Human Rights A Day

World AIDS Day begins. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Every year, millions of people acquire HIV, and thousands die from it daily. In January of 1988, health ministers from 140 countries who were attending a world summit came up with the idea of designating a day to draw attention to HIV and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). They voted unanimously to do so. Later that year the UN and World Health Organization declared December 1, 1988 to be World AIDS Day. The day’s goal is to draw attention to this preventable disease, which is ravaging some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Initially, world leaders and organizations were slow to respond to the issue, because HIV and AIDS were thought to affect only gay men in Western countries. While some people still have their heads in the sand, most have woken up to the disease’s devastation. Now that research has shown that girls and women are at greater risk to contract HIV and AIDS, even the Girl Scouts of Canada has gotte

Jackie Robinson charges New York Yankees with racism. U.S. baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis opposed integration of black and white players. But after his death in 1944, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey decided to desegregate the major leagues. He wanted to sign more than one black player, but was concerned that would be moving too fast. So he signed Jackie Robinson from the Negro League into the minor leagues in 1946. On April 15, 1947, Robinson became the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues when he was called up to play second base with the Dodgers. He stayed for 10 years, during which he scored many firsts, including the first ever National League Rookie of the Year in 1947 and the first Black National League Most Valuable Player in 1949. Although he was the first to break the race barrier, it wasn’t without opposition. He endured taunts by racist fans and fellow players, but he never took the bait. On November 30, 1952, however, Robinson spoke up on a local TV

UN creates the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that partitioned Palestine to create an independent Jewish and Arab state. Israel was born, however, before anyone had resolved “the Palestinian question”: Palestinian people’s hopes for an independent state of their own. So, responsibility for forging a solution amidst Jewish and Palestinian contention fell squarely on the UN’s shoulders. Finally, in 1977, the UN called for annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29. Since then, neither conflict, war, terrorism nor years of negotiations have taken Palestinians any closer to their dream. The death of Palestinian President Yasser Arrafat in November 2004 raised hopes for the talks’ change in direction, but until the issue is resolved, the UN continues raising possibilities for a resolution on this day each year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform

November 28, 1909 Canadian humanitarian Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova is born. Many Canadians remember the voice of Lotta Hitschmanova on television commercials as she appealed for donations on behalf of the Canadian Unitarian Service Committee. The USC had taken on the task of feeding and supporting needy children worldwide. Hitschmanova was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on November 28, 1909. The multilingual young woman studied political science and journalism throughout Europe. As the second world war approached, she moved a number of times, keeping just ahead of the Nazis. In 1942, she ended up in France working for an immigration service. After the war, she came to Canada and continued her humanitarian work through the USC, which was focusing on children in post-war Europe. For 40 years, she traveled around the world for USC, establishing 150 programs in 20 countries. She may or may not have been aware that the RCMP was spying on her at the time, looking for possible communist sympathies or infiltration. They

Sheila Copps, Canada’s first female deputy prime minister, is born. Sheila Copps was born in Hamilton, Ontario on November 27, 1952. A year after her father completed 14 years as the city’s mayor, Copps ran for provincial office as a Liberal. She lost that election, but won on her next attempt in 1981. By 1984, she’d moved to federal politics just in time to see her Liberal Party take one of its worst beatings at the hand of Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney. Even so, Copps made her mark as one of the tenacious “rat pack,” taking on difficult issues and Opposition portfolios. In 1990, she made a bid for the leadership of her party. Even though she lost to Jean Chrétien, her strong showing enticed Chrétien to appoint her deputy leader. In 1993, the Liberal Party handed the PC Party its worst defeat in history while Copps ended up close to the top. Besides her cabinet post as environment minister, Copps became the first woman in Canada to hold the post of deputy prime minister. Years later, she ran a seco

Britain improves race relations legislation. Up until the 1960s, Britain – like so many Western countries – was known for its practice of banning non-white people from public places. That changed in 1965 when the country passed its first race relations act. It made race discrimination in such public places as hotels and movie theatres an illegal offence. Three years later, on November 26, 1968, that ruling was superseded by the Race Relations Act, which made discrimination based on ethnicity illegal in housing, employment and public services, as well. The law soon drew fire for not applying to government services such as the police. The government had just passed tougher immigration laws with the new Immigration Act, hence it felt that between the two pieces of legislation, life was now “fair but tough” on immigrants. Still, legislators did strengthen the laws in 1976, improving protections and founding the Commission for Racial Equality. After a sensationalized death and inquiry involving racial discriminati

UN declares International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. On November 25, 1960, Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo had three political activists brutally murdered. These three sisters, Patria, Maria and Antonia Mirabel, known as “The Butterflies” were part of a resistance movement to oppose the President’s rule. The outrage that followed their murder turned the spotlight on violence against women (and contributed to Trujillo’s assassination six months later). According to the World Bank, domestic violence is the most common form of violence against women, and a shocking 80 per cent of women sufferers say they know the men who attack them. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said, “Rape, domestic assault, forced prostitution, sexual abuse of children, harassment in the workplace … these are the many forms of violence against women that cut across cultural, religious and regional boundaries. We must uphold the right of all women to lives free of violence, lives of equality, de

