During the last senate meeting six of the nine committee members were approved
Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) General Coordinator Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis may soon be allowed full privilege to sit on Concordia’s senate, along with other former reprimanded students. Following senate’s approval for students to sit on senate, the final vote will be made by the Board of Governors which will either pass or fail.
Marshall-Kiparissis, who has requested speaking rights before each senate meeting, may no longer have to. “As general coordinator of the Concordia Student Union it’s part of my responsibilities to be a representative on senate and the Board of Governors since I’m the primary [person] representative of the union,” said Marshall-Kiparissis.
“Senators voted on a proposal that now has to go to the Board of Governors for approval,” said university spokesperson Chris Mota. “If the governors vote in favour of the proposal, then the reprimanded students will be allowed to sit on senate.” This would not allow reprimanded students to sit on the Board of Governors, however.
Marshall-Kiparissis said students who want to sit on senate are bound by certain eligibility requirements, which include term limits that do not apply to any other members. Students also have to be in acceptable academic standing—not conditional standing—and can not be independent students.
She said both she and Marion Miller, elected to represent the faculty of Fine Arts, were chosen to be senators in the CSU’s elections last March. “We both received the lowest possible sanction under the code of rights and responsibilities related to the 2015 strikes,” she said, adding that an ad hoc committee, a committee formed to resolve an issue with a specific goal, met throughout the summer with faculty and student representatives.
Marshall-Kiparissis said the ad hoc committee was formed after Concordia’s senate voted against the recommendations made by CSU and Concordia administration to grant reprimanded students eligibility at the senate meeting at the end of the last academic year.
She said the recommendation was made in light of her and Miller being appointed on senate. Marshall-Kiparissis said it was approved by six of the nine members of the committee. “Senate passed without any dissent so that was really heartening,” said Marshall-Kiparissis. Marshall-Kiparissis said she is really excited to be able to fulfill the responsibility given to her as the CSU general coordinator.
She said this is the step in the right direction for students, however, although in the CSU’s mind this represents good progress, it’s not quite complete. Kiparissis said CSU council had a mandate last year recognizing the eligibility barriers to students sitting on Concordia’s bodies is not completely in line with the provincial accreditation act concerning student representation of unions.
“We believe it is in our right that any students that the undergraduate constituency deems to be a good representative should be allowed to sit on those bodies without interference from the university,” said Marshall-Kiparissis. “That means we hope in the future independant students will be able to sit on, that even students with conditional standing will be able to sit on, that students are not bound by a more rigid term limits than faculty are.”
The date of the vote was not confirmed before the publication deadline, but those who are interested in viewing the next Board of Governors meeting may attend at the observer’s’ room in H-633-1 of the Hall building on S.G.W. campus at 4 p.m. on Nov 2.
Many Canadians around the world remain detained, some denied human rights
Last week, Concordia welcomed back professor Homa Hoodfar after being detained for 112 days in Evin Prison. However, thousands of Canadians still remain incarcerated for unjust reasons and are denied basic human rights, as Hoodfar was.
In fact, as of Feb. 5, 2016, 1,457 Canadians were being detained abroad, according to Global Affairs Canada — 991 in the United States, 237 in Asia and Oceania, 110 in South and Central America, 78 in Europe and 41 in Africa and the Middle East. These numbers include detainees in international jails, prisons and detention centres.
Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada’s secretary general, said the number of Canadians being detained and denied their human rights has risen in the last decade. “Over the last 10-plus years, there’s been a rapidly growing number of such cases,” said Neve, adding that this is due to a number of factors –– one being that people simply travel more frequently.
Neve said statistics of how many Canadians detained who are experiencing a violation of their human rights and have a risk of being tortured are hard to obtain. The Concordian reached out to Global Affairs for statistics, however they did not respond before the deadline of this article.
Neve said there has also been more unsettlement in the world since 9/11. “There’s a lot of people who are arrested on so-called national security grounds,” said Neve. “Sometimes Canadians have been swept up in that—so it’s starting to become a more regular occurrence.”
Neve said over the past few years there has been more attention brought to Canadians being imprisoned foreignly and more pressure put on the Canadian government regarding their efforts to free Canadians who are imprisoned in foreign countries and face a lack of human rights. He said this increased attention is due to the rising number of Canadians who find themselves in these situations.
“Twenty years ago it had been pretty unlikely that there would be a Canadian who’s actually a prisoner of conscience in another country, or a Canadian who is facing a serious risk of torture in another country,” said Neve.
Jacob Kuehn, Amnesty International Canada’s media and external communications officer, explained that a case only qualifies for Amnesty’s intervention when the individual is a prisoner of conscience—in other words, someone imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights, when there’s no justification for their detention, he said. In such cases, Amnesty will advocate for their release.
In addition, Amnesty advocates for cases where the prisoner is at risk of human rights violations, such as torture or facing the death penalty, even if they are not a prisoner of conscience. “In that case, we’d advocate on their behalf, as well,” said Kuehn. “Not necessarily for their immediate and unconditional release, but certainly for due process.”
Kuehn said Amnesty International Canada advocated for Homa Hoodfar’s immediate and unconditional release from the beginning. “We launched a campaign in the early days calling the government of Canada to become quickly engaged, and then also we had a campaign that got about 50,000 signatures calling for Iranian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally,” said Kuehn.
Hoodfar’s case was complicated by the lack of diplomatic ties between Iran and Canada. According to Jocelyn Sweet, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson, this created significant challenges: the Canadian government relied on alliances with the Omani, Italian and Swiss diplomats. Sweet said that the Canadian government is “working on re-establishing diplomatic ties with Iran. We don’t have a specific timeline on it.”
