante el Memorial Day, familiares de soldados hispanos caídos en distintas guerras estadounidenses advirtieron que no dejarán que la historia "los haga a un lado" |
| LOS ÁNGELES.- Hace cuatro años, Devin Cárdenas se puso su uniforme del Ejército y fue al Monumento a los Mexicano-estadounidenses de Todas las Guerras, en Boyle Heights, para honrar a los soldados que murieron en servicio. El año siguiente, cuando Cárdenas, Ranger del Ejército, tenía 20 años de edad, murió en un ejercicio con municiones reales en el estado de Washington, mientras se preparaba para combatir en Afganistán. El domingo, su madre, Diana, llevó una corona de flores al memorial para honrar a su hijo y a todos los soldados estadounidenses caídos, para "hacerles saber que su sacrificio no fue en vano, y que no serán olvidados". Para el 60 aniversario del memorial, los veteranos de Eastside organizaron una vigilia de 24 horas en la que participaron autoridades, veteranos, soldados en activo, jóvenes y miembros de la comunidad, que hicieron guardia en el lugar. La vigilia terminó ayer por la mañana, con un saludo con armas y la colocación de coronas de flores. El acto concluyó el mismo día en que se conmemora en EU el "Memorial Day", o "Día de los Caídos", a quienes el presidente estadounidense George W. Bush rindió homenaje en el cementerio nacional de Arlington, cercano a Washington, donde afirmó que los soldados muertos en guerras como las de Irak y Afganistán representan a una nueva generación de "héroes". Pero la ceremonia que culminó en Cinco Puntos fue particularmente relevante, en vista de la controversia generada por la forma en que, inicialmente, el director fílmico Ken Burns excluyó a los soldados latinos de su documental sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que será transmitido en siete partes por la cadena PBS. "No olvidaremos lo que nuestros hombres y mujeres han hecho", dijo Arturo Herrera, de 70 años, veterano de la Fuerza Aérea que sirvió en Libia después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y cuyo hermano murió en Corea. La senadora estatal demócrata Gloria Romero dijo sentirse furiosa por el hecho de que, en un principio, la serie no incluyera las historias de los latinos, que se enlistaron por miles y representaron un porcentaje mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas que como civiles estadounidenses. "Fuimos parte de la historia estadounidense y no nos dejarán fuera", subrayó. Ken Burns aceptó reeditar la serie para incluir las historias de los soldados latinos ante la presión de grupos defensores de los derechos de este sector. El documental se estrena en septiembre próximo. La vigilia de Boyle Heights fue organizada por los Veteranos de Guerras Extranjeras (VFW, por su sigla en inglés), Puesto 4696, y por el Puesto 804 de la Legión Estadounidense. Los voluntarios montaron guardia en turnos de 30 minutos, mientras las familias de los soldados muertos colocaban fotos de sus seres queridos en un pizarrón y se detenían a recordarlos. Escenas similares se repitieron ayer en distintos puntos del país, donde cada año, el último lunes de mayo son recordados los soldados estadounidenses muertos y desaparecidos. Sólo en Irak 3 mil 454 militares perdieron la vida desde el comienzo de la guerra, en marzo de 2003. |
Friday, May 25, 2007
Muere la Ingenieria de Proyectos en Mexico!
Agonizan empresas de ingeniería
En América Latina, México tiene un nivel muy inferior en estas empresas a
comparación de Brasil y Chile, con 2 mil 300 y 950, respectivamente
Por Karla Ramírez
Ciudad de México (25 mayo 2007).- En menos de 10 años, el alto en el desarrollo
de proyectos de infraestructura causó que las empresas de ingeniería estén
agonizando, al pasar de mil 800 a 400, según datos del Colegio de Ingenieros
Civiles de México (CICM).
Luis Salazar, presidente del organismo, explicó que después de la crisis
de 1995, "la chamba" se acabó para las empresas de ingeniería de proyectos
porque muchas obras se cancelaron y otras salieron a cuentagotas, lo que
motivó el quiebre de firmas como Tribasa, así como el cierre de Bufete
Industrial y de por lo menos mil firmas pequeñas y medianas.
La Comisión Federal de Electricidad, Pemex y la SCT también desmantelaron
la presencia de ingenieros y la contratación de empresas nacionales dedicadas
a la ingeniería de proyectos.
Estas empresas se involucran desde la planeación, diseño y construcción de
proyectos de infraestructura, y pueden encargarse del mantenimiento y la
operación de dicha obra, por lo que se considera delicada su desaparición.
En América Latina, México destaca por las pocas firmas de ingeniería de
proyectos,
pues datos al 2005 arrojan que Brasil y Chile tienen registradas a 2 mil
300 y 950, respectivamente, contra las 400 mexicanas.
"Son menos firmas en proporción a lo que hay que ejecutar, tenemos una gran
demanda de ingenieros especializados en diseño, porque estamos viviendo en
un mundo globalizado y hay ingenieros que están por llegar a su jubilación,
entonces en varios países están buscando para sustituirlos", comentó José
Luis Guerrero, director general de ICA.
El directivo ejemplificó que para la reconfiguración de Minatitlán, de los
ocho paquetes de obra, sólo en uno la ingeniería de proyectos es realizado
por una mexicana, el resto es de extranjeros.
Un estudio de Pemex señala que ante la falta de empresas de ingeniería, se
han incrementado los tiempos en la entrega de los equipos. Por ejemplo, los
reactores pasaron de 20 a 36 meses, mismo caso para la entrega de los
compresores.
Las "ganonas" han sido las contratistas internacionales, ya que vienen
acompañadas
de sus propios proveedores.
"Es muy triste que la ingeniería mexicana siga siendo menospreciada, devaluada,
solamente se habla de lo que hicimos en el pasado, hay una competencia desleal
con las firmas extranjeras.
"No tenemos créditos, no se tiene confianza, han desaparecido empresas por
completo, lo cierto, es que la capacidad de ingeniería va a la baja, pero
en caída libre, y vamos a acabar de subcontratistas de un coreano, un español
o un japonés", reiteró Jorge Pérez Montaño, directivo del Grupo Denco, firma
de ingeniería.
Depende Pemex de extranjeras
Petróleos Mexicanos es un claro ejemplo de la elevada dependencia de la
ingeniería
extranjera.
Ernesto Ríos Montero, director corporativo de Ingeniería y Desarrollo de
Proyectos de la empresa, afirmó que 70 por ciento de la ingeniería que requieren
sus proyectos es desarrollada por empresas de Corea, Venezuela, España y
Estados Unidos.
Con información de Alma Hernández
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Videos of the Civil War in Spain!
