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Petition Tag - diversity
1. Support Canadian National Child Care 
We are calling on you to work together to honor the promise of a national child care program to all Canadian families and children. Canada’s children and families deserve the right to a National Child Care System. November 2009 marked the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Canada still scores LAST amongst industrialized nations in our provision of early childhood education and care and family support policies.
The place to start is by protecting the early learning and child care agreements between the Government of Canada and the provinces. While income support for families is a valid policy goal, a taxable family allowance and a tax credit for employers will not create early learning and child care services that are high quality, available and affordable.
Families need income supports and publicly funded child care services. By supporting families with affordable, high-quality options for early childhood learning and care will benefit child development and the social and economic well-being of communities. The variations of policy across Canadian provinces has only allowed Canadians to create a disjointed system and framework, which results in inequalities for our children and families across the nation. We call on all governments to protect and enhance progress on creating a framework to support a National Child Care System.
Children in Canada and their families need high-quality, accessible, inclusive and PUBLICLY FUNDED early education and care for their children. Canada has made many attempts at implementing a national publicly funded system, but have failed each time. We hope that this will be our last attempt because we WILL succeed in convincing our government to take responsibility for Canadian children, and to give our families a real choice in the care and education of their children.
It is time for Canadians to demand a system that values children and families, and makes early childhood education and care a fundamental part of our country. We need to ask our government to commit to building the child care system that Canadians want.
Please add your name to this petition and forward to everyone who you know. The children are our future.
We will be holding a rally in Toronto on March 8th, 2011, and encourage our neighboring cities, provinces and territories to follow our lead.
For more information, or to get involved, please email us at nationalchildcarenow@gmail.com
SCAN TV (Seattle Community Access Network Television) offer Seattle and King County residents and organizations affordable production resources and access to various kinds of distribution technologies to become the Producers and the Content Providers of SCAN TV, allowing SCAN TV to showcase diverse expressions of thought, art and entertainment. SCAN airs on Comcast channel 77 and Broadstripe 23 in Seattle.
FUNDING: Public access channels come from Section 611 of the Communications Act. They are dedicated channel space on cable systems specifically for “use by the general public.” The cable channels pay for public access through franchise fees paid by subscribers; since 2006, those franchise fees are paid by Comcast to the City of Seattle, Department of Information Technology, and are held in the Cable Television Franchise Subfund. The Department of Information Technology contracts with SCAN as the “designated public access manager for the City of Seattle.” In 2010, SCAN received $650,000 from the City for this purpose.
Anyone can sign! Our first preference is for Seattle residents, then King County residents.
3. Provide more Educate Together Schools to meet the growing demand for this model of education
Educate Together is a recognised patron body and the fastest growing provider of primary school education in Ireland today. It operates schools based on the delivery of equality of access and esteem to children irrespective of their social, cultural or religious backgrounds.
Set up in the 1970s by volunteers and educationalists, it now operates 58 schools throughout the country and has applied to open 45 primary and its first secondary schools in the next few years. It is an independent educational charity that is supported by small government grants and extensive private fundraising. See www.educatetogether.ie for further information.
4. Open letter on the Equal Opportunities Commission Bill
Dear friends,
We are writing to draw your attention to the Equal Opportunities Commission, Bill to be introduced by the Government, shortly. An important recommendation of the Sachar Committee Report (Report on Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India), 2006 was the setting up of an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in India. The Ministry of Minority Affairs set up a committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Menon to examine and determine the structure of an Equal Opportunity Commission. The Committee submitted its report in 2008, which proposed a draft Equal Opportunity Commission Bill (EOC Bill). The Government also set up an expert committee headed by Dr. Kundu to recommend an appropriate diversity index in living, education and work spaces.
We have drafted an open letter to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, highlighting some of the key concerns with the draft bill and demanding a wider public debate before it is introduced in Parliament. Once, endorsed, we will mail copies of the letter to the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Prime Minister. We also hope to publish the text of the Open letter in atleast two national newspapers.
Do forward it to other organisations and individuals who would wish to sign the petition.
In Solidarity,
Centre for Study of Social Exclusion,
National Law School of India, Bangalore
5. GlosREC to work on Race Discrimination and Immigration/Nationality Law
Currently there are proposals to change GlosREC (Race Equality Council for Gloucestershire) into Human Rights and Equality organisation covering all diversity strands (race, gender and disability).
This year (2008) GlosREC received no funding to do casework. Instead the funding was given to the Gloucester Law Centre to do discrimination law casework to cover race, gender and disability.
We disagree with this and are asking for your support in our claim for funding to continue to do casework, which we have been doing since 1980.
Further information about glosREC is available at www.glosrec.org.uk or by phoning GlosREC on 01452 301290 or by emailing on info@glosrec.org.uk.
6. Demand New Schools Be Built on Town Lines
Many towns in the United States are strongly segregated by race and economic background, especially in Michigan, Arizona, New York, and more.
Many times two towns next to each other are very diverse in ethnicity, race, and economic background. Our American youth are not being prepared for the globalized world that is already at their fingertips.
