DOCSLIB.ORG

Dreams of Sovereignty in a Foreign Land

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dreams of Sovereignty in a Foreign Land WEEK ENDING MAY 31, 2012 I WWW.CARIBBEANTIMESINTERNATIONAL.COM Dreams of sovereignty in a foreign land Bÿ: MAaÿ ASSAF troubled mother-land. selves as direct descen- Singhalese have succeed- he would do whatever for- ed with them back home," ................... This new generation dants of the original set- ed at creating a sU'ong eign aid said and that he yells the young lady in the fAmizhthini Alweera* is making sure their fel- tlers of the island and cultural identity that has would look into it," says microphone. was still in Sri Lanka low Tamil students un- have fallen prays of racial made them a dominant Alweera. In Canada, there have today, she would not derstand the privilege of supremacT ideologies, ac- power in their nation. Yellow and red flags been victories for the Sri likely aspire to a govern- being born in a tolerant cording to scholar of the Since Sri Lankan Tamils and t-shirts are every- Lankan Tamil people. ment position. Nor her country. "We shouldn't conflict, Patrick Peebles. haven't been able to ac- where in the park. Some Rathika Sitsabaiesan was children would go to uni- take for granted the fact Different from complish anything close young people are wear- the first person of Tamil versity without facing that we have access to Israelis and Patestinians, to this, they've become op- ing shirts with the shape origin to be part of the discrimination for their post-secondary educa- Singhalese and Tamils pressed and at times ex- of theh" dream indepen- Canadian parliament. cluded from public life. dent Tami! state in Sri Daughter of communi- 'Tnis-is why I came Lanka. 'ÿfou can't talk ty activists who helped in- here," says Alweera. 'The sovereignty in Sri Lanka. clude Tamils in Cana "'dian conflict has been going on We still face violence be- life, Sitsabaiesan arrived for 60 years. We took arms cause of our choice of in Canada from Sri Lanka 30 years ago. Everything vote. When Quebec Want- at the age of five and went there is censored. There ed to separate and cre- to University of Toronto are orphans, women with- ated the Bloc Quebecois where she became in- out husbands, mutilated they weren't punished for volved with the Tamil children. They don't pub- it, but we can't even talk Students' Association. lish any" of that. People about it. It's been illegal Back in her country are still suffering. There since 1983," says Krisna such an association would were still police check- Saravahahnottu, 27, a Sri raise suspicion from the points everÿwvhere when Lankan Tamil descendent government and people I left." and York University crim- of her race would face dis- Alweera used to own a inology student. crimination at School and farm in her native island, 'ÿe come out every when attempting to ob- but the government took year not only as a commu- tain govemÿnent posi- it from her, as well as her nity, but as a Diaspora," tions. citizenship once she fled says Saravahahnottu. "All we want is free- to Canada. Since her ar- 'ÿo affirm the necessi- dom for our people," ,says rival to Canada in 1996, ty of self.determination. Alweera. She doesn't A section Of the gathering at the demonstration mhe has taken to write Tamfls in (Sri Lanka) live like to appear on the me- to powerful people in the in in_human conditions. dia, her name has been culture. She would get tion," a young lad}, yells can't be distinguished North American govern- Some with no potable wa- changed for anonymity. constantly stopped by po- into a microphone to a from each other by their ments. She has written ter. Their economic con- "My family is still lice in a country strug- crowd surrounding a physical appearance. letters to American presi- ditions are inferim-to the there. I wouldn't take my gling with an on-going stage. 