More videos!!!
http://www.tvhastingschristiebooks.com
ChristieBooks, PO Box 35, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2UX, UK
Players for all our 250+ films (features and documentaries) can also be
viewed directly from your own website. (Instructions on how to do this are
available on the ChristieBooks Brightcove website)
http://tinyurl.com/t8sta or
http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=219646953&firstVideo=0
http://www.tvhastingschristieb
ChristieBooks, PO Box 35, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2UX, UK
Players for all our 250+ films (features and documentaries) can also be
viewed directly from your own website. (Instructions on how to do this are
available on the ChristieBooks Brightcove website)
http://tinyurl.com/t8sta or
http://www.brightcove.com
The proofs of the electoral fraud will be destroyed!
| 2006 ballots won’t be saved |
| Leer articulo en El Universal, Jueves 17 de mayo de 2007 |
| Any last hope for a citizens- or media-led recount of the July 2, 2006, presidential ballots all but flickered out Wednesday when the nation´s top electoral court rejected a last-ditch appeal for public access |
| Any last hope for a citizens- or media-led recount of the July 2, 2006, presidential ballots all but flickered out Wednesday when the nation´s top electoral court rejected a last-ditch appeal for public access. Instead, the Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) cleared the way for final destruction of all the ballots. General Council members of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) said they were only awaiting Wednesday´s TEPJF action to set a date for destroying the ballots. All that´s left to decide is how the deed will be done - by burning, burying or grinding them into a recyclable pulp. The approximately 40 million ballots became some of the most famous documents in Mexican history shortly after preliminary official results showed Felipe Calderón edging out Andrés Manuel López Obrador by just more than half a percentage point. The López Obrador campaign said there had been ballot tampering first at the voting stations and then at the storage sites. The TEPJF rejected a petition for a full vote-by-vote recount, insisting there was no legal basis for it. Calderón was confirmed as winner on Sept. 5, and took office on Dec. 1. Later, some of the media expressed interest in organizing an unofficial recount, much as news organizations did with the disputed Florida ballots after George Bush´s election-deciding victory in that state in 2000. But on April 25, the TEPJF turned down a request for ballot access by private citizen Daniel Lizárraga and others. The tribunal ruled the ballots were not public property, and that the only entities that legally qualify to count them are the 300 district commissions that operate under IFE, and the TEPJF magistrates themselves. The ruling was criticized by Horacio Duarte, the liaison to IFE from López Obrador´s Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). "Far from clearing up doubts about this fraudulent chapter in the July 2 election, the tribunal has only assured that the uncertainty will continue," he said at the time. Wednesday´s TEPJF action was a rejection of Lizárraga´s appeal of the April 25 ruling. |
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Regularize your status in Mexico!!!
FM2 (Mexico) regs to be streamlined
Immigration Commissioner Cecilia Romero said the mexican government is streamlining procedures to help foreigners regularize their immigration status.
She said her office, a division of the Interior Secretariat (Segob), will simplify procedures for foreigners in Mexico seeking to establish themselves in the country permanently.
"The tradition was that to be a permanent resident of Mexico one had to be a temporary resident for five years," she said.
"But in the coming months the FM2 form (which shows proof of legal residency status in Mexico) will be granted" to those who request it and fulfill the requirements, Romero said at a meeting in Mexico City with some 70 consular representatives from different countries.
The measure will only benefit immigrants who settled in the country before Jan. 1, 2005, and who have ties to Mexicans, have a job or carry out activities that are legal, honest and beneficial for the country, Segob officials told EFE.
This new initiative is part of the government´s 2007 Immigration Regularization Program that Romero´s office, known as the INM, set in motion on Dec. 23.
Romero added that Mexican authorities are looking for ways to simplify the lives of all those who want to visit, work, invest or study in Mexico.
"We want to open the doors of the INM so that they can put their papers in order and can walk the streets with the certainty that their rights will be respected in our country," Romero told the consular representatives.
She said that currently 0.5 percent of those living within the nation´s borders are of foreign origin - roughly 5.1 million people out of a total population of 103 million.
Of these immigrants, 95 percent hail from Central America, Romero said.
The commissioner said that the INM is committed to pursuing a "comprehensive" policy that puts a priority on the dignity of all people.
She said the Calderón administration recognizes the wealth of contributions by immigrants and is committed to ensuring respect for migrants´ human rights and dignity and streamlining the INM´s procedures.
Immigration Commissioner Cecilia Romero said the mexican government is streamlining procedures to help foreigners regularize their immigration status.
She said her office, a division of the Interior Secretariat (Segob), will simplify procedures for foreigners in Mexico seeking to establish themselves in the country permanently.
"The tradition was that to be a permanent resident of Mexico one had to be a temporary resident for five years," she said.
"But in the coming months the FM2 form (which shows proof of legal residency status in Mexico) will be granted" to those who request it and fulfill the requirements, Romero said at a meeting in Mexico City with some 70 consular representatives from different countries.
The measure will only benefit immigrants who settled in the country before Jan. 1, 2005, and who have ties to Mexicans, have a job or carry out activities that are legal, honest and beneficial for the country, Segob officials told EFE.
This new initiative is part of the government´s 2007 Immigration Regularization Program that Romero´s office, known as the INM, set in motion on Dec. 23.
Romero added that Mexican authorities are looking for ways to simplify the lives of all those who want to visit, work, invest or study in Mexico.
"We want to open the doors of the INM so that they can put their papers in order and can walk the streets with the certainty that their rights will be respected in our country," Romero told the consular representatives.
She said that currently 0.5 percent of those living within the nation´s borders are of foreign origin - roughly 5.1 million people out of a total population of 103 million.
Of these immigrants, 95 percent hail from Central America, Romero said.
The commissioner said that the INM is committed to pursuing a "comprehensive" policy that puts a priority on the dignity of all people.
She said the Calderón administration recognizes the wealth of contributions by immigrants and is committed to ensuring respect for migrants´ human rights and dignity and streamlining the INM´s procedures.
Mexico exporta construction workers!!!
Nuestros albañiles son ahora construction workers
El Día de la Santa Cruz se festejó también en Estados Unidos y con razón. Con la migración registrada en los últimos años, hay casi tres veces más albañiles mexicanos en Estados Unidos que en México.
El Centro Pew dice que hay 2 millones 249 mil trabajadores hispanos nacidos fuera de EU en el sector constructor. 63 por ciento de los hispanos son de origen mexicano, según las estadísticas del gobierno estadunidense. A partir de estos datos, podemos calcular que el número de mexicanos que trabajan en la construcción en Estados Unidos es cercano a un millón 420 mil. En México, según el INEGI, hay 403 mil 472 personas empleadas en la industria de la construcción.
Lo más relevante es que la presencia hispana se está incrementando en las obras. Ellos se quedaron con un tercio de los empleos generados por el sector entre 2005 y 2006, unos 825 mil puestos. ¿Cuántos fueron para mexicanos? Podemos situar el total entre 400 mil y medio millón, sin temor a exagerar.
Los hispanos fueron el grupo menos afectado por los recortes, luego del enfriamiento de la edificación de viviendas nuevas. Esta inmunidad se explica por la diferencia de salarios. Un inmigrante hispano gana 388 dólares semanales por un trabajo de tiempo completo, frente a 653 dólares de un estadunidense. Este descuento de 68 por ciento es un mundo cuando se trata de bajar costos.
El estereotipo nos dice que el trabajador mexicano va a trabajar al campo en Estados Unidos. Esto sigue siendo real, hasta cierto punto. La agricultura emplea a 24 por ciento y es el primer destino laboral. Sin embargo, la industria de la construcción ha ganado terreno y se ha convertido en el segundo lugar, por encima de la industria de la alimentación.
La presencia hispana en la obra es tan significativa que hay una revista especializada, El Constructor Latino, y en varias ciudades se han puesto en marcha cursos de inglés para trabajadores hispanos. Son el grupo que tuvo más accidentes en la industria y se cree que el desconocimiento del lenguaje fue una de las causas. Allá se dieron cuenta de que algo está pasando y comenzaron a actuar. Aquí no pasa casi nada, aunque sea un caso de fuga de cerebros... que trabajan con las manos.
El Día de la Santa Cruz se festejó también en Estados Unidos y con razón. Con la migración registrada en los últimos años, hay casi tres veces más albañiles mexicanos en Estados Unidos que en México.
