K’Naan speaks in House of Commons today on Bill C393, vote at 6pm et
So I’m not going to claim ‘expert’ on this one, as it’s an issue that I don’t have a terrible amount of background in. However, you can’t help but feel compassionate towards the cause given what the outcome could be. As a student staff member of Terry, I also have to give props to two of our Global Speaker Series alumni, Stephen Lewis and K’Naan, for spearheading the cause. We’re all busy, but claiming you don’t know enough about the topic just isn’t gonna cut it. I’m going to continue to read up on the issues but feel I am informed enough to sign-on to this petition- I hope you do to!
A classmate of mine sent me a facebook message asking for help to sign a petition- his mother is active in Grandmothers to Grandmothers, a Stephen Lewis Foundation initiative that “seeks to build solidarity, raise awareness and mobilize support in Canada for Africa’s grandmothers.” Through this initiative, this group is campaigning for Bill C-393 to pass on March 9th. The bill, if passed, could reform “Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime” (CAMR) and make it easier for Canada to export affordable, live-saving, generic medicines to developing countries. As the Canada/HIV Legal Aids Network notes, “the bill is our best hope for fixing CAMR, but it faces fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry and some MPs.” Without support, the bill will die and so will the hope of preventing disease in death in many countries around the world.
K’Naan feels passionately about the cause, and has lent his voice to the campaign:
To sign the petition CLICK HERE!
To learn more about the bill CLICK HERE
In the interests of providing everyone with the best information possible, please share any other helpful links you may come across in your research.
