BCTF Social Justice News Letter - Summer Fall 2014

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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2014

A world with peaceSlikwel te Temexw

Kitsilano Secondary School Frenchteacher Bonita Hoppen submitteda booklet of antiwar poemswritten by 13 students. Each poemintegrated French and Englishlines, sometimes in translation,sometimes flowing between the

two languages. The impact wasvery powerful as in these poems:

Je rêve by Klara GilbertI dream of a world full of peacesouriantesWith hope instead of anguish.Avec de la musique,plutôt que les coupes de feuWhere families are complete.Ça c’est mon rêve,that is my dream.

The Choice is Yours by Kyla BoersmaLa paixLa tranquillitéLa perfectionA world we trustPeaceful and gratefulOn vie notre vie complètementSans peur, sans mortWe walk down the streetsour heads held high,smiles on our facesWe wonder what we will dotomorrowNo worries if there will be atomorrow,or if the sun will rise againOn connaît la BonheurPas la tristessePas la peurA perfect world

showed some original teaching ideasthat we would like to share in thisarticle. Several leading entries werechosen by the committee usinga specially designed rubric. Theselected projects will be featured atthis year’s BCTF summer conference

and in some of our next publications.All projects had merit and displayedthe creative energy of both teachersand students.

The project was inspired by theneed to keep alive the memoryof the 16 women who lost theirlives in the Montréal Massacre onDecember 6, 1989. More recentevents include the attack in theuniversity area of Santa Barbara,

California, where a premeditatedmass murder was committedby a young man who posted avideo declaring that his actionwas retribution for having beenspurned by “girls,” and theabduction of almost 300 schoolgirls in northeastern Nigeria thatdominated the media worldwide.Closer to home, police authoritiesin Vancouver expressed a specialinterest in speaking to victims of

domestic violence in light of arash of murders of women by theirpartners over a one-month period,and many individuals and groupshave been calling upon the Harpergovernment to launch an inquiryinto the more than 1,200 Aboriginalwomen who have gone missing andbeen murdered over the last threedecades. Sadly, the number of actsof violence against women and girlsappears to be epidemic worldwide.As difficult as it is, this topic needsto be addressed by educationalefforts across the curriculum. Thecommittee was impressed by thecreative approaches teachers usedto elicit student contributions.Surprisingly, there were few entriesinvolving artwork. One submission,from Grade 9 student Gina Klemmat Gulf Islands Secondary School,was a poster featuring combined

poetry (see cover).

Projects using languageLaura Lee Kelly, a Halq’eméylemlanguage teacher from theNaniamo-Ladysmith district, hadseveral of her Grade 5 studentssubmit multipage projectsusing antiviolence images and

statements that were translatedinto Halq’eméylem. Students KylieDelorme and Lucas Binette useda series of pictures with captionsthat were written in English andthen in translation.

Languages grow and change,and it is often challenging to findthe words in one language thatconvey the equivalent wordsand ideas in another. Addressing

the antiviolence theme thesestudents utilized computertechnology and the applicationof a First Nations language.

No violence!!!!!!!Kwat lite temexwNo violence means to me that theworld could be a happy place

Peace in the world Thaytes slikwel lite temexwPeace in the world means thatthere’s no violence

i n t e r n e t i m a g e

i n t e r n

e t i m a g

e

n o b i g g i e / i S t o c k / T h i n k s t o c k

–Kylie Delmore

–Kylie Delmore

–Lucas Binette


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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2014 3

La Paix, a poem by Yasmine Elkholy,addresses the multiple sources ofviolence:La paix est une chose magnifiqueAvec des personnes en paix avecl’un et l’autreNo racism, no homophobia

towards one another, nothing at allEveryone is happy, joyful and at peace

Juste imagine que pour toutel’éternité ça peut être comme çaUn monde sans guerre, juste l’acceptanteMais il y a de la guerre,les pensées négativesSoyez pas négative vous-mêmesBe happy and have hope,think positively and everythingwill be all right.

Social justice club projectsCoquihalla Elementary School teacher Linda Bailey runs a club for herGrade 4 students that studies Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Her Peace JamGroup submitted the top group entry, “Hands for Peace.” It will be playedat this year’s BCTF summer conference and may be placed as a link on theStatus of Women page. It is a four minute musical video performed by theclass featuring hand movements and words celebrating peace.

Technology projects Two entries from Grade 9 English students at Gulf Islands Secondary Schoo(GISS) were among the top three scoring entries. One called “The Shadow,”by Nigel Bishnar, involved a sequence of thought-provoking words andphrases with an instrumental musical score.

The second entry from GISS was submitted by Abigail Walkner andinvolves a PowerPoint sequence using Teletubbies and set to music toillustrate all the elements of a world without violence. It was designed tobring a hopeful message to everyone, but especially to young children.

Overcoming pessimism

Several of the submissions were short essays that attempted to addressthe question, “Is it possible to eradicate violence and war?” It reminded thecommittee of how intractable the problem of violence is in the minds ofour youth and, therefore, how important it is to redouble our efforts to helpstudents realize a non-violent future. The news at home and from aroundthe world seems to suggest the goal is unattainable. However, we have tostart where we are and build the foundation for peace. How do we treat oneanother? How do we raise consciousness around violence against womenand girls? Are we winning the struggle against misogyny, homophobia,racism, discrimination, etc.? We must begin this work in our classrooms. Weneed to continue the conversation, the imagining, the learning, and makeour classrooms the safe spaces necessary to realize a peaceful world. Kafui

Ayedzi’s student Ca’Leah summed up her essay with the words of NelsonMandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use tochange the world.” They are fitting words to conclude with.

“The theory of Utopia is just a cry for hope in a hopeless world.” –Liam Wenzel, Grade 9 student

The Status of Women committee would like to thank all of the teachersand students who put so much time and heart into these projects.We will feature the leading entries wherever possible.


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4 BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2014

Peaceful Heart & Wounded Heart Projectby James Chamberlain, elementary teacher and vice-principal in Vancouver

These hearts were designed by our Grade 2 and 3students to depict peaceful images for Aboriginalpeople, and juxtapose this with hurtful imagery from

their residential school history and experiences. Anumber of picture books about the negative impactsof residential schools upon Aboriginal people wereread to the students. We discussed the racist lawsimposed by the Canadian government that led toforcing Aboriginal families to give up their childrento Indian Agents or face jail time. Students werealready familiar with laws that banned potlatches andrequired Aboriginal people to give up their traditional

landsand to behoused onreserves.

We linked our learning aboutthe history of residential schoolswith previous lessons aboutsegregation of people of Africandescent in North America. We

had beendiscussingissues ofsegregated schools,restaurants, buses, the Civil RightsMovement, and the Chinese Head Tax in prior lessons. As part ofthe Wounded Heart & PeacefulHeart Project, we discussed andrecorded overt and covert forms

of racism that were historicallyperpetuated against people ofcolour as well. Finally, throughclassroom discussion we linkedovert and covert forms of racism,sexism, and homophobia together.

These teachings are part of ourmulti-year focus on AboriginalEducation across the district. This

project is just one example of amuch larger focus within our

school. One of our school goals isto teach students at all grade levelsabout the positive contributions of

Aboriginal history, culture, andtraditions to our society. We believethat all students benefit fromlearning about AboriginalEducation.

Partial funding for this project camefrom Promoting a Culture of Peacefor Children Society of BC. Pleasevisit wartoystopeaceart.org if you areinterested in applying for a grant.


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Social Justice 12 students take action againstpoverty at city-wide conferenceBy Janet Nicol, secondary teacher in Vancovuer

This was a question asked by Pavan, a student ina Social Justice 12 class in Vancouver. She wasresponding to a preconference survey shaping theagenda for this first-time event, organized with thesupport of a BC Teachers’ Federation Ed May grant.Poverty and homelessness were among the greatestconcerns of students and so became the conferencetheme.

On February 6, 2014, twenty students gathered atthe Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown(two from each SJ 12 class from six schools), greetedby myself and SJ 12 teachers Alain Raoul (Lord ByngSecondary) and Laura Moore (Churchill Secondary).After a “getting to k now you” icebreaker, studentsheard from guest speakers, Jennifer Hales, an

educator and city planner, and Lauren Gill, anactivist in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Jennifer began by asking students to close theireyes and imagine they are living on the streets.Imagine being offered a hot cup of tea, she toldthem. Imagine looking for a place to sleep. Thenshe asked how they felt.

“It is about survival,” a student replied and otherssaid “you are not going where you want to go” and“it can mean so much to be offered a hot drink.”

