BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

British Columbia Teachers’ Federation • 100–550 West 6th Avenue • Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2

in this issue Sports-engendering gender

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You can play Burnaby —Tackling homophobic and chauvinistic attitudes in sports.

4 Conference provides refuge for youth 6 Queer Across Canada —a musicaleducation kit for families and educators 7 Catalyst: A collection of commentaries to get us talking 9 The pro-choice movement in British Columbia

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Birds in your back yard

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What to do if you find a bird

14

BCTF Social Justice Grants

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Social justice for emergent bilingual learners

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VSB secondary schools “Get off the Bottle” and “Trust the Tap” 19 Bringing environmental education into the art room

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Social Justice projects at the Mount Arrowsmith Teachers’ Association (MATA) 21 Socializing justice in elementary school —BCTF Ed May grant report 22 Our children our future

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Respecting human rights can end poverty

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Human rights education

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A crash course on children’s rights 29 CASJ 31

Summer/Fall 2013

Sports-engendering gender

By David Butler, elementary teacher in Vancouver

L

ast summer I visited my sister in Ottawa.

One morning I went to a local sports field to meet up with my sister, and my niece and nephew (then aged nine and six) as they were both playing soccer that morning.

When I arrived, I looked around and found my sister cheering on the youngest. I asked her, “Where is Nadine?” She replied, “Oh she’s on the girls’ field, one field over.” I paused and asked my sister, “Can you think of one good reason why children at this age should be divided by sex?” My sister thought for a moment and replied, “No. I never even noticed that before,” and with more thought she concluded, “No. I can’t.”

As the sports world is abuzz with the recent coming-out of basketball player Jason Collins, the first active male professional player in the major leagues to do so, it is important to recognize this event as a very significant milestone in queer liberation. However, as my lesbian friend pointed out to me, there have been several female athletes in professional sport who crossed that line decades ago—probably the most notable example is tennis legend Martina Navratilova who came out professionally in 1981. That it is now 2013, and the first male athlete in the four major leagues sports has only now come out is significant.

This event evokes comparison to when the race barrier was broken in American professional baseball. It happened in 1947 when Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Wikipedia has this to say about that era in sports: ☛

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“The colour line in American baseball excluded players of African descent from Major League Baseball and it’s affiliated Minor Leagues. Racial segregation in professional baseball was sometimes called a gentlemen’s agreement, meaning a tacit understanding, as there was no written policy at the highest level of baseball organization. Some older leagues did have rules against teams signing black players, with colour lines drawn during the 1880s and 1890s.”

Here we are, almost 70 years later, and another “gentlemen’s agreement”—the heterosexist line in male sports—has been broken. Why has it taken so long? How is it possible that of all the male major leagues, no active player has ever taken this step?

To explore these questions, I examined the purpose of sport in contemporary culture. Some people might think that sport is purely a form of entertainment. I have heard others say that, given the roots of the word “sport,” which comes from the 15th century “disporten,” to divert, sport distracts the masses from important political actions of governments, like unjust wars, drone attacks, or the “detainment” of political prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. In this context, the purpose of sport is not unlike the famous happy pill called “soma” in Huxley’s Brave New World. Here is a quote from the novel: “I don’t understand anything,” she said with decision, determined to preserve her incomprehension intact.

“Nothing. Least of all,” she continued in another tone “why you don’t take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of yours. You’d forget all about them. And instead of feeling miserable, you’d be jolly. So jolly.”

Others maintain that one cannot overlook that capitalist values like competition are instilled, and a militarist mentality—crushing your opponent—is normalized through sports. In the same vein, the spirit of nationalism is bolstered by having people identify with, and cheer for, one team over another.

While all these points have merit, it doesn’t help to explain why we so blindly accept gender apartheid in sports, and why extreme, blatant homophobia underpins its culture. Some readers might think the reason to separate boys from girls in sports is that 2

it’s fair to the girls, as some believe that girls are not as X, Y, and Z as boys. I don’t want to engage in the faulty logic of these types of sexist arguments here, especially considering most of us as educators know very well there is a great range of body types, ability levels, and skill sets between girls as a group, between boys as a group, and that there is a huge area of overlap on the Venn diagram between the two. Moreover at younger ages, not many would contend that girls or boys differ in any significant way in strength, speed, agility etc. In fact, if anything, one could argue it’s not fair to the smaller boys to play with girls because girls hit puberty before they do (in general), and by Grade 5 or 6, girls are generally taller and faster than boys.

Therefore, maintaining gender apartheid in sports must also be connected to another as-yet-unexplored reason. By looking at the intersection of both the gender segregation and the extreme homophobia in sport, another deeper purpose can be discursively excavated.

On a cultural-wide level, one of the main and often unexamined purposes of sports is to engender gender, to perform it, literally. An online definition of engender is “to bring into existence; the give rise to.” Thus “engendering gender” refers to a profound social process where a socially prescribed idea of what it means to be a man/masculine or woman/ feminine gets deeply imprinted on unsuspecting subjects/players. However, not just those who actually participate are affected. Sports are cultural spectacles and as such are a deep expression of a social paradigm. When you think of Roman colosseums and how those spectacles help us, in present times, understand how those societies were structured; so too do modern day sports reveal social underpinnings of modern cultures.

Importantly, since what a woman “should” be and what a man “should” be are very different in today’s patriarchal society, the purpose of sports can not be applied equally to both genders. Sports are meant to bring about different gendered outcomes.

Historically, especially since the Industrial Revolution, “good” women (generally of middle/ upper class) were socially expected and trained to be docile, polite, and domestically occupied, and as BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

a consequence, “real sports” have only recently been an acceptable domain for them. It is interesting to consider the tools that we use to measure the level of gender equality we have achieved. In a Globe and Mail editorial, during the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, the editor happily concluded that there was more gender equality in Canada and the US as compared to European counties. He did this by looking at the participation rates of women in hockey. I remember thinking, “Funny they don’t look at men in figure skating as THE litmus test of gender equality.” In patriarchal paradigms, there seems to be slightly more tolerance for when subordinates (women) attempt to better themselves than when those with social and political dominance (men) start to embrace the unworthy domain of the feminine.

Patriarchal societies need men on top; and nothing

is more critical in the process of constructing real men (through continuous iterations of homophobia and transphobia) than making sure they turn out straight. The type of man who is meant to be the cultural product of “real” sports is tough, aggressive, and competitive, not some limp-wristed sissy. Male means masculine and masculine means heterosexual in the normative nebula of heterosexuality. Gender norms are such that by separating boys from girls in sports, boys will have a better chance of learning what it is to be a “real” man—an opportunity uncontaminated by femininity and faeries. I read a quote on my friend’s Facebook page that fully captures this thought—“We don’t raise boys to be men. We raise them NOT to be women or gay men.”

-Donald McPherson, former NFL quarterback, and now a feminist and social activist.

So instead of being elated that a gay guy came out in basketball, maybe we should be asking, “Why do we want to participate in social arenas that have dangerous purposes and outcomes?” Much like the controversy about gays in the military—my friends and I were asking, “Is the right to kill others in distant countries something queers should be striving for?” I’m not saying we should all abandon physical activities like ones that happen to be sports. I like playing basketball actually.

Nonetheless, we need to address and respond to the sexism and homophobia embodied and perpetuated in sport.

Public schools that continue gender apartheid in their PE programs need to reconsider the hidden curriculum their students are being subjected to. I look forward to the day where I could see my nephew and niece playing on the same field, together. iStockphoto /thinkstock

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

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You can play Burnaby—Tackling homophobic and chauvinistic attitudes in sports

by Frank Bonvino, 2nd vice-president of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association

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n 2011, the Burnaby School District crafted Policy 5.45, a sexual orientation and gender-identity policy that provides appropriate administrative regulations and strategies that promote respect for human rights, support diversity, and address discrimination for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is well-known that the subgroup of students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender tend to face higher rates of bullying, depression, and suicide when compared to their school classmates. This policy is a good first step in creating a supportive climate of support and respect for students, staff, and the school community at large. Unfortunately, there was resistance to this policy by a very small, but vocal, group of parents who fought tooth and nail to prevent this policy from being successfully adopted. Eventually, in an attempt to undermine the policy, the group formed a new municipal party, dubbed Parents’ Voice, to contest the most recent Burnaby municipal elections.

Like any policy document, Policy 5.45 is only effective if you bring it to life by incorporating it into the daily lives of the people within the school community. With this in mind, I was alerted to the

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You Can Play Burnaby speaking panel: Jordan Goldwarg, Angela Hucles, Scott Heggart

fact that current Canuck Manny Malhotra had been representing the You Can Play Project at the Vancouver Pride Parade. The You Can Play Project is a non-profit organization tackling homophobic and chauvinistic attitudes in the locker room, and began shortly after the tragic death of Brendan Burke, a gay member of the prohockey community and son of former Canucks General Manager Brian Burke.

Although many gay and lesbian issues, such as the right to marry, are now considered to be mainstream, there has been little progress with respect to gay and lesbian athletes self-identifying in the major pro sports—in fact, no male athlete had done so while still playing professionally.

I wanted to be a small part of the solution and felt that, with the help of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association, the BCTF, and the Burnaby Board of Education,

we could hold a successful event that promoting the concepts of inclusion and diversity in the sports arena.

The idea of You Can Play Burnaby was officially born. Through one of the co-founders of You Can Play, Burnaby teachers were able to successfully host a panel discussion featuring three standout gay and lesbian athletes—Olympic gold medal soccer star Angela Hucles, NCAA Division 1 skier Jordan Goldwarg, and University of Ottawa student athlete, and hockey goaltender Scott Heggart were flown in to share their stories of coming out in the locker room.

Moderating the panel discussion was standout BC Lions wide receiver Marco Iannuzzi.

The athletes and approximately 100 community members gathered at the Michael J. Fox Theatre on a Thursday evening at the end of March. Each athlete

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

shared their story about coming out to their families, and their struggles with coming out to their friends and teammates in the sports community.

Marco, a straight ally, thought back to his days growing up playing football and could not identify a teammate who was gay. He strongly suspected that he must have had a gay teammate but, because the culture of the football locker room can be seen to be chauvinistic, he had perhaps not felt supported. Marco strongly feels that creating this supportive climate in the locker room is the first step toward creating a truly inclusive locker room—one where members of the team can be open and honest with their teammates without fear of judgement or discrimination.

Angela Hucles spoke about her experiences as a lesbian athlete in the soccer world. She felt that she was constantly looking for clues from her teammates that would indicate their potential response to her sexual orientation, which she kept hidden. However, she acknowledged that her experience of coming out was likely better than most, as her parents were extremely supportive.

Jordan Goldwarg gave his perspective, which was a bit different, as skiers tend to focus more on individual performance and do not share a team locker room. He acknowledged that he was trying to keep himself as busy as possible so as not to focus on

Ironically, he felt that some of the teammates who were quick to use the derogatory terminology were his biggest supporters when he came out.

what made him different—his sexual identity. He feels that being in the closet for so long actually hurt his performance on the slopes, as his results greatly improved once he came out to his peers.

Scott Heggart shared his experience of being a gay hockey player. He first came out to his sister but was very anxious of coming out to his teammates.

After much consternation he chose to come out on Facebook, changing his relationship status to “dating Brock.” He prepared for what he thought might be a backlash, but instead turned out to be a show of support from those in the locker room and outside of it. Scott feels that many people in the sports community are not homophobic but they could simply choose their words more carefully, as terms like “fag” can be attributed to bad habits more than homophobia.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Since the forum, several items of note have taken place. The You Can Play Project has forged an official partnership with the National Hockey League and its Players’ Association, the first professional league to do so. Also, we have just seen the first selfidentified gay National Basketball Association player, Jason Collins, make a public announcement. His announcement was wellreceived, with Michelle Obama and Kobe Bryant among the celebrities offering their support.

In professional soccer, Robbie Rogers, of the major league soccer champion team LA Galaxy, has just publicized his homosexuality.

Since John Collins has not played a game since his announcement, this makes Rogers the first openly gay male athlete to play a game in a major professional sports league. Hopefully, given the level of support both of these athletes have received, this will lead to other athletes coming out and serving as role models for students in the LGBTQ community.

I would like to sincerely thank the Burnaby Teachers’ Association, the BCTF, and the Burnaby Board of Education for their support in hosting the first panel discussion of its kind in Western Canada—You Can Play Burnaby.

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Conference provides refuge for youth

By Katelyn Roberts, Hope Secondary School, Hope, B.C.

Students from Hope Secondary School, including Isabella Dagnino, Leo Clark, and Patrick Fazarri, experience this while attending the third annual C.A.L.L. Out Vancouver Youth Leadership Conference from March 19 to 22. The four-day retreat was sponsored by Vancouver Coastal Health for 50 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ ) youth from across British Columbia.

The conference was originally developed to be a space where youth can be who they are without the intolerance that many of them are subjected to at school. One way that students expressed themselves was through clothing.

“Many people make attending events such as these their opportunity to wear things that they wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable wearing at school in terms of gender expression,” said Kyle Shaughnessy, who organized the event and has been to Hope Secondary on two occasions, once to address the students and the second to address community members. Shaughnessy also stressed that not trying to fix anyone was crucial to the conference’s atmosphere. He explained, “don’t try to fix somebody as if there is something wrong with them. It’s a really negative-based thing to assume and that a) it’s your job to do anything and b) that there’s something wrong with them.”

For a lot of the youth, the retreat has become more than just an expressive setting for them.

“Something that I think a lot of us face when we’re not in spaces such as this conference is that we get hit with a lot 6

of people’s, more often than not, wrong assumptions about us,” Shaughnessy said.

For many attendees, it has become a safe forum, a place where they’re able to discuss issues surrounding the LGBTQ community and more importantly, what it means to be who they are there.

During the four days, youth, along with 20 adult volunteers, participated in five different workshops.

The power and diversity workshop gave the youth a chance to talk about what they enjoy the most about their “Queer Community.” One of the most common answers from the students was the sense of belonging that they felt, which came from the shared experience they had with people in their community.

When asked what he most enjoyed about the four days, Fazzari said, “the fact that everyone is capable of bonding with each other right away and you get to learn the perspectives of others in a healthy environment.” Fazzari is the co-president of Hope Secondary’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and the other students who attended from Hope are all members of the lunchtime club.

iStockphoto /thinkstock

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magine sitting in a room with 70 people and realizing they deal with the same struggles you do everyday.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

At the beginning of 2012, the GSA was created by a small group of students who were feeling bullied because of their sexual orientation. These students felt having an inclusive club would help them get away from the prejudice that they were being faced with daily. “It exists to be a safe place for LGBTQ kids and allies to get together and prove that there is such a thing as a confidential space for people to come out,” says Fazzari, adding that many of the members felt alienated by their classmates and the GSA provided an inclusive refuge for them.

Since it’s creation, the GSA has made a difference in the atmosphere at the local high school. Together, they have successfully helped add LGBTQ-friendly language to the school district’s anti-bullying policy, helped in Anit-Bullying Day and have collaborated with the Tea Club to hold social events. They also

plan to reach out to others who identify as LGBTQ in Hope, as a way to create a more prevalent “Queer Community” in the town.

One of the club’s most valuable assets is their allies, who are often peers, teachers, family, and community members. Half of the GSA are considered allies too.

“Allies are the most important people to have around during difficult times for queer youth. You know that they’re always there to love and support you, even in your worst moments,” explained Fazzari. “The best feeling is knowing that there’s always someone, whether it’s in your school or around the community, who will accept you for who you are because really, we’re all allies in whatever struggle we’re going through. The common denominator here is that no matter what we’re all humans and we all deserve to be loved.”

Queer Across Canada —a musical-education kit for families and educators

by Maike Engelbrecht

T

hree years ago, after teaching full-time for three years in the interior of British Columbia and for a further five years as a teacherteaching-on-call (TTOC) for the Vancouver School Board, Kate Reid was kicked off the TTOC list because her career as a queer folk singer and musical activist

was taking off. She was rarely home to accept calls for substitute teaching positions because she was always on the road.

Musical-Education Kit, a project derived from 74 interviews she conducted with queer parents and their children.

However, Reid has never ceased being an educator.

The kit includes a 17-song CD and an educational resource for the classroom, which pairs activities and exercises with the songs. It helps teach about gender and sexual diversity, homophobia and heteronormativity, while also promoting acceptance of diverse people, families, and communities.

Her hilarious stage presence and her sometimes witty, sometimes heartbreaking, songs about LGBTQ life have endeared her to audiences across the country, helping spread the gospel of acceptance and welcome well beyond its usual demographic.

Now she is marrying her dual backgrounds as teacher and musical activist like never before.

Reid celebrates queer families with the Queer Across Canada

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

For instance, the songs Tummy Mommy and Radical Donor Dad are matched with activities in which students reflect on what makes a family a family. ☛

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The songs, I am a Tomboy and Boys Who Wear Dresses are paired with an exercise that invites students to identify common expectations of male and female behaviour, and then explore where those expectations come from. Proposed stretch activities include designing a fashion show to demonstrate how gender norms can be challenged through clothing.

Other songs, such as Altona, Manitoba and My Ex-Wife is a Lesbian and She’s an Unfit Mother, provide an opportunity to educate students about real-life incidents of antigay discrimination. Altona, Manitoba describes the conflict in Altona, in which parents protested teachers’ posting of rainbow “ally” certificates in their classrooms. My Ex-Wife is a Lesbian and She’s an Unfit Mother depicts the systemic discrimination against lesbian parents during custody hearings in the 1970s and 1980s.

Reid earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Guelph, and a Bachelor of Education degree from UBC. She has more than 20 years of experience teaching and working with at-risk youth.

She has also worked with people of all ages facing behavioural, developmental, physical, and mental challenges—including mental illness and autism.

Her performances and speaking engagements for upper elementary and secondary school students have earned rave reviews from her fellow teachers.

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“I believe her presence and her message did more to move students along the continuum from tolerance to acceptance than anything I have ever witnessed,” wrote Jan Swaren, head of Arts for Kingston’s Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute.

“Her musical talent and queer advocacy message were enhanced by her natural abilities as an educator,” said Cori-Anne Klassen, ESL specialist at Sardis Secondary School in Chilliwack.

“I was moved to see some of our more marginalized students’ faces light up with feelings of joy and belonging because of the safe space that Kate had created for them among their own peers.

Kate Reid is an inspiration!”

“This particular class has struggled a great deal with friendships and some in-class bullying,” wrote Huntsville High School vice-Principal Tanya Fraser. “I think Kate was just what they needed. …I was so impressed.”

Members of the Canadian music industry have been similarly moved. Reid was voted “Discovery of the Year” in the 2009 Critic’s Poll published in the Canadian folk music magazine Penguin Eggs. She has performed at the Edmonton Folk Festival, the Hillside Festival, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the Vancouver Island Music Festival, and countless other major music events. She’s been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award and a Toronto Independent Music Award,

and she’s been embraced by mainstream music journalists who have helped her get her message about LGTBQ equality into major daily newspapers.

Kate Reid possesses a deep sense of empathy and compassion for students who feel like outsiders, and that, in turn, is key to her success at connecting with them.

Her talent as a musician and her professional skill as an educator provide the tools for her to do it effectively.

The Queer Across Canada Musical-Education Kit combines all of her skills and experience into a one-of-a-kind teaching aid to help students from nontraditional families feel good about themselves and their family members.

To find out more about Kate Reid, her music, and the Queer Across Canada Musical-Education Kit, go to: www.katereid.net. The Queer Across Canada Musical-Education Kit (CD + resource kit) will be available on Kate’s website by September 2013. The Queer Across Canada CD is available now. To purchase, go to: www.katereid.net/shop.

Queer Across Canada Kit: $49.95 Queer Across Canada CD only: $25.00 Queer Across Canada resource booklet only: $35.00 Prices include tax and shipping, and discounts will be offered for bulk orders!

Kate will be preforming at the SJ dinner in Kamloops on Thursday, August 22, 2013.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Catalyst: A collection of commentaries to get us talking

by Alex Sangha

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atalyst: A Collection of Commentaries to Get Us Talking is available worldwide through Amazon.com. Complimentary copies of the book are available for teachers; contact Alex via e-mail at alexsangha@gmail.com.

“Alex Sangha has an impressively broad range of knowledge on issues that affect the world, and challenges problems that most people have come to accept. Sangha doesn’t just point out the troubles in this world, but thinks of bold solutions for them.”

- Jenny Uechi, managing editor, Vancouver Observer “Alex writes clearly concisely and with a nonjudgmental viewpoint.

Alex is clearly a world citizen who disseminates on a wide variety of issues with amazing clarity. His refreshing view on a wide range of subjects are written with elegance and a light touch that does not cloud the issues.”

- Veeno Dewan, former editor, Voice Newspaper Alex Sangha has produced a critical, yet positive, book that covers a range of topics, from environmental conservation to reconciling religion and sexuality to depression and arranged marriage. He believes every person should be informed and should have their say on subjects that matter.

Catalyst is a collection of 40 short commentaries about problems facing Canada and the world in the 21st century. It is filled with topics for social discussion for the informed citizen as well as for parents and teachers who want to get young adults thinking critically about the world around them.

Catalyst is an excellent conversation starter. Each article includes questions for the reader, which can be a great springboard for critical discussion.

Synopsis There is no question about it: The world is changing faster than ever. What’s not so clear is where all this change is taking us. Thanks to globalization and the Internet, we see news as it happens but we are also bombarded with more information than we could ever hope to process. How much of it is true? How much of it matters?

Alex Sangha believes it’s up to all of us to separate the wheat from the chaff. He wants each of us— young, old, and in-between—to think critically, to see past the epidemic of disinformation and hidden agendas streaming at us daily in this multimedia world.

Sangha encourages each of us to play a part in shaping our future.

He promotes change in the world, but also deeper thinking right here at home. He believes making choices that are good for us, for the environment, and for others can only happen when we are truly informed and have a real understanding of the issues at hand.

The world needs critical thinkers and go-getters.

Canada needs them. Our schools need them. An awareness of the problems around us isn’t enough.

Understanding the issues—how they connect and affect and ripple out to the edges of our lives—is the only hope for a better tomorrow. Catalyst: A Collection of Commentaries to Get Us Talking is a tool to encourage conversation about subjects that are sometimes hard to talk about.

Alex Sangha may not have all the answers, but he knows how to get us thinking and talking. ☛

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

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Alex Sangha writes about hard-hitting subjects affecting all Canadians. Alex shares his views and discusses events that have shaped his life. He writes about socio-economics, the environment, Canadian politics, and spirituality. What sets Sangha apart is that he doesn’t just want readers to absorb and agree blindly with everything he says; he encourages thought, engagement, and conversation. To aid in this process, he poses a question at the end of each article: • “Do you think each neighborhood having an elected member on city council is important in local government?”

• “Do you think the government should make the rich pay more taxes?”

• “How would you improve our prison system?”

• “Would you employ someone with a mental illness?”

• “How would you feel about having your parents find a spouse for you?”

Tell someone what you think. Start a conversation.

About the Author Alex Sangha is an award winning social worker and human rights activist who lives and works in the Metro Vancouver area of BC. Sangha has advocated for marginalized people including those with mental illness, South Asian immigrants, and gays and lesbians. Sangha is always interested in meeting new people, developing new friendships and relationships, and learning new things. He believes anyone can help bring about social change and make a difference in someone’s life; all it takes is effort.

Sangha was born in England, raised in Canada, and is of Indian descent. It is therefore no surprise that he feels like a product of the British Empire.

Sangha completed a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, an MSc in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, as well as a Master of Social Work from Dalhousie University. Sangha is currently the driving force behind the Dignity House project, which aims to provide affordable housing for vulnerable seniors in Vancouver.

The pro-choice movement in British Columbia

by Ann Thomson

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r. Henry Morgentaler, an extraordinary, compassionate, and courageous man, brought the women of Canada the gift of fully legal abortion. His recent death reminds us of how hard he had to struggle, but he didn’t do it alone. Across the country, women fought as well—not just in Ontario—the story of how feminists fought in BC is unusual and important.

A “second wave” of feminism erupted in the 1960s, and one of the first groups in Canada was formed at Simon Fraser University. It called itself 10

winning fully legal abortion soon became the dominate goal amongst the others.

The Women’s Caucus , and it was open to every woman— student, faculty, staff, or from the general community.

It had four main goals, but

Under Trudeau, an omnibus reform bill with more than 100 clauses had been adopted in 1969; the most hard-fought of its changes to the Criminal Code transferred control of abortion from the federal government to hospitals. If they chose to do so, hospitals could then form Therapeutic Abortion Committees (TAC), which could grant safe and legal abortions to as many, or as few, women as they wished. Women who were turned down by a

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

hospital TAC had no recourse; neither did those whose closest hospital refused to set-up a TAC (the majority). The Women’s Caucus wanted the law scrapped altogether so that abortion would be “free” and “on demand.”

To accomplish this, a somewhat ragtag group of women rounded up what vehicles they could find and set out to inform Parliament of what they wanted.

It was another “On to Ottawa” trek, patterned on that of the unemployed in 1935. This time it was called “The Abortion Caravan.” A colourful 10 days later, the group arrived in Ottawa, where they were joined by about 500 others from Ontario and elsewhere. It was Mother’s Day weekend, 1970.

To their dismay, only three members of parliament came to meet them; none from the government. So, after a spirited rally and then a spontaneous sitin on the Prime Minister’s lawn, the women planned a surprise.

They got hold of about 35 passes to the government gallery in the House of Commons, and a select number of the caravaners borrowed skirts, nylons, and handbags from Ottawa sisters.

Then, with bicycle chains hidden in their handbags, they walked demurely into the House and proceeded to chain themselves to the railings in the gallery. Other caravaners trudged around the Centennial Flame outside, acting as decoys for the action within. At the stroke of three, women leaped to their feet and read from a script that all had copies of. It called

for a complete repeal of abortion laws and for women to decide when and whether to have a child.

The flustered commissionaires rushed to find saws to cut through the bicycle chains. The alarmed members of parliament were dismissed when the Speaker hastily adjourned the House until it was safe to reenter. All discussion centered on this frightening spectacle of noisy and uppity women, and every major newspaper in Canada carried the story on its front page the next day.

Alas, it took 18 more years of struggle to win fully legal abortion. That was where Morgentaler came in. In fact, he had already turned his family practice in Montreal into a private abortion clinic, and the police decided to seize him shortly after the Abortion Caravan. As we all know, he was acquitted by three juries in Quebec—but the state appealed the verdicts, got the Supreme Court to declare Mongentaler guilty, and sent him to prison anyways. He was thrown naked into a freezing solitary confinement cell, where he had a heart attack, and was then transferred to a care home. Soon, however, the Parti Québécois won its first election, and the determined separatists freed Morgentaler and told him to carry on. The federal law was not honoured in the Parti Québécois’ Quebec.

Meantime, in BC, wave after wave of anti-abortionists set

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

themselves to gain control of public hospital boards of directors. They succeeded in many hospitals across the province, and once in power, they banned all abortions.

That did not go down well with the medical staffs, who often resigned en masse from administrative committees until the ban was lifted. (Doctors didn’t like non-medical people telling them what to do.)

However, the anti-abortionists were wily and managed to keep the bans in place, while sounding as though they were co-operating.

A succession of feminist groups continued to fight for the goals of the Abortion Caravan. I joined up in 1971, and was continuously active—while also teaching in Surrey—for the next 20 years. As Judy Rebick reminded the crowds at the G-8 and G-20 summit meetings in Ontario in 2010, we won the right to legal abortion because we weren’t afraid to take to the streets! That was our favourite tactic in BC, especially in Vancouver and Victoria—as often as possible, we organized marches and rallies, alternating with indoor conferences, and sometimes petition campaigns or meetings for touring speakers.

We figured our strongest weapon was our numbers, and we did our best to make it impossible to overlook the fact that the majority was pro-choice.

Only months after Morgentaler’s momentous victory in the Canadian Supreme Court in 1988 (quite the opposite of his first case there), in which the ☛ 11

first woman justice, Madame Bertha Wilson, wrote the majority decision, the group I was working with opened BC’s first abortion clinic. Since shortly after that, Canada has been one of the very few nations in the world to have absolutely no law on abortion!

A few years ago, I wrote up the story of the BC pro-choice movement in a book called Winning Choice on Abortion.

No one would publish it (nasty topic), so I had to do it myself.

That means the best way to get a copy is to order from me— contact me at annetom3@gmail. com. The cost is $20, plus postage if you live outside the Lower Mainland.

Everywoman’s Health Centre in Vancouver, opened in 1988, still operates. It is one of four clinics in BC—far too few, but better than none. Some hospitals do abortions as well. The next stage in this long struggle is not, as the minority of Canadians (the anti-abortionists) pray for, to outlaw abortion again; it is to expand access. To demand that all hospitals perform the procedure, and to get more clinics up and running.

Can you help?

The Status of Women committee have recently written a Reproductive Rights lesson plan that can be found under Lesson Plans on their webpage. bit.ly/1a6eClD.

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Birds in your back yard

by Shannon Lanaway, Committee for Action on Social Justice, Environmental Justice Action Group

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n the last few months, I have had a realization about how and when I, as a teacher, became a social justice activist.

The moment, the experience, that story that was so special that something inside of me made a decision to keep that emotion as a motivation for change, was the magical time spent with my grandma when I was a child.

When I would go to visit her, we would share a cup of tea and she would tell me stories of growing up in the prairies. I would garden for her in the spring, summer, and autumn months, and refill the bird feeders in the winter months. As we would wait for birds to come to the feeders, my grandma would tell me about the number of species that had come to visit her since I had last visited.

That moment, that experience, that story, often takes place when we are children. Therefore, as a new art teacher, I have been reflecting on those memories and laughing inside at all the

art revolving around birds, that the Grade 7–10 students I am teaching are learning about. We started with researching local bird species. I discovered a secondary school photography student who was selling his work online based on his visits to the local bird sanctuary. (A perfect motivator to demonstrate a young inspired youth and his work in the bigger world.) The second resource was a retired teacher who lived by Kootenay Lake, who classified the birds; provided a small description of their habits and posted the information online.

Over several weeks, the Art 7/8 students would learn about another classification of bird, as we visited the site and brought the images up on the big slide screen in the class. The students have grown-up seeing and hearing these birds in their dayto-day environment, but for many this was the first time they had the opportunity to identify them up close and further understand their value to their community.

From a pile of bird books taken out of the library, students chose a bird they connected with.

Students then proceeded to

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

sketch, paint, and outline their images with ink, which they applied to a homemade water colour washed postcard backing.

During the provincial election, we used these hand-painted bird postcards to send our local party candidates a clear question, What are you willing to do to protect this bird’s habitat/home? This allowed students to understand the power of their own voice; their ability to advocate for change and solidarity with the living beings they share their home with.

The black scratch board was another amazing medium to highlight the visual elements of the art curriculum—line, form, and negative space.

Students again chose a bird from the local population to reproduce by scratching with an X-Acto knife on the black chalk coated scratchboard. The results were impressive and most students developed their artistic confidence through this new medium.

The grid transfer sketch on Manila paper was another project that students worked on in their bird unit. By photocopying a bird of their choice and measuring out a grid of about 20 squares, students used a similar grid on a bigger piece of paper to reproduce the bird’s image. During this drawing lesson, students were focused on developing the catch light in the bird’s eye; lifting light through erasure, and working with tone and value through the detail of the fletching of the bird.

Of course, some students did not want to draw local birds so there are some wonderful peacocks and penguins up on the walls as well.

To wrap up the unit, I made a visit to the local independent book store, where I was able to purchase Birds of the Kootenays, an audio CD with over 70 different bird calls.

Wonderfully, this CD was created by John Neville, a retired member of town council who had a love for birds and a passion to record and identify their calls. What is further inspiring for students, when I am encouraging them to go out and record some of the local bird songs on their iPhones, etc., is for them to know John Neville was blind when he did his recordings.

the lessons went, and any of your own great art lesson ideas you have developed around birds, to: slanaway@sd8.bc.ca—submitted lesson plans can be posted to the Environmental Justice resource webpage for the BCTF to share with the rest of the teachers in the province. I believe one of the best methods of inspiring social justice within our students is to role model our passion; let them know we care about them; tell them stories and be their advocates when they need it the most. ☛

Best of luck, I hope you enjoy trying these lessons.

Send your stories on how BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

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WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A BIRD 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Do not handle the bird more than is necessary.

Place the bird in a cardboard box with a towel on the bottom.

Do not punch holes in the cardboard.

Do not place the bird in a plastic container.

Keep in a warm, dark, and quiet place.

Do not give food or water.

Immediately call BEAKS at 250-365-3701.

The Do’s and the Don’t of Looking out for Your Local Bird Population • DO cover your window on the outside if you have a robin who keeps hitting it.

Robins are territorial, and they think their reflection is another male robin!

• DO make sure your dryer vent closes properly.

Otherwise, swallows will build nests in there.

• DO cover your chimney with wire mesh, so birds can’t get trapped inside!

• DO clean your feeders weekly with 1 tbsp bleach to a quart of hot soapy water. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Remove all old seeds from the ground.

• DO keep your bird feeders and the ground below clean. Otherwise, you’re accidentally KILLING the birds instead of helping them. Salmonella, passed from bird to bird through saliva and feces of affected birds, is the major killer of Red Polls and Pine Siskins.

• DON’T cut up string for the birds to use in their nest building. They get this string caught around their feet.

• DON’T throw food out your car window. Birds can be killed or injured by vehicles when they try to retrieve the food.

• DON’T try to rescue baby killdeer or sandpipers without any parents. The mother is just hiding!

• DON’T use bird feeders if you can’t keep them and the area around them clean.

• DON’T neglect to properly dispose of your euthanized pets. The poison use to euthanize them will also kill any other animal, wild or domestic, that eats it.

• DON’T let mice get into any seed that is used for feeding birds. The urine and feces of mice can poison and kill birds when consumed.

Reprinted from Bird’sfrom EyeBird’s View And Kare (BEAKS) Reprinted Eye2012—Bird View 2012— Emergency Bird Emergency And Kare Society Society (BEAKS)

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BCTF Social Justice Grants

by Kathy Hartman, Assistant Director, BCTF

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hat can a teacher do if they have access to a few more resources?

Wonderful things!

Each year the BCTF awards grant money to teachers who wish to promote social justice in their schools and communities.

There are two grants, each with a maximum of $2,000, awarded per school year. Applications for the Social Justice grant can be submitted any time after the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1) until mid-April, and applications for the Ed May grant need to be submitted by late November.

Each grant has slightly different criteria but both are used to bring social justice initiatives into your community. A great place to go for a quick guide to their similarities and differences is the BCTF website (bctf.ca). On the home page, click on the heading “Social Justice,” on the next page, click on “Grants & funds.” You will find lots of useful information there, but the handiest resource to help you apply for the Ed May Social Responsibility Fund or the Social Justice grant is under the heading “Tips for teachers applying for the grants;” click on “criteria, timelines, priorities, and tips.”

On the following pages you can read about what some amazing teachers were able to accomplish this school year with help from these two grants.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

The Ed May Social Responsibility Fund The Ed May Social Responsibility Fund was established by the 1994 BCTF AGM. This year there was $31,000 in the fund, and 20 grants of $500 to $2,000 were awarded.

Most zones were represented, with seven grants awarded in Metro West, six in Vancouver Island North, two each in the North Coast and Metro/Fraser Valley, and one each in Kootenay, Okanagan, and Vancouver Island South.

There were a wide variety of very creative projects in every area of social justice. There were several leadership training programs that centred on specific issues or populations. For example, one school in Vancouver worked specifically with vulnerable Grade 8 and 9 boys, other programs worked specifically with new immigrants.

Themes explored in the leadership programs were bullying, diversity, inclusion, justice not charity, and a sense of empowerment.

Many environmental projects took place all over the province—several of which had food security as their theme, and worked very closely with the community. Others were more specific: a worm composting

project, inner-city gardening in an alternative school, and one Vancouver school is arranging for secondary students to conduct an “all contaminants water test” to prove that the water is safe to drink from the tap and the school’s water fountains, and then promote the drinking of tap water.

There were also several LGBTQ projects. “Out in Schools” did a very successful tour of the north.

Green Thumb Theatre went into the Kootenays to promote GSAs, and there was also a very creative transition program for Grade 7s preparing for secondary school that utilized the GSAs in its district to promote acceptance of diversity with their next year’s incoming Grade 8s.

The Aboriginal theme was well represented throughout the province with the Project of Heart being presented to a teacher from each school in the Victoria area.

In the Shuswap, an inspiring program connected the Aboriginal community and culture with the school district.

In Nanaimo, the Circle of Courage was used to promote Aboriginal culture and history to the whole school community.

In addition to the projects listed above, there was also a Black History Club formed in one secondary school, a website for Spanish teachers that specializes in social justice lesson aids, and a very successful two-day conference

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

for all Maple Ridge students to help them become “solutionaries.”

All in all, a very impressive list. For more details, check out the Social Justice area of the BCTF website— then click on “Grants & funds,” there you’ll see a list of many of the Ed May grant recipients for the last four years.

Local social justice grants: The Local Social Justice Grants were established in May 1999 by the Executive Committee. This grant incorporates the social justice plan of the local into the project. This year there was $20,000 in the fund, and $12,540 was awarded to seven applicants, with grants ranging from $540 to $2,000. Applications for this fund will be accepted between July 1, 2013 and April 15, 2014.

All projects must be completed during the current school year, and applicants are encouraged to include the community.

Again, the projects were as diverse as they were inspiring:

• A tribute to the former Gitxsan students of residential schools was done by creating an art piece connecting the children who attended residential school and children who attend John Field Elementary school, creating an illustrated booklet of the history of Indian residential schools, and a celebration unveiling the art and the booklet.

• A Social Justice Expo in North Island that was set up like a science fair, but here the students highlighted social justice issues such as ☛ 15

immigration, gun violence, environmental sustainability, human trafficking, social housing, etc.

