Jody Dallaire lives and works in Dieppe New Brunswick where she writes a weekly column on women's equality issues and matters of social justice.
Email: jody.dallaire@rogers.com.
by Jody Dallaire
Many of us who care about social justice and women’s rights have learned in the last few years to look elsewhere than the United States for inspiration – even to look away from the US to avoid despair. Indeed, the only country that leads more quickly to despair on those issues may be Afghanistan. As someone asked recently, have the Taliban won the war and taken over the United States?
by Jody Dallaire
This summer I went to Dieppe, France, to help commemorate the August 19 1942 Dieppe Raid, where thousands of (mostly Canadian) soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner by the Germans.
by Jody Dallaire
Sexism and harassment should not be part of anyone’s job description. We hear too often though that women experience gender discrimination at work.
You’ve heard the stories. Let’s recap, briefly.
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
At these Olympics, IOC announced that women would finally be part of every national team sent to the games — for the first time in modern history. Saudi Arabia was a hard case. Women there can't vote or drive cars let alone run in public. The IOC bent the rules of equality just enough so that Saudi Arabia, as well as Qatar and Brunei, sent a few female athletes.
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
Recently, New Brunswick celebrated Disability Awareness Week (DAW) for the 25th time. This year, DAW fell on May 27 to June 2 with a theme "Ready and Able to Work." Galas held during May and June celebrated the achievements of local individuals with disabilities.
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
Among the many misguided changes in the 2012 federal budget — the much hated Omnibus Bill C-38 — the government announced (along with cuts to several programs) that it is allocating $8 million dollars to police Canadian charities.
This is only the latest of several policy and budget decisions the federal government has made, that impede the work of registered charities and non-profits.
Indeed, this government has implemented drastic funding cuts to programs designed to support public education, research, public policy and advocacy work. For instance, the Status of Women Canada's mandate no longer includes the word "equality"; the Court Challenges Program was abolished entirely; and of course cuts to environmental programs such as the Experimental Lakes Area.
ustify; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;
It does not appear that there is a rampant problem in Canada.
"Solving the problem of bullying," said Jody Carr, New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, "requires a multi-faceted solution where everyone works together." Carr was announcing legislative and policy changes to deal with bullying in the school system.
True enough, but what about the rest of the world? While talking about bullying in schools is all the rage these days — stories of its victims have made news headlines recently — the problem of bullying doesn't stop once school is out and kids graduate.
What happens to bullies after graduation? Where do they go?
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
For six years, the Moncton Chapter of the YWCA began presenting Women of Distinction Awards to women who have distinguished themselves in one of the following six fields: 1) community building and volunteerism; 2) health and active living; 3) arts, culture and design; 4) business and professions; 5) education, training and development; and 6) non profit and public service.
Two other awards are presented, one to a young woman, between the ages 18 to 25, and the other is an honorary recognition award for significant achievement of national importance.
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
This Thursday, June 21 is National Aboriginal Day. June 21 is also the summer solstice, part of the reason the date was chosen for National Aboriginal Day. It is interesting to note that Wabanaki means the first ones to see the light in the morning — dawn breaking.
First Nations in the Maritime Provinces assert that they did not surrender their lands to the Crown. I acknowledge the Wabanaki Confederacy — the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy peoples — on whose ancestral land most of us reside.
Most of us know little about our Wabanaki neighbours. Next week or this summer, some of us may have occasion to learn more if we participate in special aboriginal events or powwows. These events are held throughout the province every summer.
by Jody Dallaire, Dieppe Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity between Women and Men
Thomas Jefferson once said that, "We don't have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."
If you don't vote because you believe that the political system disregards your concerns, think about this: there is probably no better way to ensure that the political system continues to disregard your concerns than to disengage and not participate.
And yet there is a growing trend to pretend that we don't need to do our share for society, by giving up on politics, politicians and governments.
