One and Not One

First a lovely "We are all Egyptians" item to go with prayers for what is unfolding.

http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/07/christians-and-muslims-we-are-all-egyptians/




Next an Item from, CFSC Friends in Canada about not wishing to be one with an international air passenger security regime imposed by the US.

RantWoman freely admits this item falls into the "Does God call us to recycle?" zone where unanimity of interest, let alone definite opinion is most assuredly not to be assumed among Friends. RantWoman presents it here in a spirit of hearing diverse voices.


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Second, there is a pressing concern that has arisen this week regarding legislation currently in Parliament (C-42) - this connects, actually, to even deeper concerns about the plans for a new security perimeter agreement between Canada and the USA. The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, of which CFSC is a member, has raised the alarm about both in a email composed by their Coordinator, Roche Tassé (see below). In it, he asks for people to contact their MP about C-42. CFSC wrote to all Parliamentarians in December 2010 about C-42 and is contacting them again. We ask that you also take action with your MP - call or email. Using your postal code, your MP's information can be found here:


http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc


To follow is the letter from Roch, and our letter to Parliamentarians from December.

in Friendship,

Orion
~
Jane Orion Smith
General Secretary
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)


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February 7, 2011

To: ICLMG members and friends

As you know, last Friday Prime Minister Harper and President Obama announced the creation of a task force to work on the details of a North American security perimeter. The plan calls for the harmonization of Canada-US border policies. In practice, among other things, this means adopting US policies, standards and practices with regards to policing the border; furthering the integration of border and customs agencies (as well as other police and intelligence agencies); expanding the sharing of travellers' information and adopting the flawed US no-fly list; and the complete integration of customs, criminal, immigration and biometrics data bases. It is nothing less than surrendering Canada's privacy regime and Canada's ability to implement independent visa, immigration and refugee policies. Canada will de facto be contracting out and subjugating the security of Canada to US corporate interests and abandon responsibility to enact policy in those areas. In essence it is an abdication of Canada's sovereignty and ability to implement and protect the rights of Canadians presently enshrined in our Charter of Rights.


In my opinion, this issue represents the biggest challenge faced by ICLMG since its inception. If such an agreement sees the light of day, we will have lost any small gain or victory achieved over the last decade as well as our ability to influence government policies and practices in any significant way to protect civil liberties and human rights.


A major component and cornerstone of the North American security perimeter is presently being debated in Parliament. Bill C-42, which could be voted in any day this week, will enable the sharing of information and the implementation of the US Secure Flight program for most flights to and from Canada, and even for some domestic flights, that merely overfly the US airspace. The US Department of Homeland Security will have the exclusive authority to decide who can board a plane on those flights. So far, only the NDP has taken a clear stance against the bill. The debates in the House of Commons on February 2 and 3 are perhaps the most significant ones with regards to Canadian sovereignty that we have witnessed in Parliament in years. I encourage you to browse through the transcripts from the Hansard which can be downloaded from the Parliament of Canada website. I also encourage your organization to contact your MP and the leaders of the Liberal Party and of the Bloc Québécois to ask them to reject Bill C-42. At the very least, any decision to adopt the US Secure Flight program and compromise the personal information of Canadians should be postponed until a full and transparent political debate on the North American security perimeter takes place.


We need to mobilize across sectors now!




Roch Tassé
________________________________________
National Coordinator / Coordonnateur national
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
Coalition pour la surveillance internationale des libertés civiles
(613) 241-5298
www.travelwatchlist.ca

www.surveillancedesvoyageurs.ca


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CFSC Letter to Parliamentarians, re C-42December 13, 2010Dear Member ofParliament,We are writing toask you to vote against Bill C-42, which would amend the Aeronautics Act inorder to implement the U.S. “Secure Flight” regime. This regime isobjectionable on two accounts. First, it does not abide by due process,since people can be added to the “no fly” list without the opportunity tochallenge the case against them, and the process for people to get themselves removed from the list is inadequate. Second, it is an imposition againstCanadian sovereignty. The proposition that Canadian citizens should have to get permission from the U.S. “Secure Flight” regime in order to travel to a non-USdestination is untenable.Canada has its own“no fly list” regime which has similar problems with due process, but at least the process is located in Canada, and Canadian citizens can have directrecourse to it. This regime, along with other measures, was implementedin order to “harmonize” airline security with US programs. Ourobservation of these measures over the past years has shown that ever increasing surrender of privacy and sovereignty rights are demanded, and dueprocess infringements are ignored with each new measure. It is time to stop the erosion of our rights and our sovereignty and institute an open process that is controlled by the Canadian government, and does not violate ourvalues as expressed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.We note, aswell, that there is very significant global concern about the program in otherstates, and also various international bodies, including the United Nations
.Because of our geographic location, Canadians are at the greatestrisk of violations of privacy and due process through the imposition of SecureFlight rules on Canadian travel. For all of these reasons, we feel it is extremely important to refuse the implementation of theU.S "Secure Flight" regime. We ask that you please vote no to BillC-42. Sincerely,Merrill StewartClerk, Canadian Friends Service Committee