Jennifer said people feel invisible on the streets.She has observed from her work among homelesspeople that pets make them feel safer and theyoffer companionship. The pet cares about you, shesaid, but a pet is a responsibility too.

Lauren mentioned the SPCA offers free food forpets and medical care at no cost to homelesspeople with pets. Jennifer added that a dog can bea reason for someone to get off the street; a dogoffers unconditional love.

A student asked how people could find outabout the SPCA’s services. Lauren answered,“It’s word of mouth.”

Lauren was born and raised in Vancouver, one of threechildren in a middle-class family with two parents who

are still together. She made it to Grade 8 in school anddropped out. Soon after she came out as a lesbian, andwas kicked out of her home by her mother.

Only 13 years old, she learned it was hard to live forlong on the streets because youth under 16 can betaken off the streets by government employees andplaced in a foster home, detox centre, or safe house.

“Why do we look at homeless people like they are animals, and whydo we treat them like they are criminals?”

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“It is a different experience for female youth to be onthe street, compared to male youth,” she said. “Thereare different options.” Lauren got into the sex trade, or“sex exploitation” as she called it. She would “spot” forthe older girl prostitutes—noting the licence plate ofthe car they got into, to make sure they returned safely.And then she became involved in prostitution herself.

“It’s a downward spiral,” she said. “There’s shame, youare not safe, there’s violence.”

“I had lots of friends, a community, family. Theyprotected me more than my family,” she said of thattime. But now that she has turned her life around and ishelping others she sees her past in a different context.

“Being homeless doesn’t discriminate. We are all twopay cheques away from homelessness. It can happen

because of addiction, mental health issues. Everyonewho is homeless has a story,” observed Lauren.

A student wanted to know how Lauren’s familyreacted when she was on the streets. “My familyreached out when I was clean,” she answered.“They had to love me from a distance. My parentssaw that they had messed up too.”

A student asked how she got off the streets.Lauren said she was facing adult time at age 17 fordrug-related crimes and could serve four to five

years in jail. “Addiction changes you,” she said. Shehad also overdosed and a doctor warned her thatshe wasn’t going to make it.

She went into a treatment centre run by youth, notstaff. The rules were also created by youth. “Whenyou take drugs, you are banking your pain,” she

Chris Fertnig/iPhoto/Thinkstock


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said. “When you go off the drugs, it’s tough—all thepain comes back.” Her mother had come a long wayby then, and had accepted Lauren’s sexual identityas transgendered.

Lauren described the difference between her lifethen and now: “I was staring at my feet, now I am

looking up at the sky.” In recovery, “I got my familyand friends back...I am really grateful.”

She says when you are in recovery you think, “Will Ibe a broken being?” Lauren’s answer was, “Yes, but Iwouldn’t change the past. It made me who I am.”

Lauren said she specializes in helping people withaddictions. She said the common addiction in the1990s was heroin, then crack cocaine came in, andthen alcohol, heroin, crystal meth, and now there is anew drug called “molly.” She said designer drugs are

passed around in nightclubs and that prescriptiondrugs can also lead to a serious addiction.

The Naomi Project is a new initiative in BC to providefree heroin and study the impact of this approach.

A student asked about Lauren’s tattoo on herarm. Inked words encircle her upper left arm—

they make up the second sentence of a quote sherecited: “If you have come here to help me, you arewasting your time. But if you have come becauseyour liberation is bound up with mine, then let uswork together.”

D a v i d C o u i l l a r d / i P h o t o / T h i n k s t o c k


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Lauren and Jennifer gave someideas on how to support peoplein the Downtown Eastside,including donating to Megaphone magazine, supporting VancouverNative Health Society, donatingtoward a totem pole to be erected

in Pigeon Park in memory of themissing and murdered womenin the Downtown Eastside, andparticipating in the AnnualWomen’s Memorial March forMissing and Murdered Women,held on February 14.

Jennifer said donating,volunteering, and raisingawareness are valuable waysto contribute—and so is directpolitical action.

During the Olympics in Vancouver,people organized tent cities—about 200 people came together,pitched tents and held press

conferences, raising awarenessabout homelessness anddemanding housing.

Students from a SJ 12 class in theLower Mainland held a candlelightvigil at the Vancouver Art Gallery,contacted the press, and spoke outabout homelessness.

Jennifer suggested students ask the question, “Whatare the gaps?” She gave examples, such as the lackof good housing for queer youth in the city. Someoutreach groups are faith-based and discriminate. Drugissues and safe housing for youth are other areas ofneed. Seniors in the city do not have enough housingeither, and many seniors are among the city’s homeless

population. In fact, soon baby boomers—a largecohort—will be seniors and could be at risk. Majorcauses of homelessness for seniors are divorce, medicalissues, and large debts.

Students formed small groups to discuss the mainneeds and issues around poverty. They came upwith a long list that included police brutality, dangersof contracting HIV/AIDS and other health concerns,discrimination, sex trafficking, and addiction. Peoplealso deal with issues of shelter, food, mental illness,safety, need for clothing and keeping warm, hygiene,

employment, a lack of social support, stigma of livingin the Downtown Eastside, gentrification, and conflictsbetween homeless and home-owners.

Finally, students discussed possible social actionsto support people in poverty. They included a food/clothing drive, reaching out and gaining the trust ofpeople on the street, building companionship, assistingthose in the transition to school or work, supportingpeople’s wants/needs, creating an acceptingenvironment, providing opportunities, and establishinghope. Students supported opening more safe injection

sites, groups that provide emotional support and skillstraining, and specific support for members of theLGBTQ community, Aboriginals, women, and thosewith mental health issues. Another idea was divertingfood waste by calling restaurants to donate food tocook and distribute on a food truck.

B a

n a n a S t o c k / T h i n k s t o c k

J u p i t e r i m a g e s / C r e a t a s / T h i n k s t o c k


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The plan in the afternoon session was to narrowdown these many ideas into one social action plan.

David Eby, NDP MLA for the Vancouver-Point Greyriding spoke to students in the afternoon session abouthow youth can take effective social action. He is alsoa lawyer who has worked for PIVOT, a legal advocacy

group in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Eby began by saying there are two ways people canhelp—charity and justice. He told a parable to illustratethis point: People were continually tossed in a river andas they were swept along by the current crying out forhelp, bystanders along the bank pulled them out—allday long, every day. Eby said you could “rescue” peoplerepeatedly—or you could go to the source and stopthe problem from occurring.

Eby spoke about how actions can have multiple

impacts. He gave an example of people in Vancouverbuying and distributing tin-foil blankets from MountainEquipment Co-op and imprinting text on the blanketfrom the United Nations’ Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights. This action kept homeless people warm,educated homeless people about their rights, garneredmedia attention, and raised public awareness.

Eby also suggested talking to those who are affectedby the action students choose to do—because if youdon’t, he warned you might not be helpful. He recalled

Ingram Publishing/Thinkstoc

while working with PIVOT identifying negligentlandlords with the intent of shutting down theirbuildings. However tenants approached Eby and said,“Don’t do this, I have nowhere to go if the buildingis shut down.” Eby listened and changed his tactics,pressuring the city government to impose housingregulations.

Eby also emphasized telling the stories of the peopleaffected, rather than listing statistics about an issue.

Eby and students brainstormed ideas on the topicof food security, as an example of how to takeaction. They came up with several ideas, such aspartnering with restaurants and food banks, pressuringgovernment to regulate food waste, and influencingconsumers who go into restaurants.

Eby said other tactics could include petitioning, letter-

writing, door-knocking, and creating a website.

In the final hour students chose an action plan,deciding on a food security theme. They will setup a Facebook group and, using funding from theEd May grant, investigate setting up a food truck todistribute food and raise awareness on poverty andhomelessness.


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Planning for a sustainable future:What does Planning 10 have to do with it?by Brenda Kvist, secondary teacher in Vancouver

Planning is the process of

thinking about and organizingthe activities required to achievea desired goal. As a teacher ofPlanning 10, I am tasked withteaching my students to become“self-directed individuals, who setgoals, make thoughtful decisions,and take responsibility forpursuing their goals throughoutlife” (Planning 10 IRP, Ministry ofEducation).

For a passionate environmentaleducator, Planning 10 haspresented itself as an ideal courseto teach my students about theirpersonal responsibility, not justto themselves but also to others,

their community, and theenvironment.

The goals ofPlanning 10 have

supported

• How can I develop the attitudes,

skills, and knowledge thatempower me to plan for mysuccessful transition fromsecondary school to my adultlife, where I can reach my fullpotential and contribute tocreating a sustainable andhealthy community?

