SpeakNews
A Publication of the University of Alberta Journalists for Human Rights
What the Indictment of Omar Al-Bashir Means for Sudan
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Is Bill 44 An Abuse of Human Rights Language?
No. 5 | Spring 2009 | Quarterly | Always Free
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New Grads and the “New” Economy
In Thi s I ssue
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Editor’s Message Jacalyn Ambler
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What’s Peace Got to Do with It? What the Indictment of Omar Al-Bashir Means for Sudan Scott Fenwick
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Help! I've Graduated and the Economy Can't Get Up! Anna Reitman
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Looking for a Way to Change the World: International Service Pros and Cons
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Mavihna Tollman
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Bill 44: The Appropriate Uses and Gratuitous Abuses of Human Rights Language
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Jacalyn Ambler
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Where are the Rights? For Students in Western Academia, are Human Rights a Non-Issue?
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Khalida Tanvir Syed
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Organization Profile: The Global Youth Assembly is Coming!
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Mandy Sui
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Critical Content Khalida Tanvir Syed and Kelly Shepherd
Stay tuned - the summer issue will feature a report on Shell's current US trial for human rights violations in Nigeria; a look at how each of the four seasons poses different problems for homeless communities; and a shocking examination of the Canadian export market - in asbestos. 1
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E di t or’s M essage Welcome to the May 2009 issue of SpeakNews! If lately, you’ve been feeling like the world is harder than ever to make sense of, you’re not alone. The news has been filled with enough crazy things as of late – foreclosures, and job loss, and pirates, oh my! – to make anyone’s head spin. In this issue, we take stock of what some of the most important issues out there mean for human rights. Anna Reitman weighs in with an update on just how the tail-spinning economy is affecting the newly graduated, and Mavihna Tollman looks at the pros and cons of a common alternative to the post-graduate jump into the “real world”: volunteering abroad. Meanwhile, Scott Fenwick, president of the University of Alberta chapter of STAND, weighs in on the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for the leader of Sudan, and we take a look at just what Alberta’s Bill 44 means for human rights. And that’s just a taste. Want more? Take a look inside. SpeakNews comes to you four times a year, brought to you by dedicated journalists from the University of Alberta campus, the Edmonton community, and around the world. In each issue, we strive to bring you the most relevant under-reported news and views at the local, national and international levels. Subscribe or volunteer by emailing jhr.speaknews@gmail.com. Then, spread the word to your fellow writers, photographers, and activists - let's do this thing together. Thanks for reading! Your editor, Jackie Ambler
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What’s Peace Got to Do with It? The ICC’s Arrest Warrant for Omar Al-Bashir and What it Means for Sudan Scott Fenwick
As Bashir’s government started burned down Darfur’s villages in 2003, relief agencies came into the region to provide emergency aid and medical assistance. Darfur’s entire humanitarian aid operation is at Bashir’s mercy—despite his fugitive status—because he still controls Sudan’s affairs.
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The International Criminal Court Building in the Hague, The Netherlands. Credit: Hanhil (Public Domain)
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a mass murderer is on the loose, conventional wisdom states that authorities should make the killer face justice. But when that mass murderer is a sitting head of state, conventional wisdom must go out the window. Last March, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s first permanent tribunal to prosecute war criminals, issued its first arrest warrant against a sitting head of state. Prosecutors allege that Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir is personally responsible for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide in the country’s Darfur region.
The aid groups’ efforts in Darfur have been so successful that mortality levels are now at prewar levels. Today, Darfur is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, and Bashir can shut it down at a whim. Tens of thousands of people would die before peace reached the ground. Although this hasn’t happened yet, we came close to seeing what it may have looked liked. Within hours after the ICC arrest warrant was issued in March, Sudan kicked ten aid groups out of the country. Only recently have they been authorized to return—and only under new names. All of this resulted from the international community’s inability to coordinate properly on how to stop the killing. For all the actions
This is a major milestone for the war in Darfur, and particularly important to Bashir’s victims. They’re the Darfuris left dead or homeless since 2003 because of the war that the Sudanese government has fought against the Darfur’s rebel groups. As the war progressed, it has left millions of people displaced, thousands killed, and too many rapes to be counted. This arrest warrant signals that the international community will act to protect human rights in the face of grave injustice. However, this warrant risks making a bad situation worse: peace now conflicts with justice.
