Couillard lance une offensive constitutionnelle tranquille

2017/06/02 Leave a comment

High risk strategy.  PM Trudeau indicated yesterday no interest, other provincial reactions likely the same.

This would also force Quebec to have a more formal definition of interculturalism, and acknowledge the civic integration commonalities with multiculturalism rather than the habitual caricature.

In terms of the five historic demands, Quebec obtained greater powers and funding for immigration in 1979 (English link Quebec plans to reopen constitutional debate, launch coast-to-coast discussion):

On croyait bien que plus personne, dans la classe politique canadienne, ne voulait prononcer le mot constitution. Mais c’est faux, désormais.

Le Québec a décidé de relancer le débat constitutionnel, selon ce qu’a appris La Presse canadienne. Le gouvernement Couillard va lancer une vaste offensive à travers le pays pour convaincre les Canadiens de la justesse de ses revendications.

Il veut ainsi créer les conditions favorables à la reprise d’éventuelles négociations constitutionnelles. À terme, si le Québec obtient la reconnaissance souhaitée, il pourrait donc adhérer à la Loi constitutionnelle de 1982.

L’approche privilégiée est essentiellement pédagogique. Pas de couteau sur la gorge. Aucune échéance fixée. On veut surtout communiquer, convaincre, expliquer.

Le premier ministre Philippe Couillard aura mis quelques années à étayer sa pensée sur le sujet, à préciser son argumentaire et à rédiger une brique de près de 200 pages.

Ce document, dont La Presse canadienne a obtenu copie, est intitulé Québécois, c’est notre façon d’être Canadiens et constitue la toute première politique du gouvernement Couillard « d’affirmation du Québec et des relations canadiennes ».

En devenant chef du Parti libéral du Québec, en 2013, M. Couillard, fédéraliste convaincu, s’était engagé à reprendre les « discussions » constitutionnelles avec le Canada, dans le but de voir le Québec « réintégrer la famille canadienne ».

Québec souhaite faire sauter le « tabou » qui entoure tout le débat constitutionnel, depuis l’échec du référendum d’octobre 1995, car « le Québec et le Canada semblent prêts pour un changement de paradigme » à ce sujet.

Le Québec cherche à obtenir du Canada la reconnaissance formelle de la nation québécoise, de son identité propre, un geste politique qui, peut-on lire dans le document, ferait en sorte « que les Québécois ne se sentiraient plus exilés au sein de leur propre pays ».

Dans le document, lancé à l’occasion des célébrations entourant le 150e anniversaire de la fédération canadienne, le gouvernement Couillard reprend à son compte toutes les revendications traditionnelles du Québec et s’approprie, en les actualisant, les fameuses cinq conditions préalables fixées par le gouvernement de Robert Bourassa en 1986 :

reconnaissance du Québec comme société distincte ;

limites au pouvoir fédéral de dépenser ;

garantie d’une représentation québécoise à la Cour suprême ;

droit de veto sur les modifications constitutionnelles ;

pouvoirs accrus en matière d’immigration.

« Si le contexte politique et constitutionnel a beaucoup changé depuis leur formulation, elles demeurent une illustration concrète des garanties constitutionnelles qui doivent découler d’une reconnaissance adéquate de la Nation québécoise », estime le premier ministre Couillard, 30 ans plus tard.

Détourner l’attention

Cette nouvelle politique qu’annoncera jeudi M. Couillard est une stratégie pour détourner l’attention tandis que ses liens avec l’ancien collecteur de fonds libéral Marc-Yvan Côté ont fait la manchette dans les derniers jours, accusent certaines formations politiques.

« Disons que ça laisse croire qu’on tente de faire oublier certaines révélations en relançant le débat constitutionnel alors que personne ne s’y attendait », souligne le député de Québec solidaire Amir Khadir.

Un avis partagé par la députée indépendante à Québec et chef du Bloc québécois à Ottawa, Martine Ouellet.

