Harold Davis |
Frank Dimant |
Ruth Klein |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
The League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada is dedicated to combatting antisemitism, racism, and bigotry. The objectives of the League include the protection of human rights of all Canadians, the development of positive inter-community relations, and the elimination of racial discrimination and antisemitism. Working in co-operative association with the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada accomplishes its goals through legal legislative initiatives, intercultural dialogues, community coalitions and educational programming. The League provides training programs and resource material in the areas of racism, human rights, multiculturalism, harassment and equity issues.
A toll-free number enables direct reporting to the National Office of all hate incidents and suspected hate group activity. Confidentiality is assured, incidents are documented, and callers are directed to those who can assist them in their local areas.
Since 1982, the League has published the Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, a summary and analysis of reported incidents of antisemitic vandalism and harassment. Documenting the extent and nature of racist incidents across the country, the Audit has been praised by community organizations, police services and government agencies as an effective tool in the battle against hate activity. This year’s Audit features a new analytical component, in which specially commissioned experts look at the wider context of antisemitic activity in Canada in the aftermath of September 11. The Audit tracks the use of the Internet to disseminate mass antisemitic propaganda — though its many-faceted activities are not included in the incident count. It also examines the increasing interchangeability of ‘Israel’ and ‘Jews’ as targets of harassment, abuse and vandalism in Canada.
Click here to be forwarded to the Audit section of our publications page.
Used as a resource by police Hate Crimes Units across the country, the League has been monitoring and documenting hate group activity in Canada for over 30 years. The Symposium on the Legal Remedies for Hate Crime, held in 1994, brought together police, judges, and community groups in this area through the League’s Education and Training Centre
The League for Human Rights and its conference community partners — the Equity Department of the Toronto District School Board, and the Race Relations Department of the York Region District School Board, offered youth leaders the opportunity to learn to recognize hate, and practical strategies to lead anti-hate initiatives in their schools and communities. By adapting the League’s Taking Action Against Hate Train the Trainer program, the conference goal was to convey a message of tolerance and to increase youth awareness about the use of anti-racism strategies.
Taking Action Against Hate Youth: 2002 Youth Conference Index
Yom ha-Shoah Holocaust Memorial Day Teacher’s Guide was officially launched on November 6th 2001 as part of Holocaust Education Week with special guest speaker Ted Chudleigh, MPP for Halton. Mr. Chudleigh supported the Private Member’s Bill commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day in Ontario.
See also: A Review and Analysis of Curriculum, Policies, Programs and Teacher Training
The Holocaust and Hope Student Study Tour, designed by the League, has become an annual program of great pride to B’nai Brith. It gives Canadian hight school students of all ethnic and religious backgrounds access to some of the best Holocaust education resources in the world and ensures their ongoing commitment to human rights for all Canadians.
League representatives were part of the official Canadian delegation attending the Stockholm Forum on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.
Ongoing dialogue and practical projects form the basis for working at promoting positive relations between the Jewish and African Canadian communities. Projects have included joint presentations, study groups, and employment training for minority youth. Black Jewish Dialogue was launched with a joint community forum titled “Blacks and Jews — Let’s Talk!” It was an opportunity to discuss the past, present and future of Black Jewish Relations in Canada.
Women of all religious denominations come together under the auspices of the League to learn from each other and share their experiences in their faith communities. In addition to monthly study sessions, The Power of Light, with practical ideas for holidays in the winter season, and The Feminist Interfaith Seder are annual events which are educational and moving.
B’nai Brith intervened in two recent human rights decisions that demonstrated the ability of human rights law to offer an effective remedy to hate speech on the Internet and in the press.
In January 2002 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal released its long awaited decision in regard to Ernst Zundel. In that case, complaints were made with regard to Zundel’s use of the Internet to spread hatred. His website, called the Zundelsite, had gained notoriety as a purveyor of antisemitic Holocaust denial materials.
A second important human rights tribunal decision, issued in November 2001, concerns the complaint of Harry Abrams against Doug Collins and the Vancouver area North Shore News. Mr. Abrams is the British Columbia representative of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights. Originally the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal had ordered, at the request of Mr. Collins and the North Shore News, that the fault (i.e., whether the columns breach the B.C. Human Rights Code) and Constitutional issues be separated. In February, l999 the Tribunal upheld Mr. Abrams’ complaints against four columns written by Doug Collins and published by the North Shore News. It ordered that a summary of its decision be published and that a fine be paid.
Through the Government Relations Office of B’nai Brith Canada, the League liases with government officials and with federal and provincial politicians, making submissions on policies and legislation relevant to human rights, multiculturalism and hate/bias crime. The League is consulted regularly for advice and expertise in these areas by every level of government.
Careful documentation of all reported incidents of antisemitism and other racially motivated crime enables effective work with police and government agencies to determine patterns and resolutions. An extensive data base is maintained, and up-to-date information is communicated directly to the relevant parties, to media when appropriate, and through research publications described below.
Since 1982, the League has published the Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, a summary and analysis of reported incidents of antisemitic vandalism and harassment.
A publication, The Use of Public Facilities by Hate Groups, was compiled by Harry Abrams of Victoria, to assist in B’nai Brith’s challenge to the library system in B.C. for allowing right wing extremists to use subsidized space for meetings.
Publications by experts in the field provide overviews of landmark cases and decisions, and give examples of hate propaganda to assist members of the criminal justice system, educators, and concerned citizens to recognize and react to such material appropriately.
Fact sheets on hate mongers, detailed reports on racist groups, and guidelines for responding to hate group activity are provided to police services, government agencies, the educational system, concerned citizens, human rights organizations and the media. In addition to all ADL publications, for which the League is the Canadian contributor and distributor, recent research reports include:
Utilizing the League’s crisis response model and guidelines for community action, coalitions are formed and information shared on an ongoing basis to increase joint action against racism and antisemitism. Assistance is offered to aggrieved vulnerable groups including the Somali and the Gay & Lesbian communities. Rallies and counter-demonstrations have been implemented with outstanding success. In addition, League members sit on Municipal Race Relations Committees, Multicultural Councils, the Anti-Racist Multicultural Educator’s Network of Ontario(AMENO) and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations http://www.interlog.com/~uarr/.
To contact the League for Human Rights,
consult the B’nai Brith Staff Directory or
email us at league@bnaibrith.ca
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