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Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Sudan Resulting from the Darfur Conflict. Photo Credit:: USAID (Public Domain) Opposite Page Photo Credit: United States Federal Government (Public Domain).
“Sudan’s president, despite being a fugitive, is still in charge of his country’s affairs. This ultimately puts the entire humanitarian aid operation in Darfur at his mercy.” the world is taking to save Darfur, they risk cancelling each other out. The ICC investigated the war crimes in Darfur in the first place because a vote on it was held by the United Nations Security Council. Although the United States intended to veto it on principle, they backed down after intense domestic pressure from American politicians and advocates. Many of these same politicians and advocates called for the UN and African Union to have peacekeepers in Darfur, now since established. This current mission, known as UNAMID, is only for the protection of civilians. Breaking-up fighting between the rebels and government isn’t part of their mandate. Although UNAMID is only marginally effective in protecting civilians, their presence on the ground provides an opportunity to have a more robust force in the future. However, both UNAMID and the humanitarian operation are in jeopardy because of the premature pursuit of justice.
Sudanese Peace Dancers, 2006. Photo Credit: USAID (Public Domain) To keep this from getting worse, serious international coordination needs to be done on this issue. Canada can help on this. Experts on Sudan have long argued that a negotiated political solution between the government and rebels is needed to have sustainable peace in Darfur. Although this may sound counterintuitive, think of
it as a way to de-escalate the situation. For this reason, Canada needs to dramatically increase its diplomatic presence on the ground in Darfur. This will help get a common bargaining position amongst rebel groups. Because Canada lacks a colonial history in Africa, we have a good reputation on the continent. In the international arena, Canada needs to mount a diplomatic offensive against Sudan’s main enabler: China and Russia. As a top supplier of weapons to Sudan (which the government then uses in Darfur), both of these countries have a direct role in obstructing peace. If Canada can get the many African countries that trade with China and Russia on-board in stopping weapons shipments to Sudan, it puts the pressure on Bashir to negotiate for peace in good faith. This coordinated effort will be more effective in achieving peace compared to trying everything at once.
Omar Al-Bashir in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2009. Photo Credit: Mass Comm. Special. 2nd Class Jesse Awalt.
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Help, I’ve Graduated and the Economy Can’t Get Up! How Graduating Students Can Outsmart the Meager Job Market Anna Reitman
Photo Credit: Lumaxart (http://www.lumaxart.com). Permission granted.
Unemployed men reading want ads during the Depression. Photo Credit: United States Federal Government (Public Domain)
Students graduating this year must feel as if the whole world has turned against them. The economy, red-hot when they began their studies, is now one big question mark. In a recent poll, The Gateway reported that 65% of students are worried about their future job prospects. The advice? Don’t panic! Joan Schiebelbein, Director of CAPS (The University of Alberta's Career Centre), is quick to remind students of the fundamentals. In terms of managing their careers and finding work, regardless of what is happening in the economy, students should match their interests with their goals. Students are encouraged to strategically explore those interests and goals by volunteering. Volunteer positions have long been a staple for university students looking to gain experience. They typically come with somewhat flexible schedules and time commitments, and have many other advantages; a chance to test out a career area, develop an understanding of a line of work and necessary skills, and make connections that can be relied on both before and after graduation. These connections can
help students and graduates find out about positions as they become available. Also, employers look positively on volunteer experience that students include on their resume. “It is something that we always recommend to students regardless of what area they are in.” says Schiebelbein. Other staples that university students can use to get their foot in the door are summer jobs and internships. Although the recent plunge in available postings for these types of positions has caused concerns, Schiebelbein warns us to keep that drop in perspective, explaining that changes over a longer time span need to be considered. “Looking at two or three years ago, there is a bit of a decline in postings, but not nearly as much compar[ed] to last year.” Some sectors have been especially hard hit, notably financial, oil and gas, and construction industries. Other sectors are doing very well. Jobs in the public sector seem to be in a very strong position: Schielbelbein mentions a recent Education career fair, where school boards were still very actively recruiting. This may mean that some students have to consider fields of employment beyond their first
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“In terms of managing their careers and finding work, regardless of what is happening in the economy, students should match their interests with their goals.”
