Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Friends,

On Friday, November 21, Prime Minister Stephen Harper approved a free trade pact with Colombia which Parliament now has 21 days to debate.

Colombian Brothers and Sisters, partner organizations and Anabaptist churches have voiced their deep concern around this potential trade deal, which would go into effect in January, 2010. They have shared that the "closed-door" policy on debates and information pertaining to the deal have created a cloud of uncertainty around the possible effects that this pact will have on Colombian economy, the dire human rights situation and the humanitarian crisis that is currently facing the country. Colombians have also voiced their concern that basic processes of prior consultation with marginalized groups in society - such as the indigenous and the afro-colombian community - will not be respected and greater foreign direct investment without proper impact assessments - particularly in the extractive industry - will contribute to an exacerbation of the violence around land rights and the massive displacement of populations from resource rich territories.

Despite Colombian Government affirmations that paramilitary structures have been dismantled and that the country is "safer" thanks to democratic security policies, partners have documented grave human rights abuses in many territories throughout the country where paramilitary continue to operate with more or less impunity.

Church leaders and communities continue to be attacked (324 aggressions in 2007 according to Justapaz documentation project). Union leaders continue to be assasinated (over 40 in 2008). Extrajudicial executions continue to occur by state armed forces (65% increase between 2002-2007). Communities continue to be displaced massively, creating a humanitarian emergency across the country (270,675 people in the first quarter of 2008 - highest rate since 1987).

This is NOT an environment which is conducive to healthy foreign investment, nor is it an environment in which Colombians will beneift from greater Canadian exports competing in local markets in unfair economic coniditions.

Faith Reflection
People of faith all over the world are calling for international trade and investment systems that respect and promote the dignity of the human person as created in the image of God, ensure the well-being and development of people in all nations as children of God, foster gender and racial equity before a God who loves and values each of us equally, and lead to environmental sustainability, for which we are charged as stewards of God's creation.

Call to Action
Please find attached 4 letters - To Primer Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon and a sample letter for your MP. Please send these letters by email, fax or snail-mail by December 10.

Visits, e-mails, phone calls, faxes and letters are all good ways to contact your legislators. E-mails, phone calls and faxes are good for time-sensitive issues. Postal mail travels slowly, but letters have long-term impact. Be sure to include your mailing address in all correspondence to confirm your residency in a particular district and state.

We are grateful for copies of your correspondence and any responses you recieve! Please send them to policyanalyst.mcc@gmail.com and stefancherry@mennonitecc.ca.

Find out who your Member of Parliament is:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

Thank you!

In Christ, Lord of Justice and Peace.

Rebecca

__________________________________
Sample Letter

House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear____________________________

As a concerned member of your constituency, I write you to express my concern regarding the potential free trade agreement between Canada and Colombia currently being passed through Parliament

As a follower of Christ and a member of the global as well as Canadian church, I have heard the cry of our brothers and sisters in Colombia. They have shared that the current political context in Colombia is one of the most serious and volatile of the recent past. According to the Consultancy for Human rights and Displacement (CODHES), 270,675 people have been forced to flee from their homes in the first quarter of 2008 which is the highest rate of internal displacement since 1987. This is exacerbating the already extremely serious humanitarian situation that exists in Colombia and has resulted in increased levels of poverty, violence and unemployment. Much of Canadian investment will be in the extractive industry; it is in regions of the country where the extractive industry operates where 75% of human rights violations and displacements occur. There are no guarantees that Canadian companies will not be indirectly affecting the well-being of local communities in such an environment.

A Mennonite church partner organization, Justapaz, has documented recent cases of human rights violations against church leaders in the Tierra Alta region, which is where the peace talks with the paramilitary took place in 2004. It is concerning to us that even in the province where the peace talks were realized, paramilitaries are still operating with little response from the government. It is also concerning to us that paramilitary continue to threaten union leaders, human rights advocates and members of the political opposition parties; according to partner organizations, over 40 union leaders have been assassinated in this year. Contrary to assertions that only delinquent organizations remain, the over 60 newly emergent paramilitary groups are continuing to target political objectives, as in the past. This is not the kind of political environment in which Canadians want to see their government establish a Free Trade Agreement, regardless of its impact on our own economy, either positive or negative.

The Colombian government has not been able to quell the violence that is still very present in Colombia nor has it been able to guarantee that human rights and victims’ rights will be respected.

For these grave concerns, we respectfully call on the Canadian government to:
- NOT implement the free trade agreement with Colombia until significant improvement to human rights has been evidenced;
- call on the Colombian government to sever all ties with paramilitary organizations and structures;
- conduct an independent human rights impact assessment on Canadian foreign investment in the extractive industry;

Thank you for your time and consideration of these requests, and we pray for God’s guidance and grace as you discern how to move forward on this agreement.

In Christ,

Your Name