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News in ReviewResource GuideFebruary 2012

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CreditsResource Guide Writers: Sean Dolan, Kim Earle, Peter Flaherty, Jim L’Abbé, Copy Editor and Desktop Publisher: Susan RosenthalProduction Assistant: Carolyn McCarthyResource Guide Editor: Peter Flaherty and Jill ColyerSupervising Manager: Laraine BoneHost: Michael SerapioSenior Producer: Nigel GibsonProducer: Lou Kovacs Video Writer: Nigel GibsonDirector: Douglas SyrotaGraphic Artist: Mark W. HarveyEditor: Stanley Iwanski

News in Review, February 20121. The Emergency in Attawapiskat (Length: 14:15)2. Canada and the Jobless Crisis (Length: 14:52)3. The Horror and Fear of Honour Killing (Length: 12:41)4. The Bloodbath in Syria (Length: 14:11)

CBC News in Review • February 2012 • Page 3

ContentsIn This Issue . . . ......................................................................................... 4

THE EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKAT ..................................... 6Introduction ..............................................................................................................6Video Review ..........................................................................................................7Background to the Crisis ..........................................................................................9Political Responses ................................................................................................12A Recurring Problem ............................................................................................15Activity: Addressing the Issue ..............................................................................17

CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISIS ...................................... 18Introduction ............................................................................................................18Video Review .........................................................................................................19Background to the Crisis ........................................................................................22The Business Cycle ................................................................................................25Youth Unemployment ............................................................................................27Activity: Get a job! ................................................................................................29

THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLING ................... 30Introduction ............................................................................................................30Video Review .........................................................................................................31What is honour killing? ..........................................................................................33The Shafia Case ......................................................................................................35The Community Reacts ..........................................................................................39Activity: Raising Awareness and Taking Action ....................................................42

THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIA .................................................... 43Introduction ............................................................................................................43Video Review .........................................................................................................44Syria: A Brief History ............................................................................................46How should the world respond? ............................................................................50Activity: Monitoring Media Coverage ..................................................................53

News in Review Index ............................................................................ 54

CBC News in Review • February 2012 • Page �

NiR Study ModulesUsing print and video material from archival issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create thematic modules for independent assignments, and small group study.

Related CBC VideosOther videos available from CBC Learning; see the back cover for contact details.

CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISIS (Length: 1�:52)In December, Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 7.5 per cent, its highest level since April. Experts said Canada’s economy appears to be stalling, and the situation is particularly bleak in the country’s two largest provinces, Quebec and Ontario. In this News in Review story, we examine the troubling situation and look at how two Ontario cities are trying to recover.

In This Issue . . .

NiR Study ModulesThe Rise of the Occupy Movement

December 2011The Eurozone and the Economic Crisis

November 2011The G20 Summit: Talks and Teargas

September 2010Is the Recession Really Over?

December 2009

THE EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKAT (Length: 1�:15)In late October, the First Nations community of Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency. Many residents of the isolated reserve in Northern Ontario were living in tents, trailers, and temporary shelters, even as winter closed in on them. In this News in Review story we look at the desperate state of that community and why it needs help so badly.

NiR Study ModulesRevising the History of the Americas

May 2011Residential Schools: Truth and Healing

September 2010Canada’s Residential School Apology

September 2008Toxic Water: The Kashechewan Story

December 2005

Related CBC Videos8th FireCrowfoot DynastyReaching Out: Sandy Bay, SKStolen ChildrenStolen Children: Truth and Reconciliation

Related CBC VideosCanada’s Social Safety NetCanadian InnovationsThe Greatest Canadian InventionMeltdown: The Secret History of the

Global Financial Collapse

CBC News in Review • February 2012 • Page �

Sections marked with this symbol contain content suitable for younger viewers.

THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIA (Length: 14:11)For almost a year hundreds of thousands of people have been staging massive protests in the streets of Syria. They are demanding the resignation of the country’s ruler, Bashar al-Assad. But his regime’s response has been a bloody one, and thousands of protesters have been gunned down. In this News in Review story we look at the Syrian revolution and at what’s being done to try to stop the killing.

THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLING (Length: 12:41)A high-profile murder trial in Kingston, Ontario, has drawn attention to the isolated but growing phenomenon of so-called honour killing. It’s a crime where cultural clashes can lead some families to murder their own relatives. In this News in Review story we examine this sensitive subject and look at how some Canadian women are living in fear.

Exercises marked with this symbol indicate that a worksheet to aid in the exploration of the topic is available online.

NiR Study ModulesHow Tolerant Are Canadians? May 2010Afghanistan and the Rights of Women

May 2009

Related CBC VideosBeyond the VeilF-Word: Who Wants to Be a Feminist?Half the Sky: Women in ChinaHarambee: Educating Girls in KenyaOf Fatwas & Beauty QueensResilience: Stories of Single Black Mothers

NiR Study ModulesLibya and the Fall of Gadhafi, October 2011The Uprising in Libya, April 2011Egypt and the Days of Anger, March 2011The Assassination of Rafik Hariri

February 2011

Related CBC VideosAnatomy of a RevolutionBloody Saturday: The Winnipeg General

StrikeIran’s Young RebelsRemote Control War


FocusThis News in Review story examines the desperate situation facing the First Nations community of Attawapiskat, the federal government’s handling of it, and public reaction to the emergency.

THE EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKAT IntroductionCanadians are proud to describe their country as “the True North strong and free.” This conjures up a mental image of a magnificent, resource-rich land reaching all the way to the Arctic as far as the North Pole. But the media pictures coming out of Attawapiskat, a First Nations community located on James Bay, were anything but magnificent when they began to appear in late 2011. Residents of Attawapiskat were shown preparing for winter in accommodation totally inadequate for any season. Many families were housed in tents, trailers, and plywood shacks—in some cases without running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing. And, primitive as most housing was, it was also overcrowded; in several cases one home was shared by more than one family.

The plight of the reserve’s residents only came to light when the band council declared a state of emergency, asking that inadequately housed residents be evacuated before winter set in. The band council saw its emergency declaration as a necessary measure to gain the attention of the federal government, and it worked—but not exactly as planned.

First to respond to the community was not Ottawa but the Canadian Red Cross, mounting the kind of operation it usually carries out for a natural disaster abroad. In this case the CRC co-ordinated a donation campaign and bought generators, heaters, blankets, and winter clothing for the community. It

also agreed to work with Attawapiskat residents to find temporary solutions for the lack of proper plumbing.

The federal government first responded to the emergency declaration by placing Attawapiskat under third-party management. This meant that the band no longer would have the right to determine how the funds it received would be spent or how much it could allocate for its priorities. Ottawa agreed to release additional funds to deal with the emergency, but they would be controlled by a temporary manager who was not a member of the reserve. Few decisions could have been more upsetting to Attawapiskat’s leaders. They accused the government of punishing the community for drawing attention to its problems and refused to allow the manager into the town. As of late January 2012, he continued to direct financial operations from an outside location.

After Prime Minister Harper’s moving residential schools apology to First Nations peoples in June 2008, many Canadians looked forward to a new era of improved relations between the government and aboriginal peoples. If nothing else, the Attawapiskat crisis shows that tensions still exist, that many First Nations people still face deep-rooted social and economic problems, and that a re-examination of the fundamentals of the relationship between aboriginal Canadians and the federal government is long overdue.

To Consider 1. Why were Canadians shocked by media images of housing conditions in

the remote First Nations community of Attawapiskat in late 2011?

2. How did the federal government respond to this community’s emergency?

3. Does the federal government have a moral responsibility to address the problems facing Attawapiskat and other First Nations communities with similar problems? Why or why not?


THE EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKATVideo Review

Pre-viewing QuestionsDuring the current crisis in Attawapiskat, Chief Theresa Spence said that conditions on the reserve were so bad that they were worse than those in a Third World nation. Attawapiskat, she said, was a “Fourth World nation.” What kinds of living conditions would you expect to find in a “Fourth World nation”? Make a list of at least five of these conditions. Compare your list with those of two of your classmates. After watching the video, compare your list with what you have seen as the actual conditions in Attawapiskat.

Viewing QuestionsRecord your responses to the following questions in the spaces provided.

1. How many people live in Attawapiskat?

2. How many families are living in condemned housing?

3. How many reserves are currently under boil-water advisories?

4. What has the federal government decided to do to deal with funding issues in Attawapiskat?

5. How far in debt is the Attawapiskat community?

6. How did the community respond to the appointment of a third-party manager?

7. How many homes could be built in Attawapiskat for $1-million?

8. How will the new modular homes be brought to Attawapiskat?

9. How many unfinished homes are currently sitting empty in Attawapiskat?

10. How are Lindy Mudd and his family planning to deal with conditions in Attawapiskat?


Post-viewing Discussion 1. Compare the lists you made of five conditions you would expect to find

in a “Fourth World nation” that you made before viewing the video with those completed after viewing. How are they different?

2. Lindy Mudd and his family speak of their need to leave the community so the kids don’t “fall through the cracks.” What changes do you think could be made to make Attawapiskat a better place for young people?

3. Some commentators have expressed the view that reserves like Attawapiskat are simply too isolated to survive and that the residents should be relocated closer to larger Canadian centres. How do you think the people of Attawapiskat would respond to that argument?

4. Some of the band leaders in Attawapiskat, joined by chiefs from across Canada, have asked the United Nations to determine if the federal government is living up to international obligations to respect Canada’s aboriginal peoples. Should the United Nations do so? How would you expect the federal government to respond to this request? (Note that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People was adopted in 2007; Canada signed on in 2010.)


THE EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKATBackground to the Crisis

Focus for ReadingAs you read this section, note the main developments in the unfolding emergency in Attawapiskat in chronological order, using a chart like the one below to summarize your information.

Time Span Main DevelopmentsA Long-running Problem

Enter De Beers and the Victor Mine

The Emergencies Continue

The 2011 Crisis

The housing crisis in Attawapiskat did not suddenly develop in 2011. Nor is it the only problem the community has been dealing with in recent years. In fact it was the third time in three years that the band council declared a state of emergency.

Like many isolated northern communities, Attawapiskat struggles with many problems, including unemployment, poverty, and substance abuse. It is unfortunate that it often takes a major crisis to draw the attention of the rest of Canada to conditions in First Nations communities in the northern regions of the country.

A Long-running ProblemIn 1993, Attawapiskat was in the news because a 17-year-old boy killed himself while high from sniffing gasoline. Alcohol abuse had long been a problem for Attawapiskat, and in 1991 the band council banned its use in the community. What it couldn’t ban, however, is gasoline. Gasoline is fundamental

Further ResearchExtensive CBC coverage of the housing crisis on First Nations reserves, including video clips, is available at www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/12/12/f-video-first-nation-housing.html.

to the hunting economy of northern communities, powering snowmobiles in the winter and boats in the summer. For at least 50 of the 800 children and teens living in Attawapiskat, gasoline became the intoxicant of choice. But not just in Attawapiskat; in 1993 alone, 23 young people died in solvent-related incidents in the 46 Northern Ontario First Nations communities that make up the Nishnawabe Aski Nation (NAN).

At the time of the 1993 solvent-related deaths, media stories noted that Attawapiskat residents had a great deal of pride in their community. But they also pointed out some major problems. About 90 per cent of the residents were on welfare. Housing was, for the most part, cheaply and poorly constructed. That housing was overcrowded; 203 families were on a waiting list for new homes to be built. The band council was $2-million in debt and unable to finish homes already under construction, let alone build new ones.

Further ResearchThe Nishnawabe Aski website is at www.nan.on.ca.

QuoteThe Globe and Mail (September 22, 1993) editorialized: “The biggest problem facing communities such as Attawapiskat appears to be very simple: there is next to nothing to do. There are limited recreational and educational opportunities for the young; limited work opportunities for everyone else.”

http://www.nan.on.ca/

http://www.nan.on.ca/


Another blow to the community came in 2000, when the elementary school was forced to close. A diesel spill in 1979 had polluted the property on which the school stood; dangerous conditions finally forced the school’s closing in 2000. Students were moved to a series of portables and remain there to this day. After several protests by Attawapiskat students, the federal government has promised to build a new school for the community in the coming year.

