Tag Archives: Humanist Ottawa

Henry Beissel 1929 -2025

January 12, 2025 humanistfreedoms

Our long-time friend and lifelong humanist, Henry Beissel died earlier this week.

Henry was an active and important member of several Canadian humanist organizations from the Humanist Perspectives, Canada’s oldest humanist publication to Ottawa Humanists.

You can visit the HumanistFreedoms Youtube channel to find our readings of Henry’s “Catastrophic Glory” – a collection of his thoughts, concerns and hopes for a better, more humanist future.

Henry was a distinguished Emeritus Professor of English at Concordia University (Montreal) and where he taught for thirty years and founded a flourishing Creative Writing program. Henry was an Ottawa poet, playwright, fiction writer, translator and editor with over thirty books published. As a playwright he came to international fame with Inuk and the Sun, premiered at the Stratford Festival in 1982 and since then translated into many languages.

He was president of the “Freedom of Expression Committee” of the “Book and Periodical Council of Canada” in the 80s. The committee included representation from all writers’, journalists’, editors’ and publishers’ organizations in Canada. Henry also served on the committee on behalf of The League of Canadian Poets, and was elected to the presidency after June Callwood’s term was up and was, in turn, succeeded by Timothy Findley.

Henry Beissel was an indefatigable defender of academic freedom, freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : Henry Beissel
https://www.crestwood.on.ca/ohp/beissel-henry/

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The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Blodwen Piercy 1926-2024

January 21, 2024 humanistfreedoms

Blodwen Piercy died peacefully at Perley Health long-term care facility in Ottawa on Friday January 12,2024 at 97 years of age. She is survived by her children Peter (Miyako), Megan and Jocelyn, and granddaughter Ena. Blodwen was predeceased by her husband Joe, brother Bill and sister Meredith (Dick).

Blodwen grew up in Montreal, a top provincial swimming and diving competitor in her youth, then moved to Vancouver and studied physics at the University of British Columbia, followed by a PhD at Imperial College, London in the 1950s. Blodwen and husband Joe then worked as research physicists at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Blodwen retiring soon after to raise her children.

While raising a family, Blodwen was also a committed feminist and social activist, working for many decades in organizations such as Educating for Peace and the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League. Much of her work in these organizations is held in The Canadian Womens’ Movement Archives at Ottawa University: https://arcs-atom.uottawa.ca/index.php/blodwen-piercy-fonds. She and Joe were also active members of Humanist Canada, each serving terms as President of both Humanist Ottawa and Humanist Canada, and each were long-time Editors of the Humanist in Canada magazine (now Humanist Perspectives). They enjoyed hosting many lively Humanist gatherings in their living room in Rothwell Heights, and in 2018 Blodwen received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Humanist Ottawa.

A very informal memorial gathering is planned this summer at the cabin in the woods on Lac Poisson Blanc near Notre Dame du Laus, Quebec that Blodwen and Joe built themselves in the 1970s. All are welcome. Please contact the family at jpiercy@sympatico.ca for more details.

If you would like to make a donation in memory of Blodwen, we suggest you consider Ottawa Humanists: https://ottawahumanists.net/index.php/contact/donate/.

Thoughts from Dr. Richard Thain:

Blodwen was an early supporter of the Humanist Association of Canada (now Humanist Canada) and the last surviving founder of the Humanist Association of Ottawa (now Humanist Ottawa). My wife and I met Blodwen in the early 1980s. She was inspirational with her gentleness; her secular, humanistic worldview; and her tireless dedication to social issues.

Blodwen and her husband, Joe, were very deserving recipients of Humanist Canada’s Humanist of the Year Award (joining a list of other distinguished people). Blodwen was instrumental in organizing. She gave presentations at national and international conferences, with groups such as the American Humanist Association, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Center for Inquiry, and Humanists International (IHEU). You can visit her guestbook.