'ÿe shouldn't take However, their cultures dent, Barack Obama, past Singhalese." children there. They have facing a civil war and her for granted the universal are completely distinct. Canadian foreign affairs Barefooted young girls never been there. I never land would be always in human rights we enjoy They speak different lan- minister John Kenney, with brown, camouflaged went back. It's not safe. risk of being taken away here." guages and while the former NDP leader skirts and black shirts are I am happy I'm here and by the government. The civil war in Sri Tamil minority is most- Jack Layton and Prime dancing to the Sri Lankan they can have a better life. These are some of Lanka started nearly 60 ly Saivite Hindu, the Minister Stephen Harper. Tamil music. "We will That's why I'm giving my the situations many Sri years ago and has left ' Singhalese are Buddhist. "Some of them re- never forget our roots de- voice to the voiceless peo- Lankan Tamils in Toronto hundreds of thousands Political upheaval in plied to me. Harper said spite the dangers associat- ple back home." claim to have suffered in dead, many displaced the island began after Sri their native land. In May with their cultures erased Lanka gained indepen- 18 of 2009, the North and has also forced thou- dence from Britain. An American Diaspora of Sri sands of political exiles to ethnic conflict between Lankan Tamils started countries such as Canada. Sri Lankan two ma- commemorating the anni- The conflict has its jor ethnic groups began versm:y of what they call similarities with the more and ultimately" led to the 'a genocide' against their famous Israel-Palestinian idea of a separatist TamiI people. On Saturday, conflict, in which two cul- state. Sri Lankan Tamils May 19 Sri Lankan Tamil tures claim to be the origi- speak a different dialect youths in Toronto, fo!- na] inhabitants of a land. from Indian Tamfls and !owed their parents exam- The fact at the root of the are concentrated north pie" and organized a man- problem is that both cul- and east in the island. ifestation in front of the tures, Singhalese, the rul- The Singhalese majmity Queen's Park monument ing class who represent think of themselves as un- in downtown Toronto, a the 74 per cent of the na- privileged to Sri Lankan call for action addressed tion's habitants and Sri Tamils who they claim to the Canadian govern- La ÿnkan Thralls, a minor- were favored during colo- ment and the internation- ity who represent 13 per nial times. al community to aid their cent, both think of them- As a result, the Shri Lankan students support demonstration I.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hill Times, Health Policy Review, 17NOV2014
    TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR, NO. 1260 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSWEEKLY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014 $4.00 HEARD ON THE HILL BUZZ NEWS HARASSMENT Artist paints Queen, other prominent MPs like ‘kings, queens in their people, wants a national portrait gallery little domains,’ contribute to ‘culture of silence’: Clancy BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT “The combination of power and testosterone often leads, unfortu- n arm’s-length process needs nately, to poor judgment, especially Ato be established to deal in a system where there has been with allegations of misconduct no real process to date,” said Nancy or harassment—sexual and Peckford, executive director of otherwise—on Parliament Hill, Equal Voice Canada, a multi-par- say experts, as the culture on tisan organization focused on the Hill is more conducive to getting more women elected. inappropriate behaviour than the average workplace. Continued on page 14 NEWS HARASSMENT Campbell, Proctor call on two unnamed NDP harassment victims to speak up publicly BY ABBAS RANA Liberal Senator and a former A NDP MP say the two un- identifi ed NDP MPs who have You don’t say: Queen Elizabeth, oil on canvas, by artist Lorena Ziraldo. Ms. Ziraldo said she got fed up that Ottawa doesn’t have accused two now-suspended a national portrait gallery, so started her own, kind of, or at least until Nov. 22. Read HOH p. 2. Photograph courtesy of Lorena Ziraldo Liberal MPs of “serious person- al misconduct” should identify themselves publicly and share their experiences with Canadians, NEWS LEGISLATION arguing that it is not only a ques- tion of fairness, but would also be returns on Monday, as the race helpful to address the issue in a Feds to push ahead on begins to move bills through the transparent fashion.