The Hollywood 10 jailed for contempt during the Red scare. As a U.S. Congress committee sought out “un-American activities” in the late 1940s and early 1950s, even Hollywood unions came under scrutiny for signs of a communist influence. A number of Hollywood screen writers and directors refused to answer questions this committee asked of them. This prompted officials to cite 10 of them (soon to be known as the “Hollywood 10”) for contempt on November 24, 1947. The next day, the Association of Motion Picture Producers fired the Hollywood 10 and voiced support for the committee. These 10 Americans invoked their 1st amendment’s right to free speech and peaceable assembly as their defence, but the courts ignored that and sentenced them for up to a year in prison. All spent time in jail in 1950, only to find themselves blacklisted as “communist sympathizers” when they had done their time. They were unable to work in their field for more than a decade. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Father of rock and roll” fired in payola scandal while promoting black musicians. At a time when racial segregation was the norm in America, Alan Freed was promoting the music of black singers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry. Freed, born on December 15, 1921, called himself the “father of rock and roll.” After leaving one radio station in Akron, Freed moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1949, where he worked as an afternoon TV movie host as well as started a late night radio show called “The Moondog Rock Roll House Party.” He was one of the organizers of the first rock and roll concert on March 21, 1952, a show called the Moondog Coronation Ball. Freed moved to New York City and in addition to radio, in 1956 he created and starred in rock movies such as Rock Around the Clock. And before Dick Clark created American Bandstand, Freed started the television dance show Alan Freed’s Big Beat on ABC TV. In late 1959, when artists and producers were paying radio and television stations to play their music – known as pay

President John F. Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas. On November 22, 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Texas Governor John Connally, riding in the same open car, was also struck by one of the bullets, but he survived. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for killing Kennedy, but two days later, on live television, Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald. There have been many theories, conspiracy and otherwise, about the reason for Kennedy’s assassination. Ruby’s links to organized crime and the difficulty believing Oswald could be the sole shooter added to various theories. Another premise is that certain people wanted Kennedy killed due to his support of civil rights legislation. At the time of his death, Kennedy was trying to pass the Civil Rights Act, but it took a conservative Democrat – Lyndon B. Johnson – to stickhandle its passage through Congress. Vice President Johnson, who was in the Dallas procession but riding in a different car, was sworn in as president mome

Canada’s first openly gay MP, Svend Robinson, re-elected in B.C. Svend Robinson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 4, 1952, but grew up in Burnaby, B.C. before studying science and law at the University of British Columbia. A long-time social democrat concerned about human rights and social issues, Robinson joined the New Democratic Party in 1966. In 1979, at the age of 27, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Burnaby, a city bordering Vancouver. The strong constituency MP never shied away from controversial issues related to human rights and dignity, so it surprised few in 1988 when Robinson became the first Canadian MP to publicly announce he was gay. Uncertain how his constituents would receive this news, Robinson feared losing the next election, but he needn’t have worried. Not only was he re-elected on November 21, 1988, but proceeded to get the nod seven times from Burnaby constituents pleased with how he was representing them in Ottawa. Robinson conti

UN proclaims Universal Children’s Day. In 1954, the United Nations General Assembly encouraged all countries to create a Universal Children’s Day to celebrate children and promote their welfare. On November 20, 1959, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, stating, “He may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society, the rights and freedoms herein set forth…” The 10 principles included protecting children from neglect, cruelty, discrimination and exploitation. Thirty years to that day, the UN proposed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted the following year. As a result, every November 20th is now Universal Children’s Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visits Israel. Anwar al-Sadat rose from humble beginnings to the presidency of his country, Egypt. When Egypt was locked in battle with Israel over Suez Canal rights, President Sadat risked much by telling the Egyptian Parliament that he would go to great lengths to negotiate peace with Israel. Israeli officials responded quickly by inviting Sadat to visit their country. So it was that on November 19, 1977, with the world watching, Sadat landed in Tel Aviv. The next day, he spoke to Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, delivering a message of peace. This eventually led to the Camp David Accord in 1978 and a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. For these efforts, Sadat and Israel’s prime minister, Menachem Begin, jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. Sadly, Sadat was killed by a fundamentalist Muslim in Cairo in 1981 during a military review. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Preacher Sojourner Truth is born. Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery on November 18, 1797 in New York state, one of 13 children. She was first sold for $100 and subsequently sold other times before getting freedom about the time slavery was abolished in New York in 1827. One of her children had been illegally sold to an owner in Alabama and with the help of a Quaker activist, she successfully sued for his return. In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth, saying, “The Spirit calls me, and I must go.” She joined abolitionist groups and began her travels, preaching for the end of slavery. In 1850 Truth’s friend Olive Gilbert secretly published the book The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave from the memoirs she had dictated to him. Truth also became a passionate advocate for the rights of women and blacks; audiences remembered the six-foot-tall woman’s strong voice, great intelligence and quick wit. On November 19, 1851, at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, she heard male min

