Posted by admin on Sep 6, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
Worldwide Canada is considered to be one of the leading countries that support the global human rights movement. The history of Human Rights Law in Canada begins in the advent of the Canadian Bill of Rights, before that the human rights issues were usually regulated with single court cases and the verdicts of such cases were used to regulate similar situations. In 1938 by the decision of Reference re Alberta Statutes, the Supreme Court of Canada first recognized an implied bill of rights. The case revolved around an Albertan law that prohibited the press from criticizing the government. Another major step in the Human Rights Law was done in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed and from that moment the Canadian Government attempted to make universal human rights a part of Canadian law. While even before that the Government has done lot of thing to solve various racial discrimination problems, with the signing of the Declaration the country turned to equality and problems of homosexual people. Canada by the way was the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with an amendment of the Civil Marriage Act. Despite all these achievements there are still some problems left today. Some Canadian provinces still have religiously segregated schools, there is a certain lack of anti-discrimination laws to protect the disabled and the treatment of Canada’s First Nations people or Aboriginal Canadians attract criticism form the United Nations and other countries. But still the main areas of the Human Rights like the freedom of speech or the workers rights are heavily protected by the appropriate parts of the Canadian Law.
Today there are four key mechanisms in Canada to protect human rights: the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and provincial human rights laws and legislation. The cornerstone of human rights in Canada is the Canadian Human Rights Act. This Act was passed by the Canadian Government in 1977 and the goal of extending the law with this act was to ensure equal opportunity to individuals who may be victims of discriminatory practices based on various grounds such as gender, disability, or religion. The Canadian Human Rights Act applies throughout Canada, but only to federally regulated activities. Each province has its own anti-discrimination law that applies to activities that are not federally regulated. The Act triggered the creation of a Canadian Human Rights Commission that investigates claims of discrimination and also the creation of a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to judge the cases. Another practice that is used in discrimination cases is the “Meiorin test”, it occurs if a complainant can show a valid case of discrimination and the defendant can rebut it by showing that their practice was for a justified reason. Also every case of discrimination in Canada undergoes several stages of investigation and remediation and only if the parties are not satisfied with the result the case will go to Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
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Posted by admin on Sep 2, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
A spectacular flag display performed by youth delegates representing 26 countries opened the 6th Annual International Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the United Nations Office of Human Rights.
Attended by human rights advocates, officials, diplomatic corps and NGOs, the three-day Summit was opened by president and founder of Youth for Human Rights International, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, key organizer of the three-day conference, and co-organizer Mr. Adalbert Nouga of non-governmental organization Village Suisse. Both highlighted the purpose of the Summit aimed at youth representatives: to increase awareness of human rights and the use of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the tool to resolve human rights violations.
The Summit premiered the international release of “The Story of Human Rights,” a striking new short film produced with the support of the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International. The documentary defines in simple terms the subject of human rights. Shuttleworth said the film is “a gift to the millions on all continents, out to the far corners of the world, as was the vision of Eleanor Roosevelt.” Roosevelt was one of the authors and chief proponents of the 30-article Declaration, spearheading its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The roster of speakers included ambassadors, academics and religious leaders, pointing to the vital necessity of improving human rights worldwide in the face of statistics such as some 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year with annual profits as high as $7 billion, and children as young as 13 sold into forced labor, prostitution, pornography, organ removal, or even as child soldiers.
In a moving address, Ms. Allida Black, project director and editor of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers and Research Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, said that failure to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be like “spitting on the grave of Martin Luther King, spitting on the grave of Mahatma Gandhi, or betraying Nelson Mandela.”
Ms. Ann Archer, Academy-award-nominated actress and founder of the international Artists for Human Rights, presented the Youth for Human Rights Activist Awards for 2009. Awardees include Georgi Naydenov, director of Help the Needy Foundation, Bulgaria; Petar Grigorov Gramatikov, from Dialogue Center, Bulgaria; Niki Lanik, a champion race driver from the United Kingdom; and Tony Mathipa, a young human rights activist from South Africa.
The Summit also included a Human Rights Education interactive workshop and an interreligious service uniting and challenging people of many faiths to pursue peace.
Rukshan Fernando, 17, delegate from Sri Lanka stated: “Youth for Human Rights International is a beacon for hope in a sea of darkness and will be the voice of the future when other voices are lost in the past.”
Ms. Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) cited Youth for Human Rights’ call for empowerment and responsibility of all people as exemplary of “Ghandi’s maxim ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world.’ ”
The first Human Rights Summit was held in August 2004 at United Nations Headquarters and UNICEF House in New York City and has alternated with Los Angeles every year since then. In 2005 the Summit was held in Los Angeles; in 2006 in New York again, at United Nations Headquarters; in 2007 at the University of California-Los Angeles, and in 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Youth for Human Rights International is a non-profit, secular organization founded in 2001 by educator Mary Shuttleworth to teach human rights to young people. YHRI brings awareness and knowledge of the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights to youth through essay and art contests and by providing materials for students and teaching guides for schools.
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Posted by admin on Sep 2, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
A spectacular flag display performed by youth delegates representing 26 countries opened the 6th Annual International Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the United Nations Office of Human Rights.
Attended by human rights advocates, officials, diplomatic corps and NGOs, the three-day Summit was opened by president and founder of Youth for Human Rights International, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, key organizer of the three-day conference, and co-organizer Mr. Adalbert Nouga of non-governmental organization Village Suisse. Both highlighted the purpose of the Summit aimed at youth representatives: to increase awareness of human rights and the use of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the tool to resolve human rights violations.
The Summit premiered the international release of “The Story of Human Rights,” a striking new short film produced with the support of the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International. The documentary defines in simple terms the subject of human rights. Shuttleworth said the film is “a gift to the millions on all continents, out to the far corners of the world, as was the vision of Eleanor Roosevelt.” Roosevelt was one of the authors and chief proponents of the 30-article Declaration, spearheading its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The roster of speakers included ambassadors, academics and religious leaders, pointing to the vital necessity of improving human rights worldwide in the face of statistics such as some 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year with annual profits as high as $7 billion, and children as young as 13 sold into forced labor, prostitution, pornography, organ removal, or even as child soldiers.
In a moving address, Ms. Allida Black, project director and editor of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers and Research Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, said that failure to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be like “spitting on the grave of Martin Luther King, spitting on the grave of Mahatma Gandhi, or betraying Nelson Mandela.”
Ms. Ann Archer, Academy-award-nominated actress and founder of the international Artists for Human Rights, presented the Youth for Human Rights Activist Awards for 2009. Awardees include Georgi Naydenov, director of Help the Needy Foundation, Bulgaria; Petar Grigorov Gramatikov, from Dialogue Center, Bulgaria; Niki Lanik, a champion race driver from the United Kingdom; and Tony Mathipa, a young human rights activist from South Africa.
The Summit also included a Human Rights Education interactive workshop and an interreligious service uniting and challenging people of many faiths to pursue peace.
Rukshan Fernando, 17, delegate from Sri Lanka stated: “Youth for Human Rights International is a beacon for hope in a sea of darkness and will be the voice of the future when other voices are lost in the past.”
Ms. Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) cited Youth for Human Rights’ call for empowerment and responsibility of all people as exemplary of “Ghandi’s maxim ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world.’ ”
The first Human Rights Summit was held in August 2004 at United Nations Headquarters and UNICEF House in New York City and has alternated with Los Angeles every year since then. In 2005 the Summit was held in Los Angeles; in 2006 in New York again, at United Nations Headquarters; in 2007 at the University of California-Los Angeles, and in 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Youth for Human Rights International is a non-profit, secular organization founded in 2001 by educator Mary Shuttleworth to teach human rights to young people. YHRI brings awareness and knowledge of the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights to youth through essay and art contests and by providing materials for students and teaching guides for schools.
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Posted by admin on Aug 29, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
Recognized at the 6th Annual Youth for Human Rights Summit in Geneva last week, race car driver and Scientologist Niki Lanik explains why he promotes human rights to racing enthusiasts.