Recent Grad? Jobless? Do This: + DO look for volunteer positions that would give you relevant experience in your preferred field. Check out: 8 The University of Alberta’s Volunteer Opportunities Database: 8 Volunteer Edmonton: http://www.volunteeredmonton.com/
Photo Credit: Martin Olsson. Permission Granted (GNU Free Domentation License)
choice. “A mental shift in what students are willing to take, and flexibility are important.” says Schiebelbein. She recommends that students take stock of all the knowledge that they have developed in attaining their degree, and then see what other sectors they can transfer those skills to. To help make this transition easier for future graduates, a new program is being introduced at CAPS. “Career Discovery through Engagement” is a program that would facilitate hands on learning and networking opportunities for students. Engagement activities, with various degrees of commitment, will support students as they navigate career options. The activities can range from a single hour to a full term in length, and include career interviews, job shadowing, career mentorship, and non-profit internships. Students would apply and be enrolled into the program. CAPS is working towards acquiring funding so that internships offered through the program will be paid positions.
8 Govolunteer.ca (Search for Edmonton) http://www.govolunteer.ca/
+ DO look for a temporary summer job, co-op position, or internship to help you get your foot in the door. Look here: 8 CAPS Summer, Temporary and Internship Postings: http://www.caps.ualberta.ca/LookingForWork/OnlineJobPostings.cfm
8 The Government of Alberta’s Student Programs: http://www.jobs.alberta.ca/students/summer_service.cfm
8 TalentEgg (Links entry-level jobs and new grads) http://www.talentegg.ca
+ DO consider jobs outside of the ones traditionally ‘linked’ with your major. The web is full of online tests that might spit out some alternatives you haven’t considered (if only just for fun). Try: 8 The Career Test Centre http://www.careertest.net/
+ DO consider getting away from the economy, and taking advantage of your jobless state, by going abroad for an amazing research, service or intern position (and check out the next section to find out exactly how to do this). - DON’T give up. If you know what you want, you’ll find a way to get there. And if it seems hard now, remember – you’re not alone.
But that does not do much for students facing an unexpectedly turbulent economic reality after their convocations this summer. For these students, Schiebelbein reminds us of the multitude of research studies showing that employment rates and income are positively correlated with education. “The higher your education, the higher your employment rate, the higher your income. Continuing your education is your best bet."
7 Photo Credit: Chris Moncus. Permission granted (Sharealike Commons).
Searching for a Way to Change the World The Pros and Cons of International Service Mavihna Tollman
A globetrotter’s Passport. Photo Credit: Jon Rawlinson (Public Domain).
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helps others. It helps the community. It teaches us something, and it makes us feel good. Volunteering - the donation of one's time, expertise and/or other resources for the advancement of a cause - has become a virtually ubiquitous feature of Canadian culture. According to Highlights from the 2004 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating, almost 12 million Canadians (just under half of the population) volunteered in 2003, and the average volunteer contributed about 168 volunteer hours during that period. And although the most common venues for this service are still domestic social, sporting and religious organizations, an increasing number of Canadians - particularly young ones - are boarding trains, planes and automobiles and journeying into the wild blue yonder to think and act global. At first glance, this makes a lot of sense. After all, we in Canada have it pretty good, and they don’t call it the 'developing' world for nothing. There are hundreds of countries with basic infrastructure problems severe enough, and mortality rates high enough, to melt even the most cynical heart. To those who genuinely care about the state of the world, it can seem at best insensitive and at worst morally negligent not to do something - anything - to advance it. And, with the assistance of Google and an increasingly large number of international service organizations at the disposal of potential do-gooders, it has never seemed so easy to make a difference in the most far-flung corners of the globe. The concept of international service originated largely with President John F. Kennedy's 1961
creation of the United States Peace Corps, a federally funded program that funnels seriously committed new college graduates into two year volunteer placements all over the world. With the benefit of hindsight, its difficult to argue with the assertion that the Peace Corps was created at least partially with the goal of disseminating American volunteers so as to win the hearts and minds of people in the developing world (and thus, the ideological component of the Cold War). Nonetheless, it did and does represent the positive side of the international service movement. The programs are designed with effectiveness - not convenience - in mind. The selection progress is rigorous, the training (for culture shock and language skills, among other useful things) is comprehensive, and the programs themselves are long - 27 months long and involved. The program is only open to Americans, but its model has been replicated by various placement agencies around the world, including in Canada. In general, it's a serviceable model, and many of the most successful examples of volunteer experiences abroad are run by organizations and programs that conform to it. The Canadian International Development Agency, for example, runs an International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) which matches young Canadian development professionals to specialized assignments according to their skills. Internships are for a minimum of sixth months and typically longer, and begin with comprehensive training and language courses in Canada before the volunteer ventures abroad. Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), an international development organization that works closely with a variety of grassroots agencies worldwide, and offers both six month
Peace Corps Volunteers in Mauritania, 2007. Photo Credit: US Federal Government
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Shortcomings often mean that the community doesn't receive any lasting benefit, either in terms of concrete development or cultural exchange. The volunteer, meanwhile, is often left not with a deeper understanding of a culture or of a field of work, but with a photo album, a deeper tan, and a fleeting sense of contribution.
