Alberta Human Rights Information Service March 21, 2007
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
In this issue:
Human rights and diversity news from Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture
Other human rights and diversity news:
Alberta news
Canadian news
International news
Related publications
Notice to subscribers
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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: March 21st is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This commemorative day, proclaimed by the United Nations in 1966, honours the lives of the young students who were massacred in a peaceful anti-apartheid protest in Sharpeville, South Africa. Sixty-nine protesters died, and 180 were wounded.
Albertans are urged to speak out against all forms of discrimination and encourage fairness for all citizens. Plan to attend an event related to March 21st. Visit the Help Make a Difference website to find out how you can make a difference in your community. Read more.
Racism Free Alberta is a coalition of anti-racism organizations and individuals in Alberta. The Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission and the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund are among the coalition members.
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Update on Commissioners: Brenda Chomey of Edmonton was appointed as a Commissioner for a three-year term. The role of the Commissioners is to hold public hearings into specific human rights complaints. Ms. Chomey brings with her 15 years of nursing and legal experience. Read the biographies of all of the Commissioners.
Dr. William P. Baergen retired as a Commissioner after 12 years of service. During his term, he held 19 public hearings adjudicating human rights issues. -
The Commission has recently updated its website with these panel decisions:
Shauna Hostland v. Abbott Laboratories, Limited (December 12, 2006; Diane Colley-Urquhart, Panel Chair)
Melody Rennie v. Peaches and Cream Skin Care Ltd. (December 4, 2006; W. P. Baergen, Panel Chair)
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Summary of an important Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision related to human rights:
Richard Warman v. Western Canada For Us and Glenn Bahr (December 1, 2006; Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, Julie Lloyd, Member) Important decision about freedom of expression: The complainant alleged the respondents communicated messages over the internet that would likely expose Jews, First Nation Canadians, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, blacks, other non-whites and the mentally disabled to hatred or contempt. The respondent's website had material available for download which included anti-Semitic publications. The respondent argued the messages were protected as being part of their right to freedom of expression. The Tribunal found that each of the publications available for download from the respondent's website was likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact of their membership in a group protected under section 2 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. The Tribunal ordered the respondents cease publication of the material and ordered each of the respondents to pay a penalty of $5000, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.
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Update on Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD): Alberta now has the largest number of municipalities that have joined the Canadian Coalition. Brooks and Drayton Valley have recently signed onto the Coalition. The City of Edmonton has also indicated its intention to join and a public signing ceremony is being planned for June 27, 2007. Other members of the Coalition in Alberta are the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and Calgary. Read more.
The UNESCO website includes more information about the Canadian Coalition, as well as the International Coalition of Cities against Racism, of which the Coalition is a part.
Information on the development of the Coalition in Alberta was presented by the Commission at a workshop session at the 2007 National Metropolis Conference and at the 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
PLEASE NOTE: In the following sections of the newsletter, we publish news and information provided by other organizations. We also link to other websites related to human rights and diversity. The Commission provides this information as a service and is not responsible for the content provided by other organizations on their websites or by other means. Please direct comments or inquiries regarding these organizations or their websites to the organization in question.
Human rights and diversity news from Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture
- The Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund: Thirteen Alberta organizations have received over $300,000 in funding from the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund for projects that range from creating educational campaigns to setting up community networks. The HRCM Education Fund provides financial assistance to organizations that are making changes in their communities to help foster equality, promote fairness and encourage the inclusion of all Albertans in the economic, social and cultural life of the province. Read the news release and complete list of awarded grants.
Grant application deadline: The next deadline for grant applications for the HRCM Education Fund is May 1, 2007. The following deadline is October 1, 2007.Recent projects completed:
Wood’s Homes received funding from the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund for their work with a range of youth servicing agencies involved in in-depth cross cultural and diversity training. The result of this work was developed into a resource titled Creating an Inclusive Organization: A Toolkit for Non Profit Agencies that can be used by others. The resource includes a summary of experiences that can be expected when developing a collaborative change effort, training resources and tools, measurement and evaluation tools and suggestions for further resources designed to provide mainstream organizations with the tools, resources, and guidance necessary to undertake their own diversity initiative.
With funding from the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund, the Edmonton Jewish Youth Centre, a program with the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, has developed a DVD and teachers’ guide titled Black Snow. This resource is about the experiences of Edmonton Holocaust survivors. Its purpose is to help secondary students in school and community settings understand the Holocaust and so that students learn how to reduce prejudice, discrimination and hatred in today’s world.