Austrian-born race car driver and Scientologist Niki Lanik, 22, uses his sport to champion human rights. Recognized with a Human Rights Advocate Award last week at the 6th Annual Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, Lanik has been an advocate since December 2006. It was then he decided to use his high profile as a successful driver to raise awareness about human rights. Says Lanik, “Athletes have fans and followers who read about us or see us on TV. Youngsters see us and musicians and artists as role models. It’s important to me that I live up to that trust.”
Lanik’s dedication to promoting human rights awareness and education came after meeting Los Angeles-based film director Taron Lexton in London three years ago. Lexton directed a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which bring the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life. Lexton also created “United,” an award-winning music video about a young boy from the inner city who unites people from around the world to defend the rights of his friends. These films are part of the human rights awareness campaign of Youth for Human Rights International.
“I thought I knew what human rights are, but I really had no idea until I watched the PSAs and read the booklet that goes with them,” says Lanik. “Human rights education works, and it changes countries and cultures. I want to see every village, city and state around the world, poor or rich, black or white, with human rights education as part of their educational curriculums.”
Once he got the point he took on the issue with the same energy that made him a double UK Clio Cup Winter Champion in 2006 and 2007 and won him a place three months ago in the FIA GT3 Championship with the six-man Belgium-based Prospeed race team.
Lanik displays the Youth For Human Rights International logo on his race car, gives out booklets and DVDs to fans and sponsors and plays the PSAs at the race track. “I promote human rights because I strongly believe every kid has the right to education; I believe that slavery should not exist and that everybody should have the same opportunities. I insist on a fair world where people of all races can unite and work together, live together and have no quarrels and wars.”
With some 18 million people each year seeing the logo on his car when they watch races on TV, Lanik wants them to ask themselves, “What are human rights?” and go to www.youthforhumanrights.org to find out.
“By our insisting that human rights be part of the curriculum for youth in every country on Earth, we can really make a difference,” says Lanik. He draws his inspiration from these words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”
For more information, visit Youthfor HumanRights.org.
Want to Live Extra Years?
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Posted by admin on Aug 25, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments
Recognized at the 6th Annual Youth for Human Rights Summit in Geneva last week, race car driver Niki Lanik explains why he promotes human rights to racing enthusiasts.
Austrian-born race car driver Niki Lanik, 22, uses his sport to champion human rights. Recognized with a Human Rights Advocate Award last week at the 6th Annual Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, Lanik has been an advocate since December 2006. It was then he decided to use his high profile as a successful driver to raise awareness about human rights. Says Lanik, “Athletes have fans and followers who read about us or see us on TV. Youngsters see us and musicians and artists as role models. It’s important to me that I live up to that trust.”
Lanik’s dedication to promoting human rights awareness and education came after meeting Los Angeles-based film director Taron Lexton in London three years ago. Lexton directed a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which bring the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life. Lexton also created “United,” an award-winning music video about a young boy from the inner city who unites people from around the world to defend the rights of his friends. These films are part of the human rights awareness campaign of Youth for Human Rights International.
“I thought I knew what human rights are, but I really had no idea until I watched the PSAs and read the booklet that goes with them,” says Lanik. “Human rights education works, and it changes countries and cultures. I want to see every village, city and state around the world, poor or rich, black or white, with human rights education as part of their educational curriculums.”
Once he got the point he took on the issue with the same energy that made him a double UK Clio Cup Winter Champion in 2006 and 2007 and won him a place three months ago in the FIA GT3 Championship with the six-man Belgium-based Prospeed race team.
Lanik displays the Youth For Human Rights International logo on his race car, gives out booklets and DVDs to fans and sponsors and plays the PSAs at the race track. “I promote human rights because I strongly believe every kid has the right to education; I believe that slavery should not exist and that everybody should have the same opportunities. I insist on a fair world where people of all races can unite and work together, live together and have no quarrels and wars.”
With some 18 million people each year seeing the logo on his car when they watch races on TV, Lanik wants them to ask themselves, “What are human rights?” and go to www.youthforhumanrights.org to find out.
“By our insisting that human rights be part of the curriculum for youth in every country on Earth, we can really make a difference,” says Lanik. He draws his inspiration from these words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”
For more information, visit Youthfor HumanRights.org.
Want to Live Extra Years?
read more
