WENDY ELLIOTT: Nova Scotia’s 10 universities must be worried by Bill 12
Twice this past term I had a marvellous opportunity to sit in on some Acadia University student presentations. The first were several groups who had investigated the concept of micro transit as it might apply in Wolfville. Great exploration of an interesting topic.
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The second group discussion, by students of Cynthia Alexander, looked at our law, politics and government during these potent times. They all agreed that topics raised in the class had widened their perspective.
Few knew of the Chinese head tax that was set in 1885, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 or the Second World War moves by the Canadian government to dispossess and place over 22,000 Japanese Canadians in detention.
Many spoke about Indigenous rights that have so widely been ignored. They had learned about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that made 94 calls to action in 2015. A decade later, about 85 per cent of the concerns are complete or underway, but far too many reserves continue to lack safe drinking water and housing. Too many Inuit children are going hungry.
Speakers, like Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, had raised awareness of racism that is often subtly hidden. One student named Quinn acknowledged being part of the privileged middle class that fail to understand minority issues.
Several of the students spoke to the need to........
