Written largely by Canadian scholars for Canadian readers, this overview of contemporary human rights concerns introduces the human rights instruments—provincial, national, and international—which protect Canadians. The volume begins with an outline of the history of human rights before moving on to discuss such important topics as the relationship between political institutions and rights protection, rights issues pertaining to specific communities, and cross-cutting rights issues that affect most or all citizens. Contemporary and comprehensive, Human Rights: Current Issues and Controversies is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about human rights.
Acknowledgements
Contributors
Introduction
Gordon DiGiacomo
Part One
1. The Evolution of Human Rights Protection in Canada
Brooke Jeffrey
2. The Genesis and Evolution of the Postwar Human Rights Project
Roland Burke and James Kirby
Part Two
3. Political Institutions and the Protection of Human Rights
Gordon DiGiacomo
4. Federalism and Rights: The Case of the United States, with Comparative Perspectives
John Kincaid
5. Human Rights NGOs
David Zarnett
Part Three
6. Temporary Migrant Workers in Canada: Protecting and Extending Labour Rights
Tanya Basok
7. Children's Rights: Their Role, Significance, and Potential
Tara Collins and Christine Gervais
8. Age, Age Discrimination, and Ageism
Thomas R. Klassen
9. Aboriginal Rights: The Right to Self-Government versus the Right to Self-Determination
Gordon DiGiacomo and Tracie Scott
10. DisAbling Human Rights? Moving from Rights to Access and Inclusion in Daily Life
Deborah Stienstra
11. The Politics of Women's Rights
Caroline Andrew
12. "All Manner of Wickedness Abounds": Reconciling Queer Rights and Religious Rights
Karen Busby
13. The Arab Spring and Human Rights: Discarding the Old Clichés
Mahmood Monshipouri and Kelley O'Dell
14. Freedom of Religion: A Change in Perspective?
Melanie Adrian
Part Four
15. Whither Economic and Social Rights? Assessing the Position of Economic and Social Rights in the Neoliberal, Post-Crisis Context
Susan Kang and Jennifer Rutledge
16. Business and Human Rights: Challenges in Accessing Remedy and Justice
Sara Seck and Kirsten Stefanik
17. Human Rights and Climate Change
Sam Adelman
18. Human Rights and Security: Reflections on an Integral Relation
Trevor Purvis
19. Now You See Me: Privacy, Technology, and Autonomy in the Digital Age
Valerie Steeves
Concluding Discussion: The Effectiveness of Rights Instruments
Gordon DiGiacomo
Appendix 1: International Human Rights Treaties
Appendix 2: Simulation Exercise
Glossary
Index