What do hammers, women, houses and wheel chair ramps have in common? They are all elements of a new business started by a group of Regina women. In August of 1997, eleven women formed the Regina Women's Construction Co-op, providing themselves with jobs and money.
Most of the women were on social assistance when they began training to become carpenters. Through the establishment of their own cooperative business, they are now receiving wages that are competitive with entry-level positions in the construction industry. They are also gaining valuable experience at running a business.
To establish their business in the very competitive construction and renovation industry, the Co-op carefully researched the marketplace. The Co-op found that there was an opportunity to provide "barrier-free" accessible housing and renovations to people with disabilities. Although there were already general contractors willing to build or renovate according to standards, the Co-op believed it could offer better service by offering creative solutions to meet the specific needs of potential clients. The Co-op has undertaken a number of renovation projects. One such project was the adaptation and conversion of a large house and garage into a seniors' care home.
The women began learning to become carpenters with assistance from Saskatchewan Women in Trades and Technology, through the Women's Work Training Program. Co-op members work through the levels of apprenticeship and training in order to achieve their journey status.
Prior to receiving training and joining the Co-op, the women had very little hope of becoming financially independent. Being able to learn skills in the construction trade, get enough apprentice hours, achieve trade papers and own a business has meant economic security for the members of the Co-op.
The majority of the members of the Co-op are First Nations or Métis women. These women are serving as role models to other women and young people in the community.
Source: Regina Women's Construction Co-op, P.O. Box 3384, Regina, S4T 7X2
Colombia is a country of contrasts. It is located in the northwest corner of South America and has a population of over 30 million. It is a wealthy country and is a popular tourist destination. It is the second largest exporter of coffee in the world. It has many modern cities, but also many remote towns and villages. Combined with its wealth, Colombia has some of the most appalling poverty. Many people, forced to leave the rural areas, move to the cities in search of work. Life in the city can be very difficult because, without education and training, jobs are not easy to find.
Bucaramanga is the fourth largest city in Colombia. It is a beautiful modern city. At one edge of the city is a large garbage dump that serves as home to a group of people who can only be considered as the poorest of the poor. Life is about survival in the dump. The people scavenge for food, bottles, plastic and rags. They begin at
5:00 a.m. to pick over the garbage. They salvage what they can. Buyers come late in the afternoon to purchase reclaimable items. The buyers set the prices and often cheat the pickers. Life in the dump is dirty, violent and dangerous.
In 1985, some people living in the dump at Bucaramanga had a dream. They wanted a better life. With financial help and technical assistance from Canada, these people formed a recycling co-op. They began recycling glass and paper to earn their way out of the dump. The venture was successful. Gradually, the business was expanded. The Co-op opened a recycling warehouse and an office cleaning business, obtained street cleaning contracts, and opened a restaurant. The Co-op even started a daycare. Children who had previously lived in the dump were now receiving good food, and had clean clothes and a safe playground.
The Recycling Co-op has provided its 130 members with the means to move out of the dump. Previously rejected by society, the former garbage pickers are establishing themselves in the community. Members of the Co-op, who had previously not valued education, are sending their children to school. They can see a brighter future for themselves and their children.
The members of the Co-op have not forgotten those left behind. The Co-op is providing employment opportunities for others still living in the dump. It offers the people a chance to be part of something bigger. The Co-op is a model of hope for the future.
Source: CCA in Columbia: Four Stories of Partnership. Dreams From the Dust (video). Canadian Co-operative Association, 1995.
Cutting Directions
First, rough cut parts on dotted lines, then all seven pieces should be cut by the fine cutters.
Colour/Painting Directions
Add colour prior to gluing, being careful not to colour on the areas which will be glued. Colour motor hood, door panel and fenders such that no white paper shows.
Assembly Directions (sequence)
1. Glue roof tabs to underside of door panel.
2. Glue motor compartments to underside of door panel.
3. Glue assembled component onto chassis.
4. Glue fenders and running board to assembled chassis.
5. Glue wheels onto fender tabs.
Order Blanks
Make cars to specifications on order blank forms like the following example.
|
Sword Motor Company Makers of the Model B Windsor, Ontario Order Number_________________________________________ Date ____________________
Number
Colour(s) Price
Inspector's Signature ____________________________ Biller: Do computation on the back of this sheet. |
Actual size of manufactured automobile before painting
Put a check mark in either the agree or disagree column next to each statement and then state the reason for your response. There are no right or wrong responses; each response is your opinion. You will have the opportunity to change your opinion later.
