May 4, 2015
Toronto Star – Carol Goar
Women replace high hopes with steely resolve
Goar makes a review of the hopes spawn by the Beijing declaration on gender equality 20 years ago and comments on the progress in the legal equality development and the economic reality. While some progress has been made, Goar’s list of deficiencies to date and their contributing causes underline the magnitude of the struggle remaining for true gender equality. “The world is both wealthier and more unequal today than at any point since World War II,” says UN Women, the international agency created in 2010 to champion half of the human race. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/05/03/women-replace-high-hopes-with-steely-resolve-goar.html Related Report from the UN Women: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights: Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016 (342 page pdf; Executive Summary on p. 10) http://progress.unwomen.org/en/2015/pdf/UNW_progressreport.pdf Related article: Thompson Reuters News Service Pope decries “scandal” of lower salaries for women http://www.trust.org/item/20150429132934-uhyfj/?source=fiHeadlineStory
Globe and Mail – Editorial (May 3, 2015)
Federal prisons must stop messing with inmates’ mental health
The editorial opinion is based on a report from the Canadian Prisons Ombudsman in which prison doctors are forced to abruptly stop drug treatments when new inmates arrive and there is considerable delay in the intake assessment required, perhaps as much as 30 days before completion. Inmates transferred from provincial jails or mental hospitals are sometimes subjected to the same problem. A further complication lies in the use of solitary to deal with mental patients who act out their distress. The editorial lays blame at the feet of Correctional Services of Canada (CSC). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/federal-prisons-must-stop-messing-with-inmates-mental-health/article24224896/
Globe and Mail – Madeline Smith
Activists gather to protest Toronto police’s carding practice
Combining a show of support for the confrontation between police and Baltimore’s activists, 100’s gathered on the steps of the Toronto police headquarters to protest the new chief’s insistence on the use of carding, viewed by many in the Black community as racist, but considered by the new Chief Saunders as a legitimate police tactic. Said Rodney Diverlus, one of the organizers, “It’s our way for black folks to come to them and let them hear and know how we feel about these policies.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/activists-gather-to-protest-toronto-polices-carding-practice/article24231447/
La Presse .ca – Joël-Denis Bellavance
Afghanistan: Terror in a Canadian prison
After four months of investigation, La Presse is saying that Canadian Military Police created an atmosphere of terror among some forty detainees in an effort to extract information about movement and arms. The incidents the paper alleges occurred between December 2010 and February 2011. Peter MacKay was the Minister of Defence at the time. Neither the National Investigative Services nor the Military Police Complaints Commission are commenting. https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lapresse.ca%2Factualites%2Fdossiers%2Fle-canada-en-afghanistan%2F201505%2F03%2F01-4866604-afghanistan-terreur-dans-une-prison-canadienne.php&edit-text=&act=url Related article: CTV News – Michelle Zilio Ottawa hasn’t yet received report on Canadian soldier’s death: Alexander http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ottawa-hasn-t-yet-received-report-on-canadian-soldier-s-death-alexander-1.2356456
CBC News – Natalie Clancy
Cpl. Neil Ogurian’s girlfriend says RCMP ‘drove him to suicide’ – Mountie killed himself last May after prolonged dispute over his harassment complaint
The article tells the story of RCMP Cpl. Neil Ogurian, 56, who endured long time harassment, pursued complaints and grievances, obtained agreement about resolution of the complaints, only to find the written agreements violated repeatedly with new requests for settlement. “Once you complain, you’re targeted,” says Julia Chapacharis, a long term girlfriend of Ogurian. “The RCMP is a toxic workplace” There have been 32 suicides of Mounties since 2006. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cpl-neil-ogurian-s-girlfriend-says-rcmp-drove-him-to-suicide-1.3034488
Canadian Press / National Newswatch – Colin Perkel
Canadian government to seek emergency stay of bail for Omar Khadr
The federal government is expected to request an Appeal Court ruling on Tuesday to stay the granting of bail for Omar Khadr. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice June Ross granted bail on April 24 and the court picked May 5 to set conditions of the bail. Ross has voiced the opinion that Khadr has strong basis for appeal of his US military court conviction. http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2015/05/03/canadian-government-to-seek-emergency-stay-of-bail-for-omar-khadr/#.VUd5X5NQRUZ Related article: Toronto Star – Michelle Shepherd Ottawa seeks emergency stay to stop Omar Khadr’s release http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/05/03/ottawa-seeks-emergency-stay-to-stop-omar-khadrs-release.html