C ENTRE
FOR STUDIES IN SOCIAL JUSTICE
N EWSLET TER V OLUME 3,
CENTRE WELCOMES SCHOLARS CONFERENCE BY BRANDON THOMPSON
ISSUE
1
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A UTUMN 2007
CITIZENSHIP
Once again the Centre for Studies in Social Justice has brought together scholars from all over the world to debate issues of relevance to social justice. From May 17 to 19 the Centre hosted a conference entitled, “Citizenship, Identity, and Social Justice.” This conference was held at the University of Windsor and was attended by scholars from the United States, India, Costa Rica, England and many other countries as well as Canada. The conference provided an interdisciplinary forum in which critical issues and themes related to citizenship, identity, and social justice were explored
WHAT
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YEAR!
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A presentation at the Citizenship, Identity, and Social Justice Conference.
I NSIDE
across a range of intersecting debates and (Continued on page 2)
This has turned out to be a jam-packed
N EW R ESEARCH
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LGBTQ Y OUTH AND 3 F AMILY A LLIANCE F ORMED
HOWARD PAWLEY
On July 1, 2006 I assumed the responsibility for the Acting Directorship of the Centre for Studies in Social Justice at the University of Windsor, while Tanya Basok, the regular Director took her sabbatical. Social justice is one of the three pinnacles that define the values of the University of Windsor. It is that commitment to the pursuit of Social Justice that has been an important factor in motivating my continued association with the University after 19 years of political experience in Manitoba, including the premiership of that province (1981-1988).
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year, full of activities all aimed at stimulating the incentive for research and activities promoting the pursuit of Social Justice (see www.uwindsor.ca/ socialjustice for a complete list of activities). George Washington Carver, an AfricanAmerican liberated slave who later became an agricultural specialist said, “No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it”. This is surely the mission of the Centre: to encourage endeavours and research permitting each (Continued on page 2)
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COMMITTEE AND MEMBERSHIP
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2006 - 2007 IN REVIEW (Continued from page 1)
person to reach such heights. In addition to numerous guest speakers, panel discussions, fora and brown bag seminars, as well as new research funding received (see articles below), I would be remiss if I did not report that generous contributions toward the work of the Centre were received from the CAW and the Actors Theatre of Windsor (ATW). The contribution from the ATW was a result of my participation in their production of "Inherit the Wind” in September. This play is about the famous Scopes trial that took place in the 1920s involving the contentious issue of creationism or evolution. I played the role of the evangelical minister cursing the sinners and praying for hellfire to strike them. Some in the audience told me afterwards that I had missed
my call: they didn’t say whether they were suggesting evangelist or actor! Finally the highlight of the year for me was presenting the Social Justice Project of the Year Award to the Essex Area Food Bank. The untiring work by Eileen and Ed Clifford and over 40 volunteers of the In this photo, Hon. Howard Pawley, Acting Director of the food bank to enhance Centre for Studies in Social Justice presents Eileen and Ed the lot of the most Clifford with the Social Justice Project of the Year Award. marginalized and oppressed in society has made an committee for assisting me enormous difference in the pursuit of throughout the year. Social Justice. Finally, I would like to Hon. Howard Pawley served as Acting Director of thank Nicole Noël the Centre’s the Centre for Studies in Social Justice between Research Co-ordinator and Irene July 2006 and July 2007. Arseneau the Centre’s Administrator as well as our co-ordinating
CENTRE HOSTS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (Continued from page 1)
perspectives. Specific paper topics included: multiculturalism, unions, acculturation, migration and more. The conference’s keynote speakers were two well-known scholars in the area of citizenship studies: Eleonore Kofman, Professor of Gender, Migration and Citizenship at Middlesex University in London and Human rights and globalization were the topics of the Centre’s last conference in 2005.
