On December 1, the Americas Policy Group, in collaboration with KAIROS Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, organized a breakfast on Parliament Hill with guest speaker Isabel Caicedo Polanco from the Organización Feminina Popular (OFP), an NGO that promotes women’s rights and works tirelessly for peace in Colombia.

Members of Parliament who attended the meeting were touched by Isabel’s testimony. This event was an important opportunity to raise parliamentarian’s awareness on the fragile peace process in this South American country and the importance of providing long-term support to grassroots local organizations.

Also guest speaker MP Robert Nault, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, shared remarks on the Committee’s recent travels to the region and its recent report Supporting peace and development in Guatemala and Colombia for the long-term.

This type of event also provides a space where APG members and Members of Parliament can build relationships and strengthen means of collaboration.

On November 22, 37 members of CCIC’s Regional Working Groups gathered at the offices of WUSC in Ottawa to learn more on how to build successful relationships with Members of Parliament and advocate effectively for their issues.

Both newcomers and experienced members expressed their satisfaction with the analysis of the current political context provided by Velma McColl, Managing Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group and by Shaughn McArthur, Advocacy and Government Relations Advisor at CARE Canada.

They also appreciated the hands-on tips provided by political staffer Tom Allen, Assistant to MP Cheryl Hardcastle. And the highlight of the workshop was the candid discussion with special guest Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West - Nepean.

The workshop ended with separate strategy sessions for each region: The Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

Dear Minister Dion,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Americas Policy Group (APG), a regional working group of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, which brings together civil society organizations dedicated to sustainable development, the promotion of human rights and social justice in the Americas.

We wish to express our grave concern about the rising number of attacks against land and environment defenders throughout Latin America, many at the hands of multinational extractive companies. An alarming number of these victims are Indigenous women.

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The Americas Policy Group (APG) is writing to you regarding the fifth Annual Report Pursuant to the Agreement concerning Annual Reports on Human Rights and Free Trade between Canada and the Republic of Colombia.

While we are pleased that the government solicited input from civil society organizations in Canada and Colombia and included a number of our concerns in the report, we remain concerned about significant flaws in both the report itself and the process used to produce it

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Submission to Global Affairs Canada – International Assistance Review

By members of the Americas Policy Group, a regional working group of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation 

July 14, 2016

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