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CENTRENEWS - December 7, 2009
November 26, 2009
Dear Friends of the Centre for Cultural Renewal:
In a few days you will be receiving the latest issue of our CentrePoints newsletter (either electronically and/or as a hard copy publication in your mailbox) filled with reports from our events held during autumn, 2009. In the meantime, I wanted to send you a quick e-note to update you on our activities over the past three months.
Our Eighth Annual Hill Lecture on Tuesday, November 24 was a genuine success thanks to our speaker, Dr. Leah Bradshaw of Brock University. You can hear the audio of Dr. Bradshaw’s lecture, read her full text on our website, or review it in CentrePoints when it arrives in your mailbox.
I know you’ll find the issue of CentrePoints interesting. In addition to the Hill Lecture, we have a reprint of an article Iain Benson published in Lawyer’s Weekly on the need for the courts to respect the associational dimension of freedom of religion. The new CentrePoints contains, as well, the text of a talk given by Bernhard Scholz at an event CRR co-sponsored with the Centre for Cultural Conversation that drew about 90 people to Toronto’s Albany Club on Oct. 27.
As you may know, CCR has resumed regular web publishing of LexView, our signature publication and Canada’s leading journal of legal analysis. The latest CentrePoints contains a reprint of Kevin Boonstra’s examination of the Supreme Court decision in the Hutterian Brethen driver’s license case.
Finally, the issue contains a reprint of a Calgary Herald column published by CCR’s Executive Director following a panel discussion at Calgary’s Petroleum Club. The Calgary event, which focused on the concerns of cultural minorities, was done in collaboration with the Centre for Faith and Media. It featured Gerard Bouchard, the noted Quebec historian who co-chaired a commission with Charles Taylor on reasonable accommodation in Quebec. The event attracted significant media attention, including interviews with cultural minority TV and radio stations, an interview with Radio Canada and with Radio Canada International’s program, The Link.
On November 13 and 14, CCR’s Executive Director co-led a communications seminar at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy’s Wilberforce weekend on euthanasia and assisted suicide. CCR was invited to sit on the steering committee for the event, and will be involved in the follow up. The Centre for Cultural Renewal was also invited to participate in meetings with senior policy staff from Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s Office and with the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the concerns of people of faith vis-as-vis their full participation in the public square.
In addition, CCR continues to work with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s Office on a project in partnership with Richelle Wiseman of the Centre for Faith and Media. Our draft proposal on Canadian values and the integration of cultural minorities will be submitted to the ministry this month.
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Centre for Cultural Renewal. We treasure your ongoing support and are always eager to hear your suggestions and ideas.
Best wishes,
Peter Stockland
Executive director, Centre for Cultural Renewal
ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS
November
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Group meeting with Michael Ignatieff’s Office
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Hill Lecture
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CCR's Executive Director co-leader of seminar at Manning Centre for Building Democracy’s Wilberforce weekend on prevention of euthanasia
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Web publication of our LexView legal review
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CCR’s Executive Director moderated panel on minority cultural accommodation at Calgary Petroleum Club, interviews with ethnic press, Radio Canada and Radio Canada International, column in Calgary Herald
October
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CCR’s Executive Director was a panelist at a evening of discussion on Work and the Ideal at Toronto’s Albany Club
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CCR was invited to be part of the steering committee for the Manning Centre’s Wilberforce weekend
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CCR met with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and staff to discuss the Canadian values proposal
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Web publication of first LexView since December, 2008
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Facebook, Twitter account and Executive Director’s blog begun on CCR website
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Ray Sawatsky re-joined CCR on a part-time basis to coordinate editing of LexView with lawyer and legal writer Kevin Boonstra
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Meetings with potential partners in a national conference on faith in the citizens’ square
September
Archives
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| posted by Rick Davis December 07, 2009 |
| CentreNews - Lexview 67.0 |
ANNOUNCING CCR'S LATEST LEXVIEW:
LEXVIEW 67.0 - Does Canadian Society Still Accommodate Religious Minorities?
The notion that ideas have consequences is at the core the Centre’s work and arguments. In the case of Alberta v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony, the limitation of the government right to infringe upon a religious group’s freedom of religion was brought before the Supreme Court of Canada. At the heart of a democracy notion of rights, is the idea that when rights come into conflict then the principle of accommodation must be employed to mediate the conflict. For years, the religious objection by the Hutterite Brethren to having their photo taken for their provincial licence was accommodated by the Alberta government. With the advent of technology (facial recognition database) and concerns related to identity management and theft the Alberta government revoked their long standing accommodation of allowing the Hutterites to maintain driver’s licences without photos. The Alberta government successfully argued that the duty of the state to legislate for the common good outweighed the necessity to accommodate the religious objection of this minority group. While the issue itself may seem insignificant, the ruling of the Supreme Court in favour of the government of Alberta may have significant implications to the ongoing negotiation of accommodation between religious freedom and the administrative needs of government. An important concept is that Charter rights were conceived of to protect the minority against the majority. The ruling in this case suggests that the threshold of for protection under religious freedom (Section 2) has shifted in favour of government’s need for universality of it administration programs. LexView 67, Alberta v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony, explores these fundamental ideas of rights and the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in this case.