“We have urged that the government should be reforming our laws and policies in what’s known as the area of consular assistance, to strengthen the kind of assistance the government offers in these kinds of cases,” said Neve. Consular assistance is aid and advice provided by diplomatic agents of a country to citizens of the same country that are abroad.
In January 2016, Amnesty International Canada and Canadian-Egyptian journalist, Mohamed Fahmy presented their Protection Charter to Foreign Affairs Minister, Stéphane Dion.
Mohammed Fahmy was incarcerated for more than 400 days in Cairo, Egypt for charges of terrorism. Fahmy’s case did not receive senior-level government intervention. “The [Harper Government], for instance, wasn’t intervening in ways that everyone else felt would be helpful,” said Neve. The Protection Charter would ensure equal and compulsory consular assistance, according to Amnesty International Canada’s website.
Graphic by Florence Yee.
“One thing that we have highlighted is that there’s a real need for more consistent and dependable senior-level political involvement in very serious cases like this,” he said. Neve said the release of Kevin Garratt––a Canadian held in China for two years for charges of spying and stealing state secrets––and Hoodfar proves senior level engagement can make a difference. “The prime minister was involved and Minister Dion was involved and probably others, but that’s pretty key, to have your prime minister and your foreign minister both personally intervening,” he said.
Neve proposed two ways the public can assist in the liberation of Canadian prisoners of conscience—call for the improvement of the government’s consular practices and take action on individual cases of concern and to contact their member of parliament and request for them to support The Amnesty International Fahmy Foundation Protection Charter.
Neve said there are other cases Canadians can take action on. “For instance, in Iran, there’s a Canadian permanent resident who’s still in prison,” said Neve. “He’s been in prison for many years, his name is Saeed Malekpour—we’re taking action on his case. There are all sorts of other ways to take action on his case online.”
There’s also Huseyin Celil, who’s imprisoned in China and Bashir Makhtal, who’s imprisoned in Ethiopia, Neve said.
To aid in the release of Canadians incarcerated in foreign prisons who face a risk of violation to their human rights, visit and search the names of detained Canadians for specific details on how to help, visit www.amnesty.ca.
Hoodfar discusses her current state of health during press conference on Sept. 28. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Hoodfar said her arrest is not stopping her from continuing her research
After spending 112 days in Iran’s Evin prison, Concordia University professor Homa Hoodfar arrived at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Sept. 29 armed with a big smile.
“I’ve had a bitter several months, and the detention has really left me weak and tired,” said Hoodfar in a press conference held at the airport upon her arrival.
She said the most difficult part of her incarceration was not being able to communicate with a lawyer or her family. “That was the hardest thing,” said Hoodfar. “Not knowing what is happening, and knowing that my family are very worried [about] not being able to talk to me.”
A smiling Hoodfar addresses the press at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport beside her niece. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Hoodfar said she was reluctant to believe she had actually been released. “I didn’t feel that I would be released until I was in the jet,” said Hoodfar. “Because in Iran, nothing is complete until it’s complete.” She said she was not sure if plans would change at the last moment. “They hadn’t told me what the plans were,” Hoodfar said. “When I was in the jet, I knew I was free.”
Hoodfar said this experience will not stop her from conducting research. “Not only has it not stopped me from that, it has opened new avenues that maybe I would not have pursued in the same way before,” said Hoodfar.
Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Hoodfar said she does not plan on returning to Iran any time soon. “I think for a while I’m going to stay in Montreal,” she said.
“It is just wonderful to feel you are in a place [where] you feel secure and you can see friends,” she said.
Hoodfar being greeted by the press in Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar.
Hoodfar said in the coming days, she looks forward to spending time with family and friends, as well as enjoying the tail end of summer.
Concordia students and staff raise money for student bursaries and scholarships
Students and staff of Concordia University participated in Concordia’s 27th annual Concordia Shuffle— a 6.5 km walk from the Sir George Williams campus to the Loyola campus aimed at raising money for student bursaries and scholarships.
Shufflers gathered at Loyola to be welcomed to the President’s Picnic. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
University spokesperson Chris Mota said over $78,000 and counting has been raised in pledges from this year’s shuffle. She added that it was “the best year for the shuffle.”
Concordia University News reported Concordians raised $65,000 during the shuffle for student bursaries and scholarships last year.
Shufflers arriving at Loyola campus. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Participants can also bicycle, run or rollerblade during the shuffle, said Faye Corbin, a Shuffle volunteer and a member Concordia’s library staff. “This year we have a group of people who are using the Bixi [bikes], and [their group] actually donated bixis for the event,” she said.
Students must raise a minimum of $25 to participate, and for faculty and staff it’s $40, said Corbin. She added that people can gain sponsorships from family, friends, professors or even by sponsoring themselves.
Shufflers pose at the President’s Picnic. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“With the minimum sponsorship, they get the shuffle kit, which [includes] a T-shirt. This year, it also [comes with] sunglasses with a few passes to restaurants, yoga and Le Gym,” said Corbin.
At the end of the walk, participants were welcomed with the “President’s Picnic” at the Loyola campus, where they were greeted with food and prizes.
Shufflers refuel after their 6.5 km from SGW campus to Loyola campus. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“We always try to do the best we can and surpass the previous years,” said Valerie Roseman, organizer of the 27th shuffle and development officer of community programs. She said there was no set goal for how much money the Shuffle aimed to raise this year.
