Human Rights A Day

Soviets and Nazis sign a non-aggression pact that leads to World War II. World War I came to a close with Germany signing the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Many a historian has written about the severity of the treaty and the negative impact it had on Germany’s ability to grow into a strong country. Germany was to repay the Allies for their costs of the war, lose significant parts of its territory, and all branches of the military were to be severely limited in personnel and armaments. In addition to the harsh realities of the Depression, Adolf Hitler exploited the German people’s outrage and feelings of humiliation from the treaty. He took his band of thugs from political obscurity to complete power in 1933 through the National Socialist German Workers’ Party – the Nazis. While Hitler was carrying out his plans for creating the perfect aryan nation internally, he was flouting Versailles left and right. He brought back conscription while increasing the size and might of his military. He reoccupied the de

David Reimer, raised as “Brenda,” is born. Twins Bruce and Brian were born to Ron and Janet Reimer on August 22, 1965 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Six months later, when a failed circumcision severely damaged Bruce’s penis, a psychologist persuaded his parents to raise him as a girl. So, after much angst, they allowed doctors to physically alter their infant, and renamed him Brenda. They did so on the advice of renowned psychologist and sex researcher Dr. John Money of John Hopkins Hospital in the U.S. Money believed “gender identity” could be shaped at an early age, and for many years, he cited Brenda as a shining example. Meanwhile, Brenda Reimer – though in the dark as to her gender history – grew up feeling awkward, hated dresses and insisted on standing while urinating. When she was told the truth at age 14, she took the name David and regarded herself as a boy henceforth. In his 30s, Reimer shared his story with author John Colapinto, who in 2000 published the book, As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised

United Church of Canada reaffirms the ordination of gay & lesbian ministers. In 1972, the United church’s general council commissioned a study on human sexuality that went toward helping its members accept gays and lesbians more than other mainstream religious groups in Canada. Eight years later, the church established a task force to determine what role gays and lesbians might play in the church. By 1988, defying substantial opposition from across the country, church leaders passed a motion that allowed homosexuals to become full and active members of the church – even to serve as ordained ministers. Two years later, on August 21, 1990, delegates to the United church’s highest court reaffirmed the ordination of gay and lesbian ministers in a London, Ontario gathering. Delegates approved the controversial policy by a vote of 302 to 74. The policy split the church in many communities and prompted some to leave. The United Church is Canada’s largest Protestant denomination. See acast.com/privacy for privacy

Katherine Ryan, “the real Klondike Kate,” is born in New Brunswick. When people think of Klondike Kate, they conjure up images of a dance-hall entertainer or gold mine prostitute. The real Klondike Kate was Katherine Ryan, born August 20, 1869 in Johnville, New Brunswick. Ryan became a nurse in Seattle, Washington before journeying in 1898 to the Klondike, where she staked three gold claims. When she reached Whitehorse, she used her nursing skills to tend to the sick, but had many other occupations. A sign on her tent read, “Kate’s Café, open for business.” There she served food for two years before moving into more permanent quarters. At six feet tall, she was capable at handling unruly characters that led the northwest Mounted Police to make her a special constable so she could help with female prisoners. This job made Ryan the first woman to join the Mounted Police. Later, she became a guard at the Whitehorse jail. There she met a prostitute and dancer named Kitty Rockwell, who took on the name Klondike K

Trials find 17 former Auschwitz SS officials and guards guilty. During World War II, Nazi Germany had dozens of prisons, often referred to as “camps” in various countries. They were used to hold prisoners of war, and any undesirable people. They were also used for exterminations, supplying forced labour and to transfer prisoners. The most infamous of these facilities were the extermination camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belżec, Kulmhof, Jasenovac, Lwów, Majdenek, Maly Trostenets, Sobibór, Treblinka and Warsaw. Two decades after the Allies had liberated Germany’s camps, the world watched court proceedings that would determine the fate of former Secret Service (SS) officials and guards. This was the first time persons responsible for the atrocities were brought before a German court, and it was seen by many as a shift in which Germans were finally dealing with the horrors instead of hoping the memories would fade. On August 19, 1965, following a year and a half of proceedings, an official read out the sentences i

James Meredith becomes first African American student to graduate from the University of Mississippi. After many years in the military and two years at the all-black Jackson State College, James Meredith applied to the University of Mississippi in 1961, only to be denied admission on the basis of his race. He took the university to court and won his case at the U.S. Supreme Court, but it wasn’t enough. Mississippi’s governor, Ross Barnett, still refused him admission, and the State Congress passed laws to keep him out. After U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy intervened, Meredith was escorted onto campus in 1962 – amid thousands rioting against him. Gunfire crackled, Molotov cocktails exploded and bricks whizzed through the air. By the time the crowd had dispelled, two people were dead, 28 marshals had been shot and many others had been wounded. But Meredith had passed through the doors. On August 18, 1963, he became the first African American student to graduate from “Ole Miss.” See acast.com/privacy for p

