Should Reasonable Accommodation Be Adapted in Quebec

1438 Words6 Pages
Should reasonable accommodation be implemented in Quebec? “Reasonable accommodation refers to the idea that equality rights set out in section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms demands that accommodation be made to various ethnic minorities. The concept is especially applied with reference to the anti-discrimination laws in Québec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.” (Rock, Hoag) Multicultural and ‘multiculturalism are terms commonly used to refer to “a social condition of ethnic and racial multiplicity, to a government policy for addressing the problems associated with such range, and to an ideal of interethnic harmony and cooperation on the basis of equality”. (Harold Troper) As an ideal or ideology, multiculturalism sets a standard for the equal treatment of new and minority members of an existing national society. It seems as though many calls for accommodation come from the advocates of mixed-up political precision, the promoters of multiculturalism, diversity and communitarianism. For them, the presence of permanent ethnic and religious groups and of collective rights attached to them is a public good. Reasonable accommodation is one of the ways of upholding differences and the negotiation of the level of accommodation. This model of Canada is what Joe Clark meant when he said that Canada is a “community of communities.” (James) The opponents of accommodation, especially in Quebec, are often inspired by French republicanism, by views of secularism, of equality and of integration of newcomers as equals into our society. They dislike the idea that civil society should become a permanent negotiating session between powerful lobbies. (Mackenzie) This is where reasonable accommodation comes into play. It is the thesis of this essay that reasonable accommodation is desirable for individual freedom and effective integration of immigrants.
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