Social Justice Word Splash Source: BLM 9.4.3 a Manitoba Education education costs illiteracy injustice homelessness poverty level child hunger disabled access discrimination education rights social activism preventive health care social service programs urban poor drop-out rate hunting and fishing rights gender child poverty public housing inequities access to health services guaranteed income minority rights Aboriginal rights unemployment treaty rights hunger economic disparities core area regeneration racism 1
Choose a social injustice and research the topic using the internet. Examples of social injustices include hunger, inequality, racism, unemployment, illiteracy, etc. Complete the chart below: Social Injustice in Canada Topic: Source(s): About the Problem: Solutions to the Problem: What is your opinion on the topic? 2
First Nations Treaties and Aboriginal Rights 1. Signing of the Treaties Aboriginal Peoples lived in Canada before Europeans. When Europeans came they negotiated Treaties with the Aboriginal Peoples. In exchange for land the Canadian Government agreed to give Aboriginal Peoples reserve land to live on, money and supplies, etc. The numbered treaties were negotiated a long time ago from 1871-1921. There was miscommunication between how much land Aboriginal Peoples wanted to give up and what the Canadian Government was willing to offer in exchange. Along with the language barrier, not everything was recorded on paper. Now Aboriginal Peoples are allowed to make Land Claims where they can go to court to debate the negotiation. The process of addressing Land Claims takes a long time. 2. Protecting Aboriginal Rights Aboriginal Rights are inherent rights Aboriginal Peoples have for being the First Peoples. They include the right to practice culture, traditions, and way of life before European Contact. Both Treaty and Aboriginal Rights are protected under the Constitution. Is enough being done to protect Aboriginal culture and language? What about Stereotypes? Are non-aboriginal Canadians tolerant and respectful of Aboriginal Culture? Are Aboriginal Peoples treated fairly and respectfully in Canadian society? What more can be done to protect Aboriginal Rights? 3. Self-Government The Canadian Government has recognized that Aboriginal Peoples have an inherent right to self-government. The question is how do you go about doing that? The federal government would still run the country and provincial governments would still run the provinces. The aim is for Aboriginal Governments to run First Nation Communities. The process of setting up Aboriginal Self-Government takes a long time. 4. Past Injustices The Canadian Government has made numerous injustices towards Aboriginal peoples and this has created tension between the two. The Canadian Government thought it was their responsibility to educate Aboriginal Peoples. Residential Schools were set-up to educate Aboriginal children. The schools had an overall negative impact on Aboriginal 1
Peoples resulting in culture, language, and identity loss. Aboriginal Cultural ceremonies were also banned from 1895-1951. What impact did this have on Aboriginal Culture? 5. Current Issues Current issues are a result of past events. Residential schools had an overall negative impact on Aboriginal Peoples. Lack of opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples also contributed to the problem. Now some First Nation Communities suffer economically. Lack of money flowing into the community contributes to lack of job opportunities. Lack of job opportunities contributes to the cycle of poverty. Questions 1. What miscommunication took place during the signing of the treaties? 2. What are Land Claims? 3. What are Aboriginal Rights? What more can be done to protect Aboriginal Rights? 2
4. What is Self-Government? Do you think Aboriginal Peoples should have the right to Self-Government? Why or Why not? 5. What are some past injustices the Canadian Government has done towards Aboriginal Peoples? What can be done to resolve these past injustices? 6. Why do some First Nation Communities suffer economically? What can be done to improve First Nation Communities? 3
Poverty in Canada Read the article then answer the following questions: Fighting poverty pays off, report says - Public cost of poverty pegged at $25B a year The Canadian Press Sep 28, 2011 The federal government could save billions of dollars if it tackled the roots of poverty, according to a new report from a government advisory body. The report from the National Council of Welfare urges the governing Tories to take a long-term "investment" approach to preventing poverty, rather than a short-term program spending approach. It says the public cost of poverty is easily $25 billion a year, and climbing all while the poverty rate does not improve. Conservative Senator Hugh Segal says the new report uses hard numbers to link poverty to the cost of productivity, health care and the justice system. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press) "The costs and consequences of poverty are much larger than direct spending on social programs. We see the total costs when indirect and societal costs are taken into account," the report says. The council has been able to look at the cost of poverty in a way that federal departments can't, said Conservative Senator Hugh Segal, who has long been involved in poverty eradication. Federal departments analyze poverty programs with a simple cost-benefit analysis, while the council report is able to look at "the cost of inertia, the cost of not doing anything," Segal said. But the new report uses hard numbers to link poverty to the cost of productivity, health care and the justice system, he added. "It's a very good way to encourage public debate and discussion." 1