Student-led group seeks a mandate to uphold requirements settled in Mei Ling case
A student-led task force held their first meeting on Sept. 22 at Concordia, where they discussed adapting a mandate aimed at preventing violence and injustice towards minority groups within student associations and university groups.
As the anniversary of the Mei Ling settlement approaches on November 23, Concordia’s Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) has been facing pressure from the Quebec Human Rights Commission (QHRC) to honour their agreement to assemble a task force, operated to review cases of discrimination within student groups and associations.
Mei Ling, a pseudonym used to protect her identity, had experienced sexual and racial discrimination from former ASFA employees she worked with, causing her to file a complaint with the QHRC against ASFA for harassment and discrimination in February 2015.
Sarah Oleil, councillor and social events coordinator for the Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA) at Concordia, said the original mandate released May 12 was revised by the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), the civil rights advocacy group responsible for filing the complaint to the QHRC on Mei Ling’s behalf. However, CRARR said the mandate lacked content concerning harassment and exclusion—major components of Mei Ling’s complaint—and suggested that ASFA should rework the mandate.
“CRARR sent us an official letter saying it’s not to their satisfaction—there are certain elements and concrete aspects missing from it,” said Andrea Krasznai, ASFA’s general coordinator. Krasznai said her role within task force is to be the coordinator between the parties involved, which she lists as CRARR, Council of Representatives and the task force.
“Since the anniversary of the agreement that has been made with CRARR last year is approaching, they are asking to get this really rolling,” said Andrea Krasznai. Krasznai said CRARR is expecting certain changes to be made to the task force’s original mandate.
Oleil said that CRARR told ASFA the mandate needed to focus not only on sexual assault, but also implement concepts that deal with harassment, exclusion and racism. She said CRARR also demanded that the task force be diverse in its representation.
Photo by Ana Hernandez.
“This task force was set up [with the idea] that students should have protection against racist and sexist violences,” said Oleil. “Students should be involved in protecting each other and holding different bodies at Concordia accountable for these actions that occur within their environment, but specifically that occur at ASFA.”
Krasznai said she is not certain when the task force will be fully organized and assembled. She explained she does not want to rush the assembly and creation of the mandate just for the sake of finishing the project.
Krasznai said that she and other ASFA executives have been seeking professional help from a lawyer to further understand the legal aspects related to CRARR’s demands in association to the Mei Ling settlement. “At this point I don’t think we should focus so much on when is it going to be done, but how is it going to be done, and who can help us,” she said.
She added that they have yet to assemble a full group. “I would love to be at that point,” she said.
The meeting did not result in any alterations to the current mandate. However, the task force members plan to meet in approximately three weeks to continue adapting the current mandate to match CRARR’s suggestions.
Announcers demand Hoodfar’s release after 107 days of imprisonment
Concordia students, faculty and community members gathered across the street from Bethune Square to raise awareness of the incarceration of former Concordia professor, Homa Hoodfar, who has been jailed in Evin prison in Iran for 107 days.
Hayley Lewis, the event organizer, said not only is it unclear what Hoodfar is being charged with, but it is also unclear as to what condition she is currently in. “All that we know is she’s a 65-year-old woman who we love, who has been in prison for 107 days and who is in extremely bad health,” Lewis said.
“Please keep talking about Homa Hoodfar,” Lewis announced to a group of over 100 protesters. “Post about her, write about her—do not let her disappear.” Lewis emphasized the importance of pressing the Canadian and Irish governments to see to Hoodfar’s safe and definite release.
Lewis said Hoodfar suffers from a degenerative neurological disorder that requires medication, but she has not been getting said medication while imprisoned. “She is sick, she is unwell and we need her back,” said Lewis.
Lewis invited guests from the Concordia community to speak—Concordia faculty members, personal friends of Hoodfar and Green Party Leader and Concordia student Alex Tyrrell spoke at the demonstration. They all stood in solidarity for the immediate release of Hoodfar. Lewis also invited the Bread and Puppet theatre, a Vermont-based group, who presented a theatrical political performance to spectators in support of Hoodfar’s safe return home.
Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“We have a moral responsibility to get her home,” said Kimberley Manning, principal of the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and a member of the recently-organized Homa Hoodfar working group. She said that since Hoodfar’s arrest, the Concordia union faculty association, the Concordia administration and two of Hoodfar’s closest friends have been supporting efforts to free her. However, Manning said they still need lots of help.
“Homa taught here for 30 years, nurturing several decades of students and contributing [in] countless ways to the wellbeing of this institution,” said Manning. “Now it’s our turn to help her.”
Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Manning said action is being taken in Dublin as well, as Concordia professor Emer O’Toole from the department of Irish studies helped mobilize the protest for Hoodfar in front of the Iranian embassy, which took place in Dublin on Sept. 7. “[O’Toole] has been working tirelessly to place pressure on the Irish government to do all they can do to get Homa free,” said Manning.
“Members of the Concordia community and the public should not underestimate the gravity of what’s taking place here,” said Tyrrell. “Her life is on the line.” He added that she has been held in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer.
Tyrrell said Hoodfar’s research aimed to help develop an understanding of Muslim women, one of the most discriminated against groups locally and globally. Tyrrell said the community has an obligation to stand up for imprisoned peers and to defend academic freedom around the world.
Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Margie Mendell, Professor and Graduate Program Director for School of Community and Public Affairs and a friend of Hoodfar said we must get Hoodfar home and out of Evin prison. “We will not gather again to say that she has been in Evin prison for 200 days,” Mendell said to the crowd. “We will gather together to welcome her home and to celebrate her freedom.”