Enter De Beers and the Victor MineIn the early 2000s, De Beers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, began plans to develop an operation called the Victor Mine about 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat on traditional First Nations land. In 2005 the company signed an impact benefit statement (IBA) with the Attawapiskat First Nation.

The IBA promised the community $2-million per year, with that amount to increase if and when the mine becomes profitable. De Beers has also promised to train and hire as many aboriginal workers as possible for the project. During the construction period, about 800 First Nations people from the James Bay area were employed. Of the permanent work force of about 450, some 60 per cent are aboriginal.

De Beers has signed $325-million in contracts with First Nations companies since construction began in 2006. One of the real beneficiaries is Attawapiskat Resources, a corporation wholly owned by the Attawapiskat First Nation. It is involved in many of the day-to-day operations at the mine.

But Theresa Spence, the Attawapiskat chief, speaks for many First Nations people when she argues that the community should receive even more from sharing its resources. “Great riches are being taken from our land for the benefit of others, including the

governments of Canada and Ontario. They receive huge royalty payments and we receive so little. Herein lies the real problem affecting First Nations—the ability to develop communities with no financial basis.” (National Post, January 26, 2012)

The Emergencies ContinueIn May 2008 Attawapiskat was back in the news when hundreds of residents had to be evacuated because of fears of flooding caused by ice jams in the Attawapiskat River. About 900 people were flown to Hearst, Kapuskasing, and Greenstone until the threat subsided. 2009 was a year of constant conflict between Attawapiskat and the federal and Ontario governments. In April, the band council closed both of the community’s schools and declared a state of emergency because of air quality concerns. The concerns arose when demolishing the condemned elementary school (which had been closed in 2000) caused a strong diesel smell in the community. According to New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus: “We have 61 homes in the area where people have experienced symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea, vomiting, kids passing out in classrooms, nosebleeds . . . Those are classic symptoms of benzine (poisoning). We’ve got to do something here” (Toronto Star, April 10, 2009). The federal government insisted that testing indicated there were no health risks.

Three months later a sewage back-up destroyed eight buildings housing 90 people. The band council declared another emergency. Neither government agreed to evacuate the affected residents, insisting that the emergency plan called for displaced families to be accommodated in Attawapiskat. The band council chose to evacuate them anyway, insisting there was nowhere in the community for them

Further ResearchThe Victor Mine website is at www.debeerscanada.com/files_3/victor-mine.php. The Attawapiskat Resources website is at www.arinc.ca.

http://www.debeerscanada.com/files_3/victor-mine.php




http://www.arinc.ca/


to stay. De Beers provided two temporary trailers to accommodate the families once they returned. The families are still in those trailers today.

The 2011 CrisisOn October 28, 2011, Chief Theresa Spence called yet another state of emergency in Attawapiskat, citing inadequate housing for many in the community as they faced severe winter conditions. In November she travelled to Toronto to ask the Ontario Legislature to evacuate members of the community until the housing situation improved. “At the moment it really is a crisis we are facing. . . . We are in a Third World situation. I think we must do that (evacuate) because they are not in a safe environment right now and winter is coming” (Toronto Star, November 19, 2011).

This time the media were definitely paying attention, and the story received attention not only in Canada but also around the world. Canadians were appalled to see and read about conditions in Attawapiskat.

Governments were slow to respond to pressure from the community and other parts of Canada. First response came from the Canadian Red Cross, announcing that it would do all it could to prepare the community for winter conditions. John Saunders, the organization’s director of disaster management for Ontario, spoke to The

Globe and Mail (November 28, 2011): “What we are focusing on is to make sure they have beds to sleep on while they are in those tents, as opposed to sleeping on the floor, having warm blankets, sleeping bags, generators. We’re also going to be looking with the community to address some temporary sanitation solutions, so that people aren’t using buckets as toilets.”

In December, the community and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan agreed on a stability plan to meet with the immediate needs of the community. Emergency supplies would continue to be flown into Attawapiskat. As soon as possible, a retrofit would be completed at the community healing centre so it could accommodate families through the winter. And 22 new modular homes would be brought in over the winter ice road to provide new housing in the long term.

Nonetheless, relations between the federal government and the Attawapiskat band council remained strained. The government, questioning the council’s past use of government funding, appointed a representative to oversee the band’s financing. The band refused to allow him entry to the reserve. Although the third-party manager is intended to serve only until the emergency is resolved, he continues to control the band’s finances for the foreseeable future.

Did you know . . .On January 24, 2012, the Prime Minister and government officials met with more than 400 chiefs from across Canada. The chiefs hope that this might mark the beginning of a real dialogue with Ottawa on the need to address the issues behind the emergency in Attawapiskat and other remote First Nations communities across Canada.

Follow-up 1. With a partner or in a small group, compare the information you recorded

in your summary charts about the main developments in the emergency in Attawapiskat. Help each other complete any missing information.

2. Why do you think the problems in Attawapiskat did not attract widespread media and public attention prior to the 2011 emergency?

3. Do you think that public concern about this emergency will lead to a serious effort on the part of the federal government to address it in a meaningful way? Why or why not?


EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKATPolitical ResponsesThis section of the guide contains the comments of many of the individuals directly involved in the crisis at Attawapiskat. As you read the quotations, determine which, if any, of the four categories below that they fall into, using the chart that follows to organize your responses.

Many of the reporters and commentators covering the recent Attawapiskat housing crisis agreed on one thing: the responses of governments, members of opposition parties, and First Nations leaders were typical of those offered during previous crises. Those responses included:1. Disagreement between the federal

and provincial governments over responsibility for responding to the emergency declaration.

2. The opposition parties blaming the government for conditions on the reserves.

3. The federal government defending its funding policies and pointing the finger at mismanagement by the community’s band council.

4. The community, supported by other First Nations chiefs from across Canada, accusing the government of blaming instead of helping the victims.

Source of Quotation Category of ResponseCharlie Angus

Kathleen Wynne

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario

John Duncan

Stephen Harper

Theresa Spence

Charlie AngusCharlie Angus is a member of the New Democratic Party and the MP for Timmins-James Bay (the riding of which Attawapiskat is a part). Angus has been a strong spokesperson for the rights of First Nations communities and helped focus media attention on the housing crisis in Attawapiskat. Writing on December 2, 2011, for the online political periodical the Huffington Post in the U.S., Angus described the Attawapiskat crisis as “Canada’s Katrina moment,” setting the tone for a nasty debate: “Attawapiskat is Canada’s Katrina moment. The bumbling inaction from Minister John Duncan certainly resembles the Bush government and the FEMA response. But on a more symbolic

level, Harper’s response to Attawapiskat exposes an ugly, underlying racial divide, just as the indifference to the black population in flooded New Orleans tarnished the American reputation internationally.

“Attawapiskat is certainly not on the scale of Katrina. But Attawapiskat is the tip of the iceberg for the numerous Bantustan-style homelands of the far north. Years of chronic under-funding and bureaucratic indifference have created a Haiti north where dying in slow motion on ice-filled shantytowns is considered the norm” (www.huffingtonpost.ca/charlie-angus/attawapiskat-reserve_b_1126595.html#s487209).


The Ontario GovernmentWhen Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence declared a state of emergency in October, she first requested assistance from the federal (Conservative) government. In November she turned to the Ontario (Liberal) provincial government, requesting evacuation assistance. Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Kathleen Wynne, expressed her government’s concern about the situation in Attawapiskat, but went on to say: “We cannot operate without the federal government. I am reaching out, I am willing to work with them, but the federal government has to be in the lead and they have to step up to the plate” (Toronto Star, November 25, 2011).

Wynne’s response—and the ongoing lack of response from the federal government—motivated the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario to send a letter to both Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper: “We are deeply ashamed that federal and provincial officials are pointing fingers at each other and refuse to take responsibility, particularly as children and elders of Attawapiskat face life-threatening conditions as winter approaches.

“We are profoundly concerned about the dangers of fire, freezing, infectious diseases, skin conditions, and mental health challenges that arise when people are forced to live in inhumane conditions.”

The Federal GovernmentFederal Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan was quoted more than once saying that his department was unaware of housing problems in Attawapiskat until after Chief Spence declared an emergency on October 28, 2011.

Once the government became aware of the problem, however, it responded. Duncan told the House of Commons: “We are deeply concerned about the situation. The community is facing a

number of challenges. We have had ongoing discussions with the chief and council in order to make progress on addressing these issues. My officials will be in the community early next week to discuss next steps. . . . Part of our overall next steps is to get to a place where proper local administration and governance can ensure there is progress being made in the community” (The Globe and Mail, November 26, 2011).

Duncan’s concern with governance was echoed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who noted that over $90-million had been given to Attawapiskat since 2006, and the community still had major problems. “That is over $50,000 for every man, woman, and child in the community. Obviously, we are not very happy that the results do not seem to have been achieved for that. We are concerned about that. We have officials looking into it and taking action.”

The action taken, of course, was the appointment of a third-party manager to take temporary control of the band’s finances—at least until the government is satisfied that its financial contribution is being appropriately used by the band.

The Band CouncilAs one might expect, the band council and other First Nations leaders were less than thrilled by this development. Chief Theresa Spence reacted (Toronto Star, December 1, 2011): “I’m very shocked. We were in the process of emergency planning. It tells me (federal officials) are not really helping us. They’re penalizing us for helping our own people.”

She was later quoted by The Globe and Mail (December 2, 2011): “It is incredible that the Harper government’s decision is that instead of offering aid and assistance to Canada’s first peoples, their solution is to blame the victim and that the community is guilty and deserving of their fate.”

Did you know . . .In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast, hitting the city of New Orleans especially hard and devastating areas largely inhabited by the city’s black population. The U.S. federal government’s response—and the work of FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency—has been severely criticized as too little too late. Parts of New Orleans remain unreconstructed, and a large part of the evacuated black population has never returned to the city.

Did you know . . .Attawapiskat First Nation is actually one of the few First Nations communities to post its financial statement online. They are available to any interested party at www.attawapiskat.org/financial-statements/.

http://www.attawapiskat.org/financial-statements/




Follow-up 1. With a partner or in a small group compare the information you gathered

in your charts. How did you classify the quotations from the various political figures discussed in this section?

2. How would you evaluate the federal government’s response to the emergency at Attawapiskat?

3. Do you agree with NDP MP Charlie Angus’s comparison of Attawapiskat with Hurricane Katrina? Why or why not?


EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKATA Recurring Problem

Focus for ReadingUsing the chart below as an organizer, summarize the main problems the three First Nations communities discussed in this section have in common.

Community ProblemsPikangikum

Wasagamack

Kashechewan

For many Canadians, being unaware of the problems of isolated Northern First Nations communities is not unusual. But Attawapiskat may be the rule, rather than the exception. Here are three other examples of First Nations communities that have faced and continue to deal with difficult social and economic problems.

Pikangikum Pikangikum First Nation is located 100 kilometres northwest of Red Lake, Ontario. Like Attawapiskat, it can be reached only by air or winter ice road. Pikangikum is often called the suicide capital of Canada. Over the last 10 years there have been more than 60 suicides in the community of about 2 400 people. Even more astounding, in 2001 there

Quote“All across northern Canada are these isolated little . . . homelands, where people live on top of each other in mouldy shacks and where dying in slow motion is a way of life. The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development was not aware of any of this.” — MP Charlie Angus (Toronto Star, December 2, 2011)

For Your InformationA short CBC documentary on Pikangikum is available at www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/2011/12/pikangikum.html.

A video on housing conditions in Wasagamack prepared by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=JriVUBjkeck.

were 35 suicide attempts. By 2009 there were 97. Most of the suicides came in clusters and involved young people. Nearly half of them were solvent abusers (there are over 100 addicted gasoline sniffers in Pikangikum). Such attempts are not declining; five youth committed suicide in one 44-day period in 2011. Community leaders and youth agree on one major cause: there is little or nothing for young people to do in Pikangikum.

The Ontario government ordered a special review of Pikangikum’s suicide epidemic. It cited several of the problems that also face other First Nations communities: no running water, no sewage treatment, overcrowding, extreme poverty, and run-down housing in need of replacement. In 2007 the

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/2011/12/pikangikum.html




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JriVUBjkeck




government of Canada promised $46-million for infrastructure improvements. These would include a new school, linking the community to the provincial electrical grid, and new sewer and water treatment facilities. None of these commitments have been fulfilled (the construction of the new school is apparently not planned until 2017). The Ontario coroner’s special report asked the federal government to live up to its commitments and responsibilities by building a new school, providing additional housing, building sewer and water treatment facilities, and creating a treatment centre in the community for substance abusers.