positions for highly skilled professionals, and two-year positions for the younger or less experienced, so that the volunteer has enough time to truly mature into a helpful member of the development team. Programs like these exhibit a focus on lengthy, supported and tailored placements. Meeting these conditions ensures an enriching and worthwhile experience for both the volunteer and the community or project that they're supposed to be serving. It's when one or more of these factors aren't present that things get dicey. And unfortunately, a growing number of international service placement programs exist today that fall short on at least one count. Perhaps the most common offenders are the many "voluntourism" programs returned by any quick global search - those "112 week!" programs anywhere in the world, which all too frequently combine split that already incredibly short period of time in half with sightseeing or recreational activities. These options are often incredibly attractive to timepressed young people, often on their way to jobs or further post-secondary degrees or strapped down by student loans. They combine a much dreamed-about vacation with what promises to be a life-changing (and world changing) volunteer experience, and they make all of this seem more attainable, involving less paperwork, time and money than more serious commitments like the programs mentioned above. This convenience and accessibility, though, comes at a serious cost. Low screening naturally means these agencies will be able to exert only minimum control over the quality of their volunteers. It also means that they will be able to operate only very general, unskilled projects,
Read the full text of Rebekah Heacock’s Interview at http://www.campusprogress.org/field report/3095/globe-trotting
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a reality compounded severely by the shortness of the programs that they offer. These shortcomings often mean that the community doesn’t receive any lasting benefit, either in terms of concrete development, or cultural exchange. The volunteer, meanwhile, is often left not with deeper cultural understanding, or real hands-on experience with a given field, but with a photo album, a deeper tan, and a too-often fleeting sense of contribution. The real winning party in these situations, sadly, is all-too-often the sending agency. With the sticker prices of voluntourism programs possibly totalling several thousand dollars each – or more – and often minimized administration costs, these agencies can pocket a sizable chunk of change. The problem has become so severe that thendirector of the VSO, Judith Brodie, spoke out about it in 2007. She noted concern with “the number of badly planned and supported schemes that are spurious – ultimately benefiting no one apart from the travel companies that organize them.” This is not to say, though, that these problems are limited to short-term service projects. Rebekah Heacock recently spoke to Thomas Cohen at Campus Progress about her experience teaching English at a Ugandan orphanage immediately after her college graduation. She recalls that she was under-trained and illprepared for the very difficult task of language training, and that she, a young foreigner with no experience in education, was given authority to design a curriculum for the school over her Ugandan colleagues, who were certified teachers. Concerns similar to these are being voiced by an increasing number of newly minted international volunteers. Their conclusion is often that certain types of development work are better left to the pros. Heacock’s perspective, for example? “I think a lot of [Westerners] go abroad thinking just by the virtue of [your nationality] and…college education, that…there’ll be some way for you to help out abroad, but that’s not necessarily true. I think a lot of development work takes highly trained professionals.”
