Supreme Court of Canada rules Saguenay council must drop prayers | Toronto Star

Supreme Court of Canada rules Saguenay council must drop prayers | Toronto Star

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled the municipal council in the Quebec town of Saguenay cannot open its meetings with a prayer.

In a unanimous decision today, the country’s top court said reciting a Catholic prayer at council meetings infringeson freedom of conscience and religion.

The ruling puts an end to a nine-year legal battle that began with a complaint filed by atheist Alain Simoneau and a secular-rights organization against Saguenay Mayor Jean Tremblay.

In 2011, Quebec’s human rights tribunal ordered an end to the prayers, demanded that a crucifix in the city council chamber be removed and awarded damages to Simoneau.

But the outspoken mayor fought back, raising money from supporters through the city’s website. Tremblay said it was abattle for Quebec’s Roman Catholic heritage.

The Quebec Court of Appeal overturned the tribunal in 2013

Corporate Accountability International - Divestment from Veolia

Corporate Accountability International

Tell the World Bank: Divest from water privatizers!

After months of mounting pressure around the world, the World Bank has divested from global water privatization giant Veolia! This is a huge victory for everyone who believes water is a human right -- and not a commodity to be bought and sold by corporations.

Our team is on the ground in D.C. at the annual World Bank meetings right now to ramp up pressure and ensure the World Bank cuts ties with ALL water privatizers. Join this call and tell World Bank officials: Water is a human right. Divest from ALL water privatizers.

Take Action: Show your support for open science communication! | Evidence for Democracy

Take Action: Show your support for open science communication! | Evidence for Democracy

A recent survey by Environics Research Group and the Professional
Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) finds similar
sentiments among the scientists themselves, showing that 90% of federal
scientists feel they are not able to speak freely about their research...

Federal government scientists play an important role in keeping
Canadians safe and healthy by providing their expertise to both the
public and decision-makers. When scientists communicate directly with
the media, we all gain a better understanding of how science is being
used for government decision-making, and are better able to hold our
government accountable.

Informed public debate is the foundation of democracy. This means
having the scientific information that we have paid for through our tax
dollars available for discussion and allowing our publicly-funded
scientists - whose salaries and research costs we pay - to communicate
freely.

Over the past several years, Canadian scientists working in the
federal government have experienced a substantial shift in the way they
can communicate their research to the public and the media. Reports of
widespread muzzling and delayed access to Canadian government scientists
have been covered in prominent national and international media.
Extensive coverage and concern prompted the Information Commissioner of
Canada to pursue an investigation, currently ongoing, into the alleged
muzzling of scientists.

If you think that scientists should be able to speak freely, add your
name to our petition calling for new government communication policies
that promote openness and transparency - similar to policies that have
been adopted in the United States and Britain.

You can find a timeline of the censorship of government science here.