Berlin Wall casualty rate reaches 50 as another German tries to jump it. In 1961, the Soviet Union-controlled government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall as a “barrier to Western imperialism.” Many people tried crossing the well-guarded wall that stood between the communist-controlled eastern portion of the city and the “free” west. Some were successful, but 246 died on the wall during its 28 years. On August 17, 1962, Peter Fechter was shot as he tried to jump the barbed-wire section near the border crossing of Checkpoint Charlie. The 18-year-old bled to death as East German soldiers refused to let anyone help. He became the wall’s 50th casualty. Of the estimated 10,000 who tried to escape the East (not just over the wall), 5,000 were successful. The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The United Church of Canada appoints its first woman moderator, Lois Wilson. Born April 8, 1927, Lois Wilson attained her bachelor of arts and bachelor of divinity degrees from United College in Winnipeg. Wilson was ordained as a United church minister in 1965 and engaged in team ministry with her husband, Dr. Roy Wilson, for 17 years. During this time she became first woman president of the Canadian Council of Churches.from 1976 until 1979. Years later, she became the first Canadian president of the World Council of Churches. On August 16, 1980, Wilson chalked up yet another first when she secured the role of Moderator of the United Church of Canada – the church’s top post - a position she held for two years. Her work for international human rights and peace won her the Pearson Peace Prize by the UN Association in Canada, and the World Federalists Peace Award. Wilson is also author of five books and holds 11 honorary doctorates from universities and colleges in Canada and the United States. In 1984, she beca

India gains independence. India came under direct British rule in 1858, following a failed uprising. From that point forward, citizens’ resentment grew towards the rulers; the Indian people wanted to control their own destiny. The next few decades were marked by protests, arrests, killings and internal fighting. But the creation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 and the civil disobedience of leader Mohandas Ghandi starting in 1920, were two factors that led to a turn of events. At the stroke of midnight between August 14 and 15, 1947, Britain relinquished its control. India broke into two countries: India (predominantly Hindu) and Pakistan (predominantly Muslim). Though the process would be marred by violence, on that day, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, said, “We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.” His speech became world famous. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Polish workers stage a massive strike for rights. In the 1970s, Poland was part of the Soviet Bloc, but its citizens had a knack for flexing their political muscle in a way that distressed Russians. In 1980, things came to a head when Polish workers stepped up union activities in hopes of improving their working conditions and political freedoms. Shipyard workers in Gdansk, Poland staged a strike to protest the dismissal of trade union activist Anna Walentinowicz. Some 16,000 workers joined in the August 14, 1980 strike, which kicked off the Solidarity movement. Not only did the workers get Walentinowicz reinstated; they eventually won many other important rights and political freedoms. Unfortunately, the success influenced Russia to outlaw Solidarity a year later. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Children can’t be forced to pray in school, Manitoba court rules. In 1986, Chris Tait was given a week’s suspension at Macgregor High School in Manitoba for refusing to stand during the Lord’s Prayer. That prompted a court case that eventually led to an August 13, 1992 ruling by the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench that it is unconstitutional to make prayers mandatory in public schools. At the time, only Manitoba and British Columbia still required prayers in public schools, and an Ontario Court of Appeal decision had recently produced similar results. As part of the Manitoba ruling, Justice Monnin struck down the section of Manitoba’s Public Schools Act that contravened section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms relating to freedom of conscience and religion. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Canada’s first woman aboriginal chief, Gwen O’Soup Crane, was born. Gwendolyn Lucy O’Soup was born on August 12, 1930 in the Key First Nation, Saskatchewan, a small community 220 kms northeast of Regina by the Manitoba border. Due to a government-mandated restriction on the education of First Nations people, Gwen was allowed to complete no more than grade eight. To combat this, she took a job babysitting the teacher’s children to have more access to education. At the same time, she worked diligently on her father’s farm. She married Clifford Crane and they raised nine children. At the age of 24, Crane was nominated for the position of chief and won by three votes in December 1954. Thus, she became Canada’s first woman First Nations chief. The Indian Act and racial segregation had a direct and heart-wrenching effect on Crane and her family. In 1956, while working at a mink farm in Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, she took her infant son Norman to a local hospital when he suffered a seizure. The hospital turned her aw

Canadian Communist Party leader Tim Buck arrested for left-wing beliefs. Not many politicians hold a post for 35 years, but Timothy Buck did exactly that. Born on January 6, 1891 in England, the machinist and labour leader immigrated to Canada in 1910. There he rose to the rank of general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada in 1929, a post he held until 1964. He ran for Parliament several times, gaining 25 per cent of the votes at least twice, but never made it to MP. Of course, the existence of the Communist Party worried many Canadians, among them Prime Minister R.B. Bennett. Fearful of a left-wing uprising during the Great Depression, he ordered police to take action against party leaders. On August 11, 1931, they arrested Buck and other Communist Party members across Canada for sedition: incitement to rebellion. Buck was convicted and spent two years in Kingston Penitentiary for his political beliefs. He died in 1973. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Queen approves Canadian Bill of Rights. The Canadian Bill of Rights became law under Progressive Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker on August 10, 1960. It protected human rights based on freedom of religion, speech, assembly, association and the press. It also set out protections in criminal matters, such as the right to seek legal counsel and against arbitrary detention. While these kinds of freedoms had never before been put into Canadian law, the new bill was criticized for being a statute rather than part of the constitution. This meant it applied only to federal, not provincial, legislation. Over the years, however, each province expanded protections by creating human rights commissions and eventually the federal and provincial governments decided to enshrine protections in the constitution. In 1982, the Constitution Act was passed to include the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a document that made human rights protections part of the constitution, and applied to all forms of Canadian governmen

