Council Of Europe To Macedonia: Legalize Same-Sex Partnerships

More from the Who’s In Charge Around Here? file.

[Pink News] The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has published a report into the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Macedonia.

Thomas Hammarberg said that the “atmosphere and attitude towards LGBT persons” in the former Yugoslav Republic has improved.  

However, he concluded that certain persisting discriminatory attitudes exist at all levels, and legal safeguards are insufficient.

“Legal protections against discrimination remain particularly weak,” he said.

…

“Education is the key to informing and developing a culture of tolerance and inclusiveness. Human rights education programmes should be developed and expanded for Governmental officials including police officers and judicial officials at all levels, and also for school-going students.

“There should be a possibility of legal recognition of same sex partnership.”

BBC Caves To Bigotry Charge

[Guardian, Peter Salmon, BBC Chief Creative Officer] A snail could crawl the entire length of the Great Wall of China in just slightly more time than the 200 years it will take for women to be equally represented in parliament. That was just one of a series of striking statistics from the Equality and Human Rights Commission in their Sex and Power report published last week.

It added that women hold just 11% of FTSE directorships, with the judiciary and others also strongly criticised. At the BBC, the figures are a bit better – almost 38% of all senior managers are women – but it does bring into sharp focus the challenge the whole media industry is facing to improve diversity among its workforce.

…

We seem to be moving in the right direction, increasing opportunities for people from ethnic minority backgrounds at most levels.

We will transfer large numbers of staff from London but we will also recruit many new faces – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to add something substantially new to our gene pool of talent, to change the BBC’s DNA a little.

Attention Forum Shoppers, Please Fasten Your Seatbelts

More from the Who’s In Charge Around Here? file.

What do striking airline pilots in the UK have to do with human rights in Europe? Not a lot. But hey, if the forum’s there, might as well exploit it.

That EU thing was a great idea.

[Business Travel World] The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) is to take cases to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the European Committee on Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for an alleged breach of rules following the union’s dispute with British Airways over its European subsidiary OpenSkies.

The union says it is raising the cases with the organisations because the UK Government has done nothing to clarify the law on strike action following its High Court tussle with British Airways.

Cost To Taxpayers For Human Rights Museum Reaches $160 000 000

[Times Colonist] The museum’s mandate is to create a centre of learning and history with a focus on human rights, both in Canada and abroad. Envisioned to be the largest centre of its type in the world, the museum will have a special focus on equipping and educating young people to become human rights leaders and advocates.

In addition to $105 million Asper wants to raise from the private sector — a goal she said she is within “a few million” of achieving — the facility has received $160 million from various levels of government.

Stephanie Dion: In The “Post-Apology Era,” Time To Do The UN’s Bidding

We love you, Stephanie

[Liberal Party Website] RICHMOND, British Columbia — On the first anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said a new Liberal government would reverse the Conservative government’s position and endorse the Declaration.

“Last year’s appalling decision to vote against the Declaration was an insult to First Nations, Métis and Inuit who were expecting the government to stand up for their rights, and an international embarrassment that must be corrected,” said Mr. Dion. 

“In the post-apology era there is no excuse for not ratifying the Declaration. A new Liberal government will ratify the Declaration and show the world that we can be a leader on aboriginal issues,” he said.

High gas prices? Lousy real estate market? Extreme taxation? Never mind that. Stephanie’s right. Canadians want a government that will show the world we’re in line with UN mandates. Very important agenda.

Slate: What’s The Matter With Canada/Heaven?

Buttheads at Slate aren’t known for objective journalism, but this article made us laugh. We especially like the notion of “free” health care, whatever that is. Enjoy.

[Slate] Last Sunday, news came that Canada—sensible, quiet, some would even say boring Canada—will hold an election on Oct. 14, its third in four years. Those outside the country may wonder what the problem is; in Canada, after all, health care is free, the dollar is strong, same-sex marriage is legal, and the government had the good sense to stay out of Iraq.

…

Just scan the headlines. In June, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that Canada—for years the only G8 country to post regular budget surpluses—was likely to fall into deficit this year, thanks to a reckless cut to the national sales tax. In February, the government proposed denying funding to films and TV shows whose content it deemed “not in the public interest,” sparking cries of censorship from a sector that has historically received public support. In 2007, a member of the governing Conservative Party proposed a bill that would reopen the debate over abortion, a topic that governments both liberal and conservative have avoided for decades.

Human Rights Activist: BCHRT “Flawed”

[Province] A case in point arose this summer, when a raucous public debate reverberated across Canada after the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal agreed to hear a complaint about an allegedly Islamophobic article published in Maclean’s magazine.

Critics, including B’nai Brith Canada, say the complaint had no merit and should not have been heard. Defenders say the tribunal was simply fulfilling its role of hearing complaints under Section 7 of B.C.’s Human Rights Code, which prohibits publication of anything that “indicates discrimination or an intention to discriminate . . . or is likely to expose a person or a group or class of persons to hatred or contempt.”

As the public awaits the tribunal’s verdict, critics have seized on the case to call for major reform to the quasi-judicial body.

David Matas, senior legal counsel for B’nai Brith Canada and a longtime human-rights activist, says the way in which human rights is governed in B.C. is “flawed.”

New Sheriff In Town: Ontario HRC Get Tough On Doctors

[National Post] The Ontario Medical Association wants the provincial licensing body to kill a proposal that would force physicians to put aside their religious beliefs when making decisions in their medical practice.

The controversial document by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Ontario, which will be voted on next week, warns doctors that the provincial Human Rights Commission will get more aggressive with those who appear to violate an individual’s right to get treatment. It also suggests doctors could face misconduct charges from the College for those human rights violations, something that does not exist now in the province or in any other part of Canada.

UK Jury: Global Warming A Winning Affirmative Defense Against Criminal Charges

[Independent] The threat of global warming is so great that campaigners were justified in causing more than £35,000 worth of damage to a coal-fired power station, a jury decided yesterday. In a verdict that will have shocked ministers and energy companies the jury at Maidstone Crown Court cleared six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage.

Jurors accepted defence arguments that the six had a “lawful excuse” to damage property at Kingsnorth power station in Kent to prevent even greater damage caused by climate change. The defence of “lawful excuse” under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 allows damage to be caused to property to prevent even greater damage – such as breaking down the door of a burning house to tackle a fire.

Ottawa Prof Awards Entire Class A+ In Activism

[cnews] Rancourt went from making waves to rocking the boat when he did away with traditional grading, awarding an A+ to every student in his so-called activism course.

Fellow professors were outraged by Rancourt’s newfound “critical pedagogy” methods. Others in his faculty questioned his mental stability.

Gotta Love Those “Friends And Allies”

How about cutting off a respective percentage of work and travel visas?

[Reuters] The survey of 16,063 people in 17 nations found majorities in only nine countries believe al Qaeda was behind the attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people in 2001.

U.S. officials squarely blame al Qaeda, whose leader Osama bin Laden has boasted of organizing the suicide attacks by his followers using hijacked commercial airliners.

On average, 46 percent of those surveyed said al Qaeda was responsible, 15 percent said the U.S. government, 7 percent said Israel and 7 percent said some other perpetrator. One in four people said they did not know who was behind the attacks.

The poll was conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project of research centers in various countries managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland in the United States.

In Europe, al Qaeda was cited by 56 percent of Britons and Italians, 63 percent of French and 64 percent of Germans. The U.S. government was to blame, according to 23 percent of Germans and 15 percent of Italians.

Respondents in the Middle East were especially likely to name a perpetrator other than al Qaeda, the poll found.

Israel was behind the attacks, said 43 percent of people in Egypt, 31 percent in Jordan and 19 percent in the Palestinian Territories. The U.S. government was blamed by 36 percent of Turks and 27 percent of Palestinians.

In Mexico, 30 percent cited the U.S. government and 33 percent named al Qaeda.

Never Forget

British Police Superintendent In bin Laden Costume Causes Row

[Times Online] A senior police officer who visited the annual 9/11 memorial service in New York two years ago has been castigated for attending a Cornish village fete dressed as Osama bin Laden.

Chief Superintendent Colin Terry’s choice of fancy dress was described as “unacceptable” by his own police force after he took part in a parade at the Grampound Carnival wearing robes and a rubber mask representing the al-Qaeda leader.

Mr Terry, who is on secondment to the Foreign Office, made the bizarre outfit choice just a few days before the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attack. It is understood that in 2006 the officer travelled to Ground Zero for the fifth anniversary service held at the site where the World Trade Centre was hit by two hijacked planes.

Australian Writer: Public Should Be Ashamed At Curtailing Prisoners’ Human Rights

[Courier Mail] HUMAN rights are likely to be reeled back in our state prison system this week, an event which should cause all Queenslanders concern and shame.

If, as Mahatma Gandhi said, a society’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members, ours is on the fast track to insignificance.

The Queensland Parliament has before it a Bill that delays the rights of prisoners, parolees and those on probation to complain about sexual harassment, vilification and discrimination at the hands of any government employee.