Agree |
Disagree | Anticipation Statements | Reason for Response |
What happens to a rainforest in the tropics affects Canada. |
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When people are killed in war or die of starvation anywhere in the world, Canadians are affected. |
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People should be limited in the number of children that they have because the world will soon be overpopulated.
|
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It is not the responsibility of Canadians to keep peace in other countries. |
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Children have the right to clean, safe drinking water in their homes and schools, no matter what the cost. |
Discussion: Once you have completed the anticipation guide above, join a partner or small group to discuss your responses. Revise your responses if you learn something that changes your mind about them. Use a coloured pen or highlighter to show where your thinking changed as you learned.
History: Formation and Origin
In 1945, Canadians and their allies celebrated the end of a long and terrible war, World War II. As a means of preventing future wars, a new organization, the United Nations, was created at the Conference on International Organization held in San Francisco. Fifty-one countries, including Canada, signed the original charter to become members in this international organization.
Purpose
The United Nations was formed to help nations resolve conflicts peacefully, and to reduce the amount of suffering in the world. Signing the Charter of the United Nations committed UN members to keeping peace and improving the lives of all the people of the world. This concept of world order and peace that emerged was based on social and economic interdependence of nations. The UN provides a forum for discussion and deliberation on issues of international consequence. Through its agencies, the UN is an instrument of multilateral peacekeeping and conflict resolution, and a means of reaching common social, economic and political goals.
The Charter of the United Nations
The original goals of the Charter in 1945 were to prevent war and keep peace. However, the UN has formulated additional goals since 1945, especially regarding those things that all people of the world share in common (e.g., human rights, natural environments, population growth, rights of children, international trade, needs of the poor, protection of rights for minorities and indigenous peoples, immunization and health). See the chart below for examples of Charter goals.
We, the Peoples of the United Nations, are Determined: | ||
|
Original Charter Goals Related to Peace |
Original Charter Goals Related to the Rights of People |
New Charter Goals since 1945 Related to the Common Human Heritage |
· To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. · To establish justice and respect for international law and treaties. · To practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours. |
· To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small. · To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. |
· To protect and preserve those things which all human beings share in common: the seas, the air, the land, outer space, animal and plant species, monuments of human culture and achievement. |
Membership
Fifty-one countries, including Canada, were the original members of the UN. As of April 1995, it included 185 members who believe there is a need for such an organization and who willingly accept the responsibilities of membership. The Charter states that "Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving nations which accept the obligations in the Charter."
Canada and the UN
As a founding member of the UN, and part of the global community, Canada shares in the causes of and solutions to worldwide problems such as air pollution, deforestation, damage to the ozone layer and over-fishing of the oceans. As well, Canada is dedicated to peace, justice and human rights the world over, for all people. Canada is known for its role in providing peacekeepers around the world. The first peacekeeping operation took place during the Suez crisis in 1956. Lester B. Pearson, then Canada's Minister of External Affairs, arranged for the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), which was to act as a peacekeeping force that would supervise the end of the fighting, supervise the separation and withdrawal of armed forces, and keep peace among the civilian population. Canada has been part of 38 UN peacekeeping missions (1947-1994).
The members of the 1945 Charter of the United Nations made a commitment to human rights. The UN promotes respect for human rights and freedoms by praising countries that abide by its goals, or by imposing sanctions upon those countries that violate its goals. In 1948, the UN outlined the rights of all people in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the responsibility of members of the UN to apply the Declaration in their own countries by writing similar laws. Canada has done this by including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of its constitution.
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood" (Article 1). This introduction to the Declaration summarizes its main theme. Having just witnessed two world wars that gave rise to heinous abuses of human rights, the drafters were striving for a fairer and more just world.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the basic international pronouncement of the fundamental rights of all members of the human family. It consists of a preamble and 30 articles, each stating a basic human right-civil, political, economic, social and cultural-to which all people are entitled. The Universal Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
The first two articles emphasize that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and then set out basic principles of equality and non-discrimination. The next 19 articles are concerned with civil, economic, social, cultural and political rights to which all people are entitled. Under Article 28, everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration can be fully realized. Article 29 is concerned with the exercise of these rights. Article 30 states that nothing in the Declaration may be interpreted as implying that there is a right to do anything that destroys the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration.
