My issue is not so much the UN, as it is with Gay McDougall, the author of the report.
It appears her evidence is quite anecdotal, and does not go far enough into the actual data itself.
In any society you will find incidents of discrimination against minorities, ...both real & perceived,
however, while I find the incidents of racism, bigotry & xenophobia that occasionally occur, abhorrent, they are very few and far between. Relatively speaking, ...they are non-existent here in Canada.
It is more prevalent in Québec imo, due to the long history of Francophone feeling threatened by the overwhelmingly Anglophone society. They felt themselves to be a people under seige, and we well know the stupid irrational attrocities people commit when their thought processes are clouded by fear.
I know there are some immigrants who feel very hard pressed upon, however, I also know there are many who are woefully unaware of how competitively unemployable they are. The main issue is most frequently their lack of English or French language skills.... both written & oral. A friend of mine publishes a Vancouver based national monthly magazine specifically geared towards newcomers. It's entire focus is on helping new Canadians acclimatize and achieve success in their new country. He has also set up a networking group to allow successful Canadian immigrants to help, guide, and mentor newcomers in all areas, from finding a job, starting their own busiesses, upgrading their skills, practicing language skills, locating resources, acclimatizing to Canadian culture etc., etc., etc., I have to tell you, I have never heard of any other country that takes such proactive measures, and goes as far as Canada does to assist newcomers to their country. It wasn't until I joined Nick's efforts to assist newcomers that my eyes became open to many of the resources Canada makes available. It is absolutely staggering, ...and I know that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Canada and Canadians don't view this as a "handout", we see it as an investment in our country and our country's future, that has been producing a staggering ROI over the years. We also don't or rather shouldn't pat ourselves on the back for our humanitarianism or altruism either, because it has nothing to do with those lofty qualities. It might feel good to say we are all those things, and it might make us look good in the eyes of others, but make no mistake about it, ...our motives are not that noble. It is straight up pragmatism, and good common sense. Bigotry & xenophobia are "luxuries" this country simply cannot afford. We are the 2nd largest country in the world, and most of our land is unoccupied virgin wilderness. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to guestimate that at least 95% of our land mass is unoccupied. There are regions in our country that people don't venture into without homing beacons transmitting their locations, ...many areas that quite possibly have not even been set foot on. WE NEED PEOPLE! ...and we need them YESTERDAY! We recognize that immigrants are Canada's future, ...and if we treasure our country and our culture... we better darn well make sure we help these newer Canadians to integrate and assimilate into Canada, and into Canadian culture pronto. We know what we have to do and we are doing it.... whether Ms. McDougall sees it or not.
I have no idea how that woman can ever show her face in public. With that report, she has lost all credibility with her peers, as well as human rights organizations throughout the world.
