Top human rights lawyers arrested in Zimbabwe


TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 05 2023


Police arrested lawyers Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi in a Harare hospital when they objected to their clients being quizzed by police, arguing that they were medically unfit. 

By AFP


Two Zimbabwean rights lawyers appeared in court on Tuesday on charges of preventing police from questioning their clients, two opposition members who had been allegedly abducted and tortured, sources said.

Police arrested lawyers Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi in a Harare hospital when they objected to their clients being quizzed by police, arguing that they were medically unfit.

Coltart and Muchineripi, who spent the night in jail, face charges of obstructing justice.

The pair were attending to a recently elected councillor and an activist for the country's largest opposition group, the Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC).

Read: Zimbabwe’s new elections facing familiar old fears

Alec Muchadehama, Coltart's and Muchineripi's lawyer, said in court that the attorneys' arrest was "unlawful."

Related

UN reacts to Zimbabwe election results

Mnangagwa sworn in after disputed election

He said the police had initially had a "cordial" conversation with the two lawyers and agreed to return at another time.

But a different police official who visited the hospital later became "dramatic" and accused the pair of obstructing justice.

The CCC condemned the arrests and said the charges were flimsy.

Coltart and Muchineripi were released on the equivalent of $100 in bail each.

Their clients, Womberaishe Nhende and Sanele Mkhulhani, on Saturday were forced out of their vehicle by suspected government agents who were armed, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) alleged in a statement.

The pair were then handcuffed, tasered and beaten with truncheons and "injected (with) an unknown substance... before they (were) dumped" naked near a river, it said.

They were "both victims of abduction, torture and drugging by suspected state agents," the CCC said.

The southern Africa country last month staged disputed elections pitching CCC leader Nelson Chamisa against Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose Zanu-PF party has been in power since independence in 1980.

Read: Zimbabwe polling follows a familiar lane from Day one

Mnangagwa, 80, who was sworn in on Monday, won a second term with 52.6 percent against 44 percent for Chamisa, 45, according to the official results.

The CCC lashed the outcome as flawed and demanded a fresh vote. Regional and international observers have also criticised the ballot for numerous irregularities.

WAR IS RAPE
Eritrea army accused of ‘war crimes’ in Tigray after peace deal

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 06 2023

People flee the war in Tigray, Ethiopia

By FRED OLUOCH

More by this Author


Eritrean forces allied to the Ethiopian government committed ‘war crimes’ in the Tigray region days before and after Addis Ababa signed a peace deal with rebels.

A report released by rights watchdog Amnesty International says thatwar crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in the Tigray region, immediately before and after the signing of a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, continued, signalling violations even after war seemed to be over.

The deal was signed between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 4, 2022. But Eritrean troops who had fought alongside Ethiopian National Defence Forces continued with the bad deeds.

Read: Ethiopia, Tigray sign deal to end hostilities

The report: "Today or Tomorrow, They Should Be Brought Before Justice” – Rape, Sexual Slavery, Extra-Judicial Executions and Pillage by Eritrean Forces in Tigray, says that the two armies were responsible for rape and sexual slavery, extra-judicial executions, and looting.

Amnesty International interviewed witnesses, survivors and family members, who testified about the extra-judicial execution of at least 20 civilians, primarily men, by the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) in the Mariam Shewito district between October 25 and November 1, 2022.

Related

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Eritrea troops leave historic Tigray city


In addition, a social worker who documented extra-judicial executions in the district provided a list of more than 100 names of people who they said had been extra-judicially executed within this period.

“Despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, atrocities against civilians in Tigray continued with Eritrean soldiers subjecting women to horrific abuse including rape, gang rape and sexual enslavement, while civilian men were extrajudicially executed,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

Amnesty International interviewed 11 survivors of rape and sexual slavery in Kokob Tsibah district, where more than 40 women told a local civil society organisation that they had been subjected to rape and sexual slavery in the period after the signing of the peace deal.

Read: Looting, rape stalk Ethiopia's Tigray

Despite suffering numerous injuries, survivors of rape and sexual slavery did not receive post-sexual violence care or any comprehensive medical care. Most of them only obtained medical treatment after the EDF (Eritrean Defence Forces) left Kokob Tsibah on January 19, 2023, more than two months later, Amnesty International said.

The report says that Eritrean soldiers stationed in Mariam Shewito and Kokob Tsibah districts engaged in intentional killings of civilians, mostly men, while conducting house-to-house searches of houses and residences, allegedly in pursuit of members of the Tigrayan forces and their supporters. Multiple interviews supported claims that victims of extra-judicial executions were civilians. Given that these acts were committed in a non-international armed conflict, such executions amount to the war crime of murder.

The Ethiopian government did not immediately respond to the allegations, but the Eritrean government said the report by Amnesty International had “no substance or merit.”