Understandably, these can bedifficult questions for studentsto answer, but my Planning 10

curriculum is designed in such away that it empowers studentsto become excited about makingresponsible decisions that arein their best interest and the bestinterest of the environment. Studentsengage in critical thinking exercises,conduct research to gain informationand consider differing perspectives,communicate what they’ve learnedto their peers, and take personalaction—all in alignment with theirpersonal and social values for healthand sustainability, and to ultimatelybecome informed decision-makers.

Witnessing the impact onstudents when they personallyexperience change excites meabout what Planning 10 canbe for more students. They arebecoming more aware, not just bytalking about the fact that they

can take action, but because theyare actually taking it. I’ve receivedan overwhelmingly positiveresponse from my students onhow this course has changedtheir views on the world aroundthem, confirming to me that thisgeneration wants to take chargeand make things happen.

me in meeting the

prescribed learningoutcomes set by theMinistry, and myown commitmentto empowering mystudents to makesustainable lifechoices. At first, I wassurprised by how wellsustainability educationfit into Planning 10.So many aspects of

helping students plan for theirfuture can be looked at througha sustainability lens, which hasgiven me the opportunity todevote approximately 40% ofmy teaching to these issues. Through my Planning 10 courseat Vancouver Learning Network, Ihave asked my 900 students eachyear for the last three years toconsider these questions:

• How can I become an informeddecision-maker, able tounderstand the effects of mychoices on myself and others,my community,and the environment?

• How can I access informationand analyze it for accuracy, bias,and relevance to support me inmaking healthy and sustainablelife choices?

• How can I develop my personal

responsibility for attaining andmaintaining overall health andfinancial well-being, and forpursuing and achieving myeducational and career goals thatare in alignment with my valuesfor a sustainable world?


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“…focus on issues of our worldthat are extremely relevant inour modern time…The ActionPacks have been extremelysuccessful in expanding myknowledge on the world that we

are living in, and have given me avariety of interesting issues thatI can easily take action upon toimprove this world.”

“I enjoyed learning about theplanet that I am living on, andunderstanding the simple andeasy things I can do to improvethis place. It enlightened me andgave me knowledge and insight

on so many important topicsthat I never thought of before…It inspired me to take action and,no pun intended, be the changefor a better environment andcommunity.”

Resources

Be the Change Earth Alliance’s Student Leadership in Sustainability Program (SLS) is a cross-curricular suite of

sustainability resources that I have used in my Planning 10 class for the last three years. If you are interested in

teaching sustainability in Planning 10 using SLS, please contact [email protected] .


“…many youth nowadays areaware of the issues that arecompromising our planet today,but we are clueless about whatactions we can take to solvethese issues…it really amazed

me how many environmentalproblems I help contribute topersonally. I really want to dosome activism/volunteer workregarding the problems that Bethe Change highlighted...”

Asking students what type of world they want to live in, and invitingthem through an educational process that empowers them tosee the role they play in attaining this world, is the true value that

Planning 10 offers both teachers and students. I hope Planning 10teachers will join me in not only teaching sustainability education intheir classes, but also in advocating for sustainability education to beincluded in the new Planning 10 curriculum drafts.

“…it made me a better person.That sounds corny but it did. Bethe Change has made me moreaware...It forced me to step outof my comfort zone and do bettethings for my community. For

that I am grateful.”


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Some good news for sustainabilityeducation in British Columbiaby Julie D. Johnston, Committee for Action on Social Justice, Environmental Justice ActionGroup (with thanks to Ryan Cho and Maureen Jack-LaCroix)

Does it ever freak you out or frack you off (pardonmy language but I’m feeling, well, fracked off) thatour education system is still only dancing—or rather,dragging its feet—around the fringes of teaching forgenuine sustainability?

Even though the practice of sustainability is as ancientas human communities (though foreign to our own);even though the concept of developing in ways that aresustainable was thrust into public awareness almost aquarter of a century ago by the introduction of Agenda21 at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (after the Brundtland

Commission had toured globally for three years to hearfrom people all around the world); even though in ourculture if we’re not teaching for sustainability, we areby default teaching for UNsustainability; even thoughDennis Meadows (a co-author of the Club of Rome’s1972 Limits to Growth blockbuster) has said it’s toolate for sustainable development and we need to befocusing on survivable development; and even thoughthe Ministry of Education invited teachers and studentsto an international conference on LNG (liquefied naturalgas is still carbon, folks)…we still educate, as though thefuture will be much like the present—onlywith fancier technology.

But our students are facing a futurethat will be climate-wracked andcarbon-constrained. Millions of peopleare already affected by climate change. Ourvery blessed province (parts of which are abnormallydry this year) will not withstand the effects of achanging climate much longer. I remember hearing onthe radio that Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he wasgovernor of California, told former BC premier Gordon

Campbell that our province wouldn’t be able todepend on his state for food much longer. And here weare…early spring of 2014 saw every single jurisdictionin California in drought—with nearly 25% inexceptional drought. But there is good news to report.

CCPA Climate Justice LessonsFirst, the BCTF and the Canadian Centre for PolicyAlternatives (CCPA) have joined together to create anew Climate Justice Resource Package to help teachersand students engage with how climate change is

tied to local and global systems of inequity. Materialsin this new resource include nine highly interactivelessons designed for upper elementary and secondaryclassrooms. These lessons explore climate justicewithin the context of BC’s communities, history (andfuture), economy, and ecology. Each lesson will includea lesson plan and student materials, and some containa slide presentation.

The lessons tie into subject matter and PLOs alreadyin the BC curriculum, while providing a framework tounpack more modern social and environmental issues

such as our industrial food system, consumerism/waste, the potential in a provincial green economy, andBC fossil fuel development.

Looking at climate change through the lens of fairnessand equity, each lesson also explores how BC mightchart a course forward in the face of the world’s climatechallenges. Local schools and communities are used asexamples where students can go beyond the “personalchoice” model of social change and re-create thesystems that surround them for the better.

“Too often we think of climate change and inequityas something that happens ‘over there’ in thedeveloping world,” says Ryan Cho, the main architectof the project, and a BC classroom teacher. “Whatis exciting to me about this project is it brings the

issue back home to parts of our students’ everydaylives, and provides them with frameworks to engagewith their community systems, not just their ownindividual behaviour.”

Ryan continues, “There are political forces within ourschool system that are working to dismiss the issue ofclimate change because of fossil fuel and LNG interestsin the province. However, climate justice has to be themoral issue of our generation and working to address it

“ The Climate Justice Project asks how we can tackle globalwarming with fairness and equality. Our challenge is to builda zero carbon society that also enhances our quality of life.”

–Marc Lee, CCPA Climate Justice Project Director


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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2014 13

has the potential to change our lives and economiesfor the better. I think that we need resources like thisin BC schools, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The Climate Justice lessons are nearly ready fordissemination to schools. Watch for them soon.

BTCEA Student Leadership in Sustainabilitymodules The second example of good news comes from Be theChange Earth Alliance. Student Leadership inSustainability (SLS) is a compendium of six independent,interchangeable modules that focus on personal valuesthat constitute a sustainable worldview. Each teachermodule (examples include Health, Connection, Justice,and Innovation) contains five to nine online Action Packsfor students (the Justice module, for example, includesAction Packs on water privatization, genderequality, poverty, food security, and more).

These provide research links andexperiential activities to promote criticalthinking, dialogue, solutions-basedactions, small-group collaboration,and class presentations.

A main intent of the SLS program is to help studentsexplore sustainability issues by examining currentsocial behaviours that are based on outdatedworldviews and unexamined assumptions—criticalthinking at its best! They are then encouraged tocreate positive systemic change through collaborative

school projects. Student Leadership in Sustainabilitycan be used in a wide range of courses, from socialsand science to home economics, Planning 10, andEnglish. Both teacher and student response to SLS isenthusiastic—sometimes even transformative.

Although Be the Change Earth Alliance is a not-for-profit organization, it can’t produce the SLSprogram without incurring cost. The fee iscurrently $4 per student. Recognizing

that this cost doesn’t meet the accessibility “filter”of the BCTF’s Social Justice Lens, BTCEA founder andcreative director Maureen Jack-LaCroix is workingwith the Environmental Justice Action Group to comeup with innovative ways to make SLS available to allteachers and accessible to all students. For example,in some schools parents on Parent Advisory Councils

(PACs) choose to purchase the program. In onedistrict, funds came from the sustainability officer.Let us know if you have an idea.

