By Marius Stoner It was shortly after twelve and a brisk summer’s day when I arrived at the Pan Pacific Hotel where Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was scheduled to speak in a couple of hours. Already there were about a dozen people with signs and placards among the small crowd of mostly tourists that…
By Jahanzeb Hussain The invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 is perhaps the only American military venture whose cause and purpose is the most misunderstood. Why did the US attack Afghanistan? Is it because of Central Asian energy resources that the US wants to control? Did the US want to install itself right in the heart…
Simone de Beauvoir Institute at Concordia University, via Sarah Allan The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently ruled that two elements of Canada’s prostitution laws cause harm to women (Canada Attorney General v. Bedford, 2012 ONCA 186: http://www.ontariocourts.ca/decisions_index/new_releases.htm). Specifically, the Court argues that the bawdy house provisions and the living off the avails provisions of the Criminal Code violate the…
by Fathima Cader Last weekend, Don Davies, Immigration critic for the NDP and MP for Vancouver-Kingsway, attended an anti-racist community march and block party that No One Is Illegal-Vancouver (NOII) had organised after local neo-Nazis lit on fire and attacked several people of colour in Vancouver on Commercial Drive, a Vancouver neighbourhood otherwise infamous for…
by Sarah Allan Today, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its judgment in the matter of Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford, which brought a constitutional challenge to the criminal laws that relate to prostitution. They struck down two of the three laws that were challenged, on the basis that they violated sex workers rights to take…
by Fathima Cader March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, marks the anniversary of the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, when police opened fire on hundreds of South Africans protesting against Apartheid’s passbook laws. Police killed 67 people and wounded 186. This year, in light of the recent string of hate…
by Jahanzeb Hussain There are plenty of things wrong with the very naive Kony 2012 Campaign. It re-enforces all the stereotypes: rich, mostly white folks from western countries going off to help little black kids in Africa. The people who made the film might have perfectly honest intentions, but the way they did it shows their…
by Fathima Cader and the Social Justice Action Network (SJAN) at UBC Law The Social Justice Action Network (SJAN) at the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia has released a statement against Bill C-10, as per below. We are now seeking endorsements from UBC Law faculty, students, staff, and alumni. If that includes you…
by Tracy Giesz-Ramsay What if, just as humans have a right to life, the earth – as a living, breathing entity – had a right to life as well? And what if just like genocide there was international law in place against the large-scale massacre of ecosystems? That is what UK lawyer and environmental activist…
by Melanie Hadida I hate Rihanna. So much. Just ask any of my friends. If you’re ever out with me and we’re unlucky enough to have some background Rihanna music infiltrate our ears, I can guarantee you will have to sit through one of my anti-Rihanna rants. Which is why I wasn’t surprised to wake…
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