Announcements
CourtInformation.ca
The Society’s Court Information Program for Immigrants has a new online home. CourtInformation.ca provides information on a variety of topics – from Canadian Law to BC Courts and Family Law.
The website features numerous videos, links to online resources, as well as translated information from the popular resource Learning About the Law in six languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Spanish and French.
The Court Information Program for Immigrants eliminates language barriers to BC’s courts by providing free information and referrals to new immigrants and refugees appearing in court.
ImmigrantLegal.ca
The Immigrant PLEI Consortium (IPC) also has a new website – ImmigrantLegal.ca. The IPC is a collaboration of 12 organizations working together to improve the delivery of public legal education and information (PLEI) to immigrants.
The website features a wealth of information on the two topic areas the IPC focused on during year one: employment law and residential tenancy law. Resources include fact sheets, frequently asked questions, workshop videos and an online, interactive map of service organizations.
Victoria Office Reopened
The Justice Education Society has reopened its Victoria office and is now offering services on a limited basis.
Effective immediately, the office will provide services to schools and community groups on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. These services are part of the Society’s Justice System Education Program, which includes courtwatching, court orientations, mock trials, judge/lawyer sessions as well as career and personal planning.
The office had been closed since August due to funding cuts by the provincial government. The reopening is made possible by funding provided by the Victoria Bar Association and by the Notary Foundation of BC. In January, the Victoria Bar Association urged its members to donate to the Society and agreed to match the donations on a dollar-for dollar-basis.
Event: Human Rights in Guatemala: A Challenging Reality
The Justice Education Society invites you to a free presentation by Helen Mack Chang, a Guatemalan human rights advocate and Commissioner for Police Reform in Guatemala. The event takes place on May 10 at 7pm in Room 7000 at SFU at Harbour Centre (15 West Hastings Street, Vancouver).
Helen Mack Chang founded the Myrna Mack Foundation after her sister, a social anthropologist and human rights activist, was brutally assassinated by the Guatemalan military in 1990.
The Foundation combats criminal impunity in Guatemala and contributes to the modernization and democratization of the country’s justice system. Helen has battled state structures that conceal human rights violations and revealed corruption between state officials and organized crime and drug trafficking.
Space is limited. RSVP to 604.660.0588 or RSVP@JusticeEducation.ca by May 7. For more information, visit www.JusticeEducation.ca/International/Events.
MOU Signed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Honduras
The Justice Education Society’s Strengthening Effective Justice Systems project continues to expand in Central America. In February, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Honduras. It was a great honour to have Peter Kent, Canada’s minister of state of foreign affairs (Americas), attend the MOU signing. MOUs mark a commitment from local authorities that is essential for the project’s efficient implementation and sustainability.
Fundraising Gala & Dinner
You are invited to a fundraiser for We Can BC named Uniting Diverse Communities to End Violence against Women. The colourful evening will feature multicultural entertainment, fusion cuisine dinner and a silent auction. There will also be door prizes and community display tables.
The event takes place on May 28 at the Pearl Palace (201-13030 76 Ave., Surrey). Doors open at 6pm and the program begins at 7pm.
Tickets are $50 per person or $400 per table of eight. Contact Admin(at)WeCanBC.ca or 604-760-5727 for sponsorship opportunities and to purchase tickets.
Speakers at the event will include Jim Sinclair, president of the BC Federation of Labour and Indira Prahst, a sociology instructor at Langara College. There will also be a theatrical performance by New World Theatre.
Web 2.0
The Society is now posting its events and BC justice news on its Facebook page. Visit www.Facebook.com/JusticeEducation to receive the updates and help build our community of “fans.”
Staff News
Iain Henderson has joined the Society’s Finance Department as the new Accounting Clerk. He will be working Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be reached at 604.660.5123 and Iain.Henderson(at)JusticeEducation.ca.
Margarita Virata Santos, the Parenting After Separation programs administrator, has a new phone number. She can now be reached at 604.660.8409.
Project News
Downtown Community Court Videos
Three new public legal education videos on Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court (DCC) can now be viewed:
• Introduction to the DCC
• How it Works
• Involving Community
The court, the first of its kind in Canada, takes a problem-solving approach to dealing with offenders who may have issues with health, homelessness, and drug addiction.
AdminLawBC.ca Now Multilingual
AdminLawBC.ca, Canada’s premiere website on administrative law, has extended its audience by adding information and videos in four languages – English, Chinese (Simplified), Punjabi and Spanish.
Users can now read information and watch instructional videos in their own language to learn more about administrative law, tribunal hearings and preparing a case.
Justice System Education Program
Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan recently featured the Society’s Justice System Education Program in an article he wrote for the Vancouver Sun. The Society filmed four judge sessions and provided transcripts to Justice McEwan, who used the information to write the article. The videos are currently being edited and will be available to teachers by Fall 2010.
Though the Heavens Fall Screening
On March 22, over 50 people viewed a free screening of Though the Heavens Fall – a documentary celebrating the BC Court of Appeal’s 100th anniversary. The film was very well-received and followed inspiring speeches from the Honourable Judge Pedro de Couto, the Society’s president, as well as the Honourable Chief Justice Lance Finch of the Court of Appeal.
The DVD and Teacher’s Guide can be purchased for $20. You can also view the film’s trailer. The film will also be played on the Knowledge Network on April 30 at 7pm as well as May 3 at 11pm. In addition, a book has been written by Christopher Moore, a well-known writer of Canadian history and the author of several works of legal history, to commemorate the anniversary.
Being an Active Citizen
This project is moving into the implementation phase as teaching resources for BC Social Studies grades 7 to 11 have been completed. By learning about the law and how government functions, students will understand how they can participate in decisions being made in their communities.
BCCitizenship.ca, the project’s website, will be re-launched with a new design in May. Teachers and students will be encouraged to share their active citizenship experiences on the website as well as the project’s upcoming Facebook page. Teachers will be able to download the project’s teaching resources from the website.
Stomp Out Violence Run
On April 7, We Can BC partnered with Dr. Roz’s Healing Place to organize the Stomp Out Violence Cross Country Run. The Justice Education Society is a Coalition Partner of We Can BC.
The Society hosted a news conference to launch the event. Dr. Roz Roach, executive director of Dr. Roz’s Healing Place, Rick Craig of the Justice Education Society and Miriam Palacios of Oxfam Canada (which is also a Coalition Partner of We Can BC) spoke about the impact of violence and the need to prevent it. They were then joined by colleagues and supporters on the 20 km run – two laps of Stanley Park’s Seawall.
The run is part of a national fundraising campaign to build the Changa House - National Youth Centre for Change in Scarborough, Ontario. The Youth Centre will provide long-term programming for Canadian youth and youth-at-risk.
New Resources
The Society has produced many new resources to promote its programs and websites as well as educate the public. This includes a Courts of BC brochure and promotional cards for VictimsInfo.ca, KidsBC.ca, SmallClaimsBC.ca and “Resources for Parents.” Contact us (604.660.9870) if you would like to display these resources in your office.