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Bearing a thick report that documents the human rights violations experienced by Aboriginal Peoples, especially Aboriginal Rights activists, representatives of the Coalition for a Public Inquiry in Ipperwash and the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Centre head to Geneva on Saturday, August 3, 2002.

On August 5th and 6th, the United Nations Committee on the Convention for the Elimination of All Kinds of Racial Discrimination will review Canada's compliance with this international human rights treaty. All state-parties who sign the CERD treaty must submit reports to the Committee every two years, showing that the country is implementing the human rights guaranteed by the Convention. Canada is behind in filing its "periodic reports" to the CERD Committee. At this meeting, the Committee members, who are appointed by the General Assembly of the UN, will be discussing two reports from Canada that cover the years 1993 - 1997. Canada sends high level officials from Foreign Affairs and other relevant Departments, such as Indian Affairs, to these "reviews" to answer questions from and hear the views of Committee members.

Carrying this community-based and NGO report to Geneva for the Coalition for a Public Inquiry is Sharon Menow, a Cree single mother and a traditional wellness Women's Helper. In Geneva, Sharon will be joined by another young Cree woman, Ravyn Godwin, an anti-poverty and Aboriginal Rights activist representing the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Centre.

"This is the only way we can bring some attention to what we are living with here in Canada", says Menow. "Our report demonstrates the links between the many Aboriginal human rights violations prominent in the media since 1993. It shows that these are not isolated incidents. They are all part of Canada's ongoing program of forced assimilation and cultural eradication, which is reinforced by persecution of Aboriginal Rights activists."

The Ad Hoc National Network's report Sharon and Ravyn will present illustrates the national pattern of racial discrimination towards Aboriginal Peoples. The report connects known issues such as economic and cultural marginalization with incidents at Ipperwash, Gustafsen Lake, Burnt Church, and the "Sun Peaks" resort in British Columbia. It specifically highlights the pattern of oppression and criminalization of Aboriginal Rights activists, which is identified clearly as aracism under the CERD. The still-unresolved Lubicon land and resources rights issues, Saskatoon police practices, the recent British Columbia referendum on the treaty process, and the Governance Act are among many other examples of racial discrimination that are addressed in the context of this report. Recommendations to the Committee focus on the need to implement the land, resource rights, treaty dispute resolution, restructuring, and public education proposals of 1996 Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples.

UN Human Rights Committees are interested in information brought by non-governmental organizations from member-states, because they often provide a more balanced perspective on current issues. Arrangements have been made in Geneva for our representatives to meet with the Committee prior to their formal review meeting with the official Canadian delegation. At this information-sharing meeting will also be delegates and reports from the National Anti-Racism Coalition, Amnesty International, and other grassroots and institutional Canadian NGO's.

Upon return of our delegates from Geneva. a media conference will be held to report on the discussion that occurs at the UN Committee's August 5th and 6th meeting with Canada's official delegation.