« Il semble utiliser une stratégie pour essayer de faire oublier ses liens d’amitié avec Marc-Yvan Côté », soutient Mme Ouellet.

Le Parti québécois et la Coalition avenir Québec n’ont pas souhaité commenter mercredi.

À Ottawa, le cabinet du premier ministre canadien, Justin Trudeau, n’avait pas commenté mercredi.

Approche pédagogique

À la stratégie passée du couteau sur la gorge, en vogue depuis les années 1970, le gouvernement Couillard opposera donc une main tendue. Loin des rapports de force qui ont jalonné les relations Québec-Ottawa en ce domaine depuis des décennies, son approche sera essentiellement pédagogique, axée sur le dialogue et la persuasion, destinée à « nous faire mieux comprendre » du reste du pays.

« Il faut donc travailler à rétablir ce que les Québécois ont toujours voulu depuis 1867, soit un Canada qui les accepte pour ce qu’ils sont », peut-on lire dans le document, rédigé par plusieurs personnes sous la supervision du ministre responsable des Relations canadiennes, Jean-Marc Fournier.

Les discussions à venir ne seront pas uniquement centrées sur une « ronde Québec », mais pourraient inclure notamment les revendications des autochtones ou aborder d’autres enjeux. Le gouvernement Couillard tient aussi à promouvoir le concept de fédéralisme asymétrique, ainsi qu’à étendre celui d’« interculturalisme » comme modèle d’intégration des immigrants au Québec.

Le Québec ne veut plus être perçu comme la province qui fait bande à part dans la fédération. Le gouvernement Couillard veut rebâtir un lien de confiance et s’engage donc désormais à assurer une « présence soutenue » d’un bout à l’autre du pays. Cette participation « proactive » du Québec se verra sur toutes les tribunes, dans les forums politiques, dans les milieux universitaires, auprès des groupes d’affaires et sociaux, dans les médias traditionnels et sociaux, en fait, partout où la voix du Québec doit être entendue pour refléter la vision et les ambitions de son gouvernement. Surtout, on cherchera à faire la démonstration que le Québec est un partenaire actif de la mosaïque canadienne.

Le document adopte une perspective historique des relations Québec-Ottawa, sous l’angle du besoin toujours croissant exprimé par le Québec d’affirmer son identité nationale, d’afficher sa différence, notamment linguistique, et d’étendre ses pouvoirs. Il insiste sur le partage des compétences entre Ottawa et les provinces, et sur la nécessité de respecter scrupuleusement ce partage pour assurer le bon fonctionnement de la fédération.

Signe que le gouvernement Couillard prend très au sérieux son objectif de faire rayonner ses revendications constitutionnelles et ses positions politiques partout au Canada dans l’année qui vient, il va procéder à des changements dans la structure gouvernementale.

Le Secrétariat québécois des relations canadiennes (SQRC) prendra le relais du Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes (SAIC), avec des unités Québec-Canada créées dans tous les ministères, pour s’assurer que chacun d’eux profite de toutes les tribunes possibles dans leur secteur d’activités à travers le pays.

Source: Couillard lance une offensive constitutionnelle tranquille | Le Devoir

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Indigenous culture not protected in Canadian law, lawyers and academics say

2017/06/02 Leave a comment

Interesting article about intellectual property and indigenous culture, from both a domestic and international perspective:

“The problem is that Indigenous heritage is often seen as a public domain, free for the taking,” said George Nicholas, a professor at Simon Fraser University who led an eight-year international research project on cultural appropriation.

“That’s not the case. [For] many First Nations, many Inuit and other Indigenous peoples, their heritage is still vibrant…. When it is threatened, when it is used by others in ways that are inappropriate or unwelcome, this can cause a variety of harms, not just economic but spiritual.”

There are a host of barriers Indigenous groups face when trying to use intellectual-property laws to protect their cultural heritage.

