Passed away peacefully at the Riverview Health Centre in the arms of his anam cara, Lesley, and with his best friend, Griff, by his side.
]]> His was what the philosophers describe as that most blessed of all things, “a good death”.Tom was predeceased by his parents Charles and Mae Faulkner and by his former wife Patricia Sinclair-Faulkner in 2002. He is survived by his children: Matthew (Jen) and their children Aaron and Joshua, and by his daughter Kate. Tom is also remembered by his brothers Bill (Martha) and John (Mary Anne), and by the Sinclair family: Deborah (David), Scott (Rosalynd), and Kathryn (Roger), and by numerous nieces and nephews.
Tom was a life long scholar of the mystery which is religion. He began his teaching career at Dalhousie University in 1975, and taught in the Department of Religion until 2004, and served as the Chair of the Department.
Dr. Faulkner was President of St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s Colleges from 2004 to 2006.
In July of 2007, Tom joined the Faculty of Theology of The University of Winnipeg, where he assumed the position of Associate Professor of Church and Society.
It was here at the University of Winnipeg that Tom opened an entirely new dimension to an already distinguished career.
Throughout his life an acknowledged leader in the scholarship of world religions, Tom now began an equally distinguished, though sadly brief career, as a practitioner in the dialogue among world religions, and in the intersection between politics and religion.
It was in this capacity that he was appointed the Inaugural Director of the Ridd Institute for Religion and Global Policy, situated in the Global College of The University of Winnipeg.
Among his extraordinary accomplishments in the past three years has been his 2008 secondment to the European Humanities University, a Byelorussian university in exile, located in Vilnius, Lithuania. Here he lectured in his primary field of expertise, and provided direct insight into the workings of academic freedom to scholars who have been so long denied that most essential commodity.
During that same year, he represented the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Conference on Religion and Peace at the Dublin Treaty Conference on Cluster Munitions.
In January 2009, he was invited by the Pakistani Navy to lecture their officer corps. on Islamic combat ethics.
In February of the same year, he delivered the inaugural Bedford-United College Lecture at The University of Winnipeg, Head, Heart and Hand: The Crowe Case as Tragedy.
In the spring of 2009, Tom assumed the position of Secretary to the Manitoba Interfaith Council, and undertook an interfaith planning exercise of epic dimensions – including a public lecture – The Great Winnipeg Flood of 2013. The creatively developed scenario and accompanying action plans serve as a model for Interreligious collaboration during public disasters.
Engaged literally until the moment of his passing, Tom was an active participant in the planning and execution of the 2010 World Religions Summit, convened at The University of Winnipeg in June of this year.
His efforts included the preparation of a tour of Winnipeg religious communities for international visitors, and planning support for a conference of young adults as an innovative element of the Summit.
Tom’s hospitality was legendary, and he played host to a visiting Faculty member from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, the Rev. Prof. Wen-en Lin, between September of 2009 and May of 2010.
Tom was an avid guitarist, banjo player, and a member of several choirs. He loved his students – and they loved him - and he was a strong advocate for social justice in the world, serving the United Church of Canada with faithfulness. He will be lovingly remembered for his intense glare, his passion for the world of academia, his brilliant mind, and his Tilley attire!
His family express their deepest appreciation to the staff at Riverview Hospital for their compassionate and gracious care.
A celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Saturday, July 17 at 4p.m. at Augustine United Church, 444 River Avenue.
]]>Schedule:
Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday from 6 - 8:30 p.m.
HRGS-2650 & HRGS-3650
This course will focus on providing students with comprehensive views of the causes and discourses of terrorism within the Muslim context, and their implications to world peace. The course will provide balanced perspectives on political, cultural, social and religious issues. Finally the course will explore approaches to address those issues, with an emphasis on multilateral approaches, and ones that may lead to the peaceful transformation of the terrorism trend in the Muslim world. The course will be taught by Professor Amr Abdalla, the Vice Rector of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, who is a former prosecuting attorney from Egypt with extensive expertise and experience on Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups.
REGISTER TODAY!