Wasagamack Wasagamack is another northern community—located about 600 kilometres north of Winnipeg—accessible only by air and ice road. It is a community of about 1 800. The majority live in conditions identical to those in Attawapiskat: crowded into dilapidated homes without sewers and running water. Some homes, little more than shacks, have 18 or more people living in them. Few have enough beds, and many end up sleeping on the floor. Black mould, an extremely toxic substance, is a common problem.

Kashechewan Another northern Ontario community, Kashechewan, is plagued by spring

flooding, which has from time to time resulted in evacuation of most of the community’s residents. But other water problems have also plagued the community. In 2005 high E. coli levels were discovered in the town’s drinking water, causing a rash of skin problems. This led to an emergency evacuation by the Ontario government of 60 per cent of the community’s 1 900 members, at a cost of about $16-million. The federal government had announced just one day previously that it would not carry out an evacuation.

Like Attawapiskat, Kashechewan has significant housing problems. Along with a third First Nations community, Fort Albany, Kashechewan declared a state of emergency in 2011 as did Attawapiskat. According to MP Charlie Angus, Fort Albany and Kashechewan decided to defer to Attawapiskat to make the case for all of them.

“They know you’re not going to get a full-scale response across the board,” Angus explained. “Even though in Kashechewan we have people in tents, and in Fort Albany we have major housing issues, Attawapiskat was seen as Ground Zero of the problem. The other communities said, ‘Okay, let’s focus on Attawapiskat’” (The Globe and Mail, December 10, 2011).

Did you know . . . Of the roughly 500 000 people who live on Canada’s 3 117 reserves, thousands are still without indoor plumbing, and a quarter of them rely on water systems that pose potential risks to health, safety, and the environment. More than 120 First Nation communities were under a drinking-water advisory as of October 31, 2011 (www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/24/f-first-nations-infrastructure.html).

Did you know . . .A recent CBC News story on First Nations infrastructure discussed many of the ongoing problems in Canada’s First Nations communities (www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/24/f-first-nations-infrastructure.html). While it confirmed that plenty of money had been spent on the problems, it also showed that much remained to be done. Follow-up

1. With a partner or in a small group compare the information in your summary charts. Help each other complete any missing information. Compare the problems identified in the three First Nations communities discussed in this section with those you have learned about Attawapiskat in this CBC News in Review video.

2. Attawapiskat’s declaration of a state of emergency successfully drew public attention to the community’s problems. What do you think will happen in Attawapiskat once the story fades from public attention? What effect is the current attention given to Attawapiskat likely to have on the similar problems in other First Nations communities?

http://pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/SearchRV.aspx?lang=eng

http://pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/SearchRV.aspx?lang=eng

http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1313426883501/1313426958782



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/24/f-first-nations-infrastructure.html











EMERGENCY IN ATTAWAPISKATActivity: Addressing the Issue “It is an issue of trust and respect. Only when this government realizes that it must work in a nation-to-nation relationship with aboriginal leaders will we start seeing real progress on the critical issues. Everything else flows from that.” — Charlie Angus, MP (charlieangus.ndp.ca)

• Who has the responsibility to address the problems facing Canada’s First Nations?

• How can these problems be addressed?

Form small groups to brainstorm answers for both these questions.

1. What steps might Canada and the First Nations take to deal with some of the major problems we have seen that are common to many isolated northern communities, such as:

• Poverty • Unemployment • Inadequate housing • Poor education • Alcohol and substance abuse

2. What responsibilities do federal political leaders—including those who are not members of the government—have to ensure that these problems are effectively addressed in a timely fashion?

When you have completed your brainstorming and arrived at consensus on your solutions, prepare a summary of your responses and present them to the rest of the class for further discussion.

After the discussion, you may wish to submit your ideas and solutions in the form of a short response paper.


CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISIS

Try telling the 1.5 million Canadians who are unemployed that Canada has one of the world’s strongest and most stable economies. After a year of ups and downs on the job front, Canada’s 2011 unemployment rate was stalled at a gloomy 7.5 per cent as the year came to an end. While economists continue to encourage Canadians to remain optimistic, the recession of 2008 is testing the patience of individuals who lost their jobs when the economy began its downward spiral in the fall of that year.

After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, economists were hopeful that the recession that followed would be short lived. In a sense, they were right. After a difficult two years the economy rebounded and prosperity appeared to be returning. But beneath the surface an even bigger bubble was about to burst. Banks, particularly in the United States, became very lenient about lending money, especially for mortgages. People started financing the purchase of houses, cars, and other products on credit, causing the economy to boom as demand grew. Then, in 2006, the U.S. housing market crashed, with home values in some regions dropping by as much as 30 per cent. This led to hundreds of thousands of foreclosures as the dream of home ownership vanished for people who were no longer able to continue making their monthly mortgage payments.

Meanwhile, the big three automakers

FocusThe global recession that began in 2008 showed no signs of easing at the beginning of 2012. This News in Review story looks at Canada’s troubling unemployment rate, particularly among young people, and the slow and uneven growth of the Canadian economy.

Did you know . . .Dot-com bubble refers to the surge in sales of computers, software, and peripherals as well as a dramatic rise in Internet-based company stock prices between 1995 and 2000. The bubble burst in 2001 when investor confidence waned and stock prices crashed back down to earth.

Introduction(General Motors, Chrysler, and to a lesser extent Ford) faced slumping sales and mounting debt, a deadly combination that put them on the verge of bankruptcy. This led to a financial disaster in the U.S. as the economy plunged into recession, with the automotive and banking sectors pleading for, and eventually receiving, a financial bailout package from the U.S. government. While the Canadian government did come to the aid of the automotive industry, the banking sector was able to stand on its own. Sound banking regulations and stable lending practices allowed Canadian banks to weather the recessionary storm better than almost any nation in the world. However, the damage was done, and by late 2008 Canada and the rest of the world followed the U.S. into a recession.

While the survival of the banking system may have spared Canada from the worst of the recession, the economic downturn was still felt in this country. Unemployment jumped from a pre-recession figure of six per cent to over eight per cent at the lowest point of the downturn. By 2011, more than a million Canadians were looking for work in what financial analysts were calling a “jobless recovery.” Meanwhile, economists warned that the job market was not likely to improve for at least another year, leading many to wonder when and if Canada would be able to crawl, rather than surge, out of the recession.

To Consider 1. How many people were unemployed by the end of 2011? Does this number

seem high in light of the fact that the Canadian economy was considered one of the strongest in the world as the recession took hold?

2. What events in the U.S. contributed to the onset of the recession?

3. Economists are asking people to remain optimistic, but why is this difficult in light of the current economic situation?


CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISISVideo Review

Pre-viewing QuestionsWith a partner or in a small group discuss and respond to the questions below.

1. What is a recession?

2. What is the difference between a recession and a depression?

3. How would you describe the state of Canada’s economy at present?

4. Do you think economic conditions in Canada will improve in 2012? Why or why not?

Viewing QuestionsAs you watch the video, respond to the questions in the spaces provided.

1. a) Why was Canada able to manage the 2008 global recession better than other nations?

b) What international events have slowed the Canadian economic recovery since then?

2. Why are the job numbers from month to month troubling for some economic analysts?

3. What two areas of the economy have suffered the greatest job losses since the start of the recession?


4. What was the unemployment rate in December 2011? Did the economy appear to be on the road to recovery or were the gains considered modest?

5. What was the youth unemployment rate in December 2011? Why is this a cause for concern?

6. What factors are contributing to the widening gap between the rich and the poor?

7. How much more money do the richest 10 per cent make compared to the poorest 10 per cent?

8. Which province is doing the best in terms of creating jobs? Which province is doing the worst?

9. How did the downsizing of the auto industry in the 1990s and the economic collapse of 2008 affect St. Catharines, Ontario?

10. How does Mayor Brian McMullan plan to revitalize the St. Catharines economy?

11. How do business owners and the citizens of St. Catharines feel about the mayor’s plan?

12. What is Windsor doing to stimulate its economy?

13. How many jobs has Windsor lost since 2003?

14. What does Windsor resident Les Danielski think of Windsor’s economic prospects?

15. What do economists forecast for the Canadian economy in 2012?


Post-viewing QuestionsJoin with your partner or small group again and respond to the following questions.

1. Now that you have watched the video, revisit your answers to the Pre-viewing Questions. Add any information you learned from the video, or otherwise update your answers.

2. Does the video suggest that the recession that started in 2008 could lead to a depression? How much more devastating is a depression than a recession?

3. How do individual stories like those of Nila Zameni and Diane Jackson help to put a human face on the jobless crisis in Canada?

4. Do you share the optimism of the mayors of St. Catharines and Windsor that their cities will eventually rebound from the recession? Why or why not?


CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISISBackground to the Crisis

Reading PromptThe former head of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, once commented that investors enjoying the benefits of a prosperous economy often behave with “irrational exuberance.” Blinded by the pursuit of profit, many financial professionals forget the sound business decisions that built the prosperous economy and begin throwing money around in what Greenspan refers to as a “speculative mania.” Such behavior can sometimes lead to unfortunate results for the economy (Robert J. Shiller, www.irrationalexuberance.com).

As you read this section, find examples of what you would view as “irrational exuberance” and “speculative mania,” using the chart below to organize your information.

Irrational exuberance Speculative mania

A Surprise Recession?Every time it happens, the global reaction to a recession is the same. The self-proclaimed experts claim they never saw the recession coming, and the average citizen watches in shock as the markets tumble. However, there is no prosperity without a recession. Markets rise and fall as part of a healthy business cycle, with the hope that the economic peak will push a little bit higher each time and the recessionary troughs won’t dip too low.

The Economic Downturn of 2008By the time the most recent recession occurred in the fall of 2008, the economy had rapidly expanded amid a wave of massive spending caused by boundless consumer confidence. People were buying everything from computers to cars to houses. Banks around the world, with the support of many national governments, loosened their once-stringent lending policies, allowing people to gain unprecedented

http://www.irrationalexuberance.com


access to credit. In the U.S., families could obtain a home mortgage at historically low interest rates—even with “subprime,” or below-average, family incomes—sometimes with no down-payment required on the houses they were purchasing. Flexible mortgages were accompanied by easy credit with generous spending limits. Once the economy started to decline and unemployment rose, consumers were stretched beyond the limit of their spending ability and were facing personal bankruptcy.

Unregulated InvestmentMeanwhile, the financial markets had been soaring to record levels before the crash. Frustrated by rigid regulations surrounding mutual funds, aggressive investors turned to unregulated investments called hedge funds. A hedge fund’s goal is to gather as much capital as possible in an effort to invest it in companies that are likely to outperform the traditional stock market and provide investors with huge short-term returns. These funds are highly speculative, very risky, and incredibly complicated. One popular money-making strategy used by hedge fund managers was the purchase of derivatives. A derivative is essentially a bet on the performance of a stock. As long as stock values rise, holders of derivatives make big profits. But once they fall, all they are left holding are virtually worthless “toxic assets,” which are almost impossible to trade or sell.

InflationWhile consumer confidence and the financial markets rose, inflation started to appear in two critical areas: food and fuel. Many believe that the two worked hand in hand, with food prices trending upward in part because of the high cost of the fuel needed to transport these products to market.

Problems in the Auto SectorFuel prices also thrust the auto industry into turmoil. Car buyers purchased an increasing number of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) early in the decade, leading to a market saturated with large vehicles. After gas prices rose, car owners found themselves paying a fortune to fill their tanks. And when the time came to purchase a new vehicle, prospective buyers were either keeping their old cars or considering something much smaller (and less expensive). With a huge inventory of high-priced, fuel-thirsty vehicles waiting for buyers, the North American automobile industry crashed. The only thing that saved the industry from bankruptcy was a huge bailout: $25-billion from the U.S. government and $3.3-billion from the Canadian government for both GM and Chrysler. These loans saved millions of North American jobs and kept the economy from spiraling downward into an economic depression.

Bank TroubleWhile this was happening the real estate market in the U.S. started to cool, and house prices dropped by as much as 30 per cent. Many people defaulted on their loans and stopped making their mortgage payments. With a significant number of people abandoning their mortgages and their homes, the banks went into a tailspin. A wave of mortgage foreclosures spread across the country, and those homeowners still able to hold on to the houses they had originally bought with virtually no down payment now found themselves “underwater,” meaning their mortgages were worth far more than the market value of their properties.

The reverberations of the U.S. crisis were felt in Canada and around the world. Stock markets slumped, consumer confidence evaporated, and

Did you know . . .After the U.S. Congress voted down the proposed financial bailout package in the fall of 2008, Federal Reserve director Ben Bernanke warned of an imminent depression similar to that of the 1930s. Shortly after, Congress reconsidered and approved the second bailout bill, heading off a potential implosion of the U.S. economy.


banks, particularly in the U.S., were struggling to survive. In fact, a number of U.S. banks and financial institutions received a $700-billion government bailout to keep them afloat. Once-stable lenders were reduced to ruin as the U.S. government assumed ownership and control of a many floundering financial institutions.

The Impact on CanadaCanada escaped the banking disaster thanks to banking regulations that established sensible limits on loans and mortgages. Heralded as a global leader in fiscal common sense as the financial crisis attacked one national economy after another, Canada was able to weather the recessionary storm reasonably well. However, the Canadian

economy is so closely tied to the global economy, and that of the United States in particular, that there was no way Canada would escape unscathed. Unemployment rose from the pre-recession low of six per cent to over eight per cent at its peak. Every facet of the economy took a hit, with the manufacturing sector bearing the brunt of the recessionary impact.

Is it over?By the end of 2011, economists were hopeful that the recession had reached its lowest point. However, most believed that the climb back to prosperity was likely to be a long haul, with unemployment probably staying at over seven per cent and Canada’s overall economy making only incremental progress for at least the next year.

Did you know . . . When the Great Depression began in the early 1930s, the Canadian unemployment rate jumped to 27 per cent and the gross national product (GNP) dropped by 40 per cent. This was the worst economic crisis Canada has faced to date in its history.

Further ResearchMore information on the stages of the current global economic crisis can be found at www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/07/global-financial-crisis-key-stages.

Follow-up 1. What evidence can you find of “irrational exuberance” and “speculative

mania” in this section?

2. What caused the global economy to fall into a recession?

3. According to Statistics Canada, the debt-to-income ratio for the average Canadian has risen dramatically over the years and currently rests at 148 per cent. In other words, many Canadians owe more money than they earn. Why is this cause for concern? Is this an example of “irrational exuberance” at the consumer level? What do Canadians need to do to resolve this problem?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/07/global-financial-crisis-key-stages






CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISISThe Business Cycle

Before Reading Take a blank piece of paper and draw a straight horizontal line that goes slightly upward from one side of the page to the other. Next draw a series of waves (at least five) that curve at the peak and curve at the trough, or bottom. Each wave needs to intersect with the straight line. Keep this image in mind as you read the following description of the business cycle.

What is the business cycle?If you study economics, you will learn that recessions are a normal part of a functioning economy. In fact, a recession is one of the stages of what economists call “the business cycle.” Essentially, an economy functions like a wave. It starts at a low point, rises to a peak, crests, and then returns to its original low ebb before rising again. The high point on the wave represents the peak of financial prosperity, while the low point represents the lean times of a recession. Here is a more specific look at the phases of the business cycle:

Expansion: The economy grows, jobs are created, and a period of prosperity begins. The expansion of an economy usually occurs as a nation begins a period of recovery after a recession.

Peak: The economy has expanded as far as it can. This peak period is characterized on the one hand by affluence and on the other by a kind of financial blindness as investors assume that the economy will expand forever.

Recession: The economy begins to contract. Spending decreases and jobs disappear. Supplies built up during the peak period are suddenly left in warehouses as the demand disappears. The economy shrinks for a period of time. The main goal of business and government during a recession is to keep the economy from sliding into a depression. A depression is characterized by a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) loss

of more than 10 per cent to the overall economy. Recessions result in a much less severe decline in a nation’s GDP. A recession lasts from the move downward from the peak until the economy bottoms out in the trough.

Trough: The low point of the business cycle. At this point the economy has stopped shrinking and a new period of expansion is ready to begin.

Factors Affecting the Business CycleSupply and demand: The business cycle runs on supply and demand. As demand for products goes up, the supply goes up. As demand goes down, the opposite is true. Thus, as a business cycle moves to its peak, supply and demand drive the cycle toward its peak. After the peak, demand wanes and the supply of goods and services is reduced accordingly.

Consumer spending: The business cycle is also driven by the amount of goods and services consumers are willing and able to purchase. High consumption moves the economy toward its peak, and less consumption leads to a recession.

Business investment: When businesses make a profit, they are able to hire employees and invest their money into expanding their operations. In turn, the economy grows. When businesses are not making profits, begin to lay off workers, and are either reluctant to invest or cannot invest, the economy can slip into a recession.

DefinitionGross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of a nation’s goods and services in a given year. Canada’s GDP is valued at close to $1.5-trillion, or about $40 000 for every person living in Canada (the per-capita GDP).


Government policy: The government makes economic decisions regarding fiscal and monetary policy, interest rates, and taxation that directly affect the economy. The wrong decision in one or more areas can trigger a recession.

Global events: War, famine, human-made and natural disasters can all affect the business cycle.

Innovation and invention: Innovative ideas and groundbreaking inventions can propel an economy forward.

Significant Recessions in Recent Canadian History1970s – The Oil Crisis: Oil-supplying OPEC nations introduced an embargo that sent oil prices skyrocketing and triggered the onset of a recession. The numbers in 1978: Unemployment – 8.4 %; Youth unemployment – 14.8%

1980s – The International Monetary Crisis: Monetary policies introduced to bring inflation under control contributed to the start of a recession. The numbers in 1983:

Unemployment – 12%; Youth unemployment – 19.2%

1990s – International Debt Crisis: Long-neglected national debt levels needed to be reduced, and policies were introduced that saw government spending slashed and services cut back or eliminated. The numbers in 1993: Unemployment – 11.4%; Youth unemployment – 17.2%

2001 – The “Dot-com Bubble” Bursts: After a spending spree on computer technology and Internet-based businesses, the appetite for these products softened and a recession followed. The numbers in 2002: Unemployment – 7.6%; Youth unemployment – 13.8%

2008 – The Global Financial Crisis: Easy credit and loans based on very little collateral, along with rising food and fuel prices, resulted in a crisis that wreaked havoc on the global financial system.

The numbers in 2009: Unemployment – 8.3%; Youth unemployment – 15.3%

Follow-up 1. Return to the drawing that you made prior to reading about the business

cycle. On each wave that you drew, label the expansion, the peak, the recession, and the trough.

2. Once you have labelled the waves, take the information provided in the Significant Recessions in Recent Canadian History section and label each individual wave (e.g., 1970s – The Oil Crisis).

3. From what you have learned from this section and your drawing, how common are recessions? What should Canadians do to prepare for the next recession? Will there ever be an economic cycle without a recession?


CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISISYouth Unemployment

Before ReadingWhether or not they have completed a post-secondary program, young Canadians are having a difficult time finding work. Most job postings call for one to five years of work experience before a company will even give someone an interview. How can a young person find a job if businesses erect these kinds of barriers? Should businesses make a point of hiring and training young employees and forgo the requirement for work experience?

Young and Out of WorkThe youth unemployment rate is about double the overall unemployment rate in Canada. Some believe that this isn’t cause for concern because many young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are pursing an education and are considered to be technically out of work. However, while many young Canadians may be going to school, over half are either heading straight to work or are leaving school—particularly post-secondary programs—to join the workforce. In other words, a high unemployment rate among young Canadians should be viewed as cause for major concern.

For its part, the Canadian government is trying to help young job seekers, but some critics feel it is not doing enough. In January 2012, Service Canada’s job bank provided close to 60 000 job postings from across Canada. Only 139 of those jobs targeted young employees. While job services like résumé writing and career consulting are available for young job seekers, most of these resources are being used by adults who are more desperate to find work. While past government initiatives targeted

youth unemployment, today’s approach is to consolidate federal and provincial programs to assist all job seekers, regardless of age. This has left many young and inexperienced workers feeling that not enough is being done to help them find employment.

Unemployment in Canada

Year National Unemploy-ment Rate (%)

Youth Unemploy-ment – 15-24 (%)

2000 6.8 12.6

2001 7.2 12.8

2002 7.7 13.6

2003 7.6 13.8

2004 7.4 13.4

2005 6.8 12.4

2006 6.3 11.6

2007 6.0 11.2

2008 6.1 11.6

2009 8.3 15.3

2010 8.0 14.8

2011 7.5 15.3

Source: Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca)

Did you know . . . The unemployment rate is calculated by taking the total number of people in the labour force and dividing it by the number who are unemployed. That figure is then multiplied by 100 to reflect the unemployment rate as a percentage.

The youth unemployment rate is a little different. It is calculated by dividing the total number of people in the 15-to-24 age group by the number of that age group who are unemployed and then multiplying that figure by 100.

Analysis 1. Why should Canadians consider youth unemployment cause for major

concern?

2. Why do some people believe that the youth unemployment rate is a bit misleading?


Canada and the WorldComparatively speaking, Canada sits around the middle of the pack when comparing youth unemployment statistic with those of other countries. In Spain, almost 40 per cent of the nation’s youth are unemployed. After a year of political and social unrest, Egypt has seen its youth unemployment rate rise to 32 per cent. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and the United States both come in slightly above Canada in the world rankings. Canada’s 15 per cent youth unemployment rate puts it 74th among a 129-country Index Mundi sample.

The United Nation’s International Labour Organization (ILO) cited youth unemployment as one of the most significant labour issues facing governments worldwide. It is important to involve young workers in the labour force as soon as possible in order for them to feel that they are valued, contributing members of society. According to the ILO, governments should introduce job creation policies that:• ensure long-term and sustained

employment for youth• make sure the jobs are well-paying • provide the education and training

necessary for youth to acquire and maintain good, full-time jobs

• implement a national youth employment strategy

• make a special effort to help disadvantaged youth in the job creation process

• introduce policies and programs that remove barriers to youth employment

Critics of Canada’s “find jobs for everyone” approach to unemployment point out that the needs of young workers are vastly different from those of older, more experienced workers. Therefore, a separate strategy—one that more closely resembles the ILO’s recommendations—needs to be implemented in Canada.

Source: Global Trends for Youth Employment (www.ilo.org)

How does Canada compare?Ranking(of 129-country sample)

Country Youth Unemp-loyment Rate (%)

1 Armenia 58

9 Spain 38

17 Saudi Arabia 28

25 Greece 26

32 Egypt 25

39 France 23

46 Morocco 22

50 Argentina 21

63 United Kingdom 19

66 United States 18

74 Canada 15

93 Australia 12

98 Germany 11

109 Japan 9

123 Vietnam 5

129 Benin 1

Source: Index Mundi: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 (www.indexmundi.com)

Analysis 1. In the summer of 2011, the city of London was engulfed by riots. Some

experts believe that poverty and youth unemployment played an important role in triggering the riots. What role do you think poverty and unemployment play in causing violence and rioting, especially among young people?

2. Why does the ILO urge that jobs created for young people should be “decent?” Certainly another word could have been used in this context but the word decent has been chosen to make a point. What would a “decent” job for a young person mean to you?

Did you know . . . High rates of youth unemployment were a major contributing factor in the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya in 2011, and have also provoked mass demonstrations in Greece and other European countries.

Further ResearchMore information on youth unemployment worldwide can be found on the ILO website at www.ilo.org/employment/areas/youth-employment/lang--en/index.htm.

http://www.ilo.org

http://www.indexmundi.com

http://www.indexmundi.com

http://www.ilo.org/employment/areas/youth-employment/lang--en/index.htm





CANADA AND THE JOBLESS CRISISActivity: Get a job!In this activity you will learn how difficult or easy it is to find a job in today’s labour market. Form small groups and follow the steps listed below to explore the job market in your local community.

Step 1: Find a job resourceInvestigate a job search resource online. Here are a few to choose from:

• Service Canada’s Job Bank: www.jobbank.gc.ca• Monster: www.monster.ca• Workopolis: www.workopolis.com

Navigate the site and research what resources the site offers. For example, find out if the site offers youth employment opportunities or résumé-writing assistance.

Step 2: Check out the jobsUse the site’s search engine and investigate a job you might be interested in. For example, you can type in accountant and then the area where you live. See what comes up and review the job posting. Look at six or seven job postings in order to find out how they work.

Step 3: Get a jobPick three job postings that you think would interest you. Answer the following questions in relation to each posting:

1. What is the job title?

2. What qualifications does the job require?

3. What skills must the applicant possess?

4. What level of education is required for people interested in applying for the job?

5. How much experience does the employer expect an applicant for the job to have?

6. How much money will the successful applicant make? If no wage is indicated, why would the company not include that information in the posting?

7. What exactly would you have to do to get the job?

Step 4: How difficult is it to find a job?Based on your research, how difficult is it to find a job in today’s market? How much planning is needed to successfully land a job in your community?

When you have completed the four steps of the activity, summarize your findings and present a report to the rest of the class on how easy or difficult is to find a job in your community. Then explain what you learned from this activity in the form of a 150- to 250-word reflection paper.

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca

http://www.monster.ca

http://www.workopolis.com


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGIntroduction

Focus The sensational Shafia murder trial involving the deaths of four females at the hands of their own family members has brought the controversial topic of honour killings into the spotlight. This News in Review story explores what honour killings are, gives details of the Shafia murder trial, and looks at how different cultural groups have responded to the issues of gender-based and domestic violence.

Note to Teachers: Honour killings can be a very emotional and culturally sensitive issue. A safe environment should be provided for students to consider this topic, and students should not be required to share their answers publicly. However, they should be encouraged to express them confidentially should they choose to do so. It is also recommended that students be advised of the sensitive nature of this topic prior to watching the video and completing the related resource guide activities. Due to its disturbing content, this News in Review story may not be appropriate for younger viewers.

On June 30, 2009, a submerged Nissan Sentra with four female victims inside was found at the Kingston Mills lock situated where the Rideau Canal meets Lake Ontario near the city of Kingston. What was initially thought to be a horrible joyriding accident by police was soon viewed as suspicious.

The four victims in the vehicle were identified as the Shafia sisters—Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti, aged 19, 17, and 13 years respectively—as well as their father’s first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad, known to the girls as Aunt Rona. By July 2009, police had charged the girls’ father, Mohammad Shafia, their mother, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and their 21-year-old brother, Hamed Mohammad Shafia, with first-degree murder.

According to the Crown, the accused staged an accident to reclaim their family honour, which had been disgraced by their daughters’ lifestyle choices. As well, Rona had requested a divorce from Mohammad Shafia,

which would have exposed their illegal polygamous relationship and threatened their status in Canada. All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. Three years later, the now internationally known Shafia trial ended with each defendant being convicted of four counts of first-degree murder.

The Shafia case has generated widespread discussion on the controversial topic of so-called honour killings.

Muslim community leaders have publically stated that honour killings are wrong. Others have argued that gender- and family-based violence is not exclusive to any one culture or religion as it crosses all sectors of Canadian society.

The jury’s verdict in the Shafia trail has sent a strong message condemning honour killings in Canada. But in reality, the case is far from closed on the broader question of the treatment of women in Canadian society.

To Consider 1. Why did the Shafia trial and its verdict attract so much media and public

attention in Canada and around the world?

2. Do you think the verdict in the Shafia case will help deter others who might be considering committing an honour killing of a family member?


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGVideo Review

Pre-viewing QuestionsWith a partner or in a small group discuss and respond to the questions below.

1. Brainstorm what you think the term honour killing means.

2. Have you heard the term honour killing used before? If so, in what context?

3. How closely did you follow media coverage of the Shafia trial? What were your reactions to it?


1. What individuals are accused of murdering four female family members?

2. According to police, why did this murder take place?

3. How many known cases of honour killing have occurred in Canada over the past decade?

4. Why is Canada no longer immune to the incidents of honour-based violence?

5. List the characteristics of honour killings.

6. How does the culture clash negatively influence the relationship between males and females?


7. In the wake of the Shafia trial, why is the Muslim community on the defensive?

8. What suggestions are given to help counter honour-based violence?

9. Why does Aisha continue to be on the run?

10. As a teenager living in Canadian society, how do you respond to Aisha’s story and the broader issue of honour killings?

Post-viewing QuestionsJoin with your partner or small group again to respond to the following questions.

1. Now that you have watched the video, revisit your responses to the Pre-viewing Questions. Add any information you learned from the video, or otherwise update your answers.

2. Should honour killings be considered a type of murder specific to certain cultural communities or should they be classified as domestic violence? Justify your stance.

3. Who should take responsibility for the prevention of honour-based violence: the ethnic communities it has been linked to or all of Canadian society? Discuss.

4. Is it possible to eradicate, or remove, the problem of honour killings? If not, what actions should be taken to at least address this problem?


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGWhat is honour killing?

Pre-reading ActivityRecord any words, ideas, or events that come to mind regarding the term honour killing. Write continuously for one to two minutes. Expand your answer using information from the following section.

There is no straightforward definition of honour killing. Some people view it as another form of domestic violence, while others believe it is a distinct cultural phenomenon. Unni Wikan, a professor at the University of Oslo, Norway, defines honour killing as “a murder carried out as a commission from the extended family, to restore honor after the family has been dishonored . . . when a female family member has behaved in an immoral way” (Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2009). For example, the female—usually a teenaged daughter or young woman—may be perceived to have disgraced the family through her personal appearance, sexual behaviours, and demands for greater independence. She may also have been subjected over time to threats, verbal and physical abuse, and confinement by fathers or older brothers. This pattern of abuse is often ignored by the mother.

Phyllis Chesler further states that honour killings differ from domestic abuse because they are carefully planned in advance and often directly or indirectly involve multiple family members (CBC News online, December 2, 2012). However, the use of the term honour killing is criticized for singling out certain immigrant groups, particularly from Middle Eastern and Islamic communities, rather than focusing on the prevalence of domestic and gender-based violence throughout Canadian society.

A Widespread PhenomenonThe practice of honour killings is thought to be tribally based and pre-date the

religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But despite this, some groups have used their religions and cultural traditions to justify honour killings (The Guardian online, May 11, 2008, www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights1#history-link-box). Most often associated with Muslim cultures, honour killings can also happen among Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs worldwide and tend to occur primarily in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and the Middle East (CBC News online, December 2, 2011, www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/12/02/f-honour-killings.html).

According to the European Journal of Public Health, one in every five homicides in Pakistan is classified as an honour killing despite laws that punish a convicted offender with the death penalty (The Globe and Mail, June 17, 2010). Human Rights Watch estimates that over 900 honour killings occur each year, mainly in India’s northern states and the nation’s capital, New Delhi. There is concern that this number will rise as India’s economic shift witnesses more women becoming educated, going out to work, and asserting greater independence against traditional societal and cultural norms that expect them to remain at home, under the control of their fathers or husbands (Toronto Star, August 2, 2010).

Courts in Turkey have been criticized for handing down lower sentences to those accused of honour or “customary” killings of approximately 200 female victims annually (Toronto Star, June 30, 2010). A 2009 report by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights1#history-link-box



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Women indicated that approximately 12 honour killings take place in the United Kingdom every year, the majority in South Asian communities. However, in all of these cases, the recorded numbers are likely to be only a fraction of the true number of so-called honour killings since many go unreported.

Honour Killings in CanadaBetween 2002 and 2010 it is estimated that 15 women in Canada have been killed in the name of family honour (Toronto Star, July 15, 2010). Most recently, Mohammed Shafia, his wife Tooba, and son Hamed were convicted of the 2009 murders of three teenaged daughters and Mohammad’s first wife in order to “cleanse the family name and restore the family honour” (CBC News online December 2, 2011). Other murders include:• In 2000, Jaswinder “Jassi” Kaur Sidhu

was kidnapped and murdered in India. Her husband, whom she married against her family’s wishes, was severely beaten. Her mother and uncle are alleged to have organized and hired the killers. They have been arrested in British Columbia and await an extradition hearing as of early 2012.

• Amandeep Atwal, 17 years of age, was killed by her father in 2003. He was

convicted of her murder. Apparently he “disapproved of her relationship with her boyfriend, who was from a different ethnic group” (CBC News online December 2, 2011).

• Khatera Sadiqi and her fiancé were shot to death in 2006 by her brother, who was later found guilty. He told the court that their father did not approve of the fiancé and he killed his sister to restore the Afghan family’s honour (The Globe and Mail, June 22, 2010).

• Sixteen-year-old Aqsa Parvez was strangled to death in 2007 by her father for rejecting Muslim traditions. Her father and brother were sentenced to life imprisonment (The Globe and Mail, June 16, 2010).

• Amandeep Dillon was stabbed to death in 2009 by her father-in-law, who thought she was having an extra-marital affair. He was convicted of second-degree murder (Toronto Star, June 11, 2010).While immigration results in a more

culturally diverse society, concerns of culture clash increase when traditional family norms come into conflict with Western values. As these tragic stories continue to make news headlines, the question for Canadians is how to address this controversial topic of honour killings.

Follow-up 1. Examine your list of words and ideas from the Pre-reading Activity and

select the top three that you think best describe the term honour killing. Why do you think the term honour killing lacks a clear and concise definition? What makes this term so controversial?

2. Would you agree or disagree that honour killings should be identified as a distinct type of domestic violence? Explain.

3. Do you think concerns around increased family conflicts driven by a culture clash are valid or just heightened in the wake of the Shafia murder case?

4. Do you think it is unfair to single out Muslims in Canada as group within which most honour killings occur?


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGThe Shafia Case

Reading PromptCopy the following KWL (Know. . . Want to Know . . . Learned . . .) chart into your notes. Before reading this section, complete as much information in the first two columns as possible. While reading this section, you may record relevant information in the third column.

DefinitionsSection 231 of the Criminal Code classifies murder in two categories: first- and second-degree. Both have mandatory minimum sentences of life imprisonment, but second-degree offenders can usually apply for parole after 10 years in prison, while first-degree offenders may apply after 25 years.

First-degree murder is qualified by any one of the following: the killing is planned and deliberate; the killing is contracted to another to commit murder; the victim is a police officer; the murder is caused while committing or planning to commit another serious offence. Second-degree is any murder not classified as first-degree and does not require the same proof of planning.

Kingston, Ontario, a historic city situated along the eastern shores of Lake Ontario, attracted much media attention in June 2009 when a vehicle containing the bodies of four female victims—Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti Shafia and Rona Amir Mohammad—was discovered submerged in the shallow waters of the nearby Kingston Mills lock. One month later, Mohammad Shafia,

KNOWWhat do I already know about the Shafia case in terms of: a) its legal proceedings and b) link to the term honour killings?

WANT TO KNOWWhat questions do I have about the Shafia case in terms of a) its legal proceedings and b) link to the term honour killings?

LEARNEDWhat I have learned about the Shafia case in terms of: a) its legal proceedings and b) link to the term honour killings?

Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and Hamed Mohammad Shafia were each criminally charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of these women. The city was back in the media spotlight again when the Shafia trial commenced on October 20, 2011, in the Frontenac County Courthouse and concluded three months later with the jury’s decision, handed down on January 28, 2012.

What happens in a criminal trial?In the Criminal Court structure in Canada, there are the Federal Court and the provincial courts. Provinces cannot enact criminal law, but Canada’s Parliament, under the Constitution Act, 1867 grants jurisdiction for sections of the Criminal Code to be tried or heard. Since the accused in the Shafia trial were charged with the serious offence of murder, the case had to be tried by a judge and jury in Ontario’s Superior Court. Justice Robert Maranger presided over the trial. The seven female and five male jurors were selected from a pool of over 1 000 local citizens by the Crown attorney (or prosecutor) and defence counsel (lawyers for the accused, or defendants).


Once the jury is selected, the Crown begins with its opening statement and then calls witnesses who can be cross-examined by the defence. The defence then has its turn and follows the same procedure. The Shafia trial called an estimated 58 witnesses, of which 21 were police officers. The court was also presented with a wide variety of evidence, including photographs, videos, wiretap recordings, statements, and even an on-site visit to the Kingston Mills lock (Montreal Gazette, January 23, 2012, www.montrealgazette.com/story_print.html?id=6035174&sponsor=).