Fay Devlin, one of Hoodfar’s former students, said “I do not think this is going to do anything,” emphasizing that the community needs to do more for this cause. She suggested students should use social media and share photos to help spread awareness. “Sign the petition,” she said.
Former student of Hoodfar, Fay Devlin, stands in solidarity for her release. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“I think public demonstrations of this type are very necessary, but they’re not sufficient by any means,” said Peter Stoett, the director of Loyola Sustainability Research Centre and political science professor at Concordia University. He said Hoodfar’s release depends more on the negotiation between the governments involved—namely, the Canadian, Irish and Iranian governments.
Photo by Alex Hutchins.
“We can’t fool ourselves into thinking it’s going to change the government of Iran—their perspective is pretty hardened on this, and that’s going to take some serious diplomatic maneuvering,” said Stoett. Lewis, however, encourages people to get involved and write letters to the government.
“The final purpose of this [demonstration] is just to celebrate Homa’s work, and remember what an outstanding woman she is and the brutality of the situation she’s in right now,” Lewis said. She said that the more people who are informed the better. “There are a lot of political prisoners all over the world—we want to stand in solidarity with them, as well.”
Members vote for equal pay for all levels of study—TAs and RAs allotted a 1 per cent raise
Teaching and Research Assistants of Concordia University (TRAC) voted for equal pay grades for teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) at all levels of study at their general assembly held on Sept. 14.
Before the voting began, TRAC President Nader Jafari Nodoushan discussed that if TRAC members—being TAs, RAs and invigilators—were to vote to ratify a new pay grade structure, it would be implemented for both TA’s and RA’s, resulting in an increase to both of their minimum pay grades by one per cent. Jafari Nodoushan said TA pay grades in all faculties would be an equal pay rate of $24.93 per hour, while markers pay rate would rise to $20.21, regardless of faculty or level of study. Jafari Nodoushan said someone who marks work qualifies as a marker, however, someone that does anything more qualifies as a TA.
Previously, the pay rates varied from faculty and level of study.
Following the meeting, Jafari Nodoushan told The Concordian markers at Concordia are receiving the highest pay rate for a university marker in Quebec, while TAs are being paid the second highest. “All other universities [in Quebec] except McGill have lower pay grades [for TAs] than Concordia University,” said Jafari Nodoushan. He stressed the fact that a time sheet created by TRAC will ensure members will be paid properly for the hours they worked.
Robert Sonin, former TRAC president and a current member of the organization due to his work as an invigilator, claims TRAC is disorganized—he said they didn’t release the agreement prior to the general meeting.
He said members were not given the actual agreement at the event, only a summary which did not allow them enough time to assess the agreement.
“That paper they got, it’s not what they signed. It’s just an explanation of what they signed,” Sonin said.
Sonin said he believes that, as a result of higher pay rates, the hours allotted to TAs will be reduced. “Concordia will do what it has to do to keep within its budget,” said Sonin. “If you have a limited budget to pay for TA hours and the price goes up, you can afford fewer hours.”
When asked if pay raises could result in hour cuts, Jafari Nodoushan said it is hard to say whether hours will be cut.
“Our members are receiving the difference between the new pay structure and also the old pay structure in the summer—we have the numbers, and it’s showing that there hasn’t been any cut on the hours,” said Jafari Nodoushan. This means members will have their pay compensated from the hours they worked in the summer to be paid the new raise that was voted after the general assembly. “It can’t be said easily that Concordia will cut the hours because the pay grade is increasing,” he said.
When asked if Concordia is increasing their budget towards TAs and RAs this academic year, Jafari Nodoushan said not all the contracts had been paid in full. “We don’t have the exact numbers of how much the TA budget has been increased in the summer.” He said it would be released in Concordia’s financial report.
Regarding the budget allotted to TAs and RAs this academic year, Concordia University spokesperson Chris Mota said, “the agreement in principle hasn’t been approved by the board yet, so there is no number available to share at this point, making a comparison impossible.”
The old pay rates for TA’s and markers compared to new pay rates ratified on Sept 14. Photo courtesy of TRAC.
Jafari Nodoushan believes the pay raises will result in more equal payment for members, because pays will no longer vary between department and level of study—undergraduates were previously being paid less than graduate students. “Equity is to treat all the labourers in an equally bound way, not to hire cheaper labourers or make them overloaded because they are cheaper labourers,” he said.
Jafari Nodoushan said he believed this new pay rate would not result in graduates being picked over undergraduates, now that they have equal pay. “As far as I know, many professors prefer to have undergrad students hired, especially those in the third or fourth year of their bachelor [degree], to get more experience.” he said. “I believe this intention will remain.”
Last April, Sonin filed a complaint against TRAC to Quebec’s branch of the national labour union Public Service Alliance of Canada. Sonin had requested access to financial history due to a discrepancy of $16,348.93 in financial reports. Being a member, he was entitled to these documents. However, he was only allowed to view an Excel spreadsheet, being refused access to financial documents and receipts.
When The Concordian asked Jafari Nodoushan if he had an update regarding the discrepancy we reported on in April 2016, he said that a follow-up will not be released until later. “We are in the process of an investigation and it needs to be done first,” Jafari Nodoushan said. “After we will be able to release all the results.”
Barbosa describes his experience filming in Bolivia while being back in JMSB for the first time since graduation. Photo by Mishkat Hafiz.
