World Day for Social Justice

The New Brunswick Human Rights Commission released the following regarding World Day for Social Justice:

FREDERICTON (CNB) – The following statement was issued by the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission to mark the World Day for Social Justice:

“Social justice is more than an ethical imperative; it is a foundation for national stability and global prosperity. Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights -- these are essential to unlocking the full productive potential of nations and peoples.”

This statement by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Feb. 20, 2011, sums up eloquently why in 2008 the UN adopted a resolution declaring Feb. 20 as the World Day of Social Justice.

The UN resolution recognized that social development and social justice are essential for peace and security, and in turn peace, security and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms are essential to social development and social justice. The resolution recognized that, while globalization opens up new opportunities to improve living standards, several challenges remain, such as financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion and inequality. The UN declared the World Day for Social Justice to support efforts to eradicate poverty and to promote full employment and decent work, gender equality and access to social well-being and justice for all.

The Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movements this year reminded us that the yearning for social justice is very much still alive today, and full employment, decent work, gender equality, social well-being and justice for all, and the eradication of poverty are far from being achieved.

The work of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission opposing discrimination and harassment and promoting equality is a small but essential condition toward the achievement of these ideals. We know that decent workplaces free of harassment are more productive and that accommodating workers with a disability and hiring employees based on merit and not on gender stereotypes allow us to reduce unemployment and poverty.

The addition of social condition as a prohibited ground of discrimination in the Human Rights Act in 2005 allowed the commission to address an additional aspect of social development. Social condition basically refers to a disadvantage arising from a person's source of income, occupation or level of education. A complaint could be filed if, for example, a landlord refused to rent an apartment to anyone on income assistance, or an employer excludes applicants without a high school diploma for positions where it is unnecessary.

It takes an entire society to achieve social justice. Politicians, labour unions, churches, businesses, non-governmental associations and ordinary individuals all have a role to play and they all deserve our gratitude whenever they advance social justice. One person that we would like to highlight is Mrs. Émilienne Basque of Tracadie-Sheila, who devoted her life to combat poverty and advance the rights of various disadvantaged people in New Brunswick. In recognition of this, the commission presented her with the 2011 New Brunswick Human Rights Award last September.

On the World Day for Social Justice, we encourage New Brunswickers to keep striving for and working towards the eradication of poverty and towards full employment and decent work, gender equality and access to social well-being and justice for all.

LINK:

● New Brunswick Human Rights Commission: www.gnb.ca/hrc-cdp

CBC's Terry Milewski on Bill C-30

This article from the CBC is very good at summarizing the potential powers and impact if Bill C-30 (Online Surveillance) is passed as is.  The article is also helpful in that it demonstrates that at least one Tory backbencher - New Brunswick MP John Williamson - is expressing concern over the bill.  The article is well worth reading and considering.

Music Review By A Non-Musician: Chimes of Freedom The Songs of Bob Dylan

I was excited when I read several weeks ago about the Amnesty International Bob Dylan tribute record.  I’ve long been a Dylan fan (bought my first album – Slow Train Coming – in 1998).  I looked forward to Chimes of Freedom both because Dylan’s catalogue is so large that I can’t possibly know it all and because so many other performers prior to this collection have covered his work that many “Dylan songs” are cemented in my mind as someone else’s.  I expected this album to introduce me to brand new music and remind me of past favourites.  It did and I would (and have) recommend it to a friend.  

David Adams Richards Essay in The Telegraph Journal

David Adams Richards wrote the essay A Season to Remember Our Capacity to Care for The Telegraph Journal, New Brunswick's provincial newspaper.

Much like the Colbert link I posted a few days ago, I hope people have this sort of thing in mind when saying "Keep Christ in Christmas."  I'm skeptical that keeping Christ in Christmas is little more than a slogan designed to prove something to people who say it, but Richards provides many great bits in this essay to cure any holiday cynicism. 

He closes his essay with the following:

In a certain terrifying and beautiful way, God calls on man not to be comfortable, but to be great. I say again, not to be comfortable but to be great.

To split the darkness with kindness even if it seems pointless at the time. Even if it seems the dark cannot ever be overcome.

Then again, Christ born in a manger quite miraculously overcomes it all. That's what Dostoyevsky spoke about when he said, "beauty will save the world!"

(Oh, some think it fanciful, but I believe it.)

Stephen Colbert Rant

On his last episode before Christmas 2010, Stephen Colbert had a fantastic rant.  It adds to the "Keep Christ in Christmas" conversation.

As Christmas 2011 approaches, I thought it would be fun to revisit it.  The final few seconds ("If this is going to be a Christian nation...") is the greatest sermon I've ever heard, but I got the most laughs from "willfully ignorant, borderline heretical self justification." Enjoy.

CTV doesn't appear to have an embed function, so you'll have to follow the link below. 

http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-colbert-report/headlines/the-colbert-report---december-2010/clip397873#clip397873

Blogger audience details show blog visitors from outside Canada. I don't think the link will work outside Canada. I expect it is available elsewhere. The Comedy Network lists the title as "Jesus is a Liberal Democrat."

Music Review By a Non-Musicisan: Live From Nowhere Near You, Volume Two

I picked up this 3-CD set a couple of weeks ago.  It was released in July.  I’ve long been a fan of benefit albums because they introduce me to music I wouldn’t hear otherwise.  This CD combined enough performers that I am familiar with (Eddie Vedder, Wilco, James Mercer, Ryan Adams) to make me confident that it would be worth a listen.  The ridiculously low $10 price tag at HMV also helped to motivate me to buy the compilation.  I’m glad I did and, yes, I would recommend this album to a friend.

Public Letter Regarding The War on Drugs

The signatories of the letter below is an impressive list.

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Public Letter
THE GLOBAL WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED
IT IS TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH


WE THE UNDERSIGNED call on members of the public and of Parliament to recognise that:-

Fifty years after the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was launched, the global war on drugs has failed, and has had many unintended and devastating consequences worldwide.