To learn more about Student Leadership inSustainability, visit bethechangeearthalliance.org/student_home. Virtual professional development sessions areoffered regularly and you’ll be able to see Be the Changethis year at the Summer Leadership Conference.

Well, that’s some of the good news on sustainabilityeducation in BC. We’ll save the fracking bad news(oops, pardon my language again) for another time.

References

British Columbia Newsroom. 3 March 2014. B.C. students to explore careers at

international LNG conference. newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2014/03/bc-students-to-explore-

careers-at-international-lng-conference.html

Be the Change Earth Alliance: bethechangeearthalliance.org

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Climate Justice Project: policyalternat ives.ca/ projects/climate -justice-p roject

Dennis Meadows, Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update. Presentation to the

Environmental Change and Security Project of the Woodrow Wilson International

Center for Scholars, 14 October 2004.

Julie Johnston is currently a member of the Committee for Action on Social Justice,

Environmental Justice Action Group. She is also a part-time teacher on Pender Island

and a sustainability education consultant with GreenHeart Education, where she can

be contacted (greenhearted.org).

“Be the Change is providing the resources for what

educators want to teach and students want to learn,empowering everyone to make it happen.”

–Denise North, Killarney Secondary School, Vancouver

i k / i R F / T h i k t k


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As teachers, I believe that weshould play the importantrole of environmental justicerepresentatives; not only couldwe influence our students duringour everyday teaching about theneeds of environmental protectionby our own actions, but we couldalso influence the whole schoolcommunity. We can become one ofthe major forces in helping to protectthe environment during our dailylives. This would be an important actin reversing the negative impacts

that we have on our environment.In addition, we could slow down oreven eliminate any contributionstoward climate change.

The ideal method would becompletely “green” schools that donot add anything negative to ourenvironment, but any small projectthat could lead us toward this ideal isimportant. I know that our lives areoften too busy to add anything more

to our day-to-day teaching load, butmany things could be done as part ofthe curricula or by working togetherwith other teachers. Such effortscould be student- and community-driven, and green projects couldget support from school boards as amoney saving initiative.

When walking through the hallwaysI can see how much food is being

wasted. It is important that thestudents understand that there are

children who have nothing to eator that their main source of food issometimes a communal garbagesite. We could teach them that anyunused food should be composted. This may lead to establishingcomposting at our schools. Lateron, it may expand to small schoolgardens that would be excellentteaching tools for science classes, andthey would also be an opportunity toteach students about responsibility.

Furthermore, they could be a smallstep toward community gardensthat may become a natural sourceof vegetables for those in need.

Have you ever thought about howmuch electricity is wasted when thelights are on during a perfectly sunnyday, or when the lights are neverturned off even though nobody isin the classroom or in the school?How about computers that are never

turned off after students finish theirwork and go home? Why not havestudents be responsible for turningoff all lights and computers when theyleave at the end of a school day? Withthe rising cost of electricity and tightschool district budgets, any savingscould be put back into our classrooms.Additionally, all these habits may betransferred to students’ households,and that would have a greater

positive impact onour environment.

Another preciousresource is our water.We should encourageour school districtsand our students notto purchase, or offerfor purchase, bottledwater in our schools.

They should understand thatour tap water is safe and

creates less pollution thanbottled water. It is importantto know that bottled wateris produced for profit ratherthan for our safety. Furthermore,bottled water may lead to a slowprivatization of natural resources thatbelong to all of us. Abolishing the useof bottled water in our schools mayslow this process.

One may ask, “What is the ideal

green school? Can we ever find itsomewhere in the world?” Whilesurfing the Internet, I was able tofind a green school in a location I didnot think it would be possible—Bali(greenschools.org). It is a school thatemploys all possible technologicalgadgets that aid in making theschool almost 100% green. It is builtfrom local materials, uses solar panelsto produce electricity, recycles water,and much more. It was founded by

a Canadian art student, John Hardy,and his wife, Cynthia.

I believe that building green schoolsis possible in Canada. We as teachers,and our students, could be themain force behind this initiative. Asenvironmental justice representativeswe can start with small things liketurning lights and computers offwhen not used. During schoolrenovations or construction of anew school we can suggest the useof green technologies like doubleflush toilets, thermal heating, LEDtechnology, composting, recycling,and green roofs. This is ourenvironment and once destroyedwe would not be able to replace it,therefore building green schools willhelp to protect our environment.

Teachers as environmental representativesby Richard Pesik, Committee for Action on Social Justice, Environmental Justice Action Group

Jupiterimages/Goodshot/Thinkstock


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Unleashing Peru’s potential:Our mutually benecial partnershipby Barb Ryeburn, elementary teacher in Cranbrook

My most memorable experiences during the summerof 2013 occurred while participating in the BCTF Peru

Project. One of my Peruvian colleagues, Aida CamposPeralta, had just given her first workshop independentlyand I asked her how the session had gone. Aida’s eyes litup and she told me, “Wonderful. They loved it. I feel likeI am making a real difference!”

For the past six summers, BCTF and Peruvian teachershave collaborated in delivering workshops for PeruvianEnglish teachers. Over the years, the Peru Project hasevolved to become a more sustainable form of solidarity

in which Peruvian teachers have taken increasingownership of the program. Carol Jokanovich, a ComoxValley teacher, identifies this as one of the most rewardingaspects of her participation in this project. A projectparticipant in 2010, when Peruvian teachers were firstinvolved in partnering with BCTF teachers to leadworkshops, Jokanovich returned as co-leader in 2013and saw Peruvian involvement increase dramaticallyas two Peruvians joined us in co-leading the project. Atthe same time, Peruvian facilitators from previous PeruProjects were involved in organizing and running theirown workshops in Trujillo and Lima, independent of BCTF

support. Jokanovich notes that she was impressed withthe “distinct shift in the ‘us versus them’ mentality, wherethe Peruvian facilitators made suggestions, critiqued, andwere far more comfortable being directly implicated inthe planning process.”

The Peru Project experience was not without itschallenging moments, as reflected in two of the BCTFteachers’ biggest memories. Janek Kuchmistrz, aVancouver teacher, describes how a Peruvian teacherimprovised in his workshop when the electricity was cut.

“For about 40 minutes, we tried to study

social justice issues using the light from adozen mobile phone screens. This was apriceless moment of persevering to teachdespite those obstacles.” Surrey teacherViolette Baillargeon, notes how thesechallenges contributed to her personalgrowth. “Traveling to Peru gave me anopportunity to learn other ways of doingthings, other perspectives on similar

challenges, and italso inspired meto bring flexibility intoother parts of my life.”

Participants all notedgrowth in their professionaldevelopment throughparticipation in the project.According to Aida CamposPeralta, “We were learning allthe time. You taught us that

sharing is very important.” For JulioHerrero, “Taking part in this experiencedefinitely turned me into a better Englishteacher. I became more confident with my Englishand was able to share my expertise with Peruvian andCanadian colleagues.” According to Jokanovich, projectparticipation “reinvigorates me in my own teaching,both at the professional level of having seen challengesand conditions, but also at a classroom level—impartingthe value of having second language skills and how thatbroadens one’s experience.”

As for me, participation in this project contributedenormously to my confidence and skills as a leader. TheBCTF’s trust in teachers’ ability to run this project hasalso helped to solidify my understanding of the BCTF asa union that values member engagement in leadershiproles. This is especially important in Peru, where a largepercentage of teachers have lost trust in their union’sability to effect change as a result of legislated eliminationof automatic deduction of union dues from teachers’ paycheques, as well as an intensive union smear campaign. The potential for the Peru Project to strengthen teachers’support for and involvement in their union became clear

to me as I watched a previously listless group of teacherssuddenly become animated, their faces lighting upand their heads nodding enthusiastically, when projectco-leader Sary Arbañil replaced a local union executivemember at the microphone and began a passionatespeech on the role of teachers.

Peru Project participation also contributes to an increasedawareness of the similarities between challenges faced


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Recently, I startedteaching SocialJustice 12 at myschool. It’s a greatcourse becausemy students andI get to delve intoa lot of importantcurrent issues, andinvestigate the causesand consequences ofinequities. Moreover,the course providesa starting pointfor those studentslooking for ways to

make a difference and engage in the hard work ofbeing active citizens. Of course, I try to model whatI teach, and my active engagement of late has beenwith the plight of my friend and neighbour, JoseFigueroa.

