MEASURING SECURITY MEASURES - FILMS & PANEL ON POST 9/11 CIVIL LIBERTIES : IMC Maritimes

Measuring Security Measures
A close look at immigration, media and law in a secure Canada

• Are recent security laws and policies in Canada undermining civil liberties?
• Has mainstream media in Canada adequately framed and analyzed this issue?

From Halifax to Vancouver, CitizenShift and überculture with the participation of refugee and immigrant advocacy groups have organized two exciting weeks of film screenings and panel discussions in over ten Canadian cities. These symposiums will be held from October 17-30, 2005, and are meant to provide an open and accessible forum for debate on the issues of immigration, media, law and national security in our country.

HALIFAX

When: Tuesday, October 25th, 7 PM
Where: Pier 21 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax
Panelists:

Dr. Edna Keeble, Former Chair, Dept of Political Science,Saint Mary's University. Dr. Keeble has been working at the forefront of the Metropolis Project, examining how recent changes to Canada's immigration and security laws after 9/11 have impacted the lives of immigrant and ethnic communities in Atlantic Canada.

Lee Cohen, Director & Legal Advocate, Halifax Refugee Clinic
Lee Cohen has been practicing law in Canada since 1981. His practice is dedicated exclusively to matters related to immigration, refugees, and human rights. Cohen founded the Halifax Refugee Clinic, a non-profit organization providing pro bono representation for eligible refugees seeking political asylum in Canada.

Sanja Pecelj, Kosovar Refugee
Pecelj, an ethnic Serb who worked as a United Nations translator in her native Kosovo, came to Canada in 2001 to intern at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Nova Scotia.The federal Immigration and Refugee Board later denied her application to stay in the country as a refugee. Her appeal was also rejected.Pecelj refused to return home, saying that would put her in danger. In April 2003, she defied a deportation order by seeking refuge in the basement of St. Mark's Anglican Church in Halifax. Pecelj went on to spend 441 days in sanctuary at the church.

Principle Organizers:
Ardath Whynacht, Executive Director The Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group-Dalhousie, ardath@nspirg.org

Dave Ron - dave@uberculture.org

FOR MORE INFO + TO VIEW FILMS PLEASE GO TO http://citizen.nfb.ca

WHEN - Saturday, October 29th, 2PM

WHERE - Tilley Hall Auditorium (room 102), UNB Campus.

As part of the MSM events taking place across the country, the free event in Fredericton will proceed with the screening of the same five engaging short films being shown acros the country:

- Security Consciousness: Detained in Guelph, by Reel Alternative Productions;
- Sophie, directed and produced by Alexandre Roy; Whose Rights Anyway?, by Anice Wong;
- Threadbare, a work in progress, produced and directed by Arshad Khan;
- Take Back the Days: Step by Step to Ottawa, produced and directed by Eylem Kaftan.

The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:

- John P. McEvoy of the UNB Faculty of Law, specializing in areas including human rights and constitutional law;

- Naveed Majid, Fredericton Regional Director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, an organization which has spoken out on infringements of civil liberties post- 9-11, and;

- Asaf Rashid, Fredericton moderator for Maritimes Indymedia and local advocate for democratic media

OTHER DETAILS – Underground Café and Alternative Bookstore will provide coffee and snacks, whose members are organizing the local event. The cafe is located in the Charlotte St. Arts Centre (740 Charlotte St.), with a grand opening on November 5th. Contact: vac@mutualaid.org Website: http://www.ugcafe.org