Non/No Bill 94 Coalition Statement

I’ve been working with others on this call to action to block bill 94 in Quebec. Read the statement below or check out http://nonbill94.wordpress.com.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest has proposed legislation which, if approved by the National Assembly of Quebec, would deny essential government services, public employment, educational opportunities, and health care to people who wear facial coverings. Bill 94 specifically targets Muslim women who wear the niqab (face veil). The bill is an exaggerated response to a manufactured crisis that will allow the government to deny women services to which they are entitled. A truly democratic society is one in which all individuals have the freedom of religious expression and a right to access public services.

Although touted as a step toward gender equality, Bill 94, if approved, will perpetuate gender inequality by legislating control over women’s bodies and sanctioning discrimination against Muslim women who wear the niqab. Instead of singling out a minuscule percentage of the population, government resources would be better spent implementing poverty reduction and education programs to address real gender inequality in meaningful ways. Barring any woman from social services, employment, health, and education, as well as creating a climate of shame and fear around her is not an effective means to her empowerment. If Premier Charest’s government is truly committed to gender equality it should foster a safe and inclusive society which promotes and protects all women’s personal autonomy. Standing up for women’s rights is admirable. “Rescuing” women is paternalistic and insulting. Further marginalizing Muslim women who wear niqab and denying them access to social services, economic opportunities and civic participation is unacceptable.

Forcing a woman to reveal part of her body is no different from forcing her to be covered. Both the Conservative and Liberal parties have expressed support for Bill 94, which raises the very real possibility that similar legislation will be proposed across Canada. We demand that Bill 94 be withdrawn immediately, as it has no place in a democratic state that values autonomy, liberty and justice.

We invite all individuals and groups of conscience inside and outside of Quebec to publicly or privately endorse this statement by emailing their name(s), location (city, state/province, and country), and contact information to nonbill94 [at] gmail [dot] com

The Non/No Bill 94 Coalition is made up of concerned individuals, organizations and grassroots movements that are demanding that the proposed Quebec legislation, Bill 94, be withdrawn immediately.

 

Better late than never Blog about the World Cafe

The group I had the privilege to participate with chose the topic war and conflict.  While most wars impact an entire nation what was of particular interest to me, and was suggested by one of our group members, was what happens to the children in any given conflict.  The site of our inquiry was the thirty year war that has ravaged Colombia, and what was happening to the child soldiers of that conflict.  While developing a game it became very apparent that the choices that many of these children might have are extremely constrained by the overshadowing of the conflict.  In addition, it became very apparent that  once the children were no longer involved with the conflict and if they had the opportunity to leave the country and immigrate to Canada; our policies would prevent them from enjoying full citizenship given that they might have been perpetrators of crimes against humanity.  I have no answers to these very complex questions other than to ask myself  how would I  provide support to these very vulnerable children who within the complexities of conflict are themselves victims.  It was an important way of deconstructing my own myths about the binaries of child soldiers.

Leslie Ramsay-Taylor

 

International Social Work Wrap Up/Commentary (Melissa, Elyse, Catherine, Sonita, Amy)

For us, the process of the world cafe was the most interesting part.
We were surprised by the radically different responses we got during
each session. Even though the topic and presentation were the same,
the discussions each time were very different. Both raised similar
issues but the way the discussions were framed and what issues were
focused on were quite different. One commonality we found particularly
 interesting was that when "international social work" was discussed,
 the scenario most students imagined was one of a  social worker from
 the North going to the South to practice social work. To us, this
spoke to our particular social locations and our preoccupations with
what we consider as international. We would like  to  thank all
participants for their input and their insight.  We learned a great
deal from everyone.
 Na'avi Power
- Amy, Melissa, Catherine, Sonita & Elyse

 

Redefining ‘Canadian’ Identity & Values

I recently posted the following on rabble.ca: http://www.rabble.ca/babble/canadian-politics/canadian-values-vs-niqab

What role do social workers play in the determination of ‘Canadian’ values?

How may we practice social justice/social work in solidarity with Muslim women, for example?

What micro/macro actions can you take to support the freedom of women who wear the niqab – as a social worker?

