Client Profile: Ontario Organizational Development Program

March 7th, 2014 by Iler Campbell

The Ontario Organizational Development Program (OODP) was established in 1995 as a government response to requests from AIDS service organizations (ASOs) and programs for long-term organizational development resources.

OODP’s mission is to strengthen the capacity of HIV/AIDS organizations and programs in Ontario to determine their direction with awareness and to foster a culture within HIV/AIDS organizations and programs in Ontario to take responsibility for their own organizational development. They provide consulting services as well as online resources in service of this goal.

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REVISED: OHRC Webinar question and answer session on Human rights and the duty to accommodate

March 5th, 2014 by Iler Campbell

An event that may be of interest to our readers:

The Ontario Human Rights Commission invites you to a

“Talking about Human Rights” online event:

Webinar question and answer session on

Human rights and the duty to accommodate

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

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Rana Plaza victims still awaiting compensation after garment factory disaster

February 27th, 2014 by Kirsten Iler

Following the failed compensation talks in Geneva in September 2013, an agreement has now been reached and a process established to compensate the victims of the Rana Plaza factory disaster in Bangladesh. Very few of the 28 retailers involved, however, have signed the accord or agreed to provide compensation to victims and their families.

One of several Bangladesh garment factory disasters in recent times, the Rana Plaza building collapsed in April 2013, killing or injuring nearly 3,000 workers. Reports have since surfaced that the mainly female workforce were threatened with losing their pay if they refused to work that day, even though the building was already showing cracks. Once inside, the doors were locked and managers instructed workers to continue to work, even as the building began to shake and crumble.

To date, some emergency relief has been provided by a few retailers (notably, Primark and Loblaw, sister companies both controlled by the Westons). However, Rana Plaza victims still await compensation. Workers who survived but are disabled await medical care and rehabilitation. Families who lived off of the meagre wages of workers who died are now in dire straits.

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What is Creed? Ontario Human Rights Commission seeks input

February 11th, 2014 by Lauren Blumas

There has been a lot of confusion around “creed” as a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code) over the years. During our recent outing as presenters at the Golden Horseshoe Co‑operative Housing Federation conference, we were asked to define creed. The answer to this question is not straightforward. Generally speaking, courts and tribunals interpret creed to be the same as religion. Other decisions have left open the possibility that creed includes spiritual practices and non‑religious beliefs.

Fortunately, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is in the process of updating its Policy on Creed (last revised in 1996) that can be used as a tool by employers, service providers and housing providers to develop best practices. In the meantime, the OHRC has released its report titled Human Rights and Creed Research and consolation report, which addresses the confusion about the definition of creed, current social trends on how we identify as Canadians, and some preliminary questions on the scope and limitations of creed.

The report helpfully points out the difficulties organizations face regarding creed, identifying for example, sincerity of belief as a challenge to providing appropriate accommodation for creed beliefs and practices.

The policy is still very much in its early stages. The OHRC is looking for input from stakeholders on key questions outlined in the report. If you want to be part of the conversation, you can email your comments to the OHRC at [email protected] with your thoughts on what a helpful policy might look like.

The report can be found here (pdf).

 

 

Iler Campbell at Golden Horseshoe Winter Workshop

February 5th, 2014 by Lauren Blumas

The Golden Horseshoe Co‑operative Housing Federation hosted its annual housing Winter Workshop conference on January 25, 2014. Despite the weather, the turnout was impressive. The workshops covered a range of practical topics including re‑financing, member participation, arrears, the duty to accommodate (presented by Iler Campbell) and the legal implications of hoarding (presented by Iler Campbell).

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Whose freedom of expression is the Harper government protecting?

January 30th, 2014 by Shelina Ali

Last week, in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s address to the Israeli Knesset, he equated criticisms of the Israeli state and its policies with anti-Semitism. He stated that “most disgracefully of all, some openly call Israel an apartheid state,” continuing on to say that “it is nothing short of sickening.”

Mr. Harper’s strong condemnation of individuals who criticize Israel’s policies and practices raises serious concerns about his government’s commitment to protecting political speech in Canada. His comments should be seen in light of his government’s claw‑back of hate speech legislation in the name of freedom of expression. In acting as a champion of freedom of expression, while targeting critics of the Israeli government and its policies, Mr. Harper has attempted to redefine political speech as speech that would meet the definition of hate speech under the Criminal Code. These contradictory actions should raise serious doubts about whose expression the Harper government is actually committed to protecting.

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