“Blodwen grew up in Montreal, a top provincial swimming and diving competitor in her youth, then moved to Vancouver and studied physics at the University of British Columbia, followed by a PhD at Imperial College, London, in the 1950s. Blodwen and husband Joe then worked as research physicists at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Blodwen retiring soon after to raise her children. (…) While raising a family, Blodwen was also a committed feminist and social activist, working for many decades in organizations such as Educating for Peace and the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League. Much of her work in these organizations is held in The Canadian Womens’ Movement Archives at Ottawa University. She and Joe were also active members of Humanist Canada, each serving terms as President of both Humanist Ottawa and Humanist Canada, and each were long-time editors of the Humanist in Canada magazine (now Humanist Perspectives). They enjoyed hosting many lively Humanist gatherings in their living room. (…) If you would like to donate in memory of Blodwen, we suggest you consider Ottawa Humanists.”

The last Humanist event Blodwen attended was at a summer BBQ in 2018, here in our backyard, when she was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Humanist Ottawa. I recall the late Dr Henry Morgentaler asking me rhetorically many years ago, “What would we do without Blodwen?”

Blodwen will be remembered for her thoughtfulness, encyclopedic knowledge, extraordinary perspicacity, perseverance, and kindness. We extend our sincere condolences to Blodwen’s family, friends, and humanist colleagues.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : https://www.basicfunerals.ca/obituaries/blodwen-piercy

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Poetry Readings From Henry Beissel: An Event

September 7, 2023 humanistfreedoms

Details

An Exclusive Evening of Poetry & Conversation with Henry Beissel

Save the Date! This October, experience an unforgettable night of literary brilliance brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada (Ottawa Branch) and Humanist Ottawa.

📅 Tuesday, October 10, 2023

⏰ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

📍 Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 6H5

Don’t miss this extraordinary chance to witness live readings from Henry Beissel, the award-winning poet and Distinguished Emeritus Professor at Concordia University. Henry’s contributions to the world of academia and literature are unparalleled, making this an evening you won’t want to miss!

Featured Works: Dive into the poetic world of Henry Beissel with select readings from his captivating collections:

– When Africa Calls Uhuru

– Fugitive Horizons

– Sightlines

– Footprints of Dark Energy (Ottawa Book Awards Winner, 2020)

🔗 Learn More: [www.henrybeissel.com]

Why You Should Attend:

– Engage in an enriching Q&A session with the poetic genius himself!

– Celebrate the indomitable spirit of academic freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press that Henry so ardently advocates.

About Henry Beissel:

A pillar of Canada’s literary scene for over five decades, Henry founded the thriving Creative Writing program at Concordia University and is the author of over 30 books, ranging from poetry to plays and translations. His play “Inuk and the Sun” gained international acclaim and has been translated into numerous languages. A stalwart defender of freedoms, Henry led the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council of Canada in the 1980s and has been a driving force behind various influential organizations.

Seats are filling up fast, so mark your calendars and prepare for a night of inspiration and wonder. We look forward to sharing this unique experience with you!

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of : Henry Beissel

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

^{By continuing to access, link to, or use this website and/or podcast, you accept the HumanistFreedoms.com and HumanistHeritageCanada.ca Terms of Service in full. If you disagree with the terms o}

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Humanist Ottawa Calls Out Canadian Governments via United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review

April 5, 2023 humanistfreedoms

Humanist Ottawa Calls for Action to Address Religious Discrimination in Canada

OTTAWA, April 5, 2023 — Humanist Ottawa (HO) has identified significant concerns with the Canadian legislative framework, citing evidence that it perpetuates systemic religious discrimination in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The organisation is advocating for change in two key areas: state-funded separate school systems for minority religious populations and the inconsistent regulation of marriage solemnization across provinces.

“There’s an enormous loophole in Canada’s legal framework”, said Robert Hamilton, President of Humanist Ottawa. “It drives preferential religious practices in the funding and administration of Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan schools to the detriment of believers in other faiths as well as non-believers in any religion.”

The Ontario Superior Court’s recent dismissal of a case addressing state-funded separate school systems for minority Catholic and Protestant populations highlights the deep-rooted religious discrimination in Canada’s legislation. This situation is compounded by the inconsistencies in provincial regulations governing marriage solemnization, which creates a discriminatory environment for humanists and the non-religious.