So, if you’re a newbie – just out of school, and itching to get involved – does all of this mean that there’s no place at the international development table for you? Do you need to turn right around, head back to school, and arm yourself with a PhD, 20 years of experience, and a few best-selling books before you make a commitment to making a difference? Not necessarily. In general, experienced professionals make for better international assistance than others do, but that’s not necessarily always the case. Many reputable programs seek out young interns because they’re unjaded, energetic and typically more available (read: without children and mortgages) than older people are. Many of the lacklustre programs we’re talking about have two things in common. The first is that they aren’t interested in matching your skills with specific positions (opting instead to create a position specifically for you, or offer opportunities that require no special skills). The second is a tendency to offer mostly short-term placements (sometimes as short as a week, and generally shorter than two months). If you keep this in mind, and do a little background checking, you should be able to ascertain whether the comfy-looking empty chair at the development table will snap in two once you settle into it. Factors that should guide your research include the nature of the organization itself, its relationship with the local host community, the nature and sustainability of its projects, and how it is willing to support its volunteers when they’re on the ground. These can all have an important impact on whether or not your volunteer experience ends up being beneficial for both you and the community you’re serving. If you think that these look like pretty general categories, you’re right. Look to the right for some tips on how to suss them out.
President Kennedy congratulates Peace Corps Volunteers, 1961. Public Domain: US Federal Government.
Would-be international do-gooder? Here are some ways to check whether the organization you're interested in is interested in you - or just your money. + How Picky is the Organization? ► What kind of time commitment is required? Just a week, or six months or more? Who are they looking for? University grads? Professionals with specific, in-demand skills? Or just anyone "over 16" (as one website put it)? ► A rigorous selection process is actually a good thing anything else means that the organization's is willing to tell you to pack your bags before evaluating how much you'd actually contribute to the program in question. Not good. + How do They Work? ► Worthwhile volunteer abroad programs exist to facilitate exchanges between their volunteers and placement communities, but primarily to advance development goals in those communities. Ideally, this means that the organization will build a relationship with local contacts, groups or programs in a community, identify local needs, create placements based on those needs, and then fill them. A strong connection with grassroots organizers, and an ability to tell you specifically, from day one, what you'll be doing, are thumbs-up; placements that are "tailor-made" for you are often a warning sign. + What Does It Cost, and Where Does the Money Go? ► Often, huge price tags attached to programs are a red flag, but this isn't always necessarily the case. Different programs include different things: some might have shocking sticker prices, but include a flight, lodging, food, a monthly stipend, or all of the above. A general rule of thumb, though, is that an exorbitant fee that gets you nothing but a placement is bad news. ► Some programs are also more expensive than others because fees from those volunteer placements provide a significant source of income to host organizations. A general rule of thumb? If in doubt of where an agency spends its money, ask - and don't be satisfied by a pretty pie chart. Demand real transparency; if you can't find it, go elsewhere. + What Will Happen Once You're There? ► As we've already said, you should know what you're getting into even before you land. But often, that isn't enough. Your program should definitely include some sort of training (often incorporating cultural sensitivity primers and basic language learning) before you lift off, but the best ones also continue to train and teach you after you touch back down on the other side of the world. + What Will Happen Once You've Left? ► This goes hand in hand with everything else we've just said. Good programs use placements in order to facilitate knowledge transfer - they don't create them for just anyone with a cheque book and then abandon them once the participant has caught the plane back home. There should be real vision associated with the program you're volunteering to help on, and that vision should be sustainable.
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Bill 44: The Appropriate Uses and Gratuitous Abuses of Human Rights Language Editorial by Jacalyn Ambler
The concept of a human right is a relatively new and very powerful concept. It implies that people have rights to certain things simply by virtue of their identity as homo sapiens, and that (theoretically at least) everyone else has a corresponding responsibility to facilitate those rights. This changes the reasoning behind certain goals or changes - like solving world hunger or advancing fair trade - from that of charity or benevolence to obligation. But the force behind this claim exists only insofar as the claims themselves appear to be genuine, universal, and urgent. As soon as the language of human rights spreads beyond those things that are indubitably required for human decency and flourishing, then the meaning of that language becomes lost. And because the language lends causes such a sense of urgency and moral rightness, we as a society have to be constantly on guard for attempted appropriations of it. Few better examples of this misuse exist than what has become of Alberta's Bill 44 - the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act. Changes Afoot In April of 2009, Calgary MLA and Alberta Culture Minister Lindsey Blackett announced his intention to recommend various changes to Alberta's Human Rights Act. These changes were deemed part of his mandate to review the province's human rights protection system for effectiveness and transparency. One of his proposals - the inclusion of sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination - was a change that many in the province have anticipated for more than a decade. In 1998, Delwin Vriend was dismissed from his job at King's College in Edmonton, a Christian post-secondary institution, on the basis of his sexual orientation. Vriend attempted to appeal the loss of his position to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. But the Commission was under the auspices of a piece of legislation - the Alberta Individual Rights Protection Act (AIRPA) -