Intellectual-property law began to take form in the 19th century in western Europe to protect individual ideas and creations, mainly for economic reasons.

“It wasn’t really designed for Indigenous innovation, which is marked by collective processes, collective custodianship and a very strong spiritual dimension,” said Wend Wendland, director of the Traditional Knowledge Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.

“Some refer to it as a square peg in a round hole.”

Ava the shaman

An illustration featured in the book Northern Voices: Inuit Writing in English depicts a traditional design similar to that used by a fashion designer in 2015. (Kieran Oudshoorn/CBC)

The main problem facing Indigenous groups looking to use intellectual-property law is that in order for something like a traditional parka design or carving style to be patented, it has to be unique or original, Wendland said.

But many Indigenous customs and designs have been passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial. They have been replicated hundreds if not thousands of times, often making them unable to be patented.

Wendland also says the current system generally requires some sort of hard copy of what the copyright or patent is supposed to protect. But many forms of Indigenous knowledge or stories are often passed down orally.

Exceptions exist, but model may be fundamentally flawed

Some Canadian Indigenous groups have had success using trademarks. The Cowichan Band Council in British Columbia registered the certification “Genuine Cowichan Approved”. It was created to help differentiate between the traditional Indigenous hand-knitted sweaters crafted by Coast Salish people and non-Indigenous designers selling counterfeits.

bc-091028-cowichan-sweater

Dianne Hinkley shows off a genuine Cowichan Tribes sweater. ((CBC))

There is work being done to help create a broader system to protect Indigenous intellectual property. One hundred and eighty-nine states have joined a special committee within the World Intellectual Property Organization. The organization is working toward an international treaty that would expand intellectual-property laws to protect Indigenous culture. It will meet in Geneva next month to continue negotiations.

Whitehorse lawyer Claire Anderson says using the Canadian legal system is counterintuitive when protecting Indigenous culture.

“If we choose that forum, essentially we would be going to the colonial forum that has taken away Indigenous rights, and we would be asking the non-Indigenous judges to make determinations about Indigenous law,” Anderson said.

Indigenous law has its own remedies

Anderson said groups should look to their own form of Indigenous law to protect their history and knowledge.

“Listening to our First Nation elders or listening to people that understand Indigenous laws and seeking redress through those Indigenous legal forums is a very good starting point because it provides legitimacy to those Indigenous legal forums.”

Anderson says that in Tlingit culture, if someone exploits someone else’s design or steals property, they must apologize in front of the community at a public forum, like a potlatch. She says some sort of compensation is given — whether it’s monetary or the gifting of a song.

Source: Indigenous culture not protected in Canadian law, lawyers and academics say – North – CBC News

 

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Sweden launches program to fight Holocaust denial and antisemitism – Jerusalem Post

2017/06/02 Leave a comment

Some useful approaches in Sweden:

With surveys showing “lots of Swedish Jews are afraid of showing their Jewishness,” Stockholm has stepped up efforts to teach about the Holocaust as a means of fighting against antisemitism, the director of a government-run program targeting the issue said.

“The Swedish government is investing a lot of money to combat the phenomenon of antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Ingrid Lomfors, director of the Living History Forum in Sweden added, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post this past week.

The Forum is a public authority established by Sweden some 15 years ago with the aim of “promoting democracy, tolerance and human rights using the Holocaust as a starting point.”

In November the government announced an additional 156 million Krona (NIS 65 million) stipend to develop a new national program for Holocaust remembrance, with the aim of combating antisemitism and racism.

“Our task is to teach Holocaust education but also to learn from history – to learn about the Holocaust and to learn from the Holocaust – what lessons can be drawn in terms of how we look at democracy, the risk of populism and racism, how do we find early warnings,” Lomfors said.

Lomfors, an historian who has devoted 30 years to studying the Holocaust, was in Israel this month seeking information from such institutions as Yad Vashem to help to build the Swedish program.

“I am very happy it [the government] gave us this opportunity but at the same time you can also say that in a way it is sad that it is needed – it says something about the world in which we live in,” Lomfors said.

“Combating antisemitism is something that you have been doing here for quite some time now and learning from the Holocaust,” she said of Israel’s experience in these fields.

“I can see lots of possibilities for collaborations to adapt programs in Israel to Swedish society,” she said. “I also think it is important for Israeli institutions to learn from us because cooperation is the only way to combat this phenomenon.”

According to Lomfors, the impetus for setting up the Forum over a decade ago was in part a nationwide survey which revealed that Swedes had very limited knowledge of the Holocaust, and that a large number of youths showed signs of Holocaust denial.

“This was really shocking to all of us,” she said, though adding that “at that time, around 20 years ago, we didn’t speak about the Holocaust.”

Another factor behind Sweden’s endeavor was renewed interest and dialogue about the Holocaust due to headlines surrounding Nazi looted art.

Lomfors described the situation in Sweden today as “very complex.”

“On the one hand you can see a trend that tolerance is increasing – young people today are becoming more and more tolerant and the country, demographically speaking is becoming more pluralistic,” she said.

“At the same time, you have an increase in racist ideas – hate speech and hate crime – as well as increasing populism.”

“I think there is a rise in antisemitism, and a rise in hate crimes which is true for many minority groups,” Lomfors said.

But she said international surveys suggested antisemitism in Sweden was not as bad as in other European countries.

“Lots of Swedish Jews are afraid of showing their Jewishness,” she said.

According to Lomfors, Holocaust education in Swedish schools is “not enough.”

She thought teachers needed more of “an opportunity to learn more about the Holocaust.”

The Forum she runs seeks to help educators by running educational and cultural programs, creating digital materials, holding regional conferences, and developing exhibitions about the Holocaust, she said.

“We are a fusion between a museum and an education forum,” she said. “Teachers are our major target group in the hope that they will use our tools to reach the students but we also reach out to student groups around the country.”

Lomfors said further that the Forum trains thousands of teachers and reaches several hundred thousand students every year through workshops and traveling exhibitions – all with a focus on both the past and present day.

The Holocaust provided a “tool for discussion” for programs focused on modern day antisemitism and racism in Sweden.

Lomfors said it was too early to gage the impact that growing numbers of refugees settling in Sweden may have on a rise in antisemitic attitudes.

“It will definitely reshape Swedish society and my institution has to take this into account when we outline programs. We have to learn more about the attitudes of newcomers,” she said.

“Antisemitism is global and if you really want to combat it you have to work in a global way – racism doesn’t have any national borders,” Lomfors said.

Source: Sweden launches program to fight Holocaust denial and antisemitism – Diaspora – Jerusalem Post

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Have your say on Multicultural New Zealand – indiannewslink.co.nz

2017/06/02 Leave a comment

New Zealand gets relatively less coverage on multiculturalism-related issues yet it is an interesting society given its demographic mix: Maori, white settlers and more recent visible minorities:

When Eric Chuah left his job as Head of Migrant Banking at ANZ Bank to establish ‘Cultural Connections’ (Indian Newslink, March 1, 2017), his commitment was distinct and determined: intrinsic engagement with migrant communities, conduct research and enhance the social value and standards of all New Zealanders.

A tall order it seemed, but less than three months later, having established his ‘connections’ well, Mr Chuah is ready for bigger things.

Cultural Connections Research

He has just launched his Social Research Programme jointly with Multicultural New Zealand (also called New Zealand Multicultural Council) to prepare a detailed study that will articulate the role of the government, public and private sector companies, community organisations, media and individuals. Such an interaction, he believes, will lead towards an inclusive Multicultural New Zealand, “regardless of whether a person is a migrant or a born in the country.” What matters is that ‘New Zealander’ would embrace every person resident here as a part of a wholesome society.

“The objective is to deliver a positive tone and forward thinking about multiculturalism,” he said.

