Bloggers Unite For Human Rights: 'Is This Peace, Order and Good Government?'
Let's take a break for a moment from our day, our conveniences and our luxuries to remind and enlighten ourselves as to the tenous state of human rights around the world.
May 15th is the day that Bloggers Unite for Human Rights with BlogCatalog and the support of Amnesty International, by highlighting human rights issues on their respective websites.
I chose to participate by helping to uncover - and in the process learn about - the issues and challenges concerning Canada's indigenous people, ones that the majority of Canadians are unaware of due to them being hidden and largely ignored by the government.
Why this topic above others? I'm a Canadian living in the UK, and a recent phone conversation with my brother left me extremely upset. As a pilot based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, he flew to various northern indigenous reservations on a daily basis. One day he and a fellow pilot got out of the plane and took a walk around, having landed in Pikangikum, which has some of the worst living conditions in the world (yes, it's hard to believe but true). They witnessed the shocking misery that is the lives of these people, absolutely unthinkable as occurring in Canada.
Read on and you will find a link to a website that describes these conditions, as well as other facts that need to be, at the very least acknowledged, by as many people as possible.
I hope that after reading this post you will help create awareness by sharing this link whenever and wherever you can. It will make a difference. Thank you for giving your time to this.
The following article has been generously contributed by Dr. Kyle Grayson, a Canadian lecturer in International Politics at Newcastle University, UK. A major theme in Dr. Grayson's work is to expose the ways in which liberal democracies attempt to hide systematic human rights abuses as 'exceptions to the rule':
What you share is very disturbing. I didn't realise conditions for Indigenous peoples of Canada were this extreme. I am very saddened and disappointed. Thank you for highlighting this important issue. I hope the good and decent people of Canada make a difference by using their power of vote.
Posted by: Kelleigh | May 15, 2008 at 01:59 AM
It is all too true that abuse of human rights isn't found only in developing nations.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds
Posted by: Dave Donelson | May 18, 2008 at 01:51 PM
It's such a shame there just isn't any awareness whatsoever amongst the population. The only reason I know about it myself is due to my being married to someone who specialises in this area.
Your book looks like a very interesting and enlightening read.
Posted by: Denise @ The Swelle Life | May 18, 2008 at 02:17 PM