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which did not recognize action based on the basis of one's sexual orientation as discrimination. Consequently, it could not address Vriend's claims. Vriend appealed to the courts to acknowledge this omission as unconstitutional - contrary, specifically, to Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which establishes various equality rights. After the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench found in favour of Vriend, and this decision was overturned by the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. It found that the Act's silence on sexual orientation was indeed in violation of the Charter. This decision heralded serious changes for Alberta's human rights legislation. And progress seemed even more likely when Ralph Klein, then Premier, dismissed Conservative MLA calls to avoid revision of the AIRPA by way of the not-withstanding clause. Since the Supreme Court's decision, however, scant progress has been made by the province towards fulfilling its directive; Blackett's recommendation was seen by many as the first step towards long-awaited reform. This anticipation, though, was dampened as the full range of his proposals became known. Alongside the newly enshrined right of the Albertan LGBT community to be free of discrimination was to be placed a parental right to withdraw children from classes where subject matter "deals explicitly with religion, sexuality, or sexual orientation." In the weeks between Blackett's April statement and the passage of Bill 44 into law early in the morning of June 2, 2009, angry debates about this new parental 'right' swamped newspapers, websites, radio talk shows, and coffee rooms across the province. Disagreements were many. Was the addition justified? Was it religiously motivated? Would it have any real consequence for Alberta teachers? Sadly and strangely, though, a question which should have been at the forefront of this debate whether or not there is, in fact, a parental right to educational control, and how extensive such a right can claim to be - has remained largely undiscussed. Opposite Page Photo Credit: Alex Sandri. Permission Granted: GNU Free Documentation License.
Is There a Parental Right to Educational Input? In order to fully consider this question, we have to first understand the role that education plays in any complex society. The view that formal edification consists in learning ‘reading, writing, ‘rithmatic,’ and nothing else is tedious and outdated. Human beings are, in essence, neurological marsupials – animals born with undeveloped brains. We develop almost all of our knowledge outside of the womb, and almost entirely from the teachings of others. In some cultures, this teaching is done by extended families or even through the participation of entire communities. In western societies, though, an increasingly significant amount is done in the classroom. Whether the teacher is a village elder or a public school teacher, however, learning - both informal and formal - is shaped by a particular worldview. And thus, it makes sense that parents, as the primary educators and socializers in any society, should have some basic day in what kind of structures and institutions govern the education of their children. For this reason, many international rights documents - chiefly, Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - establish a "prior" right of parents to choose, on a macro-level, the "kind" of educational environment in which their children are placed. But what determines the 'kind' of an education? Presumably, the fundamental nature of a curriculum depends on what kind of ideologies are involved in producing it. The curriculum of the Alberta Catholic school system, for example, reflects the teachings of that Church. The curriculum used in the province's public schools, conversely, reflects the normative consensus held by the Albertan public (and the most common debates among these viewpoints where no consensus exists). And if a parent's worldview is not represented by either of these curricula, other options, including special interest schools (such as language immersion) and home-schooling are available. All of these programs exist in Alberta, and parental access to them is relatively unhindered. By providing this choice, the government fulfills its responsibility to uphold the parental right to basic educational input. The parent who enrolls their child in public school, furthermore, has exercised that right. Through this choice, moreover, he or she has (consciously or not) communicated a wish for his or her child to be educated according to a model which reflects the vastly diverse viewpoints which exist in the province, and the consensus that has emerged
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on those views (if any has). He or she has also been given the right to be notified if major, substantive sections of this curriculum delve into territory which the School Act considers crucial to the development of a child's fundamental worldview (such as sexual education), and is able to pull his or her child out of school if worried that this curriculum might create a tug of war of influence between school and parent. What Bill 44 has guaranteed parents is above all of this. The language has, effectively, 'expanded' the parental right to the educational input more than has most all other document - local or international. And for us to determine whether
Eleanor Roosevelt Holds the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Public Domain: US Federal Government
this expansion is legitimate - or one of the improper 'appropriations' of human rights language mentioned above - we have to consider two questions. The first is whether this expansion is tenable. The second is whether it will impinge on the rights of other parties. Expansion of the Right to Parental Involvement: A Step in the Right Direction for Human Rights? The answer to the first of these questions is decisive: the change is unsustainable. The original language of parental notice, as it is laid out in the School Act, severely circumscribes the scope and nature of curricular components which require notice. The relationship was simple, and legal in nature - if a mandated notice was not sent out, the parent who expected it could seek out legal redress. By comparison, the Bill uses extremely vague and expansive language to denote what constitutes religion,
For us to determine whether this expansion of parental rights is legitimate - or one of the improper 'appropriations' of human rights language mentioned above - we have to consider two questions. The first is whether this expansion is tenable. The second is whether it will impinge on the rights of other parties.