Janine Brodie, Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta. Dr. Kofman’s paper dealt with the polarization of migrants into skilled and unskilled categories and the consequences of this heightened stratification for the entitlements and responsibilities of migrants from diverse backgrounds in Europe. Dr. Brodie’s paper dealt with the development of the social in liberal democratic citizenship. Both keynote addresses were very well received. Many of the sessions were chaired by University of Windsor graduate
students giving many of them the opportunity to participate in an academic conference for the first time. This conference was an important event for the Centre for Studies in Social Justice as it provided another opportunity for scholars to share ideas and network to discuss possible collaborations. We thank all those who attended. Brandon Thompson is a student at the University of Windsor. He worked at the Centre for Studies in Social Justice during the Winter 2007 term.
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IDRC FUNDS NEW RESEARCH PROJECT ON MIGRATION IN LATIN AMERICA The International Development Research Centre has provided seed funding to bring together researchers from six countries to examine migration within Latin America and Caribbean. This project, led by Dr. Tanya Basok, examines ways of advancing the rights of female migrants. The research will include case studies from Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Many of the participants in this project also presented at the Citizenship, Identity, and Social Justice conference which the Centre hosted in May. The major goals of this study are to: 1) make a contribution to our understanding of processes that inhibit or advance the social and economic integration of female migrants into the host society; and
NEWS
2) identify specific forms of migrant rights advocacy and migrant rights struggles (strategies and discourses), in the context of effective international protection mechanisms, that are most conducive to improving the rights of female migrants. The researchers hope to advance the rights of female migrants in the countries under study and beyond. Having identified strategies and discourses that are most likely to empower female migrants, the researchers will share the findings with advocacy groups and international human rights officials. Through consultation with these activists and officials, a joint statement will be formulated on how to build strong and more effective networks of support for and with female migrants.
LGBTQ YOUTH AND FAMILY ALLIANCE FORMED Consider the following incidents that happened in Essex, Kent, or Lambton County: A young man of 16 tells his parents that he is gay. After arguing for a few hours, his father kicks him out of the house at around midnight. Living on the street he is unable to continue going to high school consistently and drops out. Eventually, he finds a room at a flop house without a lock on his door and crack pipes littering the filthy, nonfunctioning bathtub. A young boy of six tells his mother that he not only wishes to be a girl— he is a girl. The mother supports her
MOBILITY, KNOWLEDGE, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE SUBJECT OF MCRI PROPOSAL
RESEARCH
BY
Dr. Suzan Ilcan, Professor of Sociology and Canada Research Chair, and her research team were invited to submit a final grant application to SSHRC’s Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) program. The research team received a MCRI Development grant for their proposed research project on Mobility, Knowledge, and Social Justice. The project involves national and international co-investigators, collaborators, research centres, and nonprofit organizations. The University of Windsor team members are: Dr. Suzan Ilcan (Principal Investigator), Dr. Tanya Basok (Co-Investigator), Dr. Lynne Phillips (Co-Investigator), Maya Ruggles (PhD student), and Dr. Myra Tawfik (CoInvestigator). If the seven year research grant is successful, the Centre for Studies in Social Justice, listed as an institutional partner in the proposal, will be working with several graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars from around the world. SCOTT MATTSON
son, but worries about how others may treat him. When she takes him to counselling, he is labeled as having a “gender identity disorder” and the mother is told her son is mentally ill. She does not want to change him, but rather to help him more easily navigate a transphobic world. She has no idea where to turn for more positive support. Incidents like these prompted the creation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) Youth and Family Alliance. This project was initiated by members of the community, the Windsor Essex Children’s Aid
Society (WECAS), in response to the Teen Health Centre’s (THC) concern about the lack of service provision for sexually diverse youth and families in Windsor and Essex County. Several service providers and stakeholders from various organizations were initially invited to be involved in the development of this committee. The Alliance’s objective is to address the current state of service provision for LGBTQ youth in Windsor. Last summer an independent needs assessment was commissioned from an Applied Social Psychology (Continued on page 5)
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TAPPING
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Water is a natural resource that everyone in the world requires in order to live. Nevertheless, this basic human necessity is being commodified and privatized by beverage corporations. The bottled water industry promotes an ideology of ‘clean’ and ‘purified’ water, yet when one investigates how bottling companies acquire their premium water it becomes clear (as water) that rhetoric is used to justify the commercialization of a natural resource. Many bottled water corporations draw their water directly from municipal taps while others pay nothing at all to extract water from underground streams.