The Crown’s PositionThe Crown prosecutors, Gerard Laarhuis and Laurie Lacelle, alleged that Mohammad Shafia, Tooba Yahya, and Hamed Shafia planned and murdered Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti Shafia and Mohammad Shafia’s first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad. According to the Crown, the accused staged an accident by placing the bodies of the four females in the Nissan Sentra and pushing the car into the Kingston Mills lock.

The Crown argued that the murders were honour killings committed in a bid to restore the family’s status and good name. They claimed that the family’s traditional values were stained by their daughters’ independent and rebellious actions such as wearing revealing Western clothing and keeping secret boyfriends (The Globe and Mail, November 29, 2011). In addition, Shafia’s first wife, Rona (they were married in Afghanistan but told Canadian immigration officers that she was a cousin), had requested a divorce, thus threatening to reveal the family’s illegal martial arrangement and jeopardizing its claim for permanent residency. Other pieces of evidence the prosecution submitted included: • Testimony from school officials and

social workers from Quebec’s Youth

Protection Agency who recalled conversations with Sahar and Geeti about their “unbearable” home life where they were subjected to verbal and physical abuse from Hamed, pressured to wear a hijab and quit school, and ignored by their mother. Sahar expressed suicidal thoughts, and Geeti wanted to be moved to a foster home. No formal intervention took place, as the girls retracted their statements when their parents were present at the meetings with case workers (The Globe and Mail, November 24, 2011).

• Police wiretaps secretly placed in the Shafia family car recorded an angered Mohammad Shafia making degrading comments about his daughters—just days after their deaths—regarding their having boyfriends, how their actions brought him hardship and shame, and that “nothing is more dear to me than my honour” (CBC News online, January 25, 2012, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/25/f-shafia-trial-overview.html).

• Tooba Yahya’s statement on police wiretaps claimed that all three defendants were at the lock on the night of June 30. In a subsequent police interview she denied havng been at the locks (The Globe and Mail, January 27, 2012).

• Headlight fragments from the family’s Lexus SUV were found at the crime scene. The Crown proposed that the headlight broke when the SUV driven by Hamed was used to push the Nissan Sentra into the lock.

• Google searches were made by Hamed prior to the deaths about “where to commit murder” along with maps showing regional waterways and the Gatineau waterway (CBC News online, January 25, 2012, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/25/f-shafia-trial-overview.html).

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• An experienced police diver testified that it was unusual that the victims did not try to get out of the vehicle, as the vehicle was submerged in only three to five metres of water, the driver window was rolled down, and the victims were not in seatbelts. It raised the question of whether the victims were unconscious when they were placed in the vehicle (Toronto Star, October 25, 2011).

The Defence’s PositionThe defence counsel, led by lawyers Peter Kemp (representing Mohammad Shafia), David Crowe (representing Tooba Yahya) and Patrick McCann (representing Hamed Shafia), maintained that the deaths of the four women were a result of a tragic accident. They claimed that Zainab, who didn’t have a driver’s licence, went out for a late-night drive while the family stayed overnight in a Kingston motel on their return to their home in Montreal after a vacation in Niagara Falls. The defence argued that it remained unclear how and when the victims died and how the accused placed them in the car and then had enough time to return to their motel.

Additional defence rebuttals included: • The broken headlight on the Lexus

SUV was caused when Hamed followed his joyriding sister to the canal and accidently rear-ended the Nissan Sentra before she drove it into the water. He claimed to have tried to save his sisters but did not report the incident to his parents or the police for fear of reprisals (National Post online, January 27, 2012).

• Yahya testified that she was not at the canal on June 30. She claimed she previously lied to police investigators about being at the scene because she “wanted the police to leave her alone” and to protect her son Hamed from police “torture” (CBC News online, January 25, 2012).

• In response to the police wiretaps, friends and business associates of Mohammad Shafia vouched for his strong character, testifying that he was a “good and honest person” (Toronto Star, December 15, 2011). Expert witnesses also testified that people who speak Dari (Afghanistan’s second official language), like Shafia, often “curse about, and not directly to, people, but that they are just expressions that they don’t mean literally” (CBC news online, January 25, 2012).

• To counter the Crown’s honour killing motive, Shafia testified that “my honour is important to me. But to kill someone, you can’t regain your reputation and honour.” Later, Yahya testified that they were a “liberal family who had emigrated from Afghanistan because “women were in constant danger from the Taliban” (CBC News online, January 25, 2012).

• Kemp further addressed the Crown’s honour-killing motive by stating: “Honour killings are not permitted in Islam. If you comb through the Qur’an, you would not find a single passage that advocates honour killing. But there are plenty of prohibitions against murder” (CBC News online January 27, 2012, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/01/27/shafia-trial.html?cmp=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter).

The Judge and JuryOnce the defence and the Crown delivered their closing arguments, and before the jury withdrew to deliberate or review the evidence and arrive at a verdict, the judge delivered his charge to the jury. Justice Maranger’s 200-page charge instructed the jurors in the Shafia trial on how the law applies to the case, how to consider the evidence, and how to return a verdict of either guilty or not guilty.


He also advised the jurors that:• They could deliver a verdict of first or

second-degree murder against some or all of the accused.

• They must be “satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused killed the four victims and that the killings were planned and deliberate.”

• The accused do not have to prove their account of events; the burden of proof is the responsibility of the Crown.

• They must all agree unanimously on the defendants’ guilt or innocence before giving their verdict (CBC News online, January 27, 2012, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/01/27/shafia-trial.html?cmp=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter).After 15 hours of jury deliberations,

the jury handed down the verdict of guilty of four counts of first-degree murder to each of the accused. In their final address to the court, the defendants still claimed their innocence. They were each sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Maranger’s closing remarks were directed at the newly convicted defendants. “You have each been convicted of the planned and deliberate murder of four members of your family” and the verdict “was clearly supported by the evidence presented at this trial” (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012).

Defence lawyers plan to launch an appeal, but on what grounds still remained unclear.

Follow-up 1. Do you agree or disagree with the jury’s guilty verdict in the Shafia trial?

Was the case sufficiently proven “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the defendants were guilty of first-degree murder? Use evidence from the Crown’s and defence’s positions to support your answer.

2. Working with a partner or in a group of four, divide into two sides: for and against. Prepare and debate the following statement: “Canada’s Criminal Code should include honour killings as a separate criminal offence.” After both sides have been defended, switch sides and begin a second debate.

3. For each of the following statements from the Shafia trial, record a one- to two-line response. You may wish to quietly write a comment that expands on the responses made by your classmates.

Statement 1: “We are not murderers. We were a very sincere and collected family. This crime, we will never do such a crime. I am a mother.” — Tooba Mohammad Yahya’s testimony (Maclean’s, January 14, 2012)

Statement 2: “He (Mohammad Shafia) killed his daughters and felt entitled to do so.” — Crown prosecutor Laurie Lacelle (The Globe and Mail, January 27, 2012)

Statement 3: “My client, Hamed, is guilty of being stupid and is morally blameworthy because he had followed the girls in the car, accidentally hit it, and witnessed it going in the canal but did not call for help and denied being there.” — Defence lawyer Patrick McCann (National Post, January 26, 2012)

Statement 4: “This verdict sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and core principles in a free, democratic society that all Canadians enjoy and even visitors to Canada enjoy.” — Crown prosecutor Gerard Laarhuis (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012)


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGThe Community Reacts

Focus for ReadingBeing aware of domestic violence and so-called honour killings is a start, but taking action to support women and families at risk is another matter. As you read this section, identify two challenges facing our communities and two related solutions.

The high-profile Shafia case has not only garnered much local, national, and international attention, but has also brought into focus the cultural and religious traditions of certain ethnic groups in Canada, in particular Muslims. This and other groups within Canadian society have responded to the questions of whether this crime should be viewed as domestic violence or honour killings and how to help community members who are at risk of family-related violence.

The Muslim CommunityAt the height of the Shafia trial, prominent Muslim organizations, community activists, and imams (clerical leaders) from across Canada joined together to communicate the community’s position on so-called honour killings. They stated that “honour killings are wrong; Islam does not condone them and the Qur’an does not sanction the idea of honour killing. Domestic violence and in the extreme, practices such as killing to restore family honour, violate clear and non-negotiable Islamic principles” (Toronto Star, December 2, 2011).

For most Muslims in Canada, the topic of honour killings raises concern. Many do not want their culture to be identified and tarnished by the actions of a few and do not want to convey the perception that honour killings are out of control within their community (Toronto Star, June 11, 2010). University of Toronto professor Shahrzad Mojan, an expert in honour killings, cautions that when we

talk about honour killings, it is important to ensure that ethnicity, whether Muslim or otherwise, does not become an “easy excuse not to deal with this problem” (Toronto Star, May 1, 2010).

Others have responded that honour killings should be viewed as an issue of gender-based, domestic violence and addressed as a Canadian problem—not solely as an Islamic one. Alia Hogben, executive director for the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, echoes the frustration some have that the emphasis of the Shafia trial has been on honour killings, which she believes has detracted from the fact that four women were murdered (Montreal Gazette online, January 30, 2012).

What can communities do? Now that the three-month trial has ended in a guilty verdict, community leaders are looking to move forward from this tragedy and continue to speak out and provide support for those who are at risk or have been affected by domestic violence. Sikander Hashmi, an imam from Kington, Ontario, said that “the jurors and the court have done their job (in the Shafia trial). Our job as community leaders and members of society is that we have to be very clear about our position on domestic violence and such crimes. We need to speak very strongly, and we need to take concrete action” (CBC News online, January 30, 2012).

However, the Muslim community faces many challenges as it confronts

Did you know . . .According to Statistics Canada’s 2006 census, there were over 200 ethnic groups and over five million people who identified themselves as visible minorities.

Did you know . . .In 2007, Citizenship and Immigration Canada recorded that almost one-half of immigrants to Canada came from Asia.


domestic violence within its ranks. Often the women who are subjected to abuse are reluctant to betray their families and traditions in order to seek help. They may also be without support networks such as their own family and friends. Women without children lack advocacy from schools or children’s aid societies (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012).

It is also difficult to change the mindsets and behaviours of those who treat women as inferior. Scarborough, Ontario, imam Yusuf Badat acknowledges these challenges by stating that “there is no honour in any form of violence or any form of killing . . . our job as imams and leaders is to educate and give the proper perspective to our communities” (CBC News online, December 12, 2011).

Despite these challenges, the Muslim community, along with government and legal officials, continues to address the issue of domestic violence through a wide range of initiatives:• The Family Honour Project, which is

partnered with the CeaseFire violence prevention program in Chicago and the University of Western Ontario, aims to use mediation to identify and support Muslim families dealing with inter-generational and gender-based conflicts (The Globe and Mail, June 22, 2010).

• The Muslim Family Safety Project in London, Ontario, often has a local Muslim group accompany Children’s Aid Society workers into the homes of Muslim families to help them develop harm-reduction strategies (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012).

• Social Services Network, a not-for-profit organization working with the South Asian community in the Greater Toronto Area, held a conference to raise attention on the issues of family violence and how to encourage victims

to seek help (The Globe and Mail, June 22, 2010).

• Britain and Sweden’s scenario-based methods are used to train police, schools, and social workers on family violence in male-dominated households (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012).

• Islamic Institute of Toronto’s first-ever White Ribbon Campaign encourages men and boys to pledge “never to commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women and girls” (The Globe and Mail online, January 30, 2012, www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/shafia-trial-a-wake-up-call-for-canadian-muslims/article2319148/).

• The Punjabi Community Health Services in Brampton, Ontario, uses clinical skills to understand the cause of conflict and level of threat in the home when counselling families (The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2012).

• The federal government is not planning to change the Criminal Code to specifically punish honour killings.

• The Frontier Centre report made 14 recommendations to the federal government after examining the abuse of women and girls in immigrant communities across Canada. The government has also been requested by community workers and groups to address issues of gender inequality and family violence within ethnic communities (CBC News online, December 12, 2011). Once the spotlight dims on the Shafia

trial and its aftermath, the challenge of finding ways to sustain awareness and action against domestic and gender-based violence will remain. This is likely to continue to be a serious issue within Canadian society.

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Follow-up 1. On a straight-line continuum write “honour killings” at one end and

“domestic violence” at the other. Record along this line where you think the Muslim community would place their perception of the Shafia case. Next, record where you think the Shafia case fits along this line. Explain the position of both perspectives—are they similar or different? Why or why not?

2. Rank the list of domestic violence initiatives provided by the Muslim community from “most crucial” to “least crucial.” Defend why your top two selections are the most crucial initiatives to assist the Muslim community.

3. Do you think the prevention of honour killings is the responsibility of specific ethnic or religious groups or the responsibility of all members of Canadian society? Explain.


THE HORROR AND FEAR OF HONOUR KILLINGActivity: Raising Awareness and Taking ActionIt is estimated that between 2002 and 2010, 15 females in Canada were killed in the name of “family honour”(Toronto Star, July 15, 2010).

Will cases like the Shafia trial be enough of a wake-up call to provide the necessary intervention and support to families at risk of inter-generational conflict when traditional norms clash with Western values? How can we continue to raise awareness and to act against domestic and gender-based violence in communities across Canada?

Your task is to prepare an awareness campaign focusing on the controversial issue of honour killings. You may choose to complete this task independently or with a small group. When conducting your research, visit www.cbc.ca/news for additional information on this issue.

Your awareness campaign needs to:

• Target a specific audience (e.g., teenage males and females, various religious and/or cultural groups)

• Include eye-catching images, titles, and slogans

• Outline the main concerns and information about honour killings

• Convince the audience why it is important and what actions can be taken against honour killings

Present your awareness campaign in one of the following formats—hard copy or digital—poster, brochure, image collage, video, song or rap, class skit, webpage, or open letter.

Go on a gallery walk to view your classmates’ awareness campaigns.

When finished, write a one-page personal reflection based on the following debriefing questions:

1. As a Canadian, the issue of honour killings made me feel . . .

2. As a male/female, the issue of honour killings made me feel . . .

3. As a member of my community, I pledge to . . .

http://www.cbc.ca/news


THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIAIntroduction

FocusThis News in Review story focuses on the violent uprising in Syria against the government of President Bashar al-Assad—a government known for corruption and restriction of human rights. This story explains how this revolution has cost thousands of lives and threatens to escalate into a full-scale civil war in this Middle Eastern nation and how the international community is responding to it.

Did you know . . .It is estimated that as many as 5 000 Syrians have been killed during the current revolt against Assad.

For almost a year, a wave of popular protest against the authoritarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad has swept through Syria. Demonstrators in a number of cities have demanded the end of Assad’s dictatorship and its replacement by an elected government that they hope will restore freedom of speech and implement long-overdue political reforms.

Inspired by similar uprisings in other Arab countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the protestors have used social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to communicate with each other and inform the outside world about the upheaval taking place inside their country. But unlike these revolts, which eventually led to the toppling of the existing regimes, the Syrian revolution has so far been unsuccessful in ousting Assad, who grimly holds on to power, not hesitating to use military force to suppress the demonstrations with extreme violence.

Assad has attempted to downplay the seriousness of the popular uprising against his rule, claiming that it is part of an international conspiracy orchestrated by his regime’s long-standing enemies, primarily the United States and Israel.

He also blamed a handful of domestic malcontents, including radical Islamist groups such as the banned Muslim Brotherhood, for being behind the demonstrations. He continued to claim that his government was very popular with most Syrians and he strongly denied that his army and police had used excessive force against unarmed civilian demonstrators.

As of January 2012, the situation in Syria was developing into a bloody stalemate between government and rebel forces. Although the United States and the European Union imposed economic sanctions against Syria, and the Arab League dispatched observers to try to force a halt to the violence, no amount of international pressure appeared persuasive enough to break the deadlock. And because two members of the United Nations Security Council—Russia and China—are both strong allies of Assad’s regime, it is very unlikely that any UN-authorized, multi-national military action will be launched against Syria (as was the case in Libya, where NATO’s bombing campaign played a key role in helping rebels defeat the regime of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi in 2011).

To Consider 1. What do you know about the revolt currently taking place in Syria against

the government of President Bashar al-Assad?

2. Do you think that popular uprisings against corrupt governments stand much chance of success?


THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIAVideo Review

Pre-viewing QuestionsWith a partner or in a small group discuss and respond to the following.

1. Have you seen any media coverage of the uprising in Syria and the government’s response to it? If so, what impressions do you have of these events?

2. Why do you think it is difficult for Canadians to imagine a situation where a government would use military force to kill thousands of its own people?


1. What three Arab countries witnessed successful revolutions against dictatorial leaders in 2011? What were the names of those leaders?

2. What Middle Eastern country is now the scene of a violent uprising against its government? What is the population of this country?

3. Who is the president of Syria? For how long has he held power?

4. Why is it difficult for the outside world to learn about what is taking place inside Syria?

5. What organization has sent monitors to Syria to observe and report on events there?

6. What criticisms have been made against the leader of this mission?

7. How many people are believed to have lost their lives in the uprising since it began in March 2011?

Further ResearchFor the latest information about the political situation in Syria, visit www.cbc.ca/news/.


8. What is the capital city of Syria? Why is it a stronghold of support for the regime?

9. What religious group forms the majority of Syria’s population?

10. What religious minority group holds important positions in the government and military?

11. Why do members of Syria’s Christian minority fear persecution if the government changes?

12. What concessions has the Syrian government offered to the opposition? Why are opposition leaders skeptical of such measures?

Post-viewing Questions 1. After watching the video, revisit your responses to the Pre-viewing

Questions. Did watching the video help you respond to the questions in greater depth? In what way?

2. Why is it ironic that an army leader from Sudan should be heading the Arab League monitoring mission to investigate the uprising in Syria?

3. Do you think that Syria’s Christian minority is right to fear persecution if the Assad government is overthrown?

4. What actions, if any, should Canada take in response to the uprising in Syria and the government’s violent suppression of it?


THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIASyria: A Brief History

Focus for ReadingIn your notebook, create an organizer like the one below. As you read the following information on different periods in the history of Syria, record key points in your organizer. You should be able to enter at least four or five points in each section of your chart. You will be using this information in the activities that follow the text material.

Antiquity to the First World War •• • •

The Emergence of Modern Syria, 1919-71••

The Assad Dynasty and Its Opponents, 1971-2012••

Antiquity to the First World WarSyria’s long history stretches back to the beginning of human civilizations that were established in the Middle East over 5 000 years ago. Its capital, Damascus, is the oldest continuously inhabited city on the planet, with people living there since at least 2500 BCE. Modern-day Syria’s territory occupies only a fraction of what was once a huge territory and a key part of many ancient empires—including those of the Sumerians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites, and

Quote“Damascas has seen all that has ever occurred on earth, and she still lives. She has looked upon the dry bones of a thousand empires, and will see the tombs of a thousand more before she dies.” — American author Mark Twain, after visiting Syria in the 1860s

Persians—who fought for control of it over many millennia. Today, the ruins of these now-vanished civilizations can be found throughout the country and are of great interest to both archaeologists and tourists.

The Macedonian warrior-king Alexander the Great wrested Syria from his Persian enemies after winning the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE as part of his campaign to extend Greek rule over the entire known world. In 64 BCE the Roman general Pompey the Great captured Syria and turned it into a province of Rome. Syria thrived under Roman rule, with cities like Antioch, Palmyra, and Aleppo rising to great prominence as centres of trade, commerce, and culture. Its population rose to a level that would not again be reached until modern times.

Syria was also important in the early history of Christianity. Saul of Tarsus, better known as the Apostle Paul, is said to have converted to Christianity while travelling on the road to Damascus. In


later years, Syria became a major centre of the new faith, with many churches and monasteries established. Some of these still exist today, and Syria’s present Christian population, amounting to about 10 per cent of the country’s inhabitants, can trace its roots back to the earliest days of Christianity in the ancient world.

In 640 CE, Syria became part of the new Islamic empire under the Umayyad dynasty, with Damascus as its capital. This powerful state controlled a vast area that stretched from Spain and Morocco in the west to India and Central Asia in the east. Damascus flowered under Umayyad rule, with many beautiful mosques and other buildings still surviving from this glorious period in Syrian history. The Umayyads were very enlightened rulers who extended religious freedom to both Jewish and Christian minorities. However, following the end of their dynasty in 750 BCE, Syria became a battleground for many centuries, with rival Arab sultanates, the Mongols, and the Egyptian-based Mamelukes fighting for supremacy. Eventually, in 1516, the region fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire and remained so until its defeat at the end of the First World War, four centuries later.

The Emergence of Modern Syria, 1919-71The Ottoman Empire had been an ally of Germany and Austria-Hungary during the First World War, and after its defeat and collapse, it lost much of its territory to the victorious Allied powers, Britain and France. During the war, two diplomats, Mark Sykes of Britain and Georges Picot of France, secretly agreed to divide the Ottoman provinces in southwestern Asia into two zones, each to be controlled by their respective countries. Once the war was over, the newly created League of Nations

formally authorized the establishment of French and British mandates over these territories. Syria and Lebanon were both part of the French zone, with Palestine and Iraq falling under British control.

But local Syrian Arab leaders, who had supported the Allies against the Ottomans during the war and had been promised independence in return for their efforts, felt betrayed by the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and a nationwide freedom struggle broke out during the 1920s. Although France was able to suppress the revolt, it agreed to demands for Syria’s eventual independence, which was proclaimed during the Second World War and became a reality following the withdrawal of French troops a year later.

In the decades following independence, Syria’s government proved to be very unstable, with a number of military coups occurring in rapid succession. Along with neighbouring Arab states Egypt and Jordan, it became involved in three wars against Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973, losing each time. As a result of these military defeats, Syria lost control of the Golan Heights bordering Israel, a major bone of contention between the two countries to this day. From 1958 to 1963, Syria and Egypt merged into the United Arab Republic, an experiment that did not succeed.

Inspired by the radical pan-Arab message of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, a group called the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party seized power in a military coup on March 8, 1963, and quickly imposed its control over the country. It passed an emergency decree soon after taking power that banned opposition political parties and severely restricted freedom of speech. These restrictions remained in effect until the uprising of 2011 began.

Did you know . . .Syria did not gain independence until 1946.


The Assad Dynasty and Its Opponents, 1971-2012Hafez al-Assad, one of the key figures behind the 1963 coup, rose to a position of prominence within the Ba’ath Party and assumed complete power as president in 1971. Under his regime, the country’s small Alawite minority, of which his family were members, gained dominance over Syria’s political, military, and economic life. The Alawites are an offshoot of the Shi’ite branch of the Islamic religion, whose beliefs and practices are very secretive and mystical while sharing strong parallels with Christianity. To many Sunni Muslims, who constitute almost three-quarters of Syria’s population, the Alawites are considered religious heretics. Assad’s regime was very heavy-handed and dictatorial but followed a determinedly secular path, suppressing radical Islamist groups like the banned Muslim Brotherhood and promoting a policy of religious tolerance of Christians. However, this enlightened approach did not apply to the country’s once-numerous Jewish minority, most of whom were forced to emigrate because of the regime’s strong anti-Israel policies.

A graphic example of Assad’s ruthlessness was his violent crackdown against a Muslim Brotherhood-inspired uprising against his regime that erupted in the city of Hama in February 1982. It is estimated that between 10 000 and 25 000 people, most of them civilians, lost their lives in this revolt, which is believed to be the single deadliest act by any Arab government against its own people in the modern Middle East. A consummate political strategist, Assad sought to improve relations with his former enemy the United States by supporting the 1990 UN-authorized military coalition against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein following his invasion of Kuwait. Assad and the Iraqi dictator had

a long history of personal and political enmity, as each led a rival faction of the Ba’ath Party.

Following Hafez al-Assad’s death on June 10, 2000, power fell to his son, Bashar, who was only 34 years old at the time. Trained as an ophthalmologist, Bashar had shown little interest in succeeding his father before he became president. During the first months of his regime, he introduced some political and economic reforms, and opposition forces hoped he might lead Syria through a transformation to democracy. But the “Damascus Spring” proved to be short-lived, and, within a year, Assad had cracked down on any expressions of dissent, jailing or exiling most of the opposition leadership. During this time, Syria also became deeply implicated in the political affairs of its neighbor Lebanon and was accused of plotting the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri in 2005. After a wave of anti-Syrian protests inside Lebanon, Assad agreed to withdraw his troops from the country.

