Search results for “site/human rights”

  • Whatever happened to gender identity and expression?

    A year ago this week, Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression), passed third reading in the House of Commons, receiving support from MPs from all political parties. So whatever happened to it? The private member’s bill,…

  • End the apartment ban

    It’s a housing crisis. Why are cities like Vancouver still banning apartments in most areas?

    Vancouver is the epicentre of BC’s housing crisis and shortage. So why does the city still effectively ban new apartment buildings on most of its residential land, reserving it exclusively for low-density housing? 

  • December 2000: Profiting From Repression

    Canadian firms in Colombia protected by military death squads Since 1990, 35,000 Colombians have been killed in a horrific escalation of political violence. An average of ten political assassinations are reported every day. Colombia’s state security forces and their paramilitary allies have been responsible for the vast majority of these…

  • The urgent need for a full Public Inquiry into fracking in BC

    Group letter to John Horgan and Michelle Mungall Honourable John Horgan, BC Premier, and Honourable Michelle Mungall, BC Minister for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources cc Andrew Weaver, BC Green Party Leader Dear Premier Horgan and Minister Mungall, We write to you today as directors of numerous civil society organizations that recently…

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    Canada must not implement Ecuador free trade deal, say civil society organizations

    29 organizations sign letter urging government to walk back controversial agreement

    We urge you to reconsider this trade agreement and to prioritize the protection of human rights, environmental sustainability, and the rights of Indigenous peoples. There must be a transparent and inclusive process that respects the voices and concerns of those most affected, including the Indigenous communities in Ecuador who have long resisted harmful…

  • CCPA Review: Critics of Hydro/Government plans for Bipole III lack credibility

    Last month the Winnipeg Free Press published a full page of criticism regarding the decision to run the Bipole III transmission line down the West Side of Lake Winnipeg. The critique consists of two parts, namely, an open letter by 18 retired engineers titled, “Engineers united on east side,” and…

  • December 2005: The Right to Privacy—A New Oxymoron?

    Our privacy shield is getting badly battered on every front Privacy is an extremely complex human value, but it boils down to the need and “right to be let alone”–to be free of unwarranted intrusions into our daily lives, 24/7. Think of privacy as a cultural and legal shield protecting…

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    Distinguishing consent from veto in an era of reconciliation

    An unfortunate legacy of the Harper era in Canada is that public officials and the media often conflate the right to consent for projects or policies that could affect Indigenous peoples with veto power. That error is not supported by Canadian or international law, and is at odds with the…

  • Canada at risk of lawsuits if U.K. accession to pacific trade deal not amended

    Civil society organizations and academics are warning about investor-state dispute settlement

    Civil society organizations and academics are warning about investor-state dispute settlement

  • Fracking ban warranted to protect some of British Columbia’s biggest dams, FOI documents reveal

    (Vancouver) Fracking should be immediately banned close to BC Hydro’s two existing Peace River dams as well as the Site C dam construction project until a full public inquiry determines whether a comprehensive ban is warranted, the BC office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says. The CCPA issued…

  • Image Source: Flikr image by Hugh Llewelyn

    Unfinished Business

    A Parallel Report on Canada’s Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Download 1.19 MB 163 pages This study provides an assessment of Canada’s progress in meeting the goals for gender equality set out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted unanimously by 189 countries including…

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    Historic gains in Ontario workers’ rights: What BC can learn

    In light of the growth and prevalence of precarious employment and the lack of decent conditions of employment for vulnerable workers, labour advocates and unions in Ontario campaigned for improvements to employment and labour relations laws. As a result of their campaign, in February 2015, Ontario’s provincial government established an…