This Week in Minority Rights 2018–12–02
“The European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning the fundamental rights of minorities in the Europe. On the outset, the resolution focuses on discriminatory practices, hate crimes and linguistic and cultural rights. Formally, the resolution has a sound understanding of portraying the struggles of minorities in contemporary societies and also contains further indicative political steps to be taken by the European Union (EU) institutions.
On Tuesday 13 November 2018, the European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted the resolution “Minimum standards for minorities in the EU”. In general, the resolution considers rights relating to the general socio-economic spheres pertaining to the lives of many minorities in the EU. As the resolution was adopted by a simple majority, it indicates a cross-party support for the initiative and provides further grounds for its political legitimacy. As sign of the European Parliaments political will, the resolution makes a strong reference to the initiative entitled “Minority SafePack”, which sets the general grounding for the EU’s initiative relating to actively exploring further avenues in which minority rights can be progressively protected. As the resolution in part stems from the SafePack initiative, it is also indicative of the support found amongst EU citizens — over 1.2 million Europeans signed the SafePack initiative making minority rights a salient topic in European civil society. It ought to be said that minority rights do not come granted, as the SafePack itself and this resolution faced considerable debate on the floor. On the upside, UNPO is of the opinion that the resolution is a sign of years’ worth of active work and a very positive contribution to the field of minority rights by committed Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).”
Source: https://unpo.org/article/21247.
“The Minority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives is the leader elected by the minority bloc of the House of Representatives of the Philippines that serves as their official leader in the body. He also manages the business of the minority party in the Senate.
The Minority Leader is expected to be alert and vigilant in defense of the minority’s rights. It is his function and duty to criticize constructively the policies and programs of the majority, and to this end employ parliamentary tactics and give close attention to all proposed legislation.
The Minority Leader is also the acknowledged spokesman of the minority party in the House. But it does not necessarily follow that he is also the leader of the party because the minority party in the House may be composed of one or more political groupings.”
“The province’s school board associations accused Quebec’s new education minister on Thursday of lying about holding discussions with the French association and English community groups.
They said that since he was appointed on Oct. 18, Education Minister Jean-François Roberge has not responded to numerous requests for a meeting about his government’s plan to abolish school boards.
Thursday was the same day that Roberge said abolishing English school boards would not violate the Canadian constitution’s protection of minority rights.”
Source: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/school-boards-accuse-education-minister-of-avoiding-them.
“ NEW DELHI: The Sheikh Hasina -led Awami League slogan ‘Dhormo Jaar Jaar, Utsob Shobar,’ (Religion as per one’s own, but festivals common to all” as a testimony of its secular values has set a precedent in international community and will be an asset for the ruling dispensation ahead of Dec 30 polls.
Consequently, festivals of religious minorities, like the Durga Puja, have been provided adequate security by the government. In 2017, over 30,000 Durga Pujas were organized across the country.”
“Many of the Journal de Montréal’s columnists have been falling over each other to denounce Doug Ford. Ontario’s 26th premier, you’ll recall, announced a couple weeks ago that he was cutting the province’s French-language services commissioner and shelving plans to build a francophone university. While the move came in for sharp criticism in pretty much all Quebec newspapers, the flurry of spit-inflected invective in the Frontenac Street tabloid was on a level all its own.
“Doug Ford’s vicious offensive” was nothing short of a “war on francophones,” decried Denise Bombardier. “Hypocrisy,” bellowed Joseph Facal. “An attack by the Orangemen,” roared Mathieu Bock-Côté, using a term for members of the anti-Catholic fraternal league birthed in Northern Ireland more than two centuries ago.
Richard Martineau denounced the “hate” of English Canada toward francophones, then suggested French-speakers in Ontario should move to Quebec where they can live comfortably among the majority.”
