The Civic Strike closes access to the port of Buenaventura, Colombia
Colombian Civic Strike Leaders, Miyela Riascos,Victor Vidal & Olga Araujo invite you to a Lunch & Learn
Thursday, November 1, 2018
12:30 – 13:30
5th Floor Boardroom
Public Service Alliance of Canada
233 Gilmour Street, Ottawa
In 2017, unions and social organizations of Colombia’s principal Pacific port of Buenaventura launched a remarkable three-week civic strike that forced the Colombian government to negotiate solutions to the city’s social and human rights crisis. For 3 weeks, 114 social organizations owned the streets, held community kitchens, cultural festivals and literally shut down Colombia’s most important trade route, the gateway for international free trade.
The strike won important concessions from the government to improve community infrastructure and the collective rights and safety of the inhabitants of Buenaventura. Yet threats against the community leaders continue as plans go forward to expand and modernize the port. While the Colombian government signed peace agreements in the autumn of 2017, violence, land grabs and dislocation connected to large landowners and corporate interests continue unabated in many parts of the country.
Sponsored by Amnesty International (Canada), CCIC Americas Policy Group, CoDevelopment Canada, Comité des droits humains en Amérique Latine, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Common Frontiers, InterPares, KAIROS, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
RSVP Louise Casselman cassell@psac-afpc.com