726 search results for
Government of Canada
Recommendation 7:
Provide ongoing mobile legal clinics
Mobile legal clinics were identified as an effective means to reach workers in remote areas of the province with little access to transportation or services. Legal advocates would coordinate with community service providers to provide mobile clinics on an as-needed basis on farms and other rural locations at times that are convenient for workers to attend. Mobile legal clinics would allow workers to receive individual legal advice regarding their particular issues.
Public legal education workshops or information sessions may also be provided in conjunction with the mobile clinics according to the needs of the migrant workers in the various low-wage streams of the TFWP.
Mobile legal clinics were identified as an effective means to reach workers in remote areas of the province with little access to transportation or services. Legal advocates would coordinate with community service providers to provide mobile clinics on an as-needed basis on farms and other rural locations at times that are convenient for workers to attend. Mobile legal clinics would allow workers to receive individual legal advice regarding their particular issues.
Public legal education workshops or information sessions may also be provided in conjunction with the mobile clinics according to the needs of the migrant workers in the various low-wage streams of the TFWP.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 1:
Prioritizing affordable housing is essential for poverty reduction and economic security of women experiencing violence.
This community needs assessment and review of the academic and grey literature clearly shows that women experiencing violence face many challenges to securing affordable housing, with the most foundational barrier being unaffordability of housing and chronic poverty. Women experiencing violence need to find housing that is actually affordable (no more than 30% of her income) so that they are able to avoid a cycle of poverty.
We recommend that all levels of government commit to building adequate and affordable housing that fits the needs of women and their children experiencing violence.
This community needs assessment and review of the academic and grey literature clearly shows that women experiencing violence face many challenges to securing affordable housing, with the most foundational barrier being unaffordability of housing and chronic poverty. Women experiencing violence need to find housing that is actually affordable (no more than 30% of her income) so that they are able to avoid a cycle of poverty.
We recommend that all levels of government commit to building adequate and affordable housing that fits the needs of women and their children experiencing violence.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 3:
Partnerships are vital to reducing barriers for women experiencing violence.
Many of the barriers that women face in finding affordable long term housing can be reduced through partnerships across sectors and awareness building about the impacts of violence against women. While affordability and availability of housing are major barriers for people impacted by increasing unaffordability in BC, women experiencing violence face additional specific barriers due to their circumstances. We can see that barriers such as a lack of references, access to childcare or understanding their housing options are obstacles that can be better solved with partnerships.
We recommend that this project continues to build partnerships between transition houses, government, and the housing sector to help address and work towards improving these types of barriers.
Many of the barriers that women face in finding affordable long term housing can be reduced through partnerships across sectors and awareness building about the impacts of violence against women. While affordability and availability of housing are major barriers for people impacted by increasing unaffordability in BC, women experiencing violence face additional specific barriers due to their circumstances. We can see that barriers such as a lack of references, access to childcare or understanding their housing options are obstacles that can be better solved with partnerships.
We recommend that this project continues to build partnerships between transition houses, government, and the housing sector to help address and work towards improving these types of barriers.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 2:
Increase the supply of dedicated legal information and advocacy services
An increased supply of dedicated legal advocates and community service providers in regions of the province with high concentrations of migrant workers would address the issue of inadequate availability of pro bono legal information and services.
Data collected from the focus groups indicates a strong need for a network of trained service providers who understand the specific situation of migrant workers according to the regulations of the low-wage streams of the TFWP, and the unique ways in which immigration law intersects with their employment in the province.
Legal advocates, under the supervision of a Supervising Lawyer, would provide direct legal advocacy services in the areas of law that are identified as priority needs (immigration, employment, and housing) and not otherwise offered by other legal advocates in the region to avoid service duplication. Supervision by lawyers would ensure accountability for services provided.
Legal advocates would work in a coordinated way with community service providers, who are already working to provide assistance to migrant workers and whose capacity to conduct outreach and provide legal information and referrals to legal services is enhanced through training by lawyers, which can include lawyers who work for non-profit organizations, such as Migrant Workers Centre or Community Legal Assistance Society, or supervising lawyers in the region.
Community service providers would receive training on how to identify legal issues; find accurate legal information online; use the dedicated website; when and how to make referrals to legal advocates and other services; and how to distribute and help workers to understand legal information materials.
To the greatest extent possible, legal advocates would be multilingual and provide services in migrant workers’ first language. The placement of multilingual law students to work with legal advocates through co-ops or other programs for course credit could also play an important role in increasing access to justice for migrant workers.
An increased supply of dedicated legal advocates and community service providers in regions of the province with high concentrations of migrant workers would address the issue of inadequate availability of pro bono legal information and services.