The starting point of Mr Chuah’s research was a document published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) in 2015, which said that 1 out of 3 Kiwis felt that migrants were not properly integrated into the socio-economic fabric.

“While the Report captures a snapshot of migration interaction from a friendship and cultural festival perspective, it did not expand further to understand how integration gap can be addressed,” he said.

The Challenge and Effect

In that sense, the ‘Cultural Connections Social Research 2’ would address the challenge of finding ways of achieving a more meaningful integration if the benefits of immigration and the resultant multiculturalism are to be optimised.

“My Research aims to understand Migrants’ working life – current employment and satisfaction with their job; their sense of belonging to New Zealand; their overall satisfaction with living in New Zealand; and their sense of being treated fairly by employers and by the country in general,” Mr Chuah said.

The Social Research Programme of Cultural Connections will also attempt to measure the attitudes of ‘New Zealanders’ to migrants.

Measuring Matrix

It would present the findings from a Migrant survey designed to measure migrants’ settlement experiences. In particular, the research aims to understand awareness, knowledge and community perceptions of migrants, including (a) Overall attitudes towards migrants and migration (b) Specific differences in attitudes towards migrants from different countries (c) Attitudes surrounding migrant numbers (d) The contribution of migrants to New Zealand’s productivity, culture and society.

Sensational Racism

“In recent times, particularly leading up to election, certain politicians are sensationalising racial cards to gain relevance, attention, and ultimately win votes.  Whilst there are other research papers dating from 2005 on social cohesion, they tend to centre around high level public policies, snapshot at that point in time, and do not outline actionable insights. They are also quite broad and cover other diversity groups such as LGBTI and disability groups,” Mr Chuah said.

Mr Chuah has asked us to outline the role of the media in the process of integration of people for multiculturalism to succeed.

He said that the media follows several means to build a multicultural New Zealand. These include (1) regular cultural segment such as food, music, travel and events (2) educating readers on cultural learning (3) organising cultural events (4) Online forum discussions and (5) Cultural research and surveys.

Source: Have your say on Multicultural New Zealand – indiannewslink.co.nz

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Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) chief says radical Sunni Islam creates terrorists, not being a refugee | Australia news | The Guardian

2017/06/01 Leave a comment

Spymasters versus demagogues:

The head of Australia’s spy agency, Duncan Lewis, says people become terrorists because they adhere to a violent interpretation of Sunni Islam, not because they are refugees.

Lewis has come under intense pressure from conservative commentators, including the News Corporation columnist and Sky News broadcaster Andrew Bolt, after his response to questions from the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, on 26 May about whether there was a connection between terrorism and refugees.

The Asio chief told Hanson at Senate estimates last week he had no evidence of any connection. He said the source of terrorism wasn’t Australia’s refugee program, but “radical Sunni Islam”.

Bolt’s critique was echoed by the former prime minister, Tony Abbott, who suggested Lewis was tiptoeing around the subject. “Asio has to command the confidence of the Australian community, and that’s why you’ve got to be open and upfront about these things,” he told 2GB.

Hanson later told 2GB the response from Lewis at estimates was “not what the Australian public want to hear”.

She was “gobsmacked” by his evidence at estimates.

On Wednesday morning Lewis had a rare public interview with the ABC. He stood by the evidence he gave last week, but provided some more context.

“We have had tens of thousands of refugees come to Australia over the last decade or so and a very few of them have become subjects of interest for Asio and have been involved in terrorist planning,” he said.

“I’m not denying that. I’ve not said that there are no terrorists who have not been refugees or who have not been the sons and daughters of refugees born in this country.

“But the context is very important. The reason they are terrorists is not because they are refugees but because of the violent, extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam that they have adopted.”

Lewis said sons and daughters of refugees were “in the group that have resorted to radicalisation but I think it is very wrong to say that it is because of their refugee status”.

“They are radicalised for different reasons,” he said.