HO argues that these discriminatory practices damage Canada’s reputation as a nation that upholds human rights and equality. As a result, the organisation is recommending a series of actions:

Establish by November 2025 a publicly accessible legal defence fund for Canadians who have human rights claims against any federal/provincial/territorial government or its agencies in matters of systemic faithism, and freedom of religion or belief.
Establish by April 2026 a task force responsible jointly to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and The Council of the Federation to research and propose solutions to Canada’s ongoing funding of faith-based educational institutions and establish an action-oriented plan, within three years, which treats all Canadians equally and fairly.
By November 2026, hold a referendum vote on the fair treatment of all Canadians in matters of public funding of faith-based educational institutions. The referendum question should solicit the perspective of Canadians as to whether they support the claims of constitutionality of discriminatory funding.
By November 2027, amend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to formally assert neutrality in all matters of religion, whether historically based or not, and reject systemic faithism as a violation of the human rights of all Canadians.

Humanist Ottawa is dedicated to promoting the principles of fairness, equality, and the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. HO is committed to advocating for change to ensure that all Canadians, regardless of their province of residence, have access to the same rights and freedoms.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of :

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Americas, Asia, Canada, India, Uncategorized, World

Kaali: Screening out the Censors

November 27, 2022 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

In September of 2022, HumanistFreedoms.com shared information about Humanists International‘s expression of deep concern regarding what it has called “the judicial harassment of poet and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai” and regarding Humanist Ottawa’s subsequent letter to the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou.

Manimekalai, who has previously identified as bi-sexual, had been selected to produce a creative piece on multiculturalism in Canada as part of the national level academic programme ‘Under the Tent’ organized by CERC Migration – Toronto Metropolitan University. The film, ‘Kaali’ was launched at the Aga Khan Museum on July 2, 2022.

Soon the inevitable occurred. As the film came to the wider attention, some people were offended and began to express outrage and hate. This controversy led TMU and the Aga Khan Museum to pull Manimekalai’s film and to apologize to any (essentially anonymous) offended parties.

We have learned since our previous coverage, Kaali: The Short-sightedness of Censors and Kaali: Choose Love and Champion Humanity, that representatives of the Humanist Society of Toronto (HAT) and Humanist Ottawa attended a screening of Kaali on November 3 at TMU. Indeed, HAT was one of several co-sponsors of the event.

Richard Dowsett, HAT spokesperson was one of the scheduled speakers and delivered a “wonderful and incisive statement” which received enthusiastic applause. News of Dowsett’s reception at the event was shared with us by another humanist named Richard who was in attendance – Richard Thain.

Thain, who has his own experience with censors violating his charter right to freedom of expression, was also invited to speak when the event organizers learned that a Humanist Ottawa board member was present:

It is a pleasure to join you for this important event. I was just invited a few minutes ago to say a few words, so I don’t have a prepared statement, but I don’t need a prepared statement to tell you, simply from my heart, how proud I am to stand here, with all of you, ( with a gentle wave toward the audience) in support Leena Manimekalai. And I don’t need a prepared speech to tell you, Leena, how strongly we support artistic freedom and how much we, at Humanist Ottawa, admire your creativity and perseverance, in the face of adversity. (audience actually applauded several times).

As an historical aside, in 1954, the Humanist Fellowship of Montréal was founded by a man originally from India, Dr R K Mishra, a professor at Universite de Montréal. This became one of the founding groups of the Humanist Association of Canada in 1968 (now Humanist Canada).

I drove here from Ottawa, not only to support Leena, but also to oppose those people who have given-in to the “Heckler’s Veto.” People who should know better!

Our Humanist Ottawa president, Robert Hamilton, could not be here this evening, as he is presently out of the country, but he sends his warm greetings and support.

Thain also read Humanist Ottawa’s letter to TMU and the leadership of The CERC in Migration and Integration.

