Canadian Trains

  I think people can make the journey (including everyday travelling) with less pollution to the world by train. Canadian trains are good, especially in the travel areas. Seating arrangements are also good. The best part is their windows. They are wide and large. People can easily look outside and enjoy the view. The food is delicious, and there is a variety of options to choose from, including tea and coffee.

However, there are many areas for improvement. First, the fare price. It's too high. The lower it is, the more people will consider using the train regularly instead of their cars. The windows should be cleaned regularly. I couldn't take pictures on the way to Ottawa because of dirty windows. They didn't become dirty while running; they were dirty from the journey's beginning. I booked the seat, which should have a table in the middle. But the table wasn't there. The service woman said she also noticed that she searched for a table but couldn't find any.

These are not impossible improvement suggestions. Gradually, more routes can be added to connect residential and commercial areas.

Healthcare - More Beds, Better Care

 What does the hospital do? Why do we build a hospital? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the English word “hospital” originally comes from the Latin noun “hopes,” which stands for “a guest or visitor” and “one who provides lodging or entertainment for a guest or visitor.” Oxford dictionary says noun. /ˈhɒspɪtl/ /ˈhɑːspɪtl/ ​a large building where people who are ill or injured are given medical treatment and care.

I brought up this topic to understand how we should take our hospital services. In a hospital, a patient should get treatment if they need it. All patients who seek medical help should get that help. When the hospital finds out there is nothing more to do, the patient may go home with proper instruments to continue the healthcare service in their home. We can’t keep patients like this in the hospital. Otherwise, all hospital beds will be filled with patients, and there won’t be any space for new ones. We know that every hospital gets new patients with different problems every day.

Before I joined the Community Worker Program, I used to work in an organization. One day, one of my elderly colleagues said he kept his wife in the hospital. She is sick, her memory is lost, and nothing can be done to her recovery. He visits her every 1 to 3 months. That is also not needed because most of the time, she doesn’t recognize him. I was surprised to hear that because in my country, hospitals will never act like nursing homes; they will need beds for those who need treatments. But my colleague said this is Canada, and he is happy that he doesn’t need to take care of his wife and not pay for anything (Medicine, dress, etc.).

I know this sounds brutal. But if you do your math, you will understand it’s impossible to keep a patient like this. Today or tomorrow, the hospital authority will have to act on it.

That’s why I think we are fighting with the wrong point. We shouldn’t fight to keep nursing home patients in hospitals. We should fight to have government-owned nursing homes with all the necessary equipment, good management, nurses, and doctors. Where an elderly patient can live happily, which should be free and accessible for all who need it as a Canadian is supposed to have.

During the pandemic, when oxygen support was in crisis, hospitals needed to decide who should get the facility, the younger or older patient. It goes for the younger one. Who lives along with the support.

In Japan, there was a nuclear incident in an area. To clean that area, elderly people volunteer to go because they don’t want the younger generation to have a chemical reaction.

I am bringing this logic to support my point that hospitals should be for patients who need treatments. Canada’s nursing homes are facing lots of troubles. Our military support group also suggested that workers try hard, but the management isn’t supporting them enough to solve the problems.

That’s why we need to ask our government not to privatize nursing homes anymore. Instead, they should create enough government-owned nursing homes for the elderly so that nobody worries about where they will go in their old age or who will care for them.

I am not supporting the act. We can’t forcefully remove any patient when we don’t make the proper solution for them. We need to ensure good homes for them first. We may not take more patients like this to stay in the hospital, but we can’t forcefully move anyone. Elderly people also have a voice to make the decision for themselves.

 

References:

1.      hospital noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. (2023). Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/hospital#:~:text=hospital-

 

2.      Staff, R. (2020, April 27). False claim: Hospital stands for “house of sick people in trauma and labor.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-hospital-stands-for-idUSKCN229262

 

3.     Sasaki, K., Gr, A. 72-Year-Old, & plant, mother who has volunteered to help clean up the F. nuclear. (n.d.). Japanese Seniors: Send Us To Damaged Nuclear Plant. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2011/09/12/140402430/japanese-seniors-send-us-to-damaged-nuclear-plant

Archard, D., & Caplan, A. (2020). Is it wrong to prioritise younger patients with covid-19? BMJ, m1509. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1509

The government should always have control over food prices.

 When you let the greedy corporations increase food prices, those corporations will earn 2/3 times more profit each year. What will be the impact on the rest of the country? It will collapse.

People's earnings are very limited. They had to buy food to survive, no matter how much it cost. So, they won't invest money on clothes, furniture, travel, restaurants, or any other issue, no matter how much they need to have those. So, these companies will go bankrupt. The country won't get enough tax money from the organizations. 