El Centro Pew dice que hay 2 millones 249 mil trabajadores hispanos nacidos fuera de EU en el sector constructor. 63 por ciento de los hispanos son de origen mexicano, según las estadísticas del gobierno estadunidense. A partir de estos datos, podemos calcular que el número de mexicanos que trabajan en la construcción en Estados Unidos es cercano a un millón 420 mil. En México, según el INEGI, hay 403 mil 472 personas empleadas en la industria de la construcción.
Lo más relevante es que la presencia hispana se está incrementando en las obras. Ellos se quedaron con un tercio de los empleos generados por el sector entre 2005 y 2006, unos 825 mil puestos. ¿Cuántos fueron para mexicanos? Podemos situar el total entre 400 mil y medio millón, sin temor a exagerar.
Los hispanos fueron el grupo menos afectado por los recortes, luego del enfriamiento de la edificación de viviendas nuevas. Esta inmunidad se explica por la diferencia de salarios. Un inmigrante hispano gana 388 dólares semanales por un trabajo de tiempo completo, frente a 653 dólares de un estadunidense. Este descuento de 68 por ciento es un mundo cuando se trata de bajar costos.
El estereotipo nos dice que el trabajador mexicano va a trabajar al campo en Estados Unidos. Esto sigue siendo real, hasta cierto punto. La agricultura emplea a 24 por ciento y es el primer destino laboral. Sin embargo, la industria de la construcción ha ganado terreno y se ha convertido en el segundo lugar, por encima de la industria de la alimentación.
La presencia hispana en la obra es tan significativa que hay una revista especializada, El Constructor Latino, y en varias ciudades se han puesto en marcha cursos de inglés para trabajadores hispanos. Son el grupo que tuvo más accidentes en la industria y se cree que el desconocimiento del lenguaje fue una de las causas. Allá se dieron cuenta de que algo está pasando y comenzaron a actuar. Aquí no pasa casi nada, aunque sea un caso de fuga de cerebros... que trabajan con las manos.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Report from LA!!!!!
May Day 2007; A Report To Correct The Balance
by Nick Napolitano Wednesday, May. 02, 2007 at 2:20 AM
The following is a summary of what occurred when LAPD decided to disperse a peaceful march. The following contents of this article may be used for non-profit only.
It is 12:53am and I am exhausted having just ate dinner (thankful that I had a meal to eat and a roof over my head.) I write the following with great hope that story of what happened with LAPD and the peaceful protestors today does not get truly lost within the annals of corporate media.
The local major media news outlets are all reporting that “anarchists” caused the melee by throwing some bottles. First, I would like to pose this question: Are empty plastic water bottles really a threat to anyone let alone police officers in full riot gear? Second, Should there not be some sort of maturity factor involved in officer response and conduct? Third, The “anarchists” as they are so eloquently called (simply because they wear bandannas over their respective faces I assume) were the ones trying to keep the peace. One supposed anarchist was actually pleading with the officers and saying “We are peaceful protestors; we came here for immigrants rights; we are no threat to you; please do not rush; women, children, and men will get hurt; you can disobey orders that do not go with your beliefs.” Who was angry and threw a couple of bottles? The youth of Los Angeles were simply angry and frustrated. They have been dealing with the reality that ICE can rip their families apart at any moment due to legal status. The rumor that ICE was on the scene was also quite persistent hanging high in the back of many minds. Does it justify throwing a couple of water bottles? No; but was it really a threat to the officer’s safety? Please also take note that Police Chief Bill Bratton has reported that “missiles” were thrown. Would you consider an empty plastic water bottle a missile?
Let us now take a look at the side of the coin that the media seems to be purposely under reporting.
The following events are listed in chronological order.
Rampart division officers harass and illegally search and detain a peaceful protestor for 15 minutes because the protestor was documenting the march and had decided to take a photograph of the wrong officers. The protestor is released when a crowd starts to gather and take pictures of the incident. (Please note that event #1 occurred when all was calm and peaceful and the march was slowly winding its way into MacArthur Park)
(Approximately 30 minutes after the first event) Officers start to push a protestor at the corner of Wilshire & Parkview. This results in the Los Angeles chapter of Copwatch quickly moving into action to document the incident. A crowd quickly gathers and the street starts to fill up with people of all ages and backgrounds. A protestor was shown the true force of a police baton in blunt force trauma to the head. Organizers start to plead with people to leave the street for fear that the officers will declare this an illegal assembly because of people being in the street. People remain in the street simply because they are trying to protect those that they love and care for. LAPD was now fully mobilizing at this point getting riot gear ready and forming a defensive block. Bear in mind; this all started with LAPD attacking peaceful protestors.
An alert is issued that police have started attacking and pushing a young man on the opposite side of the lake in MacArthur Park. Protestors quickly rush to the scene to try and protect the young man from the officers. Once again plenty of media (Corporate & Indy) are there to document all that occurred. It is at this point that the tide seems to turn; LAPD now seems to be gearing up for something much larger. They start to block off all streets surrounding MacArthur Park. One can see certain officers joking about getting to beat people with their batons. The bicycle officers are moved out of the way. The officers wearing helmets are moved in and form a line. Word gets out that SWAT has mobilized in the southern portion of the park; the fear of women, children, and men getting hurt quickly spreads. Protestors quickly start moving to try and get people to move back to protect the innocent. Protestors continue to plead with LAPD to prevent the use of unnecessary force.
Without an order to disperse or a warning shot all hell breaks loose. LAPD is now firing rubber bullet kisses into a crowd of families gathered for a peaceful cause. LAPD uses absolutely no discrimination in whom they choose to shoot; women, children, men, the homeless, the media, and those whom cannot walk without assistance are not safe. LAPD continues to fire round after round until MacArthur Park starts to resemble a scene in a horror film where the a monster has just showed up and everyone is running for their lives and safety grabbing whatever they could to try to get to a safe place without getting hurt. I was able to witness a community working together in that I saw others rushing in to the rubber bullets to pick up people that they were just meeting for the first time. I saw two protestors picking up a man without a clue of what was going on and explaining that he needed to get to shelter; the protestors carried him to safety, as he could not walk on his own.
At this point it is amazingly clear that the officers on duty are neither protecting nor serving the people; they are simply protecting and serving themselves and their own respective interests. Protestors try to grab some red wooden fencing from the stage truck so that people can hide behind the fencing. The officers on the scene would hear nothing of it; they continued to fire until the protestors were driven into streets near by.
Protestors are now in the near by streets running as fast as possible to get away from the shear brutality being served ice cold. LAPD continues to file in and attack protestors who are still attempting to get to safety.
By roughly 8:00pm most of the protestors have gotten to safety.
LAPD continued to block off streets surrounding MacArthur Park for an unknown amount of time.
Reports of video footage of a protestor being shot three times by an officer at point blank range while they were lying on the ground have surfaced; hopefully the footage will get out.
I just want to point out that despite the tragic end; the march was beautiful and it was filled with people from all backgrounds marching for worker’s rights no matter if they have “legal status” or not. We all should try to understand that worker’s rights have no borders. We all are in this struggle together. We all want to live and enjoy life in peace. We are all human and I think some forget this fact. Sometimes we lose a bit of our humanity and I think that it is time for people to take care of one another. In this world we only have each other. If we do not take care of each other then who will? I think Katrina showed quite well that we cannot rely on our government when it comes to taking care of the people.
Know your neighbor; know your community. Take care of each other. There seems to be no justice in this cold system. Just us!
by Nick Napolitano Wednesday, May. 02, 2007 at 2:20 AM
The following is a summary of what occurred when LAPD decided to disperse a peaceful march. The following contents of this article may be used for non-profit only.