Read more of the latest LexView: Does Canadian Society Still Accommodate Religious Minorities?
LexView is an unparalleled information and analysis service from the Centre for Cultural Renewal that provides journalists, politicians and the interested public...Read More
UPCOMING EVENTS:
The Centre for Cultural Renewal is pleased to announce the return of it's signature event - the popular Hill Lecture Series
EIGHTH ANNUAL HILL LECTURE (Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 7:30PM)...Find out more
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| posted by Rick Davis December 07, 2009 |
| CentreNews - LexView 66.0 |
ANNOUNCING CCR'S LATEST LEXVIEW:
LEXVIEW 66.0 - A Child's Right to Medical Self-Determination
Religious liberty and the right to pursue our beliefs unhindered by the state is a cherished and hallowed right within the democratic state. The extent to which this right applies to minors is often contentious. Parents instinctively instill in their children their sincerely held beliefs because they desire their children to believe as they do. What we can’t determine is when, or at what age, parental beliefs become sincerely and independently held by a child. Before the law, it may seem simple enough to place an age on such matters as we do with other legal issues that involve the transference of responsibility from the parent to the child. This process is entirely dependent, however, on the cognitive capacity of the child to hold religious beliefs sincerely, without being compelled by a parent or religious institution. A simple age line therefore is not a reasonable delineation in this category of maturation. This issue revealed itself in A.C. v. Manitoba, as A.C., a 14-year-old minor, decided, based on religious grounds, to refuse a blood transfusion. Without a blood transfusion, it was medically expected that A.C. would suffer medical harm and/or die.
Read more of the latest LexView: A Child's Right to Medical Self-Determination
LexView is an unparalleled information and analysis service from the Centre for Cultural Renewal that provides journalists, politicians and the interested public...Read More
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Please take a closer look at some of the future events the Centre is involved with...
WORK AND THE IDEAL: In Search of a Truer Humanity (Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - Toronto, Ontario)...Find out more
ACCOMMODATION & CITIZENSHIP IN ALBERTA: How Far Does Western Hospitality Extend? (Wednesday, November 4, 2009 - Calgary, Alberta)...Find out more
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| posted by Rick Davis June 26, 2009 |
| CentreNews- June 26, 2009 |
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The Centre for Cultural Renewal Appoints a New Executive Director
 The Board of Directors of the Centre for Cultural Renewal (CCR) is pleased to announce a revitalized focus on the future with the appointment this month of veteran journalist Peter Stockland as Executive Director.
Mr. Stockland succeeds Iain Benson, who has decided to take up responsibilities as senior associate counsel with one of Canada's leading national law firms, Miller Thomson LLP. The firm's international connections align well with Mr. Benson's decision to continue working as a subject matter expert world-wide on projects that relate to the nature of pluralism, multi-culturalism and the public sphere in constitutional democracies.
CCR Board Chairman David Jennings warmly thanked Mr. Benson for his many years of hard work and dedication in directing the Centre, and welcomed his generous willingness to continue contributing his ideas, talents and expertise to CCR in future.
"Iain's great gift to the Centre for Cultural Renewal, Canada and beyond has been and remains the audacity of his intellectual breadth and depth," Mr. Jennings said. "His deep, perceptive and innovative thinking across a wide range of cultural, political and social fields has been key to the Centre's reputation as a world class institute of ideas. Although we're losing him as a full-time leader, we're delighted that his legacy of foundational analysis and insight will remain available for us to draw on."
Mr. Jennings said Mr. Stockland's appointment is a natural step in the development of the Centre, noting his background as a senior executive for major Canadian media outlets will ensure CCR's voice will be heard increasingly clearly as it undertakes a timely renewal of its own.
"We are tremendously fortunate to have someone of Peter's professional caliber and experience," Mr. Jennings said. "His intimate knowledge of the Centre and the Canadian cultural landscape will be vital in providing years of intellectual leadership in Canada and help us work successfully with other organizations to bring about a cultural renewal in this country."
A former director on the Centre's board, Mr. Stockland comes to the executive director's position from Readers' Digest Magazines Canada Ltd., where he was vice-president of English-language magazines. He is a former editor-in-chief of The Gazette newspaper in Montreal, a former editorial page editor of the Calgary Herald newspaper and has worked as a journalist throughout Canada during his 30-year career in the media. He currently runs his own media relations company, Prima Communication, in Montreal.
"In talking to donors, supporters, friends and associates of the Centre over the past few weeks I've been amazed and delighted at the high esteem in which it is held by thinking people across this country," Mr. Stockland said following his appointment.
"It's a privilege to be asked to lead an organization that has been and will continue to be at the forefront of renewing Canadian culture and I'm looking forward to uncovering new ways we can be of value in our contemporary environment."
