 How
common is racism in Canada? |
| |
In the 2002 Statistics Canada Ethnic
Diversity Survey, the majority of Canadians (93%) aged
15 and over said that they had never, or rarely, experienced
discrimination in the past five years because of their
ethno-cultural characteristics. However, 7%, or an estimated
1.6 million Canadians aged 15 and over, said they had
experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the
past five years sometimes or often because of these characteristics.
One-in-five (20%) people aged 15 and over who were part
of a visible minority, or an estimated 587,000 people,
said they felt that they had experienced discrimination
or unfair treatment sometimes or often in the five years
prior to the survey because of their ethnicity, culture,
race, skin colour, language, accent or religion.
|
| What
is the Canadian government doing to combat racism? |
| |
The Government of Canada has developed "A Canada For All: Canada's Action Plan Against Racism" which outlines issues and approaches for the government. Its goal is to eliminate racism and racial discrimination from society.
Click
here to follow link to download a copy of the Action Plan.
Canada is recognized internationally as a leader in human
rights. As an example, our country is the birthplace of
John Peters Humphrey – one of the principal authors
of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948). Furthermore,
Canada has ratified the six major United Nations international
human rights treaties and many supporting instruments.
Please visit the Canadian Human Rights Commission website
(www.chrc-ccdp.ca). You’ll find a brief history
of human rights in Canada and explore the key court cases
and laws that have shaped human rights in this country.
There’s a Teachers Guide on bringing "Introduction
to Human Rights in 20th century in Canada" in
the classroom. http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/en/teachersGuides/index.asp
|
| How
does Canada compare to other countries in its diversity?
|
| |
Diversity in Canada has increased significantly over the past decade and will
continue to rise. There are more than 200 ethnic groups
living in Canada. Visible minorities comprised 13% of
the population and 18% of Canadians are foreign-born.
Immigration accounts for 53% of population growth and
visible minorities will account for 20% of the population
by 2016.
According to the 2002 Statistics Canada Ethnic Diversity
Survey, almost one-quarter (23%) of Canada’s population
aged 15 and over, or 5.3 million people, were first
generation, meaning they were born outside Canada. Not
since 1931 has the proportion of people born outside
of the country been this high.
|
| What
does Canadian Citizenship mean? |
| |
| Canadian
values include freedom, respect for cultural differences
and a commitment to social justice. Canadian values
include: |
|
Equality |
We respect everyone’s
rights. Everyone has the right to speak out and
express ideas that others might disagree with. Governments
must treat everyone with equal dignity and respect—two
other fundamental Canadian values. |
|
Respect for cultural differences |
We try to understand
and appreciate the cultures, customs and traditions
of all Canadians, whether they were born in Canada
or came here from another country. |
|
Freedom |
As Canadians,
we enjoy basic freedoms, such as freedom of thought,
freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom
of peaceful assembly. |
|
Peace |
We are proud of
our non-violent society and our international role
as peacekeepers. |
|
Law and order |
We respect democratic
decision making and the "rule of law."
We promote due process so that the courts and the
police treat everyone fairly and reasonably. We
ensure that our elected governments remain accountable
to Canadians.
|
|
| What
is visible minority? |
| |
According to the Employment Equity
Act, , visible minority is defined as "persons
other than the Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian
in race and non-white in colour."
|
| What
is prejudice? |
| |
Prejudice means having a negative
opinion or attitude toward a person or group of people
because they’re different from you.
|
| Why
is dealing with prejudice important? |
| |
Everybody has a place in this country
— regardless of their age, disability, gender, race,
religion, sexual orientation, skin color or socio-economic
status. It’s not only a moral right; it’s
a legal one, enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Everyone wants to live life fully and productively, giving
of their talents and gifts, living free of barriers to
raise families in safety with hopes and dreams for their
future.
|
| What
is discrimination? |
| |
Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination
is the effect or result. It's any action that limits the
opportunities of a person or group based on their age,
disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation,
skin color, or socio-economic status.
|
| What
is socio-economic status? |
| |
Socio-economic status is based on
a person's or family's level of education, employment
and income. For example, children from neighbourhoods
with lower socio-economic status feel unsafe in their
parks more often than kids in wealthier communities.
|
| What
is stereotype? |
| |
Stereotypes can be both good and
bad. A negative stereotype is when a person has formed
rigid views about a group of people based on false or
incorrect information
|
| What
is stigma? |
| |
Stigma is a feeling of disgrace
or shame. When someone is stigmatized, they’re
labelled unworthy or disgraceful. The
Canadian Centre for Diversity's
Young Leaders Forum explores the theme "A World
without Stigma." Senior high school students examine
the complex social issues that face us as citizens
in the most multicultural society in the world.
|
| What
is race? |
| |
The definition of race has evolved
over time but it's best described as a group of people
who possess some outward physical characteristics and
some commonalities of culture and history.
|
| What
is racism? |
| |
Racism is any action, practice or
belief that negatively categorizes a person or group of
person because of their race.