sexual education, and - perhaps most alarmingly - curriculum. This effectively leaves it up to thousands of individual parents, rather than one collective, representative educational body, to decide what parts of the curriculum guardians have a right to pass judgment on. If these parents are not consulted on the content of a particular discussion, case study or any number of other educational components that they feel are within their purview, they will be fully empowered to lodge complaints with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. And because the language which guides the Commission is so vague, the burden will effectively be placed on the subjects of these complaints - teachers - to justify their curricular choices.
parent chooses the curriculum of the public school system as the most appropriate educational avenue for his or her child, to allow him or her to dictate classroom dialogue on contentious subjects via the threat of a human rights inquest is to infringe on the right of all the students in that classroom - the parent's son or daughter included - to the best and most comprehensive education that our society can give them.
Given the possibility of this repercussion, who would blame the majority of teachers if they chose to avoid potentially contentious subjects (and the array of such subjects, from reproductive rights to evolution to equality rights, is staggering)? And this brings us to the second question raised above - whether a blanket parental right to educational say-so impinges on the human right of any other party. If discussions are quashed and debates avoided on some of the world's most controversial - and important - issues, then such a right is indeed being encroached upon. And that is the student's right to education. According to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, "education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality," and that person's knowledge of the world and the full gamut of what exists within it. We know as a society that this development best occurs when all viewpoints are presented for consideration; when debate is frequent, and comprehensive. We know that it is when our curriculum is able to expose students to intellectual curiosities that they become most intellectually curious - about both themselves and the world around them. Parents have a right to determine the outside parameters of this exposure - that's why our school system makes such an effort to accommodate all manner of religious, linguistic and cultural differences in the types of programming offered in our province. But once a
Photo Credit: Teo Sze Lee. Permission Granted (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)
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Where Are the Rights? For Students in Western Academia, are Human Rights a Non-Issue? A Graduate Student Wonders Khalida Tanvir Syed
Most
people are comfortable talking about human rights as long as the term is used in relation to third world countries and starving children. When it comes to other, less grievous or urgent issues, however, things get a little fuzzier. Freedom of speech is a good example of this. Most people agree that newspapers shouldn't be censored, and that academics critical of the government should not find themselves in physical danger because of their political views. But what about the student who writes a thesis from a viewpoint contrary to that which is considered acceptable within the department? Is “oppression in ivory towers� a violation of human rights? Silencing a student crushes that student's creativity. Does this silencing exist? And if it does, how do students cope with it? Shut up or fit in? Get a degree and move on? If students resist this silencing, what is the cost of that resistance? Are students ready to pay the price of speaking out? We live in a society that is, academically, freer than many. The academic environments which we foster are intended to be places where debate is allowed, and exchange of ideas is encouraged. We are told that education should be about respecting, trusting, and engaging others. Yet, there are complex relationships and expectations governing the interactions between students, professors, administrations, and grant-givers. It is well-known that some ideas are more fashionable than others, and that at some point, these ideas become dogma, and therefore unchallengeable. The question of whether we should challenge the permanence of these ideas, and how, though is rarely voiced. The consequences of this inside censoring are serious. Silencing a student crushes that student's creativity. And if students deal with it by shutting up and fitting in - or, more commonly, by getting a degree and moving on then what we can give back to society is circumscribed while the powers of our professors are not.
after all, for student loans when a student's unusual thesis doesn't lead to instant job offers. Harper and Obama and other people in positions of power claim that education is the way to the future, but they would rather bailout the car company making questionable business decisions than cover the loans of the student writing questioning essays. And so, the attention of students turns from raising their voices to paying their debts. Change only happens when we think and rethink what we are accomplishing, and what differences we are making in our lives and those of others. Human rights cannot only be about righting for rights elsewhere, but about recognizing and fulfilling responsibilities at home. Everything should be negotiable; everything should be open for dialogue or discussion. If education is really the key to the future, then we need to protect it - through an open-door policy for PhD and Masters thesis defense, so the tax payers can see who is getting funded, and why; through more accessible post-secondary education and student loans; and through government and university policy that protects and encouraging questions.
