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Canada and the World Backgrounder articles from December 2006
A bimonthly magazine that provides background information on current events. Written specifically for high school students, as well as teachers and librarians. Individual issues are devoted to one political or social issue, which is considered both as an
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Canada and the World Backgrounder archives from December 2006
Uh oh! "... this House recognizes that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.".(CITIZENSHIP--INTRODUCTION)
December 1, 2006... On 27 November 2006, Members of Parliament overwhelmingly supported the government's motion (quoted above). Note the motion says "Quebecois"--the people of Quebec. It doesn't say Quebec--the province.
But, even before the vote was taken,...
What a strange country.(CITIZENSHIP--INTRODUCTION)(Canadian)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A book titled What is a Canadian? (ISBN: 0771083211) was published in 2006. Many prominent Canadians were asked for their answers:
"A Canadian is... someone who crosses the road to get to the middle."
Columnist Allan Fotheringham.
...
Group identity: unless you are born in Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen is a long and involved process.(CITIZENSHIP--TYPES)
December 1, 2006... Citizenship as we know it is tied tightly to democracy. In states operated as absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Brunei) or dictatorships (North Korea, Turkmenistan, Cuba) the people may be citizens but they are without fights. They...
Best of both worlds: Canada allows its immigrants to have dual citizenship; they can be Canadian citizens and still retain the citizenship of the country from which they came.(CITIZENSHIP--DUAL)
December 1, 2006... Not every country is as generous as Canada. Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. It requires citizenship applicants to give up their original citizenship. They have to go to their old country's embassy and renounce their original...
Citizenship light: Canadians seem less than enthusiastic about discharging their civic responsibilities but they sure like those rights.(CITIZENSHIP--RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS)
December 1, 2006... Canada doesn't ask a lot of its citizens: pay your taxes and obey the law. That's about it. On the other hand, its citizens ask a lot of Canada. The list of fights and privileges that come with being a Canadian citizen is long and varied.
...
Through the back door: Canada is such a wonderful country in which to live that many people, from all over the world, sometimes take enormous risks to get here. Many come here illegally to work and contribute to society in every way. When they are found to be here illegally their removal from Canada is usually heart-breaking.(CITIZENSHIP--ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS)
December 1, 2006... Canada's immigration selection system has some weaknesses. One of them is that people are deported who work in areas where there are labour shortages, particularly in the construction industry.
It's estimated that there are 10,000 to 15,000...
An identity of many: it was in the 1960s that the Canadian government started to rethink its notion of assimilating immigrants.(CITIZENSHIP--MULTICULTURALISM)
December 1, 2006... In 1971, a new government policy was announced in Canada. It embraced multiculturalism; the idea that other cultures could not only exist within the country but enrich it.
The new approach was designed to integrate different ethnic groups...
Underclass: even in countries that traditionally have welcomed immigrants, newcomers often are underprivileged and live isolated lives of hardship.(CITIZEN--BARRIERS)
December 1, 2006... Language has often been a barrier to full participation in Canadian life. After the Second World War many immigrants came to Canada from Italy. They lived in Italian-speaking communities in Canada and lots of them were able to get by quite well...
Harmless custom or threat? A lot has been made of Muslim women covering their faces with garments. Some think the custom should be banned in Western socities because they believe it hampers integration.(CITIZENSHIP--VEIL)
December 1, 2006... A cabinet minister in the United Kingdom started a controversy over the wearing of the veil by Muslim women. In early October 2006, Jack Straw, Leader of the House of Commons and MP for England's Blackburn, asked constituents wearing the niqab...
Quote ... unquote.
December 1, 2006... "I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian...