...Dear the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, With the abrupt release of the statistics about the missing indigenous and murdered women and girls by the RCMP, I have growing concerns the Indigenous people’s safety. I am especially concerned by the 2009 statistic, where it was found that Aboriginal women were nearly three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to report being victim of a violent crime. As the newly elected prime minister, I hope to see a change for Indigenous people in the duration that you are appointed. From any viewpoint in the world, I believe that Canada is often conceived as a “safe” and even a “welcoming” country. However, with the newfound knowledge of the murders and abductions of Aboriginal women, I strongly believe that Canada cannot boast to have the security that it has had in the past. The released statistics make evident how not only the government, but all Canadians must support a movement in order to stop the violence against Indigenous women. For 62% of these cases, the violence occurs domestically – right in the...
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...Monday, October 5, 2015 3:51 PM Ashley Caalingbull received a lot of media attention after being the first aboriginal women to win the Mrs Universe pageant. This pageant is for married women and the theme is domestic violence. The articles that I’ve chosen to talk about were written between the 28th of August and September 3th. I noticed that the 7 medias I will be talking about all have different angles and perceptions. Some of the medias prioritized physical appearances while others prioritized politics. Global media The Article by Global news about Ashley Callingbull prioritized her politic message and engagement rather then the Mrs Universe pageant itself. It is said in the title hat Ashley calls for First Nations to vote out Harper. She also adds that it is a challenge to get First Nations to vote because they feel like politicians don’t speak to them. In the article, she is portrayed as a politic figure that wants to see changes. Although it is mention that she is a victim of poverty and sexual abuse, there is more emphasis on her message. It is clear that social media have criticized her a lot; however, the article responds to the critiques in a positive way rather then treat her as a victim. She is portrayed as a strong person. She also received a tweet from Amnesty Canada, a reputable institution, congratulating her for using her voice. CBC news: The Article made by CBC news has a very strong title. It is written in the title that Ashley said First Nations are being...
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...Whether observed through the perspective of the media or within a historical context, women at a national premise have a greater awareness in the struggle of gender equality and female identification. Feminism looks at how the social, economic and political structures affect and shape women at the individual level. Accordingly, feminist theories analyze the relationship between gender differences, gender inequality and oppression. The idea of ‘waves’ in Canadian Feminist movements have been both diverse and dynamic in the act of coalition to obtain specific goals and broader changes in society. At the beginning of the 20th century, industrialization and nation-building came attached with a gender ideology that prescribed the public/private division between male and females. In modern-day Canada, issues concerning equal rights in the public and private sphere of women have become more relevant to the female community. In contemporary Canada, the discussion of sex work and the ‘entertainment industry’ is a controversial subject to many women. The traditional view is expressed to view these workers as individuals who have chosen this path as ‘immoral criminals’ or ‘victims’ of aggression. There is not much sympathy for these women as they are degraded to be invisible within Canadian society. Given the blind eye, these sexual deviants have historically served as an representation to regulate women of the public sphere. However, it is necessary to make distinctions of the ‘hierarchy’...
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...have ranged from social injustices, colonialism, and women’s rights. Some included personal tragedies concerning women of Aboriginal descent living in British Columbia. It has been quite emotional at times to actually read about the struggles that have taken place right here in British Columbia regarding immigrants and Aboriginal people. We even got to meet the author of Mercenary English, Mercedes Eng, in person to make the words of her story really come to life. However, not all of the books we have studied convey negative outlooks of certain problems being faced. There have been positive social changes, personal victories and many moments that make the reader believe things can be made right if an effort is put into it. This research essay will focus on the positive view portrayed in three books studied this semester which include: Mercenary English, Active Geographies-Women and Struggles on the Left Coast and the Unnatural and Accidental Women. The positive themes discussed will display triumphs on a personal level, meaningful change on a social stage and a look at how social activism deeply connects people together. Firstly, Mercenary English has a very unique way of showing social injustice, believed to be carried out in the eyes of its author Mercedes Eng. She writes about personal problems she faced, the negative issues surrounding aboriginal people in Canada and historical injustice against minorities. Her writing is powerful, emotional, vocal, and can shocks the reader...