It is 12:53am and I am exhausted having just ate dinner (thankful that I had a meal to eat and a roof over my head.) I write the following with great hope that story of what happened with LAPD and the peaceful protestors today does not get truly lost within the annals of corporate media.
The local major media news outlets are all reporting that “anarchists” caused the melee by throwing some bottles. First, I would like to pose this question: Are empty plastic water bottles really a threat to anyone let alone police officers in full riot gear? Second, Should there not be some sort of maturity factor involved in officer response and conduct? Third, The “anarchists” as they are so eloquently called (simply because they wear bandannas over their respective faces I assume) were the ones trying to keep the peace. One supposed anarchist was actually pleading with the officers and saying “We are peaceful protestors; we came here for immigrants rights; we are no threat to you; please do not rush; women, children, and men will get hurt; you can disobey orders that do not go with your beliefs.” Who was angry and threw a couple of bottles? The youth of Los Angeles were simply angry and frustrated. They have been dealing with the reality that ICE can rip their families apart at any moment due to legal status. The rumor that ICE was on the scene was also quite persistent hanging high in the back of many minds. Does it justify throwing a couple of water bottles? No; but was it really a threat to the officer’s safety? Please also take note that Police Chief Bill Bratton has reported that “missiles” were thrown. Would you consider an empty plastic water bottle a missile?
Let us now take a look at the side of the coin that the media seems to be purposely under reporting.
The following events are listed in chronological order.
Rampart division officers harass and illegally search and detain a peaceful protestor for 15 minutes because the protestor was documenting the march and had decided to take a photograph of the wrong officers. The protestor is released when a crowd starts to gather and take pictures of the incident. (Please note that event #1 occurred when all was calm and peaceful and the march was slowly winding its way into MacArthur Park)
(Approximately 30 minutes after the first event) Officers start to push a protestor at the corner of Wilshire & Parkview. This results in the Los Angeles chapter of Copwatch quickly moving into action to document the incident. A crowd quickly gathers and the street starts to fill up with people of all ages and backgrounds. A protestor was shown the true force of a police baton in blunt force trauma to the head. Organizers start to plead with people to leave the street for fear that the officers will declare this an illegal assembly because of people being in the street. People remain in the street simply because they are trying to protect those that they love and care for. LAPD was now fully mobilizing at this point getting riot gear ready and forming a defensive block. Bear in mind; this all started with LAPD attacking peaceful protestors.
An alert is issued that police have started attacking and pushing a young man on the opposite side of the lake in MacArthur Park. Protestors quickly rush to the scene to try and protect the young man from the officers. Once again plenty of media (Corporate & Indy) are there to document all that occurred. It is at this point that the tide seems to turn; LAPD now seems to be gearing up for something much larger. They start to block off all streets surrounding MacArthur Park. One can see certain officers joking about getting to beat people with their batons. The bicycle officers are moved out of the way. The officers wearing helmets are moved in and form a line. Word gets out that SWAT has mobilized in the southern portion of the park; the fear of women, children, and men getting hurt quickly spreads. Protestors quickly start moving to try and get people to move back to protect the innocent. Protestors continue to plead with LAPD to prevent the use of unnecessary force.
Without an order to disperse or a warning shot all hell breaks loose. LAPD is now firing rubber bullet kisses into a crowd of families gathered for a peaceful cause. LAPD uses absolutely no discrimination in whom they choose to shoot; women, children, men, the homeless, the media, and those whom cannot walk without assistance are not safe. LAPD continues to fire round after round until MacArthur Park starts to resemble a scene in a horror film where the a monster has just showed up and everyone is running for their lives and safety grabbing whatever they could to try to get to a safe place without getting hurt. I was able to witness a community working together in that I saw others rushing in to the rubber bullets to pick up people that they were just meeting for the first time. I saw two protestors picking up a man without a clue of what was going on and explaining that he needed to get to shelter; the protestors carried him to safety, as he could not walk on his own.
At this point it is amazingly clear that the officers on duty are neither protecting nor serving the people; they are simply protecting and serving themselves and their own respective interests. Protestors try to grab some red wooden fencing from the stage truck so that people can hide behind the fencing. The officers on the scene would hear nothing of it; they continued to fire until the protestors were driven into streets near by.
Protestors are now in the near by streets running as fast as possible to get away from the shear brutality being served ice cold. LAPD continues to file in and attack protestors who are still attempting to get to safety.
By roughly 8:00pm most of the protestors have gotten to safety.
LAPD continued to block off streets surrounding MacArthur Park for an unknown amount of time.
Reports of video footage of a protestor being shot three times by an officer at point blank range while they were lying on the ground have surfaced; hopefully the footage will get out.
I just want to point out that despite the tragic end; the march was beautiful and it was filled with people from all backgrounds marching for worker’s rights no matter if they have “legal status” or not. We all should try to understand that worker’s rights have no borders. We all are in this struggle together. We all want to live and enjoy life in peace. We are all human and I think some forget this fact. Sometimes we lose a bit of our humanity and I think that it is time for people to take care of one another. In this world we only have each other. If we do not take care of each other then who will? I think Katrina showed quite well that we cannot rely on our government when it comes to taking care of the people.
Know your neighbor; know your community. Take care of each other. There seems to be no justice in this cold system. Just us!
Why 5 de Mayo?
Cinco de mayo
The Battle won over the French on May 5th, 1862
May fifth (cinco de mayo) is a national holiday in Mexico. Do you know why? Back in the year 1862, a French army of 6,000 well-armed men invaded Mexico, led by General Laurencez. The excuse was that Mexico owed money to their country and could not pay it right then. But they were also allied with the Mexican conservatives to overthrow the liberal government of President Juárez and found an empire. General Ignacio Zaragoza faced these forces in the city of Puebla with only 4,000 poorly-equipped men with little training. Laurencez was so sure of his superiority that he attacked the Mexican army head on as a sign of his contempt. This mistake cost the lives of one thousand Frenchmen on that battlefield. Zaragoza defeated them and make them retreat. Although this did not stop them, and the Empire of Maximilian was founded in our country, the event had great impact.
Each year, we commemorate that battle on the fifth of May. This was the last time that an army from another continent invaded the Americas.
It has become a symbol of what a people can do when defending their culture and their land.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons it has become a symbol of self-determination of peoples and respect for their cultures. In the United States of America, the country that is our neighbor to the north, they also celebrate cinco de mayo in a very important way. Latinos, Chicanos and various communities of Mexican origin have adopted this national holiday as an opportunity for celebrating their roots, defending their customs and the richness of their culture. In cities with a lot of Hispanic people, big fiestas are held with food, music, dancing, art, handicrafts, and this is an excellent way to reaffirm and share what's best in our culture.
The Battle won over the French on May 5th, 1862
May fifth (cinco de mayo) is a national holiday in Mexico. Do you know why? Back in the year 1862, a French army of 6,000 well-armed men invaded Mexico, led by General Laurencez. The excuse was that Mexico owed money to their country and could not pay it right then. But they were also allied with the Mexican conservatives to overthrow the liberal government of President Juárez and found an empire. General Ignacio Zaragoza faced these forces in the city of Puebla with only 4,000 poorly-equipped men with little training. Laurencez was so sure of his superiority that he attacked the Mexican army head on as a sign of his contempt. This mistake cost the lives of one thousand Frenchmen on that battlefield. Zaragoza defeated them and make them retreat. Although this did not stop them, and the Empire of Maximilian was founded in our country, the event had great impact.
Each year, we commemorate that battle on the fifth of May. This was the last time that an army from another continent invaded the Americas.