 

Importance of History

The Haiti teach-in really highlighted for me how important history is to understanding current issues.  Last night I heard a radio show on The Current about changes being made to history textbooks in Texas.  You can read a summary or listen to the show- it’s  part three (at the bottom of the page) http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/201003/20100324.html

 

War & Conflict-Wrap up/Summary (Catherine Baquero, Jessica Brunino, Sidonia Couto, Naho Matsuda, & Leslie Ramsay-Taylor)

We felt that we learned a good deal through presenting our project to our classmates. We were able to touch on a range of themes through our discussions, which enriched our understanding of children and conflict and how the issue is connected to globalization and transnationalism.

We discussed the implications of diagnosing survivors of conflict with PTSD. On the one hand, it was a way of being able to access services, maneuvering within the system, for those who needed it. On the other, it’s a very Western way of conceptualizing trauma and
may retraumatitize some patients; instead of normalizing the experience and contextualizing it, it pathologizing the survivor’s experience. We feel that it’s important for clinicians to be aware of the meaning and implications of diagnosis for conflict survivors.

A second theme that we discussed was the local-global connection. For example, the fact that many of the countries that Canada receives refugees from, are ones in which we have a military presence. Further, we felt that structural barriers, such as inequality and a lack of opportunity, are a common experience to children who experience conflict (from civil war to street gangs) throughout the world.

Another topic that became important to our group was the role of schools in addressing the potential effects of surviving conflicts in their students. We feel that teachers should have an awareness that, especially in such a diverse city as Toronto, some of their students may have experienced conflict in their homelands and be dealing with the effects of that conflict while trying to study. We felt that this was an important
consideration and that perhaps some advocacy work needs to be done in this area.

Despite the heaviness of the topics that characterized our conversations, we thought it was important to highlight resiliency. For example, we thought it was very important to show the clip of the articulate girl– involved with the Taller de Vida organization in Bogotá, Colombia– who explained how much of a positive impact this organization has had for her and other child soldiers rebuilding their lives. Further, one of our members is a part of a children’s mental health assessment team (for children aged 6-12) at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre and she has learned in this context that only about 30% of children who are exposed to trauma actually exhibit  “ptsd”-like symptoms. We feel that this highlights the resiliency that children possess, despite facing great adversity.

As a group, we discussed how we did not realize that our game would have such a powerful, emotional impact on participants. We felt that we may have been so wrapped up in the process of creating it that we did not recognize how powerful it really was until participants gave us feedback. We were very pleased with the feedback that it was both moving and educational. Given this, we are considering displaying the game in other contexts; for example, one participant suggested presenting it to our peers at OISE, to give teachers a better understanding of issues that may affect some of their future students. We thought this was a great idea and it fits with our values of interdisciplinary collaboration and advocacy within the school boards.

In conclusion, we felt that we learned a great deal about conflict and children as well as working together as a team– exploring our creativity together–for this project. We would like to thank everyone who participated and shared their ideas with us in conversation.

 

The “visible minority” scare? StatsCan report and various responses

It’s very interesting how the recent report by Statistics Canada about “visible minority” is unfolding. See the links to original report and following op-ed by leading newspapers. It seems that the media is speaking to the white dominant, and also, in addition to some congratulatory notes, there is much ambivalence (or outright fear) involved. The news of increased presence of “visible minorities” should NOT come as a surprise when this country is so dependent on the intake of skilled immigrants (the majority of whom come from Asia) to feed into the knowledge economy and other kinds of labour and to maintain the economic prosperity. If you are interested, I highly recommend your reading the public comments on these news sites. Note the link between the nation-building efforts (e.g., forging of national identity) and fear of “the other” expressed in many of these comments. Izumi – ORIGINAL REPORTS BY NEWS MEDIA: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/09/statscan-minority.html Minorities to rise significantly by 2031: StatsCan – CBC.ca http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/777547—visible-minority-will-mean-white-by-2031 ‘Visible minority’ will mean ‘white’ by 2031 – Toronto Star http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-changing-face-of-canada-booming-minority-populations-by-2031/article1494651/ The changing face of Canada: booming minority populations by 2031 – The Globe and Mail RESPONSES: Globe & Mail: Will Toronto’s changing demographic become a burden? The city has always worn its multicultural makeup with pride, but with a drastic shift on the horizon, some worry trouble lies ahead. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/will-torontos-changing-demographic-become-a-burden/article1499420/ Toronto Star: Siddiqui: Our home and native – and adopted – land March 14, 2010, Haroon Siddiqui http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/779239