UN urges world to recognize issues of indigenous people. Every August 9th, the United Nations celebrates indigenous people’s rights. The designation grew from the formation of a UN working committee on August 9, 1982, assigned to study human rights issues pertaining to indigenous people. Twelve years later in 1994, the UN decided to draw more attention to these issues by establishing the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The UN’s goal is to strengthen international cooperation on human rights, the environment, development, education and health where they apply to indigenous peoples. However, the UN has more than just a ceremonial day in mind. After almost a quarter century of discussions, on June 29, 2006 the UN Human Rights Council adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This declaration, which accepts the notion of “self determination” and various forms of sovereignty for indigenous people, has been accepted by most governments around the world.

More than 1,000 protesting students in Rangoon killed by Burma’s military. Burma, today called Myanmar, is a country with a long history of political turmoil. The last outsiders to rule the country were the British, who began their conquest in 1824 and stayed until 1948. With their departure came significant internal turmoil that left the government weak. In 1962, General Ne Win abolished Burma’s constitution and created a military dictatorship. Decades later, after years of unrest from a deteriorating economy and horrible human rights abuses, students began peaceful demonstrations calling for an end to the dictatorship. The demonstrations grew until August 8, 1988, when government troops killed over 1,000 students in the city of Rangoon. Since then, the government of Myanmar has shown no tolerance for internal dissent, which has in turn made the country a target for international boycotts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Commemorative coin honours black activist Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on April 5, 1856 in Hales Ford, Virginia. When his family was freed in April 1865 by the Emancipation Proclamation, they moved to Malden, West Virginia. There, Washington worked early morning mine shifts before attending school. He eventually enrolled at the Hampton Institute of Virginia, a new school for blacks that he later served as an instructor. Washington went on to create the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881, and build a nation-wide reputation as an activist for education. Blacks would achieve full equality only when they had educational opportunities equal to whites, he preached. Washington died in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1915, but his legacy lives on. On August 7, 1946, the U.S. Congress made him the first African American to be commemorated on an American coin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Americans drop atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Although the war in Europe ended in May 1945, it continued to rage in Asia. The Allies expected to win, but knew it would take a long time and involve many casualties. For years, under the code name “Manhattan Project,” Americans had been working secretly on a nuclear bomb; now they were ready to use it. On the morning of August 6, 1945, U.S. Colonel Paul Tibbets dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan from his plane, the “Enola Gay.” An estimated 129,558 people were killed, wounded or went missing. Three days later, the U.S. dropped another bomb on the city of Nagasaki. Shortly thereafter, the Japanese surrendered, ending the second world war. The Canadian government, proud of its part, announced that Canadian scientists had worked with the Americans, and the uranium the bombs required had been mined from Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories. Prime Minister Mackenzie King wrote in his diary, “It is fortunate that use of the bomb should have been upon

Montreal Mayor Camilien Houde arrested for sedition. While most Canadians take pride in the role their country played during both world wars, many Quebecers saw the wars as unnecessary British colonial battles. That made World War II conscription contentious to men like Montreal Mayor Camilien Houde. He had a political career at the provincial, federal and municipal levels. From 1929 until 1932, Houde was leader of the Quebec Conservative Party. In 1949 he became an independent Member of Parliament after unsuccessfully running as a federal Conservative. But Houde was also mayor of Montreal, elected in 1928, 1934 and 1938. A long time opponent to conscription, Houde was quoted urging his constituents to ignore the National Registration Act. Three days later, on August 5, 1940, Houde was arrested under the War Measures Act for sedition. He was held at internment camps in Petawawa, Ontario and Gagetown, New Brunswick. On his release on August 18, 1944, Houde was met by thousands of cheering Montrealers. He won t

Michaëlle Jean becomes Canada’s first black governor general. Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1957. When Jean was 10 years old, her father was arrested and tortured for his opposition to dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier. In 1968, shortly after his release, the family moved to Thetford Mines, Quebec, where Michaëlle was amazed to find snow. She was a brilliant student with an ability for languages. Her education at the University of Montreal, University of Perouse, University of Florence and the Catholic University of Milan gave her an upper hand in literature and languages. She is fluent in French, English, Italian, Spanish and Creole. During her studies, between 1979 and 1987, Jean worked with Quebec shelters for battered women. Wanting to get into journalism, she arrived back in Haiti in February 1986 just as Duvalier’s son, Baby Doc, and his corrupt regime were coming to an end. Her work on that story led her to join Radio-Canada in 1988 with a career in reporting and hosting many