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CBC
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Hal Hinds exhibit honours a life of advocacy in Fredericton
If you don't know the name Hal Hinds, a new exhibit at the Fredericton Region Museum will probably make you wonder how he's gone under the radar for so long. The exhibit, A Tribute to Hal Hinds — Botanist, Teacher, Gay Activist, Naturalist and Author, was launched last weekend to coincide with the start of Pride Week in the capital. Many who attended the opening, remembered Hinds as a teacher or curator of the Connell Herbarium at the University of New Brunswick, said Meredith Batt, who put together the display and gave a talk at the launch. But he was also a pioneer of the local 2SLGBTQ+ community, said Batt, who co-founded the Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick. Hinds spearheaded Fredericton Lesbians and Gays, an organization formed in 1979. He served as its first president and operated a coming-out help line from his home. He also co-founded AIDS New Brunswick and led the fight to enshrine protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the province's human rights legislation, said Jim Goltz, his friend and fellow activist and naturalist. In the mid-1980s, there was no legal protection for members of the queer community from discrimination, Goltz said. "Anyone could be fired just because of their sexual orientation." "There were a lot of people who were very, very closeted and secretive about their lifestyle. There was just so much danger to revealing who you were." There was also "incredible danger of physical violence," he said, because that's how some people reacted to something they didn't understand. Goltz and Hinds promoted a more scientific approach. "Anything that is new to me, I just want to find out more about it," he said. "Then, once you do, then you can be more comfortable with it. But some people just react violently because of stigma and social pressure. And certainly traditional religions did not help with that." There were many things that needed to be done, Goltz said. The two men, together with nurses Grace Getty and Anne Rowe, started AIDS New Brunswick in 1986. At the time, the disease now known as various manifestations of HIV infection, was spreading, and "there was a lot of anxiety, ignorance, denial and stupidity," Goltz said. That's what he and Hinds mused that the acronym AIDS must stand for. Every other province besides New Brunswick and P.E.I. already had an AIDS organization. They applied for funding and were shocked when they got it, he said. Advocating for those who needed support became second job. Goltz is sad there's still a need for AIDS N.B., but he's glad the group exists to answer the call. "That organization has had a huge impact … with harm reduction and helping those who are living with HIV/AIDS," said Batt. "These organizations and their legacy are really important for people to learn about. Understanding where we've come from will help us figure out where we're going." Hinds had a mantra that Batt also finds instructive: "Learn them, love them, protect them." "I think that applies to plants and humans alike. And that's a really important message that we need right now," they said. Hinds was a consummate gardener and he used the same care in tending to his community, agreed Goltz. "You plant seeds, nurture them and watch them grow." On the botany side, Hinds helped establish the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Federation of Naturalists, the New Brunswick Protected Areas Coalition and the Fredericton Botanic Garden Association. He used to lead great mushroom walks, did a lot of experiments with plants and gathered a wealth of knowledge about local plant life, said Batt, some of which he had published in books including The Flora of New Brunswick. A group of Hinds's friends built a garden in his memory. It's tucked in behind the New Brunswick writers' garden. They planted ferns, wildflowers and primroses, which were Hinds's favourite, and — much to everyone's surprise — have flourished into a cascade, Goltz said. It's a peaceful spot where you can sit on a bench to read, catch a glimpse of a hummingbird in the hostas or hear the hoot of a barred owl, a call that Hinds could mimic well, noted Goltz. Visits to the garden also call to his mind excursions where he and Hinds rediscovered plant specimens that hadn't been documented in the province in 100 years. Goltz hopes Hinds will be remembered for his passion for nature and stewardship and his passion for friends, family and the community. Batt is hoping an interpretive panel will be installed in the memorial garden in 2026, which will mark 40 years since the founding of AIDS N.B. and 25 years since Hinds's death in 2001 from an HIV-related illness. They are still looking for the money to do it.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Aides urge the Prime Minister to axe 'meddling' law chief in autumn reshuffle
Attorney General Lord Hermer should be sacked in the next Cabinet reshuffle because he has become a liability to the Government, senior No 10 aides believe. Lord Hermer – parachuted into his plum job as the country's most senior law officer at the insistence of his friend Sir Keir Starmer – has infuriated the Prime Minister's officials with his 'meddling'. He has attempted to limit the scope of Britain's military involvements in the Middle East and granted himself an effective 'veto' over Government decisions. Earlier this year he was forced to apologise for comparing calls to quit the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) with the early days of Nazi Germany. It comes as Sir Keir is planning a 'summer shore-up' operation by restructuring No 10 and planning for a reshuffle in the autumn after a bruising first year in power. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson are also at risk in the reshuffle. A source said of Lord Hermer, who was also instrumental in the decision to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius: 'They bloody hate him in here [No 10]. Lord Hermer – parachuted into his plum job as the country's most senior law officer at the insistence of his friend Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) – has infuriated the Prime Minister's officials with his 'meddling' 'It seems there is no problem which can't be made worse by a human rights barrister whose name ends in "mer". The question is whether Keir will protect him.' Ministers have pleaded with MPs who expect to serve only one term in the Commons to stop rebelling. At a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last Monday Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged them not to write off their seats – saying he had shown it is possible to win against the odds. A source in the room said he told MPs: 'I've heard some Labour MPs saying they're only going to be a one-term MP. 'Take it from me, someone who bucked the trend to win a marginal seat off the Tories in 2015, bucked the trend in 2017, 2019, and then bucked the trend in the other direction in 2024, there's a long way to go.' Last summer Mr Streeting narrowly managed to hold on to his seat of Ilford North by 528 votes. New polling has shown Labour's decision to give the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds puts him at risk of wipeout at the next election. The Health Secretary's pep talk came after another Cabinet minister told the MoS it is 'not on' that Labour MPs are assuming they will only be there for one term, and can therefore do what they like – as they praised 'necessary' action over welfare rebels. 'It's becoming a nightmare for the whips,' the source said. Another added: 'They can see the polls, and know they only managed to get in last year in a landslide.' A Labour MP furious with rebel colleagues said: 'We were elected on a Labour banner. We are there for the team, it is not about us. 'If you have issues with the leadership, you deal with them internally. You have to respect party discipline.' As part of his 'summer shore-up' Sir Keir is said to be planning to create a 'Department for Downing Street', which would see a senior civil servant appointed to a lead role and with other officials drafted in to try to improve the Prime Minister's ability to 'drive through change' in Whitehall. It has left Sir Keir open to accusations of 'Presidential' delusions.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Pulling out of the ECHR could give us back some badly-needed control over our borders – but will Starmer allow it?
Data weak HOW can the Home Office send lawyers to court every day to fight deportation appeals yet somehow not know how often EU laws are used to defeat them? The European Court of Human Rights is a major cause of Britain's inability to keep its borders secure. Foreign rapists and drug dealers routinely use the foreign court's power to win the right to stay in the UK or make endless appeals. So you would think knowing how many cases it had lost — and on what grounds — would be a key piece of information for the Government. It's symptomatic of the Home Office's utter failure to grip illegal migration, now the country's top concern. The clamour for Britain to quit the ECHR has risen as public anger grows at hundreds of illegal migrants arriving unchallenged every week. Secrecy over the airlift of thousands of Afghans has only added to a suspicion that the Government isn't on their side. Hence such depressing scenes in the previously quiet market town of Epping. Pulling out of the ECHR could give us back some badly-needed control. Moment migrant wearing life jacket joins mob of yobs lobbing rocks at French riot cops hours after ANOTHER boat set sail Beyond evil WHO is allowing monster Ian Huntley to stroll around his prison wing wearing a Manchester United lookalike shirt mocking his victims? Huntley cruelly and selfishly took the lives of 10-year-old best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Yet somehow Huntley has been able to make some kind of warped tribute by having the makeshift red shirt printed with the number 10. Both girls were wearing replica United jerseys in the last picture of them taken together so vile Huntley's intent should have been obvious to staff at Wakefield Prison. Despite being a notorious killer, he has every whim catered for. Huntley's even allowed a photo in his cell of ex-girlfriend Maxine Carr. It's the same cushy culture that allowed Southport killer Alex Rudakubana to throw boiling water over a prison guard. Huntley doesn't deserve to live. Let alone be indulged in his sick fantasies. In big Trouble WE can't think what possessed him. Why would married billionaire tech boss Andy Byron risk being caught with his Chief People Officer mistress on a kiss-cam at a Coldplay gig? It must have been a Rush of Blood to the Head. Or at least some other part of his anatomy.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
The US diplomatic envoys on a mission to 'evangelize' Europe
The two diplomats handed out business cards adorned with a gold eagle, the symbol of the US foreign ministry. The first, with a fresh Texas university graduate's smile and a sharp suit, might seem naive but is already a senior adviser, enjoying significant autonomy. The second, sporting glasses and a side part, holds the title of Director for European and Eurasian Affairs. Samuel D. Samson and Christopher J. Anderson both work in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, a branch of the State Department established in 1977 to "help advance individual freedom and democratic liberties worldwide" (so its website claims). In reality, they are the spearhead of an interference operation led by the Trump administration across Europe, under the guise of defending freedom of expression. On May 28, the two diplomats requested a meeting in Paris with three members of the leadership of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an NGO that defends in press freedom. The meeting was organized by the US embassy. RSF, well known in the US, seemed to them the ideal contact for the investigation they were conducting in western Europe, where, according to a speech given in February in Munich by US Vice President JD Vance, freedom of expression was said to be "in retreat."