He said he had no intention of appearing contemptuous of Hanson’s line of questioning: “The point I am making is we need to stick to the facts.”

Source: Asio chief says radical Sunni Islam creates terrorists, not being a refugee | Australia news | The Guardian

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How the Muslim community can tackle the scourge of extremism: Sheema Khan

2017/06/01 Leave a comment

Her latest op-ed and usual sensible suggestions and recommendations:

In the elusive search for clues on radicalization, there are meaningful steps that Muslim communities can take toward addressing this scourge.

There should be “safe” spaces available for Muslim youth to discuss their concerns and passion for justice, in the company of those with sound knowledge of Islamic teachings. Rather than the traditional one-way lecture, there should be round tables in which topics are discussed frankly in context with normative Islamic principles. Currently, most Muslim institutions shy away from such discussions, for fear of being accused of fomenting extremism. Local organizations can sponsor a screening of Tug of War, a short Canadian indie film that boldly tackles this topic.

Grassroots initiatives that teach resiliency to Muslim youth must be developed. Since Canada opened the doors of immigration, a plethora of ethno-religious groups have experienced racism. Yet, such groups have found the resiliency to survive and thrive.

Muslims have deep resources within their faith about dealing with hostility through patience, principled justice and forgiveness. They can also use valuable anti-racism tools developed by civil society. For example, the National Council of Canadian Muslims plays a key role by empowering Muslims to address xenophobia through engagement with civil institutions.

Mentorship will also play a key role in helping youth to integrate. There are many Muslim professionals, entrepreneurs, artists and activists who have faced challenges and succeeded. Their experiences are invaluable for the coming generation. We need forums where such knowledge can be shared and mentoring partnerships established.

Civic engagement is the key to non-violent activism. Whether the focus is local justice or foreign policy, there needs to be further education about the role of NGOs, government institutions and one’s responsibility in the democratic process. The 2015 federal election prompted many Muslims to initiate grassroots campaigns for political engagement. As an example, The Canadian-Muslim Vote provides regular updates about House deliberations, along with interviews of MPs.

Perhaps the most difficult, yet necessary, component is to ask some tough questions. Why is it that a small minority of Sunni Muslim youth is latching on to a death cult? How are the teachings of Islam being twisted to appeal to a hateful, morally bankrupt mindset? Why are appeals to basic morality (e.g., forbiddance of murder and suicide) failing?

Finally, those espousing violence must be reported to the authorities. Friends, family and mosque congregants had warned police about Mr. Abedi’s extremist views – without success. This means we must all try harder to prevent the next incident.

Source: How the Muslim community can tackle the scourge of extremism – The Globe and Mail

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Dutton ups pressure on Labor over ‘Australian value’ proposals in citizenship law changes – ABC News

2017/06/01 Leave a comment

More on Australian citizenship debates and more advanced language levels (IELTS 6, equivalent to CLB 7 – current Canadian requirement is CLB 4):

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has ramped up pressure on Labor to support the Government’s sweeping changes to citizenship laws which aim to prioritise “Australian values”.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the changes in April, declaring that migrants must prove their commitment to the nation with a tough new citizenship test and more stringent English language test.

There have been differing views on the proposal within the Labor caucus and Mr Dutton took up the issue in Question Time on Tuesday.

“What has become evident over course of the last five weeks is that on a fundamental issue you would have thought the Labor Party could unite, but they haven’t,” he said.

“And Mr Speaker what is evident is that, just as on their boats policy, we’ve seen on this policy the left and the right are completely divided.

“[Bill Shorten] needs to state his position, Mr Speaker. Is he in favour of the citizenship changes? Or is he not?”

Lateline understands the policy was informed in part by confidential National Security Commission documents, obtained by the program last year.

The documents urged stronger controls over access to citizenship, pointing to Lebanese migrant enclaves to illustrate potential community safety and national security risks associated with unsuccessful integration.

