The DeltaNOW!

In 2013, Common Frontiers sent a delegation as human rights and official elections observers to Honduras for their presidential elections. The delegation was composed of representatives from various labour organizations, NGO’s, community groups, and academics including CUPE member Peter Dawson. Brother Dawson is a contract instructor at York University and a CUPE 3903 member. The observer mission travelled to various parts of Honduras to meet with communities and groups affected by Canadian investment in mining, maquiladora zones and the mega tourism sector. Upon his return Peter educated and mobilized his students around the issues facing the Honduran people and solicited actions in solidarity. Several students took up this call and illustrated the potential impact worker to worker solidarity can have on exposing human and trade union rights violations. The following is an article written by Christina Noudga, one of Peter’s students who created an organization to support the struggle of the Garifuna people in Honduras.

The group was established in 2014, as part of a social integrity collaboration project at York University. The group was comprised of individuals from various educational fields who have united over one goal: the preservation of human rights. Our first project was in solidarity with The Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) and Common Frontiers. Here we set out to create a campaign that would create action towards the preservation of the Garifuna culture. Honduras has long been infamous as the “murder capital of the world”. The state continues to threaten the existence of 23 indigenous Garifuna communities residing on its shores. This indigenous nation struggles with government corruption, displacement, and cultural genocide. By early 2015, the DeltaNOW had organized a campaign on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) addressing this controversial topic and exposing the role of Canadian investment in these crimes against indigenous human rights. DeltaNOW has gained popularity within Honduras prompting social awareness and we continue to focus our efforts on the unjust treatment of the Garifuna within Honduras.