COLLABORATION FOR TSS CONGO CONFERENCE, April 21, 2010

5 x 24 feet, acrylic on paper

On the day of our conference, The Toronto Star’s front-page headline asked whether Canadian troops should join a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo.  Panelists at our conference said no. Bodia Macharia, Congolese born president and founding member of U of T’s Friends of the Congo explained that the Congolese people do not need more militarization; instead they need public support to defend their sovereignty and to benefit from their own resources.  The UN should be calling on Rwanda to pull its rebel militias, which direct the sale of Congolese minerals through Rwanda, out of the Congo, while Canadians need to pass Bill C-300 to stop Canada’s role in the conflict.

Bill C-300 prohibits Canada’s mining companies (world leaders of the industry) from involvement with human rights violations in developing countries.  To help pass this bill, visit the following link:

http://www.miningwatch.ca/en/urgent-action-support-legislation-hold-canadian-mining-companies-account-abuses-overseas