Under the Government’s proposed changes, migrants would have to pass an IELTs 6 test [equivalent to CLB 7], which is university-level English that includes writing an academic essay.

Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Zed Seselja is the son of Croatian migrants, but he is a firm supporter of the changes.

“For that first generation, if they haven’t learnt English there can be a struggle communicating sometimes with their own kids or grandkids. That’s not ideal. I wouldn’t want to see that with my parents or grandparents,” he said.

He said workplaces have changed from previous generations, when English skills weren’t as necessary in some industries.

“Working today in a factory is more complex than working in a factory 40 years ago,” he said.

“There’s more computerisation, OH&S standards have changed so it is a different work environment and while it’s never been ideal I would put it to you that it’s certainly harder now if you don’t have a good level of English to get most of the jobs on offer.”

English standards and radicalisation

Senator Seselja said raising English standards could reduce isolation, and hence the risk of radicalisation.

“We know that where there are high levels of isolation there is a danger of radicalisation. We know that’s one of the dangers,” he said.

“To the extent that people feel part of a community, to extent they are able to get along with fellow citizens, interact with their fellow citizens, I guess radicalisation is less of a risk, whilst I do acknowledge there are far more complex aspects to radicalisation as well.”

But Labor MP Anne Aly, who is an Egyptian-born counter-terrorism expert, disagrees.

“To suggest that having academic-level English is some kind of magic panacea to radicalisation I think grossly misunderstands radicalisation,” she said.

“There is absolutely no empirical evidence to suggest there is any relationship between an individual’s English language competence and their propensity to become radicalised to any form of violence.”

Dr Aly also used to teach English and believes level 6 IELTs for citizenship sets a high bar.

“Do we really expect people to be able to do that? Do all jobs require you to write an essay?” She asked.

Source: Dutton ups pressure on Labor over ‘Australian value’ proposals in citizenship law changes – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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Le PQ n’est pas raciste, mais il doit faire une «introspection», dit QS 

2017/06/01 Leave a comment

Valid point:

Le Parti québécois n’est pas « raciste », mais il doit faire une « introspection » sur la charte des valeurs, a affirmé mardi la porte-parole de Québec solidaire, Manon Massé, qui a refusé de se dissocier des propos tenus par certains membres de son parti.

La direction du PQ a écrit lundi au comité de coordination de QS, le sommant de se dissocier des accusations de racisme lancées à son endroit par des militants solidaires. Ces propos ont été tenus il y a 10 jours lors du débat sur une alliance électorale des deux partis indépendantistes, projet qui a finalement été rejeté.

À son arrivée à l’Assemblée nationale, mardi, Mme Massé a indiqué qu’à ses yeux, le PQ n’est pas raciste. Mais elle a ajouté un bémol.

« Il a une introspection à faire sur les actions qu’il a posées, sur les impacts que ça a eus », a-t-elle indiqué.

La porte-parole solidaire a refusé de lancer la pierre aux membres de son parti qui ont réagi avec virulence à l’idée de s’associer au parti responsable de la charte.

« Je crois profondément qu’il y a des gens qui ont la peau noire, qu’il y a des gens qui portent le hijab qui sont et qui ont été discriminés, a dit Mme Massé. Et ils et elles associent ça à l’atmosphère qu’a laissé planer au Québec la charte des valeurs. »

« Pour moi, que quelqu’un qui vit une situation nomme les choses telles qu’ils la vivent, je peux comprendre, a-t-elle ajouté. Je ne suis pas pour dire: “Tu as tort”. Je suis qui, moi, pour dire “Tu as tort” ? »

Insulte

Quelques minutes plus tôt, le chef péquiste Jean-François Lisée a accusé la direction de QS d’avoir cautionné des propos inacceptables en refusant de modérer les commentaires émis par ses militants pendant le débat sur la convergence. Ce faisant, elle a insulté les membres du PQ et tous les Québécois qui appuient ses positions en matière de laïcité et d’identité, a dénoncé M. Lisée.

