Canadian sacrifices and Beijing’s looming shadow

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Fraser Institute Boardroom
4th Floor-1770 Burrard St
Vancouver

A conversation with Terry Glavin, author of Come from the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan and co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee

There can be little argument that Canadian troops have played a critical role in Afghanistan, whether driving the Taliban out of Kandahar or providing training to Afghan security forces and helping rebuild needed infrastructure.

But despite Canada’s ongoing commitment to helping the Afghan people find liberty and self-determination, policy vacillation in Washington is creating an opening the Chinese government is all too willing to exploit, says journalist Terry Glavin, author of the book, Come from the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan, and co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee.

After having failed to lift a finger in support on the United Nations action in Afghanistan, Beijing is now rushing in and acquiring vast copper and other mineral leases as well as forming ties with the Pakistani ISI while the United States is prepared to abandon the Afghan people to recurring threats of Islamic violence and oppression. Meanwhile, Canada and other Western nations have failed to stand up to Washington.

We shall not forget.

The 2nd Annual Free Thinking Film Festival which will run in Ottawa between November 11-13, celebrates liberty, freedom and democracy. And you need to be there.

The Free Thinking Film Festival will feature three major events, two panel discussion and over 20 films. Film highlights include:

• History Wars, a debate between Jack Granatstein (Historian and former director of the Canadian War Museum) and Michael Byers (Professor of Political Science at UBC) on the future of the Canadian military, moderated by Michael Bliss. This event is co-sponsored by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
• "The Living," a film about the Ukrainian famine of the 1930s that was perpetrated by Joseph Stalin.
• "Unmasked: Judeophobia and the Threat to Civilization", the Canadian premiere of a documentary about the current political assault against Israel. Producer Gloria Greenfield will be in attendance to answer questions.

If you're in Ottawa, or can get there by plane, train or canoe, this is a must-see event for all of our freedom-loving friends.

A timely timeline of the Jewish claim on the land of Israel and a long history of Arab intransigence and jihad.

It seems that the latest terrorist outrage in Europe was not the work of Al Qaeda or its affiliates, but rather what appears to be a lone madman: Anders Behring Breivik.

Described as 6ft tall and blond, he is reported to have arrived on the island of Utoyadressed as a police man and opened fire after beckoning several young people over in his native Norwegian tongue.

Reports suggest he was also seen loitering around the site of the bomb blast in Oslo two hours before the island incident.

More than 80 are believed to have been killed - in Oslo and on Utoya Island, 50 miles north of the capital, it was claimed.

Norwegian police said at least 80 were killed at Utoya alone and described the killings as of 'catastrophic dimensions' and'the work of a madman'.

After the horrors of the 7/7 bombings in London, the train bombings in Madrid and scores of lesser attacks by Al Qaeda and its friends, we have a solemn reminder that loyal fans of Osama bin Laden are not the only villains walking the streets of Europe.

Capital punishment by stoning is a barbaric practice. This horrifying act is still carried out today by a corrupt, unbalanced and arbitrary system of "justice", as in Iran, where Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is still languishing in prison.

Learn what you can do at the official website of the International Committee Against Stoning

Join the Free Thinking Film Society as Bruce Bawer returns to Ottawa with his colleague Hege Storhaug to speak on the problems of immigration in Europe.

Hege Storhaug is the information director of Human Rights Service in Norway and the author of several books on immigration and integration, forced marriage, women in Pakistan, and related subjects.

Bruce Bawer is an internationally-acclaimed author, whose recent book is "Surrender: Appeasing Islam, Sacrificing Freedom",

EVENT DETAILS

The 2011 Oslo Freedom Forum program begins today, featuring Mona Eltahawy, Jody Williams, Zoya Phan, and George Ayittey, among many other extraordinary speakers. Today’s presentations will look at the structure of tyranny and testimonies from exceptional individuals who have struggled against it, as well as panel discussions focused on the changing landscape in the Middle East and the modern struggle for information and freedom of expression.

All speeches and panel discussions will be streaming live at www.OsloFreedomForum.com, beginning at 9:15 CEST (3:15am EST). Viewers can participate in all panel discussions by following the forum on Twitter at @oslofreedomfrm and using the hashtag #OFF2011 to ask questions, or by emailing questions@oslofreedomforum.com

"We have a remarkable gathering of individuals here. Each one, in their unique way, has transformed society," said Thor Halvorssen, founder of the Oslo Freedom Forum, at a press conference yesterday morning. "If human rights are going to be realized everywhere, it will owe—in some significant part—to the work of these extraordinary people."

Today’s first session—themed The Anatomy of Dictatorship—will feature American neuroscientist James Fallon; Burmese human rights activist and author Zoya Phan; North Korea expert and journalist Barbara Demick; Belarusian journalist Zhanna Litvina; Ghanaian economist George Ayittey; Moroccan media pioneer Ahmed Benchemsi; and former president of Peru Alejandro Toledo. The session will examine all aspects of dictatorships—from the perspective of both victims and tyrants—with the aim of inspiring ideas to peacefully dismantle authoritarian regimes.

A panel discussion on the Evolution of Censorship will follow. Moderated by Canadian free speech champion John Ralston Saul, the panel will Egyptian-American analyst Mona Eltahawy; Russian journalist and editor Gregory Shvedov; Danish human rights lawyer Jacob Mchangama; and Brazilian journalist Fernão Lara Mesquita. The panelists will discuss the changing nature of modern-day restriction of speech and information.

In the session themed Against All Odds, speakers—including Nobel Laureate Jody Williams; Malawian youth journalist Violet Banda; Jamaican-American gay rights activist Thomas Glave; Argentinian author and reporter Uki Goñi; and leading Chinese AIDS activist Wan Yanhai—will share their human rights struggles and successes in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

The day will close with the Dawn of a New Arab World panel discussion, featuring Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni; Libyan cyberactivist Ghazi Gheblawi; Sudanese blogger Amir Ahmad Nasr; and outspoken Bahraini activist Maryam al-Khawaja. Moderated by BBC News reporter Philippa Thomas, the panel will discuss the emerging pro-democracy movements in the Middle East.

For an up-to-date schedule of today’s sessions at the Oslo Freedom Forum, visit www.OsloFreedomForum.com/live.html. Coverage will begin at 9:15 CEST (3:15am EST) and will last until 19:00 CEST (1:00pm EST). All presentations and panels will be immediately available online at www.OsloFreedomForum.com at close of program.

HRF is an international nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights in the Americas. It centers its work on the twin concepts of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny. These ideals include the belief that all human beings have the rights to speak freely, to associate with those of like mind, and to leave and enter their countries. Individuals in a free society must be accorded equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity to participate in the governments of their countries; HRF’s ideals likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile and from interference and coercion in matters of conscience. HRF does not support nor condone violence. HRF’s International Council includes former prisoners of conscience Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Václav Havel, Mutabar Tadjibaeva, Ramón J. Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu.

The Propagandist magazine Editor Jonathon Narvey will give a special presentation at the Northern Voice blogging and social media conference in Vancouver, entitled Political Propaganda 101.

"I'm the best there is at what I do," Narvey says. "And what I do isn't very nice. That said, if you would like to learn how to be an effective political propagandist online, this could be your thing. Now that I think about it, the whole experience could be quite nice."

An excerpt from the presentation synopsis for the event happening Saturday, May 14 at the University of British Columbia:

The best political blogs don’t just deal with compelling stories. They inject personal observations. They have an unconcealed political agenda. Succeeding at this means being fearless and showing your passion.

POGG Canada (Peace, Order and Good Government), a discussion group and think tank based in Ottawa will hold its Second Annual Public Symposium titled:  Free Speech - Vital Freedom, to be held at 1 PM on April 2, 2011 at Saint Paul University, 223 Main Street in Ottawa.  The symposium will explore today's issues of freedom of speech and expression in Canada.

Panelists for this symposium include:

* Fred Litwin (Founder of the Free Thinking Film Society)
* Brian Lilley (Senior Correspondent, Sun Media)
* Raheel Raza (Author of "Their Jihad, Not My Jihad" and Board Member of the Muslim
Canadian Congress.

The moderator for the symposium is Dr. Gilles Paquet, Professor Emeritus School of Management and Senior Research Fellow at the centre on Governance, University of Ottawa.

The keynote speaker for the event is David Harris, Director of INSIGNIS Strategic Research.

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