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CENTREPIECE
| 2001 | Newsletter of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre | Vol. 7 No. 2 |
Inside.....
ACLRC's Human Rights Education Program is Burgeoning
by Linda McKay-Panos, Executive Director
Introduction: September 11th
This special edition of our newsletter has been written at the suggestion of several educators and anti-racism advocates. We have decided to dedicate the majority of the newsletter to providing some educational support for the events of September 11, 2001. If you would like a package of lessons to deal with the backlash experienced by various groups in Alberta and across North America, please turn to page 4 or visit our website at rmcla.ca.
New Human Rights Education Program
ACLRC was fortunate to have received funding from the Alberta Law Foundation to augment its education program in 2001. This has made a huge difference in our ability to reach every corner of the province. Not only have we been able to disseminate our resources much more widely, but we have also been able to receive valuable feedback from Albertans across the province as to their needs in the area of human rights education. We have also learned about the resources available throughout Alberta and have made many valuable contacts and forged partnerships with other organizations.
Thanks to e-mail, our three educators, Melissa Luhtanen, Pamela Dos Ramos and Elizabeth Seale, have been able to work closely together to plan our education program. Because of the expanded program, we were able to offer over 100 educational sessions across Alberta in 2001. We sincerely believe that with renewed funding in 2002, we will be able to build upon this success. We have just begun to scratch the surface! If you need an educator to come to speak to your school, classroom or community group about human rights or civil liberties laws, please contact the ACLRC at or send us an email at .
New Rights Forum and Website Update
Susan Blackman, our web expert, has set up a Rights Forum. Through this forum, anyone (including youth) can contact the ALCRC staff with questions, concerns or comments about human rights and civil liberties issues or events. A staff member will monitor the Forum and respond as needed. Please check out our new Rights Forum at rmcla.ca and click on the "Forum" button. Then, follow the instructions provided. This project was possible because of the generous support of the Alberta Law Foundation.
Susan has also been busy adding a search capability and other wonderful features to our website. Please visit!
Upcoming Releases
We have several human rights education resource projects on the go at the moment. Soon to be released will be student and teacher materials on freedom of expression (see page 7 for a description of the video that was released earlier).
Next, we will be filming a video on refugees and discrimination (funded by the Calgary Community Lottery Board). Shortly after, we will be releasing a teacher's manual and student materials on refugees and discrimination (funded by the Alberta Law Foundation). We continue to offer our brown bag lectures.
Human Rights and Resource Development: Conflicts, Current Law and Proposals for Reform
by Janet Keeping*
Introduction
Earlier this year, the Canadian Institute of Resources Law (CIRL), together with the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (ACLRC), applied to the Alberta Law Foundation for funds to support research on Human Rights and Resource Development. The objective of the Project is to examine the law applicable in Alberta on both human rights and resource development in order to identify and analyze points at which those bodies of law may be inconsistent with one another. The law applicable to Alberta resource development companies working abroad is also to be addressed by the Project. The Alberta Law Foundation approved the funding application and work began on the Project in April of this year.
The Work That is Planned
The first and most time-consuming part of the Project will be the research necessary to identify both the most significant issues and the law applicable to them. This work is underway and will culminate in a written report on the results of the research. CIRL and ACLRC have expressed the intention to hold a workshop as part of the Project. So, during the research phase a workshop will be planned. The intent of the workshop is to address the questions of most immediate, public concern in a forum which, it is hoped, will attract a wide variety of people. The workshop is likely to be held in June or September of 2002. A background paper for workshop participants will be distilled from the more comprehensive research report. More specific plans for the workshop will be published in later issues of Resources.
In the final stage of the Project, recommendations for the reform of both law and policy will be prepared relating to issues on which the research has been sufficiently detailed to permit precise conclusions. At that time, issues which seem to merit further work will also be identified. It is the intention of both CIRL and ACLRC that the present Project provide a foundation which will enable us to continue to work on issues in the overlap between human rights and natural resources law.
Scope of the Project
The scope of the Project is potentially very broad, both in terms of the human rights which can be impacted by resource development projects and in the variety of ways in which conflicts between the two bodies of law under study may arise. Concerns about both the physical and cultural well-being of Albertans provide the practical background to the study. The commitment of Canadian governments to achieving sustainable development will constitute the policy context for any discussion of how the law on the identified issues ought to evolve.
As a practical matter, it has been necessary to narrow the scope of the Project to that which can be managed with the time and funds available. Although the law governing the exploitation of other resources also presents possible conflicts with human rights law, on the basis of the work undertaken in the first few months of the Project, it seems likely that both the research and the workshop will focus on the legal regimes for development of hydrocarbons (especially, oil and gas) and forestry in the province. How much time will be spent on the law applicable to Alberta companies working abroad is not yet known.
Approach to the Work
Although it cannot be denied that the topic is somewhat controversial, most of the reactions received so far on the Project have been quite positive. In fact, many responses have confirmed the view that motivated application for funding for the Project, namely, that there is considerable support for the idea that an awareness of human rights should inform the way all of our societys institutions are run, including those that are germane to the regulation of natural resource development.
Some people, upon learning of the Projects scope, have assumed that given the focus on human rights, the Project would quite naturally align itself with activism on some of the high-profile controversies surrounding the Alberta oil and gas industry, including those affecting Alberta companies abroad. But the focus of our work is not, and cannot be, advocacy: both CIRL and ACLRC are research institutions, the mandates of which are to bring our respective areas of legal expertise to bear on questions of import to broad sectors of Alberta society. One of the goals we seek to achieve through the Project is professional consideration of certain aspects of Albertas resource management regimes with an eye to whether they conform with existing and emerging law on human rights. Another is a similarly objective examination of the impact of human rights law for the operations of Alberta companies working in developing countries. One of the advantages of our approach to these matters is that we can provide background materials, and a neutral forum, for informed debate on issues about which many Albertans are concerned.