Human rights are designed to protect people equally from aggression and neglect. The UDHR spells out five categories of human rights protections to which all are entitled:
· Civil rights-the right to be treated as an equal to anyone else in your society.
· Political rights-the right to vote, to freedom of speech and to obtain information.
· Economic rights-the right to an economy that benefits all and to a job at a liveable wage.
· Social rights-the right to education, health care, food, clothing and shelter.
· Cultural rights-the right to freedom of religion and to speak the language and practise the culture of one's choice.
The UDHR also declares these rights to be:
· universal-everyone has the same human rights
· indivisible-no single human right is more important than another
· interconnected-each right depends on the others.
It also states that no one should be forced to wait patiently for full protection of his or her human rights.
Is the Declaration Legally Binding?
The Declaration is not a legally binding document and, consequently, no government is forced to adhere to its principles. However, the fact that it has been accepted by so many member countries has given it considerable moral weight. The Declaration carries enough influence internationally that it can be (and has been) used as a powerful tool to apply moral and diplomatic pressure on states that violate the Declaration's principles.
However, legally-binding international human rights instruments have been created over the decades that expand upon and develop the basic principles outlined in the Universal Declaration. These are:
· the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (1979)
· the convention against torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment (1984)
· the international convention on the rights of the child (1989).
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(an abbreviated version)
Now, therefore, the General Assembly proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.
Article |
Right |
1 |
Right to equality |
2 |
Freedom from discrimination |
3 |
Right to life, liberty and personal security |
4 |
Freedom from slavery |
5 |
Freedom from torture and degrading treatment |
6 |
Right to recognition as a person before the law |
7 |
Right to equality before the law |
8 |
Right to remedy by competent tribunal |
9 |
Freedom from arbitrary arrest, exile |
10 |
Right to a fair public hearing |
11 |
Right to be considered innocent until proven guilty |
12 |
Freedom from interference with privacy, family, home and correspondence |
13 |
Right to free movement in and out of the country |
14 |
Right to asylum in other countries from persecution |
15 |
Right to a nationality and freedom to change it |
16 |
Right to marriage and family |
17 |
Right to own property |
18 |
Freedom of belief and religion |
19 |
Freedom of opinion and information |
20 |
Right of peaceful assembly and association |
21 |
Right to participate in government and in free elections |
22 |
Right to social security |
23 |
Right to desirable work and to join trade unions |
24 |
Right to rest and leisure |
25 |
Right to adequate living standard |
26 |
Right to education |
27 |
Right to participate in the cultural life of community |
28 |
Right to social order assuring human rights |
29 |
Community duties essential to free and full development |
30 |
Freedom from state or personal interference in the above rights |
Source: United Nations Internet Site (http://www.un.org)
Canada played a key role in the negotiation and drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in November, 1989, by the UN General Assembly and ratified by Canada in 1991. Canada was also one of six countries to initiate the 1990 World Summit for Children, which it co-chaired. The resulting Plan of Action encourages national action and international cooperation in the survival, protection and development of children by the year 2000. Specific goals include a focus on child health, nutrition, education and protection.
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1989)
According to the Declaration, every child has the following rights:
· the right to affection, love and understanding
· the right to adequate nutrition and medical care
· the right to free education
· the right to full opportunity for play and recreation
· the right to a name and nationality
· the right to special care, if handicapped
· the right to be among the first to receive care in times of disaster
· the right to be a useful member of society and to develop individual abilities
· the right to be brought up in the spirit of peace and universal brotherhood
· the right to enjoy these rights, regardless of race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin.
Prioritize the rights of the child-rank them in order of importance by number from one to ten. Then rank them again by giving equal weight to some rights. Ask yourself, are there some rights that are of equal importance? If so, be ready to explain why.
Source: United Nations Internet Site ( http://www.un.org )
The United Nations proposed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in response to increased global awareness of the need to protect the rights of Aboriginal Peoples of all countries.
Who are the Indigenous Peoples?
The following is a summary of the major points of the declaration:
As well, the UN set up a commission to study the treatment of Indigenous peoples around the world, and designated 1993 as the International Year for the World's Indigenous People.
Source: United Nations Internet Site (http://www.un.org)
Match people with each item from A to Y. Write their information in the appropriate space on the Globingo card and ask them to sign their names. When you complete the card, call Globingo!
Find someone who...
A |
Has a grandparent or great-grandparent who was in World War II |
B |
Has a pen pal in another country |
C |
Has a parent or brother or sister who has travelled to an area or country where most people are poor |
D |
Has taken part in the boycott of a product or service |
E |
Has voted in a student council election |
F |
Has a brother or sister who is now living independently |
G |
Has donated food, clothing or toys to an agency that helps people |
H |
Has attended a multicultural day or cultural festival |
I |
Has peacefully helped stop a fight or conflict on the playground or in the school yard |
J |
Has parents or brothers and sisters who have volunteered to help in a natural disaster like a flood, tornado or Earthquake |
K |
Has planted a tree |
L |
Has participated in a class twinning project |
M |
Has access to public education from grades 1 to 12 |
N |
Has grandparents or great-grandparents who have celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary |
O |
Has recycling bins at home or at school and uses them |
P |
Has practised catch and release while fishing |
Q |
Has visited a museum or historic site |
R |
Has sent mail to or received mail from another country |
S |
Has taken part in a school or community clean-up day |
T |
Has loaned money to someone |
U |
Has travelled to the United States |
V |
Has received immunization against disease |
W |
Has read to a child or assisted an aging or less able person |
X |
Has had a friend or relative of the family live in their home for an extended period of time |
Y |
Has collected donations for UNICEF on Hallowe'en or participated in a UNICEF carnival at school |
Source: Jensen, L., Sackela, R.M. and Harris, Larry. The United Nations: Where to go from here? The UN at 50.
United Nations Globingo Card
A >Name of grandparent Signature The UN was started at the end of World War II. |
BCountry Signature The UN promotes friendship among people from all over the world. |
CArea or country Signature Many UN agencies attend to the needs of the poor, especially health and education. |
DProduct or service Signature A UN organized arms embargo helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa. |
EYear of election Signature People in over 45 countries have participated in free and fair elections because of the UN. |
F Name of brother or sister Signature The UN has helped bring about independence in 80 countries. |
GName of agency Signature UN programs and agencies provide food and other essentials to victims of emergencies. |
HPlace Signature The UN promotes cultural expression for all, including minorities and Indigenous peoples. |
IPlace Signature The UN has sent more than 35 peacekeeping forces and observer missions to help end conflict and restore calm. |
JEvent Signature The UN provides help to men, women and children who are victims of natural and manmade disasters. |
K Place Signature The UN works to limit deforestation and promote sustainable forestry. |
LCountry or placeSignature The UN promotes academic and cultural exchanges all over the world. |
M - FREEStudentSignature of student Public education is a right under the UN Rights of the Child, which came into effect in 1990. |
NYearSignature October 24, 1995, is the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. |
OPlace The UN is involved in encouraging countries to curb global warming and protect the ozone layer. |
P Place Signature The UN monitors marine fishing and issues alerts to prevent over-fishing. |
QNameSignature The UN preserves historic, cultural and architectural sites, including ancient monuments, in 81 nations. |
RCountrySignature The UN Universal Postal Union maintains and regulates international mail delivery. |
SEventSignature The UN works to clean up pollution through its environment program. |
TBorrowerSignature The UN has loaned billions of dollars for large development projects and small self-reliance projects. |
U State or states Signature The headquarters of the UN General Assembly and Security Council are in New York City. |
VDiseaseSignature The UN has an 80% immunization rate for polio, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis in children. |
WAct of kindnessSignature UN-declared international years and conferences empower voiceless children, the aged and the disabled. |
XNameSignature The UN responds to refugees, both internally displaced people as well as those who have left their countries. |
YEventSignature Safe water, vaccines and zones of peace help children survive and are UN initiatives. |
Reprinted with permission from the United Nations Association in Canada and the Canadian Committee for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, 1995.