The big corporations making billions of profit have big lawyers to find loopholes to give tax. The general people, who earn very little, give taxes. The government can't ignore these people.

So, finally, the government will collapse.

That's why the government should always have control over food prices. There is no place to show greediness on essential items of life.

Youth Criminal Justice Act

 “The Youth Criminal Justice Act” is a law that works with the Canadian youth justice system. The youth, who are from 12 to 18 years old, are alleged to have committed some criminal offences, which are included in this Act. In the history of Youth Justice Legislation, Canada has had three youth justice statuses. They are the Juvenile Delinquents Act (1908-1984), the Young Offenders Act (YOA) (1984-2003), and the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) (2003-present).

Some statistics from 2003 to 2010.

Source: (Government of Canada, Department of Justice, Electronic Communications, 2021)

From these statistics, we can see that taking on remand didn’t grow much as population and crime increased.

Source: (Government of Canada, Department of Justice, Electronic Communications, 2021)

From the above graph, we can see fewer people.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act brought positive results to society. The statistics or graphs in the presentation show that youth criminal activities have decreased after this act's establishment.

In the class discussion, A youth stakeholder mentioned that if we put youth in jail, they will get in contact with adult criminals and will be influenced by them. Then, they might get involved with more crime when they come out.

Another stakeholder from a community worker raised an issue and mentioned that children under 18 shouldn’t be treated like adult criminals. It will be harmful to their physical and mental health.

So, I support the “Youth Criminal Justice Act”. However, we have plenty of room to improve this act. At the beginning of its name, it calls the Youth a Criminal. Youth should never be called criminals. They are young, and they might make mistakes that can be improved.

In this Act, the police have a major role. They are the ones who decide which youth is doing criminal activities and needs to be arrested. Sometimes, police are biased toward black and indigenous people. Socially, a significant number of these two racial groups are in poverty, less educated, school dropouts, unemployed, homeless, and in unhealthy living status. In this case, to survive, they might do less harmful illegal work like shoplifting, selling illegal items, etc. And police arrested them as a criminal. When they get out of the police, they are already known as a criminal who can’t get a good job and live in poverty. So, they might try to earn again by an illegal job. Because of their race, they got targeted easily and got caught by the police. That’s why, in criminal records, the black and Indigenous youth have the majority. As many returned to criminal work again, statistics show different results. Maybe that’s why Manitoba statistics are showing that 80% of youth went back to criminal work after they first got caught by the police in the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

For proof, we can say when cannabis became legal, we saw the line who are buying it is mostly youth. However, people believe that drug problems are in Black and Indigenous people mostly.

I think, with this act, we should involve Community Services to support them in getting out of poverty, getting an education or training, getting a job, and starting any good business, as well as mental health support. We need to listen to them and what they want. Youth have a voice, and they understand their problems, too.

The guidance is mentioned in the YCJA, as well as both a Preamble and a Declaration of Principle that applies throughout the Act. But in real life, we can see we need more actions.

References:

Government of Canada, D. of J. (2021, July 7). The Youth Criminal Justice Act Summary and background. Government of Canada, Department of Justice, Electronic Communications. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/yj-jj/tools-outils/back-hist.html

Biography 254: All benefits should go automatically to the needed person

 In Bangla, a proverb says, "Even a mother doesn't give food if the child doesn't cry." I feel that this proverb is true in Canada. You may have laws, rights and many benefits. But you won't get anything if you don't know about it; apply, fight, and if rejected again, fight. Life is always tough. I felt that in Canada, it's unnecessarily tough.

If a person is a fraud, that person will do anything to make it look right. So, when the government has information that this person requires this benefit, I believe the government should give it to the person before asking. If you want to be sure, you can ask if they want it or not.

But keep every service hidden, and only those who know can ask for it, and only those who have enough energy to keep asking for it, will receive it. It is not a good government service or benefit at all.

Happy New Year 2025

 I wish everybody a very happy New Year in 2025. I wish the world would choose peace over any conflict. Let's all live happily, stop harming anyone, and take good care of this planet.

May Allah bless us.

Knowledge is power

 When I was a kid, my teachers said, "Knowledge is power. Every other power can be taken away from you, but knowledge." These were difficult words to understand at that age.

You won't get those words when you are in your comfort area. If you move to another place or country And try something new in your career, you will know how powerful knowledge is. The more you know, the better place you will be.

Knowledge can be on anything. If you know the laws better, you can protect yourself from unlawful work. When you know your job better, it will be challenging for others to put you down. When you know how to speak better, you will always be on the good side of everyone's heart.

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE):

 Policy Name: Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE: Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (A non-profit organization)

Brief Policy Overview: 

By the policy “Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP),” employers can bring Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) from other countries if Canadian and Permanent Resident workers are not available for that job. This policy was first established in 1960 with Jamaika, and later, Mexico and some other Caribbean countries were added. 