|
| What
are some types of racism? |
| |
| • |
Afrocentrism
- (not always considered racist); the belief that
black African cultures were historically more powerful
and influential than is widely believed. |
| • |
Anti-Semitism
- hostility toward or discrimination against Jewish
people. |
| • |
Apartheid
- a system of racism, now abolished, that once existed
in South Africa. |
| • |
Caste system
- (not always considered racist) A system of social
hierarchy among various social groups in India-
each assigned specific occupations and social roles. |
| • |
Eurocentrism
- the sometimes unconscious practice of historically
and culturally focusing on white Europeans, to the
exclusion of the significant achievements of other
groups of people. |
| • |
Islamophobia
– feelings of fear and hostility toward Muslims. |
| • |
Racial segregation
- (not always considered racist) the belief that
the so-called races should be kept separate, either
geographically or culturally. |
| • |
Racial purity
- the belief that the various so-called races should
be kept "pure" by not permitting inter-breeding. |
| • |
White supremacy
- the belief that those whose skin color is what
is commonly described as "white" are the
superior race, or 'master race'. |
| |
|
|
| What
is a hate crime? |
| |
A hate crime is an act of violence,
threats of harm, intimidation or damage to property intended
to harm and frighten someone because of their race, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
|
| What
is hate propaganda? |
| |
Hate propaganda is the spreading
of ideas, information, or rumour for the purpose of promoting
hate against a group of people based on their race, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
|
| How
common are hate crimes in Canada? |
| |
In 2001-2002, twelve major Canadian
police forces reported a total of 938 hate crime incidents.
Overall, over one-half or 57% of these hate crimes were
motivated by race or ethnicity and 43% were motivated
by religion. Sexual orientation was the motivation in
about one-tenth of the incidents.
Blacks and South Asians were among those most frequently
targeted in hate crime incidents motivated by race or
ethnicity. The majority of incidents motivated by religion
involved anti-Semitism followed by those targeting Muslims.
The most common types of hate crime violations included
mischief or vandalism (29%), assault (25%), uttering threats
(20%), and hate propaganda (13%).
|
| What
is homophobia? |
| |
Homophobia is an irrational fear
of or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals.
|
| What
is xenophobia? |
| |
Xenophobia is a fear and hatred of
strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange
or foreign.
|
| What
is ageism? |
| |
Ageism is prejudice or discrimination
against a particular age-group, especially the elderly.
|
| What
is sexism? |
| |
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination
based on sex, especially discrimination against women.
|
| What
do I do if someone is bullying me because of my race,
skin colour, religion, sexual orientation or ability? |
| |
| Report
the incident to your parent(s) or guardian, or to
an adult you trust in school such as a teacher,
guidance counsellor, principal or any staff members.
Keep a record of incidents and include all the details
such as dates, times and names of witnesses. Check
out your school policy on bullying and harassment
for more information. Here's a list of other sources
you can go to for support: |
|
•
|
Speak to a counsellor
at the Kids Help Phone via telephone
1-800-668-6868 or website www.kidshelpphone.ca
from anywhere in the country, 24 hours 365 days
a year – free of charge. |
| •
|
B'nai
Brith – for front-line counselling
and assistance, call their Anti-Hate Hotline
1-800-892-2624 or report a hate crime through
their website http://www.bnaibrith.ca/league/lhr-report.htm |
|
•
|
Your local
police
|
|
| What
are some examples of discrimination or harassment? |
| |
| Samples include: |
| •
|
Name-calling,
verbal or written abuse, taunts and threats. |
| •
|
Unwelcome remarks,
slurs, jokes or obscene gestures. |
• |
Displaying derogatory
or offensive pictures, materials or graffiti. |
• |
Threats of outing
(stating someone is a lesbian or gay without their
permission). |
• |
Intimidation,
physical violence and vandalism. |
• |
Using electronic
media to convey messages of discrimination and harassment. |
|
•
|
Any activities
conducted for the purposes of promoting hatred against
groups of people including production and distribution
of hateful material.
|
|
| What
are some of the different religions in Canada? |
| |
| Click
this link for a description of the religions
listed below. |
Anglican Church
of Canada
Bahá'í Faith
Baptist Church
Brethren in Christ Church
Buddhism
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian Reformed Church
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church of the Nazarene
Doukhobors
Eastern Orthodox Churches
Evangelical Free Church
Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada
Free Methodist Church
Hinduism
Hutterian Brotherhood
Islam
Jehovah’s Witnesses
|
Judaism
Lutheran Church
Mennonite Church
Native Spirituality
Pentecostal Assemblies
Presbyterian Church in Canada
Rastafarianism
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Roman Catholic Church
Salvation Army
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Sikhism
Ukrainian Catholic Church
Unitarian Universalist Church
United Church of Canada
Wesleyan Church
Wicca
Worldwide Church of God
Zoroastrianism
|
|
| When
do they have their holidays? |
| |
You can download and print our Diversity
Calendar in the Freebies
section.
|
| How
do I learn about people of different backgrounds? |
| |
Check out Step
4:The word is DIVERSITY in our
7 Steps to Stand Up and Speak Out
section.
|
| What
will standing up and speaking out accomplish? |
| |
One person alone can't eliminate racism but your voice and actions will raise awareness that racism does exist in Canada and that it hurts people and damages lives. Every time you take a stand, it will make a difference ñ for you, for the people you care about, and many others. |