OF
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Nonetheless, customers are subjected to a price mark-up that requires them to pay up to 10,000 times more to drink commodified tap water that is virtually the same as the water available from one’s own home. For those companies that do employ treatment processes, there is no
Many bottled water corporations draw their water directly from municipal taps. guarantee that bottled water is healthier than tap water since many companies use bromate to purify their water: this chemical is considered to be a carcinogen. There are additional health, social and environmental ramifications resulting from this bottled water culture: the bottles themselves pose longterm health effects for consumers due to the chemicals in the plastic.
BY LAURA FERGUSON-WALKER
Numerous environmental issues are also linked to the production and consumption of bottled water. Pollution is released from the factories that manufacture bottles and used bottles litter solid waste sites due to North America’s declining recycling rates for plastic bottles. As the Polaris Institute notes, the marketing and advertising surrounding bottled water has allowed beverage corporations to capitalize on this natural resource by turning water into a commercial product. Bottled water represents a certain lifestyle: water has become “America’s most affordable status symbol.” For social activists who want to support the global water justice movement it is easy to endorse the cause: boycott bottled water! By using a water canteen and filling it up with local tap water you are reducing unnecessary waste and reclaiming water as a resource for all. Laura Ferguson-Walker is a graduate student in Communications and Social Justice.
AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTEND SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUM ON THE MEDIA On May 4, nearly 200 high school students attended a forum entitled, MEDIA: GLOBAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL CHANGE . The event was organized by Teachers for Global Awareness and the Centre for Studies in Social Justice. The roots of this event go back to 1977, when a group of area teachers organized the first Human Rights Forum. The intent was to raise awareness of current issues with leading students in the public and separate secondary schools, and give them some critical thinking skills, with a reference to media bias, and alternative sources of information. Both the activists who presented, and the students enjoyed the experience and this format was used, successfully, throughout the 1980s. The organizers hope that this can once again become an annual event. Given how wellreceived the 2007 forum was, it will certainly continue. For more information see: http:// socialjustice.govital.net
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LGBTQ YOUTH AND FAMILY ALLIANCE FORMED (Continued from page 3)
graduate student to: - Ascertain whether the current needs of LGBTQ youth are being met; - Assess whether additional services are required to meet those needs; and, - If additional services are needed, determine what types are required to meet their needs. Current membership includes the The LGBTQ Youth & Family Alliance will be holding a community roundtable event Tuesday, September 25 at the Children’s Aid Society from 6-9 pm.
AIDS Committee of Windsor, Canadian Mental Health Association, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Greater Essex County District School Board, House of Sophrosyne, Metropolitan Community Church of Windsor, Multicultural Council of Windsor– Essex County, Teen Health Centre, Unison Treatment Homes, University of Windsor, Windsor Essex Children’s Aid Society, Windsor Essex County Health Unit, Windsor Pride, and youth representatives from the community. Since the time of the needs assessment, the alliance has strengthened the quality and
ETHICAL CONTRACTING
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Ethical contracting is becoming an important concern for students at Canadian Universities.
purchased is in fact manufactured under ethical conditions?
The University of Ottawa and the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), jointly hosted an Ethical Contracting Conference in February, which emphasized the development of practical solutions. The conference presented a number of panel discussions and workshops, all designed to equip conference participants with a better understanding of how to realize the adoption of an effective ethical contracting code at the students’ home universities. One central theme addressed was the ways in which an ethical code can be made both legitimate and effective. That is, if a university does adopt an ethical code of conduct for purchasing, how can they ensure that the clothing
accessibility of current services through training workshops. It has developed new community resources where there are gaps, written grant applications, and continued to increase the number of participating organizations. If you are interested in becoming a member of this alliance, please contact Jodi Pearce (Interim LGBTQ Youth & Family Alliance Chair) at (519) 253-8481, ext. 248, or at jodi@teenhealthcentre.com. Scott Mattson is Director of Health Promotion & Community Education, AIDS Committee of Windsor and is a member of the Centre for Studies in Social Justice.
CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES
This is where the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) comes in. The WRC is a non-profit organization created by, and comprised of, labour rights professionals and university communities. The membership fee (the greater of either $1000 or 1% of gross licensing revenues, paid by member universities annually) affords the WRC with the resources necessary to inspect participating There are hundreds of campuses across North America either already in possession of, or working towards, the adoption of ethical codes of conduct...
manufacturers and ensure the enforcement of just working conditions at the shop floor level. In addition, the WRC investigates the factory conditions of all
BY MICHAEL CLASSENS
manufacturers of university apparel, and offers comprehensive reports available to colleges, universities and the general public. The Designated Suppliers Program (DSP), developed by the WRC, is an initiative meant to enhance the enforcement of university codes of conduct. Under this new program, university licensees are required to source apparel and textiles which contain the university’s logo from specific factories which have displayed a commitment to fair and just conditions for workers. Many single factories in developing nations tend to produce textiles and apparel for any number of licensed brand names. Thus, before the DSP, fairly traded garments were being produced in the same factories as sweat shop textiles, creating a volatile work environment and (Continued on page 6)
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offering factory owners with ample opportunity to easily skirt their responsibilities to the WRC. The DSP facilitates the creation of entire factories dedicated to just working conditions. This better ensures the safety of the workers while simultaneously applying pressure to neighboring non-DSP factories to
implement similar safety and wage initiatives. There are hundreds of campuses across North America either already in possession of or working towards the adoption of ethical codes of conduct with the WRC. Unfortunately, the University of Windsor remains a part of the latter group. There is, however, a group of
dedicated students on campus getting ready to approach the Board of Governors with their ethical code of conduct for suppliers—inviting the University of Windsor to adopt practical solutions to help end worker rights violations the world over. Michael Classens is a graduate student in Communications and Social Justice.
STAYING IN TOUCH - WHAT WORKS FOR YOU? subscribe to a website We, at the Centre for ...with the growth of and be notified when Studies in Social SPAM, people are Justice, are always growing more and more it is updated. Say for trying to improve the frustrated with unwieldy example throughout way we g e t e-mail inboxes and are the day you visit the information out to our turning to other ways to Rabble, ZNet, and CBC websites and members and the communicate... maybe a few wider community. To blogs. With an RSS reach the widest possible audience we use a number of reader you can have the headlines methods to spread the word about delivered to you while you’re on line our activities: e-mail, our website, a without having to go blog, a discussion forum, this to each site or newsletter, media releases, Google subscribe to an e-mail Calendar and RSS feeds. Without a list. RSS alerts you doubt, e-mail has been the principal without email. You mode since the Centre began in just subscribe and the 2002. However, with the growth of notifications roll into SPAM, people are growing more and your news aggregator. more frustrated with unwieldy e- Also, RSS readers mail inboxes and are turning to other don’t pick up SPAM ways to communicate with friends because you control and family and to receive your subscriptions information. Some, particularly the site owner never youth and students, are blogging and has your contact joining on-line social networking information. sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The Centre for Studies Another way to get the information you want, without the SPAM is by using an RSS aggregator. An RSS aggregator or “reader” allows you to
in Social Justice has a number of RSS feeds so that you can be notified of our events
and news as soon as we post them. We will continue to use all of the methods listed above to communicate to our members and the community and continue to experiment with new methods as they develop. Please let us know which way works best for you by answering a poll on our blog. Find it at: www.uwindsor.ca/socialjustice and clicking on “Blog”.
A snapshot of the Centre’s blog.
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Call for Papers Studies in Social Justice publishes articles on issues dealing with the social, cultural, economic, political, and philosophical problems associated with the struggle for social justice. This interdisciplinary journal aims to publish work that links theory to social change and the analysis of substantive issues. The journal welcomes heterodox contributions that are critical of established paradigms of inquiry.
