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CASHRA 2008 - Collective Strength: Commissions to Communitites and Back - June 15th - 17th, Niagra Ontario.

Conference Program

Goal: CASHRA 2008 will address ways in which Commissions and Communities can work together to develop a strong human rights culture in Canada. By identifying common goals and methods for cooperative exchange and action, the conference aims to lay a foundation for a more collaborative and interdependent approach to human rights.

Day 3: Tuesday June 17, 2008

7:30-8:30am
Breakfast: Continental Breakfast will be available at Niagara College

8:30-8:55am: Plenary

10. Report on Ontario Human Rights System Transition

  • Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • Michael Gottheil, Chair, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
  • Raj Anand, Chair, Human Rights Legal Support Centre

Objective III: Examining barriers and best practices in Commission and Community engagement

9:00-10:00am: Concurrent Sessions 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d

11a. Are Human rights systems engaging the diverse Communities they should serve?
This session explores our existing human rights systems and asks whether they fully accommodate the diverse persons they serve.  Does the current human rights system in Canada force individuals to adopt alien values to gain entry into the system? How do human rights systems meet the needs of Communities with different worldviews, communication styles, or cultures?

Moderator: TBA

11b. The issue of media and commission-Community engagement
This session explores the impact of media on human rights work in Canada. It will review the various roles of media in this work and identify ways in which Communities and Commissions can work together to positively employ the media to serve and promote human rights. It will focus on identifying positive examples and best practices.

Moderator: Richard Montigny, Chair, PEI Human Rights Commission

  • Maurice Switzer, Union of Ontario Indians
  • Simon Li, Power Politics
  • Afroze Edwards, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • Janet Leader, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

11c. Barriers to accessing human rights for non-citizens
This session explores the human rights situation of documented and undocumented non-citizens in Canada. It focuses on barriers faced by these individuals in employing human rights Commissions and other human rights protections. 

Moderator: Sandi Bell, Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission

  • Sonia Singh, Workers Action Centre
  • Shannon Marchand, Alberta Employment and Immigration
  • Raja G. Khouri, Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 11d. The “Reasonable Accommodation” Debate
This session explores issues confronting human rights Commissions and Communities resulting from the “reasonable accommodation debate” in Quebec and beyond. It will focus on the issue of competing human rights claims and what role Commissions and Communities could or should be playing in the emerging controversy.

Moderator: Raj Anand , LLP, Chair, Human Rights Legal Support Centre

  • Shirley Sarna, Quebec - Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
  • Fo Niemi, Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations
  • Pearl Eliadis, Human Rights Lawyer

10:00-10:15am: Break

10:15-10:45am: Plenary

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 12. Review of objective III : Concurrent sessions are briefly reviewed and a guest presenter directly speaks to the objective

  • Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission

Moderator:Gordon Porter, CASHRA President and Chief Commissioner, New Brunswick Human Rights Commission

Objective IV: Developing new strategies to enhance Commission and Community engagement for human rights

10:55-11:55am : Concurrent Sessions 13a, 13b, 13c & 13d

13a. Human rights compliance going forward: exploring Commission and Community roles
A facilitated discussion where compliance and enforcement professionals from Commissions and Communities will together discuss latest challenges and solutions affecting their work.

  • Michael Harris, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • John Fraser, Center for Equality Rights in Accomodation (CERA)

13b. Public education and outreach professionals joint strategy session
A facilitated discussion where public education and outreach professionals from Commissions and Communities will together discuss latest challenges and solutions affecting their work.

  • Cassie Palamar, Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission
  • Ceta Ramkhalawansing, City of Toronto
  • Ted Shaw, Ontario Human Rights Commission

13c. Policy development strategy session
A facilitated discussion where policy professionals and systemic change advocates from Commissions and Communities will together discuss latest challenges and solutions affecting their work.

  • Claire Bernard, Quebec - Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
  • Sébastien Sigouin, Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Cherie Robertson, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • Ivana Petricone, Executive Director, ARCH Disability Law Centre

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 13d. Legal Updates Legal Updates PowerPoint
A facilitated discussion where for legal professionals from Commissions and Communities share current case law updates as well as discuss latest challenges and solutions affecting their work.

  • Hart Schwartz, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • Sara Lugtik, Manitoba Human Rights Commission
  • Phillippe Dufresne, Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Jennifer Ross, Burchell Hayman Parish/Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission

12:00-1:00pm: BBQ lunch event

  • Interactive game: “Who wants to be a Human Rights guru?”

1:10-2:10pm: Concurrent Sessions 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d

14a. What we can learn from Human Rights Systems of the Global South
This session explores what we can learn from Commissions of the global south for Community - Commission engagement. It focuses on identifying positive examples and best practices regarding relations with civil society and communities.

Moderator: TBA

  • Salim Vally, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa
  • Regina Thompson, Ontario Human Rights Commission
  • Maina Kiai, Chairman, The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 14b. Strategies for joint monitoring, protection, and promotion of human rights
This session explores strategies for partnerships between Commissions and Communities to monitor, protect, and promote human rights in Canada.

Moderator:Thérèse Boullard, Director, Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission

14c. Strategies for better collaboration between Commissions & Communities
This session explores strategies to enhance communications between Commissions and Communities to support the full range of Commission and Community human rights activity. This will include a discussion of the Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Racial Discrimination as a possible way forward.

Moderator: Jennifer Lynch, Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission

14d. Advocacy and awareness using alternative media & technology
This session explores the various internet and media applications including alternative media that can be used as tools in the advancement of human rights. It focuses on what Communities and Commissions are doing to embrace new technologies and alternative mediums in their work.

Moderator: Susan Butterfield, Director, New Brunswick Human Rights

2:15-2:45pm: Plenary

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 15. Keynote Speaker

2:45-3:00pm: Break

3:00-4:00pm: Concurrent Sessions

16. What we learned and where are we going?
Participants are divided into groups along specific focus areas to formulate action plans and strategies for greater Community-commission collaboration.  

4:05-4:30pm: Plenary

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided 17. Conclusion & moving forward together
Strategies developed will be briefly shared in plenary and concluding remarks will be offered.

  • Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall, Ontario Human Rights Commission

English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided English & French Simultaneous Translation Provided.

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CASHRA LogoCASHRA 2008 National Human Rights Conference, presented by the
Ontario Human Rights Commission © 2008, Queen's Printer for Ontario