Zawya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee publishes findings on Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Latvia, North Macedonia, Spain, and Viet Nam
The UN Human Rights Committee today issued its findings on Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Latvia, North Macedonia, Spain and Viet Nam, following its review of these States parties during its 144th session. The findings highlight positive developments and outline key concerns and recommendations regarding each country's implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Key issues include: Guinea-Bissau The Committee noted with concern that despite constitutional guarantees, the judiciary remains vulnerable to political interference and pressure from criminal networks. It urged the State party to strengthen the independence and functioning of the judiciary by, among others, providing increased resources to the judicial system. The Committee also raised concerns about restrictions of peaceful assembly, intimidation of human rights defenders, and interference with trade unions, urging the authorities to respect and protect civic space. Haiti The Committee expressed concern about the impact of ongoing large-scale gang violence on the Haitian population and the inability of the police to stop it. It called on the State party to take steps to fully comply with its obligations to protect the right to life, including by implementing a public policy to dismantle the gangs and 'self-defence brigades', and to redouble efforts to prevent and eliminate corruption in state institutions, one of the root causes of insecurity and human rights violations. Kazakhstan The Committee expressed concern that counter-terrorism efforts may be unduly restricting civic space and about reports of the use of force and acts of torture by law enforcement officials against members of civil society. It urged the State party to bring its counter-terrorism efforts in line with its international human rights law obligations and ensure that all allegations of excessive use of force are properly investigated and that victims are provided with remedies. Latvia The Committee raised concerns about border protection measures restricting asylum access, which it said expose refugees to the risk of non-refoulement and ill-treatment. It called on the authorities to ensure all individuals in need of international protection are assessed fairly and efficiently and to investigate allegations of pushbacks and ill-treatment of refugees at border points. North Macedonia The Committee was concerned that despite progress achieved in some areas, including the adoption of a strategy for the inclusion of Roma 2022-2030, discrimination and marginalization against the Roma community remained significant, with its members experiencing high levels of poverty and exclusion, and subjected to ethnic profiling. It called on the authorities to embrace poverty reduction efforts and improve advocacy and awareness to address anti-Roma discrimination. Spain The Committee welcomed progress made in areas of memory, truth and reparation for past human rights violations, including the adoption of the 2022 Democratic Memory Law and the establishment of a Prosecutor for Human Rights and Democratic Memory, but expressed regrets that the 1977 Amnesty Law remains active and that proceedings initiated in 2010 for violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship have not resulted in any effective actions. It also expressed concern about violent incidents of pushbacks of refugees and the alleged excessive use of force by border agents in Ceuta in 2014 and Melilla in 2022, resulting in serious injuries and deaths. It called on the authorities to implement fair asylum procedures that respect the principle of non-refoulement and to investigate the incidents of excessive use of force in Ceuta and Melilla. Viet Nam The Committee welcomed the recent removal of the death penalty for eight crimes in Viet Nam. However, it remained concerned that the death penalty remains for ten crimes, including non-violent crimes. The Committee called on the State party to refrain from carrying out executions by maintaining a de facto moratorium. The Committee also raised concerns about reports of torture and ill treatment of detainees. The full Concluding Observations are available on the session page. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