    [Show full text]
  • Dialogue Mobilizing Parliamentary Support for a Better Human Development Agenda IAPG Newsletter Final Edition 2012 December
    ParliamentaryDialogue Mobilizing parliamentary support for a better human development agenda IAPG Newsletter Final Edition 2012 December 2012 PROMISE ReneweD Table of Contents Parliamentarians are the real leaders of the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG). It is thanks to their work and commitment 2012 Promise Renewed 1 that they are able to deliver initiatives and proposals to their respective parliaments to adapt their countries’ legislative frameworks to the reality of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to improve the quality of life for all. The IAPG supports Istanbul Statement of Commitment 2 parliamentarians with evidence-based information and fosters alliances and partnerships through our all-party parliamentary network in the Americas. Latin America in numbers 2 The event of the year took place in Alba Luz Pinilla; Costa Rica, María Istanbul, Turkey on May 24 and 25, where Eugenia Venegas; Guatemala, Delia Back; IAPG Council Meeting: 31 parliamentarians, members of the IAPG Honduras, Perla Simons; Ecuador, Gina another leap forward parliamentary delegation representing the Godoy y Linda Machuca; El Salvador, for the parliamentary network 3 Americas region, participated in the Fifth Gloria Anaya y Guillermo Mata; Jamaica, International Parliamentarians’ Conference Kamina Johnson Smith; Nicaragua, Juan on Population and Development (ICPD). Elections: New IAPG Ramón Jiménez y Elman Ramón Urbina; Montserrat, Jermaine Wade; Panama, Governing Council 3 A total of 300 parliamentarians from 110 Crispiano Adames; Paraguay, Aida Robles; countries met to set a plan of action with Santa Lucía, Moses Jr. Baptiste; Perú, Unity is Strength: two objectives: to mobilize resources Ana María Solórzano y César Yrupailla; 2012 work meetings and create an enabling policy and Uruguay, Bertha Sanseverino; Venezuela, 6 legislative environment for population Nancy Ascencio, Dinorah Figuera, Odalis and development issues to ensure the Monzón y Henry Ventura.
    [Show full text]
  • The Real House Lives Strengthening the Role of Mps in an Age of Partisanship
    SAMARA’S MP EXIT INTERVIEWS: VOLUME II The Real House Lives Strengthening the role of MPs in an age of partisanship REPORT ONE: MPs IN PARLIAMENT REPORT TWO: MPs IN THEIR CONSTITUENCY REPORT THREE: MPs IN THEIR POLITICAL PARTY “Empty, nihilistic, repetitive partisanship tires everyone out. It’s exhausting. It’s frustrating. It’s humiliating, sometimes, for those taking part. And it’s alienating for citizens. But—we need strong parties. A more urbane and civil approach to partisanship, but stronger parties … I don’t think we’re convincing large numbers of Canadians that being part of a political party is going to help them or that they’ll enjoy it or it’ll give them some benefit. Because none of our parties fully reflect the country. The complexity. They don’t engage people.EMBARGOED Just as Parliament doesn’t, and our democracy doesn’t to the extent that we would like. So: less partisanship,COPY stronger parties.” 2 Contents INTRODUCING SAMARA’S MP EXIT INTERVIEWS: VOLUME II 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 WHO PARTICIPATED? 8 INTRODUCTION 9 THE JOB DESCRIPTION: MPs IN THE PARTY 12 KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY: HOW MPs DESCRIBE LIFE IN THE PARTY 13 Partisanship: “Must die on every hill!” 13 “Sit in the sauna and talk about things” 16 Seeking common ground 17 “I will not look you in the eye and lie to you” 17 THE LOCAL PARTY: “IT’S A KIND OF FAKE DEMOCRACY” 19 Riding associations: Patchwork quilt 20 Recruitment: “You don’t say no to Jack” 21 Nomination: “Fighting brothers and sisters, or not at all” 21 Playing the long game through the local level 22 CAUCUS: NO SORE LOSERS 24 Bonding: “Where I wanted to be” 24 Mentorship: “The general assumption is that everybody wants your job” 26 Caucus meetings: Deliberation or briefing? 27 “If you don’t want to abide by [our] values, get the hell out!” 29 “The individual loses power as the election comes closer” 30 “You cannot explain it to somebody on the outside” 31 LEADERS: “HUMANITY PERSONIFIED” 33 A remote presence 34 Courtesans 36 Staffers: “I saw them as support.