Many of you will have seen stories about Figueroa inthe news: he is facing an unjust deportation order andarrest warrant after 17 years in Canada. He came here asa refugee during the civil war in El Salvador, where heworked as a student organizer for the Frente FarabundoMartí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), whichwas trying to overthrow the violent and oppressiveregime governing at that time. He did not commit anyacts of violence, and the Canadian government nowrecognizes the FMLN as the legitimate governmentof El Salvador. Why are they labeling him a terrorist

for his political engagement, yet inviting other FMLNmembers who are diplomats and elected officials todinner?

His wife, Ivania, was finally declared admissible lastyear and can now stay in Canada with their threechildren, who are students in the Langley SchoolDistrict. Figueroa, however, has been told he has toleave and can parent his children via Skype. This wouldof course be devastating to his family. He has applied

by Peruvian and Canadian teachers and their unions.Kuchmistrz notes, “We learned from them just howsimilar are our battles in defense of public education;the manner in which state and media propagandahave sought to paint them...as well-paid publicservants who are just complainers is so strikinglysimilar to what we face here in British Columbia.”

The raised awareness of common challenges hascontributed to Peru Project participants’ increasedunderstanding of the role of teachers’ unionsin supporting public education, as well as theimportance of international solidarity. Accordingto Jean MacLeod le Cheminant, a Campbell Riverteacher, “Providing the opportunity of workingwith our colleagues internationally, having theopportunity to bring home ‘on the ground’ realitiesof the challenges facing teachers and their unions inother countries, means that our union practises whatit preaches.” Co-leader Ysabel Vargas Alayo sums up

the essence of solidarity in concluding, “We share acapacity to value our daily work despite the commondifficulties we encounter in our schools no matter

where welive. We areconnectedfor onereason:improvingteachingandlearning.”

The evolution of the Peru Project continues. The2014 project goals include providing supports thatwill allow past Peruvian facilitators to work withtheir local unions to offer autonomously organizedworkshops for Peruvian teachers. New Westminsterteacher Jessica Yee underlines the importance ofongoing BCTF support for this phase of the project.“There is a hunger from teachers, student-teachers,and the public for better education, resources, andsupport. This project instills confidence and servesas a great example of what Peruvian educators cando for themselves and for their community. You cansee that the seeds that were sown over the past fewyears having started to sprout and it is only starting togain momentum. If we stop now, the momentum willbe lost.” Herrero agrees: “I think your work in Peru isnot done yet. There are lots of things that need to beimproved here and you are the ones who will help usto move forward and accomplish our goals.”

Will there be justicefor Jose Figueroaand his family?by Jonathan Dyck, LTA Social Justice Committee,

secondary teacher in Langley

Vepar5/iStock/Thinkstock


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to the Minister of Public Safety foran exemption, and even Langley’sConservative MP, Mark Warawa,has advocated on his behalf.Unfortunately, the Minister still hasn’tresponded to the application—eventhough it was filed four years ago.

I have known and lived nextto the Figueroas for more thanseven years, and know that theyare model citizens, the kind ofpeople who make Canada a greatcountry. Our children play and goto school together, and to see thisfamily ripped apart because ofan overly broad immigration lawthat falsely labels him a terrorist isunthinkable. My wife and I, along

with other friends and neighbours, have supportedthe family over the years as they have tried to fight thisinjustice and keep their family intact. We have circulatedpetitions, raised money for legal fees, written lettersto government ministers and media, and tried to helpraise awareness of the injustices the Figueroas and otherimmigrants have to face here in Canada.

In early October 2013, Figueroa was forced to seeksanctuary at the Walnut Grove Lutheran Church, wherehe and his family have attended for many years. Hefound out that the Canadian Border Services Agency

(CBSA) was about to carry out his removal orders.As a result, his story has been featured in local,provincial, and national news media, and more peoplehave expressed support than ever before, includingpoliticians from across the political spectrum. Now thatparliament has resumed in Ottawa, we hope to usethe public pressure and momentum to convince theMinister of Public Safety, Steven Blaney, to interveneand grant an exemption.

Since sanctuary cases like Figueroa’s can drag on foryears, he and his family, as well as his supporters, aregetting burned out and need a resolution. I’ve been veryencouraged by the support of the BCTF and the LTA;both have submitted letters in support of the Figueroas,and the LTA made another donation recently and helpedpublicize a rally that was held at the church in WalnutGrove on October 19, 2013. The rally was a success, morethan 150 people came to show their support, most ofwhom were from local churches and the community,and had never attended a political rally before. Some ofmy students came and helped out, as did a number of

Langley teachers. We even got Langley City CouncillorsRosemary Wallace and Dave Hall to attend and expresstheir support. Figueroa and his family were veryencouraged by this public demonstration of solidarity.

On October 29, 2013, a federal court stayed the removalorder temporarily, until the pending judicial review ofFigueroa’s case can take place. This was a small victory,as the judge pointed out the CBSA was unable toprove that he posed a threat. Langley’s own full-timetable officers Gail Chaddock-Costello and RichardBeaudry attended a rally in front of the court buildingin Vancouver to show their support, along with adelegation from No One is Illegal, an organizationthat works for migrant justice. The CBSA still seemsdetermined to arrest and detain Figueroa (thoughthey can’t deport him yet as per the recent courtorder), so he will remain in sanctuary for now, but the judge’s response to the case has given him and hisfamily some hope.

So what now? You can help by sharing Figueroa’s storywith your friends, on Facebook (We Are Jose), and on

Twitter (@wearejose and #wearejose). You can learnmore and donate online at wearejose.org. The websitealso offers direction for writing letters of support(including examples, such as a letter from former BCTFPresident and current MP Jinny Sims). You can commenton news stories and write letters to the editors of localpapers and the Minister of Public Safety. You can helpmodel for your students what engaged citizens doto help make this world a better place—because asteachers, that’s what we do.


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And we will go forward:The 2014 DTSS Human Rights Symposiumby Blair McFarlane, a secondary student in Invermere

This is what we learned, and so much more, atthe Human Rights Symposium hosted by David Thompson Secondary in Invermere, BC, this pastApril. Students from David Thompson Secondaryand Golden Secondary were fortunate enoughto spend an entire day listening to the incredibleand humbling voices of the most resilient people.We heard stories from two Holocaust survivors, aresidential school survivor, and a youth activist. Itwas an experience I will hold on to forever.

This was one of the most powerful events of my life.It put me into a state of shock, or something of thelike, for over a week. To hear these terrifying storiesof survival gives you a sense of life and what it trulymeans to live. It made me understand what it reallymeans to breathe and to appreciate this simplefunction for the gift it is.

Robbie Waisman was the first speaker of the day. Hestepped out from around the podium and shared anunspeakable story with us. At only eight years old,

the Nazis stole everything he had away from him. Hewas forced to work in a munitions factory along withhis father and one of his brothers. Later, alone, he wassent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Robbieescaped when he was fourteen years old, but he hadaged well beyond his years. His story of liberation wasbeautiful. American soldiers freed them and Robbieknew he was saved when he saw a black soldier. It wasthe first time he had seen a black person and Robbiesaw him as an angel. He ran up to him and heldon tightly. Today, Robbie and the soldier stillkeep in contact. After his liberation, Robbie

discovered that his sister was the onlyother survivor in his family. Robbie spokewith such raw and painful honesty thatI was in tears early in his talk. When hefinished, Robbie sat down next to oneof the other speakers, Julius, and theyreached out and held hands for a momentto comfort and strengthen each other.

Julius Maslovat spoke next. He told us a story about ayoung boy, Yidele Henechowicz, and his experience inthe Holocaust. He told us about when Yidele’s motherwas being loaded onto a train leading God knowswhere, she made the quick but agonizing decisionto toss her baby over a fence and into the arms ofhis father, all while guards surrounded them. Thattoss saved Yidele’s life as his mother, along with somany other innocent people, was taken directly to acrematorium. Throughout his story, we were waiting

to find out Julius’s connection to this boy who livedthrough the unimaginable, and he revealed thatthey have the closest connection possible; Yidele isJulius. His adoptive parents named him Julius after heescaped the grasp of the Nazis. Julius tells this storyof an incredible little boy whom we came to admireand love from afar, only for him to be right in front ofus. Julius is an absolutely awe-inspiring storyteller andYidele’s story exposes the resilience of the human spiritas the most powerful thing in existence.

