Major solidarity conference to be held in London
ANNCOL | 22.03.2003 10:51
In order to highlight the critical situation in Colombia - another conflict involving oil, terrorism and US military intervention - the UK-based Colombia Peace Association is co-hosting a major conference in Central London with their sister organisation in the British trade union movement â Justice for Colombiaâ on Saturday, March 22nd. Speakers include leading opposition figures from Colombia and US professors James Petras and Noam Chomsky.
20.03.2003 (ANNCOL) The event is entitled "Conflict in Colombia: Repression, Resistance and the Chances for Peace" and will be the largest Colombia solidarity meeting ever held in the United Kingdom.
The conference has the full backing of Colombiaâ s largest trade union federation, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), as well as the most important human rights organisation in Colombia, the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CPDH).
Numerous other organisations are sponsoring the conference, including the Southern and Eastern Region Trades Union Congress (SERTUC) and the Latin American Bureau (LAB)
Speakers at the conference include:
* Gloria Ines Ramirez, previously the leader of Colombiaâ s largest trade union, now a member of the National Executive Committee of the CUT.
* Asdrubal Jimenez, former human rights lawyer in Colombia, now living in exile after a paramilitary assassination attempt that left him with serious injuries.
* Carlos Lozano Guillen, Colombian newspaper editor and one of three members of the VIP Facilitating Commission in the most recent Colombian peace process.
* Brendan Barber, General Secretary-elect of the British TUC and leader of the most recent British trade union delegation to Colombia.
* Professor James Petras, one of the foremost authorities on Colombia and the author of over 30 books on Latin America.
* Michael Rix, vice-chair of the Justice for Colombia campaign and the General Secretary of the trade union ASLEF.
* Professor Noam Chomsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has agreed to participate in the conference via video.
* The co-chairs of the event are Dr Jenny Tonge MP, overseas development spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrat Party and Martin Gould, President of Southern and Eastern Region TUC.
The meeting is to be held at the TUC Congress House in London. Due to the war in Iraq, the Stop the War coalition has called a national demonstration on Saturday, March 22nd. The agenda of the meeting has been arranged in order to allow all attendees to hear the keynote speakers prior to the lunch break, when they will be able to leave for the march if they wish.
The afternoon session will also finish slightly earlier so that any other delegates can arrange to attend the end rally at Hyde Park later that afternoon. Read more at: www.colombiapeace.org
The conference has the full backing of Colombiaâ s largest trade union federation, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), as well as the most important human rights organisation in Colombia, the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CPDH).
Numerous other organisations are sponsoring the conference, including the Southern and Eastern Region Trades Union Congress (SERTUC) and the Latin American Bureau (LAB)
Speakers at the conference include:
* Gloria Ines Ramirez, previously the leader of Colombiaâ s largest trade union, now a member of the National Executive Committee of the CUT.
* Asdrubal Jimenez, former human rights lawyer in Colombia, now living in exile after a paramilitary assassination attempt that left him with serious injuries.
* Carlos Lozano Guillen, Colombian newspaper editor and one of three members of the VIP Facilitating Commission in the most recent Colombian peace process.
* Brendan Barber, General Secretary-elect of the British TUC and leader of the most recent British trade union delegation to Colombia.
* Professor James Petras, one of the foremost authorities on Colombia and the author of over 30 books on Latin America.
* Michael Rix, vice-chair of the Justice for Colombia campaign and the General Secretary of the trade union ASLEF.
* Professor Noam Chomsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has agreed to participate in the conference via video.
* The co-chairs of the event are Dr Jenny Tonge MP, overseas development spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrat Party and Martin Gould, President of Southern and Eastern Region TUC.
The meeting is to be held at the TUC Congress House in London. Due to the war in Iraq, the Stop the War coalition has called a national demonstration on Saturday, March 22nd. The agenda of the meeting has been arranged in order to allow all attendees to hear the keynote speakers prior to the lunch break, when they will be able to leave for the march if they wish.
The afternoon session will also finish slightly earlier so that any other delegates can arrange to attend the end rally at Hyde Park later that afternoon. Read more at: www.colombiapeace.org
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