Editors: Tanya Basok (University of Windsor), Suzan Ilcan (University of Windsor), Jeffrey Noonan (University of Windsor). Journal Manager: Nicole Noël (University of Windsor). Editorial Board: Liz Curran (La Trobe University), Franck Duvell (University of Oxford), Nancy Fraser (The New School for Social Research), Barry Goldson (University of Liverpool), Carol Gould (George Mason University), Robert Hackett (Simon Fraser University), David Harvey (City University of New York), Jane Helleiner (Brock University), Engin Isin (Open University), Cecilia Menjivar (Arizona State University), Arun Mukherjee (York University), Jackie Smith (University of Notre Dame), Daiva Stasiulis (Carleton University), Gary Teeple (Simon Fraser University), Sylvia Walby (Lancaster University), and Gordon Walker (Lancaster University).
The journal focuses on debates that move beyond conventional notions of social justice, and views social justice as a critical concept that is integral in the analysis of policy formation, rights, participation, social movements, and transformations. Social justice is analysed in the context of processes involving as nationalism, social and public policy, globalization, diasporas, culture, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, welfare, poverty, war, and other social phenomena. It endeavours to cover questions and debates ranging from governance to democracy, sustainable environments, and human rights, and to introduce new work on pressing issues of social Learn more at: www.studiesinsocialjustice.org justice throughout the world.
THE CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN SOCIAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COMMITTEE Tanya Basok Gail Campbell Rupp Carriveau Anne Forrest Rosemary Halford Vivian Herzenberg Suzan Ilcan Brian Mazer Melinda Munro Jeff Noonan Josette Reaume Maya Ruggles Leigh West Jim Winter
Director, Centre for Studies in Social Justice Designate for the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Civil and Environmental Engineering Women’s Studies Humanities Research Group Community Member Sociology and Anthropology Faculty of Law City of Windsor Philosophy Faculty of Science Graduate Student Representative Designate for the Dean of the Faculty of Law Communication Studies
FREE MEMBERSHIP! If you are interested in joining the Centre for Studies in Social Justice you can join on-line by visiting our website, www.uwindsor.ca/socialjustice, and following the links to Membership. Membership gets you invitations to our events and you will receive our e-mail announcements and newsletters.
CONTACT US Newsletter Editor: Nicole A. Noël Assistant Editor for this issue: Marianne Haddad Irene Arseneau, Administrative Assistant 251-1 Chrysler Hall South Tel: (519) 253-3000 ext. 2326 Email: socjust@uwindsor.ca Tanya Basok, Director 251 Chrysler Hall South Tel: (519) 253-3000 ext. 3498 Email: basok@uwindsor.ca Nicole A. Noël, Research Co-ordinator 251-2 Chrysler Hall South Tel: (519) 253-3000 ext. 3492 Email: nnoel@uwindsor.ca
Visit our webapage at: Www.uwindsor.ca/socialjustice
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Following two years of planning by a steering committee, headed by the Deans of Arts and Social Sciences and Law, the Centre for Studies in Social Justice came into existence on July 1, 2002. In so doing "social justice" joined "automotive education and research" and "environmental research" as one of three "pinnacle programme areas" in which the University of Windsor sought to develop an international reputation for excellence. The Centre is committed to interdisciplinarity in research and teaching, and to advocacy. The Centre for Studies in Social Justice provides a place for researchers from the University of Windsor and other universities, centres and institutes, policy makers and community members to: address the causes and impact of widespread social and economic changes; research the elements that promote or impede social justice; access resources, training, and knowledge; stimulate discussion and debate on social justice issues; and to formulate recommendations on policies or strategies that could diminish existing injustice.
Centre for Studies in Social Justice 251 Chrysler Hall South University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4 CANADA
S OCIAL J USTICE
Visit our website to learn more about past and future events organized by the Centre for Studies in Social Justice www.uwindsor.ca/ socialjustice