From Postmedia News: Archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu is challenging the Canadian government’s support for the oil and gas industry, while urging it to start leading the world in addressing climate change as it did in opposing the “whites-only” rule that plagued South Africa in the 1980s.
An ad (below) published in newspapers yesterday, signed by Archbishop Tutu and other South African leaders, compares Canada’s response to two pressing issues, separated by decades.
“Apartheid is one issue where Canada stepped up to play more of a leadership role among western countries . . . Today, on the other hand, despite clear scientific evidence — and now it’s even happening before our eyes — there are human impacts and impacts on human security from climate change. And so for some countries it’s becoming much more of a life-or-death issue.”
At a rally in Durban on Sunday Archbishop Tutu said:
“We have only one home. This is the only home we have. And whether you are rich or poor, this is your only home . . . you are members of one family, the human race.”
More links:
Archbishop Tutu Challenges Canada To Stop Protecting Big Oil
Draw The Line At The Tar Sands.com
Claiming Joy & Healing Amidst the Climate Emergency 
4 responses to “Canada, You Were Once Considered A Leader On Global Issues Like Human Rights & Environmental Protection”
I’m getting more and more angry… Even if I knew it would happen.
Now I’m hoping people around the world would boycott Canadian companies like Research in Motion and Le Cirque du Soleil to hurt their bottom line enough to make them advocate to Harper.
It’s inconvenient most Canadian exports are hard to boycott for customers (oil, paper, metal) as they usually are unaware when they are from Canada.
Canada’s behaviour at the climate talks is so disappointing, and it’s frustrating how similar it is to previous climate talks. Once again we’ve earned ourselves Fossil awards, and despite international pressure Canada has threatened to pull out of Kyoto.
Could the outcome be different, this time? All indications seem against it, but then, the Keystone XL Pipeline seemed almost certain to pass this year, too. Maybe there is hope.
There is news today that a leak in a Suncor Tar Sands pipeline may have contaminated Denver drinking water. Is this how Canadians want to achieve economic prosperity, by becoming global polluters? We must start telling our leaders that we have had enough. We must take action to Stop Harper, join activist groups, organize protests, because there is no other way. If we don’t get involved, we are part of the problem.
I echo each of your sentiments, and would agree that it’s very much time to put verbs in our sentences as Canadians and world citizens (although my suspicion is that each of us writing here has already been doing that for a while).
The Occupy movement has shined a light on the inequities in north america, and around the world. People who have been feeling that they are alone in their consternation at the growing economic unfairness, ecological crisis, and fear about the future, realize that there is a whole lot more people out there that feel the way they do.
And as for speaking out, it has MUCH more impact when it’s done with other people. If you aren’t already plugged into Lead Now, or The Council of Canadians, or Citizens Climate Lobby, do so right now.