Volume 5, Issue 8, August 2006

STAY AT THE TABLE

Part of what we do at The Mouradian Group is to go into an organization to improve the corporate culture.  Like any change there are people who want to keep the status quo because it serves their personal agenda.  This holds true with all of the conflict we are seeing in the world today.  Many people want to see change for the better; they want to see peace.  Yet it seems to be just out of reach.

The reason that it takes so long to resolve an issue is because of the 2%ers who keep throwing stones, tossing bombs or hurling insults.  These people are also adept at creating false rumors in order to fuel the conflict.  As I have said time and time again we allow the 2%ers to run our lives instead of dealing with them, or in some cases ignoring their behaviour.

Certain people in many groups have become lifetime agitators because that is what fuels their existence.  These people become obsessed with the conflict and believe it or not, do not want the conflict to end as it would end their reason for living.

Every time we get up from the table and negotiations break down, the 2%ers have won.  Their prime goal is to create the enemy without to keep their status within.

As soon as peace talks begin, a bomb is thrown from one side and the talks break down…stay at the table.

When two sides sit down to iron out the issues, someone throws a stone…stay at the table.

Rumours and false information fuel miscommunication and prolong the conflict…stay at the table.

Every time the 2%er begins the dance of conflict, refuse to participate and stay at the table.

Each time we get up from the table and break negotiations, the 2%er wins.  If we stay at the table, the 2%er will have no one to dance with and soon they will be discredited as the rest of the group will see that their true goal is to keep the conflict alive.

I am reading Gandhi’s autobiography and there is a great quote on page 182…

“My experience has shown me that we win justice quickest by rendering justice to the other party.”

Peace…

Ted

SIDEBAR

By Pierre R. Ouellette Hon.B.A., LL.B.

As noted in last month’s Sidebar the Ontario Human Rights Code confers upon everyone in the province equal rights and opportunities without discrimination in such specific areas as jobs, housing and services. The Code’s goal is to prevent discrimination and harassment on a number of specific grounds. In this and future editions I hope to explore some of these grounds and offer some insights in the operation of the Code.

In this heightened period of religious suspicion let us start with how the Code goes about protecting religious rights. The actual protection under the Code is for one’s “creed” and that includes the practices, beliefs and observances that are a part of your religion. It does not include your personal, moral or ethical views.

Discrimination means that someone is treating you unfairly because of your creed. A few examples are as follows:

• An employer who does not hire you because you do not share the same religion. (This can occur but only if the employer is a special service organization that serves only people of a particular religious group.)
• You are at work and your co-worker makes ongoing jokes about your religious beliefs or says that your religion is inferior.
• A landlord who prefers to rent to tenants whose religion is the same as his/her own. This type of landlord may ask tenants to only sublet to people of the same religion. Both activities are considered unequal treatment because of religion.
• A school requires students to wear a uniform that does not allow girls to cover their heads.

All of these situations are contrary to the Code and the Commission can and should be contacted in order to help you sort things out. It should be noted that the Commission’s approach is initially one of education and mediation. It is only when this process fails that it will prosecute.

If you have any anecdotes or questions relating to this topic please email me at Pierre@CooperativeAction.com . As an aside this little series on the Ontario Human Rights Code is derived from information provided by the Commission (See www.ohrc.on.ca ).

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