Touchstone Committee Declaration

The TOUCHSTONE Committee originated in 1975 as a public-interest group who was striving to ensure full disclosures in the political and economic internecine warfare that had erupted within an international labour organization; namely the International Brotherhood of Teamsters TOUCHSTONE (TC75) originated through the need to offer information sources an environment of anonymity. This stipulation was well founded upon the security issues that were incorporated during this IBT period from 1973 - 1982. This was a high political time of allegations of intimidation and threats to personal and family safety. TC75 served as an internal counsel to rank-and-file IBT members ("the Ginger Group") who were placed on charges by the "Old Guard" : both terms arose in the statements by Mister Justice Gould of the BC Supreme Court. The IBT constitution prohibited independent legal advice and representation at any internal trials - the lawyer would have to be an IBT member in good standing. Additionally, TOUCHSTONE established a coordinated network of law enforcement to prevail in the confrontational labour environment - both in Canada and the United States. In addition, TC75 initiated an investigative public television series on the principal personalities - including public elected parties. And, a coterie of journalists were regularly involved for several years; even during the breaching of security lines at the internal IBT trials, where rank-and-filers broke through security lines at internal trials in order to establish the principals of open hearings : Rules of Natural Justice Through this quagmire of strutting and barking, TOUCHSTONE provided an information collection and interpretation division; who established a layered system of identification protection. It was with this original template - that was established to ensure that all four corners of an issue would be available to interested parties, and, for the good of the whole - that TOUCHSTONE ensured the following integrity and operations protocol: The indentity of all resource sources would be absolutely protected from divulgence - TC75 would always be the accountable party Membership in The TOUCHSTONE Committee would be on a selective basis; not functioning as a democratic body; rather, existing as a para-public entity that would survive or fall as based upon the public perception of fairness in its operations Cells or divisions would be established for each subject issue; contributors would not be introduced to other scholars who were jointly woking on establishing a protocol for resolve of the issues {It was imperative that the issues,rather than the personalities, were to be highlighted. And, no personality, therefore, would become a jeopardy to the project} Only the Chairperson would be identified

Commitment To Protect Sources

From these 1975 roots, TOUCHSTONE has evolved to serve in a public interest capacity on a number of similar-issues fronts: Unemployment Insurance Canada : internal hearing process for appeals by claimants {1982 - 1992} Workers Compensation Board - BC : Royal Commission of Inquiry {2002} Rights of Children-In-Care : Province of BC Anglican Church of Canada and Government of Canada : Residential Schools Claimants Resolution (2002 - 2007) School Teachers versus Province of BC (2005 - 2007) Abuse of Privilege : MLAs BC : Compensation Packages (2005 - 2007) Indigenous Peoples versus Catholic Church  Papal Bulls (2003 - 2007) Individual right to ownership title of land : Allodial versus fee simple (2003 - 2007) International Banking Regulations (2000 - 2007) International Commodities and Foreign Exchange Rules (2000 - 2007) International Trade & Commerce: Terrorism, Scams, Fair Trade Issues (1989 - 2007)

		In conclusion, there are many who oppose our determinations to remain an elusive group of scholars and resource people; who practice our interpretations of the free and democratic society principles. TC75 will continue to be evocative and pro-active in public issues. Sometimes we take on the role of the "Devil's Advocate" in attempts to ensure that well-rounded, inclusive debate will transpire on issues of import to Earth's environment and its inhabitants. At the end of the day, we will survive or fail on the evidence of our advocacies. Salus populi est suprema lex: right of the people is the supreme law.
	: The Advocate