    [Show full text]
  • Party Name Riding Province Email Phone Twitter Facebook
    Party Name Riding Province Email Phone Twitter Facebook NDP Joanne Boissonneault Banff-Airdrie Alberta https://twitter.com/AirdrieNDP Liberal Marlo Raynolds Banff–Airdrie Alberta [email protected] 587.880.3282 https://twitter.com/MarloRaynolds https://www.facebook.com/voteMarlo Conservative BLAKE RICHARDS Banff—Airdrie Alberta [email protected] 877-379-9597 https://twitter.com/BlakeRichardsMP https://www.facebook.com/blakerichards.ca Conservative KEVIN SORENSON Battle River—Crowfoot Alberta [email protected] (780) 608-6362 https://twitter.com/KevinASorenson https://www.facebook.com/sorensoncampaign2015 Conservative MARTIN SHIELDS Bow River Alberta [email protected] (403) 793-1252 https://twitter.com/MartinBowRiver https://www.facebook.com/MartininBowRiver Conservative Joan Crockatt Calgary Centre Alberta [email protected] 587-885-1728 https://twitter.com/Crockatteer https://www.facebook.com/joan.crockatt Liberal Kent Hehr Calgary Centre Alberta [email protected] 403.475.4474 https://twitter.com/KentHehr www.facebook.com/kenthehrj NDP Jillian Ratti Calgary Centre Alberta Conservative LEN WEBBER Calgary Confederation Alberta [email protected] (403) 828-1883 https://twitter.com/Webber4Confed https://www.facebook.com/lenwebberyyc Liberal Matt Grant Calgary Confederation Alberta [email protected] 403.293.5966 www.twitter.com/MattAGrant www.facebook.com/ElectMattGrant NDP Kirk Heuser Calgary Confederation Alberta https://twitter.com/KirkHeuser Conservative DEEPAK OBHRAI Calgary Forest Lawn Alberta [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Scarborough in Headlights N Photoshopping Controversy Surrounds Rathika Sitsabaiesan of Observer Scarborough-Rouge River Page 3 Vol
    L OCAL MP CAUGHT The Scarborough IN HEADLIGHTS n Photoshopping controversy surrounds Rathika Sitsabaiesan of OBSERVER Scarborough-Rouge River Page 3 Vol. 6, No. 2 Fri. Oct. 7, 2011 torontoobserver.ca Serving the Scarborugh community since 2006 Kenney defends PM The ‘Islamicist’ comment By MERSIHA GADZO Best The Observer When Prime Min- ister Stephen Harper called “Islamicism” the biggest threat to Canada in an of interview with the CBC, Scarborough resident and PhD student Asma Bala found it hurtful and shocking to hear such times language from her own prime minister. Concerned with the in- creas- ing pres- ence of Cole Carruthers /// Observer Islamo- Scarborough-Guildwood Liberal incumbent Margarett Best topped PC contender Gary Ellis in the Oct. 6 provincial election phobia, Thursday. Best celebrated her victory at Prague Restaurant on Scarborough Golf Club Road. she n Kenney de- cided to address the n ELECTION 2011 issue, and took it up with Jason Kenney, SCARBOROUGH Minister of Immigra- tion, Citizenship and Multiculturalism at the Masjid Al-Jannah mosque in Scarbor- VOTERS ough on Oct. 1. Kenney came out to endorse the election bid for the Conservatives with local candidate Gary Ellis. PAINT THE “He [Harper] did not distinguish what he meant by that,” Bala said, “but what Liberal he did do with that PC statement is paint 1.6 NDP billion Muslims in the TOWN RED world with the same brush, and he made Liberals hold on to all six Scarborough ridings, us out to be fanatics.” Bala asked, “If en route to provincial minority for Dalton McGuinty we’re going to talk about respecting faith tradition, how can we By KYLE LARKIN AND Scarborough-Southwest PC candidate marginalize a very im- YEAMROT TADDESE Mike Chopowick lost his bid, finishing portant community?” 3 Duguid 1 Wong 2 Balkissoon The Observer third behind victorious incumbent Liberal Kenney told Bala Voters went to the polls on election day Lorenzo Berardinetti and NDP candidate she wasn’t taking n Kenney and kept Scarborough a Liberal stronghold, Bruce Budd.