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...Chapter One Canadian Constitution * THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT IN CANADA!!!!!!!!!!! * Has the roles of ALL levels of the government and describes how they work together * Governor General * Executive * Legislative * Judicial * Also has things like ooooh, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms British Monarch * The governor general is the Queen’s representative here in Canada * They are the formal head of state * So no real power… * Considered part of the executive and legislative branch The Executive Branch * Prime Minister and the Cabinet are part of the executive * To become PM, you have to lead a political party and win the most seats in the HofC * The cabinet is chosen by the PM and they come from his political party * Makes most laws and goes through the process to enact them * Basically runs the government through the days * Cabinet ministers are given portfolios that they are responsible for * They research issues and help to propose laws from their portfolio * Ex. Agriculture, justice, foreign affairs are types of portfolios * Each cabinet runs their own affairs which is the day to day activity of the government. * Each cabinet minister has their own staff to help them Political Parties * Whoever has the most seats leads the government * Candidates run for election, party with most votes form government * Are considered organizations...
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...resources through over use and depletion, making it impossible for the environment to remain sustainable; therefore, characterizing humans as the uniquely destructive species that they have come to exist as today. Genocide is a form of destruction unique to the human species that has been repeated throughout history as the yearning for power and the love of cruelty surpasses human controversies. “Genocide is often waged by one group against another and not the other way around. It is this unprovoked brutality that stems from human nature that is truly frightening” (Dimijan, 2010). This brutality was noticeably witnessed in World War II Germany during the Holocaust when Nazi leader Adolf Hitler exterminated more than 6 million Jewish men, women and children. The Nazis, who came to power in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community (Wright, 2009). The Jewish population never upheld such a threat and therefore became the victims of an unprovoked attack, waged from one side. This systematic annihilation of one category of people by another is unique to humans; nonetheless, it has recurred time and again in the history of the species’ existence. For centuries,...
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...only tell the story of ‘important’ characters in a particular event. In the The Speedy, a simple Google search helped described the way in which historians decided to tell the story of Ogetonicut: “Ogetonicut, drunk like a skunk, boasted that he had killed a white man to revenge his brother’s blood.”(Barker, Hanratty, Leuchter, Mand 24). Historians will never spend much time on Ogetonicut or his side of the story as an essential participant in the murder trial. Unfortunately, he will always be remembered as a drunken murderer while a character like Hunter will have books and plaques dedicated to him. As the play describes: “Of course, with Hunter, there are documents, quotes, pictures. It’s harder with someone like Ogetonicut. There is not much out there.” (Barker, Hanratty, Leuchter, Mand 24). In the metaphorical rope portrayed in the play, Hunter is a bigger and stronger strand than Ogetonicut therefore his story is told in great detail with supporting documents. But without Ogetonicut or the hundreds of thousands of other Aboriginals who were marginalized in the Canadian society, the rope of Canadian history would not be as strong as it is today. Ropes represent the true nature of history in The Speedy. When describing a rope, Keith, one of the characters, states: ”I would think of all the individual pieces of rope that looked all tucked and tangled together to make these huge, thick…I don’t know” (Barker, Hanratty, Leuchter, Mand 12). In describing the characteristics of a rope...
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...Belonging This essay discusses defines belonging. It identifies some elements of belonging, and focuses on selected few. It discussed concept of belonging from my perspective and looks at the significant of that from Aboriginals perspective based on research. It gives a brief history of the cruel nature of colonisation, its impact on Aboriginals and how this colonial mentality is perpetuated through discrimination to the Indigenous Australian disadvantage. It states why the policy introduced by the government does not sound promising, what the Aboriginals wants and human rights implications in the issues facing the Aboriginals. Definition of belonging Belonging is the connection and relationship of individual with the world around him/her. (Jacques Dufresne….) Even though belonging has physical components, it can be felt individually, and develops to diverse stages with time and circumstances. This means that human state of belonging is not permanent. The status of belonging can be explicated by the choices that people make. The concept of belonging Analysing and reviewing sense of belonging I approached it by applying to my own being-that I belong to a family, my mother and fatherland, an ethnic/cultural group, a religious, professional and community groups. Within these groups I have forged good relations. The thrives that keep this profound affiliation going for me is the values we share, that include honesty, caring, sharing, participation, inclusion and respect...
