Each year, CFUW National collects and edits Resolutions submitted by CFUW Clubs across the country. In our club, each resolution is read and researched by one volunteer. The volunteers meet once to review all the Resolutions and recommend which ones our Club will support, modify or oppose. These resolutions are used by Clubs to lobby local, provincial and federal politicians. Below are the six resolution proposed for 2009-2010. If you are interested in researching one of the resolutions for 2010-2011, please contact Susan Hughes.

Each resolution has the proposed wording that was distributed by CFUW National for consideration by all CFUW Clubs prior to voting at the CFUW July 2010 AGM.

We have also included the recommendation of the Resolutions Committee as to whether we feel our Club should vote to accept, reject or request amendments to the proposed resolution. Where the recommendation is to reject or amend, the rationale for the recommendation is also included. After all 6 proposed resolutions, the background materials circulated by the submitting Club or National Committee have been included for your reference. If you wish to see the full bibliography, please contact Martha Abra and she will forward a copy to you.

Resolution 1

CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS AND CANADA’S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES – Proposed by CFUW Oakville

RESOLVED that CFUW urge:

  • the Government of Canada, and the Provinces and Territories of Canada, to implement a ban on the mining, use, and trade of all forms of asbestos.
  • the Government of Canada to support the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
  • the Government of Canada to protect human health and the environment by working with other nations to promote shared responsibility and cooperation in the international trade of hazardous substances.

RECOMMENDATION – TO ACCEPT THIS RESOLUTION AS IS

Resolution 2

THE FUNDING OF ABORIGINAL EDUCATION – Proposed by the National Education Committee

RESOLVED that CFUW urge:

  • the Government of Canada, and the provincial and territorial governments, to make available the resources and support necessary to provide the Aboriginal population with the same quality, same level of access and funding for education as that provided through the public education system.

RECOMMENDATION – TO REJECT THIS RESOLUTION

RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDING REJECTION OF THIS RESOLUTION:

This proposed resolution largely duplicates a portion of an existing Policy in CFUW’s Policy Handbook which was added in 2008 (see point 3):

RESOLVED, That the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) urge the federal, provincial, municipal and territorial governments of Canada to honour Crown commitments and to develop and adequately fund, in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations, balanced, holistic solutions to the severe discrepancies in standards of living between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians by:

  1. Actively negotiating to resolve outstanding land claims;
  2. Implementing a long term plan to remedy the critical shortage of suitable affordable housing, including services infrastructure, for Aboriginal Canadians, on and off reserve;
  3. Establishing and implementing a long-term plan to enable the graduation rate of aboriginal Canadians from secondary and post-secondary education and skills training to be similar to that of non-aboriginal Canadians; and
  4. Increasing the funding of aboriginal health-care systems and setting specific targets to improve all aspects of Aboriginal mental and physical health, including the reduction of infant mortality, malnutrition, diabetes, substance abuse and suicide.

The 2008 resolution more fully addresses concerns expressed by many of the Committee members:

  1. We feel that the 2008 policy with its wider scope to advocate for a full range of issues affecting Aboriginals, is a more useful policy for CFUW members to use. The proposed 2010 resolution, taken in isolation, does not target the complex health and social factors that impinge on education.
  2. Social problems, such as unwanted teenage pregnancies, alcohol & drug abuse, glue & solvent sniffing, suicide, poverty, and unemployment, abound in many Aboriginal communities. Health care issues are also prevalent including nutritional & dental problems. Implementing new educational resources, support and funding as proposed in the 2010 resolution without ensuring that guidelines, accountability, and/or other actions to address the social problems on reserves are also implemented, may not result in the needed improvements in the standard of education for Aboriginal peoples.
  3. Aboriginal communities need to plan curricula to suit their unique requirements, and establish goals along with methods for reaching those goals. Without sufficient planning and accountability, any increase in funds for education might be misappropriated.
  4. The proposed 2010 resolution is redundant, since in order to achieve the goals set forth in the 2008 Policy regarding achieving comparable secondary and post-secondary graduation rates and skills training, there would have to be substantial educational quality and access improvements.

Resolution 3

MOBILIZING THE WILL TO INTERVENE – W2I – Proposed by CFUW International Relations Committee

  1. adopt as policy support for the Will to Intervene – W2I – Leadership and Action to Prevent Mass Atrocities demonstrated by the setting of clear policy priorities at the highest levels of government that preventing abuse and slaughter of innocent victims is one of its most important duties
  2. urge the Government of Canada to make the Prevention of Mass Atrocities a national priority by:
  3. promoting a broadly designed public discussion on Canada’s role in preventing mass atrocities
  4. convert the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity into a Standing Joint Committee
  5. establish an interdepartmental Coordinating Officer for the Prevention of Mass Atrocities
  6. create standard operating procedures for disseminating intelligence concerning the risk of mass atrocities throughout the whole of government
  7. consult with civil Society and NGOs to explore the broad question of how preventing mass atrocities is in Canada’s interest
  8. urge parliamentarians and senators to exercise their individual initiatives and use their existing powers and privileges to advocate for the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect – R2P, as an international norm and a vital part of Canada’s foreign policy

Resolution 4

Promoting Financial Capability and Financial Literacy in Canada

  1. recognize “financial capability” as instrumental to the well-being of all Canadians and as an essential educational competency and foundational skill
  2. allocate resources to promote a cohesive nation-wide financial capability/literacy program
  3. form a national independent task force to develop a national strategy for financial capability/literacy
  4. design a nation-wide education program to develop
  5. financial knowledge and understanding
  6. financial skills and competence
  7. financial decision-making responsibility

RECOMMENDATION – TO AMEND THIS RESOLUTION AS FOLLOWS:

RESOLVED that CFUW:

  1. adopt as policy support for the Will to Intervene – W2I – Leadership and Action to Prevent Mass Atrocities demonstrated by the setting of clear policy priorities at the highest levels of government that preventing abuse and slaughter of innocent victims is one of its most important duties
  2. urge the Government of Canada to make the Prevention of Mass Atrocities a national priority by:
  3. promoting a broadly designed public discussion on Canada’s role in preventing mass atrocities
  4. convert the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity into a Standing Joint Committee
  5. establish an interdepartmental Coordinating Officer for the Prevention of Mass Atrocities
  6. create standard operating procedures for disseminating intelligence concerning the risk of mass
  7. atrocities throughout the whole of government
  8. consult with civil Society and NGOs to explore the broad question of how preventing mass atrocities is in Canada’s interest

• urge parliamentarians and senators to exercise their individual initiatives and use their existing powers and privileges to advocate for the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect – R2P, as an international norm and a vital part of Canada’s foreign policy

• adopt as policy support for the Will to Intervene – W2I – Leadership and Action to Prevent Mass Atrocities by working with other Canadian civil society organizations to advocate at national, provincial and local levels for the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

Resolution 5

Protecting the Health of Canadians by Reducing Environmental Toxins

Protect the health of Canadians by reducing their exposure to environmental toxins through measures that:

  1. strengthen and enforce regulations that require all those who produce and/or disseminate toxic or potentially toxic compounds to show due diligence to protection of human health and the environment
  2. ensure that no new product is approved for use in Canada until there is convincing evidence that it does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment
  3. promote producer responsibility at every stage of product life, including waste management during manufacture, packaging, distribution, and final product disposal
  4. increase monitoring and effective control of the sources, dissemination and disposal of environmental toxins
  5. promote public awareness and support the development and use of safe alternatives