17:00 - 19:30, International Conference Hall
Plenary Session 3
Empowerment of Victims and Their Families
Chairs: Natori Yuji and Annie Debaud-Mony
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Kyla Sentes
Ban Asbestos Canada (BAC), Canada
ABSTRACT:
2003 saw the creation of a new national organization dedicated to banning the production, use, and export of asbestos: Ban Asbestos Canada. While this represented a significant achievement for Canadian victims and activists, the road ahead is long. The political economy of asbestos in Canada is complex and the pro-asbestos lobby has entrenched itself at both the federal and provincial levels. As such, the strategies for BAC must address myriad issues in order to be effective: the regionalization of the asbestos industry in Canada; Quebec nationalism; divisions within the labour movement; disparities between provincial compensation systems; and the coordination of actions. However, despite these obstacles, response from the public at large has been overwhelmingly positive and momentum is high to achieve a global ban on asbestos.