To make us aware that humans have had to endure

injustice even in our homeland, we also got to hearHerman Alpine’s story about his survival of St. EugeneMission School in Cranbrook. His time at residentialschool scarred him deeply and forced him onto abroken path for a long time. Torn away from his familywhen he was very young, Herman was subject tohorrific psychological, physical, and sexual abuse.When he was first dropped off at the school, theypromised his grandmother that they would not cut

off his long, braided hair that meant so muchto her and their culture. Ten minutes after

she left, his hair was gone and he had

already endured his first of manybeatings. Residential school filled

Herman with incredible pain, anger,and hatred that led to a life poisonedwith alcohol, prison, and heartbreak.He eventually turned back to his

roots and culture and began healing.It was he who told us never to fold

because there is always a way to playyour hand; you just have to search for it.

Don’t fold, regardless of the hand life deals you, never, ever fold.


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To close, weheard the inspirational

words of Laura Hannant, a

Canadian woman who spent herchildhood bettering the lives ofother children worldwide. She toldus about her achievement, alongwith children from all over the world, inwriting a declaration for the UN about the status ofchildren. She told us about all of the children she hadmet and how they changed her life. She told us thatas a teenager, she spent a lot of time out of schoolcampaigning for children to be heard and for theirrights to be recognized. She told us that we are bigenough and are worth something. She told us that

being children was our biggest asset. Her stories werefilled with humility and the entire time she spoke, shewas shaking. It felt as if she hadn’t yet come to termswith her own story and was trembling because tellingthose stories brought back all the feelings she hadas a child and that was almost a way to release them.She is still angry and unsatisfied with the world, andher talk made us all understand those feelings andforced us to reflect on our own lives and the lives ofeveryone around us.

After thesymposium, students

were asking each other who theyfound to be the most powerful speaker. For

me, there was absolutely no way to answer. Thesestories were so raw and pure that to compare them orplace them on a scale felt disrespectful to the core ofeach experience. No one’s truth is worth any less thanthe other, and these stories were too intimate and realto judge; they simply allowed us to grow and to feel.

These four speakers changed my life. They shared theirmost personal and horrifying stories and I feel foreverindebted to them. They showed us the absolute worstof human nature and led us through their personal journeys of survival and forgiveness. They experiencedabsolute hell and yet they still smile, they still havehope, and they still have faith. I think that is incredibleand shows their immeasurable strength and thehuman capacity to survive.

After the symposium, I was blessed enough to hugboth Robbie and Julius and I will treasure that for my

entire life. It shattered all barriers between our livesand allowed for the most honest connection. It madetheir experiences that much more tangible and real forme. The stories we heard are a gift we need to treasureso that we can create a world filled with peace andlove, not a world rampant with terror and destruction. These stories need to be heard so we can rememberthat even in the darkest and most horrific times, we canstill find hope and light. With these stories, we will goforward and we will never, ever fold.


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A hundred years ago by Duncan Graham, World Federalist Movement, Vancouver Branch

Ahundred years ago there was a general stabilityin the world. Europe had long since annexedthe world as colonies or protectorates, though LatinAmerica had already won independence. America waskeeping to itself. The established nobility held socialsway. Democracy had yet to be extended to half thepopulation—women. The crowned heads of Europe,Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, Czar Nicholas II of ImperialRussia, Emperor Francis Joseph I of the Austrian-Hungary empire, King George V of the United Kingdom,to name a few, were all related through Queen Victoria. The established order was the best of all possibleworlds. Some social reforms on pensions started byGermany were a sign of progress, and the Czar was

cautioned by his cousin King George V that somereforms in Imperial Russia were needed. In practicalterms there were indeed massive changes. The steamengine had revolutionized industry, communication,and transportation. Radio had introduced anunbelievable governmental outreach.

That was a hundred years ago. Then a shot rang outin a small town in southern Europe. A minor Archdukelay dead. Like a house of cards, the entire systemcollapsed. In the next murderous four years 20 millionpeople were killed or wounded. The face of Europe

was re-arranged. Crowned heads rolled. Gone wasthe Emperor of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire alongwith his empire. The Czar, the nobility, the entrenchedinterests of Russia’s elites, were taken over completelyby a proletarian revolution. All in four short years.Despots and the entrenched never seem to see thesand on which their edifice rests. (My father was in thetrenches near Ypres as a 19 year old.)

They had been warnedof course, but otherinterests found it

preferable to keep up thestyle to which they hadbecome accustomed.It was the establishedorder of things, after all.

In 1899 Czar NicholasII of Russia called fora conference with thefollowing prophecy:

“The intellectual and physical strength ofnations, labour and capital alike, have beenunproductively consumed in building terribleengines of destruction. The system of armamentsis transforming the armed peace into a crushingburden that weighs on all nations and, ifprolonged, will lead inevitably to the verycataclysm which it is designed to avert.”

The military-industrial complex of 1914, the Merchantsof Death as they were called, made sure it wasprolonged, and sold arms to both sides very profitably.

This year is the centenary of that shot in Sarajevo.

How have we progressed in a hundred years?In 1963 the United Nations unanimously passedthe McCloy-Zorin Accord for Complete and GeneralDisarmament . But the industrial and militarycomplex, the 21st century merchants of death,have won out. The Stockholm International PeaceResearch Institute reports that total world militaryexpenditures are $1,740 billion US annually. The rowof zeros is bemusing. But let’s make it real: a 1mmpad of $100 notes is $1,000. So a one metre slabof notes is $1,000,000 and a k ilometer is a billiondollars. So world military expenditures are 1,740

kms of packed $100 notes, yet Malala Yousafzai hasto campaign for funds for underprivileged children.

The vision of a civi lized planet has already beendescribed. It is all in the Universal Declarationof Human Rights. Organizations like the WorldFederalist Movement have proclaimed the necessityof a world federal parliament. Without governmentthere is anarchy. The same five permanentmembers with veto still control the UN SecurityCouncil, as they have done since 1945 and the UNCharter Review (Art. 109) was by-passed.

WW I produced the League of Nations. WW II theUnited Nations. What’s next?

What can we do here in Canada? Can there bean alternative peace perspective to counterthe Canadian government’s narrative aroundthe commemoration of World War I and otherincreasingly militaristic endeavours?


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The Federation of the World

From the Unitarian hymn book The Celebration of Life,lines from Tennyson’s poem “Locksley Hall,” 1842.

In the hymn it is set to the music of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” 9th Symphony.

Not in vain the distance beacons. Forward, forward let us range. Let the great world spin forever down the ringing grooves of change Through the shadow of the globe we sweep ahead to heights sublime

We, the heirs of all the ages, in the foremost files of time.Oh, we see the crescent promise of that spirit has not set.

Ancient founts of inspiration well through our fancies yet. And we doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs. And the thoughts of all are widened with the process of the suns.

Yes, we dip into the future, far as human eye can see, See the vision of the world and all the wonder that shall be

Hear the war drum throb no longer, see the battle flags all furled

In the parliament of all, the Federation of the World.Locksley Hall, a long and introspective poem,

continues this theme with another two significant lines:

There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe, And the kindly earth shall slumber, wrapped in universal law.

The 30 member Chalice Choir of the Unitarian Church of Vancouversang it on February 6, 2014, and it was recorded.

Choir Director, Donna Brown. Pianist, E lliott Dainow.

The recording described above was arranged with the generous co-operation of Donna Brownwith Vivian Davidson, president of the World Federalist Movement, Vancouver Branch.It is available and can be forwarded to others with credits given if played at a meeting

(worldfederalistsvancouver.ca).


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This year marks the 100th

anniversary of the start of WorldWar Ι, once viewed optimistically as“The War to End War.” It also marksthe start of two BC campaignsto encourage elementary andsecondary school teachers tointroduce white peace poppiesalongside the traditional red poppyin discussions and activities aroundRemembrance Day.

While they are relatively new inCanada, peace poppies actuallyhave a long history. Introduced inBritain over 80 years ago, the whitepoppy commemorates all victimsof war, civilian and military, whilechallenging the beliefs, values, andinstitutions that make war seeminevitable. Despite polarized mediacoverage, Canadian support isgrowing rapidly and last year anestimated 15,000 Canadians wore

a white poppy, often alongside thered. Here is a great opportunity tointroduce them to your school.

The BC elementary schoolcampaign is the result of acommunity partnership betweenteachers and the non-profit groupVancouver Peace Poppies, and isendorsed and supported by a BCTFEd May Social Justice Grant. Thesecondary school campaign is a

Vancouver Peace Poppies projectto support white poppy

initiatives by studentgroups or teachers.

Both campaignsseek to make

whitepoppies

and

related resource materials availableand affordable to any interestedschool. They also offer the option oflinking with other schools to shareideas, or co-ordinate activities forincreased impact.

