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Palestine advocacy and the law in Canada

As we approach the end of 2021, we reflect on the shifts in Palestine advocacy over this year and its interface with law in Canada, doing so in the context of what is happening in Palestine and internationally.
Join Canadian lawyers, Shane Martínez, James Kafieh, and Andrea Sobko, as they discuss Palestine advocacy and the law. Joining them will be Jonathan Kuttab, founder of Al-Haq.
In May, tens of thousands of Palestinians mobilized throughout Palestine and the diaspora under a unified call for freedom, dignity, and justice. The uprising sparked a shift in global consciousness.
This panel of lawyers will consider what is changing. They will look at specific examples and campaigns (e.g. stopping illegal Israeli military recruiting in Canada, pressure on school boards & universities to censor Palestine, charity status of organizations supporting illegal settlements & military occupation). The panel will also consider what we can learn, and share their thoughts about Palestinian human rights advocacy going forward.
With the recent the designation of six Palestinian human rights organizations as “Terror Organizations”, the panel will consider what is required of the international community, in particular third countries, and how we as civil society can engage.

Just Peace Advocates recently updated its Palestinian Human Rights Issues In Canada: Legal and Tactical Guide. This guide provides basic information on legal issues that Palestinian rights activists may face, and tips on how to navigate them. The webinar will help acquaint you with this and other resources.

The panelists:

Shane Martínez, barrister & solicitor, criminal lawyer, passion for social justice and human rights, Shane regularly writes and lectures about police brutality, racial profiling, the prison industrial complex and transnational labour. Shane will be highlighting how law and campaigns come together in regard to advocacy work in support of justice for Palestine. This includes his recent filing of a CRA complaint regarding the Canadian Zionist Cultural Association.

James Kafieh, lawyer, past president of the Canadian Arab Federation, vice-president of Palestinian Canadian Congress, Palestinian-Canadian who has provided leadership for many years related to Palestine advocacy. With this context, James will focus on civil liberties and rights, and specifically “Challenges of Academic Freedom and Advocacy in the Age of IHRA”. James has recently been involved in freedom of information & access requests against the Ministry of Education around censored material.

Andrea Sobko, lawyer, practices in the areas of human rights, employment law, workplace investigations, pay equity, labour law, and administrative law. Andrea has extensive experience as a Legal Researcher in the areas of international criminal law and international human rights law. She has designed resources on access to justice issues, including the “Palestinian Human Rights Issues In Canada, Legal and Tactical Guide.”

Jonathan Kuttab cofounded Al-Haq in 1979. A well-known international human rights attorney, Jonathan practices in the US, Palestine and Israel. He is currently Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America, and he is also a founder of Just Peace Advocates and is on its board. Jonathan will speak of the current situation as it relates to the designation of human rights organizations by Israel, including Al-Haq, as ‘terrorist’ entities, and what is required from the international community at this time.

Register at https://bit.ly/JPALegalWebinar

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Those who register will receive the recording even if you can not attend.

Webinar sponsored by: Just Peace Advocates, the Canadian BDS Coalition, Palestinian Canadian Congress, and Palestinian and Jewish Unity.
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