The Coalition for Equal Access to Education Society in Calgary has received grants from the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund to support its work with community, school and government stakeholders to promote access to quality, equitable education and services for K-12 ESL learners. The Coalition has undertaken a number of action research projects to better understand the complex needs facing ESL learners, the availability of and access to ESL and social services, to learn about institutional responses to ESL issues and solutions to effective ESL education. The Coalition has also produced several resources that support community groups, school boards and schools in promoting effective ESL education, active parental involvement and school cultural competency.
Read about other projects that the HRCM Education Fund has funded.
New chair appointed to the Advisory Committee: Mr. Thomas Lukaszuk, MLA for Edmonton-Castle Downs, has been appointed as the chair of the Advisory Committee. The committee provides advice to the Minister regarding program funding, grants, and other financial assistance from the Fund.The committee consists of eight members plus a Secretary. Read more about the committee members.Creating Inclusive Communities Strategic Priorities: The HRCM Education Fund hosted a series of nine meetings with stakeholders across the province in 2006. Stakeholders shared their ideas about how the Education Fund can best help support the changes necessary to eliminate discrimination and racism in our communities and to encourage full participation of all Albertans in all aspects of our society. The findings from the stakeholders meetings are contained in a report titled Creating Inclusive Communities Stakeholder Consultation: What We Heard. This report, along with information from other sources, has been used to develop strategic priorities and future directions for the Education Fund. These are included in a report titled Creating Inclusive Communities: Framework for the Future 2007-2012, which will guide the work of the Education Fund for five years. View the strategic priorities.
Other human rights and diversity news
- Persons Case Scholarship:Seven Alberta students have received Persons Case Scholarships to assist them in their post-secondary studies during the 2006-2007 school year. These annual scholarships are awarded to students whose studies and career goals will ultimately contribute to the advancement of women or those who are studying in fields where members of their gender are traditionally few in number. Read the news release.
- Information Privacy Rights: This new document, developed by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, is available online. It is intended to assist individuals in understanding their privacy rights under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
- Micro loans for internationally trained immigrants: Micro loans of up to $5,000 may be available for qualified internationally trained immigrants through the Immigrant Access Fund. These loans can be used for accreditation, training and upgrading to enhance employability and economic self-reliance.
- Resources for health care professionals:The Calgary Health Region developed five new health care resources to aid health care professionals deliver culturally competent care to individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. The resources include:
Enhancing Cultural Competency: A Resource Kit for Health Care Professionals
Cultural Competency Check Card
Multicultural Practice Competencies Tool
Community Resources for Newcomers
Immigrant and Refugee Women's Cultural Health Practices: a guide for health care professionals - I define me! video on YouTube: My Voice...My Turn is an initiative of Calgary Scope Society. The goal of this initiative is to inform non-disabled people what it is like to live with a disability. I define me! is a 60-second video created from ideas generated from people with developmental disabilities. View the video.
- Integrating newcomers into Canadian society: A recent study, Racial Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Policy Issues in Canada, released by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, indicates that Canada's multiculturalism policy is not working as well for visible minority immigrants compared to their white counterparts. The authors suggest that improved Canadian policymaking requires the full participation of minority groups. Read the report.
- Summary report on policy forum on Aboriginal women and violence: This policy forum, held in Ottawa on March 27-28, 2006, was a federal/provincial/territorial ministers responsible for the Status of Women initiative. It was a landmark event bringing together over 250 delegates representing First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations, advocates, policy makers, and federal, provincial and territorial representatives. From the report: "The goals of the forum were to create a dialogue on policy and program initiatives between government officials and Aboriginal women's organizations, to share promising practices on violence prevention, and to showcase programs and services from across the country that are making a difference." Read Summary of the Policy Forum on Aboriginal Women and Violence: Building Safe and Healthy Families and Communities.
- Human rights education in Europe: DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe) recently published Dare in Action: Vision and practice for democracy and human rights education in Europe. This publication introduces current human rights education practices and includes examples of initiatives and educational activities.
- Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport: The International Olympic Committee adopted a Consensus Statement on Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport, which addresses some unique issues of women and children in sport. It defines the problems, identifies the risk factors and provides guidelines for prevention and resolution. Canada was well represented in this project, and is seen as a leader in policy and prevention of sexual harassment and abuse in sport. Read the press release.
- Inclusive Organizations: A Tool for Continuous Improvement in Health and Social Service Agencies: The Immigrant Women's Association of Manitoba Inc., with funding support from Canadian Heritage, developed a publication intended to aid health and social service agencies and organizations in their efforts to meet the needs of increasingly culturally and racially diverse populations. Principles and promising practices consistent with the values of social equity, social justice and democracy are highlighted.
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to complaints of discrimination using the Internet.
Please contact the Commission by telephone or regular mail
if you have a specific complaint.
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