Current students can register via WebAdvisor. For more information contact global.college@uwinnipeg.ca
Migration and Development in the Philippines, 1960-2010
August 3-13, 2010
Guest Professor: Anthony Tujan Jr. ,
Institute for Political Economy, the Philippines
MULT-1100 & MULT-2100
This course on Migration and Development in the Philippines will examine how Philippine labour migration came to be institutionalized as the country's primary economic development strategy. As a joint effort with Filipino-Manitoban members of Aksyon Ng Ating Kabataan (ANAK) Inc. - ANAK - in acknowledgment of the 50 years of immigration to Manitoba from the Philippines, this course is being hosted by the Global College Institute for Human Rights and Global Studies, directed by Prof. Kim Sibanda, with guest instructor Antonio Tujan Jr., from the Institute for Political Economy in the Philippines, who will teach this course as an exploration of the political, economic, and social impact of labour migration in the Philippines especially in terms of its challenges to human rights and development in the past fifty years.
* Press Release
* Filipino Community Celebrates 50 Years of Being in Manitoba - MB Legislature (Hansard)
REGISTER TODAY!
Current students can register via WebAdvisor. For more information contact global.college@uwinnipeg.ca
Global Citizens: Manitobans Working Together for a Better World celebrates extraordinary Manitobans who are making a difference overseas and explores Manitoba’s role in the global community. It features photographs and stories from projects that are saving and improving lives in the developing world. Since 2004, 27,000 lives have been saved by malaria prevention mosquito nets in Tanzania. In Haiti, thousands are treated and cured each year for Tuberculosis and other serious diseases at Grace Children’s Hospital. Much of this is due to the work of extraordinary Manitobans.
“Manitoba has a significant role in the global community when it comes to development and this role is worth celebrating,” says Janice Hamilton, MCIC Executive Director. “There is much work to be done in making our world a better place, but it’s important for people to be reminded of the great strides being made. By highlighting some amazing results coming right out of our province, we hope to show Manitobans that they all have the capacity to make a difference through their actions.”
The Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) is a coalition of 40 organizations involved in international development. An independent non-profit organization, MCIC is responsible for distributing Government of Manitoba funds designated for international development and emergency relief and rehabilitation and works within Manitoba to build understanding and engagement on international issues.
The exhibit is open during regular Library hours.
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
For further information about this exhibit, please contact:
Janice Hamilton, MCIC Executive Director
Phone: (204) 987-6420
Email: mcic@web.ca
Established in 2005 as a result of a generous gift made to The University of Winnipeg Global College by Dr. Douglas W. Leatherdale, the Internships are designed to support students who wish to augment their degree programs with credits they obtain through international studies in Human Rights and Global Studies, or any of the major areas represented by the Institutes of the Global College. The Internships are available to University of Winnipeg students wishing to study abroad and also are available to international students wishing to pursue their studies at The University of Winnipeg. The Internships will normally be granted for study periods of six weeks to three months.
The number and value of internships vary, up to a maximum of $5,000 each.
Please see the application form for complete eligibility and application criteria:
http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/gc-scholarsps-grants#leatherdale
Application deadline: March 22, 2010
For more information contact the Global College at 988-7105 or global.college@uwinnipeg.ca
17 November 2009 – The Security Council today called on United Nations missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan to coordinate strategies to protect civilians from the rebel Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which has killed, kidnapped and displaced thousands of people.
In a press statement read out by Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria, which holds the monthly presidency for November, the 15-member body “expressed deep concern at the direct and serious threat the activities of the LRA pose to the civilian population, the conduct of humanitarian operations and regional stability.”
]]> It commended States in the region for their increased cooperation, welcomed their joint efforts to address the serious threat posed by the LRA, and encouraged them to share information with UN operations in the region so as to make every possible effort to ensure the protection of civilians, in particular women and children.The LRA, which terrorized northern Uganda for two decades before spilling over into neighbouring countries, has been accused of committing atrocities including mutilations and the recruitment of child soldiers.
The Council reiterated previous demands that the LRA immediately cease all attacks on civilians, and urged them to surrender, assemble and disarm, as required by an unfulfilled peace agreement which the group’s leader Joseph Kony has refused to sign.
]]>Learn how to strengthen your organization through:
· Effective proposal writing;
· Quality evaluation tools;
· Strategic plans, and;
· Strong Human Resources practice and policy.
Dates are November 3, November 17, December 1, and December 8.
All workshops run from 1-4pm, and are located in the Buchwald Room; 2nd Floor, Millennium Library
Sometimes we become so preoccupied with immediate issues that we lose sight of ultimate organizational objectives. A strategic plan is a visionary, conceptual but directional document that helps organizations figure out where they want to go and how they want to get there. In this workshop, participants will learn about the importance of strategic plans, and will walk away with knowledge of strategic planning methods, models, and elements.
Facilitator: Ron Hayes
November 17: HR Basics
In any organization, it is important to attract, retain, and develop strong workers and leaders. This allows for better program implementation and development, and decreases staff turnover and conflict. In this workshop, participants will explore basic HR system elements such as orientation details, contracts, policy manuals, and job descriptions, and focus on performance reviews and other issues facing non-profit organizations.
Facilitator: Michelle Harrison
December 1: Understanding Evaluation: A Primer
Although their work is meaningful, many organizations may struggle with how to demonstrate to funders and the wider public that their programs are important. In addition, organizations may need to determine for themselves whether programs are effective or whether they should be changed. This workshop explores different concepts and approaches to program evaluation.
Facilitator: Garry Loewen
December 8: Effective Proposal Writing
Learn more about funders, what they are looking for and how they select winning proposals. Learn how to lay-out and write a credible, easy to read proposal that meets your funders’ needs. This workshop will examine strategies and develop effective techniques for writing successful proposals for organizational funding or project support, and is ideal for those who have to write convincing documents to secure necessary funding and resources for their project, program or event.
Facilitator: Rolande Kirouac
Contact for more info:
Karin Kliewer
Learning Events Coordinator | Coordonnatrice
309-323 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 2C1
(204) 949.1448 | Fax: (204) 927.3201
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
Participants who attend and complete three workshops will receive a Certificate of Achievement
Workplace Human Rights Complaints: Myths, Fears and Realities (NEW)
This half-day workshop helps employers determine whether a workplace issue raises aspects of human rights law and when an investigation into the issue may be required. What an employer can expect if the Commission becomes involved in the workplace issue will also be discussed.
Human Rights in the Workplace
This half day interactive workshop is specifically tailored for employers and human resource professionals; Human Rights Investigators clarify a variety of workplace human rights topics and explain how the Commission processes complaints; Defines discrimination and harassment and the meaning behind reasonable accommodation under The Code; Reveals a proactive approach to pre-employment inquiries and writing workplace policies
Reasonable Accommodation in the Workplace
This half day workshop offers practical advice using real examples to those responsible for dealing with accommodation workplace issues, either for an employer or union; The key legal elements of the duty to accommodate and how to respond to requests for accommodation will be discussed
Harassment in the Workplace
This half day workshop will be of interest to those requiring a more in-depth discussion of harassment; Develop and implement anti-harassment policies; Know how to appropriately respond to a harassment complaint from an employee Human Rights Investigators explain what harassment is under The Code, why anti-harassment policies are needed and what they should include.
How to Investigate a Human Rights Complaint
This full day workshop assists supervisors and human resource professionals who are frequently confronted with a human rights complaint in their workplace; Participants will work through sample case scenarios
Recent Developments in Human Rights Law
This workshop will be of interest to lawyers, law students, human resource professionals, and anyone who wishes to develop a better understanding of human rights legislation and its impact; Considers the effect of recent court and tribunal decisions dealing with equality and human rights law; Identifies emerging issues
Full details including dates and fees at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/hrc/english/education-09-10.html
The Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Issues Program has volunteer opportunities in the following areas:
1. Even Wars Have Limits Working Group
2. Malaria Bites Working Group
3. Humanitarian Issues Working Group
1. Even Wars Have Limits Working Group – Commitment: Oct-Mar
This Working Group has a mandate to promote humanitarian issues and action through public outreach on international humanitarian law (IHL), which includes such topics as the effects of war on children, landmines, small arms and light weapons and cluster munitions. Examples of past initiatives include organising speaker series, workshops, media events, film showings and fundraisers. This year, the working group will have the following specific focus:
2. Malaria Bites Working Group – Commitment: Oct-Mar
This Working Group will focus on organizing public engagement events around the malaria pandemic. The Malaria Bites campaign was launched in 2003 and this year in Manitoba the campaign will continue to educate the public on this important local and global issue and raise funds to support Malaria Bed Net distribution work in Saharan Africa. The specific focus this year will be:
3. Humanitarian Issues Working Group – Commitment: Oct-June
This Working Group has a mandate to plan, organize and help facilitate three campaigns (listed below). Presentations, workshops, media events and speakers are examples of possibilities for this working group’s activities.
International Development Week will highlight the work of the Canadian Red Cross internationally in development aid and relief, as well as examine some of the challenges facing global development in the near future.
Restoring Family Links Outreach will (a) provide awareness of the Restoring Family Links (RFL) service, which seeks to reconnect families who have lost communication due to disaster or conflict. This year, the outreach team will develop presentations for cultural organizations, service providers and internal audiences to bring awareness of the need to assist those who have faced great adversity; and (b) plan an event to highlight this world-wide service and related issues.
Refugee and newcomer issues will (a) research refugee and newcomer issues in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and internationally and create presentations to bring awareness to these issues; (b) plan event(s) for World Refugee Day in June 2010, including a speaker series on migrant and refugee issues; (c) possibly act as an advisory group to determine future programming in Manitoba.
Commitment
Volunteers are expected to commit to all meetings and to a full term with the working group. Monthly meetings take place in the evenings and on weekends (See the attached HIP Volunteer Schedule for more details.)
Training and Skill Development
Volunteers will receive comprehensive training on global issues, the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, humanitarian leadership, workshop facilitation and design, and event and project management. This training will occur in October and continue on thematic issues throughout the year. Training is free and mandatory.
We will also provide opportunities to speak with professionals who have worked and lived overseas, as well as present opportunities for internships and career and volunteer opportunities within the Canadian Red Cross and the international Red Cross movement. But ultimately, we will challenge you to “be the change you want to see in the world”, as Mahatma Gandhi put it, and to make a difference on critical global issues.
Information Open House and Interviews
The Humanitarian Issues Program will host an informational Open House on Saturday, September 26 from 2-5 pm at the Red Cross Office- 1111 Portage Avenue. Presentations, displays, and current volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions and tell you more about this year’s campaigns. Interviews for potential volunteers will be held between September 24-27. Space is limited- RSVP to jennifer.montebruno@redcross.ca or 982-6737.
]]>Tuesday, September 29, 2009
7:30 PM
Uof W Room 3M69 (3rd Floor Manitoba Hall off Balmoral)
Free Admission
Light Refrshments
Sponsored by:
Manitoba Interfaith Council
The University of Winnipeg Global College & Faculty of Theology
"In October of 2008, the Canadian Human Rights Commission ordered a tribunal to determine whether or not discrimination had occurred pursuant to the Canadian Human Rights Act. The tribunal is similar to a court process with all evidence taken under oath. The AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society will present the case supporting allegation that the Canadian Government is discriminating against First Nations children and then the federal government will respond. The Tribunal will then decide if discrimination happened or not. If it did happen, then the Tribunal can order a remedy to the discrimination. The tribunal is open to the public."
]]>Smart Start Workshop Topics and Dates:
All workshops are held 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. in Room 1L04, Lockhart Hall.
1. Goal Setting and Time Management: Mon. Sept 21/09
2. Using the Library: Wed. Sept 23/09
3. Note-taking Techniques: Mon. Sept 28/09
4. Reading Strategies: Wed. Oct 7/09
5. Critical Thinking Skills and Research-based Analysis: Wed. Oct 14/09
6. Oral Communication and Class Participation: Mon. Oct 19/09
7. Essay Writing: The Basics Wed. Oct 21/09
8. Memory and Test-taking Strategies: Mon. Oct 26/09
9. Dealing with Exam Anxiety: Mon. Nov 23/09
"The Open Society Justice Initiative is involved in both building capacity and developing pilot programs through the use of community-based advocates and paralegals in Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Indonesia. The pilot programs, which combine education with grassroots tools to provide concrete solutions to instances of injustice, help give poor people some measure of control over their lives."
]]>A free writing group for newcomers to Canada. The group will discuss access to writing and publishing resources, provide an opportunity for networking, and help you build your writing, editing and storytelling skills. Sessions will be moderated by Janine LeGal, writer and human rights activist. Basic English writing skills necessary. This program is not an English language course. It is intended as a means to develop creative writing skills through practice.
Register by calling 986-6779.
]]>Only 9% of all Canadians were considered poor in 2007. It was the lowest rate of low income in 30 years. But that was before the recession hit last fall. We don’t yet have income data for 2008, but, if past experience is anything to go by, poverty rates will go up again as declining economic growth shows up in the numbers. And that’s bad news for women whose high rates of poverty remain unaddressed.
Women on their own are the poorest of the poor, especially women raising children in lone-parent families, who are almost five times more likely to be poor than those in two-parent families. Yet their plight has been virtually ignored by the policy-makers. Older women on their own are also13 times more likely to be poor than seniors living in families, with more than 14% of them having had low incomes in 2007. That these two groups of women had such high rates of poverty, at a time when poverty rates for others had dropped to relatively low levels, must surely be a cause for serious concern.
Women are also among the poorest of the poor within Canada’s most vulnerable populations: Aboriginal people, people from racialized communities, recent immigrants (many of whom are also from racialized communities), and persons with disabilities. As one report puts it, “Gender creates a cleavage of vulnerability that cuts across all other groups.”
]]> The roots of women’s poverty can be found in the way they are treated when they are in paid employment, and the situation in which they find themselves if they are not. Women who work full-time year-round earn only 71% of the average earnings of men working full-time. Wage gaps between women and men are even higher when hourly wage rates are compared. Most women don’t have pension plans at work, nor do most men, but women’s low wages make it almost impossible for them to save for retirement.Public pension plans such as Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan provide only a basic income for seniors. Retirement pensions from the CPP, for example, are intended to replace earnings. But women’s low earnings during their working life are reflected in the retirement pensions they get from the CPP. In a year when the maximum CPP retirement pension is $908.75 a month, the average monthly retirement pension being paid to women who retired in May 2009 was only $391.29, compared with an average of $564.23 a month for retired men.
In many provinces, attempts to reduce poverty have focused on getting people off welfare and into jobs. But paid work for women coming off welfare may simply mean they are joining the ranks of the working poor. Women’s jobs are much more likely to be part-time, contract work, working through a temporary help agency, or working on their own. And lack of affordable child care also limits women’s choices of paid employment. Almost 40% of women’s jobs, compared with 30% of men’s jobs, are poorly paid, with little job security and no benefits such as pensions.
Women account for 60% of minimum-wage workers, but minimum wages in all provinces are less than $10 an hour, making it virtually impossible for these workers to earn a decent living. Women are unlikely to get EI benefits when they are out of work: only 39% of unemployed women compared with 45% of unemployed men are receiving benefits.
Single-parent mothers on welfare have seen their incomes fall sharply when inflation is taken into account. In Ontario, for example, the income of a lone parent with one child dropped by over $5,900 between 1994 and 2006.
A key objective of policies to deal with the recession must surely be to protect those who are most vulnerable. That’s why the issue of women’s equality must be put back on the policy agenda. We can’t use the current economic recession as an excuse to postpone taking action on the continuing poverty in which many women find themselves. In these uncertain times, our commitment to protect those who are most vulnerable matters more than ever.
Monica Townson is a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (http://policyalternatives.ca).
* Press Release: Recession sidelines polices to address women’s poverty: study September 1, 2009
OTTAWA—Canada still has shockingly high rates of women’s poverty but the recession seems to have sidelined anti-poverty policies, says a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
Read the complete press release
Download the Report/Study:
* Women’s Poverty and the Recession - PDF File, 662 Kb
* Fact Sheets: Women's Poverty - PDF File, 88 Kb
Speak Silence: Why don’t we all just shut up about HIV/AIDS?JHR’s third annual Speak Silence brings with it a new look. Taking place this October 20th-21st, participants will stay silent for 25 hours in memory of the 25 million people worldwide who have died of AIDS.
Featured Story (Uganda): Who Killed Masensio Edema?On the night of July 31, a grenade exploded in City River Bar and Restaurant in Kabalagala, a suburb of the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The explosion killed two people and injured nine others. Eyewitnesses present at City River on that night identified the culprit as Masensio Edema, a man more commonly known by his alias, “Mustafa Lizi”.
From the Executive Director Expanding JHR's Programs at Home and Abroad
JHR and Youth JHR U.S. debuts with Human Rights and Media Conference
JHR Chapter Summit Unites Students and Creates Connections
Federal cuts to YPI program effect JHR placements
JHR Ryerson protests in support of Grassy Narrows Blockade
From the Field JHR sends 16 Journalism Trainers to Africa
Battle not yet won, say South African women
Liberia: Breathing life into ailing healthcare system
Show and Tell in Africa
"Remember, I have guns and I can shoot you if you don't shut up…"
Toronto Office News JHR Welcomes New Interns to its Toronto Office
Please Support JHR Empowering Voices
www.jhr.caThe Journalists for Human Rights e-newsletter | February 2005