14 Cultural Diversity Working for full participation IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 1960S THAT THE GOVERNMENT BECAME INVOLVED in a major way with the needs of immigrants arriving in Canadian cities. Until that time, this gap (even more critical in times of heavy immigration) was bridged by volunteer groups from both society at large and from specific ethnocultural groups. Language training, translation services, information on government programs and other services for new Canadians were offered by volunteers, many of them affiliated with religious organizations. Today, the voluntary sector continues be actively involved with immigrants. A myriad of voluntary groups across the country help immi- grants make the difficult adjustment to a new country, by addressing their immediate needs and longer-range needs for successful integration into our society. These groups help new Canadians understand many aspects of Canadian life, from filing income tax returns to civic responsibilities. They teach English or French; they help with immigration problems; they offer orientation and training to help with job searches. They also work to increase cross-cultural understanding and to eliminate racism in our society. Religious organizations continue to provide services to new Cana- dians, particularly their own members. Some examples are the Jewish Immigrant Services of Canada, the Catholic Immigrant Society, and the Services d'accueil aux voyageurs et aux immigrants (SAVI) in Montreal. Ethnocultural associations also often help new members of their own communities. A well known example is COSTI in southern Ontario, which began as an organization to assist Italian immigrants and now helps new Canadians of all ethnocultural backgrounds. An outstanding example of a community organization of this kind is the Multilingual Orientation Services Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC). For over 20 years, mosaic has provided a range of services to help immigrants and refugees in the Vancouver area overcome language and cultural barriers so that they can integrate into Canadian life more successfully. The backbone of MOSAIC for many years has been its 400 volunteers who offer interpretation services in up to 70 languages, even maintaining an emergency service around the clock. These interpreters accompany their clients to government offices, schools, hospitals or police stations, according to their individual needs. In addition, volunteers from a variety of organizations -- ethnocultural, visible minority, race relations, social justice -- work together to give people from all backgrounds the opportunity to deal with common social, cultural and economic concerns. While some public funding may be available for certain activities, these organizations rely on dedicated volunteers to help meet real needs. The most widely known multicultural organization is the Canadian Ethnocultural Council. Founded in 1980, this is an umbrella organization of some 37 national ethnocultural organizations. It aims to find consensus on issues of particular concern to the ethnocultural communities, promote a united ethnocultural voice and advocate for social change to ensure equality of rights and opportunities for Canadians of all origins. The member organizations of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council include established communities represented by groups such as the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Chinese Canadian National Council. But also included are more recently arrived national groups, such as the Federation of Lao Associations of Canada and the United Council of Filipino Associations of Canada. A common objective of these organizations is to promote intercultural understanding. They may also focus on specific concerns, such as the needs of seniors in their communities, the education of their youth and the isolation of immigrant women. People who face discrimination in Canadian society have a special insight into the many forms that systemic barriers take. For this reason, they are in the best position to advise on ways to remove such barriers. Volunteers from race relations coalitions, visible minority organizations and multifaith associations support each other in the goal of ensuring that all Canadians have a true sense of belonging. There are many volunteer organizations across Canada working for racial harmony and full equality for all Canadians, regardless of background. The most established are found in our largest cities. In Vancouver, the Society for Racial Justice was founded in 1981 to combat racism, to help protect human dignity and promote human understanding within society, and to voice the concerns of its members organizations on these issues to all levels of government. In Toronto, the Urban Alliance on Race Relations in Toronto has been addressing race relations through public education, research and advocacy since 1975. Similarly, the Centre de recherche-action sur les relations raciales (CRARR) was established in Montreal in 1983 to promote racial harmony and equal opportunities for visible minorities in all aspects of Canadian life. Volunteers are actively working in areas such as police-community relations, access to services, employment equity, and the depiction of visible minorities in the media. 