According to BlogTO and other mainstream media outlets, the “sold-outevent, which also featured another of the creative’s films, was sponsored by the Centre for Free Expression, PEN Canada, the Poetic Justice Foundation and other champions of free speech and creative expression as a protest against censorship.“

HumanistFreedoms.com congratulates Leena Manimekalai for courage and creativity and all of the individual and organizational supporters who didn’t leave as unchallenged the censors and the un-named (and therefore un-identifiable) offended attempt to stifle the fundamental human right to freedom of expression.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

Americas, Asia, Canada, India, Uncategorized, World

Kaali: The Short-sightedness of Censors

September 28, 2022 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

Following Humanists International‘s expression of deep concern regarding what it has called “the judicial harassment of poet and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai“, Humanist Ottawa has issued a letter to the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou.

In the letter, Humanist Ottawa President Robert Hamilton expressed the organization’s “deep concern for the egregious actions taken by CERC Migration and Integration and Toronto Metropolitan University against filmmaker Leena Manimekalia and her short artistic film, “Kaali.“

Humanist Ottawa asserted that CERC “asserted a privileged position of your organization over a person of colour and a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community – in glaring opposition to your own stated values of diversity, equity and inclusion. As well, these action unequivocally contravened Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights supporting freedom of thought, conscience and religion.“

The documentary film documents Manimekalai in the guise of the Hindu goddess Kali wandering the streets of Toronto at night during a pride festival. Manimekalai observes groups of people out on the town, riding the subway, stopping at a bar, taking selfies with members of the public, and sharing a cigarette with a man on a park bench.

Humanist Ottawa pointed out in their letter to Dr. Triandafyllidou that CERC’s actions “directly empowered others who have disseminated hate speech posters and other social media advocating violence and death against Leena Manimekalai. Your actions have cause the perpetration of flagrant injustice and have forced Leena to take steps to protect her safety.”

Maintaining an intent to promote diversity and inclusive values, Maimekalai was quoted in the New Indian Express as saying: “Kaali, the film is all about choosing love and championing humanity. Trolls who are witch-hunting me are fueled by hate. They have nothing to do with faith. If they are patient enough to watch the film they might choose love. But that’s exactly why they want the film to be banned.”

Taking aim at CERC’s status as a federally-funded status, Robert Hamilton also wrote, “In addition, your acquiescent public apology to vague assertions of offence were not only short sighted, but were indeed corrosive to individual freedoms that Canadians cherish and have fought to preserve including the freedom to express artistic and religious idea.

Finally, you took quick actions against the filmmaker without due consideration to the foreseeably dangerous consequences that could ensue. This speaks to a failure in judgement and accountability unworthy of a federally-funded program and an institution of higher learning. Canadians deserve and expect better than this.“

On 4 July, the High Commission of India in Ottawa issued a statement calling on the Canadian authorities and event organizers to withdraw her film. Her film was subsequently withdrawn and her name removed from the ‘Under the Tent’ programme by Toronto Metropolitan University, while Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum host to a screening of her film apologized for any offence caused by the film.In India, a de facto ‘blasphemy’ provision , Section 295A of the IPC allows up to three years imprisonment for “whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of a class.”

To date, CERC does not appear to have provided any public statement of how it may plan to take accountability for its contributions to the risks faced by Manimekalai. Humanist Ottawa provided some expectations from the perspective of the organization’s inclusive humanist values:

Accordingly, we therefore urge you to:

Promptly express a public apology to the filmmaker, Leena Manimekalai

Publicly articulate support for the legal, free expression of thoughts and ideas

Financially compensate the filmmaker for the pain and suffering that she continues to endure

Financially underwrite all expenses needed to ensure the safety and security of the filmmaker

HumanistFreedoms.com encourages you to share your perspective on this situation with Dr. Triandafyllidou by writing a letter of your own – and by commenting in this post.

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of: https://hindutrend.com/images-of-maa-kali-face/
https://humanists.international/2022/08/india-drop-investigations-into-filmmaker/

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.