There are three fixed rules that the employer must meet. First, the workers must be from Mexico or the participant’s Caribbean countries. Second, the production work must be in specific commodity sectors. Third, all activities should be directly related to farm agricultural production. 

In the policy, the foreign governments have a significant role. Their responsibilities are to recruit the workers, ensure that they have the necessary documents, maintain the quality of the workers, and appoint representatives in Canada to work for them. 

Here, the Quality of workers means they have farming knowledge, are at least 18 years of age, and can satisfy Canadian Immigration laws and the laws of their home country. 

Description of Stakeholder Group:

Who they are:

One of the non-profit community organizations, “Migrant Workers Alliance for Change,” is working actively on this social policy. The organization helps migrant workers stand up against the worst employers and fix problems with the immigration policy. They bring together migrant workers in firms, factories, campuses, and communities and work with Indigenous, labour, climate, and faith allies. 

History:

This organization was established in 2008 as a Coalition of Migrant Workers. In 2020, it renamed itself the Migrant Rights Network-Ontario. The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is a member and serves as the secretariat for the Migrant Rights Network and Migrant Rights Network – Ontario. 

How impacted by policy:

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is an organization that works to win worker and immigration justice for migrant workers, care workers, students and more. The organization also works to inform workers about their immigration and workers' rights. For example, if the permits expire, what can they do about an open work permit, what is the minimum wage, and where can they get financial assistance? 

Stakeholder Perspective / Arguments About Policy:

Argument 1:

The organization is working to unite and ensure Canada does the right thing. It grants permanent status to all – including people without papers and those who arrive in the future. 

Argument 2:

The organization supports the workers who hold a closed work permit (employer-specific) and who are at risk of experiencing abuse or are already experiencing abuse with the employer they currently have a contract. It supports the workers to prepare part of the application, and then they will refer to a partner organization to finalize the application at no cost. 

Argument 3

Ensuring workers have the best legal support when they speak up, Handbook Design: A comprehensive way to learn rights and track hours and wages, Translation: Making our handbook available in many languages. Distribution: Directly to migrant workers in farms and fish plants in rural communities across Canada; educate migrant workers to contribute to the survey because the federal government asked the Temporary Foreign Workers to share their opinions. 

Stakeholder Recommendation on the Policy (concise statement):

(Opening Statement for the debate)

Every year, temporary migrant workers in farms and fishery face injustice in tens of thousands of dollars in wages, which is stolen by bad bosses. They are trapped in a system where speaking up means risking homelessness, poverty, deportation, and a ban from returning. “Migrant Workers Alliance for Changes” is launching a Worker Rights Handbook and Video Series for migrants to know their rights and gather evidence of exploitation. 

End line:

Everybody deserves to work and stay with their family. Sadly, the Canadian government keeps migrant worker separated by denying their permanent resident status. “Migrant Workers Alliance for Change” made a petition to sign to change this system. 

Bibliography:

Canada, E. and S. D. (2023, March 21). Government of Canada. Hire a temporary worker through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - Overview - Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/agricultural/seasonal-agricultural.html

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. About. (2023a, February 7). https://migrantworkersalliance.org/about/

Biography 253: Moving from one place to another

 Occasionally, people need to move their homes. I never did in Bangladesh because I always lived with my parents.

The first time I moved from one home to another was in Canada. I faced the problem of Canadians not having good moving companies with reasonable prices. If you have money, you can hire a company to pack, move, and unpack. However, it's very costly, and most people can't afford that luxury.

Now, services for the general public in Canada are mixed with fraudulent people. If you hire any company hourly, they will try to delay as much as possible and ask for as much as they want. If you move from one province to another. May Allah help you. It is challenging to find any company that will agree to do so. They won't come to take your goods on a fixed date as they agreed, they won't follow the date as they promise to deliver. But families have fixed dates to leave and live in another house. After the transportation, you may miss some items or get some extra (Someone else missed those). Some items may broken. Nobody I knew could get money from the transport company for this extra date, times, and missing or broken items.

I wish some good company would come to this business and make it better.

One-sided love.

 I thought one-sided love only occurred with lovebirds, but now I see it happens pretty much everywhere. 

Parents give their favouritism to one child, but the other loves them more; they do everything for them, but parents always prioritize their favourite child.

In the office, someone works sincerely and efficiently. The management likes that, but the management likes another person who can gossip with them, drink with them, be talkative, etc. That favourite person doesn't like management or the company; they just behave like that to achieve rewards from the management, and they succeed. Nobody cares, actually who is making their company bright.

In friendships and in a group, sometimes you will see that you like someone and do whatever you can, but that person still likes to enjoy time with others. 

It's the choice of hearts. No one can complain about it. It doesn't work logically.