Chris Selley, Simona Chiose: Two takes on the business interests of Jordan Peterson, hero of the anti-PC crowd

2017/06/05 Leave a comment

Interesting analysis of the business models supporting Peterson in both the National Post and Globe.

Peterson canbe judged to some extent by the company he keeps as detailed in the longer and more comprehensive Globe article:

On Sept. 1 last year, Peterson had 161 supporters on the crowdfunding site Patreon, contributing US$1,058 a month; as of this week, he had 3,609 supporters contributing an astonishing US$39,084 a month. That’s about three-and-a-half times his salary from the university. When Peterson was denied a research grant to study the link between personality and political beliefs, including belief in political correctness, Ezra Levant’s Rebel Media framed it as a left-wing conspiracy and launched a crowdfunding campaign on his behalf. It currently sits at 266 per cent of its goal: $195,230.

“It’s unbelievable. But all of it is unbelievable,” says Peterson, referring both to the money and to the last eight months in general.

Naturally, this outcome does not sit perfectly well with Peterson’s detractors on campus. “It does seem to me rather tacky that he has been posing as a victim of PC prejudice and representing himself as at risk of jail or dismissal from his job,” says Ronald de Sousa, an emeritus professor of philosophy at U of T. Lawyers’ opinions have convinced de Sousa that Peterson has nothing legitimate to fear from the law, and nothing except a “tut-tutting letter” — which he calls a “regrettable decision” — to fear from the university administration.

Physics professor A.W. Peet is rather more blunt: “He has been dehumanizing trans and gender-diverse people … for fun and profit.”

Rebel’s intervention certainly adds an edge. Peterson says he watches very little of the online news outlet’s output, which is not surprising: it is not known for its academic or journalistic rigour, or indeed for consistent sanity. At one anti-Peterson rally on the U of T campus, then-Rebel contributor Lauren Southern took the microphone as if she were an attendee, not a reporter; when organizers said they wanted to give trans people priority to speak, she lied and said she was one. Rebel contributors have included Paul Joseph Watson, a 9/11 Truther and friend of uber-conspiracist Alex Jones; Pizzagate delivery man Jack Posobiec, who was briefly Rebel’s “Washington bureau chief”; and Tommy Robinson, former leader of a gang of racist hooligans called the English Defence League. Peterson says he knows “for a fact” Levant isn’t Islamophobic, noting they were recently at a meeting with several moderate Canadian Muslims. But the network did spend the hours after the massacre at a Quebec City mosque torquing garden-variety confusion into a conspiracy theory that the killer was, in fact, Muslim.

Peterson says he would always prefer his work be associated solely with himself but that he’s “disinclined to look a gift horse in the mouth.” Peet has no qualms with crowdfunding academic research per se, but thinks there should be rules governing it — for example, when a third party like Rebel intervenes on a professor’s behalf. Such guidelines are under development at U of T, says spokesperson Althea Blackburn-Evans. But if they put any crimp in Peterson’s plans, he could easily make up the difference some other way.

If Peterson’s fundraising numbers are astounding, perhaps the astounded have underestimated the fury being inspired by modern preoccupations like white privilege and cultural appropriation, and by the marginalization, shouting down or outright cancellation of other viewpoints in polite society’s institutions. The biggest applause line at last weekend’s Conservative Party of Canada leadership convention came when winner Andrew Scheer promised to withhold federal funding from universities that “shut down debate.”

“It’s (bad) enough that the media elites find the views of many conservatives unfashionable or outré,” says one Conservative strategist, describing the mood among party supporters. “Now the trendline on university campuses seems to be to ban any expression of conservative ideas … or any questioning of liberal orthodoxy.”

Peterson is by no means appealing only to reactionaries or partisan conservatives, however. His YouTube channel, which has 290,000 subscribers, is not a source of Rebel-style rants and conspiracies. Recent videos include the first two of his ongoing 12-part lecture series, The Psychological Significance of The Biblical Stories. (Some of his crowdfunding money went toward renting the Isabel Bader Theatre at U of T for the series, but he says he made it back through ticket sales.) His Patreon account promises “lectures about profound psychological ideas.”

“History has shown that political correctness, and all that comes with it, is the first step on a very dark path,” says Philip Sibbering, a games designer in the U.K. who contributed to the Rebel-sponsored crowdfunding effort. Sibbering notes the intellectual intolerance of the Nazis, which all of society now rejects, and of the Marxists, which all of society does not. “Any research that could allow us to understand the root cause and effect that brings political correctness into being is vital.”

Stephen Kaiser-Pendergast, a film editor based in Los Angeles and another crowdfunding contributor, first discovered Peterson through his interviews with Dave Rubin and Joe Rogan, two prominent critics of political correctness. (The interviews have 185,000 and 1.9 million views on YouTube, respectively.) “Working in narrative film, I have a vested interest in any kind of remedy for politically correct thinking, which I see as among the most significant of threats to artistic expression,” he says. “However, I mostly remain on his (YouTube) channel for the academic material. I have had a lifelong interest in understanding human behaviour and I find Prof. Peterson’s channel to be a treasure-trove.”

