Once a man, twice a child

“He aha te nui mea o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.”
“What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people.”
(A Maori Saying)

Elder law is a relatively new domain within the legal field and understandably may not be on the forefront of legal discussion. What cannot be denied is the fact that elder law has been increasing in importance, considering the fact that people’s age expectancy has increased and in other instances there exists a multiplicity of issues affecting different elderly populations due to war, conflict, natural disasters and plummeting food prices.

Although elder law has often been neglected and seldom thought of, conceiving of ways to ameliorate the conditions in which elders live and coming up with innovative ways to address issues concerning them must be met with the acknowledgement that aging is a global matter which needs to be approached in a sensitive manner as awareness is raised. Elder law is a specialized legal field whose parts consist of “laws, statutes, regulations and decisions that deal with the needs and issues specific to Senior Citizens”; it includes disability planning, long-term care planning, social security, wills, abuse, neglect, nursing home issues, ageism, and a variety of other issues touching elderly individuals. [1]

The elderly are essentially social outcasts.  North American societal practices…

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Gazing at the Plight of Women in the Congo

Women in industrialized and developing countries alike have a lower standard of living than men.[1] Females in the Democratic Republic of Congo are not exempted from that reality. Moreover, women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been targets of sexual violence and rape. They are the ones who then must bare the undesirable consequences of STDs, AIDS, and complications arising from unwanted pregnancies, exclusion and sexual slavery.[2] The Democratic Republic of Congo has a longstanding history of women’s rights abuse, which was seen as recently as January 1^st, 2011 when Lt Col Kibibi Mutware, an army officer, was arrested for allegations of the rape of more than fifty women in Fizi, in South Kivu province:

Military and humanitarian sources say the events over the New Year period began when a mob lynched a soldier who had shot a civilian – allegedly in a fight over a woman. A group of soldiers then took revenge on the people of Fizi. The UN’s humanitarian coordination office said the soldiers had stabbed 26 people, including a four-year-old child, looted more than 20 homes and shops and raped dozens of women. Several residents of Fizi and a victim of the alleged rapes have accused Col Kibibi, the local commanding officer, of directing the violence. But in a BBC interview this week, he dismissed the allegations and said

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The UN for the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Finally Signed by Canada

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted on September 13th 2007, which ‘establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being and rights of the world’s indigenous peoples’ [1] was finally signed by Canada on November 12th, 2010. [2] Canada has unashamedly hailed itself as being a protector of human rights. The truth is that Canada has an embarrassing human rights record and this signing can be seen as a pivotal moment in Canadian history. Canada has continually missed the mark by failing to address Aboriginal concerns and grievances. Often times, we as Canadians pride ourselves in upholding tenets of human rights and conservation of freedom. When we speak of human rights violations, images of the developing countries and the “others” over “there” come to our minds; seldom do we think of the grave injustices committed against people right here. Considering the reluctance and at times, inaction of the Canadian government to address human rights concerns, it is important to reflect upon the history of the struggle of Aboriginals in Canada [3]and upon the effect of signing the Declaration.

The Canadian Constitution states that there are three founding nations of Canada. They are the French, British and First Nations; however, the latter is not equally recognized in Canadian…

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