A Canadian government-funded booklet for school children classifies Canada’s Red Ensign flag, which was used until 1965, as a “hate symbol.” The booklet was approved by the cabinet on June 30.
The booklet also asks kids to be wary of classmates who use the “free speech” argument as it was among the “common defenses of hate propaganda.”
Chair of CAHN Bernie Farber said the booklet would spearhead a campaign to educate children and “fight and win against hate.”
“The point of this free toolkit is to help parents, educators and the community identify and intervene when a young person is being groomed and recruited by a white supremacist movement before it is too late,” said Farber. “It’s not just a free toolkit. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network is launching a whole education program.”
“This new resource will be delivered through workshops in schools across the country and it will help raise awareness with students,” Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen told reporters, adding the booklet would help “teach core values to our kids.”
Blacklock’s Reporter reported that Hussen approved CAD 268,400 funding for the booklet, titled “Confronting and Preventing Hate in Canadian Schools.” The guide was written by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), which had previously received CAD 268,400 funding from the government to operate its website.
The booklet has a chapter on “hate symbols” and lists the Red Ensign Flag as one of those symbols.
It states that the flag was used until 1965. “Its usage denotes a desire to return to Canada’s demographics before 1967 when it was predominantly white,” the booklet continues.
“The Canadian Red Ensign is often used by the younger alt-right/Canada First movement, but has been seen amongst older hate-promoting groups and individuals. Its usage in modern times is an indicator of hate-promoting beliefs.”
The book also encourages kids to challenge those that speak well about “problematic” leaders.
“Sometimes educators and students will find themselves in the position of requiring an immediate response to a student in class who invokes a bigoted ideology,” it says.
“While these situations should be treated carefully they need to be addressed as they happen,” the guide writes. “These incidents can range from mild to severe and each will require its own approach depending on the situation. Examples: A student argues in favor of a problematic politician or policy, e.g. Trump’s wall, in a classroom discussion.”
Chair of CAHN Bernie Farber said the booklet would spearhead a campaign to educate children and “fight and win against hate.”
“The point of this free toolkit is to help parents, educators and the community identify and intervene when a young person is being groomed and recruited by a white supremacist movement before it is too late,” said Farber. “It’s not just a free toolkit. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network is launching a whole education program.”