Read: Ethiopia accuses Human Rights Watch of digging up old wounds

“Amnesty relied on long-distance or remote interviews, with no mechanism for validation, to populate its latest assault on Eritrea and its people,” said Eritrean Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

“The incessant attempts by self-serving external forces to drive a wedge between the two countries, to systematically create and promote hate, is unacceptable. Amnesty should endeavour to do humanitarian work and not to be used to perpetuate and incite conflicts between brotherly nations.”

WAGE THEFT

Smotrich says Israel to withhold millions from PA to repay electricity debt

PA PAYS PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WAGES WITH THIS

Finance minister will deduct money from monthly transfers to Ramallah; Palestinian PM pans ‘declaration of financial war and a recipe for explosion’

By GIANLUCA PACCHIANI

Today,  The Times of Israel 

Illustrative: Power lines above the town of Bnei Re'em  

(Nati Shohat/Flash90)


Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that Israel will start withholding money from the funds it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority in order to pay for the latter’s outstanding debt to the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC).

“No more. After many years of great injustice, Israeli citizens will stop financing electricity for the PA out of their own pockets,” Smotrich said in a Tuesday tweet.

“For many years, the Finance Ministry failed massively, and because of that Israeli citizens paid millions of shekels each month to fund the electricity consumption of the PA. From now on, I will deduct from the funds for the PA each month the entirety of its electricity consumption, and later on we will also deduct money to offset its past debts.”

Under the Oslo Accords, Israel is responsible for collecting customs duties and other tax revenues on behalf of Ramallah, due to the PA’s lack of statehood status. It then transfers the funds to the PA on a monthly basis, providing funds that amount to nearly 65 percent of the Palestinian annual budget.

The PA’s debt to the IEC currently stands at NIS 2 billion ($525 million), according to the Israel Hayom paper.

Israel has intermittently announced cuts, amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels this year alone, to the funds it transfers to the PA, citing Ramallah’s payment of stipends to the families of terrorists as well as prisoners jailed for terror offenses.

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party chief Bezalel Smotrich leads his party’s faction meeting at Jerusalem’s Knesset, May 8, 2023. (Oren Ben Hakoon/ Flash90)

In 2018, Israel passed a law requiring that a sum equal to the monthly stipends the PA pays be withheld from the tax revenues it transfers to the Palestinians. This law has not been regularly enforced, but the finance minister has from time to time announced such cuts.

Israel’s security establishment has warned that withholding funds to the cash-strapped PA could risk leading to its collapse.

In a response to the deductions announced by Smotrich for the electricity debt, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said to government news agency Wafa that the debt had been incurred by the Jerusalem District Electricity Company, a private company that supplies electricity to consumers in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian districts of Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho.

The company, which supplies electricity to 30% of Palestinian households, does not have its own power stations, but buys over 95% of its electricity from the IEC and the remainder from Jordan for the Jericho area. Shtayyeh noted that the company is not affiliated with the PA, and therefore the deduction of a private debt from the funds destined to a public authority equals “systematic piracy and theft,” and constitutes a “declaration of a financial war.”

The measures imposed by Israeli authorities on the Palestinian Authority are “a recipe for explosion,” and are implemented “in defiance of international laws while taking advantage of the absence of accountability and the feeling they have of being safe from punishment,” Shtayyeh added. He called on the United States and European Union countries to intervene to stop the move.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

THOSE DAVOS GUYS DANIELLE SMITH HATES
How to ensure a just transition to a green economy

Sep 6, 2023

In collaboration withNeste


A just transition is the process of moving to a low-carbon economy in a way that is fair and equitable for all, including workers, communities, and the environment.


OUR IMPACT
What's the World Economic Forum doing to accelerate action on Energy Transition?

THE BIG PICTURE
Explore and monitor how Energy Transition is affecting economies, industries and global issues

A just transition is the process of saving the planet by moving to a low-carbon economy in a way that is fair and equitable for everyone.
The concept of a just transition entered the broader climate change agenda during the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015.
The clean energy revolution has created new jobs and opportunities, but has challenged fossil fuel and carbon-intensive companies.
To avoid jobs being lost and the social impact that comes with that, we need a just transition.

“When companies are working to reach their net zero targets, it is a huge transformation and it will have social and economic impacts on workers, suppliers and communities,” says Nina Norjama, head of Human Rights at Neste, a global leader in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. “At the same time, the transition to a low carbon economy also creates enormous opportunities for businesses to provide sustainable jobs and develop employee skills and future readiness,”she continues.

While we urgently need to transition to a low carbon economy, we also need a just transition that is equitable and inclusive, that drives positive social impacts, and in which everyone can see opportunity. The International Labour Organisation defines a just transition as “greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind”.

The concept of a just transition entered the broader climate change agenda during the Paris climate change conference in 2015 – the landmark Paris Agreement, that has driven the decarbonization agenda in recent years, says that governments must take account of the needs of the workforce and highlights the importance of a just transition to do so.

“The idea has continued to gain traction, partly in reaction to the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on the grounds that it would have a negative impact on jobs,” says Nick Robins, Professor in Practice in Sustainable Finance at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

“Until then, climate policy had been fairly ‘socially blind’ and the shock of the US decision made people think explicitly about the social dimension of the changes that are happening,” Robins adds.

This has been compounded by the clean energy revolution coming much more quickly than anyone predicted. This has created entire new industries and the jobs that go with them, but it has also eroded the viability of fossil fuel and carbon intensive companies far faster than was thought possible.

It is to avoid jobs being lost, and the social impact that comes with that, that we need to have a just transition, Norjama says: “A just transition means providing new, sustainable jobs to replace outdated job roles in fossil industries, and providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities so that people have the capabilities they need to perform the new jobs.”

DISCOVER

What's the World Economic Forum doing about the transition to clean energy?

The just transition is backed by policy and global collaboration

To make the energy transition a success, governments and companies need to bring workers and communities along with them.

It is no surprise, Robins says, that the US Inflation Reduction Act is explicitly focused on labor rights and bringing good quality jobs to the US. In the same vein, the European Union’s Green Deal has a just transition mechanism, which the European Commission describes as “a key tool to ensure that the transition towards a climate-neutral economy happens in a fair way, leaving no one behind”. It will mobilize around €55 billion over the period 2021-2027 in the most affected regions, such as coal-producing areas of Poland, to alleviate the socio-economic impact of the transition.

Going net zero: the changing horizons for workforces

“There is potential for net zero and the just transition to come into conflict, not least because of their different roots. Net zero is grounded in climate science, while the just transition is based on workers’ rights,” Robins explains. But it is not inevitable - this is why companies must act intentionally and collaboratively to mitigate the negative impacts, and ensure that the transition is equitable and inclusive.

The key, Norjama says, is to engage employees and ask them what they think about the company’s strategy and their future careers. An ongoing process of continuous cooperation and dialogue with personnel representatives – on topics such as business updates, competency development and wellbeing at work – are essential to engage the workforce in a positive way. This helps employees to have an open mind, flexibility and a willingness to learn, all also required if a just transition is to be successful. Where there must be restructuring, companies should invest in reskilling so workers can be competent for new roles within other parts of the business or elsewhere.

Robins points out that the move to net zero is as much about the ‘transition in’ to cleaner energy as it is about the ‘transition out’ of fossil fuels – there are huge opportunities in areas such as renewable energy and electric vehicles.

For some industries – such as automotive, utilities and mining – clear transition pathways are already emerging, where companies can make the switch from fossil-based business models to low-carbon alternatives and be well-placed to thrive in future.

The first step for companies in all industries is to be aware of what new skills and competences they require as part of their transition, before they can then upskill existing workers and hire new employees. This is not an instant process but a gradual shift that takes place over many years to ensure minimum disruption to both the business and workers.

In the case of Neste, for example, the transition from crude oil refining to producing renewable fuels started already in the 1990s, setting the wheels in motion for a gradual build on the competences needed for scaling up the renewables business over the decades to come. Securing renewable raw materials – from municipal waste to used cooking oil – is an entirely different challenge than procuring fossil oil. It is not just the chemical make-up of raw materials that is different – the value chains, R&D pathways and locations also diverge. All this has implications on the jobs and careers available at Neste, and has to be considered to ensure the transition is just for all who work there.

Have you read?

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Achieving net zero: Why costs of direct air capture need to drop for large-scale adoption

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Why we must embrace the circular economy to save our planet

Implementing a just transition is good for business

Implementing just transition principles into your business is not just the right thing to do, argues Robins, but it is good for business too. He adds: “It’s necessary to overcome the false divide between environmental and social issues, but it’s also really smart – it’s about building the human and social capital that businesses need for new green business models.”

A report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Business Commission to Tackle Inequality explains that when companies ensure the net zero transition is done in a just way, it helps companies to ensure their own economic and workforce stability, enhances productivity and the capacity for innovation, and helps to reinforce their social license to operate.

Neste, for example, has hired thousands of people over the last three years, Norjama says, and “new employees often say that the transition that the company is going through, and our sustainability commitments, are what inspired them to apply.

“Neste’s holistic sustainability vision encompasses both environmental and social topics, including our human rights vision to create a more equitable and inclusive value chain by 2030, in which everyone works with dignity.”

Just transition: watch this space

According to the World Benchmarking Alliance, very few companies are currently performing well on the just transition. But Robins thinks this could change rapidly: “I think the adoption curve could be quite steep.

“Companies are not having to invent good practices, just apply them. The just transition is now much more central to global climate discussions, especially after COP27 at Sharm El Sheikh and that is being recognized by the business community.”

The reality is that getting the just transition right is not really optional. Without it, and without creating solutions that allow everybody to see the pot of gold at the end of this transition, it will not be possible to effectively mitigate climate change or unlock the opportunities that the transition to a net-zero society offers.

And if we get it right, the prize is huge - not only a healthier planet for our children, but one in which jobs and companies have evolved to achieve lasting sustainability, with nobody left behind.

Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton make history in first-ever US Open quarterfinal between two Black men

Mildred Europa Taylor

September 06, 2023

F2FAFRICA.COM

Frances Tiafoe (left) and Ben Shelton make history. 

For the first time in the history of the US Open, two Black men faced each other in the quarterfinals. World No. 10 Frances Tiafoe was defeated by newcomer Ben Shelton at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2.

Tuesday’s match was also the first time since 2008 that two Black men played each other at Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to CNN. Arthur Ashe was the first African-American man to be ranked No. 1 in tennis and the first to win several titles in the sport, including a singles title at the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon. Ashe’s achievements have inspired generations of tennis players, including rising stars Tiafoe, 25, and Shelton, 20.

Tiafoe’s story starts with his parents, who emigrated from Sierra Leone at the height of the country’s civil war in the 1990s. His parents met in the U.S. and settled down in Maryland, where they had twin boys, Franklin and Tiafoe, according to the New York Times. His father, Constant Tiafoe, worked for the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., and was later promoted to become the maintenance director of the facility. He leveraged his role to spend time on the court with his children.

Tiafoe became obsessed with tennis, after displaying a unique passion for the game and watching lessons to improve his skills to the admiration of his father and others. In 2022, he became a global sensation after being the first Black American man to reach a US Open semifinal since Ashe in 1972.

Shelton’s love for tennis is not surprising considering his father, Bryan, is a tennis champion who won two professional titles and played on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Bryan recently resigned from coaching at the University of Florida to coach his son Shelton in professional tennis. Shelton has now made history to the joy of his family and tennis fans and awaits his semi-final clash with the legendary Novak Djokovic.

The match between Shelton and Tiafoe will always be remembered not only for the display of skills and talent but for its celebration of diversity, experts say.

Biden administration to announce cancellation of Alaska wildlife drilling leases -sources

Wed, September 6, 2023 
By Jarrett Renshaw and Nichola Groom

Sept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday will announce the cancellation of oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state development agency in 2021, according to sources briefed on the matter.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) was issued seven leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who had pledged to protect the 19.6 million-acre habitat for polar bears and caribou.

Interior and AIDEA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Under former President Donald Trump, the Interior Department in January of 2021 sold leases in ANWR over the objections of environmentalists and indigenous groups.

In June of that year, Biden's administration said it would suspend the leases issued in ANWR pending an environmental review. AIDEA later sued, and a federal judge in Alaska last month dismissed the state agency's claims, saying the government's delay in implementing the ANWR leasing program was reasonable.

The two other entities that won leases at the ANWR lease sale withdrew from their holdings in 2022.

For decades, Alaska officials pushed to open up drilling in ANWR to secure jobs and revenues for the state. But the oil and gas industry failed to embrace the 2021 lease sale, which generated just $14 million in high bids.

“We commend (Interior) Secretary (Deb) Haaland for canceling unlawfully issued oil-and-gas leases in the Arctic Refuge,” Abigail Dillen, president of environmental group Earthjustice, said in a statement. “Looking ahead, we hope to see the strongest possible protections for the Arctic Refuge and the Western Arctic in the years to come.” (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)

WARMINGTON: Finally Ford sees light and orders Greenbelt review he should have originally

Story by Joe Warmington • TORONTO SUN

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks about the Greenbelt scandal, resignation of Housing Minister Steve Clark and his minor cabinet shuffle at Queen's Park on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.© Jack Boland

Better late than never.

Finally, Premier Doug Ford has read the room and realized on the Greenbelt file, something had to be done and done fast.

The coming review, he announced Tuesday , was needed perhaps even more than the building of new homes as it looked like his government was suddenly sitting on shaky foundation. A stepping back from these controversial Greenbelt deals to make sure the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed was abundantly clear to everybody but Ford and now former housing minister Steve Clark.

When asked Aug. 10 about just making sure there were no backroom favours done and reverse agreements if there had been, both politicians were defiant and pushed ahead on following 14 of the recommendations from the auditor general but not the 15th to stop the agreements to free up Greenbelt lands altogether.

This was always a mistake, and this issue was not going to just go away. It eventually grew to a point where the RCMP were asked by the OPP to take a look to see if it needs probing, where Clark’s chief of staff, Ryan Amato, resigned followed by highly respected Clark being forced to step away from his cabinet role as well.

That was then. On Sept. 5, 2023 Ford said he’s asked new Housing Minister Paul Calandra to undertake a “complete review from top to bottom.” If only he and Clark had said that Aug. 11.



Paul Calandra, the minister of housing is being asked to review all Greenbelt land deals© Provided by Toronto Sun

While this issue has been a big problem for Ford, his bigger problem was the hit to his brand.

He, like his late mayor of Toronto brother Rob, are seen by the public as flawed characters but ones who can be trusted with public money. Developers passing land swap packages to a chief of staff at industry dinners stinks to high heaven to a public who may not know a lot about development but know the difference between an honest process and a potentially corrupt one.

They needed to be reassured this was not going to unfairly favour friends of the premier and of the Conservative Party, or take environmentally sensitive lands and turn them into cement villages. The premier asking for full review of not just the 14 properties in question but up to 800 others is designed to allay those concerns from a public who story trackers show are not particularly interested in following this story in large numbers.

“We are going to make sure there is merit to every application that comes forward,” said Ford.

While these words alone will not end this controversary, they do take the stinger out of the situation. The premier has acknowledged this has been a mess and mistakes were made and has held people accountable, which the public may note isn’t always noticeable with other governments.

A review won’t satisfy the opposition or media, who all have a job to do and who will rightly probe property owners, lobbyists, builders, and consultants. What it does do is slow the frenzy of those who smelled blood in the water and may have lunged too quickly at the throat of Ford and his government.

Ford’s review serves all masters in that it aims to ensure the deals are legitimate while not buckling to the extreme agenda driven by activists who merely want to keep land — ready for building much-needed housing — locked and out of play. In fact, Ford went a step further by saying hundreds of properties will be reviewed which could mean even more housing could eventually be built where it makes sense. Him mentioning building modular-style “starter homes” with “backyards” for about $500,000 on these lands was also a master stroke.



Former Clarington mayor John Mutton, who some claim is Mr. X, has posted photos of himself with many political leaders, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford.© Provided by Toronto Sun

If that really happens, people may not care what loud partisan politicians, pushing carbon taxes and congestive red tape and regulation to delay progress, have to say about it. People may not care about who Mr. X is if they are able to find an affordable place to raise their families.

While Ford’s moves may drive critics up the wall, it’s the kind of deft politics necessary to keep power and reminds of what the public saw with federal Liberals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skating through the SNC-Lavalin scandal that saw a decision trading jobs over prosecution.

Time will tell if Ford’s review is one of quality and will help him move past a bad month. While there are still many legitimate questions to be asked, if thousands of new affordable homes are built on swapped-out Greenbelt lands, the public’s already tepid interest may focus on the positive of all of this period.

Ford, and certainly Clark, may regret not moving on this approach earlier.

jwarmington@postmedia.com

Saskatchewan naming and pronoun policy: The best interests of children must guide provincial parental consent rules

Story by  Conor Barker, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology & Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University

Patrick Richards, PhD Candidate, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan 

Saskatchewan’s Premier Scott Moe recently shuffled his cabinet. Among the ministers changing portfolios is Dustin Duncan, who is being moved from education to overseeing the province’s Public Service Commission.

The changes came shortly after Duncan introduced new policies that require parental consent for students to participate in sexual health classes and to make name or pronoun changes if they are under the age of 16.

Duncan has not provided information regarding what research or legal precedent was used in formulating this policy. Several groups have spoken against the policy, including the trans community, Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and Saskatchewan School Boards Association.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) has called for the policy to be repealed and the ministerial directive is currently under review by the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth, who has indicated concern that the rights of children were not sufficiently considered.

A similar policy was also introduced in New Brunswick and similar policies are being considered in Ontario and Manitoba, sparking a contentious debate about the rights of children, the rights of parents and the role of schools and government in society.

While elected officials play a crucial role in shaping policies that align with the values of their constituents, they must also consider relevant research and legal context for a balanced approach. Otherwise, they risk destabilising classrooms and harming students.
Importance of inclusion in schools

It has been widely acknowledged that gender-variant children, including those who identify as trans or non-binary, are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, social isolation and even suicide. Creating supportive environments that acknowledge their chosen names and pronouns has been shown to mitigate these risks.

Many schools across Canada have implemented policies to address gender identity issues among students, aiming for a more inclusive educational environment. Parents and families are most often involved in the care of gender-variant youth in schools.

However, in some cases parents are not involved when it has been identified that informing parents presents real risks to the child, including abuse or abandonment. There is a necessity of policy to address this reality that places children in danger.
Parental rights

Parental rights, often advocated by the religious right in North America, historically influenced areas like homeschooling. The parental rights movement is based on the concept that children are property of the parents with limited rights. The movement has found resurgence in the United States and has started to become more influential in Canada.

Historically, groups who oppose social progress have used parental rights as a guise, whether it was about segregated schools, sexual health education or gay rights. They would often suggest that schools exclude parents and harm children. In truth, schools and school policy promote parent engagement for improved child outcomes.

Read more: 'Parental rights' lobby puts trans and queer kids at risk

Saskatchewan has a strong tradition of parent-school co-operation in education. Small school districts were a feature of the province. They kept decision-making local and thus more accessible to parents.

Nevertheless, parent councils have been a more recent legal entity in Saskatchewan when they were legislated in the 1990s. Parents in these councils often serve the role as community liaison. Given the strong collaboration between schools and parents, we question the necessity of provincial parental consent policy. Parent involvement is already promoted at the community, local school division, school and classroom levels.
Rights of children

Recently, the rights of children have gained prominence, particularly in the context of disputes between parents and mandatory vaccinations in schools. In Canada, children are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the country is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Several key articles from the convention are relevant to this discussion, including rights for non-discrimination, rights for life, survival and development, rights to express their views, rights to identity, nationality and family relations and the best interests of the child principle.

It’s important to note that Article 5 of the convention — which stipulates that the state should respect parents’ responsibilities, rights and duties — should also be considered. The convention does not confer sole determination of a child’s best interests on parents, nor does it exclude them from being seen as discriminatory actors. Rather, it places the onus on the state to safeguard these rights.

The state bears the responsibility of protecting children from discrimination and ensuring their well-being, opinions and growth. Notably, even though specific terms like “trans” may not be explicitly mentioned, Canada does include gender within the scope of non-discrimination. The convention underscores that a child has the right to preserve their identity and name, distinct from the parent’s authority.

In Saskatchewan, parents have roles in decision-making through directly electing school trustees, participating on school community councils and by having the right to homeschool their children. The state has responsibilities for child welfare.

Policies concerning legal names in schools must be scrutinized to avoid violating individuals’ rights to non-discrimination as outlined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and multiple articles in the UN’s convention on the Rights of the Child.

We advise Saskatchewan’s Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill to be guided by the best interests of children in the review of this policy. Provincial policies must support Saskatchewan schools that respect children’s rights, protect children from harm and engage parents on their role and responsibilities within public education.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:

New Brunswick’s LGBTQ+ safe schools debate makes false opponents of parents and teachers

5 things to know about Drag Queen Story Time

Conor Barker receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Leader Post

Letters: Not accepting gender diversity is where the problem begins

New Saskatchewan Party government policies on gender identify are not building an inclusive environment in schools, writes Martin Been.

© Provided by Leader Post

I don’t get it, but then for the life of me maybe I’m not supposed to.

As human beings, we are all created differently and that is what makes us unique. In this gender-diverse world in which we now live, who are we to judge anyone’s choices?

Acceptance of those things beyond our control has never been our forte; however, in the interest of inclusion and progress, we must learn to do better.

When the government announced that certain choices require parental consent in schools, while removing resources from third-party experts in the field of comprehensive sexual health education, it suggested this government that has lost touch with the real world.

One would assume that any government involvement would aim towards building comprehensive, inclusive programming within our education facilities that are supportive of children as they learn to develop and express their identity, including their gender identity.

These programs could help children flourish in life, providing kids not only with assurances and gentle encouragement, but also the tools, skills, and language to navigate conversations with people in their lives.

Instead, we’re forced to abide by this government’s ideology, which places children in the untenable position of being forced to risk parental ostracization in the interest of self-determination.

An ideology that lacks compassion while isolating the most vulnerable members of society, our children, is a poor one.

Martin Been, Saskatoon

Bigger agenda swirls around trans-gender kids


“The parent has a right to teach their values to a child. The parent does not have a right to a state apparatus to force the child to live by their values” — New Brunswick Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock.

As outlined in the Aug. 29 issue of the Washington Post, the well-organized so-called parents’ rights movement is the culmination of decades-long advocacy.

Supporting fear of public schools is used to encourage increased funding for private schools and home schooling, not just in Saskatchewan but across North America.

In his Aug. 30 column in the Globe and Mail, conservative columnist John Ibbitson identifies recent action in some provinces as a dog whistle to intolerance and effectively points out the importance of allowing students to confide in trusted teachers.

If we were to determine minority rights by polls , many discriminatory policies would never change.

Former education ministe r Dustin Duncan admitted that he did seek out expert opinion or research — part of a disturbing trend to ignore and denigrate expertise.

He then suggested that supports would be in place for students who might be in danger if parents were aware of their questioning of their gender or sexual orientation.

That is simply not true. Those supports do not exist and support will be weakened if teachers are afraid to have students confide in them for fear that they must tell parents.

Most of us attended schools and trust public education. If we stand by quietly, it will be weakened by a vocal minority who do not support it and a like-minded government.

David Steele, Regina

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Opinion: Alberta's compassionate intervention legislation not necessary

Opinion by Murray Billett

Edmontonians gather outside the Alberta Legislature during a rally calling for the Province to move to a safe supply and safe consumption model instead of forced rehabilitation for Albertan's experiencing drug addictions, in Edmonton Monday June 26, 2023

. Photo by David Bloom© Provided by Edmonton Journal

The mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith to Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams with respect to the UCP proposed draconian “Compassionate Intervention Legislation” is sure to fail.

Smith’s letter to arrest addicts sets the stage for another fiasco, yet Minister Williams “believes they are on the right path.”

Canadian history has taught us this type of law will surely fail, plus, will inevitably end up in yet another pricey, taxpayer-funded, Judicial charter challenge.

Astonishingly, the UCP solution to this complex disease is to criminalize, arrest and force intervention upon addicted Albertans. No promise of successful sustained sobriety, and no assurance that they may return to previous behaviours. How many times can one be arrested? How long can they restrict their freedom or keep them detained or under arrest? What criteria or thresholds to arrest would apply?

Related video: Alberta NDP says UCP has ‘dramatically underfunded education’ (Global News)   Duration 2:10  View on Watch

Would the addicted professional be arrested when their behaviour and actions put themselves or others at risk be arrested promptly? Perhaps the focus might apply to those who are down on their luck, homeless and surviving on our streets doing what they can to survive. So many unanswered questions that with a process that will lead to additional impacts on policing time, Mental Health court and lawyer’s time, jail/prison time as the circularity of addiction continues.

A typical UCP “tough on crime” disingenuous attempt at arresting and forcing intervention upon a population that has been dismissed and diminished and mistreated for decades.

If the Minister did a modicum of research, he would find a series of similar failures. Forced intervention isn’t new to Canada. In Nova Scotia in 1908, the first “eugenics movement” in the country when the “League for the Care and Protection of Feebleminded Persons” was established. The Alberta Sexual Sterilization Act passed in 1928 and incredibly not repealed until 1972, in the terminology of the day, as “a mental defective”. It was part of a misguided program overseen by the now defunct Alberta Eugenics Board (1928-1971) to stop the transference of biological defects to the next generation of deviants, all of which failed with enormous emotional and financial ramifications.

As a former member of the Edmonton Police Commission and former member of the Alberta Review Board, I am all too familiar with profound complex care protocols with respect to mental health and addiction. The Alberta Review Board, the current jurisdiction that manages people that are at risk to themselves and/or to others, has been in place for decades. Why would the Premier want to duplicate services and legislation that already exists?

Now in 2023 the UCP with their wayward moral compass spinning out of control, believe forced intervention is a logical solution.

Addiction is not a crime, never has been, it’s not a moral failure, nor lack of control or character. Addicted people exist in every aspect of society, rich or poor. The addicted mind will choose self-medicating in all its forms. Anything to quiet the mind and sorrow to avoid the pain of the profound complexities of life. Those facing addiction have few alternatives or resources when current addiction centers cost tens of thousands of dollars. None of them with guaranteed recovery, just like the proposed legislation. In reality the staggering failures in addiction treatment is decades of minimal government funding that has led to today’s realities. Arresting addicted people might look appropriate to some, while in reality criminal/compassionate intervention is not necessary nor a solution.

Our diverse Alberta families deserve better.

Pediatricians call youth overdoses a public health emergency. What will end it?

Story by Naomi Barghiel • GLOBAL NEWS

The Alberta government is taking steps to prevent and reduce tobacco use among underage youth and limit children’s exposure to second-hand smoke.© Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Most parents assume substance addiction and overdoseing isn’t an immediate threat to their children, says Drug Free Kids Canada (DFKC) executive director Chantal Vallerand, but studies pointing to a growing crisis say otherwise.

As students prepare to go back to school -- where peer influence is highly prevalent -- prevention organizations are urging parents, caregivers and schools to take action against the rising risk of substance abuse to youth.

“Parents don’t think their kids are at risk. It’s always somebody else’s kid. But it’s more important than ever to take preventative measures,” Vallerand told Global News.

A report by the 2022 Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) surveying 1,000 pediatricians has called drug overdoses among children and teens a public health emergency.

The number of youth suffering from severe, life-threatening overdose is increasing and has become the leading cause of death in children 10 to 18 years of age in Western Canada, the report says.

Stimulant overdose was the most commonly reported, followed by sedatives, then opioid overdoses.

A survey by DFKC found that only 11 per cent of Ontario high-schoolers admitted to using opioids or prescription drugs for recreational use, but Vallerand warns there is still a high risk.

“It’s not the vast majority, it’s not the substance of choice for initiation… but things could still turn up bad like the stats we’re seeing on overdosing,” Vallerand said.

Vallerand says parents or any trusted adults that have a relationship with a child, play an essential role in limiting the risk of harm to youth when it comes to substance use.

DFKC’s annual tracking study surveys parents and children separately. Each year kids have listed their parents as their most reliable source of information, followed by school and then peers.
‘Just say no’ approach is outdated, say experts

Vallerand says the “just say no” lecture approach to educating youth on substance use is outdated, as it is anchored in the belief of abstinence as a solution.