Former JMSB student films child labour and lack of aid for those with disabilities
John Molson School of Business alumnus Fernando Barbosa spent two years in Bolivia filming a documentary about the lack of aid for both children and those with disabilities in the country. As Barbosa grew close to the communities he documented, he received threats from the Bolivian government and police, as his work shed a greater light on the country’s neglect of human rights, he said.
Barbosa—who is originally from the town of Cochabamba, Bolivia—first began filming in 2012 on the topic of working Bolivian children in Cochabamba. He said the children faced police brutality, discrimination, hunger and yet, “at the same time, they have a lot of strength and courage.”
Barbosa said he was eager to begin documenting the social and financial issues that he had been unaware of for so long. “Living and growing up in Bolivia, I was not aware of [the child labour] that happened,” he said.
According to 2008 statistics from The International Labour Organization and Bolivian government—850,000 children from ages 5 to 17 were working in Bolivia. It was found approximately nine in 10 were working tough labour jobs—recognized as underground mining and sugar cane harvesting.
Barbosa’s interest in the subject of child labour first sparked during a visit to his family in Bolivia in the summer of 2010. One night, he passed out in the street while intoxicated, but somehow woke up in his own home the next morning. His sister later told him that a young boy named Willie, who worked in the parking lot of a club downtown, helped put Barbosa in a cab that took him home.
“They make almost nothing,” he said. “[The] money he made that night, he put me in a taxi and brought me home,” he said.
Barbosa later returned to the club to find the child who had helped him home. “After I met him, I started to meet other working kids on the streets,” he said. Many of them were orphans and needed money to pay for school and food, he said.
Barbosa returned to Bolivia in 2012, and he began documenting the issue of child labour in the country.
Before he could begin documenting their lives, Barbosa said he needed to gain the children’s trust in order for them to open up to him. Barbosa said this was due to the presence of exploitation of the children by non-government organizations (NGOs) and government-related organizations—who would first provide aid to these children. However, some would disappear once there was enough footage to share on their website and social media.
Barbosa said initially the children were skeptical of him. “Many kids working on the streets are aware that government officials receive a salary for the job they have to ‘help’ these kids,” he said.
The police and the Bolivian government took a special interest in Barbosa’s presence with the children—cautioning him to instead help the children through a government program, he said.
Barbosa noticed that some police posed a threat to the children. Some would follow their orders, but others took advantage of their power. He said while there are some good police, “the bad cops are the ones threatening, and also beating up street kids.”
After returning to Concordia in 2012 once summer ended, Barbosa returned to Bolivia after his graduation in December 2014. “I initially was going to stay for 3 months,” he said. “But while I was there, there were new things happening, so I ended up staying for two years.”
In February 2016, a protest for people with disabilities started in Bolivia. Barbosa said those with disabilities in the country were asking the government for a monthly benefit of $70 to aid with basic needs, such as healthcare.
Barbosa came to realize not only children faced a lack of essential human rights in Bolivia—which is why he began working on a second documentary project.
Documentary filmmaker Fernando Barbosa discuss the subject of his second documentary.Barbosa said he believes people with disabilities are the poorest group in Bolivia. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found in 2010 the employment rate of people with disabilities was reported as 44 per cent. “They don’t have access to jobs—they don’t have access to medical care,” he said.
At the time, Barbosa reconnected with a group of documentary makers from Australia. The group was inspired by those who struggled with disabilities in Bolivia and wanted to document their stories. This included filming a six-month period of protests between those with disabilities and the government, Babosa said.
“They decided to go all the way to [La Paz], walking on mountains,” he said. “It took 35 days to cross all the mountains.” Once they reached La Paz, Barbosa said the government was waiting for the protesters with police barriers and water tanks. “It was just 85 days just in La Paz of police repression, police brutality—to the point that six people died in this process,” he said. “And still they didn’t get the pension.”
However, there was a small victory for human rights in Bolivia, Barbosa said. One of the leaders for the disabled people in Bolivia was able to travel to Switzerland to attend an event held by the United Nations on people with disabilities.
“The [Bolivian] government was at the event saying how good Bolivia is doing for people with disabilities,” Barbosa said, but then the protestors’ representative presented the footage that Barbosa and his teammates had filmed. “The UN now gave Bolivia a 12-month period to give an explanation and look for those responsible for all of the police brutality and all that happened,” said Barbosa.
Barbosa said compared to his encounters with the authorities during his first documentary, during the filming for the second, the police followed him more intensely during the filming of the protests—even threatening to detain Barbosa and his teammates.
“I think [the government was] trying to scare us so we stopped filming and we stopped showing what was happening.”
Barbosa believed the authorities and the government were scared the footage would be viewed by people outside of the country—showcasing the alarming lack of human rights and the degree of poverty that some groups faced.
“Bolivia has signed international agreements to fight for human rights,” he said. “And [what I had documented] was violating these human rights.”
Barbosa said he wants to share both of his documentaries with high schools and universities. He wants to share his experience and shed light on the human rights issues in Bolivia, while also showing how strong and courageous these children are. Barbosa said it’s vital to share his documentary so people can be more aware and thankful of the privileges they have. “We sometimes are not aware of that,” he said.
The march aims to be more inclusive of all people battling sexual violence
On Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. the A Safer Concordia campaign, run by the university’s Centre for Gender Advocacy, hosted a march called “The Night is Not Enough,” which took place at Phillips Square in downtown Montreal. The goal was to demonstrate that the annual “Take Back the Night” march is not inclusive enough, as women are not the only ones who may face sexual violence.