It has become a symbol of what a people can do when defending their culture and their land.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons it has become a symbol of self-determination of peoples and respect for their cultures. In the United States of America, the country that is our neighbor to the north, they also celebrate cinco de mayo in a very important way. Latinos, Chicanos and various communities of Mexican origin have adopted this national holiday as an opportunity for celebrating their roots, defending their customs and the richness of their culture. In cities with a lot of Hispanic people, big fiestas are held with food, music, dancing, art, handicrafts, and this is an excellent way to reaffirm and share what's best in our culture.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Earth Day in Canada and Kyoto Protocol
Canada Must Implement the Kyoto Protocol!
Humanize the Natural and Social Environment!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Web cast, The Democracy in Mexico, from Yale University, May 1st
WEB CAST desde la Universidad de Yale
"El estado de la democracia en México,
obstáculos para su consolidación"
http://www.yale.
Martes 1ero de Mayo (hora del Centro, Mx)
12:00 Mediodía:
"Certezas, dudas y lecciones de la eleccion"
John Ackerman, Sergio Aguayo, Jesús Orozco, Gustavo Vega. Moderadora
Susan Stokes.
2:00 PM
"Primer mes de Calderón y el futuro de la oposición"
Denisse Dresser, Hector Fix Fierro, Lorenzo Meyer, Irma Sandoval, Leo
Zuckermann. Moderadora Paulina Ochoa Espejo
4:00 PM
"El estado de la democracia en México"
Manuel Camacho Solís, John Coatsworth, Esteban Moctezuma, Demetrio
Sodi. Moderador Ian Shapiro.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
More foreign workers hired for bridge project in BC!
Foreign workers hired for bridge project
Jennifer Moreau / read the Maple Ridge Times
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
MAPLE RIDGE - The company in charge of hiring for the Golden Ears bridge project has brought in 33 foreign workers despite criticism from the B.C. Federation of Labour that doing so is exploiting cheap labour.
TransLink owns the bridge but entered a public-private partnership with Bilfinger Berger BOT Inc., a subsidiary of a German-based construction firm.
"We have hired in total 33 foreign workers by the end of March," said Patti Schom-Moffatt, a representative for the project, adding there are 105 local employees not including those hired by subcontractors.
Schom-Moffatt said the foreign workers comprise 15 carpenters, 10 general highly skilled steelworkers and eight concrete finishers. She can't say where they are from, only that they are covered by a union contract and paid the same as local workers.
Schom-Moffatt said the move to bring in foreign labour was about skills, not money. The Golden Ears bridge is cable-stayed, requiring specially skilled workers, she said.
"It's an unusual structure. We have local people with general skills but not specific for cable bridges."
Building boom lures migrants
2,724 come from rest of Canada in last quarter of 2006
Frank Luba / Read The Province
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
B.C.'s construction boom is being credited for drawing an influx of migrants from other provinces for the first time in a decade.
According to B.C. Stats, an agency of the provincial government, the province received 2,724 more immigrants from other provinces than left the province in the last quarter of 2006.
Alberta attracted 11,813 from other provinces, while Sask-atchewan got 1,086.
Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen believes the reason for the inflow of people is the booming provincial econ- omy.
"It comes down to where the jobs are," Hansen said yesterday.
"It's the first time since the mid-1990s we've seen the inter-provincial migration significantly in B.C.'s favour," he said.
"In the last half of the 1990s we saw a significant out-migration, particularly of younger workers looking for jobs in other parts of Canada. Now it's the complete reverse." Hansen doesn't see the trend reversing any time soon.
Jennifer Moreau / read the Maple Ridge Times
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
MAPLE RIDGE - The company in charge of hiring for the Golden Ears bridge project has brought in 33 foreign workers despite criticism from the B.C. Federation of Labour that doing so is exploiting cheap labour.
TransLink owns the bridge but entered a public-private partnership with Bilfinger Berger BOT Inc., a subsidiary of a German-based construction firm.
"We have hired in total 33 foreign workers by the end of March," said Patti Schom-Moffatt, a representative for the project, adding there are 105 local employees not including those hired by subcontractors.
Schom-Moffatt said the foreign workers comprise 15 carpenters, 10 general highly skilled steelworkers and eight concrete finishers. She can't say where they are from, only that they are covered by a union contract and paid the same as local workers.
Schom-Moffatt said the move to bring in foreign labour was about skills, not money. The Golden Ears bridge is cable-stayed, requiring specially skilled workers, she said.
"It's an unusual structure. We have local people with general skills but not specific for cable bridges."
Building boom lures migrants
2,724 come from rest of Canada in last quarter of 2006
Frank Luba / Read The Province
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
B.C.'s construction boom is being credited for drawing an influx of migrants from other provinces for the first time in a decade.
According to B.C. Stats, an agency of the provincial government, the province received 2,724 more immigrants from other provinces than left the province in the last quarter of 2006.
Alberta attracted 11,813 from other provinces, while Sask-atchewan got 1,086.
Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen believes the reason for the inflow of people is the booming provincial econ- omy.
"It comes down to where the jobs are," Hansen said yesterday.
"It's the first time since the mid-1990s we've seen the inter-provincial migration significantly in B.C.'s favour," he said.
"In the last half of the 1990s we saw a significant out-migration, particularly of younger workers looking for jobs in other parts of Canada. Now it's the complete reverse." Hansen doesn't see the trend reversing any time soon.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
More information for migrant nurses!
Government initiatives to increase number of nurses in B.C. should involve immigrant communities
Vancouver, B.C. – With last week’s announcement by the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada to invest $2.9 million from the federal government and British Columbia (B.C.) contributing $1.2 million to increase the number of nurses in the province, Filipino nurses in B.C. are critical of government-funded programs that have not benefited the community work they serve at a grassroots level.
“Systemically racist barriers and exclusionary policies within Canadian immigration and nursing regulatory bodies leave little option for Filipino nurses but to choose survival jobs that Canadians do not want to do,” stated Leah Diana of the Filipino Nurses Support Group.
The Filipino community is now the fourth largest visible minority group in Canada and third largest in B.C., and has for decades, faced obstacles in returning to practice their profession.
For nearly two decades, highly educated and skilled Philippine-trained nurses have been actively recruited through Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) to do the housekeeping, childrearing, and around-the-clock elderly care for families who can afford private live-in work.
“The LCP’s live-in requirement leaves nurses turned live-in caregivers vulnerable to poverty and terrible working conditions,” said Diana. Many earn as little as $2 per hour for 24 hours of work. The temporary immigrant status leaves them vulnerable to deportation because of oftentimes insurmountable, restrictions of the LCP.
Combined with immigration barriers, regulatory bodies’ policies add another element of further exclusion. A further requirement is Canadian nursing experience prior to obtaining nursing licensure, which makes nursing accreditation harder to reach for many Philippine-trained nurses.
“Regulatory bodies justify their restrictive policies as protection of ‘public safety’, but the worsening of the nursing shortage creates a primary threat to the health and safety of the public,” continued Diana.
Since 1995, the Filipino Nurses Support Group, a community-based organization of over 700 nurses from the Philippines in B.C. has effectively advocated for and helped bridge Philippine trained nurses, particularly those under the LCP, to B.C.’s nursing profession devoid of any concrete help from the provincial government.
Vancouver, B.C. – With last week’s announcement by the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada to invest $2.9 million from the federal government and British Columbia (B.C.) contributing $1.2 million to increase the number of nurses in the province, Filipino nurses in B.C. are critical of government-funded programs that have not benefited the community work they serve at a grassroots level.
