Centre for Social Justice -» Community

Feb 18, 2024 - Enabling Genocide: Trudeau, Joly and Poilievre

By Canadian BDS Coalition

On December 29, 2023, the government of South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the "Genocide Convention") in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In its application to the ICJ, South Africa wrote that "Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide" and that "Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza."

Source: The Bullet No. 2951

Feb 17, 2024 - John Saul and the Meaning of Solidarity

Like many others from around the world, and particularly Southern Africa, we have mourned the passing of John S. Saul in September 2023 in Toronto, the city where he grew up, taught and wrote his numerous books and essays. His contributions to the liberation of Southern Africa from his years there, his writings, and his role in forming the Toronto Committee for the Liberation of Southern Africa, a key fulcrum of anti-apartheid activism in Canada. For many of us, John was a teacher, comrade, and spirited partisan of jazz, theatre and the Toronto sports teams. He was also an important force behind the Canadian political magazines Southern Africa Report and This Magazine. The following convey something of the importance of John's life and contributions to the socialist movements in Canada and Southern Africa.

Source: The Bullet No. 2950

Feb 12, 2024 - What Kind of Holocaust Education? Preventing Racism and Antisemitism

By Larry Haiven

As we mark the 19th Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day [27 January], the call to make Holocaust teaching "obligatory" in Canadian public schools has risen to fever pitch. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario have responded with firm promises to do so. The Montreal School Board has requested that Quebec copy the idea. And B'nai Brith Canada is demanding that other provinces follow suit. Why the current panic about Holocaust education?

Source: The Bullet No. 2949

Feb 11, 2024 - MST’s Commitment to the Struggle and to the Brazilian People

The Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) launched on Saturday, January 27, its "Letter of Commitment to the Struggle and to the Brazilian People." The letter was presented during the Political Act in Commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the organization which took place following the the meeting of the National Coordination of the Movement. "We reaffirm the commitment we made forty years [founded January 1984] ago: we will fight until the evils of the latifundio (large land holdings) are extinguished from our society and with them all oppression, misery, environmental destruction and hunger," highlighted part of the letter.

Source: The Bullet No. 2948

Feb 10, 2024 - Academic Freedoms in Canada and Critical Speech on Palestine and Israel

By Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, Racism, Colonialism & Censorship in Canada (ARC)

We are gravely concerned about the widespread suppression of critical speech on Israel and Palestine in the past week not only in Canada, but across much of the West. As scholars whose research is based on questions of antisemitism, colonialism, racism, Islamophobia, queer theory, and related topics, we are concerned that our university administrations are ill-equipped to address the pressures being placed on them by various third parties (including governments, the media, and organizations) to suppress academic freedom.

Source: The Bullet No. 2947