Data collected from the focus groups indicates a strong need for a network of trained service providers who understand the specific situation of migrant workers according to the regulations of the low-wage streams of the TFWP, and the unique ways in which immigration law intersects with their employment in the province.
Legal advocates, under the supervision of a Supervising Lawyer, would provide direct legal advocacy services in the areas of law that are identified as priority needs (immigration, employment, and housing) and not otherwise offered by other legal advocates in the region to avoid service duplication. Supervision by lawyers would ensure accountability for services provided.
Legal advocates would work in a coordinated way with community service providers, who are already working to provide assistance to migrant workers and whose capacity to conduct outreach and provide legal information and referrals to legal services is enhanced through training by lawyers, which can include lawyers who work for non-profit organizations, such as Migrant Workers Centre or Community Legal Assistance Society, or supervising lawyers in the region.
Community service providers would receive training on how to identify legal issues; find accurate legal information online; use the dedicated website; when and how to make referrals to legal advocates and other services; and how to distribute and help workers to understand legal information materials.
To the greatest extent possible, legal advocates would be multilingual and provide services in migrant workers’ first language. The placement of multilingual law students to work with legal advocates through co-ops or other programs for course credit could also play an important role in increasing access to justice for migrant workers.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 7:
In addressing Recommendation 6, recognize five key points from “Why Intangible Heritage Matters” (Nicholas 2014):
- Heritage protection and management remain focused on the tangible;
- However, no object or place has meaning without the intangible values ascribed;
- For Indigenous peoples, the tangible and intangible are often indivisible, which has substantial implications for heritage protection;
- A double standard exists regarding how Indigenous intangible heritage, including Traditional Knowledge, and Western Science are valued or treated.
- Efforts to decolonize heritage research and to implement such developments as the UNDRIP will continue to fail if intangible heritage is ignored.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 8:
Harmonize statutory and operational relations between provincial agencies such as the Archaeology and Heritage Branches of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development. This requires better communication and strengthened relations between provincial agencies dealing with ICH, including the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation as a key facilitator of relations.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 3:
Establish jurisdiction and statutory decision-making authority over ICH by Indigenous peoples. This requires decentralizing power and developing or activating mechanisms for extending authority to Indigenous peoples. Shared decision-making processes and relations should be established in support of Indigenous peoples’ management of their own cultural heritage. B.C.’s current Bill C-41 / Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) provides a mechanism for developing such legal mechanisms, processes and relationships. Provincial legislation needs to be amended to include UNDRIP, as is being planned for currently by British Columbia and the First Nations Leadership Council via an Action Plan. ICH management should be included as a priority item in B.C.’s DRIPA action plan.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 5:
Establish and enhance relational versus transactional connections between governments based on Indigenous rights recognition, government-to-government and/or nation-to nation foundations of equality, and through development and implementation of shared decision-making processes addressing ICH. This requires displacing the current standards of engagement/consultation/accommodation based on unilateral government decision making and strength of claim assessments, and replacing them with new standards as set out in point 3 above.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 1:
Establish a preliminary legislative foundation as soon as possible that brings transparency, coherence and a measure of accountability to the process, as part of a broader long-term approach to legislative change.
Foundational legislation developed in full co-operation with Indigenous peoples will provide a transparent, coherent and binding path to implementation.
Bill C-262 is a logical starting place for this legislation, as it provides a confirmation of legal application in BC; a legislated requirement for an orderly, clear and transparent process of implementation; and a recognition of the need for oversight and accountability frameworks.
Establishment of legislation should be reflective of a new approach to litigation regarding Indigenous Rights: collaboration, not conflict.
Foundational legislation developed in full co-operation with Indigenous peoples will provide a transparent, coherent and binding path to implementation.
Bill C-262 is a logical starting place for this legislation, as it provides a confirmation of legal application in BC; a legislated requirement for an orderly, clear and transparent process of implementation; and a recognition of the need for oversight and accountability frameworks.
Establishment of legislation should be reflective of a new approach to litigation regarding Indigenous Rights: collaboration, not conflict.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Recommendation 4:
Develop tools that entrench an understanding, respect and appreciation of the UN Declaration in society at large.
For implementation to be successful, the general public must be able to participate in discourse about the UN Declaration at the same level as other pieces of foundational legislation such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Constitution Act, 1982).
To do so, human rights education needs to be implemented and tools need to be developed (including school-based curricula) to properly educate the Canadian public on the UN Declaration.
For implementation to be successful, the general public must be able to participate in discourse about the UN Declaration at the same level as other pieces of foundational legislation such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Constitution Act, 1982).
To do so, human rights education needs to be implemented and tools need to be developed (including school-based curricula) to properly educate the Canadian public on the UN Declaration.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation: