As we mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, we must shift our focus to long-term solutions to address food insecurity.
The record demand on Quebec food banks is evident in our own neighbourhood at The Depot Community Food Centre.
Demand for The Depot’s food services tripled over two years. Food banks alone cannot meet the diverse needs of our neighbours experiencing food insecurity.
People need access to food that reflects their cultural preferences and health needs, ensuring dignity and choice. Current options at food banks rarely meet these goals.
As a committee devoted to social justice in N.D.G., we see firsthand how systemic barriers like inadequate incomes, rising housing costs and gaps in health services contribute to food insecurity.
On this Human Rights Day — Dec. 10 — we remember that the right to food is a fundamental human right, yet it remains far from a reality for many.
To address food insecurity, we must shift our focus to long-term solutions. Ensuring everyone has access to adequate income — through programs like basic income support — can help reduce the need for food banks.
Governments and community organizations must work together to prioritize solutions that empower individuals and families. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind.
Ivana Simic and Rachel Schleifer, The Depot Community Food Centre’s social justice committee, N.D.G.
Not all marchers on equal footing
A lawyer representing pro-Palestinian activists complains Montreal police have arrested more protesters from their movement than from pro-Israel counter-demonstrations.
I find this rather disingenuous on her part, given that there have been far fewer counter-protests, with far fewer participants.
Furthermore, the pro-Israel marchers have not been reported to have committed acts of vandalism, or protested near places of worship in violation of court injunctions, or taken over university grounds, or uttered various forms of rhetoric many consider hateful.
I’m sure the Montreal police would be glad to accommodate her demands if there was in fact something to accommodate.
Irwin Kornfeld, Montreal
Criminal Code applies to protests
Regarding the Second Cup franchisee at the Jewish General Hospital who was fired after making Nazi references, it should be noted that anyone advocating the “final solution” or an equivalent can be said to be liable for an indictable crime.
Section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that anyone promoting genocide has broken federal law and is guilty of an indictable offence. It defines genocide as acts committed with the intention of destroying an identifiable group.
This genocide section of the Criminal Code should be made far more widely known, lest other hotheaded protesters are tempted to advocate the destruction of a people, be it an ethnic group, a religion or a nation.
Shloime Perel, Côte-St-Luc
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