“Systemically racist barriers and exclusionary policies within Canadian immigration and nursing regulatory bodies leave little option for Filipino nurses but to choose survival jobs that Canadians do not want to do,” stated Leah Diana of the Filipino Nurses Support Group.
The Filipino community is now the fourth largest visible minority group in Canada and third largest in B.C., and has for decades, faced obstacles in returning to practice their profession.
For nearly two decades, highly educated and skilled Philippine-trained nurses have been actively recruited through Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) to do the housekeeping, childrearing, and around-the-clock elderly care for families who can afford private live-in work.
“The LCP’s live-in requirement leaves nurses turned live-in caregivers vulnerable to poverty and terrible working conditions,” said Diana. Many earn as little as $2 per hour for 24 hours of work. The temporary immigrant status leaves them vulnerable to deportation because of oftentimes insurmountable, restrictions of the LCP.
Combined with immigration barriers, regulatory bodies’ policies add another element of further exclusion. A further requirement is Canadian nursing experience prior to obtaining nursing licensure, which makes nursing accreditation harder to reach for many Philippine-trained nurses.
“Regulatory bodies justify their restrictive policies as protection of ‘public safety’, but the worsening of the nursing shortage creates a primary threat to the health and safety of the public,” continued Diana.
Since 1995, the Filipino Nurses Support Group, a community-based organization of over 700 nurses from the Philippines in B.C. has effectively advocated for and helped bridge Philippine trained nurses, particularly those under the LCP, to B.C.’s nursing profession devoid of any concrete help from the provincial government.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Adquiere Cemex similar empresa en Australia!
CEMEX - La gigante cementera mexicana acordó la adquisición de su similar australiana Rinker en US$15.300 millones.
La gigante cementera adquirió el paquete accionario de su similar australiana Rinker en US$15.300 millones, convirtiéndose en la mayor compra hecha por una empresa mexicana.
Con el acuerdo, Cemex será la mayor compañía cementera del mundo, dará empleo a cerca de 70.000 personas y conseguirá utilidades de US$23.000 millones anuales.
La empresa mexicana obtendrá el 90% de las acciones de Rinker, y recibió la autorización de compra por parte de las autoridades reguladoras de Estados Unidos y Australia.
El 85% de los ingresos de Rinker se concentran en EE.UU., y el resto de sus operaciones se sitúan en Australia y China.
La gigante cementera adquirió el paquete accionario de su similar australiana Rinker en US$15.300 millones, convirtiéndose en la mayor compra hecha por una empresa mexicana.
Con el acuerdo, Cemex será la mayor compañía cementera del mundo, dará empleo a cerca de 70.000 personas y conseguirá utilidades de US$23.000 millones anuales.
La empresa mexicana obtendrá el 90% de las acciones de Rinker, y recibió la autorización de compra por parte de las autoridades reguladoras de Estados Unidos y Australia.
El 85% de los ingresos de Rinker se concentran en EE.UU., y el resto de sus operaciones se sitúan en Australia y China.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Information for people who want to immigrate to Canada!
Indo-Canadians battle to win skilled jobs
Dr. Gian Singh Sangha has not been able to get a job in his field
Kim Bolan / Read this article at the Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
IMMIGRANT WORKERS CLAIM DISCRIMINATION: Dr. Gian Singh Sangha, an India-born scientist, was denied a job in the Northwest Territories after he was deemed to be overqualified. He won a human rights commission decision a year ago, but was not offered a job or compensation.
Scientists, doctors and other highly skilled immigrants are driving taxis and working security jobs because of discrimination against foreign-trained professionals, say Indo-Canadian community leaders.
And they want all levels of government to work to end discrimination against foreign credentials so that Canada can benefit from immigrants with advanced education.
Jarnail Singh Bhandal, of the Khalsa Diwan Society, joined more than a dozen leaders at Vancouver's Ross Street temple Tuesday to voice support for Dr. Gian Singh Sangha, an India-born scientist who was denied a job in the Northwest Territories after he was deemed to be over-qualified.
Sangha won a human rights commission decision a year ago saying he was discriminated against, but was not offered a job or compensation.
He is now taking his case to the Federal Court of Canada next week to seek a remedy in an action supported by Bhandal's society, as well as the Akali Singh and Guru Nanak Sikh temples.
"We realize that the talent of the people coming here are underutilized," Bhandal said. "Whoever comes here, their credentials should be recognized and there should not be any discrimination."
Sangha, who has not been able to get a job in his field, said many have been affected in a similar way in trying to gain employment in Canada.
"It does not make any sense that a PhD or an engineer or a medical doctor should drive a taxi or do a security job for $10 or $12," Sangha said.
His lawyer David Perry said Canada is operating under "false pretences," bringing in immigrants because of their qualifications and then making it hard for them to find work.
"We are desperately short of skilled labour. We are scouring the world looking for skilled labour. When they come we won't hire them."
Sangha, 58, is asking the federal court to award him back pay or employment in his field after he was turned down in 2001 for a job with the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board despite being top-rated for the position.
Indo-Canadians are not the only people affected by the problem, said Vancouver City Coun. George Chow, a professional engineer and an immigrant himself.
"I think our government has opened the doors to these qualified professionals to come to the country so to deny them the opportunity for employment, it is just not acceptable," Chow said.
"What about all the immigrant professionals who are driving trucks, taxis or being cooks or waiters in restaurants?"
There are several issues professional immigrants face -- some, like Sangha, say they are denied jobs because they are overqualified.
Others find their credentials are not accepted in Canada and therefore also lose work in their chosen careers.
Harkirat Singh, who holds several university degrees from Punjab said he has also lost good jobs because he was deemed overqualified.
"I am also a victim of this discrimination. Although we love Canada, still we have some problems in this country," Singh said.
"I have also applied for so many jobs and because I have too many university degrees from India, I have also suffered from this kind of racism."
Dr. Gian Singh Sangha has not been able to get a job in his field
Kim Bolan / Read this article at the Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
IMMIGRANT WORKERS CLAIM DISCRIMINATION: Dr. Gian Singh Sangha, an India-born scientist, was denied a job in the Northwest Territories after he was deemed to be overqualified. He won a human rights commission decision a year ago, but was not offered a job or compensation.
Scientists, doctors and other highly skilled immigrants are driving taxis and working security jobs because of discrimination against foreign-trained professionals, say Indo-Canadian community leaders.
And they want all levels of government to work to end discrimination against foreign credentials so that Canada can benefit from immigrants with advanced education.
Jarnail Singh Bhandal, of the Khalsa Diwan Society, joined more than a dozen leaders at Vancouver's Ross Street temple Tuesday to voice support for Dr. Gian Singh Sangha, an India-born scientist who was denied a job in the Northwest Territories after he was deemed to be over-qualified.
Sangha won a human rights commission decision a year ago saying he was discriminated against, but was not offered a job or compensation.
He is now taking his case to the Federal Court of Canada next week to seek a remedy in an action supported by Bhandal's society, as well as the Akali Singh and Guru Nanak Sikh temples.
"We realize that the talent of the people coming here are underutilized," Bhandal said. "Whoever comes here, their credentials should be recognized and there should not be any discrimination."
Sangha, who has not been able to get a job in his field, said many have been affected in a similar way in trying to gain employment in Canada.
"It does not make any sense that a PhD or an engineer or a medical doctor should drive a taxi or do a security job for $10 or $12," Sangha said.
His lawyer David Perry said Canada is operating under "false pretences," bringing in immigrants because of their qualifications and then making it hard for them to find work.
"We are desperately short of skilled labour. We are scouring the world looking for skilled labour. When they come we won't hire them."
