On this April 17 - Joint Statement on human rights oversight of governments' COVID-19 responses !

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Colour of Poverty

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Apr 17, 2020, 12:45:16 PM4/17/20
to Colour of Change Network
Colour of Change Network members - on this April 17 - the 35th anniversary year of Section 15 - the Equality Rights Section ( the 38th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms of course ) we just wanted to make sure that all of you have seen the below-attached Joint Statement on Human Rights Oversight of Government Reponses to COVID-19 that COP-COC helped to draft - to help ensure consistent equity, fairness and racially just impacts and outcomes in peoples lives - as we self-isolate, physically distance and nurture healthy connections and social solidarity in these COVID-19 defined times !

 

With the need to "physical distance" in mind - let's all continue to help people think more deeply - as words matter - about the many troubling interpretations, implications, applications and consequences - unintended and otherwise - of the idea of "social distancing" - by thinking about the many equivalent terms from different times, contexts, places and spaces - exclude, imprison, marginalize, house arrest, seggregate, reserves, internment, alienate, detention, ostrasize, incarcerate, partitioning, ghettoize, restrict and others - and the disturbing justifications and rationalisations for engaging in such policy implementation and behaviour - as those who were treated in such ways were considered - degraded, foreign, unclean, degenerate, primitive, disease or germ ridden, inferior, depraved, dirty, heathen, infested, uncivilized, unhygenic, pagan, outsiders, impure, decadent, unsanitary, racially inferior, vectors of contagion, idolaters, pestilence carrying, vermin, scapegoat, menace, infected, alien, filthy, barbaric, contaminated, genetically deficient, sick, morally suspect, targets, etc - yes words matter !!

As for the Joint Statement - there was a wide range of support ( final version attached ) calling for governments of all orders across Canada ( federal, provincial, territorial and municipal ) to institute greater human rights oversight of their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic - 301 endorsements ( 154 organizations and 147 academics, former politicians, faith leaders and other individual experts ) - with a wide array of communities, sectors and human rights concerns reflected among the endorsers.


We all know that the need for a strong human rights approach to addressing the pandemic, backed up by effective oversight, is only going to become more pressing with time; so now is the time for governments to put this in place. Anything you are able to do to promote these recommendations within and across your networks, in your engagement with government - of any order - and other avenues is always much appreciated !!

 

See below and attached - michael


Links to Call for Human Rights Oversight of Governments' COVID-19 Responses and media releases - English and French -

michael kerr
Coordinator
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
# 505 - 123 Edward St.
Toronto, Ontario  M5G 1E2  Canada
Phone - 416-966-3882
Fax - 416-971-6780
E-mail - kerr.m...@gmail.com

Web-site - www.colourofpoverty.ca
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Call for Human Rights Oversight of Government Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic ( Joint Public Statement - April 14, 2020 ).pdf
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