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Human Rights

Mexican Activists Protest "Environmental Devastation"

March 5, 2010
Mexico is suffering "from severe environmental devastation," which may be the "worst witnessed in the world," according to Mexico's National Assembly of Environmentally Affected Groups (Asamblea Nacional de Afectados Ambientale or ANAA).  The Americas Program published a translated copy of the ANAA's warning of environmental disaster on February 1, 2010.
Tags: Aboriginal Issues, Business, Civil rights, Civil Society, Climate, Corporations, Environment, Forestry, Health, Human Rights, Mexico, Natural Resources, Non-profit organizations, Social Issues

Merida Initiative Impacts Security, Human Rights

January 22, 2010
The Mexican government's war with the drug cartels under the Calderón administration, which includes tens of thousands of soldiers, has led to an explosion of violence in the region along the American border. In an attempt to aid the Mexican government, the US State Department launched the Merida Initiative, or Plan Mexico, in 2007. This programme aims to provide US$1.4 billion in aid to Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic and Haiti for counter-narcotics programs. This assistance includes arms, training and equipment for the military and police forces.
Tags: Border, Civil rights, Corruption, Crime, Drugs, Human Rights, Justice and Law, Mexico, National Security, Security, Trafficking, United States

Merida Initiative Expands Mexo-American Security Relationship Amid Human Rights Criticisms

January 22, 2010
The Mexican government's war with the drug cartels under the Calderón administration, which includes tens of thousands of soldiers, has led to an explosion of violence in the region along the American border. In an attempt to aid the Mexican government, the US State Department launched the Merida Initiative, or Plan Mexico, in 2007. This programme aims to provide US$1.4 billion in aid to Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic and Haiti for counter-narcotics programs. This assistance includes arms, training and equipment for the military and police forces.
Tags: Border, Civil rights, Corruption, Crime, Drugs, Human Rights, Justice and Law, Mexico, National Security, Security, Trafficking, United States

Freedom of Association: Harmonizing Canadian norms with international commitments

February 25, 2010 8:00 am - February 27, 2010 5:00 pm at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Join us on February 25 - 27, 2010 at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, for a conference on one of the most critical issues facing the Canadian labour relations and human rights communities: freedom of association in the workplace.
Tags: Canada, Human Rights, Labour

"Canada and the International Protection of Human Rights: Still a Leader?"

December 10, 2009 12:30 pm - December 10, 2009 2:00 pm at CIGI's Seagram Room
On the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Alex Neve will reflect upon the state of Canada's global human rights leadership.
Tags: Canada, Human Rights

Mexican Police Struggle Against Corruption

November 4, 2009
Police officers in Mexico, like anywhere else, face dangers every day. The threats to officers' lives have increased in recent years, however, due to a cartel war that has broken out in Northern Mexico. More than 12 000 people have been killed since 2006. Ciudad Juarez, on the border with El Paso, Texas, has experienced 1300 murders in 2008 alone, 40 of which were of police officers. The drug gangs are known for brutal violence, including beheadings and amputations.
Tags: Corruption, Crime, Drugs, Human Rights, Justice and Law, Mexico

Migrant Crisis on the West Coast

October 27, 2009
A cargo ship carrying 76 Sri Lankan migrants was intercepted by a Canadian navy frigate off of Vancouver Island on Friday October 16, 2009 prompting debate and speculation over the fate of those abroad and more widely on Canada's refugee and immigration policies.
Tags: Border, Canada, Crime, Human Rights, Immigration, Mexico, Migration, Security, Trafficking

Analysis from the Americas Program Blog - “A New World of Citizen Action, Analysis, and Policy Options”

October 12, 2009
Calderon Government Sends in Police to Take Over Electrical Company and Bust Union
Tags: Human Rights, Labour, Mexico

The Schriro Report

October 7, 2009
The Department of Homeland Security released a report Tuesday proposing a review and overhaul of the "scandal-plagued mix of federal, state and local lockups" that comprise the national immigration detention system in the US.
Tags: Civil rights, Human Rights, Immigration, National Security, United States