Sangha, 58, is asking the federal court to award him back pay or employment in his field after he was turned down in 2001 for a job with the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board despite being top-rated for the position.
Indo-Canadians are not the only people affected by the problem, said Vancouver City Coun. George Chow, a professional engineer and an immigrant himself.
"I think our government has opened the doors to these qualified professionals to come to the country so to deny them the opportunity for employment, it is just not acceptable," Chow said.
"What about all the immigrant professionals who are driving trucks, taxis or being cooks or waiters in restaurants?"
There are several issues professional immigrants face -- some, like Sangha, say they are denied jobs because they are overqualified.
Others find their credentials are not accepted in Canada and therefore also lose work in their chosen careers.
Harkirat Singh, who holds several university degrees from Punjab said he has also lost good jobs because he was deemed overqualified.
"I am also a victim of this discrimination. Although we love Canada, still we have some problems in this country," Singh said.
"I have also applied for so many jobs and because I have too many university degrees from India, I have also suffered from this kind of racism."
What do you think about the TILMA?
Monday, March 26, 2007
Asociacion de Migrantes Chilangos!
ESTIMADOS CHILANGELINOS: Con el propósito de organizar una Asociación de Migrantes Chilangos en la zona de Los Ángeles, se les invita a registrarse en el Proyecto California-México (CMP), que con la sede de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México en Los Ángeles (UNAM-LA) esta colaborando con el Gobierno del Distrito Federal (GDF) para la creación de una Oficina de Atención para el Migrante del D. F. en Los Ángeles, y así poder ofrecerles servicios aquí y a sus familias en la Ciudad de México. Para mayor información favor de llamar al Prof. Armando Vázquez-Ramos, coordinador del Proyecto California-México (CMP) al teléfono 562-972-0986, o mandarle por e-mail su nombre, dirección, teléfonos y dirección de correo electrónico a: avazque4@csulb.edu.
Todos los interesados que se registren por e-mail recibirán su invitación para acudir a la primera reunión de la Asociación de Migrantes Chilangos, que se llevará acabo el sábado 31 de Marzo, coincidiendo con el festejo del “Día de Cesar Chávez”.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Some Mexicans prefer to live in Northvan!
Welcome to Mexico North
Prospect of work, safe streets lure wave of educated, wealthy immigrants
KATHARINE HAMER
Read this article at The Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER -- Luis Batiz is used to dealing with one or two work-permit applications a month from Mexicans wanting to relocate to Canada.
But by the end of March, the immigration lawyer is expecting at least 10 applications to have crossed his desk -- and other lawyers "are doing 20, 50," he said.
"This year, there's going to be a flood of people coming. There's a shortage of skilled workers," he said, adding that small companies that never thought about hiring foreign workers see their business friends doing it and are now also bringing in workers.
Driven by concerns about security in their home country, highly educated and well-to-do Mexicans are making a beeline for the Lower Mainland.
Among them are lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects and mining company bosses. Many have chosen to settle on the North Shore, which is perceived as the most desirable location in Greater Vancouver.
"Most people who come here are people who can afford it," said Mr. Batiz, who moved to Vancouver seven years ago. "They have education, businesses, they can afford to not work for a year when they come here. And they prefer to have a low-paying job here than to be in Mexico City, where they can be kidnapped at any time or be assaulted at any time. People with young families, too, they say, 'You know what? This is not getting better, so we'll go somewhere else for our children.' "
"The Mexicans who are coming to start a life here, yeah, you can see those guys more and more and more," said Miguel Bertello, president of the local Mexican Business Association, "and you can see also companies that are promoting that. In Mexico, they put ads in the newspaper. They say, 'I will arrange for you to come and live here -- as long as you have the money, I will take care of the legal side; I will tell you how to apply.'
"They're doing that and they're really successful. The focus for them is not just the poor guy, but the guy who is actually really wealthy and they're bringing wealthy people here."
That influx will mean a visible addition to Vancouver's Mexican expatriate community -- a community that, right now, you'd have to search pretty hard to find.
"We don't really have a place," said Elsa Gleeson, whose two food stores, La Mexicana, in North Vancouver, and El Comal, in Burnaby, are nonetheless like a home away from home for recent immigrants.
La Mexicana's interior is like a little slice of Mexico City; its burnished orange and blue-tiled walls lined with colour-co-ordinated cans of chipotle, packets of flan and guava soda. Ms. Gleeson is quick to offer a visitor a taste of her cooking: black beans, rice and homemade tortillas, warmed on her kitchen's cast-iron grills.
"I have a Mexican factory [in Burnaby that supplies the two stores], and 99.9 per cent of my customers are Mexican," she said. "All the people that come, they become not only your customer, but your friend. We are very friendly people -- we are very warm and passionate. We like music; we talk a lot. We're very noisy."
That raucousness is apparent at communal celebrations for Mexican Independence Day and for Cinco de Mayo, when the whole community gathers to eat, dance and listen to mariachi music. On Independence Day, "no matter where we are, if we go to Surrey and we are playing in a garage or a warehouse, we'll fill that place," said mariachi band leader Octavio Carillo. "They have to celebrate that evening. Even if they are in the North Pole, they will celebrate."
But in general, "I think that Mexicans, we are funny," Ms. Gleeson observed. "We miss Mexico a lot -- we miss a lot of things about our culture. But when we come here, we try right away to meld with the Canadian population -- we want to be part of the Canadian people, the community."
Mr. Carillo said that when he first moved here with his wife and two young children, "there were only about 500 Mexican families. And now, that number has really increased. In the 17 years that I have been here, that number has gone to the sky. I think it is more than four times [the number]. And there are 3,000 students coming here every six months. So this community comes and goes: One is leaving, one is coming."
He remembers vividly the way Vancouverites won his heart on his first visit in 1989.
"I was walking on the street," he recalled, "and people, without knowing me -- I wasn't wearing my charro [mariachi] costume, of course, because when I wear my costume, everybody goes 'Ahhh!' -- [but] they noticed that I wasn't Canadian immediately, and they said hello to me. And that was so nice, I fell in love with that, and I said, 'This is the city that I want to be in.' "
THE NUMBERS
According to statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Mexico was the No. 1 source country for foreign workers coming to Canada last year. More than 10,000 Mexican workers came here, compared to 8,000 from the second-biggest source country, the United States. More foreign students -- many of them Mexican -- come to British Columbia than to any other province. Mexican immigration to the Vancouver area has been steadily increasing over the past three years. In 2003, 289 Mexicans applied for landed-immigrant status here; by the first quarter of 2006, the number was close to 350.
Prospect of work, safe streets lure wave of educated, wealthy immigrants
KATHARINE HAMER
Read this article at The Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER -- Luis Batiz is used to dealing with one or two work-permit applications a month from Mexicans wanting to relocate to Canada.
But by the end of March, the immigration lawyer is expecting at least 10 applications to have crossed his desk -- and other lawyers "are doing 20, 50," he said.
"This year, there's going to be a flood of people coming. There's a shortage of skilled workers," he said, adding that small companies that never thought about hiring foreign workers see their business friends doing it and are now also bringing in workers.
Driven by concerns about security in their home country, highly educated and well-to-do Mexicans are making a beeline for the Lower Mainland.
Among them are lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects and mining company bosses. Many have chosen to settle on the North Shore, which is perceived as the most desirable location in Greater Vancouver.