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...On Reasonable Accommodation INTRODUCTION Our modern society has long been governed by classic liberal notions advocated by thinkers such as John Stuart Mill and John Locke, Emmanuel Kant. A traditional conception of equality is generally prioritized in their work, outlining a highly formal approach premised on uniform treatment, colour-blindness and an emphasis on the Rule of Law. However, in the contemporary context of today, such an ideological hope tends to play the role of the ignorant fool, who disregards the complexity of our society. We are in need of a system that opens its eyes, stops hiding behind a “veil of ignorance” (Sandel, 1998:24) and adopts a more flexible approach. The Bouchard – Taylor Commission demonstrates exactly this notion. This essay will argue in favour of one of the major claims made by Gerard Bouchard & Charles Taylor, that reasonable accommodation, in essence a more substantive equality perspective is a necessary, if not mandatory approach that a multicultural society is in dire need of adopting, clarifying and deeply enforcing. I will discuss the logic and rational that underpins harmonization measures by exploring how social norms & ideologies have played an especially important role is systemic discrimination, then, how Canadian Law and legal institutions have played a role in constructing and maintaining racial stereotypes, and then, how the media plays an especially vital role in further denouncing minority groups. I will then provide...
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...When I applied for the diversity scholarship, I did it under the broader understanding of what diversity means to me. I believe true diversity includes race, religion, marital status, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation and importantly to me… age. As I later discovered, a broad definition similar to this had already been established by the diversity commission. It has been an honor and privilege working with the commission and I wish you the best in continuing to meet the ever changing diversity needs of the university and the surrounding community. Take care and God bless! Sincerely in warm regards, Question: What does the word ‘diversity’ mean to you? Large group session/personal reflection exercise Introduction This report contains the ideas, knowledge and insight that took place over a three and a half day session in Sackville, New Brunswick. The Youth For Diversity Project, aims to bring approximately 25 youth together in one arena to discuss, debate and create ideas and plans around the issue of diversity. Half of the session was spent looking at the individual and group definitions of diversity, with sessions that included both reflective and group exercises. Small groups were formed to further flesh out concepts around diversity—racism, ageism, sexual orientation, access to resources, etc.—to further understand the impact that diversity has had on us and those around us. To add to these sessions, four guest speakers were invited...
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...Chapter 1: Ethical Theory Meta-ethical positions include: * Ethical non-cognitivism (concept that ethics is a matter of feelings) * Ethical relativism (concept that ethics is relative to a particular point of view) * Ethical objectivism (notion that ethics is objective in nature). Meta-Ethical Positions Ethical Non-cognitivism The basis of ethical non-cognitivism is that ethical disagreement can be a highly emotional affair where no amount of reasoning is likely to convince the other party. * Example: “Let’s just agree to disagree” Ethical Relativism * Ethical relativism says that while ethical statements are cognitively meaningful, they do not hold in any objective sense because they depend on our point of view. * If we accept ethical relativism, then ethical disagreement among people who do not share the same perspective becomes impossible. * It assumes that if people agree on something, then it must be true. * Ethical relativism is suspect for a pragmatic reason: it is fundamentally at variance with our social practice. * Example: “To each his own”, or the belief that what’s right for one group isn’t necessarily right for another Ethical Objectivism * Ethical objectivism holds that right and wrong are objective phenomena. * Example: “I’m right and you’re wrong” What is Ethics? * As a discipline, ethics is a branch of philosophy. * It deals with questions of right and wrong conduct, and with what we ought to do and what...
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...1 Occupational Health and Safety Issues of Police Officers in Canada, the United States and Europe: A Review Essay © Jennifer R. L. Parsons June, 2004 2 Introduction Police officers play a pivotal role in North American and European societies. They are involved in many aspects of North American and European life. Officers’ involvement ranges from general, daily, proactive patrol activities to specific criminal activities such as narcotic investigations. Because there is such a wide range of activities involved in police work, there are many health and safety issues surrounding policing as an occupation. Police officers may be exposed to different health and safety risks in their occupation. For example, police officers are at risk of assault and homicide; the dynamics of policing as an occupation creates opportunities for them to experience many psychosocial hazards such as stress, suicide, sexual harassment, and discrimination. It is important that research be completed on the health and safety issues of police officers in order to identify hazards and identify ways to reduce risk. The failure to identify and solve health and safety concerns of officers has potentially serious consequences for the health and well being of officers and their families. These consequences can include depression, divorce, suicide, and disease. Not addressing the health and safety issues associated with policing may also impact the general public. For example, if an officer is...
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...Summary Australian law is based on the culture of English law. The following characteristics derive from the English background of our law: * A system of representative democracy, using parliaments to make laws. See chapters 7 & 8. * A legal profession divided formally or informally into solicitors and barristers. See chapter 3. * A ‘common law’ system: * The system of law derived from the English legal system. Uses judicially decided cases as the basic form of law. See chapter 10. * The way that the law is made: Judges make law based on decided cases (precedents) and develop sets of legal principles which emerge from the judgments in decided cases.’ See chapter 12, 13, and 14. * The category of laws which grew from the medieval royal courts (‘the courts of common law’) and other areas of law, which came from the medieval Lord Chancellor’s role (‘equity’). See chapter 10. * Decision making in courts after an adversarial trial: derived from historical ‘trial by battle’ introduced by Normans. The battle has since then become a verbal one. See chapter 2. * A court system for dispute resolution: See chapter 11. However, Australian law has developed distinct characteristics of its own: * A federal system made up of a Commonwealth and States and Territories: separates out the powers of different bodies of government. See chapter 8. * A limited recognition of indigenous customary law: Mabo (No 2) held that native title to land could...
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...The Psychology of Racism Introduction Throughout history the superiority of the winners has been connected to a denial of feelings - what, in the British empire, was called the stiff upper lip. The conquerers of nature and "natives" claimed their right to the world as their possession because they had first conquered themselves. Powerful people get others to do their bidding. It is the people that they subordinate who are forced to make adapt their lives to their masters bidding. The people with power can look aloof, calm and collected because they find it is easier to appear to be like this. They have the easier life, they are not being treated like beasts of burden, they are not being robbed and murdered. The ideology and culture of power often turns things upside down. Distress is the result of subordination and in human relationships the emotional display of distress then becomes the proof of inferiority. It proves that you need "protection". It becomes part of the power way of thinking, embedded in the culture, that the unemotional life style is evidence of superiority. The "Stiff upper lip" is the way you hold your face so as not to smile, snarl or cry. It is colonialism in facial expression when times, occaisionally, don't go so well. In contrast the emotional excitability of "the natives" proves their inferiority, it proves they have to be 'civilised'...
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...NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION: USE ONLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH COPYRIGHT: DAVID RISSTROM AN INTERPRETATION OF LAW IN CONTEXT Bottomley, S., Gunningham, N. and Parker, S., 1991, Law in Context, The Federation Press, Leichhardt. { } = additional material from lectures. ( ) = my comments. (See ‘x’) refers to book page number. A short (somewhat boring) message from the summary executioner before you dive in; These notes are an interpretation of the book Law in Context and the lectures given as part of the 1991 Course. They are not a satisfactory substitution for reading the text. You are only likely to get the maximum value out of this summary by reading it in conjunction with the text. The question of ‘the law in whose context’ may be worth keeping in mind as you read. This is an interpretation seen through my eyes, not yours. My comments are not unbiased, as it is as equally unlikely that yours may be. So my ‘advice’ is consider what is said here and in the book considering the need to understand the ‘mechanics’ that help make sense of the more involved themes that develop in the book as you progress through Law in Context. The observations, important in their own right, may be particularly useful for seeing how their often ubiquitous expression is taken as ‘normal’ in the areas of wider society, such as in discussions of economics and power. It is unlikely that you will find any ‘right answers’ from this summary, but I do hope it helps you in synthesising...
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