Particularly with the economy the way that it is, students may feel even less able to voice lessthan-conventional views. There are no bailouts,
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Frick Library, University of Pittsburgh. Photo Credit:: Michael G. White (Public Domain)
The Young People are Coming! Edmonton Welcomes the 2009 Global Youth Assembly Mandy Sui
Photo Credit: GYA, 2007. Permission Granted.
The
John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights is proud to present the Ignite Change Now! Global Youth Assembly (GYA 2009) this summer in Edmonton, Alberta. From July 30-August 2nd, 1000 youth and young professionals from Canada and around the world will come together to become part of a positive and creative movement to ignite change now in their communities! In 2007, the first Global Youth Assembly was held in Edmonton with such resounding success that the John Humphrey Centre pledged to host it once every two years. Over 500 youth attended GYA 2007 from around the world, engaging in interactive workshops that fostered their knowledge and interest under the theme area of the 8 Action Areas for a Culture of Peace and Human Rights. The GYA 2009 follows much the same format with dynamic and interactive workshops, inspiring keynotes, focusing on the theme YOUth building community. Essentially, the building community theme is to explore the components of what it takes to build a community that advances and promotes human rights. The Global Youth Assembly represents a unique forum for youth to network and discuss issues that matter to them. This dynamic social forum combines the need to raise awareness about critical local and global issues related to youth and young professionals who are interested in peace and human rights and support concrete strategies and opportunities to take action. The featured workshops consist of a diverse array of action and awareness sessions designed to spark the creative energies of the delegates and provide them with the tools to ignite change. With workshops and delegates from around the world,
the GYA features a great mix of talent and knowledge bringing together best practices and unique initiatives that is sure to inspire and spark change wherever the delegate may hail. The GYA is also unique for western Canada. Taking place in Edmonton, Alberta, a place that has been lampooned in the media lately for being “home of the tar-sands”, the GYA is positive proof that Albertan youth are engaged and just as interconnected as youth from activist powerhouses like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal. The Global Youth Assembly exemplifies Alberta’s unique culture and new slogan “freedom to create, spirit to achieve” . Whether you like the new slogan or not, Alberta really is, through projects like the GYA, working to build a greater human rights community on the global, local and individual levels that inspires awareness to action. The province hosts a dynamic youth population who are keen to speak out and make change. Come and see! The GYA is for youth and young professionals between the ages of 16-28, teachers, young leaders, youth mentors and anyone who wishes to transform their world through their unique, creative and dynamic talents. For more information and to register, visit our website at www.youthassembly.ca. Join the movement and ignite change now!
Photo Credit: GYA, 2007. Permission Granted.
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Critical Content Poems by Khalida Tanvir Syed and Kelly Shepherd
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East . . . Oriental . . . Exotic farmers, fishers, labourers, trades-people working outdoors all day every day their skin darkened and browned by the sun teachers, clergy, doctors, officials, the educated and the leisure classes indoors with no chance of a tan or a sunburn or callused hands skin color as an outward sign of status and wealth beauty defined by the wealthy the fashion industry inspired by the wealthy, and always catering to the wealthy beauty based on skin color skin-whitening products, not just the gentle milky lotions but bleach to kill pigments, permanently and advertising to burn the messages of shame and discrimination paleness to rival the richest daughter who never feels the rays of the afternoon sun available in a bottle
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West . . . Modern . . . Civilized where the sun can seem like a rare and precious commodity sport fishermen, mountain bikers, skiers, swimmers, golfers, sunbathers and the myth of the West: the cowboy on a horse or a motorcycle plenty of sunshine and the darkening of pale skin signifying vigorous fitness, health, outdoorsy Boy Scouts /Girls Guides wholesomeness the darker the tan, and the lack of tan lines (consider jokes about the "farmer's tan") still a class distinction, a symbol of one's leisure time, a signifier of wealth so we have tanning salons, darkening lotions, the seven days' holiday in Hawaii suntan available in a bottle
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