Traditional Remembrance Dayceremonies have mainly focused onhonouring the valour and sacrificeof Canadian military combatants

in past and current conflicts. That’simportant, but for many people itisn’t enough. We know that teachersdo an excellent job of incorporatingpeace into Remembrance Dayassemblies and the white peacepoppies are an important way tohelp bring attention to the broaderimpacts of war. Since WW I theworld has seen hundreds of warsand the resulting deaths of morethan 200 million people. While

respecting and honouring thesacrifice of soldiers, white lapelpoppies and mixed poppy wreathslike those above also recognize thehuge shift toward higher civiliancasualties in recent conflicts. Civilianvictims, including many children, arenow estimated to be 85% to 90%of the total war dead. We owe it tothem and to ourselves to ensure

that our memory of war includesall its victims, not only those of ourmilitary, and not just as numbersor statistics, but as individuals,as persons. If we don’t resolve tocommit our collective efforts toending war, we will indeed havebroken faith with those who died,and those who will continue to die.

With the pending WW I

anniversaries we are already seeingan increased government emphasison what they see as the positiverole of war in “nation building” andCanadian identity. An estimated$30 million was spent on recent“celebrations” of the War of 1812bicentennial, while the PearsonPeacekeeping Centre shut its doorsin December 2013 because of theloss of government funding. Canadaonce contributed 3,000 military

personnel to UN peacekeeping, itcurrently provides only 60.

The white poppy campaignprovides teachers with additionalRemembrance Day activities,focusing on the important role ofchildren and youth in imagining andworking to realize a more peacefulworld. The white poppy project

White peace poppies:A new opportunity for Remembrance Day 2014by Georgina Arntzen, elementary teacher in Vancouver, & Teresa Gagné, co-founder of Vancouver Peace Poppies


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provides access to clear, carefully assembled, student-friendly materials for different ages. Our elementaryschool package includes classroom project ideas,photocopy masters for printing lapel poppies, informationslips, and larger poppies and leaves for making wreaths,and a form to preorder beautiful cloth lapel poppiesat a subsidized price of only 35¢ each. For secondary

schools we include discussion topics, project ideas, andadvice on running a school campaign. Both packagescontain electronic resource links, a list of peace songs,and comments from past campaign participants andsupportive veterans.

Similar to Day of Pink activities that now take place inmany BC schools, the white poppy can help to affirmthe role of children in championing and advocatingfor a society where all human lives are equally valued,as well as to expand community discussion aroundissues of war and peace. A thoughtful study of the

impact of distant wars on children and families liketheir own can help children to develop the openminds and empathic skills so necessary in a futuregeneration of world leaders and policymakers.

The current demographics of our schools mean thatmany students now come from regions in the worldwhere the impact of war is a current reality, not justa memory. With teachers’ support, the white poppycampaign can give these students a focused and safeplace to share their family stories and to feel included inour marking of Remembrance Day.

From its inception the white poppy movement haschallenged wearers to commit themselves to bringingan end to war. The non-violent message inherent inthe white poppy is a timely and concrete extensionof our desire to teach students to both stand up forwhat they believe in and to find ways to use wordsto resolve problems. It is also a clear way to supportthinking globally and acting locally—as individualswho choose to wear this symbol and as a communitythat welcomes initiatives to promote peace. Byparticipating in the White Poppy Campaign you andyour students will be part of a Canada-wide effort toexpand the crucial discussion of peacemaking andhighlight the importance of seeking non-violentmeans of conflict resolution in the face of the growingmilitarization of our society.

For white poppy campaign resources and links seemembers.shaw.ca/peacepoppies/ . Don’t wait until fall toexplore this new initiative.

Growing up diferent:One child’s realityby Joe Winkler, Committee for Action on Social Justice,LGBTQ Action Group

Austria had been taken over by Adolph Hitlerbefore World War II even started, and thousands ofGerman-speaking Jews and homosexuals had alreadybeen rounded up and sent to “camps.” By the timeBritain declared war on Germany on September 3,1939, a new course had already been set for my family’slives and, ultimately, for my own life. Being German-speaking would be hard for a child growing up inCanada. Being gay would be devastating.

My dad was eight years old when the Germans

“annexed” his country to theirs. A few years later, mymother was born in a small village in the German-speaking area of Slovenia. They owned a farm. Hitler’splan was for them, and for all the Gottsche people ofSlovenia, to be brought across the border into Austriaso that the “German people” would all be reunited. Mymother, age four, and her family were “moved” intoAustria where they spent the next several years livingin poverty as refugees. At the same time, my dad recallsbeing “the man” on his aunt’s farm, since the men wereoff fighting for Germany. He recalls a lot of running tobomb shelters whenever he heard planes overhead.

He was barely a teenager by the end of the war. Theextermination of millions of Jews was a well-kept secretthat my parents knew nothing of at the time. So was theextermination of tens of thousands of homosexual men.

I grew up in the safe haven called Canada. My fatherwas part of the first wave of immigrants from Austria.It was 1952. He sewed US dollars into his boots (goodthing he had apprenticed as a shoemaker back home)and arrived in Halifax to start a new life in the promised


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BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2014 25

Eventually, determined that I would be straight likeeveryone else, I started dating girls from our sisterschool. By the time I got to university, I had completelygiven up being with guys, but I’m not sure if that wasbecause of societal standards or my own internalizedhomophobia. I met a wonderful girl in my final yearthere, and we got married. In my mind, there was no

alternative to this straight life. After all, it was 1985. Westayed together for more than 20 years.

After leaving my wife, at the ripe old age of 43, Irealized that things had changed. I saw guys walkingdown the street holding hands. Some provincesalready allowed same-sex marriage. I found that Icould date guys and my friends wouldn’t disownme. Not all of them, anyway. I remember introducingmy then-boyfriend to my friends and colleagues attwo separate Christmas parties that year. Everyoneseemed very accepting of my “new” identity. Even my

children, who were very young at the time, embracedthe “new” me. Two years later, when I married thisman at China Beach, 130 well-wishers witnessed ourlove for each other. My daughter was our flower girland my son our ring-bearer. Our friends and familycame together to celebrate our love for each other. Itwas the first homosexual wedding that any of themhad ever attended. One friend commented to meafterwards, “All I saw were two people in love!” Wow! Times, they had a-changed!

According to Dorothy Ritter, we as a society needto get to a point where we can celebrate the LGBTQcommunity. It is not enough, says Ritter, that peopletolerate, or even “accept” us. Fifty years ago, my familyand I were outcasts because of our German roots.People tolerated us. In fact, most people acceptedus, at least to some degree. Today, however, very fewpeople would be offended by my Austrian heritage.Nowadays, many non-German-speaking peoplein Canada celebrate our traditions, like wearinglederhosen and dirndl, and eating Wiener schnitzel.Busloads of tourists flood the streets of Leavenworth,

a Bavarian town in Washington state, every summer.All over Canada, people crowd into beer gardens atannual Oktoberfest celebrations.

As an LGBTQ community with our own distinct culture,we have a long way to go toward full acceptanceand an even longer way toward celebration by allCanadians. Sure, lots of straight folks come out to ourannual parades and festivals. And they even seemokay with the idea of us getting married. Their disgusttoward us seems to be diminishing decade by decade.

SUPPORTLGBTQ

We are allowed to have our own nightclubs, our ownbookstores, and even our own neighbourhoods(much like German-speaking Canadians did in the1960s and 1970s). But where is LGBTQ culture inmainstream Canada? Why are we still depicted in sucha stereotypical way in the media, on television, andin movies? Where are we in school textbooks, or in

Grade 1 units on the family, or in sexual health classes?Why aren’t we even mentioned in historical accountsof World War II, even though so many of us wereexterminated in the gas chambers of the Third Reich? The Jewish people are mentioned. There have beenseveral films made about their suffering during thattime. We are the forgotten fags.

Until this heteronormative society in which we livecan embrace us as full equals, instead of tolerate usas queers, we need to continue to get in its face. Weneed to continue to fight for our rights. We need to

march proudly in every parade that we can get to,to fly the rainbow flag at every opportunity, and toencourage our straight friends and neighbours todeclare themselves our allies and fight alongside us.When being queer is as normal in every aspect ofCanadian life as being straight is, we will have wonthe battle. And then, our LGBTQ-identifying childrenwill be able to grow up in a truly inclusive world.


