Sunday, February 2, 2014

Reclaiming Citizenship, Rejecting Double Punishment: Deepan speaks in Ottawa

Come out to hear Deepan and join in the discussion.

Date: Wednesday, February 26th 
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Jack Purcell Community Centre, Room 101 
(320 Jack Purcell Lane)

Deepan Budlakoti is an Ottawa-born construction worker and activist who, in 2010, was stripped of his citizenship by the Canadian government. He is now a stateless person pitted in an incredible battle against the Conservative government over his entitlement to citizenship. The government is attempting to deport him to his parents' homeland, India, a country where he has never lived and does not have citizenship. See more info about his story here: www.justicefordeepan.org

Deepan is currently in Ottawa (back from his tour) to tell his story and seek support. He will be speaking about his experiences as a young man in criminal prison, in immigration detention, and his current conditions as a stateless person. His struggle connects to issues of criminalization, racial profiling, prisons, immigration detention and, more broadly, questions of identity, belonging and borders. Who is entitled to Canadian citizenship? Who is excluded and how are exclusions justified? Who is subject to deportation and double punishment?

Local event organized by No One Is Illegal - Ottawa. Join us on Facebook at No One Is Illegal - Ottawa or www.noii-ottawa.blogspot.ca

Accessibility Notes:
  • French whisper translation will be provided.
  • Volunteers with laptops will be available for transcribing.
  • Childminding will be available through volunteers.
  • Please notify us of other accessibility needs by emailing us at noiiottawa@gmail.com

Tour organized by:
Justice for Deepan Committee
www.justicefordeepan.org
justicefordeepan@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/JusticeForDeepanBudlakoti