7. Protest Survivor's Racist Stereotypes
This is a petition to urge CBS to apologize for the use of degrading stereotypes on the Thursday September 29, 2005 episode of "Survivor Guatemala".
PETITION TO CBS and Mark Burnett, producer of the reality show "Survivor Guatemala"
As citizens against racism in any form, we are deeply offended by the degrading misrepresentations of Indigenous culture that were broadcast on the CBS primetime show, "Survivor Guatemala". The producers of the show demonstrated a shocking lack of intelligence and sensitivity in airing a program that demeaned and stereotyped a race and culture with a long history of cultural and political struggle in South America, the Mayan Indians.
We are forming this petition to put CBS and its sponsors on notice as to how much business they can loose through repeated racial insensitivity, not just from Indigenous Americans, but from all American consumers who possess a social conscience.
Cause for Petition
1.) CBS has an extremely poor track record in terms of presenting Indigenous cultures respectfully and accurately. In 2004, they broadcast a performance by Outkast which mocked Native Americans by presenting non-Natives in day glow green fringed outfits behaving in an offensive and stereotypical manner. While this performance precipitated cries of outrage from Native Americans around the country, CBS has yet to correct its attitude toward Native Americans. CBS has again demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice sanctity for profit and an unacceptable tolerance for racist stereotypes in its programming choices.
2.) On Thursday, September 29, 2005 "Survivor Guatemala" presented a derogatory depiction of ancient Mayan warriors. The producers intentionally provided the contestants with fake feathers, war paint and Mayan style headbands and encouraged them to engage in the mockery of traditional Mayan customs. The Survivor contestants' callous treatment of Mayan cultural and spiritual imagery, and by extension all Indigenous cultural and spiritual imagery, was insensitive, ignorant and offensive. The producers provided the contestants with materials which were clearly intended to impose a North American Plains Indian stereotype on a distinct South American culture and to imply that all Indigenous cultures are inter-changeable. Neither the contestants nor the viewing public, were educated as to the richness and complexity of Mayan culture. The producers of "Survivor Guatemala" failed to honestly research the true spiritual and cultural significance of the objects used to objectify Mayan people and culture. This spectacle amounted to nothing more than a 21st Century Minstrel show.
3.) The producers of the show have been exploiting the Mayan aesthetic throughout the season. They have been actively encouraging the contestants to adopt the harmful stereotype of Mayan Indians as superstitious savages and promoting the racist and culturally uninformed perceptions of anthropologists and missionaries over the interpretations of contemporary Indigenous scholars. The traditions, history and culture of Indigenous Guatemalans have been used throughout the season as a mere gimmick for a trivial entertainment show and exploited for their entertainment value.
4.) There are currently NO redeeming Native American characters on the CBS network nor has there ever been a Native American contestant on "Survivor". Throughout CBS's programming, Native Americans are almost never depicted as contemporary citizens with something valuable to contribute to society.
5.) CBS continues to offer programming where stereotypes dominate in portrayals of Native Americans and to cater to the racist expectations of an uninformed public. They violate their own stated goals regarding diversity in trivializing and distorting Mayan culture for American consumption.
6.) The producers of Survivor have been irresponsible in failing to present the realities of everyday life of contemporary Mayan Indians living in Guatemala. They offered the legitimate political and cultural leaders of this community, no control over their own ethnic identity.
The Harm of Broadcasting Racist Stereotypes.
CBS is a major network with the obligation to use the public airwaves responsibly. Survivor, clearly the most blatantly racist show on network television, has ignored its obligation to respect and reflect the diversity of the public it serves. Instead, the producers have chosen to project negative stereotypes into millions of American homes. The distortion of Indigenous values to conform to the formula for a reality show, the use of campy immunity idols and other imagery and the deliberate objectification of a politically powerless cultural minority is damaging to everyone who views it.
It reinforces existing misconceptions and racial stereotypes in the non-Native population and it imposes additional barriers for Native youth in developing positive identities and in acquiring the self esteem necessary for full participation in American society.
When the producers of Survivor encourage non-Native contestants to appropriate Mayan culture for the sole purpose of winning $1 million dollars, they have every incentive to reproduce derogatory stereotypes for the audience's entertainment and no incentive to put any effort into respectfully learning about and appreciating the diversity and complexity of Indigenous cultures.
This teaches the viewing audience that it is acceptable to rely on stereotypical images and that no effort to discover the richness and inherent value of Indigenous cultures is necessary.
It further reinforces the idea that Native Americans need not be treated as full human beings and that it is acceptable to use them as fodder for play-acting. CBS has hypocritically ignored its stated commitment to promoting diversity and commoditized Mayan heritage in order to sell blockbuster movies, running shoes and automobiles. This corporate racial insensitivity is unacceptable.
Our Demands
We call on CBS and the producers of Survivor Guatemala to take immediate steps to mitigate the harm they have done by airing this episode on national television. We urge CBS to abandon its hypocrisy and follow its own diversity statement.
As broadcasters, CBS should aim to ensure that the national viewing audience is reflected accurately and respectfully in ALL its programming.