    [Show full text]
  • Top 41 Ridings with a Population of 40 Per Cent Or More Immigrants
    4 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011 NEWS: ETHNIC RIDINGS Feds poised to bring in House seats bill, to increase urban, suburban ethnic ridings Under the old bill, Ontario was expected to receive 18 seats, Alberta five and British Columbia seven. Continued from Page 1 Top 41 Ridings With A Population Of 40 Per Cent Or More Immigrants Riding Per cent of Current MP 2011 election results Second Place 2011 election Incumbent results from Immigrants in riding 2008 election 1. Scarborough-Rouge River, Ont. 67.7% NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan 40.6% Conservative Marlene Gallyot, 29.9% Liberal Derek Lee, 58.8% 2. Scarborough-Agincourt, Ont. 67.7% Liberal Jim Karygiannis 45.4% Conservative Harry Tsai, 34.2% Liberal Jim Karygiannis, 56.6% 3. Markham-Unionville, Ont. 62% Liberal John McCallum 38.95% Conservative Bob Saroya, 35.6% Liberal John McCallum, 55% 4. York West, Ont. 61.4% Liberal Judy Sgro 47% NDP Giulio Manfrini, 27.9% Liberal Judy Sgro, 59.4% 5. Don Valley East, Ont. 61.3% Conservative Joe Daniel 36.8% Liberal Yasmin Ratansi, 34.6% Liberal Yasmin Ratansi, 48% 6. Mississauga East-Cooksville, Ont. 61.1% Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 39.97% Liberal Peter Fonseca, 38.5% Liberal Albina Guarnieri, 50.2% 7. Richmond, B.C. 61.1% Conservative Alice Wong 58.3% Liberal Joe Peschisolido, 18.7% Conservative Alice Wong, 49.8% 8. Vancouver South, B.C. 60.3% Conservative Wai Young 43.3% Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, 34.7% Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, 38.5% 9 Willowdale, Ont. 60.2% Conservative Chungsen Leung 41.7% Liberal Martha Hall Findlay, 39.95% Liberal Martha Hall Findlay, 48.7% 10.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Report Card
    Corporate Accountability for Canada’s Mining, Oil and Gas Sectors Abroad Parliamentary Report Card anadian extractive sector companies have a significant presence around the world, including in developing and emerging economies.1 Increasingly, Canadian companies’ overseas operations are associated with Ccredible accusations of human rights abuse- including forced labour, sexual violence and involuntary relocation. The Government of Canada has an important role to play in promoting corporate accountability and an obligation to ensure that Canadian companies respect international human and labour rights wherever they operate. This Parliamentary Report Card documents • the commitments made by Canadian federal political parties to adopt corporate accountability mechanisms in Canada and • the MP voting record on legislation to create an Ombudsman for the international extractive sector in Canada. 1VOTING RECORD: DOES YOUR MP SUPPORT THE CREATION OF AN EXTRACTIVE SECTOR OMBUDSMAN? (See a detailed breakdown of how MPs voted on the next pages) Second Reading Vote on Bill C-584, Extractive Sector Ombudsman Bill October 1, 2014 Voted in SUPPORT of the Ombudsman bill Voted AGAINST the Ombudsman bill Conservative Party: 0 Conservative Party: 149 New Democratic Party: 86 New Democratic Party: 0 Liberal Party: 34 Liberal Party: 0 Bloc Québécois: 2 Bloc Québécois: 0 Green Party: 2 Green Party: 0 Independent: 3 Independent: 1 1 For example, over half of the world’s mining and mineral exploration companies are headquartered in Canada, with operations
    [Show full text]
  • Core 1..130 Hansard (PRISM::Advent3b2 17.25)
    House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 233 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 17, 2015 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 15199 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, June 17, 2015 The House met at 2 p.m. [English] QUANTO'S LAW Mr. Costas Menegakis (Richmond Hill, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Prayers Quanto's law passed in the House on June 15 with a unanimous vote. Today, I rise to thank my colleagues on both sides of the House who voted to recognize and support the special role that law Ï (1405) enforcement, service