Photo by Ana Hernandez.
According to Jada Joseph, a volunteer for the A Safer Concordia campaign and a Concordia psychology and child studies student, “The Night is Not Enough” aims to be a more inclusive protest for all people who have faced sexual assault, not just women.
Joseph said the march is not only calling out to all genders to participate, but also to all races as well as sex workers and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
Spoken word artist Shanice Nicole performing before the march. Photo by Ana Hernandez.
“We’re definitely taking a more inclusive alternative to the ‘Take Back the Night,’” she said. Joseph explained that “Take Back the Night” implies that gender violence only occurs at nighttime, when in fact gender violence is a continuum—it can start with cat-calling and escalate from there. “We are saying that the night is not enough,” she said.
Photo by Ana Hernandez.
“Sexual violence and gender violence is very pervasive in our society,” said Madison Kompagna, a Concordia student majoring in sociology and minoring in women’s studies. She said there is a very strong narrative in our society in which sexual violence only happens to women and only occurs at night. “It’s important that this event exists because it’s more inclusive of everybody,” Kompagna said.
If you or someone you know has encountered sexual violence and would like support, Concordia has resources on campus to help.
The Centre for Gender Advocacy is located at 2110 Mackay St., Sir George William campus. Hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You can call The Centre for Gender Advocacy at (514) 848-2424 ext. 7431. For peer support call (514) 848-2424 ext. 7880.
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre is located at GM-300.27. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can reach them at (514) 848-2424 ext. 3461 or ext. 3353. If you are in immediate danger at Concordia University call campus security at 514-848-3717.
Canada’s decision between the extraction of natural resources and saving our land
The Energy East pipeline project is causing conflicts in towns and cities that will be affected by TransCanada’s nation-long pipeline proposal—Montreal being one of them.
The pipeline proposal has reemerged storylines of environmental concerns clashing with corporate interests.
In Montreal, protesters delayed the Aug. 29 Energy East hearings held by the National Energy Board (NEB) until further notice. The hearings, which were scheduled to last all week, were set up for commissioners of the NEB to gain an understanding of the public’s opinion towards the Energy East proposal. The report would then be forwarded to TransCanada to rework issues the public has with the pipelines.
“In the last five years or so—with climate concerns, indigenous rights and sovereignty issues and all these social issues—pipelines have become a lot more controversial,” said Kristian Gareau, a protester at Montreal’s Energy East hearing and a Concordia Masters student in the Individualized Program (INDI). He added that he believes the pipeline project is not fit for today’s reality.
Gareau said he believes some of the population are already dissatisfied with TransCanada’s pipeline project—including environmentalists, scientists and farmers. “On top of that, you see some of these secret meetings that took place with [NEB and former Quebec premier] Jean Charest who is a paid TransCanada lobbyist,” he added. This scandal is a great ammunition for protesters such as Gareau who claim there is a bias within the required NEB report, which must report on the public’s opinion on Energy East at the end of the public consultation process.
“The NEB is supposed to be impartial and issue recommendations in the public interest,” said Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec and Environmental Sciences student at Concordia. He said many residents believe the NEB cannot continue with hearings for TransCanada because it has become clear that at least two of the three commissioners tasked with overseeing the hearings and writing a report on public interest concerning the Energy East pipelines have already been promoting it.
Gareau describes the NEB as a powerful entity, stating that as a commissioner or board member there is a responsibility to provide a fair and natural balanced review on public opinion towards pipelines. However, Gareau believes—in regards to meetings between Charest and two of the three commissioners—it is difficult for the NEB to form an unbiased report. “There’s kind of a revolving door between industry and the NEB, so the cultures and interests of the oil and gas industry are very much entrenched in the NEB,” said Gareau.
Tyrrell said the NEB initially denied meeting with Charest. However, once it was revealed the meetings did take place, the NEB was then ordered to admit the meetings had occurred and to release notes taken during the meeting, said Tyrrell. The published notes revealed that the commissioners and Charest discussed how to spin the NEB report in a way that would gain support from Quebec residents. “Their job isn’t to do public relations, it’s to do safety and environmental analysis,” Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell added people should be trained specifically to evaluate these projects on behalf of government organizations and anyone involved in the energy industry due to their loyalties to energy companies should not be hired. “They’re supposed to be evaluating the project on behalf of the citizens,” said Tyrrell. He said it should not be on behalf of TransCanada or on behalf of people who are fixated on prolonging the life of the oil industry to continue its existence into the future.
Tyrrell said similar circumstances led to catastrophes like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “The regulators were far too close with the industry and lacked the teeth to really do anything— even when problems were well known,” said Tyrrell.
There are also concerns about the safety and reliability of TransCanada’s plan. Of the 4,550 km of proposed pipeline for this project, approximately 75 per cent of those pipelines will be converted from old gas transmission lines, according to Energy East pipeline spokesperson Tim Duboyce.
Tyrrell said this proposal is problematic. “Not only are the pipes already aged and worn, but they were never designed to carry tar sands oil in the first place,” he said, adding that alterations to existing natural gas pipelines increase the probability of spills.
Duboyce said there are a series of pipelines that cross the Prairies through Northern Ontario. The pipeline splits as some of the pipelines head to the Greater Toronto area, while others continue east towards Ottawa and then South from there.