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Liqueed natural gas and itsimpacts on BC’s environmentby Christine Stewart, Director, Professional and Social Issues Division, BCTF

Tyler Bryant and Jay Ritchlin of the

David Suzuki Foundation, and MattHorne of the Pembina Institutemet with members of the Nisga’aNation to discuss the impacts ofliquefied natural gas (LNG) ontheir traditional territory. It wasmade clear that the continentalmarket for natural gas does notlook good, primarily because theUS has increased their shale gasproduction four-fold and currentgas prices are quite low. The realmoney is in taking the natural gasand converting it into a liquid formso it can be put on tankers andshipped overseas, but at whatcost? With the Tsunami in Japanwiping out the Fukushima nuclearpower plant, Japan has been leftwith a huge hole to fill with regardto its power needs. Liquefiednatural gas is not only filling thatvoid in Japan, it is also fueling

industrial growth in China andKorea. BC stands to earn three tofour times as much for its naturalgas by selling it to Asia, but at agreat expense to our environment.

There is a decline in ourconventional gas reserves, but

BC has large shale gas reservesthat are mostly

untouched. To get the shale

gas out of the ground to makenatural gas requires a dramaticincrease in the number of wells, adramatic increase in the amountof water required to bring it to thesurface, and the use of the highlycontroversial fracking method.Fracking uses massive amountsof fresh water at high pressure tobreak up the rock undergroundto release the pockets of gas. Thisfresh water is chemically treatedwith fracking fluid and sand tofacilitate the fracturing process. The water is further polluted bythe saline water and sedimentsdeep underground, creatingtoxic waste water which can, andhas, contaminated surface anddrinking water. Other unwantedgases in the extraction processare simply vented off into theatmosphere. Natural gas, which

has large amounts of methane, is apowerful greenhouse gas in its ownright, meaning that leaks of gasfrom the well head or the pipelinecould significantly increase thetotal warming potential of shalegas to the atmosphere. The Liberalgovernment is setting a target of 82million tonnes of LNG annually. If wewere to look at just half of that, theshale fracking process could require

7.5 billion litres of water

and produce 14 million tonnes ofgreenhouses gas per year.

The natural gas from the wells innortheastern BC would then haveto be piped 900 kilometres tohuge liquefaction plants in PrinceRupert and Kitimat. This wouldrequire a permanent right of wayto be clear-cut for the pipeline, and

approximately twice as much landcleared during the constructionprocess. This massive clear cut willresult in habitat fragmentation.

xochicalco/iStock/Thinkstock

H u y a n g s h u / i S t o c k / T h i n k s t o c k


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Ungulates will be at greater riskfrom carnivores and all wildlife willbe impacted by the ease of access.Year-round hunting, both legal andillegal, will be made easier by theright of way.

Once the natural gas reaches theliquefaction plants, 5% of it willbe burned to create the energyneeded to cool and compress thegas into a liquid form. The SkeenaWild Conservation Trust estimatesthat the three proposed LNG plantsfor Kitimat would burn 2.5 timesmore natural gas than all of MetroVancouver annually. These plantscollectively would burn 60% of allthe natural gas burned provincially.

Air quality would rapidly diminishwith an estimated 500% increasein the emissions of nitrogenoxide. Nitrogen oxide creates acidrain, which is harmful to salmonhabitats. It also creates smog,which causes respiratory problemsin children and the elderly. If theliquefaction plants produce half ofthe government’s targets it wouldresult in an additional 5 milliontonnes of greenhouse gas being

put into our atmosphere annually.

Fortunately for the Nisga’a, wehave provisions in our treaty thatwill provide us some protection.

What we don’t want to havehappen is business gettingapproval from some Nations

that may have very little of theirtraditional territory impacted, andthen say they have approval frommost First Nations while leavingthe ones most at risk to fend forthemselves—just like we wouldnot expect our Grade 4 and 7teachers to lead the charge againstthe FSA on their own, or expect theBCTF to be the only union fightingagainst the Liberal government’sattack on working people. Being

united is how we demonstrate ourstrength. At some point we all haveto see the value in having a cleanenvironment. When our naturalsurroundings are clean andhealthy there is absolutely no costto us. Our planet can only take somuch abuse. It’s about time westart putting value on a healthyecosystem.

Sources

“Natural Gas Pipelines, LNG, Shale Gas: An Overview

of Development Pressures in Northern BC.”PowerPoint presentation by Tyler Bryant and Jay

Ritchlin of the Suzuki Foundation, and Matt Horne

from the Pembina Institute, November 16, 2013.

“Air Pollution Report on LNG Projects Raises Alarm,”

Dirk Meissner, Vancouver Sun, November 22, 2013.

“GHG ‘Religion’ No Match for Clark’s LNG Ambition,”

Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, November 22, 2013.

Speeches made at the antipipeline rally in Vancouver,

November 16, 2013.

This brings us to the BC Liberalgovernment’s 2007 legislationto reduce our greenhouse gasemissions by 33% by 2020. It’sonly a matter of time beforewe see an amendment to thislegislation enabling the go ahead

of LNG. With an estimated 19to 20 million tonne increase ingreenhouse gases annually, it willbe virtually impossible to reachthat goal. All working people inBC need to stand together to holdthe government to account onthis issue, and BC First Nations’constitutional rights in theirtraditional territories and theirtrack record of thousands of yearsof wise, sustainable stewardship

of BC natural resources may bethe best line of defense againstshort-sighted, reckless economicpolicies that put profit beforepeople. LNG development willalso have a negative impact onthe existing local economies suchas the tourism industry, fisheries,and local family business, whichprovide the permanent sustainable jobs these communities need.


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Learning from—and standing beside—our First Nations sisters and brothersby Julie Johnston, Comittee for Action on Social Justice, Environmental Justice Action Group

Indigenous (Native or Aboriginal)North Americans (First Nationsand Inuit peoples in Canada) havewithstood assault after assault afterassault by the marauding European

explorers, settlers, and resource exploiters; assaultson their territories, their livelihoods, their health, theirsovereignty, their pride, and their identities.

And yet, they’re still here. Try as my Europeanancestors might, they could not eradicate, annihilate,

obliterate, or even assimilate the people who werehere first. The First Nations “won” (if we ignore theattempted genocide, disintegration of families andcommunities, continued discrimination, rampantpoverty, and associated widespread health problems)because of their resilience.

Aboriginal peoples around the world showedthemselves to be resilient. And now, climate changeis testing that resilience once again. Many Nativecommunities are among the most vulnerable to theravages of climate disruption.

I’d never considered resilience as something that couldbe asserted. Yet, there it is, in a title: Asserting NativeResilience: Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations Face the ClimateCrisis. This 2012 book, edited by Zoltán Grossman and

Asserting Native Resilience: Pacific Rim IndigenousNations Face the Climate Crisis | book review


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Alan Parker, is a collection of Native and non-Nativevoices and perspectives on the climate-change crisis. The following is from the description:

“Indigenous nations are on the frontlineof the current climate crisis. With culturesand economies among the most vulnerable

to climate-related catastrophes, Native peoples are developing responses toclimate change that serve as a model forNative and non-Native communities alike.”

“Native American nations in the PacificNorthwest, First Nations in Canada, andIndigenous peoples around the PacificRim have already been deeply affected bydroughts, flooding, reduced glaciers and

snowmelts, seasonal shifts in winds andstorms, and changes in species on the landand in the ocean.”

“Having survived the historical andecological wounds inflicted bycolonization, industrialization, andurbanization, Indigenous peoples areusing tools of resilience that have enabledthem to respond to sudden environmental

changes and protect the habitat of salmonand other culturally vital species. Theyare creating defenses to strengthen theircommunities, mitigate losses, and adaptwhere possible.”

Winona La Duke, executive director of Honor theEarth and White Earth Land Recovery Project, saidthe following:

“In the times of theunraveling of our world,it is essential to stand

against the combustion,mining and disregard forlife. Life is in water, air,and relatives who havewings, fins, roots, and

paws, and all of them arethreatened by climatechange—as are peoplethemselves.”

“Grossman and Parkerhave done an excellent

job in telling the stories ofclimate change, and the

people who are standingto make a differencefor all of us. Change isindeed made by people,and climate changemust be addressed by

a movement, strong,strident, and courageous.”

Reviewer Chris Arnett suggeststhat “in promoting an indigenousworldview, there is a slighttendency throughout the text toessentialize Indigenous people fortheir unique resilience or capacityto weather change, when resilienceis a characteristic of all people.”He then admits, “All contributors

acknowledge that Indigenouspeople, or any people in a closerelationship with place over time,have unique firsthand knowledgeof place and, as this book shows,science supports such a view.”

Download a workbook onclimate change at osupress.oregonstate.edu/sites/default

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BCTF Social Justice News Letter - Summer Fall 2014

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