1.) The producers of Survivor and anyone responsible for providing the contestants with feathers and war paint should make a thoughtful and genuine apology on the program as soon as possible.
2.) CBS should end all non-Native portrayals of Native American culture. All information about Native culture should be presented only after the producers have sought out the consent, advice and permission from authentic Native American cultural and political leaders.
3.) Any information about Indigenous culture should be presented fairly and accurately in its proper cultural context. More Indigenous voices should be included in CBS's programming. A sincere effort should be made to include contemporary Native playwrights, film-makers, poets and rap artists in special programming designed to inform the audience about the realities of contemporary Indigenous American life as well as the historical foundations of existing racist stereotypes. Native people should be allowed an opportunity to express their own culture in their own voices.
4.) CBS should also make a sincere effort to include positive Native American role models in its programming, to broadcast Native produced programs and to include Native American actors as contestants in reality shows and as actors in its programs.
The Survivor Guatemala challenge was as appropriate as having a "Sambo" challenge for Survivor Africa. The Play-acting of stereotypes of Native American people is inexcusable in primetime American television.
We the undersigned will no longer tolerate cultural symbols used in such an insensitive and garish manner. We believe that the exploitation of cultural beliefs and symbols for entertainment must not go unchallenged.
If the producers of Survivor Guatemala do not make amends for their mockery of Indigenous culture, we will boycott the sponsors of the show. We also call on CBS to take definite steps to stop all its programming that depicts any racial group in a derogatory light.
We demand that CBS adopt and implement plans to air programs which emphasize cultural sensitivity and awareness and to refrain from ever again using racial stereotypes as a source of entertainment.
The undersigned
8. Expanding Women's (Diversity/Gender) Studies at Caldwell College
This petition was created by a group of students who desire to see a change in the curriculum here at Caldwell. Ideally, the changes we would like to see involve modifying the core to include a required Gender/Diversity Studies class which would enable and challenge students to bring more diverse ideas, thoughts, suggestions, information, etc. to their other classes.
This class would hopefully take the approach of the Sc/WS316 [Scholars program/Women's Studies] class in that it would examine key issues in the lives of women, men, people of diverse backgrounds, etc.; promote an in-depth examination of the "flow" of information; explore different methods of analyzing and disseminating that information in a useful, productive, innovative manner.
This process begins with giving the Women's Studies program the full-fledged status of department.
9. Support GSA at Richland Center High School
Please support me in forming a Gay/Straight Aliance at Richland Center High School. Understanding Diversity is an important key to living everyday life. I feel that RCHS is in need of this type of support program! If you agree, please do your part to help by signing this petition.
10. Implement a Diversity Requirement at UCLA Now!
As a UCLA student, I recognize the 17-year struggle by students on campus for the implementation of a Diversity Requirement at UCLA, which is the only UC lacking such a requirement. I support the implementation of a Diversity Requirement at UCLA, which would expose all students to the experiences of traditionally marginalized communities in the U.S. and around the world. I also affirm that diversity is an essential part of my education. Understanding the role of racism, sexism, homophobia, elitism, religious persecution, and other forms of oppression is of utmost relevance and importance if I am to learn, work and thrive in an increasingly multicultural society and world. I urge the Academic Senate to approve of the Diversity Requirement by the end of this academic school year 2003-2004.
11. Support the Bubel/Aiken Foundation
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation provides opportunities for individuals with autism and other physical and mental disabilities to participate in programs that are typically only available to those without disabilities. Through grants, youth programs, such as after-school and camping services, will be able to adequately train staff to work with individuals with special needs.
The Foundation also strives create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities inclusion can bring. Through collaborations with the disability, education, entertainment, and media communities the Foundation will recognize those whose commitment to breaking the stereotypes attendant to the developmentally disabled has broken barriers and extended the boundaries of the human experience for all.
Donations for Bubel/Aiken Foundation can be sent to:
Bubel/Aiken Foundation
PO Box 90307
Raleigh, NC 27675
12. Provide Black Entertainment Television (BET) to residents of Columbia and Greene County
The people of Columbia and Greene county would like Mid Hudson cablevision to provide it customers with the Black Entertainment Televsion Channel. We believe that this network expresses the diversity needed in our area and is reflective of the growing population who this channel will cater to.
13. Petition to Support Affirmative Aciton
A group of law students at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) have come together to submit a brief in support of the Respondents in the Supreme Court case Grutter vs. Bollinger. This is the case that will decide the fate of affirmative action policies in America.
As students who have endured the negative effects of limited diversity in an educational setting, we feel the need to make our voices heard!
In the brief, we are stressing the direct personal harm that all students face due to limits of Proprotion 209 (the California State Law prohibting the use of race in admission policies).
To show your support, please sign this petition and make your voice heard at the Supreme Court level!
14. Demand a Diversity Requirement at UCLA
The struggle for a Diversity Requirement at UCLA is over 16 years long. Every UC campus except UCLA has some form of a Diversity Requirement. A Diversity Requirement would help to address racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism - especially in a growingly diverse and global world.