and military animals have in protecting our [English] communities every day. The Speaker: It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing Quanto's law will honour the memory of Edmonton Police of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Louis-Saint- Service dog Quanto, as well as the Toronto Police Service horse Laurent. Brigadier, and many other law enforcement animals that have made the ultimate sacrifice. It will ensure that those who choose to harm [Members sang the national anthem] these animals will face serious consequences. This legislation is very meaningful to me. It is also meaningful to my Richmond Hill constituents, who provided the inspiration for a similar private member's bill I introduced just two years ago. It is STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS important to the hundreds of Canadians, York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe, students from Sudbury Secondary School, the [Translation] Edmonton Police Service, and many others, who wrote to me with their support for this legislation.
    [Show full text]
  • Toronto City Summit Alliance Steering Committee
    For immediate release Politicians urged to tackle traffic woes 87% of residents say public transit should be regional spending priority Toronto – April 29, 2014 – On the eve of a new provincial budget, a majority of residents in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) say they are more likely to vote for politicians who support new, dedicated dollars to get us moving. That’s the message CivicAction and a coalition of nearly two dozen business, labour, health, community, and environmental groups are delivering to Ontario MPPs and party leaders. The group points to the results of an April Angus Reid Forum poll* showing that 87% of GTHA residents want to see transportation as a regional spending priority, and 83% said they would more likely support new taxes or fees if they were put into a dedicated fund for transportation. Half of the GTHA’s elected officials - including more than 50% of MPPs across the three major political parties - have signed CivicAction’s “Get a Move On” pledge that calls for dedicated, efficient, and sustainable investment in our regional transportation priorities. They have been joined by thousands of GTHA residents. **See the full list below of politicians who have signed the CivicAction pledge. CivicAction and its partners are looking to all of Ontario’s party leaders to be clear on how they will invest in the next wave of transportation improvements for the region – both in the spring budget and in their party platforms. Quotes: “We cannot pass the buck for our aging infrastructure to the next generation,” says Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO of CivicAction.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Weekly Report of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research
    www.rsis.edu.sg 2524 – – 31 30 August Novem 2014ber 2014 Country Weekly Report of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research SRI LANKA Terrorism On 27 November 2014, Steven Blaney, Public Safety Minister of Canada, urged Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a Sri Lankan Tamil-Canadian Member of Parliament of the New Democratic Party (NDP) to “stop shopping for votes from terrorist-linked groups, and to immediately apologise to veterans and all Canadians” for her statement that likened the “Tamil Heroes Day” celebrated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group to Canada’s national Remembrance Day which commemorates soldiers that died in the First and Second World Wars.1 He said he was “shocked and appalled” that Rathika Sitsabaiesan rose in the House of Commons to commemorate Tamil Heroes Day which honours LTTE fighters who die in battle, the LTTE being a designated terrorist organisation in Canada.2 Ms. Sitsabaiesan denied that she was supporting terrorism or encouraging violence, although “Heroes Day” celebrations in Canada feature the LTTE flag and participants paying homage to fallen LTTE leaders and fighters.3 Canada remains a key hub of the LTTE’s overseas network and hosts the largest population of the radicalized, pro-LTTE Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. 1 “NDP MP commemorates event honouring fallen Tamil Tigers, likens it to Remembrance Day in parliament,” National Post (http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/11/27/ndp-mp-commemorates-event-honouring-fallen-tamil- tigers-likens-it-to-remembrance-day-in-parliament/;
    [Show full text]
  • Suffering, Protest, and Belonging in Sri Lanka's
    Politics After a Ceasefire: Suffering, Protest, and Belonging in Sri Lanka’s Tamil Diaspora Kitana Ananda Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2016 © 2016 Kitana Ananda All rights reserved ABSTRACT Politics After a Ceasefire: Suffering, Protest, and Belonging in Sri Lanka’s Tamil Diaspora Kitana Ananda This dissertation is a multi-sited ethnographic study of the cultural formations of moral and political community among Tamils displaced and dispersed by three decades of war and political violence in Sri Lanka. Drawing on twenty months of field research among Tamils living in Toronto, Canada and Tamil Nadu, India, I inquire into the histories, discourses, and practices of diasporic activism at the end of war between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Tamils abroad were mobilized to protest the war, culminating in months of spectacular mass demonstrations in metropolitan cities around the world. Participant-observation among activists and their families in diaspora neighborhoods and refugee camps, and their public events and actions, as well as semi-structured interviews, media analysis and archival work, reveal how “diaspora” has become a capacious site of political becoming for the identification and mobilization of Tamils within, across, and beyond-nation states and their borders. Part One of this study considers how migration and militancy have historically transformed Tamil society, giving rise to a diasporic politics with competing ethical obligations for Tamils living outside Sri Lanka. Chapters One and Two describe and analyze how distinct trajectories of migration and settlement led to diverse forms of social and political action among diaspora Tamils during Sri Lanka’s 2002 ceasefire and peace process.
    [Show full text]
  • How Does Your MP Stack Up? Find Your Member of Parliament Below to See How Many Words He Or She Spoke in the House of Commons in 2012
    How does your MP stack up? Find your Member of Parliament below to see how many words he or she spoke in the House of Commons in 2012. Conservative New Democratic Liberal Green Bloc Québécois Independent RANK NAME/RIDING TOTAL WORDS SPOKEN 1. Peter Julian, Burnaby—New Westminster 226,027 2. Kevin Lamoureux, Winnipeg North 222,451 3. Elizabeth May, Saanich—Gulf Islands 174,783 4. Kellie Leitch, Simcoe—Grey 120,835 5. Jack Harris, St. John's East 113,819 6. Roger Cuzner, Cape Breton—Canso 87,687 7. Lisa Raitt, Halton 87,591 8. Don Davies, Vancouver East 85,689 9. Libby Davies, Vancouver Kingsway 85,360 10. Jinny Sims, Newton—North Delta 82,770 11. Robert Chisholm, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour 79,299 12. Bob Rae, Toronto Centre 76,447 13. Tom Lukiwski, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre 75,271 14. Irwin Cotler, Mount Royal 73,714 15. Peter Van Loan, York—Simcoe 70,334 16. Jason Kenney, Calgary Southeast 65,362 17. Pierre Poilievre, Nepean—Carleton 64,266 18. Anne-Marie Day, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles 63,934 19. Anne Minh-Thu Quach, Beauharnois—Salaberry 61,965 20. Françoise Boivin, Gatineau 61,146 21. Wayne Easter, Malpeque 57,902 22. Chris Charlton, Hamilton Mountain 56,308 23. Hedy Fry, Vancouver Centre 55,623 24. Philip Toone, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine 55,150 25. Jean Crowder, Nanaimo—Cowichan 54,923 26. Mike Sullivan, York South—Weston 54,405 27. David Anderson, Cypress Hills—Grasslands 54,089 28. Alexandre Boulerice, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie 54,052 29. Craig Scott, Toronto—Danforth 53,693 30.
    [Show full text]