Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Town Meeting

Calling all citizens,
The Rights Action Group cordially invites you to a town meeting on Wednesday August 9
at Communication Workers Union to update you on what is happening on the frontline of anti-smelter struggle and also to discuss forms of non-violent direct action that we can take in solidarity with the communities that are currently under siege. In this time of questions and concerns and upheaval in our society, the Rights Action Group is calling on citizens to take their democracy seriously and register their own voices in the decisions being made on our behalf.
This meeting is an urgent call for a national response to recent activities in Chatham this week (please click on the link for our blog below), regarding the drilling of boreholes and how people in different parts of the island can get involved.
It's not about groups or personalities at this point. The Rights Action Group encourages every citizen to make their own interventions- to gather strength from prayer groups, to read about smelters in your book clubs, to meditate on changing the minds of those in power to a kind of development that is more evolved and considerate that this current development model.
This is what democracy is about. This is what growing into a sense of true freedom means to a post-Independence generation.
Part of our civic responsibility is to know our rights and know the laws and to challenge ourselves and our leaders to respect and uphold them. We will be providing you with practical information on the laws of Trinidad and Tobago and the rights that protect you, should you make a democratic choice to protest or simply speak out against whatever way injustice manifests itself in your community. At the meeting we will discuss non-violent forms of direct action that citizens can take, specifically looking at the issue of the smelters and how people can provide support for the community of Chatham, whatever their skill. Whether this support is spiritual, social, legal or otherwise we would like to begin amassing a database of skills that will be needed as the protest against the smelter continues.
If direct action is not your thing please also be there to sign a petition which will be sent on to the Heads of Caricom and the United Nations Environment Programme as the issue of two aluminum smelters on a small densely populated island is an issue of regional and international importance.
We look forward to seeing you tonight.

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