ICHRP-CANADA announces National Conference in Montréal, Québec
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-Canada) is convening in Montréal from May 3-5, bringing together human rights advocates from all throughout Canada. The national conference will examine the interdependence of human rights in Canada and the Philippines and seek to provide organizations and individuals with the necessary resources to strengthen collective human rights advocacy.
The pursuit of human rights transcends national boundaries.
ICHRP strongly emphasizes the significance of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to enhance military capacity-building efforts with regional allies, such as the Philippines. Of equal concern is the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on security cooperation between Canada and the Philippines in January 2024. This agreement has led to Canada being more involved in human rights abuses that are linked to counter-insurgency operations in the Philippines.
Canadian corporations participate in exploitative labour practices and resource extraction, which worsen the economic and human rights challenges in the Philippines. The economically disadvantaged majority in the Philippines, especially women, children, peasants, labourers, and Indigenous people, are experiencing significant hardships. The Philippine government’s implementation of a neoliberal economic programme has led to an exacerbation of landlessness, unemployment, and poverty.
State of Human Rights and Culture of Impunity in the Philippines
The Philippines now has an alarmingly high number of political prisoners, totaling 799. The magnitude of extrajudicial executions of civilians by state forces is immense, capturing the interest of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the United Nations (UN). The report by UN Special Rapporteur Ms. Irene Khan emphasised how the practice of red- and terror-tagging has had a deterrent effect on the freedom of expression, perpetuated a culture of impunity, and resulted in an ongoing denial of justice for individuals who have experienced human rights violations.
The conference will include panel discussions, skills workshops, and keynote speakers from the Philippines. Notable speakers include Neri Colmenares, a human rights lawyer and former Philippine Congressman, and Amirah Lidasan, co-chairperson of Sandugo – Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination. In addition, a pre-conference colloquium will take place on May 2, 2024, at the Université de Montréal (Udemy) campus, under the patronage of Dr. Dominique Caouette.
ICHRP is a global alliance of organizations that have significant concerns regarding the condition of human rights in the Philippines. The main goal is to promote just and long-lasting peace within the country, while simultaneously aiming to increase global awareness of the serious human rights situation in the Philippines. The advocacy group calls on individuals, organizations, political parties, and governments globally to express their concerns about the deteriorating condition of human rights in the Philippines.
Registration Link: ichrpcanada.org/register ###