 

World Cafe Presentation: Week 8 – Resistance and Globalization from Below

Presenters: Elizabeth, Alex, Darcy, Karen, Jordan

Below is the link to our article. Our questions are interactive, and will be presented with materials for the World Cafe rounds.

http://www.criticalresistance.org/downloads/AndreaSmith.pdf

 

World Cafe – Week 5: International Social Work

Week 5: International Social Work (Amy, Elyse, Melissa, Sonita, Catherine T.)

(Izumi’s note to the class: Also see the article posted on Blackboard about an Iranian social worker, found under Week 10 Course Documents. Sonita has circulated this already through Blackboard listserv.)

Question 1)

“In 1958, we started social work in Iran, a country with 3,000 years
of history. Social work was not known as a profession, so we brought
this new profession into this old culture and country. Since there was
not a word for social worker, we even coined the word in our
vocabulary, we called it madadcar, or one who helps”.
Farman Farmaian, interview, May 20, 2008

Rather than avoiding or dismissing the professional title of “social
worker”, how can we reclaim and redefine this title without ignoring
its history and involvement in oppression?  Do we feel that Farmaian’s
definition of social worker as ‘one who helps’ best describes what we
wish to do in our professional/personal lives?

Question 2)

Farman Farmaian could be considered both an insider and outsider
working in Tehran, after being educated in the United States. For
those of us working as insiders, how do we negotiate the culture gap
developed by our education?

Question 3)

Sattareh Farman Farmaian says that she took parts of her social work
training from the United States, observed practices in a number of
other countries and adapted these learnings to create a social work

approach that worked for Iran. 

James Midgley (1992) feels that the spread of American Social Work to other parts of the world is a form of professional imperialism. He feel that professional social work is a Western profession, and that countries of the south adopt practices from abroad because they are perceived to be superior or advanced, even though they may not ‘fit’. However, the ‘Deep Democracy’ article by Arjun Appadurai (2002) speaks about horizontal, global networking, learning, sharing and exchanging. “This model of exchange is based on seeing and hearing rather than teaching and learning, of sharing experiences and knowledge rather than seeking to impose standard practices, key words being exposure, exploration and options” (p.41).

Was the establishment of the School of Social Work in Tehran a form of
professional imperialism, or an exchange of ideas that brought about a
positive social revolution in Iran?

References:

Midgley, J. & Toors, M. (1992). Is international social work a one-way
transfer of ideas and practice methods from the United States to other
countries? In Gambrill, E. & Pruger, R. Controversial issues in social
work. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Appadurai, Arjun. (2002). Deep Democracy: Urban Governmentality and
the Horizion of Politics Public Culture 14 (1), Winter 2002: 21-47.

 

World Cafe: Week 9, International Aid & Development

Week 9: International Aid & Development

By: Alison Hart, Sly Sarkisova, Scott Wisner & Dana Young

Article:  *UPDATE*

So much help, so little organization

Much of the relief money bypasses the government, so no one is responsible for focusing efforts.

By JONATHAN M. KATZ The Associated Press

Also, new article about the Red Cross:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/17/mtl-red-cross-tsunami-enquete.html

Summary of Discussion from World Cafe

- No government registration or regulation currently of NGO’s operating in Haiti.  Was to happen in previous years under Bill Clinton’s work as envoy to Haiti but has not occurred.  Only 1% of the billions of dollars in aid that has been sent to Haiti has gone through the Haitian government.  Discussion of the difficulties involved in building up and strengthening the Haitian government when they have no idea of the work being done in their country.