The new section of the pipeline would run from Iroquois, Ontario and up across the Ottawa river, said Duboyce. In Quebec, the pipeline would cross the North Shore towards Laval and connect with the Suncor Energie refinery. “It would travel beneath the St. Lawrence river about 100 meters below the bedrock in a concrete tunnel we’re going to build adjacent to an existing pipeline that actually crosses the St. Lawrence,” Duboyce said. The pipeline would reach the Valero refinery located in Lévis, Q.C., continuing east towards New Brunswick and then on to St. John’s, N.B. where it will be attached to a marine export terminal.
While TransCanada says the pipeline will give both Quebec and Canada an economic advantage, critics to the pipeline say the advantages of a pipeline like Energy East are, at best, short term.
TransCanada advertises that Energy East will generate a large amount of employment. “During the development and construction phase of the project, Energy East will support, on an annual basis, 14,000 full-time direct and spinoff jobs across the country,” said Duboyce. He said among 14,000 of the full time jobs stated, Quebec employment represents an average of 3,100 full-time direct and spinoff jobs annually during a nine year development and construction period.
However, as Tyrrell points out, the development and construction period will only last nine years, resulting in the predicted high employment rates being limited to that timeframe.
“They claim 14,000 jobs for the overall project … but those are just construction jobs. It’s really short-term,” said Tyrrell. “Once the pipeline is built, even TransCanada will tell you—there’s only 33 permanent full-time jobs in Quebec.”
Tyrrell said his greatest concern for the proposed Energy East pipelines is the level of development of the tar sands the pipelines will permit, ultimately contributing to Canada having a larger oil industry.
Tyrrell said the oil TransCanada will be transporting through these pipelines is not necessarily for domestic consumption. “Once it’s built it’s going to be in the ground for at least 50 years, and it’s going to tie the entire country into the practice of digging up this inherently unsustainable resource and exporting it to other countries,” said Tyrrell.
Duboyce said TransCanada plans to make Canadian crude oil more competitive outside the US markets and expand into international markets. He also said that Energy East will make it possible for refineries to buy Canadian oil instead of oil from Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
“One of the key points that gets lost in this conversation … is that there’s only one thing that drives oil production, oil transportation—and that’s oil consumption by people,” said Duboyce.
Graphic by Florence Yee.
Duboyce stressed the importance of expanding Canada’s oil industry in order to benefit Canada’s economy. Not only do we use oil to fuel our transportation, but we find oil in our cell phones, computers, some clothing, makeup and chewing gum, Duboyce said. “It’s a pretty important component of the economy.”
However, Gareau strongly disagrees. “It’s economic considerations are very short-term,” he said, adding that the economic prospects of how much the oil currently valued may now be overvalued. “This fossil economy is declining.”
“We need to leave a lot of fossil fuels in the ground,” said Gareau. “How we’re actually going to do that—that’s what we need to be talking about.” He said people need to be discussing 21st century energy and economic opportunities, instead of relying on traditional needs—such
as crude oil. “[The pipeline] also locks Canada into a fossil economy that will be defunct in the next decade or two, putting us that much further behind in the emerging green economy,” said Gareau.
“[NEB is] going to let the companies continue to exploit them anyway and they’re going to get the public and the environment to absorb the risk.” Tyrrell said. “It’s really short term economic gain vs. long term environmental sacrifice—it’s a question of priorities.” Tyrrell said once these pipelines have been built, there will be tons of subcontractors and companies already specialized in fabricating pipelines. “You can export pipeline parts to some other part of the world,” he said. “But chances are, they’re going to want to build another pipeline locally or as close to Montreal as possible.”
“The strategy of the environmental movement is to shut down the tar sands by blocking all of the exit paths,” said Tyrrell. He said the opposition has managed to block the Northern Gateway for the time being, but now it’s time for Eastern Canada to block the Energy East pipeline. Tyrrell said the resistance is going well so far. “The people protesting are not only speaking for themselves, they’re speaking for huge sections of the population—that includes [speaking for] the mayors of hundreds of different municipalities in Quebec.”
Reggies now offers a revamped menu and prompts a safer space policy
Your favourite student bar has opened its doors as a newly-formed solidarity cooperative for the Fall semester as of Aug. 8. Along with becoming a Concordia co-op, Reggies has released a new menu and a membership service.
Adrian Longinotti, the president of Reggies and CSU Finance Coordinator said since opening Reggies last year for the first time following renovations, it was very successful financially and took back its title as the campus bar.
Longinotti said due to Reggies’ success since re-opening last year, he felt that turning it into a co-op would improve the experience for students and customers.
Turning Reggies into a cooperative will allow students the chance to be more involved on the input and future of the student bar, said Longinetti. “We want to keep that non-profit philosophy—we want to give back more and reinvest that into enhancing the Reggies experience.”
By becoming a cooperative Reggies now has a membership system. “We subsidize $5 of the $10 membership,” said Longinotti, which results in customers only having to pay $5 for a membership. “[With a membership] you get a 10 per cent discount on all food items—even on specials.”
Longinotti said the most important thing about obtaining a membership for Reggies is that members are considered part-owners of the co-op—they have a share in the organization. Members are given voting rights, allowing them to be a part of the decision-making process, said Longinotti. He said the first general meeting for Reggies will be held in November, with the exact date yet to be decided. He encourages members to attend so they can be involved and contribute to the future of Concordia’s student bar.
“We have implemented and adopted a safer space policy,” said Longinotti. In order for events to be hosted, he said, those who are booking the event must sign a mandatory document to ensure that those are booking the event acknowledge and maintain Reggies as a safe space.