• Aboriginal drumming, feast, and totem pole ceremony in the Lower Mainland innercity, where students from several schools were given a chance to learn drumming and then perform at the raising of a new totem pole.

• A full-day Social Justice conference for youth in the Victoria area focused on fair trade, gender and globalization, children’s rights, and environmental sustainability.

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Finally, a great big shout out to all those amazing teachers who poured their hearts and souls into the grant projects this year. You DO make a difference. Thank you!

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Again, apply early—do not wait for the deadline, especially for a Local Social Justice Grant. Remember, proposals need to be taken to your local executive first to have it, and the matching funds, approved before you send in your application, or your application will be returned to you. Give yourself enough time and check the meeting dates of your local executive.

Apply early Go to the Social Justice area of the BCTF website, and click on “Grants & funds.” There you will find lots of great information.

An important tip, remember the deadlines and apply early.

•

• At the “You Can Play” forum in Burnaby, students, teachers, and community members discussed homophobia in sports, and challenged coaches in BC to openly welcome LGBTQ participants on their teams.

Since then, for the first time

All applications are filtered through the Social Justice lens, which assesses access, agency, advocacy, and solidarity. Please use the workbook on the “Grants & funds” webpage to help you work through these four concepts.

Again, for more details, check out the Social Justice area of the BCTF website—click on “Grants & funds,” there you’ll see a list of many of the successful Local Social Justice Grant recipients for 2012–13.

• A food security and Aboriginal feast project in Haida Gwaii where “Check Your Head” presented workshops on food security and then a feast and fair with local food providers was arranged. Elders from the community contributed information on traditional food gathering methods and producing artifacts.

• The Great Bear Rainforest biological diversity awareness project in the Kootenays, where materials (books and DVDs) were provided to all teachers in the local who wish to include the Great Bear Rainforest in their lesson plans.

Several applicants last year were disappointed because their applications were incomplete and they didn’t leave themselves enough time to fix it before the deadline.

You can always call or e-mail the BCTF for help putting the application together.

in professional league sports, an NBA player “came out” and an MLS soccer player spoke out for acceptance of LGBTQ athletes in sports.

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Remember, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

For more information on the Ed May Social Responsibility Fund and the Local Social Justice Grants please contact Kathy Hartman at khartman@bctf. ca or at 604-871-1842 (toll-free: 1-800-663-9163).

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Social justice for emergent bilingual learners

by Beeta Jafarzadeh, ELL teacher at Gladstone Secondary School, Vancouver

“

Social Justice for Emergent Bilingual Learners” is a project aimed at shedding light on the struggle of second-language learners in a secondary school in East Vancouver. The school receives students from poor immigrant families, with very limited means to be able to adequately support their children in school. Work takes priority for these families over education, as money is tight. More than a few students come with very limited or no previous formal education. These students do not integrate into an Anglophone school easily, if at all.

Since it is very difficult for them to bridge the gap, and become successful at learning a second language and familiar with a new culture, these emergent bilingual students experience a high dropout rate with the majority ending up in adult education programs or the workforce with very limited English. This situation motivated me to undertake this project, seek help from outside agencies, and make links with neighbourhood houses around the school and the wider community of East Vancouver. I was hoping to find resources and programs that would benefit these vulnerable students who were maturing out of secondary school and are not equipped or familiar with the culture to navigate their new world successfully.

First, a series of workshops were co-planned and presented with two youth settlement workers from Mount Pleasant Neighborhood House (MPNH).

The Cultural Buddy “CUBU” program was focused on providing the immigrant youth with information on resources and individual support.

Some of the workshops included Newcomer workshop: Transit, street and emergency, Money talks: Financial literacy for newcomers, Community connections: Volunteering in your city, and Winter celebrations.

The workshops were great at providing students with useful information about Canada and navigating the new culture. It proved extremely

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

useful at getting ELL students, particularly Level 1s, to adapt better to their new life at Gladstone Secondary School and in Vancouver. Doing multicultural activities around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year eased ELL students’ transition, and helped them establish and strengthen their relationships with the youth workers and settlement workers as well.

Once students were open to becoming involved in the community, a cultural city tour was planned in collaboration with MPNH, and with financial support from citizenU. ELL students were taken in two buses on a tour of Vancouver that was facilitated by speakers who provided explanations on each site through the social justice lens. This included stories about the working conditions and pay scale of Chinese labourers and the Head Tax, the devastating effect of Japanese internment during WWII, the story of the missing women from the downtown Eastside, totem poles in Stanley Park and their importance in First Nations culture, the story of Aaron Webster who was killed in Stanley Park because of his sexual orientation and the LGBTQ rights in Canada, the experience of black Canadians and the story of Harry Winston Jerome (a black athlete) and of course, Komogata Maru. The tour was extremely important for ELL students as it exposed them to issues faced by various people from different socio-economic backgrounds, and provided them with a much better understanding of Vancouver and a deeper appreciation for its history and culture.☛

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Students were now inquiring about becoming involved in the community and volunteering. ELL students were given information about a wide variety of volunteering opportunities that would help them further develop their language skills and make a difference in one another’s lives at the same time. During spring break, the two youth workers accompanied a number of ELL students to the Vancouver Convention Center for a job fair and thus, they had the chance to speak to employers and become aware of the importance of volunteering and work experience in Canada. A number of ELL students started volunteering with MPNH in projects such as “Writing Histories Together,” which required students to interview seniors and publish a book on these stories. This helped them with speaking, listening, and writing skills while giving them a sense of self-confidence and achievement.

They also volunteered with Racing Around the World (RAW), and many are continuing to volunteer in various community centers and hospitals and plan to continue the work during summer.

A number of other workshops were subsequently organized and presented by Vancouver Community College and Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) that explained the role of volunteering, and introduced ELL students to websites such as govolunteer.ca. The Engaged Immigrant Youth Group from the Vancouver School Board came to Gladstone Secondary School and gave two presentations that again involved role play and group work around résumé writing, and highlighted the required qualifications for successful employment in BC.

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Having been exposed to so many workshops and presentations from various community groups, a number of settlement and multicultural workers were invited to come to Gladstone Secondary School and help ELL students complete a survey. The survey required them to brainstorm about possible career choices that they would consider after graduation, and also asked them to include areas where they could volunteer and take a step toward achieving those goals.

Based on the above information, the Career Services teacher designed two presentations entitled “Job Search Presentation.” The first explored various career and educational programs, the difference between a diploma, certificate, and a degree, making the choice between university or college, the importance of trades, and requirements for admission. It also covered the various career choices made by ELL students during the meeting with multicultural workers and gave detailed information about the length and admission requirements for each program, and where the programs were offered in BC. The presentation also highlighted the importance of non-academic qualifications such as volunteering, community involvement, as well as completing a personal portfolio required by major universities before being granted admission.

The second presentation provided information about the hidden job market, preparing résumés, and the importance of networking. It had useful tips for successful job hunting and a role-play between a job seeker and a manager.

All in all, “Social Justice for Emergent Bilingual Learner” was a very successful project indeed, with more than half of the ELL students engaged in a variety of volunteering positions by the end of the project. This provided new immigrant youth with a much better understanding of what it takes to be successful in the bigger society, above and beyond the limited ELL program offered at Gladstone Secondary School.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

VSB secondary schools “Get off the Bottle” and “Trust the Tap” (Vancouver’s tap water, that is)

by Denise North, Environment Club teacher sponsor, Killarney Secondary School

D

o you trust tap water for drinking? Did you know that Canada’s smallest city (Greenwood, BC) has the world’s best water?II Moreover, other municipalities in the Lower Mainland actually purchase their water from Metro Vancouver.I In 2010, Metro Vancouver spent $600 million on a state-of-the-art water filtration system that targets turbidity and reduces the risk of gastrointestinal diseases that can cause widespread illness and possible fatalities, especially for those with weaker immune systems.I

Despite Vancouver’s unspoiled water supply, many families, particularly newer Canadians, aren’t aware that our province has some of the cleanest and safest drinking water in the world. A number of students in the Vancouver schools still aren’t comfortable with drinking water from the tap; however, it’s not the water that is the concern, mainly it is the pipes.

Many VSB schools used to sell bottled water in vending machines; however, with the active educational campaigns like “Get off the Bottle,” initiated by Windermere Secondary leadership students, buying bottled water is no longer possible in most, if not all, VSB secondary schools. This is thanks to environment clubs and leadership student initiatives, as well as the support from school administrators, for banning bottled water sales in schools.

In order to get students “off the bottle,” Killarney Secondary’s Environment Club and students from Churchill Secondary School raised over $3,000 to purchase ELKAY water dispensers.

Since October 2012, Killarney’s dispenser shows that 31,500 (500mL) plastic bottles of water have been saved—that boils down to a savings of over 200 plastic bottles per day.

“I think it’s fantastic—I’ll walk across the school to fill up my water bottle and it’s constantly being used.”

“It’s so great we need another one!”

–Killarney Secondary student

Killarney’s Environment Club was thrilled to receive BCTF Ed May grant funds to encourage VSB students to “Trust the Tap.” The challenge was, how do we encourage students and staff to trust our school’s tap water and drink it? One Killarney Secondary Environment Club executive surveyed 120 Grade 8 and 10 science classes at Killarney Secondary. Results included: • 94% of students said that their parents filtered or boiled water on a regular basis • 58% thought that bottled water was safer than tap water • 36% of students consumed and purchased bottled water on a regular basis.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Then VSB drinking water quality test results* were re-sent to all secondary schools, along with a survey to find out what schools have water dispensers, with and without filtration systems. Note: Killarney’s Environment Club only granted funds to schools that were purchasing water dispensers without filters, to encourage trusting the tap.

“It’s great to see that more students are realizing that our water is safe to drink, without filtering.” –Killarney Secondary Environment Club member

Killarney’s Environment Club granted the BCTF funds to six VSB secondary schools.

Funds went toward the cost of purchasing a high-volume ELKAY water dispenser or could be used for an “all contaminants” water test, conducted by an independent lab, to confirm the quality of each school’s water fountain tap water. To date, all grant applicants chose to put grant money toward purchasing and installing an ELKAY water dispenser. ☛

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When you drink the water, remember the spring.

–Chinese Proverb

“What, you’re too good for our water?”

March 15, 2010. bit.ly/18yXt6b

I

News, CBC. “Canada’s Smallest City Has World’s Best Water - British Columbia - CBC News.” CBCnews.

CBC/Radio Canada, February 29, 2012. bit.ly/13nZXTU.

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The remaining grant funds are being offered to Killarney Secondary’s nine feeder elementary schools. These schools are encouraged to create posters and a “Trust the Tap” elementary school awareness campaign including presenting “Trust the Tap” informative sessions to at least one primary and one intermediate class.

Prizes include: 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, and 3rd place $50. Application deadline: October 1, 2013.

Aaron, from Killarney Secondary, has been instrumental promoting the “Trust the Tap” campaign and Vancouver’s high-quality drinking water at student-run Echo meetings (Vancouver Sustainability Network), VSTA Social/Eco Justice meetings, and eco group e-mail lists. Thanks to the efforts of Echo, and environment clubs and leadership groups, Killarney’s Environment Club hopes the “Trust the Tap” movement will continue in schools throughout BC.

*Nine VSB schools’ water fountains had stagnant water “which would exceed the Health Canada requirements of a permissible level of less than 0.01 mg/L of lead, without the use of the trickle program.” The fountains where the leaching of lead from solder used in water pipes could pose a concern have been identified and these schools will remain on “the trickle program” (regularly running water through the fountain) until the end of the school term when these fountains will be disconnected.

Bringing environmental education into the art room

by Shannon Lanaway, Committee for Action on Social Justice, Environmental Justice Action Group

A

s a passionate environmentalist, the BCTF workshop Linking Thinking is exactly what encouraged my decision to become a teacher. It also reinforced that there is not only a place, but a need, to teach environmental education at every grade and within every subject.

As a new art teacher, I have had an unbelievable opportunity to walk the talk. I would not have been able to do so without the incredible resources offered by our social justice union, the BCTF. By attending the Facilitators’ Institute Training offered at Summer Conference several years ago, I understood the value, learned the skills, and identified the projected learning 20

outcomes (PLOs) for applying environmental education in Grades 7–10 Art classes. I have also become more comfortable applying the Social Justice lens not only in my class, but in the successful application of a BCTF Social Justice grant. As a result, I have been able to order class sets of Ian McAllister and Nicholas Reid’s, The Salmon Bears: Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest, The Sea Wolves: Living Wild in the Great Bear Rainforest, The Great Bear Sea, and Following the Last Wild Wolves books. Not only are these books completely and utterly timely regarding the proposed Enbridge pipeline through the northwest coast of BC, they also come with excellent written curriculum. These books provide students an opportunity to learn

about the amazing diversity existing in a remote part of our province. For further information, please visit the Pacific Wild website (pacificwild.org) for fantastic short documentaries of the bear, raven, and salmon population, and check-out the “Video Vault” area of the website to watch young wolf pups play with the remote camera footage gathered from installed cameras.

The Heiltsulk are one of the seven First Nations bands living up in the Bella Coola area.

As my art students have been learning about the traditional art of the Heiltsulk, they have also been able to learn about their traditional connection to the land and their relationship with the raven, wolf, bear, and salmon

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

populations. Students have also been able to make a political and environmental connection by observing students in Bella Bella participate in the hunger strike during the Enbridge panel presentations in April 2012.

By creating links between the environment, the First Nations people, culture, and art, students in BC will start to take ownership of the land and the rich diversity still thriving here in this province.

At this time, I see this as one of teachers’ most important roles in public school. Students must not only take pride in the rich diversity of this province, but they must be knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. Let’s face it, understanding and being an expert of the many interesting details of an animal’s habitat, predator and prey relationships, mating rituals, and how we, as humans, have impacted their populations, is interesting.

Ideally, as a result of increased environmental education taking place in the classroom, students will start to take responsibility for the living species in their local environment for future generations. Please visit the Social Justice area of the BCTF website, there you will find the Environmental Justice webpage which contains environmental education lessons posted by other teachers, as well as many other resources. If you have your own lessons you’d like to share on the webpage, please send them to socialjustice@bctf.ca.

I am grateful I belong to a union that supports environmental education.

Social Justice projects at the Mount Arrowsmith Teachers’ Association (MATA)

by Amber Tanner, MATA SJ Committee

not want to commit for a term or whose interests lie under other branches of social justice. So we decided to start a social justice club. We weren’t sure how to go about it, so again we applied for, and received, an Ed May grant so we could have time to work together and develop an effective way to promote and run this club.

Our goal was to create a userfriendly binder that we could give to any teacher or student, from any school, interested in starting a similar club.

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n School District 69, the social justice committee has been very busy. Three years ago, we applied for, and received, an Ed May grant in order to have some funds to fuel the research and development of a course geared to middle-school students called “Make a Difference.” This course exposes students to the theory and some case studies about life in poverty. They then have a chance to go out into the community and help out at various non-profits. One of our middle schools picked up the course and it has been operating ever since.

We have been so inspired by the students’ reactions to the course that we wanted to figure out a way to expose more students to the concepts of social justice. We wanted to reach students who may

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Our first challenge was in trying to determine how to promote the club—social justice is a bit vague and academic as a starting point. We met, and brainstormed, and decided we were trying to reach kids who wanted to have a voice and an impact on the world around them—people who wanted to make their mark. So, we came up with “The Footprints Club.” We made several giant cutouts of footprints and wrote open-ended questions on them to get students thinking; questions like, It’s hard to help everybody... what about helping one person? or, How do you turn an idea into action? We left these signs up all over school and started making similarly cryptic announcements.

Finally, we announced that if the footprints had made you think, to please come to an initial meeting where we will brainstorm ideas ☛ 21

of how to go forward as a club.

We were so worried that no one would show up. But that Friday, at recess, the meeting room was full.

We have a lot of support in the schools and five teachers are involved in the club. Each teacher took a branch of social justice (environmental, community, global, etc.), and students signed up with whichever group piqued their interest. Then in smaller groups, we brainstormed actions.

Some actions are year-long, some are project-based, and some are just a day’s worth of commitment (like an environmental cleanup).

Over the course of the year, depending on the energy and

availability of the teachers running it, the Footprints Club has been sometimes very active, sometimes not so active. This year, at two different middle schools, the Footprints Club has raised money for: students afflicted by certain conditions; Mayan Families Canada; creation of a series of workshops for Grade 7 girls called “Girl, empowered;” planting a garden; running a lunch program; visiting seniors, and more!

Students know that if they have an idea or they want to help someone, they can come to the Footprints Club and get support actualizing their idea. There are things we would do differently next year, but we are very happy with what has happened so far,

and we are all committed to the idea that there will certainly be a next year! Also, our “how to start a social justice club” binder is nearly complete, and will hopefully be available in hardcopy and via the BCTF website in the very near future.

What’s next in school district 69?

We’re thinking about ways to maintain Footprints as a club, but also how to use the same concepts in the development of another exploratory class. We have been so grateful for the support of the BCTF and the Ed May grants, and hope to continue putting that support to good use and providing more opportunities for student and professional growth in social justice.

Socializing justice in elementary school —BCTF Ed May grant report

Sir Richard McBride Annex Elementary School, submitted by Janet Ko (Grade 2/3 teacher)

School profile

McBride Annex is a small Kindergarten to Grade 3 school with a diverse, multicultural population.

During this year, we began to co-create a school culture that was predicated upon social justice values and concepts. Older students typically stay with their classroom teachers for two years, therefore social justice (SJ) issues can be taught and built upon over time. As a result, we are working to make systemic change with these young learners.

Project results

We used the BCTF’s Social Justice Calendar to plan our specific SJ events and themes throughout the year. Each month or so a social justice and/or social responsibility issue was taught school-wide and highlighted in the school newsletter to keep parents informed about what we are teaching. This provided families with opportunities to compliment 22

our teaching via conversations with their children about accepting and celebrating differences. Our shared goal was to move beyond the tokenism of any SJ issue by infusing this teaching throughout the curriculum.

Our teacher-librarian taught all of the classes throughout the year with a focus on the following SJ issues—antiracism, antipoverty, peace, gender BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

equity, antihomophobia, environmental justice, and Aboriginal issues.

He team-taught with colleagues to help them to build their skills on teaching about SJ issues within their classrooms.

Topics taught school-wide Month September October November December January February

March April May June

Theme or event Antiracism Thanksgiving Peace Winter celebrations Antipoverty issues Multicultural night Love and family Black History Month Day of Pink (Antihomophobia) Gender equity (fairy tales) Multicultural night Earth Day Aboriginal Awareness Week Celebrating differences

Virtue or skill taught Courage and enthusiasm Generosity and thankfulness Peaceful problem solving Acceptance of traditions Consideration of others Cultural awareness Friendliness and caring Acceptance of different families LGBTQ acceptance Gentleness and equality Kindness and responsibility Appreciation of others Confidence and creativity

Student leadership on SJ issues

The Kids Helping Kids (Social Justice) Club was created by the viceprincipal and co-sponsored with myself. It was open to Grade 2/3 students who wanted to participate in a club which focused on social justice projects locally and globally. These were aimed at assisting others in a systemic manner with a focus on equity, rather than just participating in charity events.

