Kamloops Global Day of Action

Idle No More and CommonCauses held an information session at the Smorgasbord Deli downtown Kamloops between 6 and 8 p.m. on the Jan 28's Global Day of Action.  

Idle No More declared solidarity with CommonCauses and other labour groups in a press release on 28 January, 2013.

Anita Strong - Common Causes
Michelle Good - Idle No More

The joint information session chaired by Anita Strong and Michelle Good was attended by approximately 50 people.  

This was the first event for Common Causes Kamloops, said organizer Anita Strong.  Common Causes is an umbrella group providing an united front for other social causes.

"We believe that coordinated action is needed to take a strong stand against this agenda that is changing society in critical areas such as the economy, the environment, labour rights, health care, food safety, education, social programs, culture, civil liberties, peace, and poverty."  
from CommonCauses.ca

Information Session at Smorgasbord Deli, Kamloops.

Michelle Good a local lawyer and organizer for Idle No More in Kamloops reviewed Idle No More's Official Manifesto that was released on 21 January, 2013.  

Idle No More's Manifesto covers four main points.

1. Treaties are made nation to nation between the Crown and First Nations and cannot be broken;

2. Resource extraction has made Canada one of the Wealthiest countries in the world at the expense of the environment;

3. The Federal government is passing laws which allow reserve lands to be sold for the purpose of resource extraction and that this infringes on First Nations Sovereignty; and

4. A stated belief in healthy communities.

Most of the information session was dedicated to dialogue and questions from people in attendance with Strong and Good.  

Issues discussed:

Bill C-45 and C-38 the Omnibus bills.  Concerns were raised about how the bills were not subjected to proper political debate before being passed into law.

The Mikisew Cree First Nations Legal Challenge against Bill C-45.

How mainstream media is presenting current issues and how people can get unfiltered news.

The role of social media in organizing events.  Social Media allows for greater communication but can leave older people out who are not computer savvy.

Future events:

1. A jointly held speakers series, proposed to start on 22nd March, 2013 at the same time as the UN's World Water Day.

2. Council of Canadians will be having a political forum at the Kamloops Farmers Market on the 27th April, 2013.

The information session was one of two events on 28 January.

A flash mob was held at the Interior Savings Centre during the Blazers Aboriginal Night at the same time drawing about 30 to 40 people according to Lenora Starr a local Idle No More organizer who attended the information session after the flash mob.