Instead, DFKC aims to help educate and empower parents to normalize the conversation, she says.

“We’re proposing for parents to have early discussions, informed discussions, approaching it with curiosity as opposed to lecturing a kid,” Vallerand said.

Vallerand adds that while she is all for supporting youth who are already suffering from addiction, prevention is important.

“Let’s make sure we equip kids to make informed decisions about their health. When they go to a party and they’re being offered whatever drug, you want them to make the best decisions for themselves,” she said.

“It’s not easy, it can be intimidating, but we really encourage parents to start the conversation early.”

Video: Why early intervention in youth mental health is important, according to expert

This year’s tracking survey also found that 49 per cent of kids who admitted to using prescription drugs recreationally got them from home.

As part of National Drug Drop-Off month during August, DFKC encouraged parents to limit accessibility to prescription drugs at home, making sure they are safely stored or disposed of if no longer needed. Safe disposal means bringing drugs back to the pharmacy, for example, rather than throwing them in the toilet or garbage.

Another reliable source of information on substance use are schools. D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) originated in 1983 and offers schools around the world curriculums that aim to provide kids with the skills they need to live healthy and safe lives.

One ten-week program offered in Canada and internationally is keepin’ it REAL, taught by law enforcement officers rather than teachers. It covers problem solving, risk, peer pressure, bullying and stress.

“It’s very much about empowering young people to use their brain, to educate themselves, to become more confident… more resilient, so that when… there’s peer pressure for them to do something or try a drug, they have more confidence and more skills to resist,” Shawn Evans, retired Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer and member of D.A.R.E Canada, told Global News.

A three-year, multi-longitudinal study of D.A.R.E.’s keepin’ it REAL program by UNC Greensboro and Prevention Strategies found statistically significant reductions in the prevalence of alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and vaping among students who received the program. It was entirely successful in preventing marijuana use, the report found.

ABC’s of Youth Substance Use is another project aiming to build up the capacity of adults around young people.

The initiative is funded by the government of British Columbia and promotes evidence-based approaches to youth substance use education in B.C. schools.

The ABCs refers to Autonomy, Belonging and Competencies. According to Ash Amlani who co-leads the program, the ABCs are essential stepping stones to promoting youth wellbeing, preventing, delaying and reducing harms related to substance use.

“A lot of our focus and attention on the ABCs is really on all of the adults in the school building, as well as the administrators that are surrounding and supporting youth as they grow older,” Amlani told Global News.

One way the project supports schools is by giving them the ability to refer parents with tools and resources on youth substance use.

“Sometimes the folks in the school building become the bridge between the two systems,” said Amlani, who is also the former harm reduction epidemiologist for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

“A lot of times teachers or principals are called on to support parents (by) talking to parents about what’s happening with their child,” she said.

Video: Program launched in Richmond to help at-risk youth receive support

Amlani echoed Vallerand’s sentiments on the “just say no” tactic for substance use discussions, saying it limits the conversation.

“When you just say no, well, what if I’m in an environment when someone else has said yes? What do I do in that situation? So we want to create that sense of safety. Being able to have those open, candid conversations (is part of that),” she said.
What is causing youth to seek substances?

Amlani says sometimes substance use is introduced as a coping mechanism for some young people. While substances aren’t often the first thing they go to, for some it becomes a critical part of coping.

“Post-COVID I would say this is a very common experience. Youth have really struggled with their mental health. Some experience social anxiety… sleep patterns have been very disrupted. So there’s lots of things that youth are dealing with,” Amlani said.

In a 2022 study by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSUA), only one in four youth between the ages of 16 and 24 reported having excellent or very good mental health

Fifty-one per cent of participants reported problematic cannabis use. 37 per cent reported increased alcohol use.

Wellstream is another initiative investigating how to better support youth substance use through the school system.

Based in B.C., and part of the Canadian Centre for Innovation in Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use, the initiative launched as a response to the need for research and programming aimed at addressing the upstream issues that affect mental health and substance use for kids.

Dr. Emily Jenkins is the head of research for Wellstream. She says there have been a number of initiatives to address the crisis of overdosing as the leading cause of death among young people in B.C., but other interventions that “span the whole spectrum of substance use” are missing. That includes initiatives aimed at mitigating crimes and preventing the early onset of substance use.

Jenkins notes that a large portion of the youth who died in B.C. due to overdose in the last few years had involvement with the child welfare system.

“What that tells us is that this issue is particularly concentrated among youth who experience or have histories of trauma, of violence, poverty, of racism, the complex relationships between these issues,” Jenkins told Global News.

“In order to help address where the need is concentrated, we need to have approaches that are really responsive to the underlying issues that are influencing substance use,” she said.

Jenkins says treatment beds are important, but it’s also essential to pay attention to how governments provide safe and secure housing and opportunities for education and meaningful employment.

“Without doing that, we’re going to continue to be chasing this problem, which is not an okay solution,” she said.