15 Around the Globe Helping developing countries A RICH NATION, CANADA BEGAN ACCEPTING THE OBLIGATION OF HELPING poor or disaster-stricken countries just after the Second World War. Beginning with postwar reconstruction in Europe, Canada developed programs of international aid and social development that are respected around the world. Nevertheless, Canadian voluntary agencies were active in developing countries long before the Government of Canada became involved. Ethnocultural organizations were often the first to respond to crises in their country of origin. But the support of Canadians in times of need is by no means limited to those who share a common ethnic origin. The YMCA, for example, has worked in international development since 1889, and Canadian missionaries of various faiths were working overseas before the turn of the century. In the years immediately following the Second World War, a number of relief and refugee agencies were established in Canada. Many of these served primarily as fundraising branches of foreign charities, usually British or American: CARE (originally the Committee for American Relief in Europe), Foster Parents' Plan and WorldVision are just a few. The 1960s saw the coming of age of the voluntary development organizations. Canadian-based agencies like CUSO/SUCO were established and began sending volunteers to developing nations. At the same time, many of the Canadian branches of foreign organizations loosened or even severed the links with their parent bodies (notably OXFAM Canada, originally the Oxford University Committee for Famine Relief, and the Canadian Save the Children Fund). The creation of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation was a first step toward formal co-operative effort. The surge of concern and involvement in international development by ordinary Canadians that began in the 1960s was stimulated because Canada was one of the first Western nations to give direct financial support to voluntary development agencies in the form of grants matching private donations. This growth period for Canadian-born agencies continued into the 1970s, when the balance had clearly swung away from foreign-based agencies. Other Canadian organizations involved in relief work were created in the 1980s, many in response to famines in Africa. In addition to the large development organizations in Canada, a great many local and regional agencies are flourishing, particularly in Quebec and on the Prairies (for example, the Comité de Solidarité tiers-monde and the Christian Farmers Federation of Alberta). While Canadian assistance in the developing countries has moved away from its missionary origins, religious organizations such as the Mennonite Central Committee remain very active, and there are many inter- denominational committees. Although they differ greatly in size and purpose, most development agencies have been born out of a passionate, humanitarian concern for others around the world -- to feed the hungry, to care for those ravaged by disease, to assist refugees and others in distress, to provide basic educational skills, to strengthen a community's capacity to solve its own problems, or to provide emergency relief in times of natural disaster or famine. Development agencies may embrace any of the following goals: meeting human needs in poor countries, stimulating awareness and support for international development by the Canadian public, and advocating public policies that promote the creation of a more just and peaceful world order. Responding to pressing needs at the grass roots level, these agencies deal directly with communities and individuals in developing countries, rather than going through government and official institutions. They are thus able to reach needy groups that may not be accessible through official channels. In recent years, for example, the responses to major food crises in areas such as Biafra, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Sudan, to the plight of the Asian boat people, and to major earthquakes in Mexico, Italy and China, have demonstrated Canadians' compassion for the victims of tragedy. Our voluntary organizations were among the first to react, with money, food, supplies -- and volunteers. Canadian agencies and their volunteers are prominent on the international scene, and their achievements are widely recognized. Organizations such as the Canadian Organization for Development through Education (CODE) have emerged as leaders and pioneers in innovative approaches to basic education in developing countries. 16 When Catastrophe Strikes The crucial role of volunteers IN 1945 SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION CAUSED A VIOLENT EXPLOSION that wrecked a giant grain-storage elevator in Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of Thunder Bay), killing twenty people and trapping many injured workers. Unusually heavy and prolonged rains in the spring of 1949 caused the Fraser River in British Columbia to surge over its banks, flooding the Lower Mainland and threatening lives and homes. In Springhill, Nova Scotia, in 1956, a coal mine explosion killed five miners and left 118 others injured and trapped below ground. In the same mine two years later, a cave-in imprisoned 174 workers. More recently, in 1979, chemical-laden train cars derailed just outside Mississauga in southern Ontario, leaking deadly chlorine gas and requiring the immediate evacuation of the population of that major city. In 1987, a fierce tornado whipped through Edmonton, leaving a path of destruction and large numbers of people homeless in its wake. Whenever a Canadian community is struck by catastrophe, a host of volunteers arrives on the scene, ready to provide crucial assistance to the victims and to bring order out of chaos. From large-scale disasters that attract national media attention to the thousands of smaller emergency situations that occur every year across Canada, well trained and dedicated volunteers from organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross Society, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the Salvation Army and the Mennonite Disaster Service are on the scene. These volunteers form the backbone of the system of disaster relief in Canada. As a first priority, disaster relief volunteers take care of the basic survival needs of the victims þ search and rescue; emergency medical aid; food, temporary shelter and clothing. Other relief services include: counselling for victims or for their grief-stricken families and friends, transporting evacuees to temporary shelters, distributing bedding in emergency shelters, locating missing persons and providing temporary childcare services. An excellent example of the vital work performed by these skilled volunteers occurred in 1942 in the town of Almonte, Ontario, the site of one of the worst railway accidents in Canadian history. Three passenger coaches were demolished, killing 27 people and injuring 150 others. Nearby units of the St John Ambulance Brigade and The Canadian Red Cross Society rushed to the scene to care for the injured and tend to the dead. Using make-shift stretchers and beds, skilled volunteers set up an emergency hospital and accompanied seriously injured patients to hospital facilities in Ottawa, 40 miles away. With roots dating back to 1896, the Canadian Red Cross Society has a country-wide network of volunteers ready to mobilize in the event of an emergency. Volunteers provide emergency medical care, temporary shelter and other basic needs, and handle enquiries about the safety and where- abouts of family members. Similarly, the uniformed members of the St John Ambulance Brigade, established in Canada in 1895 and composed solely of volunteers, are always on call to provide emergency assistance and disaster relief. Since their first public service in 1881, the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade (now numbering some 11,000 across the country) have been donating their time to provide emergency medical care in communities across Canada. Wherever people come together in large numbers þ whether at huge annual events like the Calgary Stampede, the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto or Qu‚bec Expo, or at the host of smaller fairs, sports events or other special events in communities across the country þ the distinctive black and white uniform of the Brigade can be found. These volunteers are always ready to take action in the event of injury or sudden illness. The Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) of Canada has been assisting in salvage and reconstruction on Canadian disaster scenes since 1956. MDS has a unique network of volunteers from the western provinces and Ontario who come at short notice and often from distant points to help total strangers. These volunteers undertake such tasks as scrubbing out mud-filled houses and digging out debris. They also provide food and clothing to the victims and emotional support as needed. After the immediate cleanup work is finished, it is not uncommon for MDS volunteers to sacrifice months of their time, remaining in the community to repair the homes of disabled, elderly or impoverished victims. Volunteer fire departments remain an integral part of many smaller communities (which might surprise those who have always lived in large urban areas). In Canada today, there are approximately 94,000 trained volunteer firefighters -- 80 per cent of the country's firefighting forces. Many of these volunteer firefighters also take part in search and rescue operations. In times of disaster, victims also receive support and encouragement from many other volunteers in local community and religious groups. Private pilots undertake search and rescue operations; amateur radio operators provide vital communication links, and some are on continuous alert for sudden, unpredictable changes in the weather. As well, many people who have not previously been associated with such volunteer groups turn out to be willing and eager to help. 17 Volunteering for Change Advocating for the rights UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE with disabilities were commonplace in our society. Disabled people were objects of pity and were seen exclusively in the light of their incapacities. Social isolation was the rule, not the exception. People with mobility impairment, as well as those with other disabilities, were routinely prevented from adopting and even from bearing children. Children were removed from their developmentally disabled parents with no consideration of the degree to which the disability affected the parent's capacity to raise the child. Women and girls with intellectual disabilities were routinely sterilized. Many disabled people were confined to institutions, with little or no contact with the outside world. Others were trapped for their entire lives in sheltered workshops, unable to earn a living wage or to find opportunities for employment. If accepted into public education systems at all, disabled children were usually placed in segregated schools. Regardless of their qualifications, individuals with epilepsy could be denied access to employment and to career paths in teaching and medicine. In the early 1970s, groups advocating on behalf of the rights of disabled individuals joined together to actively challenge the attitude of social exclusion to which disabled people had traditionally been subjected. Dedicated volunteers worked vigorously to promote policies that would allow disabled children and adults the opportunity to live, learn, work and play in `normal' surroundings -- the right to have life experiences in the mainstream along with nondisabled Canadians. The Canadian Association for Community Living, for example, began in the 1950s as a group of parents with developmentally disabled children. As symbolized by the removal of the label `mentally retarded' from its official name in 1985, the organization underwent a profound shift in emphasis in its focus. Today, with many volunteers across the country, CACL works with families, government, educators, industry and the general public to change systems that have traditionally excluded people with a develop- mental handicap. Because of the commitment and determination of volunteer groups such as CACL and the Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped (Canada's national cross-disability organization), legal recognition of the human rights of disabled persons was eventually won in Canada through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. Today, society's attitudes favour greater acceptance of disabled persons in mainstream society in areas such as education, housing and employment. Disabled persons are being taken out of institutions and returned to their homes and communities. Disabled children are being integrated into their community schools and, in some cases, even into regular classrooms. With the establishment of group homes, local training centres and community-based social services, especially in the more populated areas, disabled adults are now being encouraged to remain in their own communities. The availability of technical and other kinds of support is allowing more disabled persons to enter the workplace. There is a growing recognition that public buildings must afford access to those with mobility handicaps. Parallel public transportation systems in the larger cities offer them much greater freedom within the community. While the situation of Canadians with disabilities has improved in recent years, many social and economic barriers remain to be torn down. The myths are slowly being dispelled, yet for many people with disabilities, being disabled still means living in poverty and being marginalized by the economic fabric of our communities. Many volunteer-driven organizations representing disabled persons at national, regional and community levels are actively lobbying for a fair chance at employment for disabled Canadians and for the high-quality, integrated education disabled children need in order to become contributing members of society. 18 Voluntary Action Working together to improve DEDICATED TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, VOLUNTEERS and the organizations they work for embody the principle of collective responsibility and express the ideal of pluralism. Rooted in the community, volunteers have always been vital in identifying and responding to human needs. Many of the programs and services they pioneered in health and social services areas were considered so essential to the welfare of the nation that government has assumed primary responsibility for them over time. Throughout Canada's history, movements led by volunteers have had a tremendous impact on society's attitudes and public policy. Because of their hard work and their commitment to their cause, groups that deal with issues such as child welfare, women's equality, and the rights of disabled persons have been able to convince a sizable body of public opinion that changes were needed. The values of fairness and equality have become firmly entrenched in our social values. Canadians now accept everyone's right as a citizen, to expect the assistance of society in times of need, whether by way of government or through a voluntary organization. Canada's 125 years have been marked by dramatic changes in our society and its institutions. Yet the irrepressible dedication of Canadian volunteers to the shared task of improving our life together, evident from earliest times, has remained constant. The traditional Canadian qualities of concern for fellow citizens and commitment to causes have taken new forms as we tackle present-day challenges and chart our course for the 21st Century. Indeed, the willingness to volunteer has always been a fundamental Canadian value þ the hallmark of a caring and democratic society. Sources
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Publishers, 1988.Illustrations in this document are mainly from
copyright-expired sources, with the majority drawn from the Boston Type and
Stereotype Foundry Catalog of 1832. Many of the illustrations and decorations
found in 19th-century Canadian newspapers were supplied by this foundry.
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(The analysis contained herein represents the opinions of the author and contributors. In no way should it be construed as either official or unofficial policy of any government body. Symbols of voluntary organizations shown here are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to imply any connection with or approval of this work by the groups represented.)
Published by the Design: Douglas McKercher
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