Student leaders were taught the differences between social justice, social service, and social responsibility. The projects selected for student action incorporated a combination of these three concepts and were based largely upon student interest. Projects were also screened by adults to avoid any corporate advertising, branding, religious dogma, or undue influence of students.

Some of the student leadership opportunities included—food bank donations, creating a Tree of Peace, collecting items for SMILE (which assists teen parents and their children), writing letters to government calling for an end to child poverty via the creation of a povertyreduction plan, planting a school garden, and participating in random acts of kindness within the community. Two systemic change projects are profiled in greater detail later in this report.

Parents, students, and staff worked together to create a beautiful social justice quilt that now adorns the front entrance of McBride Annex.

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

Every child in the school designed a panel of the quilt. Kindergarten students focussed on family diversity. Grade 1 students created illustrations about their community.

Grade 2/3 students designed panels on some ways to assist with global issues. This quilt was unveiled at our Multicultural Night in April 2013 and received rave reviews from families. We were inspired to create this based upon the SJ 12 quilt profiled in the BCTF’s Fall 2012, Social Justice Newsletter.

Social Justice lens application

Students in the Kids Helping Kids club worked with the viceprincipal to plan two systemic change projects using the modified SJ lens. These involved our actions on antihomophobia and antipoverty education.

For our unit on homelessness and poverty, we read a number of stories to develop empathy for people on limited incomes.

Students took action via a number of projects—collecting food for the food bank, learning about Hannah Taylor who started the Ladybug Foundation, writing letters to the premier asking for a systemic plan to address child poverty. In their letters, they posed ideas for what the government could do to assist homeless people. They are now planning to plant a school garden to help feed homeless people. This is just one example where students have shifted their actions from a sole focus on social service to one of social justice. ☛ 23

Our children our future

by Patri Janyk, Salt Spring Island, BC

“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children—one is roots, the other wings” –Hodding Carter

During our theme on antihomophobia education and family diversity, we decided to take a number of actions. These included—reading a variety of stories about LGBTQ people (particularly on the topics of same-sex marriage and family realities) and doing a jigsaw activity to teach others in the class what the author’s key message was from each book.

Students made posters to advertise the Day of Pink. Grade 2 students also decided to do peer-to-peer teaching about colour choices and gender to the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes.

This became part of our Health and Career Education curriculum as we helped our older students to become positive role models and global citizens. Another group of students worked with the vice-principal to write a play reenacting the homophobic bullying incident of a Grade 8 student in Cambridge, Nova Scotia that led to the original creation of the Day of Pink. Grade 2/3 students performed this play at an assembly for the school on the Day of Pink. This was an amazing example of students 24

wanting to educate their peers and parents about the harms of homophobia in school and society at large. These are just two examples of the many projects that students initiated during our year.

Student assessment

Students used a modified version (primary-friendly language) of the Social Responsibility Performance Standards (SRPS) to do self-assessments of their learning. These were initially done in preparation for goal-setting conferences in late September. This initial benchmark focused solely on social responsibility. Staff used the Social Responsibility Performance Standards (Quick Scale—Primary) to evaluate student understanding of concepts and monitor their progress twice during the school year.

Numerous studies indicate that tax money spent on early support services directed at young families, youth, and children results in positive longterm gains economically and socially. The idea that society supports families and children proactively with a view to future gains has been referred to by some as “the efficacy of investing in our human capital” (A Comprehensive Policy Framework for Early Human Capital Investment in B.C. 2009). Human capital in this report refers to the policy of “investing in the potential of our children.” Quite simply…it pays to invest in our children because our children are our future.

Indeed, any economists will advise it is prudent to manage our most important investments with care. Without question our community’s sustainable economic growth and social stability are both dependent upon our willingness to invest in and effectively develop our children by prioritizing their needs and the needs to their family.

Governments, like individuals, do not invest in what is not valued. Governments, like individuals, make spending

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

choices. How we chose to spend our money reveals our priorities.

Where do we spend? Where do we withhold? Clearly, we cannot have it all.

However, sensible spending choices are not synonymous with fiscal irresponsibility for governments or for individuals. It is a matter of view. For example, our BC government has held the highest after-tax child poverty rate in Canada for the last eight years (firstcallbc.org). Some might regard the fact that BC has the highest after-tax child poverty rate in Canada as an inevitable consequence of fiscal responsibility while others might regard the fact of child poverty in BC as a political choice.

How can a society know which spending choices are the best?

Social stability is one measure of “societal health” and therefore may be a good evaluation of government spending strategies and their results.

Social stability begins within the family and is strengthened within the community. Social stability cannot exist without stable families and stable communities. Social stability is perhaps more readily seen when it declines or when it is absent from a society and like good health can go unnoticed until it is gone. When social stability becomes threatened or diminishes the consequence of this loss will be seen by an increase in: corruption, fear, desperation, crime, uncertainty, unemployment, homelessness, and poverty, and these losses

in society bring about the need for more military, more prisons, more policing, more severe penalties, and more restrictions on press and media. Indeed, perhaps our best measure of our provincial government’s priorities can be revealed by scrutinizing its spending choices.

• While our BC government espouses a policy called Families First, it still retains its record in Canada with the highest child poverty rate for children living in two-parent families. (Stats Canada 2010) • BC has the second worst child poverty rate in Canada at 14.3 per cent ranking just slightly ahead of Manitoba this year after being the worst in Canada for the previous eight years. (Stats Canada 2010) • BC has the most unequal distribution of income among rich and poor families with children. (Stats Canada 2010) • Working women in BC receive approximately $2,700 a year less than the national average. (CCPA 2013).

• BC’s student-to-teacher ratio is the highest in Canada.

(Stats Canada 2010) • BC’s K to 12 public school funding places BC lowest in Canada.

(Ministry of Education 2010) • Education has received a steadily diminishing share of the

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

BC provincial budget, falling from 19 to 15 percent in 10 years (BC Ministry of Education 2010). Projected enrolment growth for students K to 10 will increase by approximately 80,000 over the next 10 years (BC Ministry of Education) • In approximately 10 years the BC government has closed 197 schools, laid off 642 teachers, and eliminated 1,500 specialist teachers.

(Stats BC 2001) • BC has the highest childcare rates in Canada. (BC Teachers’ Federation) Further cuts to social programs in this year’s provincial government budget: Ministry of Children and Family Development/Child services/ Youth Justice Services—cut 5 percent in two years; youth and mental health services—cut seven percent.

Can we continue to allow our provincial government to make these spending choices knowing the long-term consequences to our children, our youth, our families, our society, and our future?

Clearly our future is being built upon the spending choices we make today.

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Respecting human rights can end poverty

by Megan Yarema, Director, Education & Outreach, Canada Without Poverty

E

very day, in classrooms around the country, children are struggling with the effects of poverty and hunger, they are unprepared for school, they are tired and angry. These students come from homes where families struggle with low wages, unhealthy housing, financial and personal stress, and other circumstances that are closely linked to poverty. Each of these individuals is experiencing a violation of their human rights, and to remedy this problem attitudes about poverty need to shift from charity to justice.

related strategies and human-rights implementation, setting goals and timelines for measurable results, integrating equality and non-discrimination in all policy, and providing mechanisms for individuals to claim these rights.

Most importantly, a human rights framework ensures the most vulnerable are included.

Canada has ratified a number of UN treaties, declarations and conventions confirming a commitment to civil and political,

iStockphoto/thinkstock

Conversations about poverty can often come from a charitable perspective—donations, food or clothing drives. These efforts can impact immediate needs, but they do not affect lasting social change that would ultimately end poverty and hunger. If the human right to adequate housing, food, and an adequate standard of living was respected (economic and social rights as stated by the United Nations), then poverty would not be an issue. This requires a human rights approach to poverty— ensuring rights are entrenched in law and policy, monitoring poverty-

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice.

Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” -Nelson Mandela 26

as well as economic, social and cultural rights. However, it is not enough to sign a document— that is only the first step in acknowledging human rights.

The most important part of the commitment is demonstrated through action. Without progressive implementation (essentially making rights real), human rights remain “good intentions,” and that does not put food on the table or a roof over your head.

Recently, in Geneva, fellow member-states of the United Nations had the opportunity to review Canada’s human-rights record as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. In total, 82 countries made statements and offered recommendations to Canada, echoing the concerns of organizations in Canada that have been dedicated to seeing human rights fulfilled. Recommendations made to Canada include: • developing national strategies on poverty, food security, and homelessness.

• developing employment and income supports for vulnerable groups.

• taking all measures to combat violence against women, and in particular against Aboriginal women and girls, and developing a national action plan for Indigenous peoples.

• continuing to engage with civil society about human-rights violations.

• improving the socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

In Canada, an estimated 250,000 people are homeless, with another 1.5 million living in inadequate housing and/ or facing a serious financial burden that threatens their housing security.

In October 2012, in the lead-up to this year’s UPR, civil society groups submitted reports to the UN Human Rights Council, commenting on the governments’ progress in fulfilling humanrights obligations. Despite the fact that the federal government has commended itself for being a leader on human rights (something the government stated is a “strength of our country” in their UPR country report), the reality in Canada tells a different story, especially when you look at poverty.

Between three to four million people in Canada currently

Hemera/thinkstock

peoples, and ensuring they have access to education and health.

• ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights—a claims mechanism for housing, food, and poverty issues.

• creating a national plan for water and sanitation (which was in reference to Aboriginal communities with poor drinking water).

live in poverty—approximately 9–10% of the population.

If you are of Indigenous heritage the rate is worse, with approximately 25% of the population in poverty.