"Most people who come here are people who can afford it," said Mr. Batiz, who moved to Vancouver seven years ago. "They have education, businesses, they can afford to not work for a year when they come here. And they prefer to have a low-paying job here than to be in Mexico City, where they can be kidnapped at any time or be assaulted at any time. People with young families, too, they say, 'You know what? This is not getting better, so we'll go somewhere else for our children.' "
"The Mexicans who are coming to start a life here, yeah, you can see those guys more and more and more," said Miguel Bertello, president of the local Mexican Business Association, "and you can see also companies that are promoting that. In Mexico, they put ads in the newspaper. They say, 'I will arrange for you to come and live here -- as long as you have the money, I will take care of the legal side; I will tell you how to apply.'
"They're doing that and they're really successful. The focus for them is not just the poor guy, but the guy who is actually really wealthy and they're bringing wealthy people here."
That influx will mean a visible addition to Vancouver's Mexican expatriate community -- a community that, right now, you'd have to search pretty hard to find.
"We don't really have a place," said Elsa Gleeson, whose two food stores, La Mexicana, in North Vancouver, and El Comal, in Burnaby, are nonetheless like a home away from home for recent immigrants.
La Mexicana's interior is like a little slice of Mexico City; its burnished orange and blue-tiled walls lined with colour-co-ordinated cans of chipotle, packets of flan and guava soda. Ms. Gleeson is quick to offer a visitor a taste of her cooking: black beans, rice and homemade tortillas, warmed on her kitchen's cast-iron grills.
"I have a Mexican factory [in Burnaby that supplies the two stores], and 99.9 per cent of my customers are Mexican," she said. "All the people that come, they become not only your customer, but your friend. We are very friendly people -- we are very warm and passionate. We like music; we talk a lot. We're very noisy."
That raucousness is apparent at communal celebrations for Mexican Independence Day and for Cinco de Mayo, when the whole community gathers to eat, dance and listen to mariachi music. On Independence Day, "no matter where we are, if we go to Surrey and we are playing in a garage or a warehouse, we'll fill that place," said mariachi band leader Octavio Carillo. "They have to celebrate that evening. Even if they are in the North Pole, they will celebrate."
But in general, "I think that Mexicans, we are funny," Ms. Gleeson observed. "We miss Mexico a lot -- we miss a lot of things about our culture. But when we come here, we try right away to meld with the Canadian population -- we want to be part of the Canadian people, the community."
Mr. Carillo said that when he first moved here with his wife and two young children, "there were only about 500 Mexican families. And now, that number has really increased. In the 17 years that I have been here, that number has gone to the sky. I think it is more than four times [the number]. And there are 3,000 students coming here every six months. So this community comes and goes: One is leaving, one is coming."
He remembers vividly the way Vancouverites won his heart on his first visit in 1989.
"I was walking on the street," he recalled, "and people, without knowing me -- I wasn't wearing my charro [mariachi] costume, of course, because when I wear my costume, everybody goes 'Ahhh!' -- [but] they noticed that I wasn't Canadian immediately, and they said hello to me. And that was so nice, I fell in love with that, and I said, 'This is the city that I want to be in.' "
THE NUMBERS
According to statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Mexico was the No. 1 source country for foreign workers coming to Canada last year. More than 10,000 Mexican workers came here, compared to 8,000 from the second-biggest source country, the United States. More foreign students -- many of them Mexican -- come to British Columbia than to any other province. Mexican immigration to the Vancouver area has been steadily increasing over the past three years. In 2003, 289 Mexicans applied for landed-immigrant status here; by the first quarter of 2006, the number was close to 350.
Immigrants upset over credentials process!
Immigrants upset over credentialing process
The lack of a new agency to assess skills is a broken promise, support groups say
ALEX DOBROTA
Read the full article at The Globe and Mail
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper's government has abandoned its promise to create a federal agency to examine and recognize the work credentials of newcomers and will instead set up an office to direct immigrants to provincial bodies that assess their skills.
The reversal, outlined in Monday's federal budget, could hurt the Conservatives in immigrant communities, where the Tories hope to gain support in the next election.
"I am disappointed," said Joshua Thambiraj, president of the Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which represents more than 5,000 foreign-trained doctors in the province. "We find that there is a kind of dissonance between acknowledging the problem and finding a solution. That dissonance has manifested again."
Mr. Thambiraj, a native of Malaysia, has been trying for five years to get status as a pediatric surgeon in Canada. But while he passed all the exams required in Ontario, his credentials have yet to be recognized, he said.
During the last election campaign, Prime Minister Harper pledged to speed up that process for Mr. Thambiraj and the estimated 350,000 immigrants in similar situations. The Tories said they would create an agency to assess and to recognize credentials at the federal level. They enshrined that promise in the 2006 budget and buttressed it with a $18-million investment over two years.
But Monday's budget said that instead of assessing and recognizing, a new foreign-credential office will "provide immigrants with pathfinding and referral services to identify and connect with the appropriate assessment bodies."
The funding for the initiative for this year also fell from $12-million planned in 2006 to $6-million.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Diane Finley denied the government was breaking any promise, even as he acknowledged that foreign-credential assessment recognition is a provincial responsibility.
"Foreign-credential recognition is a complex system in this country," Mike Fraser said. "Our new office will provide newcomers with a clear path to where to get their credentials assessed."
Opposition critics lambasted the proposal.
"A campaign promise made is not a promise delivered," said Olivia Chow, the New Democratic Party immigration critic.
"They have just decided to create a storefront to pass the buck," echoed her counterpart in the Liberal Party, Omar Alghabra.
The Conference Board of Canada estimates as many as 350,000 immigrants have taken jobs below their qualifications, which is costing the economy between $3-billion and $5-billion a year.
The lack of a new agency to assess skills is a broken promise, support groups say
ALEX DOBROTA
Read the full article at The Globe and Mail
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper's government has abandoned its promise to create a federal agency to examine and recognize the work credentials of newcomers and will instead set up an office to direct immigrants to provincial bodies that assess their skills.
The reversal, outlined in Monday's federal budget, could hurt the Conservatives in immigrant communities, where the Tories hope to gain support in the next election.
"I am disappointed," said Joshua Thambiraj, president of the Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which represents more than 5,000 foreign-trained doctors in the province. "We find that there is a kind of dissonance between acknowledging the problem and finding a solution. That dissonance has manifested again."
Mr. Thambiraj, a native of Malaysia, has been trying for five years to get status as a pediatric surgeon in Canada. But while he passed all the exams required in Ontario, his credentials have yet to be recognized, he said.
During the last election campaign, Prime Minister Harper pledged to speed up that process for Mr. Thambiraj and the estimated 350,000 immigrants in similar situations. The Tories said they would create an agency to assess and to recognize credentials at the federal level. They enshrined that promise in the 2006 budget and buttressed it with a $18-million investment over two years.
But Monday's budget said that instead of assessing and recognizing, a new foreign-credential office will "provide immigrants with pathfinding and referral services to identify and connect with the appropriate assessment bodies."
The funding for the initiative for this year also fell from $12-million planned in 2006 to $6-million.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Diane Finley denied the government was breaking any promise, even as he acknowledged that foreign-credential assessment recognition is a provincial responsibility.
"Foreign-credential recognition is a complex system in this country," Mike Fraser said. "Our new office will provide newcomers with a clear path to where to get their credentials assessed."
Opposition critics lambasted the proposal.
"A campaign promise made is not a promise delivered," said Olivia Chow, the New Democratic Party immigration critic.
"They have just decided to create a storefront to pass the buck," echoed her counterpart in the Liberal Party, Omar Alghabra.
The Conference Board of Canada estimates as many as 350,000 immigrants have taken jobs below their qualifications, which is costing the economy between $3-billion and $5-billion a year.
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