Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer rose pursuant to notice of April 25, 2013:
That she will call the attention of the Senate to radicalization in Canada, and the need for a national strategy that more proactively addresses terrorism by emphasizing a community-based approach to preventing radicalization and to facilitating deradicalization.
Hon. Grant Mitchell moved third reading of Bill C-279, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity).
He said: Honourable senators, having endeared myself to the other side on the budget debate, I will now talk about something that in many respects is of deeper consequence, more profound consequence than an economy, and that is the question of human rights protections for the vulnerable.
As Chair of the Human Rights Committee, I witness many touching and insightful stories to help the Senate stay informed on issues that Canadians face from all walks of life. Monday was no exception. Professor Sara Davis Buechner, Associate Professor of Music at the University of British Columbia appeared to be a poised, successful, and [...]
Honourable senators, today I rise to discuss the ways we can prevent the radicalization of Canadian youth.
Governments around the world have accomplished much in this area already. Most of the efforts in Canada, however, are focused on police work and intelligence. We should work towards preventing radicalization before it becomes a problem of national security.
In 2010, Sisters In Spirit, a research, education and policy initiative facilitated by the Native Women’s Association of Canada reported that there are more than 582 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, a higher proportion than any other segment of the population. In the past three years little has been done to address the issue and we have no idea how much this number has grown.
I have dedicated my life and career to advancing the rights of women and yet quite often I am reminded of how far we still have to go. Nothing reminds me of this more of this in Canada then our missing and murdered Aboriginal women. According to Canadian Police Information Centre there are 1,559 missing [...]
Honourable senators, it has been over 30 years since Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This convention requires the state not only to condemn, prevent and punish all forms of discrimination against women but also to address the root causes of discrimination. Canada has failed to uphold this commitment, and calls for action by international human rights authorities have not been answered. Today, I wish to add my voice to those calling for a national inquiry on missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
Honourable senators, on Thursday, May 23, the National Association of Friendship Centres, MPs Jean Crowder and Chris Warkentin, and I hosted a luncheon reception to celebrate friendship centres in Canada’s urban communities.
The National Association of Friendship Centres’ board of directors and staff were present at this event, as were their counterparts from the Assembly of First Nations, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Canadian Building Construction and Trades Association.
Honourable senators, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 6.8 million Syrians, or almost one third of the entire population, require urgent humanitarian assistance. About 3.1 million, or around 50 per cent, of those who currently require assistance are children. Over the past year, humanitarian needs have risen by 5.8 million people, up from 1 million estimated to be in need in March of this year. Almost half of this increase occurred during the first four months of this year.
Honourable senators, I rise to speak at third reading of Bill C-309, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (concealment of identity). Bill C-309 amends sections 65 and 66 of the Criminal Code by creating two new “concealment of identity” offences…