CJC News Release: Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Social Justice Top Issues at Candidates’ Forum

May 06, 2005 - Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Social Justice Top Issues at Candidates’ Forum

For immediate release

VANCOUVER - The United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (S.U.C.C.E.S.S.), Vancouver Multicultural Society, and Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region are jointly sponsoring a forum for candidates in the provincial election.

Monday, May 9, 2005 at 7 p.m.
Norman Rothstein Theatre, 950 West 41st Ave., Vancouver, B.C.

Confirmed attendees for this forum are:

Liberal candidates - Virginia Greene (Vancouver Fairview), Carole Taylor (Vancouver Langara), Colin Hansen (Vancouver Quilchena), Patrick Wong (Vancouver Kensington) and Wally Oppal (Vancouver Fraserview)

New Democratic Party candidates - Gregor Robertson (Vancouver Fairview), Anita Romaniuk (Vancouver Langara), Jenny Kwan (Vancouver Mount Pleasant), David Chudnovsky (Vancouver Kensington) and Jarrah Hodge (Vancouver Quilchena)

Green Party candidates - Damian Kettlewell (Vancouver Point Grey), Doug Warkentin (Vancouver Langara), Raven Bowen (Vancouver Mount Pleasant), Cody Matheson (Vancouver Kensington) and Stuart Mackinnon (Vancouver Kingsway).

"This forum will provide one of the most important venues for candidates to address issues that are top concerns for multicultural communities," says Mark Weintraub, Chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. Other organizers echoed these statements.

"S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is very pleased to partner with CJC and VMS in organizing the Vancouver Candidates' Forum," says Ken Kwan, Chair of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. "As a bridge between the immigrant community and the community-at-large, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has a continuing public education program that encourages Canadians to participate in public affairs. We hope that the forum will better inform the public and encourage the voters to exercise their citizen's rights to elect people they trust in shaping the Province's future."

Godwin Eni, Chair of the Vancouver Multicultural Society, says "The pre-election public forum provides a very important opportunity to get to know our candidates and to learn about their views on social justice, racism, immigration, multiculturalism and human rights."

This forum is an open event and members of the public and media are cordially invited to attend.

The meeting will present an opportunity for the public to learn more about where the parties and candidates stand on important issues of social justice, human rights, multiculturalism, education, healthcare and a range of other provincial concerns. In addition to introductory remarks from candidates and questions from the sponsoring organizations, the meeting will include an open forum during which members of the audience can present questions to the candidates.

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Contact:
Erwin Nest
Executive Director
Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region
604-257-5101 (office)
erwinn@cjc.cawww.cjc.ca

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=news&story=711

Canadian Jewish News: CJC repeats call to beef up B.C. hate crime team

By PETER CAULFIELD
Special to The CJN


VANCOUVER - British Columbia's Hate Crime Team needs more money to confront and combat bias and hate-motivated crimes in the province, says Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region (CJC).


That was one of the recommendation that came out of the organization's recently released report titled Public Affairs Action Agenda.


Mark Weintraub, chair of CJC's Pacific region, said that while the Hate Crime Team still exists, its operations have been cut back under Premier Gordon Campbell's Liberal government.

"We're worried that its early gains have been undermined during the last four years," he says.


CJC has noted in the past that as a result of provincial cuts, the unit has not been able to do outreach and education or fill vacant positions, including hiring a data analyst and seconding a Vancouver police officer to join the unit's full-time RCMP officer.


The Hate Crime Team was set up by the previous provincial government. It's made up of specially trained police offcers and Crown attorneys with expertise in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.


The team deals with a broad range of hate-related crimes, including graffiti, assaults and murder, and looks into attacks against minority groups such as Jews, gays, aboriginals and Muslims.


Its recent work includes investigations into an anti-Semitic column in a Lower Mainland Muslim newspaper, and a call by a local Muslim cleric for jihad.


Weintraub said the team should be training all B.C. law enforcement officials to identify crimes where the intent goes beyond an attack on an individual and becomes a threat to society.


"It needs enough money so, for example, provincial law enforcement personnel have sufficient computer power to monitor, record and analyze data related to hate crimes," he said.


The 64-page Public Affairs Action Agenda is a summary of CJC priorities and will guide the organization's ongoing human rights work for the next three years.


The document identifies six areas of concern: hate and bias crime, hate propaganda, Holocaust education, human rights protection, multiculturalism, and affordable housing.


In addition to a call for more funding for the Hate Crime Team, its recommendations include greater intergovernmental co-operation on monitorng and combating hate propaganda, ensuring that Holocaust education remains part of B.C.'s required education curriculum, establishing an information and advisory office wihin the provincial human rights apparatus, improved links between multicultural stakeholder groups; and increased funding for affordable housing.

"Implementing these recommendations are key to ensuring the Jewish community lives and thrives in Canadian society, free of anti-Semitism," Weintraub said.


Canada's approach to fighting hate crime has proven to be successful, he added. "Canada today has a lower incidence of hate crime compared to either the U.S. or Europe."


Congress said the report has been sent to Campbell and to NDP leader Carole James.


Calls to Campbell and James, who are in the middle of a provincial election campaign, were not returned.


To read the CJC report online, visit http://www.cjc.ca/docs/RD/177_PAAA2005.pdf.