Yves Engler

Yves Engler speaking at a presentation on Haiti. October 14, 2005, in Calgary.

Yves Engler (born 1979) is a Montreal writer and political activist. In addition to seven published books, Engler’s writings have appeared in the alternative press and in mainstream publications such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen and Ecologist. His The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy book was on a short list for the Quebec Writers' Federation Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction along with two other books; however, the book ultimately lost to Eric Siblin's The Cello Suites.^[1][2]

Activism

Yves Engler presenting Pierre Pettigrew with a copy of the Griffin report on human rights abuses in Haiti

In June 2005 Engler interrupted a press conference being held by then Canadian minister of foreign affairs, Pierre Pettigrew. Engler walked up to the stage, emptying the contents of a bottle of cranberry juice onto Pettigrew's arms, saying, "Pettigrew lies, Haitians die."^[3] The act was meant to symbolize the blood on the hands of the Canadian state due to its involvement in the planning of the coup (see: The Ottawa Initiative on Haiti) which ousted Jean Bertrand Aristide, the democratically elected president of Haiti, from office and into exile.^[4] Engler also highlighted Canada's subsequent participation in the United Nations occupation of Haiti and the training of the Haitian national police by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.^[5]

Engler served as Vice President of the Concordia Student Union where he was removed from office.^[6] A student tribunal found Engler guilty of "vexatious conduct"^[7] in the aftermath of a riot on September 9, 2002, when Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu's speech was aborted by demonstrators. Engler later tried to overturn his suspension; however, he was denied by a student hearing panel and Board of Governors. The university's decision was upheld by a Quebec tribunal.^[8]

Yves Engler has signed, together with 500 artists, a call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the state of Israel for alleged Israeli apartheid against Palestinians.^[9]

Published works

• Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Student Radical (RED/Fernwood Publishing, 2005)^[10]
• Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority with Anthony Fenton. Co-published by RED Publishing and Fernwood Publishing, August 2005. ISBN 1-55266-168-7^[11]
• The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy. Co-published by RED Publishing and Fernwood Publishing, April 2009. ISBN 978-1-55266-314-1^[12]
• Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid. Co-published by RED Publishing and Fernwood Publishing, February 2010. ISBN 978-1-55266-355-4^[13]
• Stop Signs: Cars and Capitalism on the Road to Economic, Social and Ecological Decay with Bianca Mugyenyi, Published April 2011; ISBN 978-1-55266-384-4
• Lester Pearson's Peacekeeping The Truth May Hurt. ISBN 978-1-55266-510-7 Fernwood Publishing (September 1, 2012)
• The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy. Co-published with: Red Publishing ISBN 978-1-55266-530-5 (Published: 2012)
• Canada in Africa: 300 years of aid and exploitation. Co-published by RED Publishing and Fernwood Publishing, August 2015. ISBN 978-1-55266-762-0

References

1. "The QWF Literary Awards". Retrieved 2010-02-17.
2. "Shortlist for 2009 QWF awards" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-02-17.
3. "Canada acting badly in Haiti, protester claims". CBC News. June 18, 2005. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
4. "Pettigrew's Painter speaks about Haitian Blood on the hands of the Canadian Government". June 17, 2005. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
5. Thomas M. Griffin, ESQ. (November 11–21, 2004). "Griffin Report - Haiti Human Rights Investigation" (PDF). Center for the Study of Human Rights, University of Miami School of Law - (Professor Irwin P. Stotzky, Director).
6. "Page Not Found".
7. Playing Left Wing, Fernwood Publishing, 2005.
8. "Engler loses bid to overturn ruling". Concordia’s Thursday Report. March 3, 2005. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
9. "Tadamon!: 500 Artists Against Israeli Apartheid".
10. "Playing Left Wing". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
11. "Canada in Haiti". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
12. "The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
13. "Canada and Israel". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved 2010-05-24.

External links

• Official website
• A collection of Engler's Z net writings

Video Links

• Canada vs Latin American Democracy a 6 part series - Part 1 of 6: "From Jacobins to Salvador Allende, Hugo Chavez and Jean Bertrand Aristide". Introduction by Globe & Mail columnist Rick Salutin.
• "The Ugly Canadian" - Numerous interviews on Stephen Harper and Canadian foreign policy on The Real News network.