Human Rights Commission Member Busted Using State Credit Card For Personal Use

[The Olympian] A state Human Rights Commission member quit after an investigation showed misuse of a state-issued credit card and rental cars.

State auditors investigating a whistleblower complaint found that commissioner Jerry Hebert of Poulsbo made $4,764 in purchases with a state-issued credit card.

But only $939 of it was deemed reimbursable and proper use of the card. Hebert exceeded credit limits, and he failed to pay off balances on time, auditors said.

Hebert disputed several audit findings.

He told auditors most of the expenses were for food at focus-group meetings he held with minority groups the commission is trying to assist.

Another Winner!

[Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald] A manager with the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial who was forced to retire because he was too old has won a human rights case against his former employer.

This bit is our favourite:

A human rights officer initially investigates each complaint. If the commission believes a prima facie case of discrimination has been made, the case is referred to an independent board of inquiry.

Nothing like sending a made case to an “independent” panel. “Prima facie” — cool law lingo!

Man Fired After 8 Days On The Job, Awarded 90 Large By Ontario Human Rights Tribunal

The OHRC decision was made last year. Last week, it held up on appeal. Here’s the story:

[Financial Post, Sept 10 2008] Firing an employee for not disclosing his medical condition can be a very expensive error.

A few weeks after the terrorist attacks on the United States, Paul Lane applied for a job at ADGA, assisting it to develop software for the Department of National Defence. During his interview with the manager, Miranda Corbett, Lane failed to disclose he had bipolar disorder. He also lied about the number of sick days he had taken during the preceding 12 months.

Four days after he was hired, he told Corbett about his condition and that he would require time off if he began to experience a “manic episode.” He also said, if he began to show symptoms of rapid speech and extreme restlessness, management was to immediately contact his wife or doctor.

Following this meeting, he began to exhibit erratic behaviour. For example, much to the surprise of the program manager, he sent this e-mail: “Thanks a Million! Luv and Kisses. Paul.” The following week, Lane’s symptoms escalated to paranoia. He reported receiving death threats and hearing explosions in the building. This was obviously worrisome to a department assisting National Defence so soon after the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001…

They canned him. Ooops. There goes $90, 000.

The breakdown:

• $35,000 in general damages for injury to his dignity and self-worth;
• $10,000 for reckless infliction of mental anguish;
• $34,278.75 for loss of salary;
• pre- and post-judgment interest on the above sums

Update: Big Bang Experiment Doesn’t Destroy Planet After All

[Sky News] The first beam of protons completed it maiden journey through the 17-mile tunnel of the LHC without incident.

The flashing of two white dots on a computer screen indicated that the protons had reached the final point of the world’s largest particle accelerator.

This prompted a cheer and the popping of champagne corks – but there was still a long way to go.

Scientists fired up the second beam of protons – one of the building blocks of atoms – several hours later. 

Its journey, which runs in the opposite direction to the first beam, also went off without a hitch.

Flashback, August 31, 2008:

[Telegraph] Critics of the Large Hadron Collider – a £4.4 billion machine due to be switched on in ten days time – have lodged a lawsuit at the European Court for Human Rights against the 20 countries, including the UK, that fund the project.

The device is designed to replicate conditions that existed just a fraction of a second after the Big Bang, and its creators hope it will unlock the secrets of how the universe began.

However, opponents fear the machine, which will smash pieces of atoms together at high speed and generate temperatures of more than a trillion degrees centigrade, may create a mini-black hole that could tear the earth apart.

Supreme Court: Employer Can’t Use Applicant’s “Unrelated” Past Crimes To Decline Jobs

[NUPGE] Does a pardon wipe away the stigma of a crime when a person applies for a job? Not completely, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled in a Quebec case.

However, an employer cannot say no simply because of the “stigma attached” to a conviction, the court has ruled.

Where a pardon has been granted, or the crime is unconnected with the job being sought, an employer must demonstrate that some other reason exists to disqualify a person before he or she is turned down, the court has determined.

Example:

Interviewer: You were in prison?

Interviewee: Yes.

Interviewer: What for?

Interviewee: Three counts of armed robbery, one count arson.

Interviewer: Well, this is a telemarketing job, so no problem. So, what’s your favourite colour?

New Website To Teach Canadians How To Make Human Rights A Reality…Inside Canada

Who knew? The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is Canada’s approach to meeting standards set by the UN. Someday, maybe we’ll get there.

