Mary Corkery, executive director KAIROS | Michel Lambert, executive direction at Alternatives | Dave Bleakney, national representative with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
listen to a CKUT radio in-studio discussion addressing the recent wave of government cuts to major NGOs in Canada due to support for the Palestinian struggle for freedom.
An in-studio discussion on CKUT radio's daily community news program Off the Hour hosted by journalist and community organizer Stefan Christoff. This special discussion aims to address the recent wave of government cuts to major NGOs in Canada, across the country organizations including Alternatives, the Montreal-based international solidarity organization and KAIROS the ecumenical social justice group based in Toronto are facing major funding slashes from the Conservative government in Ottawa.
Across the media landscape these government cuts to longstanding NGOs has created major debate and discussion particularly on the Conservative government's focus on slashing funding towards groups outspoken towards Israeli military policies towards the Palestinian people living under military occupation in the West Bank and under blockade in Gaza. Conservative minister Jason Kenney has been particularly outspoken in regards to the funding cuts, explicitly outlining that the government cut funding towards KAIROS due to the organizations defense for Palestinian human rights.
As critical voices towards Israel's apartheid policies towards the Palestinian people grow across Canada and globally the Conservative government has moved in the past years to attempt to stifle democratic discussion on Canada's policy positions towards Israel/Palestine and to criminalize the growing movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions in opposition to Israeli apartheid modeled after the global solidarity movements against apartheid in South Africa which played a key role in bringing down the racist apartheid regime in South Africa 20 years ago.
* CKUT radio is a major community radio station in Montreal with extensive ties to grassroots social movements and cultural workers across Montreal, Canada and globally, more info at: http://www.ckut.ca/
* Stefan Christoff is a Montreal-based journalist and community organizer http://www.twitter.com/spirodon/