The Concordian referenced an article to Longinotti published last March. The article discussed accusations of sexual harassment and statements made about some students recognized at the bar who had been known to some people for spiking drinks with GHB, also known as the date rape drug.
“It’s a new year, there’s a lot of potential for this place,” said Justin McLennen the bartender at Reggies. He commented on the safer space policy stating, “it’s a plus, it’s a positive sign. It will help people feel welcome.”
We asked Longinotti how he plans to ensure Reggies will be a safe space outside of hosted events. “We have hired more security,” said Longinotti. “The training for the staff also makes them have the knowledge and foundation of how to intervene and prevent something like this from happening.”
Longinetti said he is confident the training of the employees, more security and the safer space policy will ensure that Reggies does remain a safe space at Concordia.
“There are always going to be these things that might happen in a bar environment,” he said. “The most important thing is that we do everything in our power to try and prevent something like this from happening.”
Reggies is open to students and the public from 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and open from 12:00 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Friday.
ASFA unveils plans for a safer frosh with mandatory consent workshops
Arts & Sciences Federation Association (ASFA) will be kicking off Frosh week by hosting consent workshops for the first time on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.
It will be mandatory for anyone who has purchased a ticket to Frosh for the full week to attend the workshop prior to being let into Frosh events. “We decided we would take precautions this year and be careful and [ensure] that everyone was safe,” said ASFA internal affairs and administrative coordinator Julia Sutera Sardo. “Executives, leaders and volunteers have already undergone consent, harm reduction and the safe serve program (SSP) in preparation for frosh week.”
This is part of ASFA’s goal to reduce the typical culture surrounding Frosh, said Sutera Sardo. She said that she had not previously attended Frosh, due to not appreciating the culture of binge drinking and lack of consent surrounding the week.
However, Sutera Sardo said ASFA wanted to change how frosh was organized this year to provide a safer space for everyone attending the events. “I was really happy I got to take part in changing the culture of how things work,” she said.
ASFA social events coordiantor Marc Da Silva said Frosh is really well organized this year as opposed to last year. “I’m definitely really excited about the consent workshops that are being given,” said Da Silva. “I think that’s a necessity in making sure frosh is safer.”
Sutera Sardo said that ASFA’s goal in changing the culture of Frosh has definitely been a group effort. ASFA is working in collaboration with the Dean of Students office to provide the consent workshops.
ASFA VP of community outreach and sustainability coordinator Agunik Mamikonyan said ASFA will be hosting five different sessions for the consent training, each session lasting an hour and a half each.
“We’re going to register [Froshees] when they come in and they are going to get their bracelets by the end of the session.” Mamikonyan said this is in order to ensure all attending the week of events at Frosh will have undergone consent training.
Dean of Students Andrew Woodall said ASFA reached out to the Dean of Students to get information about consent, bystander intervention and how to organize safer events. “We’ve been working with the execs—the outgoing and incoming since January as a group on trying to change the culture of orientation of Frosh,” said Woodall.
Woodall said Froshees will undergo workshops focused on consent training and understanding how alcohol may impact and limit decision making. While executives and Frosh leaders are undergoing workshops focused on not only consent, but risk reduction as well, said Woodall. “Generally what we’re doing with the execs and the Frosh leaders is more about risk reduction—so consent and bystander [intervention], alcohol, what to watch out for and some drugs, too.”
Woodall said that the extensive training for leaders and executives is due to them setting up the event. The training will address how to set up an event in a manner with least risk to the Froshies—such as having longer lineups for alcohol, having water and food available and not having alcohol as the point of a game.
Sutera Sardo also ensured Frosh participants would have a safe space if they needed it. “I made sure that we had a safe room [for beach day], because I feel having experienced panic attacks myself before, sometimes you just don’t feel comfortable in a specific zone with people or you may be dehydrated,” said Sutera Sardo. The safe room will help those attending Frosh by offering a separate space to relax and lay down.
In addition, there will be plenty of water available, first aid certified executives and security will be present. “By implementing some chill stations and safe rooms in all of our events we’re going to be able to have that place there, in case somebody feels uncomfortable and wants to speak to us,” said Sutera Sardo.
Sutera Sardo said that in order to create a more inclusive platform for Frosh week, ASFA is trying to involve not only first years, but undergraduate and graduate students. “Frosh isn’t only about freshmen,” she said. Sutera Sardo explained the first event being the cocktail mixer party is designed to incorporate more mature students. Sardo said her goal is to make more of a connection between new students, experienced undergraduates and graduate students, as well as creating a better network between students at Sir George Williams campus and Loyola Campus.
Sutera Sardo said while planning frosh there were many meetings with other student groups and associations, as well as representatives from Concordia’s security, hospitality, electricity department and facilities management departments to generate a greater communication with one another.
“I feel like a lot of times problems that arise at Frosh all start in the planning of it, so we took about four months to plan everything,” she said.
Last year ASFA changed the title of Frosh week to “launch week” in order to change the bad vibes associate with the events. However, this year the title has been changed back to Frosh. “Students were not familiar with the term “launch” and didn’t realize it pertained to orientation activities,” said Da Silva.
“We’re doing the best we can and I really buy into this team’s desire to do away with the reputation [ASFA] had a couple of years ago,” said Woodall.
“In the end, all we want is to be able to communicate and share our ideas in a really safe manner,” said Sutera Sardo. “[ASFA] council has sometimes been an unsafe place and by having these trainings [for frosh executives] hopefully it will be safer and will be conducive to just better communication.”
This article has been updated for accuracy and clarity since publishing. The Concordian regrets the error.