Indigenous peoples, single mothers, newcomers, people who are racialized, persons with disabilities, youth, and children are most likely to experience poverty, inadequate housing, homelessness, and food insecurity in Canada. According to UNICEF, Canada now ranks 24th out of 35 countries in terms of child poverty.

The human right to adequate housing, food, water, and an adequate standard of living are not being fulfilled in Canada. Worse yet, aside from the court system, which is extremely expensive, there are no mechanisms accessible to individuals to claim these particular rights.

The Canadian government needs to step up and show commitment to fulfilling human rights. Ending poverty is not just about people of low income—it benefits society and would also be more cost-effective than maintaining the status quo. The government has until September 2013 to indicate which recommendations it will accept or reject. Only then will the country see if this government is ready to “walk their talk.”

Human rights education is part of quality public education (The following are excerpts from an article by Rick Riel, posted on the Canadian Teachers’ Federation website on May 31, 2013, bit.ly/12KPyiu)

Strong support for human rights education According to the results of several CTF surveys conducted since 2008, Human Rights Education has consistently and overwhelmingly been supported by teachers, parents, and the general public. In the recent 2013 Human Rights Education Survey, 9 in 10 teachers agree it is valued by their colleagues, and a strong majority of them believe the other major stakeholders including school administrators value it as well. ☛

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Support from Teachers Majority of Teachers Surveyed in 2013 Believe All Examined Stakeholders Value Human Rights Education According to the results of the 2013 CTF teacher survey on Human Rights Education, a majority of the almost 2,600 teachers surveyed agree (“strongly” or “somewhat”) that each of the 7 groups of individuals examined value Human Rights Education. Teachers surveyed believe they value it more than any other group examined. Over 9 in 10 respondents agreed it is valued by their colleagues, including almost half who strongly agree. According to teachers surveyed, it is also valued by a large majority of the following groups or individuals: school administrators (84%), students (77%), school board administrators (73%), the Ministry of Education (71%), community members (69%) and parents (68%).

Values and ethical behaviour Human rights Environmental protection Peacemaking

2010 CTF Teacher Survey on Fostering Responsible Citizenship Support from teachers was overwhelming as virtually all of the over 1,700 educators surveyed agreed (“strongly” or “somewhat”) that public elementary and secondary schools should teach their students about Human rights (98%), Environmental protection (98%), Values and ethical behavior (96%); Participatory democracy (96%) and Peacemaking (96%). The share of educators who reported that they “strongly agree” ranged from 8 in 10 with respect to Environmental protection (81%) to two-thirds regarding Participatory democracy (67%).

Support from Parents and the Public

Participatory democracy

2010 CTF National Issues in Education Poll An overwhelming majority of the almost 2,600 Canadian adults surveyed in 2010, including 589 public school parents, agreed (“strongly” or “somewhat”) that each of the five surveyed issues should be taught by public elementary and secondary schools, including teaching “Values and ethical behaviour” (96%/96%), “Human rights” (96%/97%), “Environmental protection” (95%/97%), “Peacemaking” (95%/96%) and “Participatory democracy” (91%/90%). [Note: 1st % reported is for public and 2nd is for parents.]

2008 CTF National Issues in Education Poll In 2008, an overwhelming majority of over 2,500 Canadians surveyed, including 607 school parents, reported that they felt public schools should be required to teach their students four examined social issues. Approximately 9 in 10 parents surveyed, and the same share of Canadian respondents overall, indicated that public elementary and secondary schools should teach their students about Values and ethical behavior, Protecting the environment, and Human rights, respectively. About 3 in 4 respondents

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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

at the national level (73%), as well as three-quarters of parents surveyed, reported that public elementary and secondary schools should be required to teach their students about Peace and the dangers of war.

Providing high quality public education includes instruction that goes beyond literacy and numeracy.

Teachers teach beyond what is in a textbook; they are often required to address and discuss a myriad of social justice issues that are raised in an impromptu manner in the classroom by students themselves.

Discussing human rights and social justice issues with their students, whether it be conducted formally through the curriculum, or on an ad hoc basis through informal conversation and instruction with concerned students, is an integral part of quality public education.

Teachers address many important social justice issues including racism, sexism, and the stigma of mental illness that provide intangible benefits to students. The benefits of such instruction extend beyond what can be measured by a test. Human rights education fosters responsible citizenship and a socially conscious and caring society. Among others, it also promotes critical thinking and collaborative learning opportunities, which are considered as integral components of 21st Century learning skills [5].

Human rights education is and will remain a valuable part of a quality public education. Teaching and modeling empathetic, ethical, and compassionate values to students is arguably as important today as it has ever been, as children are increasingly influenced by consumerism and social media-driven communication that promotes what many would perceive as being superficial goals.

A crash course on children’s rights

By Christina Thiele, Society for Children and Youth of BC

T

he United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international treaty that sets out a wide range of rights for children and the requirements for governments in promoting and protecting those rights. The UNCRC was ratified

by Canada in 1991, and is the most widely ratified convention in the world. In the UNCRC, children under the age of 18 are guaranteed rights to life, survival, and development to have their best interests looked after to be meaningfully engaged, all without discrimination of any kind.

The UNCRC specifically articulates the rights of children. These rights are indivisible and inalienable —a child can neither give up, nor lose, their rights, regardless of their behaviour or social context.

These rights represent a global consensus on what childhood should be. ☛

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

iStockphoto /thinkstock

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At the Society for Children and Youth of BC, we often hear that the concept of children’s rights rubs people the wrong way. Why should children have special rights? Aren’t kids these days spoiled and entitled? Don’t they have enough rights?

Let’s take a minute to examine some myths related to children’s rights: Myth: Child rights are not necessary for kids in Canada because children here have it “pretty good.”

If anything, we should be focusing on children’s rights in developing countries.

Reality: Rights are universal, and children in British Columbia face many challenges, including poverty, lack of access to the best healthcare possible, racial discrimination, barriers to meaningful participation in society, drastic cuts to their education system, and the list goes on.

Myth: Children’s rights compete with adults’ rights, and if children find out they have rights they will be more difficult to control and/or discipline.

Reality: Children’s rights come with responsibilities. Embedded in children’s rights include the rights of parents, guardians, and caregivers. Research shows that children who learn about their rights also learn about their responsibilities and are more respectful of others.

They are also less likely to be victimized and more likely to stand up for others.

The UNCRC, however, is of direct importance for children, and is a landmark document in the history of childhood.

To be successful in implementing child rights in BC, people in all areas of work—education, healthcare, media, social services, government, business, community development, and the judicial system, need to know how their work directly affects children’s rights, and what they can do to assure that children’s rights are respected on a day to day basis.

In the next edition of our newsletter we will examine why teaching children about their rights is so critical, and how teaching the universal ideals of rights increases a child’s respect for themselves and others— not just in their school but in their immediate and global community.

Check out scyofbc.org, everychild.ca, or follow us on Twitter @scyofbc to learn more.

Christina Thiele’s background is in communications and publishing work. She is an alumnus of United Way’s Public Policy Institute, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Environmental Youth Alliance.

She heads up the development of the Society’s child rights projects and communications. Outside of SCY, Christina works in a respite home serving some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable children on an on-call basis.

Myth: Children have enough rights. Aren’t they covered in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

Reality: With the UNCRC, children are elevated to full rights-bearing citizens. This is an important status for Canada’s children. No previous agreement has provided these standards for children’s rights. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has very limited applicability to kids. The Charter is limited to rights that protect against government action, and it does not cover many rights specific to childhood.

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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

2013–14 Committee for Action on Social Justice (CASJ) • advises the BCTF on social justice issues • reviews and promotes social justice workshops • liaises with community groups and NGOs • develops policy on emerging issues • reviews and develops materials for classroom teachers • develops and supports networks of social justice contacts in the following action group areas: Antiracism, Antipoverty, Status of Women, LGBTQ, Peace and Global Education, Environmental Justice • co-ordinates the work of the six action groups

Antiracism Action Group Gurpreet Mahil Daniel Shiu Amar Sull Natalie Wai

LGBTQ Action Group David Butler Vanessa Liston Lizzy Midyette Joe Winkler

Workshops Bafa Bafa/Rafa Rafa Socializing justice: Taking action against racism Responding to racism: From reflection to praxis.

Workshops Breaking the silence: Understanding and acting on LGBTQ issues in schools From silence to action: How to be an ally on LGBTQ issues.

Status of Women Action Group Carol Arnold Corie McRae Kristin Quigley Viji Shanmugha

Antipoverty Action Group Robert Genaille Annie Ohana Debbie Sabourin Sue Spalding

Environmental Justice Action Group Julie Johnston Jennifer Jury Shannon Lanaway Richard Pesik

Workshops Poverty as a classroom issue Teachers can make a difference for children living in poverty.

Workshops Linking thinking: Integrating environmental education into all classrooms.

Workshops Assertive communication skills Thirsty for change: The global water crisis Resisting normalized sexual violence against youth.

Peace and Global Education Action Group Dan Hula Shannon Rerie Deidre Torrence Karen Whyte Workshops Bringing global education into the classroom Creating cultures of peace.

Important SJ dates to celebrate Sept 21 UN International Day of Peace Oct 02 Gandhi’s Birthday Nov 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence

Against Women—16 days of action begins Dec 10 Human Rights Day Please note: The BCTF is not responsible for the content or links found on any external website. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author.

BC Teachers’ Federation 100–550 West 6th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2

Editor: Susan Ruzic Copy editing: Jeannine Albert, Kathleen Smith, Vanessa Terrell

BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2013

This newsletter is available on-line at bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6352 Summer 2013, PSI13-0046

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