- Discussion of the dangers of donating money/resources to a cause out of a motivation to ease your own conscience and allow yourself to disconnect from what is going on and why because you have ‘done your part’

- Desire to have donations of money/resources go directly to the people and not through a gov’t, NGO, or corporate body.  How can this happen?  Possibly through individual’s direct connections to people in Haiti?…

-  Discussion of the current push for Haiti’s rebuilding economy to focus on garment industry in ‘free trade’ zones and tourism business.  Both of which generally create low paying insecure jobs with little benefits that create little tax revenue for the country

-  Need to CANCEL Haiti’s debt!

-  Perhaps aid dollars better spent on lobby to France and U.S. to pay reparations to Haiti for past injustices done?

- Discussion of temporarily relocating Haitians.  Fear of not being able to return to their communities – parallels drawn with the victims of Hurricane Katrina who left their homes for a reconstruction that never really occurred.  Also, concerns that Haitians will be left out of the work that will need to be done to construct infrastructure.  Parallels drawn to the reconstruction of Iraq done by American firms using foreign (not Iraqi) labour.

-  Discussion of Colin Powel’s statements regarding offering aid to ensure the destitute do not become the dangerous.  Discussion of different groups (e.g. American Government, Al Qaeda) vying for the support of people in need through the donation of resources – some groups are labelled terrorists and some aren’t but is the only difference their means of oppression?

***

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_HAITI_EARTHQUAKE?SITE=FLSTU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Questions

1) In Ananya Roy’s article, To What End?, we read of used clothing being sent to tsunami victims who are too proud to wear them.  Devinder Sharmal speaks of subsidized rice being sent to the people of India in need which is ruining their agricultural trade. And in the article presented by our group for consideration, the Haitian Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, criticizes the aid money ‘pouring’ into the country but bypassing the Haitian government.

In ‘Handing it to Haiti’, Naomi Klein emphasizes the need for Haitians to no longer be passive recipients of aid but to reframe the discourse as one of reparations owed.  Prior to getting to that point, however, Haitians will need to be ‘FORGIVEN’ the debt owed to the system that helped to create and sustain it.

As Social Workers, parallels to these points can be drawn all the way down to our work at the individual level.  How open are we to individuals, groups, countries, and so on. moving past the identity of the passive recipient of the help we are able or willing to give, to demanding that needs be met and inequities be addressed from a human rights and social justice standpoint?  And relatedly, just how far are we comfortable with people empowering themselves?

2) In the wake of the Jan. 12th earthquake in Haiti, the US has suggested that the best way to get Haitians involved in rebuilding their country is to continue to focus on their apparel industry. Currently, there is a push to extend an important tariff free trade deal with the US to expand Haiti’s export market. Davinder Sharma notes that trading in food has resulted in the increasing consumption and commodification of developing nations’ agricultural land, increasing the dependency on food charity for 1/3rd of the world’s impoverished population. In the same vein, how might emphasizing Haiti’s apparel industry, where workers are paid less than $2 per day, aid in the recovery of Haiti’s economy? Is this possible? What are the implications?

3) Ananya Roy states that “today, they are recast as the destitute, the deserving destitutes.  But we care because these destitutes might turn desperate.  They might threaten, as Colin Powell has noted, our security.  They could, if left unaided, turn into terrorists.  In our article it is highlighted that “USAID paid at least $160 million of its total Haiti-related expenditures to the Defense Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, two local U.S. search and rescue teams…”  How can attention be drawn to this, and would this lead to questioning of why Haitians are being portrayed as in need of management?

References

Devinder Sharmal, interviewed by Anjali Kamat & Amy Goodman. (October, 14, 2009). As US    and other wealthy nations slash aid, UN warns of “Silent Tsunami of Hunger” in global food crisis. Democracy NOW! http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/14/as_us_and_other_wealthy_nations

Roy, Ananya (2005). To what end? Politics and Culture. (2). http://aspen.conncoll.edu/politicsandculture/page.cfm?key=378

Rai, Shirin M. (2002). Global restructuring and restructuring gender relations: The politics of structural adjustment. In Gender and the Political Economy of Development: From nationalism to globalization. Polity Press: Cambridge, 121-158.

Manful, Saka E. & Manful, Esmeranda. (2010). Improving the lives of Ghanaian children: complementing the global agenda with a structural social work approach International Journal of Social Welfare, 19 (1), 115-123.