Widespread systemic racism in Canadian military ‘repulsing’ new recruits: report

[rmc_wannabe]

I don't know about "enforce", but a heckuva nudge is certainly possible. Eg:

"Additionally, the analysis showed that in Quebec, where a five-week paternity leave could not be transferred to the partner, men were more likely to take the five weeks of leave than were those in other provinces."

Obviously a use-it-or-lose-it partially funded leave will get some takers.

Fair, however, even if its a nudge, the only way to do so is after the member discloses to a CoC or HRA that their partner is pregnant and will be requiring Parental Leave.

Some fathers... don't. Some don't want to. Its honestly a very personal decision. By stating they will enforce Parental Leave as a way to right wrongs in our employment model, it doesn't change the fact that they don't find out unless I tell them I procreated. Unless they want an Ammo Dec to the MO every Monday with rounds expended, I don't see this being something feasible without a lot of personal liberties being infringed upon.

 

[btrudy]

Fair, however, even if its a nudge, the only way to do so is after the member discloses to a CoC or HRA that their partner is pregnant and will be requiring Parental Leave.

Some fathers... don't. Some don't want to. Its honestly a very personal decision. By stating they will enforce Parental Leave as a way to right wrongs in our employment model, it doesn't change the fact that they don't find out unless I tell them I procreated. Unless they want an Ammo Dec to the MO every Monday with rounds expended, I don't see this being something feasible without a lot of personal liberties being infringed upon.

Whether or not we have dependents, how many and who, is absolutely one of those things that the CAF requires us to keep them informed about. I don't find the notion that people would avoid mandatory leave by refusing to tell anyone they had a kid to be all that credible. At the very least, I would expect such behaviour to be extremely uncommon.

 

[Good2Golf]

Fair, however, even if its a nudge, the only way to do so is after the member discloses to a CoC or HRA that their partner is pregnant and will be requiring Parental Leave.

Some fathers... don't. Some don't want to. Its honestly a very personal decision. By stating they will enforce Parental Leave as a way to right wrongs in our employment model, it doesn't change the fact that they don't find out unless I tell them I procreated. Unless they want an Ammo Dec to the MO every Monday with rounds expended, I don't see this being something feasible without a lot of personal liberties being infringed upon.

Some might argue that the CAF would have been better off if we all had 5-months less of Gen Vance during his tenure…

 

[Navy_Pete]

As an aside, as one of the cis-gendered white guys, find these kinds of reports with no real, concrete solutions frustrating. I'm absolutely certain that people are dealing with racism within the CAF, but I'm also certain they are dealing with racism in Canada generally. Neither is acceptable, but seems to me a lot more like we're a reflection of Canadian society as opposed to some kind of racist incubator. This report will stir up a lot of bad headlines, we'll take another public kicking, and nothing will actually change. Have enough challenges at work without being tarred and feathered so someone can score political points.

Doing some actual reflection on things like unconcious biases can be really hard (ie intense soul searching) but the CAF approach for that is usually just read a ppt and get a certificate. Have tried to do some things to 'be better' around some of these ingrained things, but didn't come about from a DLN course.

This seems a bit like yet another report with yet more recommendations that we will not implement, or just do some performative BS checkbox thing to show Something is Being Done. Probably some valid points for being more inclusive for civilians with disabilities, but that can all be really challenging to do properly as a supervisor, so unless there is real support from competent accessibility people it is a massive challenge to do.

Still have yet to see anyone figure out how to improve recruiting at all, let alone target different demographics for under-represented groups. I think having a CAF reflective of the Canadian population would be great, but when we are running with trades so depleted they went below critical levels (absurd levels?), navel gazing is less helpful than getting competent bodies in the door and also keeping people in uniform.

Unless we are actually asking people why they aren't joining, I really don't see how we can get ahead, but if the BGHs don't want to be honest and start delivering less capabilites (ie tieing up ships) I can only see retention continuing to plummet as we burn people out. It would almost have to result in a big demographic shift eventually, but expecting it to happen overnight is nuts.

 

[SupersonicMax]

One I found amusing:

"11.2 Ensure that ALL CAF fathers take PATA leave.

It is the Advisory Panel's opinion that the participation of men in childcare is a contributing factor to improving workplace gender equality. As such, it must be normalized, first artificially, then naturally."

"Artificially"? Obviously one way to slow down the men is to force them to take time out, too.

Forcing people to do something like this never works well. You have to incentivize it, sell it to people, like Quebec did with Paternity leave. Forcing it will create discontent. Some families elect that one member or the other takes all the leave because it makes financial sense, or that the other has other avenues of taking time off with the new family.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Most of the recommendations are too vague (aspirational, rather than concrete). Some are batsh!t crazy (most of the section on chaplaincy reform). Much of the document loses focus and reads like a marital argument gone off the rails from whatever started it - one spouse reliving past injustices, wanting to pass the other under the harrow again (and again). "Stop calling people names" is actionable. "Pay attention to ME!" is ridiculous.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

While there is increased awareness and understanding of the human rights of LGBTQ2+ individuals, including through a formal apology issued by Prime Minister Justine Trudeau on 28 November 2017, discrimination based on sexual orientation is still prevalent. In her 2015 report, former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps found that the Canadian Armed Forces maintained a sexualized culture hostile to women and members of the LGBTQ2+ communities.

Good for Justine - serious if they can't get the PM's name right...

Honest that report is awful, half of it deals with issues pre-Confederation and while it needs to be acknowledged in history, attempting to foist the sins of the father onto today Canadian society and the CAF is a little bit of a stretch.

Archives show that during the First World War, over 12,000 Indigenous Canadians volunteered to serve, and approximately 1,250 Black Canadians and 200 Japanese Canadians served as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force; of those, 130 Japanese Canadians fought at Vimy Ridge. According to records of Canadians’ service during the Second World War, 600 Chinese Canadians volunteered,Footnote 86 as well as 17,000 Jewish Canadians.Footnote 87 It is impossible to know the number of brave LGBTQ2+ Canadian Armed Forces members who had to hide their identity to serve.

The historical account illustrates a pattern of racist and discriminatory practices in Canada that have become institutionalized in laws, regulations, policies and procedures, shaping Canadians’ world view of Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ2+ people, women and persons with disabilities. National Defence, which is approximately 127,800 people strong, is a microcosm of Canadian society. As such, inequities and discriminatory practices seen in wider Canadian society are also present within the Defence Team.

Sigh

Recommendations​

• 1.1 The Defence Team, in particular the CPCC, should continue the work of compiling recommendations from previous studies, inquiries and panels.
• 1.2 The CPCC should oversee the implementation of pertinent recommendations with the involvement of the Defence Advisory Groups (DAGs) and Network(s).
• 1.3 Progress in the implementation of recommendations should be tracked down to the unit level and collated by the CPCC.
• 1.4 The MND should be the endorsing authority for the rationale behind those recommendations that will not be implemented.

Serious a Report that has a number 1 recommendation to study other reports?

I really don't understand how hard it is for the CAF/DND to to foster a ethical warrior ethos and deal with those that break it.

Just like everything else in this Government Canadian Society, it's dog's breakfast ATM.

My plan is to insulate myself from anything to do with the Government/Public Office as much as humanly possible over the next few years.

Move to a nice rural area, away from the eyes and ears of our overlords and set myself up a nice pad with good fields of fire so I can tell anyone I don't like to politely frig off.

 

[Brad Sallows]

A long while back, probably in a thread about sexual misconduct, I broached the idea that zealots would use the "crisis" to launch into attempts to "capture the institution". I suppose this is their opening.

 

[kratz]

Just like everything else in this Government Canadian Society, it's dog's breakfast ATM.

My plan is to insulate myself from anything to do with the Government/Public Office as much as humanly possible over the next few years.

Move to a nice rural area, away from the eyes and ears of our overlords and set myself up a nice pad with good fields of fire so I can tell anyone I don't like to politely frig off.

No need to avoid Government, you are not the target audience.

Many have already retreated into retirement, with your planned COA.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

A long while back, probably in a thread about sexual misconduct, I broached the idea that zealots would use the "crisis" to launch into attempts to "capture the institution". I suppose this is their opening.

 

[Jarnhamar]

As far as stupid reports goes this is right up there.

Recommendations​

• 1.1 The Defence Team, in particular the CPCC, should continue the work of compiling recommendations from previous studies, inquiries and panels.
• 1.2 The CPCC should oversee the implementation of pertinent recommendations with the involvement of the Defence Advisory Groups (DAGs) and Network(s).
• 1.3 Progress in the implementation of recommendations should be tracked down to the unit level and collated by the CPCC.
• 1.4 The MND should be the endorsing authority for the rationale behind those recommendations that will not be implemented.

Serious a Report that has a number 1 recommendation to study other reports?

I immediately thought the same thing. This took a year to smash together? Lets see the combined salaries of everyone involved in this and see what this cost tax payers.

 

[Good2Golf]

Go-go Oscar Goldman and the OSS!!!

 

[Brad Sallows]

The first rule of Rice Bowl Club is to keep the rice bowl full.

 

[daftandbarmy]

This is painful to watch...

What dynamic and meaningful measures will we take to address this wide ranging issue?

'Establish a working group.....' at about 15.20

Systemic racism in the Canadian Forces detailed in new report | FULL​

Systemic racism is rampant throughout the Canadian Forces, “repulsing” new recruits and putting at risk the country’s national security if jobs continue to go unfilled, according to a bombshell report. Defence Minister Anita Anand released the highly-anticipated report Monday morning that takes the military to task for not doing enough to address racism in the ranks over the past two decades. In stark terms, the report probing racism in the Canadian military lays out the rationale for why fixing the “toxic” environment goes to the heart of the military’s ability to do the crucial jobs entrusted to it. As part of that, the report says military brass must accept that some members will either leave, or need to be removed. “Racism in Canada is not a glitch in the system; it is the system,” reads the report by the Minister of National Defence’s Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination. The report is the result of a yearlong review by a panel of retired Canadian Armed Forces members tasked with identifying ways to address hate, racism and discrimination in the ranks. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/8784238/ca...

 

[daftandbarmy]

View attachment 70338

Thank you for reminding me why I hated Mess Meetings, which I will (thankfully) never, ever have to attend again

 

[OldSolduer]

I watched the news. Cherry picked who they’d interview or show. All sorts of indignation.

 

[Brad Sallows]

In stark terms, the report probing racism in the Canadian military lays out the rationale for why fixing the “toxic” environment goes to the heart of the military’s ability to do the crucial jobs entrusted to it.

That is stark rhetorical bullsh!t. In stark terms, given the meagre size of our armed forces, the limited pool of willing recruits we have right now is enough and they have proven capable of doing everything Canada is willing to commit troops to do. Cleaning up the house should be done because it's the right thing, not because failure is imminent.

not doing enough

Raises the question of what "enough" is. If people are analyzing the problem, have they an answer? If they can't answer, who could be expected to? (I mean concrete tasks, not more aspirations or plans to strike a committee to create an outline of a process to describe objectives for a working group to launch a six-month study.)

 

[Ostrozac]

The bit about removing certain Battle Honours didn’t specifically name the Northwest Rebellion - but it was pretty obvious that was what they were talking about. I’m not sure if any regiments celebrate Batoche or Fish Creek as their major anniversaries, but if so, a new calendar may have to go into those regimental catechisms.

And I suppose new colours and guidons will also be needed.

 

[Weinie]

That is stark rhetorical bullsh!t. In stark terms, given the meagre size of our armed forces, the limited pool of willing recruits we have right now is enough and they have proven capable of doing everything Canada is willing to commit troops to do. Cleaning up the house should be done because it's the right thing, not because failure is imminent.



Raises the question of what "enough" is. If people are analyzing the problem, have they an answer? If they can't answer, who could be expected to? (I mean concrete tasks, not more aspirations or plans to strike a committee to create an outline of a process to describe objectives for a working group to launch a six-month study.)

I have watched this ebb and flow of support/disdain for too long. Glad I am done in 5 weeks.

 

[Brad Sallows]

The bit about removing certain Battle Honours didn’t specifically name the Northwest Rebellion - but it was pretty obvious that was what they were talking about. I’m not sure if any regiments celebrate Batoche or Fish Creek as their major anniversaries, but if so, a new calendar may have to go into those regimental catechisms.

Were those straight-up fights, or massacres of innocents? If the former, there's no reason to remove the honours. If we had regiments that perpetuated battles of the Seven Years War (anglo or franco), I wouldn't expect them to be removed, either.