In March 2011, peaceful demonstrations against Assad’s regime arose in many cities throughout Syria. Inspired by similar revolts in other Arab countries like Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the protestors called for an end to the dictatorship and the establishment of democracy. Assad’s military and security forces responded with great violence, shooting unarmed protestors in cold blood and using heavy weapons against rebel strongholds. Despite almost unanimous condemnation from most foreign powers, Assad stated that he would not resign and would continue to deal with the uprising against his regime “with a heavy hand.”

Almost one year after the revolution began, it appeared that Assad and his opponents were in a stalemate, with neither side strong enough to defeat


the other. This situation alarmed both Syrians and the international community, and there was a growing concern that a full-scale civil war, such as had occurred

in Libya, might be in the offing. This turn of events would create even more instability in the Middle East, a region already plagued with many conflicts.

Follow-up 1. With a partner, compare the information in your summary chart. Help each

other complete any missing information.

2. Why was Syria such an important part of the world in ancient times?

3. What problems has the modern nation of Syria faced since it gained independence from France in 1946?

4. How do you think the stalemate between the Assad regime and its opponents might be resolved in 2012?


THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIAHow should the world respond?

Focus for ReadingAs you read this section, complete the following chart, noting possible responses to the situation in Syria and the pros and cons of each.

The Middle East and the Arab world in general have been shaken by dramatic popular uprisings throughout 2011 and early 2012. A popular rising in Tunisia led to the collapse of the government with minimal loss of life in January 2011. One month later, Egypt’s long-ruling dictator, Hosni Mubarak, was forced to step down after massive protests against his regime in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Emboldened by these events, opponents of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi took to the streets of Bengazi, Libya, touching off what was to become a bitter struggle to topple his hated regime, with NATO warplanes playing a decisive role in the ultimate resolution of the conflict and the killing of the dictator in the fall of 2011.

At the same time, demands for reform and political change have been stymied or repressed in other Arab states such as Bahrain and Yemen. But when demonstrators began protesting against the iron-fisted rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, the

Response Pros Cons

Military action

Economic sanctions

world was caught by surprise. Unlike Tunisia’s Ben Ali or Egypt’s Mubarak, but similar to Gadhafi, Assad was a ruthless, totalitarian leader who was unwilling to yield to popular demands for his ouster from power, whatever the cost in lives and destruction might be.

But unlike his Libyan counterpart, Assad was not viewed as an international pariah by the rest of the world and could rely on the backing of influential allies both in the region and abroad. Such support would probably be enough to secure the defeat of any moves to organize a United Nations-authorized mission to halt his violent suppression of the revolt, as had been the case with Libya. Inside the Middle East itself, Assad could count Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran among the friends of his regime. Further afield, Russia and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council—with the power to veto any proposed motion to aid the Syrian rebels—were also strong trading partners and strategic allies of Assad.


A Military ResponseEven if the United States and the countries of the European Union and NATO were inclined to initiate a military response to the revolt in Syria—which has not appeared likely so far—it would be very difficult if not impossible to gain UN approval for such an option. In the case of Libya, the Security Council did authorize NATO warplanes to enforce a “no-fly” zone over the country, in order to prevent Gadhafi from using his army against civilians in rebel-controlled areas. This soon led to the bombing of Gadhafi forces on the ground, a move that handed a great military advantage to the rebels, who up until then had proven no match for the dictator’s superior troops. In the end, it is probably fair to conclude that without NATO’s assistance, the revolution in Libya would not have succeeded—or at least would have taken much longer to prevail.

Even in the unlikely event that the UN Security Council did authorize some kind of military response to the Syrian revolt, it would be much more difficult to impose it, since Syria’s armed forces are far stronger than Gadhafi’s. In addition, the anti-Assad rebels are still in the very early stages of organizing themselves into any kind of effective fighting force that could be deployed against his army. Further, unlike Libya, Syria has some influential allies in the region, most notably Iran.

Unfortunately, Iran already feels itself under threat from the U.S. and other Western nations, including Israel, as a result of allegations that it is engaged in a program to develop nuclear weapons. It is difficult to believe that Iran would stand idly by should any international military action be launched against its neighbor. Should Iran come to Syria’s aid, a full-blown Middle East crisis would ensue, with untold consequences, not only for the region but also for global peace and stability.

Economic SanctionsEver since it declared Syria a “sponsor of international terrorism” in 1979, the U.S. has imposed some form of trade sanctions against it. Then-president George W. Bush tightened the screws even further in 2004 when he froze Syrian assets in the U.S. and stopped all exports except humanitarian items. This move was in response to Assad’s backing of the militant Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon and the radical faction Hamas in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza. Other Western countries, including Canada and the members of the EU, have been slower to respond, and in the case of some European counties such as Italy have continued to import oil from Syria even after the uprising began in early 2011.

In January 2012, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird expanded Canadian sanctions already in place against Syria to include a ban on software used in the monitoring of telephone and Internet communications. This was in addition to existing measures that included a travel ban on senior government officials, the freezing of Syrian assets, and halting most imports and exports. For their part, the countries of the EU approved a similar list of sanctions shortly after the beginning of the uprising, even though this group of countries constituted Syria’s most important trading partner.

Petroleum is by far Syria’s most significant export, accounting for 20 per cent of its total GDP—and the EU nations purchase over 90 per cent of it. A European-wide embargo on Syrian oil could have a crippling effect on the country’s economy unless it is able to find other customers for it. China and India, two emerging economies dependent on oil imports, are possible alternatives. But initial reports indicate that Syria’s oil production has slumped, and that finding new buyers has proven

Further ResearchFind out more about the Canadian government’s position on Syria by visiting the website of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department at www.international.gc.ca.


more difficult than the Assad regime originally thought. In addition, Syria’s other main source of foreign revenue, tourism, has almost evaporated as a result of the disturbances. In addition, unemployment is rising to an estimated rate of 20 per cent, mainly impacting young people. While the regime continues to denounce the rest of the world for its “unjust” economic actions, it remains to be seen how long ordinary Syrians will continue to tolerate the increasing hardship resulting from the sanctions.

To add to Syria’s predicament, it now finds itself facing severe disruptions to its electricity supplies, 10 per cent of which are generated by its neighbor, Turkey. A one-time ally, Turkey has taken a strong stand against the Assad regime as a result of its violent suppression of the revolt. It also fears a mass influx of refugees fleeing the conflict. Turkey has threatened to cut off electricity supplies unless Assad agrees to the Arab League’s demands that he halt military actions against civilians, withdraw his heavy weapons from rebel-held cities, free political prisoners, and initiate a dialogue with the opposition

leading to the establishment of a multi-party democracy in Syria. As of late January 2012, Assad had demonstrated no willingness to take such demands seriously.

The 22-member Arab League has also been very active in putting pressure on Assad’s regime to halt the violence and commit to meaningful dialogue with the opposition. It suspended Syria’s membership in the organization in November 2011 and imposed sanctions—including a ban on commercial flights to and from the country from other Arab states. Two league member-nations in particular, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been extremely vocal in their criticisms of Assad and have even advocated the use of military force as a last resort if diplomatic pressure and sanctions fail to persuade him to change course. The organization dispatched an observer force to Syria in December hoping that its presence would help reduce the violence, but this proved unsuccessful. As a result, some league member-states are reviewing their participation in the monitoring mission, believing it to be counter-productive.

Follow-up 1. With a partner, compare the information in your summary chart. Help

each other complete any missing information. Based on this, decide which response you think is more likely to be successful in helping end the bloodshed in Syria.

2. What are the main similarities and differences between the revolution in Syria and similar uprisings that have occurred in other Arab countries?

3. Do you think economic sanctions and other forms of diplomatic pressure will succeed in forcing the Assad regime to change its policies in dealing with the revolt against it? Why or why not?


THE BLOODBATH IN SYRIAActivity: Monitoring Media Coverage Snce the uprising began in Syria in early 2011, it has been almost impossible for mainstream media outlets to report in any depth on these events. This is because the Assad regime has prevented their personnel from entering the country. Instead, the Western media and interested individuals have relied on grainy videos of demonstrations and violent governments attacks taken by witnesses on their cell phones. Many of these have been since uploaded and can be viewed on sites such as YouTube. You can view them by entering “Syria” in the search field.

In January 2012, the Syrian government permitted a CBC news crew to enter the country and file reports on the uprising. Headed by veteran CBC reporter Susan Ormiston, these reports are among the few that Western media have been able to present from inside Syria. They can be viewed at www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/01/11/f-syria-ormiston.html.

You can also forward questions directly to Susan Ormiston by accessing this link: www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/01/submit-your-syria-questions-to-susan-ormiston-veteran-cbc-reporter.html.

In addition, the renowned Arab television network Al Jazeera has devoted a great deal of media coverage to the events of the Arab Spring in general and the Syrian uprising in particular. It can be found at www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/syria/.

The BBC is an internationally recognized objective source of information about events taking place around the world. Its website offers in-depth coverage of events in Syria and can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13855203.

Your TaskForm groups to review and research the media coverage of the uprising in Syria from one of the sources given above. Prepare and present a report to the class on what you learned about these events from the media sources you consulted. As part of your group’s presentation, you may wish to show brief video clips portraying events in Syria and lead a discussion of how the members of the class respond to them.

To conclude your presentation, you may offer an evaluation of the media source you researched, indicating what you regard as its main strengths and weaknesses as a source of information about the Syrian revolution. Also note any biases that you can identify in this media outlet’s coverage of these events.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/01/11/f-syria-ormiston.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/01/11/f-syria-ormiston.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/01/submit-your-syria-questions-to-susan-ormiston-veteran-cbc-reporter.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/01/submit-your-syria-questions-to-susan-ormiston-veteran-cbc-reporter.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/syria/

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/syria/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13855203

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13855203


SEPTEMBER 2010The Controversy Over the Census The G20 Summit: Talks and Teargas The Oil Spill in the Gulf of MexicoResidential Schools: Truth and Healing

OCTOBER 2010The Tamil Boat People ControversyPakistan’s Catastrophic FloodsThe Fate of the Long-Gun RegistryJourney Back to Nagasaki

NOVEMBER 2010Hurricane Igor Hits NewfoundlandCanada’s New Governor GeneralAfghanistan: A Frontline ReportBPA: The Chemical Inside Us

DECEMBER 2010The Trial of Omar KhadrThe Oil Sands and the PR WarA New Campaign to Fight BullyingThe Rescue of the Chilean Miners

FEBRUARY 2011Wikileaks and the Information WarHaiti in a Time of Cholera The Assassination of Rafik Hariri How Healthy Are Canadians?

MARCH 2011Parliament and the Election QuestionEgypt and the Days of AngerThe Shooting of Gabrielle GiffordsVacation Nightmare in Mexico

APRIL 2011Japan and the Nuclear NightmareThe Uprising in LibyaHockey and the Concussion DebateHow Facebook Changed the World

MAY 2011Canadians Vote in a Spring ElectionCanada and the Afghanistan LegacyRevising the History of the AmericasThe Real Story of the King’s Speech

News in Review IndexA list of the stories covered last season and to date in the current season is provided below.

The complete chronological index for all 21 seasons of News in Review and a subject-oriented index listing News in Review stories appropriate for various subject areas can be accessed through our Web site at http://newsinreview.cbclearning.ca.

CBC LearningP.O. Box 500, Station AToronto, Ontario, Canada M5W 1E6Tel: (416) 205-6384Fax: (416) 205-2376E-mail: [email protected]

SEPTEMBER 2011The Massacre in Norway War and Famine in SomaliaThe 9/11 Attacks: Ten Years LaterLife, Work, and Smartphones

OCTOBER 2011The Life and Death of Jack Layton Terry Fox: Remembering a Canadian HeroLibya and the Fall of Gadhafi The Vancouver Riot: What Went Wrong?

NOVEMBER 2011Teen Suicide: Breaking the SilenceThe Eurozone and the Economic CrisisAmanda Lindhout’s African JourneyCoping with the Stress of Graduation

DECEMBER 2011The Rise of the Occupy Movement Canada’s Controversial Crime Bill The Struggle to Save Canada’s FarmlandHealing the Invisible Wounds of War

news in review - curio.ca · 2014. 4. 10. · the bloodbath in syria (length: 14:11) for almost a...

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