Peterson has big plans, and money to make them happen. He plans to curate “a series of conversations with moderate Muslims about the possibility of developing a bridge between that faith and the fundamental beliefs of the West.” It began on Thursday when he interviewed Ayaan Hirsi Ali (though she is more of a former Muslim than a moderate one). [a rabid anti-Muslim activist would be a more accurate description]

Source: Chris Selley: Jordan Peterson, hero of the anti-PC crowd, just keeps winning | National Post

The Globe’s Simona Chiose also covers the story more in depth from a more critical angle, along with analysis of follower comments:

Prof. Peterson’s vociferous defence of free speech isn’t new to universities. What is new, however, is the way that social media has amplified the discourse – and “weaponized” and globalized this long-running drama. The professor’s unrelenting stance has earned him scores of angry critics, but the attention has also helped him rack up followers. He now has almost 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and thousands of patrons on Patreon, a crowd-funded subscription content site where he earns more than $30,000 a month. On Twitter, his followers hail from Shanghai and Berlin, St. Petersburg and Pune, Toronto and San Francisco. And under the guise of anonymity, these anti-PC warriors can harass their opponents through posts, memes and videos and organize campaigns on no-holds-barred message boards.

The existence of this parallel, online space is hardly mentioned in free speech debates or arises only in lateral mentions of concerns about “safety on campus.”

But an investigation into the controversy around Jordan Peterson shows how this world grows and operates. With his vast online reach, Prof. Peterson has attracted small volunteer armies willing to defend his views. The Globe and Mail reviewed hundreds of pages of discussions about Prof. Peterson and his views on anonymous message boards, including 4chan and voat – two of the least moderated or monitored online forums. The conversations, which range from immature to obscene, show that the professor’s critics were the subjects of “doxing” campaigns, where activists are personally identified and harassed online.

Prof. Peterson says he can’t be held responsible for the harassment that his critics endure online, however, and justifies his hardline position on free speech by saying it allows hateful views to be exposed to the cleansing light of day.

“It’s extraordinarily dangerous to drive hate speech underground,” he said in a conversation last fall. “There are a lot of terrible things that people shouldn’t say, but that does not mean you should stop them from saying them, because you want to know who is saying them and you want to bring discourse to bear on their perspective,” he said.

In short, Jordan Peterson has redefined the notion of the faculty celebrity and pushed the university into new territory, trying to decide what protecting free speech means in the age of Internet trolls.

How U of T’s Jordan Peterson has made money from online notoriety

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , , , ,

Liberals face pressure to crack down on crooked immigration consultants

2017/06/05 Leave a comment

More on the problems of immigration consultants (see earlier Agency that oversees immigration consultants appears to be in turmoil):

The government is facing pressure from MPs of all political stripes to crack down on bogus immigration consultants who prey on people who are desperate to work or live in Canada.

The Commons immigration committee has just wrapped up weeks of hearings on unregistered representatives called “ghost consultants.” MPs are now considering recommendations ranging from overhauling or even scrapping the independent oversight body, to imposing heavier penalties for perpetrators.

Members heard harrowing stories from duped clients who testified behind closed doors. Some were ripped off for thousands of dollars, or brought over with the promise of work only to be dumped at the side of the road or left in a warehouse. In all, they heard from 50 witnesses and read 24 written submissions.

Liberal MP and committee chair Borys Wrzesnewskyj said testimony about crooked and ghost consultants made it clear the status quo can’t continue.

“There is an appetite to fix this. It’s just not acceptable that the present set of circumstances continue,” he told CBC. “It won’t be an easy job. The fact that it’s been studied a number of times and we’re still having to listen to circumstances and their very poignant stories speaks to that.”

Wrzesnewskyj hopes the committee can table its report, which is expected to include recommendations for sweeping reforms, before the House rises for the summer.

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel believes there is broad consensus that the current system is broken and needs an urgent fix. The “hair-curling” stories heard underscore the need for major reforms.

Blacklist for bad actors

While there are many above-board immigration consultants, their reputation has been stained by reports of unethical representatives preying on vulnerable people.

Along with suggesting a possible blacklist for bad practitioners, Rempel said the government must work to modernize and simplify the complex system so people can navigate it themselves instead of turning to third parties.

“More broadly, the fact that there even needs to be an industry suggests there are a lot of improvements that could be had within the actual department in terms of ease, efficacy of approaching the Canadian immigration system,” she said.

Rempel said testimony about significant governance problems with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), which was established in 2011 to oversee registered consultants, raised questions about its ability to fulfil its mandate.