DWE’s suggestion for a great website ad campaign:

Who Needs A Charter When You’ve Got A Declaration?

[Miramichi Leader] A new, interactive website has been established to encourage young Canadians to learn more about human rights. The website was developed in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Targeted to Canadians aged 18 to 35, the website was developed by the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA), in collaboration with TakingITGlobal and the John Peters Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights. CASHRA is the national association of Canada’s government agencies charged with administering federal, provincial and territorial human rights legislation.

From the website:

The Declaration has become the heart of international law and has led to the development of a rich body of human rights instruments and treaties around the world, both internationally and domestically. There are more than 80 international treaties that build upon the basic principles set out in the Universal Declaration. In Canada, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms represents our country’s approach to implementing the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration.

York-Simcoe MPP Munro: New OHRC Tribunal Appointees Being Vetted With Steyn Questions

Julia Munro: Listening and Acting

Maybe some politicians are listening after all, at least in the Progressive Conservative party. May we suggest contacting Munro at julia.munroco@pc.ola.org to give her a pat on the back. Tell her keep it up. We are especially psyched that she framed it as a “freedom of the press case.”

However, note that the appointees had few answers regarding the Steyn case. So these appointees either didn’t know about it, or didn’t care to talk about it. In other words, the merry little Star Chamber learned nothing from 2008, and it’s business as usual.

Emphasis ours.

[The Scope] The second role of the committee is to review intended appointments to agencies, boards and commissions. One of the most interesting developments this summer has been the multiple appointments by the government to the Human Rights Tribunal. PC members of the committee repeatedly questioned the potential appointees about their opinion of the Mark Steyn freedom of the press case, receiving little in the way of answers. Holding potential appointees to account is important because many of these individuals will hold decision making powers that greatly affect the lives of Ontario citizens.

Great Talking Points! Lipstick, And Uncaring Mothers

River Daughter: The Obama bloggers already sacrificed their credibility with “Panty-Sniff 2008,” wherein they horrified the nation with a wankfest claiming Sarah wasn’t the mother of Trig Palin.

We dig River Daughter’s blog, but the candidates don’t have to worry about the bloggers. Save the candidates from themselves. A few choice highlights from today on the campaign trail:

Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan:“There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick.”

+

Joe Biden: “I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there’s joy to it as well, the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,” Biden said at a rally in Columbia, Missouri. “Well, guess what folks? If you care about it, why don’t you support stem cell research?”

+

Obama: “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

We’re still waiting for NOW to scream about male chauvinism. Still waiting…waiting…waiting…

Starbucks Celebrates Ramadan

Hoping for a comeback, Starbucks looks to the festive season.

PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP

[Drinks Business Review] Starbucks will be offering its Anniversary Blend and Arabian Mocha Timor coffees to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

Introduced in 1996, the Anniversary Blend coffee comes with an extra bold taste. Combining coffees from Yemen and East Timor along with berry notes, the Arabian Mocha Timor coffee also offers a bold taste.

In addition to the coffees, the coffee chain is also offering Ramadan pastries such as: Fig and Coconut Bar, the Pistachio Delight and the Date and Apricot loaf.

Flashback: July 2, 2008:

[New York Times] In a harsher economic climate, Starbucks’s green-and-white mermaid logo is about to become a little less ubiquitous.

The company, the world’s largest coffee chain, said Tuesday that it would close 600 stores in the United States beginning this year. It will lay off more than 12,000 employees in the process, the most in its history.

Woman Attempts To Become First Female Japanese PM

No word yet on how bummed the media is, as Koike has no kids to go after.

REUTERS/Toru Hanai

[Reuters] TOKYO (Reuters) – She’s less likely to hog the headlines than Sarah Palin, but former defence minister Yuriko Koike made an equally bold bid for power on Monday, as she launched an attempt to become Japan’s first woman prime minister.

A telegenic former newscaster fluent in English and Arabic, Koike, 56, emphasized her plans to tackle women’s issues and the environment as well as administrative reform at a news conference in Tokyo.

“Women often want to work while still looking after their families, but it’s hard for them to get the chance,” Koike, who is single and childless, told reporters.

First Trimester Abortion In Mexico Now Legal In All Circumstances

[OpEd News]With an 8 (for) to 3 (against) vote in Mexico’s Supreme Court, the April 24, 2007 law making abortion legal in Mexico, under any circumstance during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, is now deemed constitutional.  On Thursday, August 28, 2008, eight justices agreed that the case of unconstitutionality brought before the Court by the National Attorney General’s Office and the National Human Rights Commission against the new law was without basis.