Earlier today while sitting in one of those interminable lineups to get through the George Massey Tunnel, I heard on the news that David Suzuki had called for the right for clean air and water be added to the Canadian Charter of Rights. Suzuki is apparently on his last hurrah tour espousing his environmental views.
It made me think back, while I sat there spewing carbon monoxide into the environment, about a front-page article in last Saturday's National Post entitled "A Fight at the Museum." The museum in question was the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which opened this past week in Winnipeg. It is the first national museum outside of Ottawa.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was the brainchild of Izzy Asper, a Winnipeg-based media tycoon who passed away in 2003. His was the original idea and the initial seed money. Prior to starting the television network that became Global TV, Asper was the leader of the provincial Liberal Party in Manitoba. He unfortunately did not enjoy near as much political success as he did commercial success.
But even without the political success, his money and connections allowed him to make progress on what would seem a questionable endeavour. A location was picked at the Forks in the heart of Winnipeg at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is across the road from Can West Park, the ballpark that was financed by Asper's company, Can West Communications.
After Asper's death, his daughter continued to stickhandle the project to completion. To the extent that the museum focuses on serious violations of human rights, it is wrapped in controversy. Various groups feel their suffering is underplayed. Not all the exhibits are in yet and we hope they focus more on past successes and less on historical grievances, for I fear that historical grievances can be endless.
So what are human rights? Well, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights runs to 30 articles. Nothing surprising in the articles if you haven't read them - other than the degree to which they are ignored in much of the world.
Article 25 says, "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family..." Suzuki's desired addendums could probably fit handily in this article. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is less inclusive and has democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights and language rights. The UN Declaration reads like it was written by social workers whereas the Canadian Charter reads like it was written by lawyers, but at least we pay attention to the latter.
I wish Suzuki well in his venture. I am, after all, tired of sitting in a traffic jam inhaling all those toxic fumes. Let's have a right to clean air. Surely we have a right to a new bridge over the Fraser. Too bad we have to wait until 2022 to get it.
I won't, however, bring it up when I visit the Museum for Human Rights in the future.
