Leadnow and Idle No More's 'Skills for Solidarity' Education Program - Building Bridges Among Allies

The Guardian article by Martin Lukacs titled 'Indigenous Rights are the Best Defense Against Canada's Resource Rush' is an excellent introduction to First Nations activist Arthur Manuel, a brilliant thinker trained in law, who has devoted himself to fighting Canada's policies toward Indigenous peoples and the all important topics surrounding FN's Constitutional Rights. Canada's First Nations are fighting in the courts and on the ground to protect the water, land and wildlife that sustain us all.

Like the Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance folks, the Tar Sands Blockade and others including Bold Nebraska who are on the ground resisting Big Oil stateside Canada's First Nations and environmental activists are on the front lines of a battle that attempts to force the world's largest corporations and the governments they control to put the environment of the many before the profits of the few.

A few days ago, for instance, Harpo's Conservative government along with the ass-kissing Liberals passed a motion to facilitate the adoption of the FIPA trade deal, a deal that if ratified would allow China’s companies to sue Canada if any Canadian government, including the provinces, makes any decision that put our health, jobs and environment before their profits. Worse yet, these suits would be decided by unaccountable arbitrators in secret courts outside our legal system. Green Party leader Elizabeth May commented that now the only legal hope we have of stopping the 31-year corporate rights deal that contains massive environmental, human rights and sovereignty implications is the legal injunction filed by the Hupacasath First Nation in BC.

As the groups at Leadnow and Idle No More explain on their website: "From muzzling scientists and stripping environmental protections to negotiating secretive trade agreements and trampling Indigenous rights, this government is silencing watchdogs and opening the country to devastation for the benefit of a few. Indigenous-led movements have responded by standing up across Canada to defend democracy, Indigenous rights and the land, water and air."

That’s why Leadnow and Idle No More are working together to launch Skills for Solidarity, a free online education program that will teach key lessons about our nations’ histories and ways the rest of us can become a better allies. The 'Skills for Solidarity' program will offer lessons, articles and videos throughout the spring. Hope you'll join me and many others by signing up to learn more from the Skills for Solidarity Educational Program: