Royal West Academy

In Canada, mining companies are presently very big businesses, with nearly half of the world’s explorations connected to them. Canada is, in fact, considered the world’s leading mining country. But, along with holding the title of the leader Canada is making itself a very bad reputation. In some countries, mostly in South America and Africa, where Canadian companies have taken over and begun exploiting precious minerals and metals, the word Canada may have become synonymous with villain or enemy. As Canadians, most of us consider our country to be at the forefront of global social justice and peacekeeping. Contrary to our own beliefs, citizens in developing countries, which are directly affected by Canadian mining corporations view us in an entirely different light.

Mining generates significant profits for our country, which explains why the Canadian Government shows such strong financial and political support for the mining companies. Currently, in Africa, the Republic of South Africa is more productive than Canada in the mining industry, but its mines can be found only on its own territory. Canada has mines in most of the remaining countries, dominating the rest of the African continent. Because of the significant contribution the Canadian mining companies make towards the growth of our economy the government continues to support them despite the proven violations of human rights by these same companies.

When operating overseas, it would seem only fair that Canadian companies follow Canadian laws. The corporations involved in the exportation of resources abroad should continue to respect human rights and obey Canadian rules and regulations. However, this is not the way it is done at the moment. Canadian mining corporations take advantage of the situation by following the laws and regulations of the country they wish to exploit. Developing countries in which they work often do not have strong laws protecting the economic and social wellbeing of employees and local residents, as well as the environment. Abiding by the less strict rules of these developing countries Canadian companies can get away with certain actions that would be prohibited in mines located in Canada.

As a result, they have found themselves in the middle of human rights and environmental violations. Certain groups in developing countries have accused Canadians of behaving violently towards their workers, where death threats have been present. Apart from maintaining poor working conditions, damages have been made to the living conditions of the mining communities. Mines take up huge amounts of water, which create an insufficient amount of drinking water for the local people. Toxic chemicals from the mines can potentially contaminate any water that they may receive. The construction of these mines is also very intrusive, taking up a lot of space and destroying the surrounding eco systems.

Canada is known as a democratic country that promotes human rights, yet it simultaneously encourages the very opposite behavior in its businesses that are set up abroad. To address this dilemma Liberal MP John McCay introduced the Bill C-300, in hopes that Canadian mining companies overseas begin to follow the standard of human rights, and environmental practices that Canada is associated with. This bill will help to ensure that financial and political support by the government is no longer provided to companies who abuse these human rights. In the end, Bill C-300 wishes to see Canada operate outside of the country in a socially responsible way that follows international human rights.

by: Katia Lytvyn-Male

For the past one hundred years, women have finally started to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as men. The right to vote represented a huge step forward in the history of the western world. However, we continue to witness and experience sexism and inequality. Quebec still does not have equal pay, the Catholic Church still refuses to let women become priests and even a quick glance at any teen magazine shows how women (and young girls) are still expected to dress for the benefit of men. As outdated as these practices may be, we often forget the true atrocities that are committed against women. We have forgotten about half of the world.

It is estimated that between 60 and 107 million women are missing in the world today, most of them from developing countries. Some of these women have died due to insufficient health care and maternal mortality. Some suffer today having been sold into forced labour or sexual servitude. Rape has been declared a war crime by the United Nations, yet in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 40 women are raped a day. In these parts of the world women face more dangers than not being taken seriously. The brutal sexism and horrible sexual violence that they experience is more horrific than I am able to describe.

It may seem that there is no hope, but when women are given a chance, they have proven that they can go very far. Take Srey Rath for example: she was an intelligent and confident fifteen year old girl when she was trafficked into a brothel. She was drugged, beaten and forced to serve her male customers 15 hours a day, seven days a week. After escaping this horrible situation, she was sold to another brothel. Eventually, she managed to make it back to Cambodia where her family was. You’d expect that after having spent years of her life essentially being raped she’d be traumatised and depressed. Fortunately, Srey’s spirit was not broken and she managed to start her own small business, get married and have a healthy son. She currently owns a small shop and is quite successful. Not only can women do well for themselves, but giving them a chance gives the whole world a chance. East Asia’s economic boom is due, in part, to the empowerment of women. When women are given the chance to become independent, they no longer need to marry at a young age, meaning that they will probably have fewer children which will help to solve overpopulation. These women are also more likely to save their money than their male counterparts and can thus send their children to school which produces a more educated generation. The benefits of the empowerment of women worldwide are not limited to women. Women are a large part of the solution to global poverty.