Source: Liberals face pressure to crack down on crooked immigration consultants – Politics – CBC News

Filed under Immigration, Multiculturalism Tagged with ,

Uprooting anti-Semitism in Greece, starting in the classroom | ekathimerini.com

2017/06/03 Leave a comment

Ongoing challenge in Greece:

Experts are urging authorities to take active measures to combat anti-Semitism in Greece after a recent study confirmed the high levels of hatred toward Jews in the country – believed to be the highest in Europe.

Αnti-Semitism, which is shown to thrive at both ends of the ideological spectrum, is believed to be particularly strong in Greece as a result of a deep-rooted sense of collective victimhood nurtured by an overly ethnocentric education system.

“Unfortunately, the findings confirm older surveys showing that Greece has rates of anti-Semitism matching those recorded in countries that neighbor Israel rather than ones in the European Union,” Elias Dinas, political scientist at the University of Oxford, told Kathimerini English Edition.

Conducted by a team of researchers based in Greece and the UK, the 50-page report brings together the findings of two opinion polls conducted in 2014 and 2015. It was published earlier this month by the Thessaloniki branch of the Heinrich Boll Foundation, a political think tank affiliated with the German Green Party.

Of the 1,000 Greeks polled, 65 percent said “Jews exploit the Holocaust to receive better treatment at global decision-making centers.” A similar percentage agreed with the statement that “Israel treats Palestinians exactly the same way that the Nazis treated the Jews” – a view seen as relativizing the Holocaust by placing it in the context of other acts of wholesale violence.

Just over 90 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that “Jews have a major influence in the business world.” About 21 percent said Jews should be prohibited from buying land.

More than 37 percent said they have zero level of trust in Jews. Overall, those polled said they trust Jews less than they trust the Orthodox Church, homosexuals, migrants or the European Union. Jewish people were said to be more reliable only when compared to the Greek Parliament, Turks and Americans.

The results echo the findings of an infamous 2014 survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which indicated that 68 percent of Greeks “harbor anti-Semitic attitudes” – on a par with Saudi Arabia and more so than Iran.

Valid criticism

Experts found anti-Jewish sentiment to be as strong on the far left of the political scale as on the right. But whereas anti-Semitism among the hard-right is mostly associated with denial or minimization of the Holocaust, hostility from the left is less straightforward and often animated by solidarity with the Palestinians.

“It is true that harder facets of anti-Semitism are more evident on the right, but the left is no stranger to conspiracy theory-driven anti-Semitic attitudes,” said Dinas.

Critics, mostly on the left, complain that the term “anti-Semitism” is often misused to stigmatize legitimate criticism of Israeli settlement policies. However, the report suggests that condemnations of Israel often cross the boundary from valid criticism into territory of denigration that can be considered anti-Semitic. Instances of anti-Semitism can include denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination; using symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism (for example claims that the Jews killed Christ or the classic anti-Semitic charge, known as the blood libel, that Jews use Christian blood for religious rituals) to characterize Israel or Israelis; drawing comparisons between contemporary Israeli policy and that of the Nazis; or holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Source: Uprooting anti-Semitism in Greece, starting in the classroom | Comment | ekathimerini.com

Filed under Antisemitism, Multiculturalism Tagged with

Lyft just published its first diversity report and it’s not much better than Uber’s – Recode

2017/06/03 Leave a comment

More tech diversity numbers:

Lyft has just raised the curtain on its corporate diversity numbers for the first time and — surprise, surprise — it’s not a pretty picture.

While 42 percent of the company’s 1,600 employees are women, only 18 percent of its tech and engineering teams identify as female. That’s just a little bit better than Uber, where only a little more than 15 percent in tech and engineering are women.

Looking at other kinds of employee diversity at the company paints an even bleaker picture.

Some 63 percent of its total employee base are white, and 70 percent of its executive team are white. Only 1 percent of its leadership team are black, and black people make up only 6 percent of its overall pool of employees.

For context, almost half of Uber — which also recently published its first diversity report and had fairly dismal numbers — employees are white and about 64 percent are men. Only 8 percent of Uber’s 12,000 employees are black, on last count.

Compare that to Google, which now has around 62,000 employees. As of 2016, the company’s workforce was 31 percent female and around 90 percent white and Asian. Only 5 percent of its employees are black or Hispanic.

When asked why Lyft hasn’t published a report before, a spokesperson said the company was one of 30 that signed a White House tech inclusion pledge in June 2016 and plans to publish a report every year. (In other words, Lyft didn’t provide a real answer.)

“Releasing our data will hold us accountable, but it’s the actions we take that will make a difference to the people who come to work every day at Lyft,” the company said in a blog post. “Our diversity data exposes gaps in important areas. So we’re doing something about it.”

When it comes to diversity, numbers are certainly not everything, but it’s definitely a start.

Source: Lyft just published its first diversity report and it’s not much better than Uber’s – Recode

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , ,

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

Filed under Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with ,

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

Filed under Antisemitism Tagged with ,

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

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with ,

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

Filed under Radicalization Tagged with ,

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

Filed under Multiculturalism, Radicalization, Religion Tagged with

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

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →