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theconcordian
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
student representation
Occupy your unions and associations It’s time for the movement to hit Concordia Matthew Brett Contributor There have been countless articles in the student press calling for an end to student apathy and democratic malaise at Concordia. Maybe it is time to take this apathy as a signal, rather than trying to prop up failed structures. Change the system rather than tinker with it. Far too much power is centralized in the hands of union presidents, the executives and union councillors. At Concordia, individual undergraduate students cannot actually make proposals to vote upon during the union’s general assemblies. The agenda is decided beforehand by the president, the council or through a petition. This applies at the undergraduate level and somewhat less so at the graduate level. It does impose strict limits on the democratic process. It is little wonder that students are so disengaged from the political process. They have very little direct influence or say in the affairs of their own associations and unions. General assemblies are rarely held, and the agenda is often drafted with minimal consultation from the membership. This is not a critique of the current union executives and councillors at the graduate or undergraduate level. The Graduate Students’ Association and the undergraduate slate, Your Concordia, are both filled with strong union organizers and activists. The undergraduate slate has everything going for it, but it only has one semester left to live up to its name. How has the union lived up to its name thus far? The MobSquad is a union-run space for students to mobilize against impending $1,675 tuition hikes in Quebec. But the Squad was created under the previous union executive, and has no decision-making power within the union. The mobilization efforts around Nov. 10 are encouraging. This is a major change from last year, when outgoing union president Amine Dabchy had to be prompted to show up virtually alone at a province-wide protest against the 2012 provincial budget. Where was the rest of
ConCordia needs a strong stUdent presenCe at the nov. 10 demonstration if it hopes to provoke Change.
the union? Concordia will have a much stronger presence on the street this Nov. 10 thanks to the efforts of countless students and union members. But more can be done by working together. One alternative would be preparing for a popular general assembly well in advance. Consultations on drafting the agenda can begin now, with a general assembly taking place before the proposed province-wide student general strike in January. Another strong option is introducing structural reforms by the end of the academic year. McGill’s undergraduate union is in the process of holding consultations to reform its general assembly bylaws. These changes should make the general assemblies as democratic as possible, and Concordia students can learn from these reforms.
Guillaume Beaulieu, who is actively mobilizing at UQAM, believes that Concordia should go even further and start creating faculty-based and even departmental unions. This structure would bring union members closer to the decision-making process. “Having only CSU and nothing else is just preventing the social sciences from having their own union,” Beaulieu argues. “And CSU can’t afford to have a strike vote as they can’t mobilize more than 400 to 500 to their general assemblies.” Concordia students have proven that they can easily reach these numbers, but his point has merit. Having decentralized decision-making structures that feed into the larger union could be a viable option. An even better source of inspiration is Occupy Montreal. Decisions are made based upon
popular consensus during the general assemblies. Anybody can make a proposal and the motions are passed after collective deliberation. The key is to start thinking outside of the current system. The structures at Concordia can be democratized. It can become your Concordia. One critical step in this direction is the strike vote taking place this Thursday. Based on existing bylaws, roughly 500 people are required for the votes to be considered legitimate. Graduate students vote at 1 p.m. and undergraduates vote at 4 p.m. in room H-110 this Thursday, Nov. 3. Matthew Brett is a graduate student in political science and an active member of the MobSquad.
immigration
Is our poor stance on immigration law coming back? Canada needs to remain open to refugees: Stand president Aeron MacHattie Contributor Sixty years ago, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees adopted the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This key document defined a refugee as someone fleeing their home country to seek protection, as well as outlining their rights, and legal states’ legal obligations towards them. Canada, which did not accede to the Convention until 18 years later, was notorious for its stringent immigration laws throughout the mid-20th century, especially for turning away thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust. It would seem that Canada has come a long way since then in accommodating refugees, but our support system is far from
perfect. In recent years, Canada has been acknowledged as a world leader in immigration, second only to Australia, in the sheer number of immigrants per capita that it welcomes every year. According to The Globe and Mail, over 75 per cent of Canadian immigrants go on to become citizens. An ongoing study by the Institute for Research on Public Policy reported in late September that Canadian public support for immigration is at a 40-year high. This is remarkable, considering that support has plummeted in Europe and the United States, largely because of economic instability. Canada’s Conservative government has managed to boost popular support for immigration by stressing that skilled newcomers will boost the Canadian economy. The life of Canadian immigrants is usually portrayed as one of hard work and triumph. Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson came to Concordia last week to speak about Room for All of Us, her newly-released fifth book. In it, she tells the stories of immigrants who fled to Canada in search of a better life.
Clarkson is herself a refugee. Her parents fled the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, arriving in Ottawa in 1942 with their two young children. In Canada, they prospered and Clarkson remembers fondly the support that they received from their Ottawa community. However, Clarkson’s family had a difficult time entering the country. Under the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act, most Chinese immigrants were barred from Canada. They were only admitted on the basis that Clarkson’s father worked for the Canadian government in China and a prisoner exchange quota needed to be filled. Positive as her family’s experience was once they landed in Canada, Clarkson’s case proves that Canada’s immigration laws have a far from spotless history. Unfortunately, it is often the case that the refugees most in need of asylum are the least desirable candidates for immigration. The fees and legal work associated with applying for refugee status and citizenship are often beyond the means of those fleeing civil war and other dangers. The Balanced Refugee Reform Act will limit refugees to 15 days to appeal a refused
application to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Currently, refugees have 45 days, or three times the new limit, to make their appeal. The bill passed this summer, but because of repeated delays, will only come into effect in summer 2012. Immigration advocates fear that with its implementation now months away, the government is intending to change other parts of the law. As natural disasters, warfare and mass atrocities continue to destroy communities across the globe, it is imperative that Canada remain open to immigration and work towards a more inclusive and supportive system. The Balanced Refugee Reform Act jeopardizes the current state of our immigration system. Aeron MacHattie is a former copy editor of The Concordian and president of Stand, a student-run advocacy group addressing the crisis in Darfur. Together with The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, Stand will be hosting a discussion about Canada’s refugee population on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The Seeking Refuge Conference will be held at Galerie Armatta, 3255 St-Jacques St.