by Cyril Dabydeen
Forum, Nov./Dec. 1997
Republished with permission
Former Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) President and Chilliwack (British Columbia) mayor John Les took quick action to stamp out hate propaganda when it spread to his municipality.
Thompson (Manitoba) mayor Bill Comaskey promptly denounced hate propaganda when it surfaced in his city's schools. "Do not circulate this trash!" he warned.
When National Geographic carried an article about Toronto using quotes from the infamous Ernst Zundel, mayors in the region roundly condemned this portrayal.
By actively countering hate crime and bias activities, FCM hopes to contribute to community safety. Municipalities must maintain social cohesion to ensure that Canada continues to be a model for fostering respect and tolerance for all peoples as a fundamental value. Recent media coverage and debate in Metro Toronto Council about the Gypsies (Roma peoples) from Czechoslovakia showed the positive spirit that prevailed as Canadians condemned hate.
FCM has underscored support for the British Columbia government's tightening of the Human Rights Code to bolster anti-hate efforts. FCM President Jae Eadie recently wrote to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities urging member municipalities "to be vigilant about hate in view of its offensiveness to all Canadians."
In September, participants in an international conference held in Toronto and organized by the League of B'nai Brith, in cooperation with university and community groups, came together to fight the spread of hate propaganda and issue a call for immediate action.
The Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism), recently headed a national round table to fight hate crimes, in which FCM participated. As a result, the federal government is exploring legislative and policy options to stop the purveyors, the international spread of hate, and the use of the Internet and other forms of technology used by hate groups to communicate their message.
Municipal governments must continue to show leadership from erasing racist graffiti on municipal property to being vigilant about firms printing hate material. Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have long-established policies to address hate, for example, in contract compliance. Saskatoon and St. Catharines have approved race relations policies that include action against hate.
Hate affects racial and ethnic minorities, women, the disabled and individuals expressing sexual preferences. They are joining efforts to counter hate. FCM continues to foster links with and among community groups to develop a common front and to address the sense of isolation in fighting this pervasive problem. As the Honourable Hedy Fry emphasized: "The key to eradicating hate and bias crime activities is through political will, concerted effort, and a real partnership of all those concerned with equality."
Cyril Dabydeen is Manager of the Race Relations Program of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