« Tout le monde a pu comprendre que Québec solidaire avalisait ce genre de propos », a dit le chef péquiste.

« Ce que ça voulait dire, c’est que tous ceux qui au Québec pensent qu’il faut faire des pas en avant pour la laïcité, baliser les accommodements religieux, d’interdire des signes religieux pour certaines catégories de personnel, tous ces gens-là, selon Québec solidaire, sont xénophobes et racistes », a-t-il ajouté.

Source: Le PQ n’est pas raciste, mais il doit faire une «introspection», dit QS | Martin Croteau | Politique québécoise

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Gatherings of Black people really not about whites: Paradkar

2017/06/01 Leave a comment

Paradkar on the recent controversies over Black only events:

Harvard’s event was one of two recent events that highlighted Western discomfort with majority-Black spaces.

The other was an event planned in France, where the mayor of Paris sought to ban the city’s first Afro-feminist festival in July because it was “forbidden to white people.” In saying that, Anne Hildalgo, the socialist mayor, co-opted the words of the far-right that had initiated the outrage.

The organizers there had said 80 per cent of the event space was open only to Black women. At Harvard, all were welcome, although not a lot of non-Black people showed up (and by the way, Stanford has had a Black graduation for 40 years).

Both these events predictably triggered accusations of reverse racism and segregation.This tweet by @lucky_american echoed views on various forums: “Are they also going to have a white commencement? If not, isn’t that kind of racist?”

Hidalgo even threatened to sue the festival’s leaders for discrimination.

“We continue to revel in the myth that our fundamental racial problems have been solved,” says Rinaldo Walcott, director of the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. So these gatherings are viewed “as an affront to something they deeply believe doesn’t exist.”

If these events must be seen as separatist and divisive, then let’s at least acknowledge that one was separation as celebration, the other was separation as solidarity.

At Harvard, “the energy was electric and celebratory,” Morgan says. “It was about celebrating and recognizing that five per cent of the student population identifies as Black. It was about recognizing historically and globally this was that small fraction of people who have made it to the top university.”

The Harvard event was an ode to Black achievement in the face of historical and continued oppression. It celebrated achievements that would be lost, or not valued, in the university-wide celebration.

If Morgan’s achievements had not been acknowledged at the Black commencement, they might not have been acknowledged at all.

“In the U.S., the notion is, if you have reached the pinnacle of establishment, you are somehow outside of how poor black people are treated,” Walcott says.

That is simply not true. Studies have shown Black Ivy League graduates have about as much chance of getting a job as do white graduates from less prestigious state colleges.

For those who use the success of a Barack Obama or an Oprah Winfrey to suggest that anti-Black racism is over, the commencement was a reminder that Black success comes despite the system.

“They will try to craft our stories as examples of the benefits of personal responsibility,” Duwain Pinder, one of four speakers that day, was quoted saying in the Harvard magazine. “As proof that the American dream exists for all, rather than just a select few . . . . We are only a fraction of the Black brilliance that lies under the surface.”

In France, which prides itself on its egalité, why did a gathering of predominantly Black women threaten those who celebrate feminist gatherings of predominantly white women?

Months after its shameful ban on burkinis on beaches, the country showed once again that feminism of colour cannot escape the colonial gaze of white feminists who view other women as victims in need of rescuing from their cultures. Should those affected not be able to define their own struggle?

Mwasi-Collectif, the festival organizers, told France 24 the restricted entry was important so that Black women could have open, honest conversations without judgment from others.

Decrying that event is akin to telling feminists to allow men to set the agenda for their discussion.

Isn’t solidarity about supporting a space that allows excluded groups to think collectively and come to a resolution on how to move ahead?

Both these Black gatherings really weren’t about white people.

There was no reason to make them so.

Source: Gatherings of Black people really not about whites: Paradkar | Toronto Star

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