Savings to be found at hospitals, prisons The long-term preventive approach would eventually save taxpayers significant amounts in emergency health care, prisons, shelters and other social services that are used in floundering attempts to keep poverty under wraps, the report says. There's a catch. Overhauling social supports would require up-front funding. "An investment model is geared towards the longer term," says the report titled "The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty." "It may require larger initial resources and may take time, but there will be a far greater and more permanent pay-off." While many an anti-poverty advocate has argued that reducing poverty would also reduce health-care costs, the council's report documents case after case of communities saving money by changing their approach. A homeless person in Calgary, for example, can run up $42,000 a year in costs at emergency shelters. Putting that person in a prison or psychiatric hospital would cost about $120,000. But giving that person access to supportive housing and social services would cost between $13,000 and $18,000, the report says. Similarly, about 20 per cent of health-care spending in Canada is attributed to socioeconomic factors such as income, the report says, citing research from the Public Health Agency of Canada. "Canadians are paying the most in the least productive areas, trying to fix costly problems linked to inequality, insecurity and poverty that are preventable," the report states. The council recognizes there is a general public concern that spending money on the poor would come at a cost to other people and services. But it argues that poverty reduction benefits society at large, and not just the poor. Pressure on hospitals would be alleviated. The Canadian population would have higher levels of literacy and numeracy, benefiting the economy. And a healthier workforce would dramatically reduce companies' costs of absenteeism. 2
The council, tasked with advising the federal government on dealing with poverty, says Ottawa should start by setting out a long-term vision that identifies needed resources and sets up a way to measure success. The recommendations are similar to those put forward by Canada Without Poverty. In its pre-budget submission, the national activists' group urges the federal government to set firm targets and timelines to reduce poverty, and work with all levels of government to that end. Both groups warn that dealing with poverty is a far more efficient way to reduce crime than passing tough crime legislation that would hit the poor hard. "People who face poverty combined with other factors such as addiction, mental illness and discrimination, and who are mixed with those inclined to inflict evil on these victims, equals crime," the pre-budget submission states. But the federal government has repeatedly resisted calls for a national anti-poverty strategy, saying such issues are better dealt with by local and provincial levels of government. And, indeed, most provincial governments are seized with designing new, long-term anti-poverty strategies. But they also argue that they have neither the scope nor the money to do it alone. "It is still a hard sell. Poverty is a hard sell. It shouldn't be, because it costs everybody," said Liberal Senator Art Eggleton, who led a massive study on poverty two years ago, only to see it dismissed by the federal Tories. "Our future prosperity may well depend on how we address our current level of poverty. I quite simply don't believe we can afford poverty any more." Human Resources Minister Diane Finley will be less likely to ignore this anti-poverty report than others, added Segal. That's because it comes from a group of advisers chosen by the government for their apolitical work in the field. "It should have greater impact," Segal said. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/09/28/poverty-report.html 3
Questions 1. How much is the public cost of poverty according to the report from the National Council of Welfare? 2. In what areas would the long-term preventative approach save taxpayers? 3. What is the catch to the long-term preventative approach? 4. How much money can a homeless person cost a year at emergency shelters? 5. How much would it cost to have a homeless person in a prison or psychiatric hospital? 6. How much would it cost to give a homeless person access to supportive housing and social services? 7. How does reducing poverty benefit society at large? 4
8. How do you think dealing with poverty would be more effective at reducing crime than passing tough crime legislation? 9. Why do you think poverty is hard to sell? 10. What do you think is the best way to reduce poverty? 5