Half the Sky by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn has started a movement which can use your help. Visit their website www.halftheskymovement.org to learn more about the plight of women.

It is atrocious that people are being treated so horribly. Women are more than objects to be sold for sexual pleasure, we are people with minds and ideas and the ability to make a difference in the world. Forgetting about half the world hurts the whole world.

By: Charlotte Schwartz

The Republic of Uganda is a country in East Africa based on a democratic parliamentary system. Human rights have been slowly progressing in Uganda since the 1980s, but the government is about to take a huge step backwards. The existing Ugandan penal code categorizes homosexual acts as illegal with consequences of imprisonment up to 14 years. Police arrest and detain anyone accused of engaging in consensual homosexual sex. Over the past year, there has been increased campaigning against homosexuality in the media, which publicly accuses individuals of being gay or lesbian. These individuals have received death threats, been physically assaulted, and faced discrimination.

Currently under consideration is an Anti-Homosexuality Bill, proposed on October 13, 2009 by Member of Parliament David Bahati, which would, if passed, further criminalize homosexuality and introduce fascist-like elements to the Ugandan society. It is promoted by the government as a way to “uphold Uganda’s integrity” and “protect the traditional family”. The Prime Minister has been quoted saying that homosexuality is a Western import and “un-African.” Bahati himself agrees that the legislation is about promoting family values, and counters human rights activists by saying, “Homosexuality is not part of the human rights we believe in.” Their stance completely denies the innate nature of sexual orientation, and the bill contains nothing but reasons and excuses for persecution.

The current draft of the bill includes a provision that would sentence anyone who has failed to report the identities of people who are gay, transgendered, or who support their rights within 24 hours to jail time. This section of the bill is clearly aimed at igniting a witch-hunt across the country and enticing people to turn against each other and rat out their friends and family to save their own skin. Once the bill is passed into law, it would be an offence to publish information on or “promote” homosexuality, stifling freedom of speech and criminalizing the work of national and international organizations promoting human rights in Uganda.

Contrary to the global trend regarding capital punishment, the bill would have the death sentence given to “serial offenders” and Ugandans found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality” – homosexual sex with minors or communicating HIV, regardless of condom usage. In the latter case, the convicted will be forced to undergo HIV tests. “Attempts to commit the offence of homosexuality” are punishable on conviction with a jail sentence of up to seven years, and the actual “offence” with a life sentence. People in same-sex marriages will also be imprisoned for life. Furthermore, the bill claims extra-territorial jurisdiction, so the act will apply to Ugandan citizens even outside the country, giving homosexual Ugandans little place to go.

A human-rights travesty such as this would serve to divide and weaken society as well as drive the already-marginalized gay community further underground. A study conducted by the country’s Gay and Lesbian Coalition suggested that about 60 percent of “men who have sex with men” (terminology used because of the stigma around openly gay and bisexual individuals) are also involved in relationships with women so as to not arouse suspicion. A lack of treatment and resources in gay communities and pressure not to use condoms within marriages could lead to the spreading of the HIV virus. AIDS was, in fact, perceived as a heterosexual disease in Africa until recently, and adequate education on prevention is not available. The bill puts the entire population at risk of an epidemic.

International response towards the bill has been generally negative. Representatives of the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and France have all spoken out against. Sweden has decided to revoke its $50 million development aid to Uganda if the bill passes, and other donors have threatened to do the same, but the Ugandan government stubbornly refuses to listen. The Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo welcomed the international uproar, seeing the situation as “an opportunity for Uganda to provide leadership where it matters most.” Modifications, especially considering the usage of the death sentence, are expected to be made to appease donors, but the bill seems set to pass.

That the counterproductive and morally reprehensible bill would even be suggested in a democratic country, let alone pass, is proof of the stigma-induced ignorance among its population. This ignorance is what allows the homophobic government to demonize the country’s least-visible group. As a Ugandan gay man writing under the alias Gug said to the Toronto Star, "We are a small minority; voiceless, persecuted, unknown. Most people have never ever knowingly 'seen' a homosexual. Why not blame them for the ills of the country?"

By: Xinwen Zhu