I think that Premier Ford's excoriation of the demonstration on the grounds of fighting antisemitism was a red herring used to deflect from the criminal environmental and human destruction of Grassy Narrows. He does not want to answer to the continuing industrial poisoning of the Wabagoon River and in fact is stepping up efforts to allow more mining and chemical dumping into First Nations drinking water. The parallels between abuse of Indigenous people in Canada and Indigenous Palestinians in Occupied Israel are obvious. In this way, the pro-Israel lobby have pressured Ford, a willing accomplice, to attack the Palestinian cause through anti-Palestinian racism. Finally, I wish to point out that Ford is a buffoon who at every turn undermines democracy in favor of enriching his friends by undermining affordable housing, tenants' rights, public education, public childcare, public medicare.
I wanted to say YES to students and teachers participating in peaceful protests/field trips as part of Peace Education, (thank you, Steve, for presenting that in-class opportunity), but I can’t help thinking it should be left to the discretion of the teacher, and context from class discussions, etc. As for the parents/admin calling out racism and antisemitism, these students are presenting the opportunity for their education! These students give me HOPE!
While I can see the urge for those who grieve and are angry about the awful slaughter in the middle east ( and think a stand could be taken and support should be withdrawn) it was not helpful to mingle with the march of Grassy Narrows. The contamination of the land of this first nation has been known and neglected and left unabated since I have been in Canada ( 1988) . Grassy Narrows needs its own consideration. Yes I think it is very apt to take students to this protest - September 30th just around the corner.
I agree with Steven's support for Peace Education. I wrote to Premier Ford and to some TDSB board members and the TDSB Director of Education. In part I said "I disagree with you that students should not have heard the speeches and walked in the River Run march. I submit to you that what they heard and saw at the march was a far more valuable educational experience than a years worth of studying paper documents in class. Hearing from Grassy Narrows Community members about their life experiences and hearing about what has been done to them by a series of colonial governments would stimulate some of them to pursue further knowledge and appreciation for how badly Indigenous people of what is now called Canada have been treated by colonial governments, right to this day. And we say that we are engaging in ‘reconciliation’ with First Nations. Hardly!
I would say that our students attending River Run 2024 had an experience that could lead to a deeper understanding of colonialism and what possible reconciliation between descendants of settlers and First Nations could mean."
A grade twelve student who participated was interviewed on CBC radio. He felt it was a good educational experience for all. He believed all this talk of the middle east was a distraction from what they were there for: to protest at government inaction on the ongoing pollution at Grassy Narrows.
Current protests could have been the most educational thing I'd seen in school. Here in the Rectangle of Regression students were encouraged to write letters about a situation in Africa that had been resolved two years earlier as their introduction to citizen power.
This was a peacebuilding protest. and it was also a peace education.
What were the feelings of the students who attended it when their parents called out racism and antisemitism as well as the political leader. I'm sure that the teachers gave a good explanation of what they were trying to do to prepare the students for this event especially with what is going on in our world today with all the war torn areas increasing. Sr. Marilyn Larocque, RHSJ.
I think that Premier Ford's excoriation of the demonstration on the grounds of fighting antisemitism was a red herring used to deflect from the criminal environmental and human destruction of Grassy Narrows. He does not want to answer to the continuing industrial poisoning of the Wabagoon River and in fact is stepping up efforts to allow more mining and chemical dumping into First Nations drinking water. The parallels between abuse of Indigenous people in Canada and Indigenous Palestinians in Occupied Israel are obvious. In this way, the pro-Israel lobby have pressured Ford, a willing accomplice, to attack the Palestinian cause through anti-Palestinian racism. Finally, I wish to point out that Ford is a buffoon who at every turn undermines democracy in favor of enriching his friends by undermining affordable housing, tenants' rights, public education, public childcare, public medicare.
I wanted to say YES to students and teachers participating in peaceful protests/field trips as part of Peace Education, (thank you, Steve, for presenting that in-class opportunity), but I can’t help thinking it should be left to the discretion of the teacher, and context from class discussions, etc. As for the parents/admin calling out racism and antisemitism, these students are presenting the opportunity for their education! These students give me HOPE!
While I can see the urge for those who grieve and are angry about the awful slaughter in the middle east ( and think a stand could be taken and support should be withdrawn) it was not helpful to mingle with the march of Grassy Narrows. The contamination of the land of this first nation has been known and neglected and left unabated since I have been in Canada ( 1988) . Grassy Narrows needs its own consideration. Yes I think it is very apt to take students to this protest - September 30th just around the corner.
I agree with Steven's support for Peace Education. I wrote to Premier Ford and to some TDSB board members and the TDSB Director of Education. In part I said "I disagree with you that students should not have heard the speeches and walked in the River Run march. I submit to you that what they heard and saw at the march was a far more valuable educational experience than a years worth of studying paper documents in class. Hearing from Grassy Narrows Community members about their life experiences and hearing about what has been done to them by a series of colonial governments would stimulate some of them to pursue further knowledge and appreciation for how badly Indigenous people of what is now called Canada have been treated by colonial governments, right to this day. And we say that we are engaging in ‘reconciliation’ with First Nations. Hardly!
I would say that our students attending River Run 2024 had an experience that could lead to a deeper understanding of colonialism and what possible reconciliation between descendants of settlers and First Nations could mean."
A grade twelve student who participated was interviewed on CBC radio. He felt it was a good educational experience for all. He believed all this talk of the middle east was a distraction from what they were there for: to protest at government inaction on the ongoing pollution at Grassy Narrows.
When you get right down to it, anyone can be called antisemitic if they don't agree that Jews should be given major extra rights and privileges.
Current protests could have been the most educational thing I'd seen in school. Here in the Rectangle of Regression students were encouraged to write letters about a situation in Africa that had been resolved two years earlier as their introduction to citizen power.
This was a peacebuilding protest. and it was also a peace education.
What were the feelings of the students who attended it when their parents called out racism and antisemitism as well as the political leader. I'm sure that the teachers gave a good explanation of what they were trying to do to prepare the students for this event especially with what is going on in our world today with all the war torn areas increasing. Sr. Marilyn Larocque, RHSJ.