Making Peace Among Us
To achieve this, we must make peace with one another by recognizing the vulnerability of certain groups and communities. We must collectively reject racism, sexism, homophobia, and mistrust towards those who are different from the majority. We must counter the idea that democracy is simply the rule of the majority. It also includes the right of all people to equality in society.
Relations with First Nations
Our government must no longer postpone the identification and correction of biases towards First Nations in our systems, including healthcare, childcare, education, and justice systems.
A Green government would:
- Establish a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and will implement, without delay, the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and those of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Order a public inquiry into the New Brunswick justice and policing systems to shed light on the systemic biases towards indigenous peoples and correct them.
- Support the training of Indigenous language teachers and Indigenous student immersion programs for Wabanaki languages and ensure that school curricula promote a better understanding among all students of the history and meaning of Indigenous languages and cultures.
The government has an important role to play in closing the gaps that exist between francophone and anglophone regions, supporting duality in health and education services, educating the population on issues relating to our official languages, and promoting the cultures of diverse communities.
A Green government would:
- Create a Legislative Standing Committee on Official Languages, and review the Official Languages Act through an open and transparent process.
- Ensure that seniors have access to long term care in the language of their choice.
- Increase the Commissioner of Official Languages’ budget to promote the advancement of both official languages in the province.
- Obtain some authority over immigration to respond to the needs of New Brunswick, and adopt a management structure that respects the principle of duality in matters of francophone immigration.
- Provide free language training programs in both official languages in community colleges and public libraries.
- Maintain the Memramcook Institute as the provincial, community, cultural and historical asset that it is, and provide funding to ensure its continued role in the local community and for all Acadians.
Racialized people experience systemic racism and oppression in Canada and New Brunswick. Prejudice and stereotypes have no place in a fair and green society. The government must act to eliminate the racism embedded in our political, social, and cultural systems to allow racialized minorities to fully participate in society.
A Green government would:
- Include in school curricula the study of the history of slavery, segregation, and systemic oppression in Canada and in New Brunswick.
- Order a study of the personal, social, and economic impact of racism in New Brunswick, and develop a strategic anti-racism plan to repair this damage and prevent racism going forward.