Defence Minister announces a public inquiry into Somalia Peacekeepers. The Canadian Airborne Regiment was modeled after the American Green Berets – an elite fighting force, ready for deployment during a time of war. In December 1992, Canada sent the Airborne Regiment and other soldiers to help the United States and United Nations keep the peace in Somalia after warlords ousted former President Mohamed Siad Barre from his East African country in 1991. However, in March of 1993, a 16-year-old Somali was beaten to death while attempting to steal supplies from the military. News of this death led to information about other killings, and exposed questionable military leadership and racism within the ranks. On November 17, 1994, Defense Minister David Collenette announced a public inquiry into Somalia incidents, aimed at determining whether there was a cover-up. The inquiry revealed a profound failure of leadership with “scandalously deficient” accountability. Investigators found that the chain of command had “fail

Authorities shut down Margaret Sanger’s birth control clinic permanently. As a midwife, Margaret Sanger witnessed too much mutilation and death amongst poor New York women trying to administer their own abortions. So in 1913, she became an activist set on promoting birth control for women. Birth control, she felt, would keep many from sinking into poverty, and keep them out of harm’s way. After several arrests and much media attention, Sanger and others opened a birth control clinic in New York. Church and state opposition to the facility led to all the members of the clinic being arrested a number of times. Yet after each set of arrests, they just bravely re-opened the clinic. That ended on November 16, 1916, when police forced the clinic’s landlord to evict Sanger and the clinic for good. Undiscouraged, Sanger continued her decades-long fight for birth control rights, eventually founding the American Birth Control League and the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau, which later became Planned Parenthood.

Supreme Court of Canada upholds religious freedom. One Sunday afternoon in 1949, approximately 30 Jehovah’s Witnesses took part in a religious service at the house of Esymier Chaput in Chapeau, Quebec. Suddenly, three provincial police officers entered the house, broke up the service and confiscated a Bible, hymn books, a number of religious pamphlets and the collection box. The officers then dispersed the group and escorted the minister out of town. Chaput took the police to court, only to lose at both the trial division and the Quebec Court of Appeal. However, on November 15, 1955, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the police had acted illegally and criminally – and awarded Chaput $2,000. Justice Taschereau wrote, “In our country, there does not exist a state religion. No one is required to follow someone else’s belief. All religions are on the same footing, and all Catholics, as well as others such as Protestants, Jews or other adherents of different religious faiths, have complete freedom to believe

New Nuremberg laws set forth severe restrictions of the rights of Jews. At a Nazi Party convention in Nuremberg, Germany on September 15, 1935, participants adopted The Nuremberg Laws of Citizenship and Race. “A citizen of the Reich may be only one who is of German or kindred blood, and who, through his behaviour, shows that he is both desirous and personally fit to serve loyally the German people and the Reich.” The purpose was to set out who did not fit “citizenship.” On November 14, 1935, the First Supplementary Decree stated, “A Jew cannot be a Reich citizen.” The laws required a social separation of Jews and non-Jews, and the immediate firing of all Jews who held civil service jobs. Next came “the law for the protection of German blood and German honour.” This forbade Jews from marrying outside their religion, and spelled out elaborate classifications for “Jewishness” – such as “full Jew” or “considered Jewish” – to help government officials determine who got what privileges and punishments. German autho

U.S. Supreme Court declares segregation on buses unconstitutional. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus run by the Montgomery Bus Company in Alabama. Asked later how she had the nerve to take such a stand, she replied, “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” A few days later, a court found her guilty of disobeying the segregation laws. This so outraged blacks that on December 5th, the Montgomery Improvement Association urged blacks to boycott the bus system. Authorities expected the protest to last a few days, but it ran for more than a year. Meanwhile, Parks’s case wound its way through the court system until on November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation on public buses was unconstitutional in nine states. Even then, despite their tired feet, blacks maintained their resolve and refused to end the boycott until December 21st, when the Supreme Court’s paperwork on the case was complete. Thus, a single act of d

UN suspends South Africa from General Assembly. After years of resolutions, restrictions and embargoes against South Africa and its state-sanctioned racist system of apartheid, the United Nations went one step further by suspending the country from the UN General Assembly on November 12, 1974. South Africa retaliated by retaining its overall membership without paying its dues. But this only racked up a $100 million US debt for the eventual post-apartheid government. Meanwhile, black South Africans spent years in their struggle for basic human rights. They requested and accepted the short-term pain of international boycotts and embargoes levied against the country for the potential long-term gains that freedom would bring. When South Africa finally granted its black majority the right to vote, the UN lifted the last of its sanctions against the country on May 25, 1994. In 1995 $95 million of South Africa’s arrears was paid when a surplus from other member countries came into the U.N. coffers. Nearly $30 millio