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| posted by Rick Davis May 11, 2009 |
| CentreNews - May 11, 2009 |
CentreNews
May 11, 2009 Mark Your Calendars, Make your Plans -- Hill Lecture Coming Soon Speaker: Dr. Leah Bradshaw, Professor of Political Science, Brock University Topic: Ties of Friendship and Citizenship in a Globalized World Date & Location: Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 7:30 PM - Room 308, West Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario
For many years the Centre for Cultural Renewal has been hosting the Hill Lecture -- this year is no exception, but it will be exceptional. Dr. Leah Bradshaw, a political science scholar interested in Aristotle and George Grant (to name but two) will speak on the continuing relevance of the idea of "civic friendship" and will explore the relevance of that concept to a society such as Canada at a time of increasing globalization. Those who remember the Centre's hosting of philosopher Roger Scruton's presentation a few years ago ("Morality and the Idea of Public Virtue") will remember Dr. Bradshaw's elegant and learned response to Dr. Scruton. We are delighted that one of the Centre's first lecturers (on the topic of "what a meaningful pluralism is NOT", University of Toronto, 1995) will address us as the 2009 Hill Lecturer on a theme as important as "civic friendship." Admission is by voluntary donation. A charitable tax receipt will be issued for donations of $20.00 or more. Please come and bring a friend, but for security reasons you must register in advance! To do so, email or call the Centre's Ottawa office at info@culturalrenewal.ca or 613-567-9010 with your full name and contact information. It will be a fascinating lecture! For more information, please see following link: 2008/2009 Hill Lecture. The annual Hill Lectures in Ottawa were established by the Centre for Cultural Renewal as a means of furthering public discussion of the connections between ethics and the foundations of culture. Each year, the Centre will host a public lecture bringing a leading thinker of the day to address an important topic related to politics and the common good. As such, the focus will not be on a particular partisan political platform or perspective, but on themes which ought to be considered publicly on a broad basis. The Hill Lectures are named in honour of the late Frederick Walter Hill D.F.C. (US), C.M., S.O.M., B.A., M.B.A., who was a distinguished Canadian businessman and philanthropist, Member of the Order of Canada, and long-time advocate of serious cultural analysis and engagement.
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing? Examining Whether or Not Moral and Religious Stories Should Be Used in Public Education Classrooms.
Various educators have lamented what they believe to be a startling decrease in general knowledge amongst college and university students. Some have commented as well on the extraordinary lack of biblical knowledge on the part of most students -- where such things as the parable of "The Good Samaritan" or "The Prodigal Son" appear no longer to be widely recognized. In this setting, what principles ought to govern how we think about introducing religious and non-religious stories to educate students in what might be called "civic virtues" -- those principles (moral and ethical) that relate to citizenship? In this article, Iain Benson looks at these questions and distils three possible approaches to the teaching (or not) of religious or other ethical and moral stories as illustrations in public education. He suggests there are three contexts and key principles which can be of great assistance in deciding how to improve education in this area. We hope you will circulate this article widely, print it off and reflect upon it if this is a topic that is of interest to you. CentreArticle Vol.171 Renewing the Centre Development and change are signs of life for projects that have been going on as long as the Centre for Cultural Renewal. We have changed over the years and are always open to good ideas. For some time we have wanted to ask our donors and supporters for suggestions about the Centre's work and direction. We've put a questionnaire up on the website and have been receiving encouraging and helpful responses and we'd like more of them. In addition, we've been calling and asking people their views. Please have a look at the questions now on the website at [Centre Renewal Survey] and if you'd like to have your say about the Centre, it's work and the future, please contact us. A Further Note On the Difficulty of Determining the Bona Fides of Groups from other Ethnic and Religious Traditions In a recent CentreNews, we included an article by Farzana Hassan, former President of the Muslim Congress of Canada, in which she took to task the Centre for Faith and Media. Her primary accusation was that CFM had inadvertently been working with an organization with links to terrorism. She claimed that CAIR-CAN individuals who have participated in CFM events were Islamists with suspicious connections. She also complained that more Muslim voices and groups were not represented at CFM events. Iain Benson wrote a response to that article pointing out the great difficulty of determining which groups are and are not linked to terrorism given a series of realities in dealing across the barriers of language and culture. Richelle Wiseman, Executive Director, of the Centre for Faith and Media had written a response to this article with which we were not familiar at the time of our posting and has asked that we include a link to it now. We are happy to do so. The CFM's link in response may be found at:
http://blogs.faithandmedia.org/wiseman/2009/04/02/on-the-vapour-trails-of-rumour/ Support the Centre for Cultural Renewal Today A donation made today will enable us to carry out the worthwhile events and publications we have planned for 2009. An investment in the Centre for Cultural Renewal is a true investment in the future of Canada.
Centre for Cultural Renewal
130 Albert Street, Suite #B9
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4
(613) 567-9010
(613) 567-6061
info@culturalrenewal.ca
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