Dear friends of COAT, With summer weather now upon us, the struggle to make the world a better place is that much more difficult to sustain. And, for me at least, the largely-unappreciated work of trying to expose our government's hypocritical complicity in war, repression and regime change, is hard enough to keep going without having the added "problems" of warm weather to tempt one away from the office! All that said, I hope that, like me, you too are able to enjoy some holiday time and to forget -- temporarily at least -- about all the horrors plaguing this world of ours!
So why am I really writing this email? Besides waxing on about the untoward influence of weather patterns on the work habits of Canadian peace activists, I'm actually hoping to encourage you to take a bit of time this summer to help promote the latest issue of Press for Conversion! There are several ways that you can make a difference. Please: (1) Order some extra copies of the magazine. (Give or sell this summer reading material to friends and enemies alike.) (2) Spread the word. (Post a message about this latest issue to a list serve, to your email list or to a website.) (3) Make a donation to help ensure that COAT's work can continue. Here's the Table of Contents with links to all of the articles in this latest issue of Press for Conversion!: "Putting the Aid in Aiding and Abetting: CIDA's Agents of Regime Change in Haiti's 2004 Coup" http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/62/62-TOC.htm Here's a message describing this issue which you can send to friends and colleagues, or post to list serves. http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/62/62.htm And, if you're moved, here's a coupon that you can print and mail with your cheque to COAT: http://coat.ncf.ca/support_us/support_us.htm (You can also transfer funds online with "Paypal." Click the above link and look for the "transfer funds" button at the bottom.) Did I mention, order some extra copies of the magazine? I did? Okay, consider it underlined. Why is Canada's role in Haiti so important? Canada's role in Haiti's 2004 coup is the best example I've ever seen of the Canadian government taking a lead role in illegally overthrowing a democracy. In fact, it was such a "successful" operation that most Canadians -- even many progressive activists -- still have little or no idea what really happened. What''s more -- as the latest issue of Press for Conversion! details -- numerous "NGOs" were deeply complicit in aiding and abetting the whole sordid process. All this goes to show that: (1) Canada's government is extremely proficient in the martial arts of public deception and manipulation, and (2) We need to be exceedingly wary of the myth that Canada's government is a global purveyor of support for the poor, downtrodden and repressed people of the "developing" world. Because, as the Haiti coup so clearly demonstrates, progressive organizations are not immune to government propaganda efforts, it is very important for Canadian activists to learn from what happened in this case so that we can make sure that such a fiasco will never happen again! But unfortunately, it will happen again. This means that we have to be ever vigilant in trying to make sure our fellow activists are not among those who are tricked into believing that a US-led invasion and a UN-backed occupation can make for peace, that supporting the political efforts of Third World elites is any way to eradicate poverty, or that promoting an illegal regime change and a coup-installed dictatorship offers a road to democracy. Issue # 62 of Press for Conversion! examines the following CIDA-funded, quasi-government agencies and exposes their roles in Haiti's 2004 regime change: * Alternatives * Canadian Foundation for the Americas * Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (Centre canadien d'étude et de coopération internationale) * Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs * Development and Peace * Freedom Network (Réseau Liberté) * International Legal Resources Centre (Centre International des Ressources Juridiques) * Québec Association of International Cooperation Organizations (L.Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale) * Rights and Democracy * Roundtable on Haiti (Concertation pour Haiti) What many readers have found most shocking about this latest COAT exposé is that although the above-listed CIDA-funded organizations belong to movements dedicated to peace, development, human rights, "Third World" development and "democracy promotion," they were all enthusiastic cheerleaders for Canada's role in Haiti's latest coup. Some of these "NGOs" played key roles in helping to destabilize President Aristide's democratically-elected government, while others joined propaganda efforts that covered up the worst of the human rights abuses overseen by Haiti's Canadian-backed, coup-installed government. Some of these CIDA-funded groups even helped funnel millions in government grants to their "partners" in Haiti so that they could conduct virulently partisan political campaigns that were instrumental in setting the stage for the ousting of Haiti's legitimate government. Others among these CIDA-funded Canadian "NGOs" contributed to the cause by lending legitimacy to the brutal regime that was illegally installed in 2004. The issue of Press for Conversion! represents considerable new research into the complicity of CIDA-funded Canadian groups in Haiti's coup. With articles totalling about 40,000 words, this issue is exhaustively footnoted with more than 450 detailed references. Previous Issues Two previous issue of Press for Conversion! have also dealt with the Canadian government's role in Haiti's 2004 coup d'état: Issue # 60 A Very Canadian Coup d'état in Haiti: The Top 10 Ways that Canada's Government helped the 2004 Coup and its Reign of Terror http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/60/60.htm Issue # 61 CIDA's Key Role in Haiti's 2004 Coup d'état: Funding Regime Change, Dictatorship and Human Rights Atrocities, one Haitian 'NGO' at a Time http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/61/61-TOC.htm Anything that you can do to help spread the word about these three issues of Press for Conversion! would be greatly appreciated! With thanks, and in solidarity, yours sincerely for peace, Richard Sanders, editor, Press for Conversion! <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] P.S. Did I forget to mention that I hope you'll order some extra copies of this issue? Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