Project personnel
The Project is being managed, for CIRL, by Janet Keeping and, for ACLRC, by Linda McKay-Panos. Monique Ross, also of CIRL, will be working on planning and organization of the workshop, as well as providing guidance on the research, especially on aspects of forestry and aboriginal law.
The funding provided by the Alberta Law Foundation has also allowed the hiring of a part-time Project Researcher. This position was first held by Patti Sutherland, a member of the Alberta Law Society with extensive experience in oil and gas transactions, both domestic and international, who was able to stay with the Project until the end of August. The position is now held by Nickie Vlavianos, who completed a Masters degree in law at the University of Calgary last year and is also teaching the Advanced Environmental Law course for the Faculty of Law at the University in the fall term.
*Janet Keeping is on the board of ACLRC and a research Associate at CIRL.
Beyond Blame - Special Curriculum for Difficult Times
Unit Package available at rmcla.ca
Introduction:
In seeking to address many concerns that teachers have expressed to our human rights educators about dealing with the events of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath, ACLRC staff searched the internet and came upon an excellent resource prepared by the Education Development Center Inc., the Justice Project and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. Eric Jolly generously agreed to allow the ACLRC to rework the lesson plans so that they were relevant in Canada. We strived to prepare a document that retained as much of the original as possible. What follows is an excerpt from this resource. The entire document and its handouts are available on our website (rmcla.ca). In addition, we have provided a link to the original document on our website for your reference.
Background:
Beyond Blame contains an introduction, three lessons, resources and other support materials. It starts with a preface that talks about how adults and youth are struggling to find meaning for the disaster that occurred on September 11, 2001. Next, it addresses the special considerations needed in preparing to teach the lessons both for the teacher and the students.
Beyond Blame next provides lesson plans for three class sessions in which students (Grades 6-12) can explore the consequences of mislaid blame in terms of basic concepts of justice. The three lessons are:
1. What is Justice? What is the Injustice Here?
2. Has the Past Been Just?
3. How Can You Prevent Injustice?
For access to the entire unit package, please click Beyond Blame.
Staff and Volunteers
We have been busy these past few months. Our expanded Human Rights Education Program has been a great success thanks to Pamela Dos Ramos, Elizabeth Seale and Melissa Luhtanen! We enjoyed the summer with hard working students Samantha Chrysanthou and Andreea Bandol. Samantha continues to work with us as a legal research assistant. Vilma Dawson helped with the successful distribution of the Rights Angle kit. Joann Blais assisted with the Freedom of Expression Project. Susan Blackman has been working diligently on upgrading our web site. We have also been working closely with the Canadian Institute of Resources Law on a joint human rights and resource development project (see article on page 3). Veevek Thankey joined us for 2 months on a volunteer practicum with the African Canadian Legal Clinic. Noer Wuisman and Amanda Powell join us this fall as our education practicum students. Welcome to Patricia Hughes, who recently joined our Board of Directors.
We are fortunate to be working with excellent volunteers for the last few
months including Tracy Arnell, Beth Elder, Melanie Panos, Kamal Mahmudi-Azer, Janet McLeod, Aruna Marathe, Kristen Read , Allison Eng,
Tyler Lord, Kristina Guest, Jan Goodwin, Stamatina
Nikolaou and Lisa Van Wijk. Thanks also to
Sheila Greckol for speaking at our last brown bag lecture. Thanks!! -Linda McKay-Panos
Upcoming Events
November 17, 2001: Truth or Lies: Trusting the Communicator -- A community conference at Parkdale Community Centre, 3512 - 5 Avenue N.W. Calgary, 8:30 a.m. Explores the ways in which communication can be used to inform as well as misinform, to consult as well as to engage in pseudo consultation.
November 19, 2001: The Sheldon M. Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership will be holding a free forum on the proposed Anti-Terrorism legislation from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts. Call (403) 244-6666 to register or email at [email protected]
November 21, 2001: Calgary's New Domestic Violence Court: Room 2370 Murray Fraser Hall University of Calgary 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Panel discussion. Free!
December 10, 2001: ACLRC's Celebration of International Human Rights Day! 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Faculty Lounge 4370 Murray Fraser Hall (Law) RSVP 220-2505
Congratulations to the Calgary Committee On Race Relations and Cross Cultural Understanding on receiving a YMCA Peace Medal (2001) for local peace work!
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The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre appreciates the contributions made by donors and volunteers, and the support of agencies that provide grants to the Centre, including: |
 
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| The Kahanoff
Foundation
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The United Way of
Calgary and Area
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The Sheldon
M. Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership |
| Department
of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada
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| Status of
Women Canada |
| Human
Resources Development Canada (S.C.P.) |
| Alberta
Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund |
| Calgary
Community Lottery Board |
| Alberta
Advanced Education and Community Development (S.T.E.P.) |
Centrepiece
c/o Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
University of Calgary
Faculty of Law
2500 University Drive N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
Publisher and Editor:
Linda McKay-Panos
Regular contributors:
Linda McKay-Panos and Melissa Luhtanen
Centrepiece is the newsletter of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. The views expressed in Centrepiece are the opinions of the author, and not necessarily the views of the Research Centre; its Board, staff, or volunteers; or its funders.
The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre holds copyright to all material appearing in Centrepiece unless otherwise indicated. Reproduction of Centrepiece articles to which the Centre holds copyright is permitted, so long as the author and the source are acknowledged. Please contact the Research Centre if you wish to obtain permission to reproduce any other material.
Subscription rates are $10.00 for one year. (Complimentary subscriptions for donors and volunteers.) Please enclose payment with your order.
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