SOLIDARITY WITHOUT OWNERS: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF CANADA-COLOMBIA RELATIONS ‘FROM BELOW’ by Michael Toal (Micheál Ó Tuathail) B.A., University of Alberta 2008 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the Department of Sociology and Anthropology Latin American Studies Program Michael Toal (Micheál Ó Tuathail) 2010 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA. APPROVAL Name: Michael Toal (Micheál Ó Tuathail) Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: Solidarity without Owners: An Ethnography of Canada- Colombia Relations ‘from Below’ Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Alexander Dawson Director, Latin American Studies Program ___________________________________________ Dr. Eric Hershberg Senior Supervisor Professor, Department of Political Science ___________________________________________ Dr. Stacy Leigh Pigg Supervisor Associate Professor of Anthropology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology ___________________________________________ Dr. Jon Beasley-Murray External Examiner Assistant Professor, Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies University of British Columbia Date Defended/Approved: May 27, 2010 ii SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. 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Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada Last revision: Spring 09 SIMON FMASER UNIVERSITY 'II'JO~IJOG OF 'JOE WORLD STATEMENT OF ETHICS APPROVAL The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained, for the research described in this work, either: (a) Human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics, or (b) Advance approval of the animal care protocol from the University Animal Care Committee of Simon Fraser University; or has conducted the research (c) as a co-investigator, collaborator or research assistant in a research project approved in advance, or (d) as a member of a course approved in advance for minimal risk human research, by the Office of Research Ethics. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Office of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for approval and letter of approval are filed with the relevant offices. Inquiries may be directed to those authorities. Simon Fraser University Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada Last update: Spring 2010 ABSTRACT Globalization ‘from below’ implies the convergence of contentious globalizing forces from a diverse multitude that challenges the logic of global neoliberal capitalism in a variety of ways. Scholars and activists understand these phenomena using varied analytical tools. This study starts from globalization from below as rhizomatic and rooted in the resonance of resistance beyond multiple borders, emphasizing the horizontal construction of solidarity as the basis for ‘weaving’ alternative relations of people autonomous from the state and capital. How is solidarity realized as an everyday experience? Through ethnographic description of the activities and transformations of members of the La Chiva Collective (Canada) and the Tejido de Comunicación (Cauca, Colombia), this study examines solidarity as a local and transnational experience and a political possibility that prefigures alternative relations of peoples across borders. Solidarity ‘without owners’ is a living concept, an incipient everyday political practice rooted in mutual aid, accompaniment, affinity, and affection. Keywords: Political activists -- Canada; Political activists -- Colombia -- Cauca; Canada- Latin America foreign relations; social movements; indigenous movements; globalization; transnationalism; solidarity iii DEDICATION To my grandmother and guardian angel, Sarah Hughes, who accompanies me at every moment. I love you so much. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my Senior Supervisor, Dr. Eric Hershberg for his comments and support from this project’s early stages of funding applications to the writing up process. Leaving SFU for American University, Eric had no obligation to continue working with me, so I thank him for still carefully reading through what were once very rough and wandering versions of this text and for keeping me on track and focussed, even from afar and in spite of his busy schedule. I thank Dr. Stacy Leigh Pigg for her helpful comments and reflections on the thesis and for joining my supervisory committee even though it was so late in the game. Dr. Jon Beasley-Murray, my External Examiner, deserves a special mention here for his careful reading of the thesis and thoughtful comments and criticisms at the defence. Thanks also to Dr. Alexander Dawson for serving as Chair at the defence. This whole process would not have been possible without the support of staff at the Latin American Studies Program at Simon Fraser University, especially Graduate Secretary, Carlotta Spino, who took a lot off my mind during the final weeks of this process. I would also like to thank Andrea Mesa at American University for all her help and patience. I must also thank Dr. Martin Monsalve for making those initial months of graduate school bearable, Dr. Pilar Riaño Alcala for our chat at a key moment during the write up process, and Dr. Ying-Fen Huang, for her incredibly important on-going support and solidarity. I have dedicated this work to my late grandmother, Sarah Hughes. But through her, I also dedicate it to a number of people; I have found little pieces of her memory and spirit in each of them, which in the end has made this all possible and a product of their love. To the past and present members of La Chiva for allowing me to make mistakes, learn and grow. v Para el Tejido de Comunicación y l@s incómod@s tejedores de conciencias (M, JM, H, H, H, I, V, D, E, E, G, I, O, N, C, A), quienes me dieron el honor de hacerme “un tejedor más” y a quienes debo todo. Pai… Sin palabras. To Manuel Rozental, a mentor, a friend, an example. Words cannot describe. To Justin Podur, for his friendship, encouragement, and for showing me a Colombia that I did not know. To Estrada and Peluca for being my brothers and friends, mis parceros, through thick and thin. To Sarita and Camilo Desmond, for bringing me smiles and happiness in dark moments of uncertainty. To the Toal clan: my mother and father Michael and Isobel; my sister Tara, brother-in-law Brent, and wee nephew Ewan; Christopher ‘I’; and ‘the boys,’ Aidan and Ciarán. How does this not all begin and end with you? To all my family in Ireland, especially my Grannie and Granda Toal; Gerard Óg, Marco, and Anne Francis; and Darren, Natalie and Conor. To the memory of Stephen Hughes (444), my cousin, friend, and visitor. I miss you all every single day. To an endless list of life-long friends and compas (in no particular order): Los Renderos; Dan Faria, Jaime Cholak, Ben Sarnelli, Liam Shepherd, Matt Sicotte, Jade Degen and the Kabaal Skateboards Crew; April Howard, Benjamin Dangl and Upside Down World; all at Z; Joanne Robertson and the Fair Trade Algoma folks; el Pollo; el Chamoy; Angelica and Sebastian; mi familia Kankuama (Margi, Rossana and Daniel) y ‘Salcibiades’ y Nilton; Gustavín, mi hermano y co-habitante de la Tierra Media; Prof. Chibú Lagman; and the 2008 LAS cohort at SFU, Deanna Fasciani, Luis Carlos Moncayo, and Claudia Barbaric. I feel these people to be the most important on earth, and my everyday would not be possible without their love and support. Without a doubt, I owe everything to my partner, Elena Renderos, who has been an unbelievable force in supporting me and helping me through all of this and more. Nens, this is for you, because you, like my Grannie, are an angel.