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Alleged Institutional Racism/solutions in CAF (merged)

eaglehawkdown said:
Good day all.

I have a question that I would like to ask and yes I did some research and looking to try and find an answer but was not coming up with anything. Does any one know what the number of minorities are that are either in the application process or are currently working with the CAF. I'm trying to see if they hire any people with ethnic backgrounds less than say "whites" or "blacks" . It seems that finding a job while having a ethnic name on the application can seem like it would take much longer than someone that had a name like mike smith.

Just curious.

The CF doesn't care what colour, race, ethnicity or creed you are. The system is extremely bureaucratized and painfully slow- but that same thing has protected it from prejudice or how many vowels your name has/lacks.
 
eaglehawkdown said:
Good day all.

I have a question that I would like to ask and yes I did some research and looking to try and find an answer but was not coming up with anything. Does any one know what the number of minorities are that are either in the application process or are currently working with the CAF. I'm trying to see if they hire any people with ethnic backgrounds less than say "whites" or "blacks" . It seems that finding a job while having a ethnic name on the application can seem like it would take much longer than someone that had a name like mike smith.

Just curious.


The only reason I can see why people with ethnic backgrounds may take longer to process is because they lived outside of Canada for extended periods. Other than that, race/background does not really factor in. I am of Korean descent but was born and lived in Canada my whole life. My initial application took less than 6 months to process but had to be closed due to the lack of openings for the position I desired.
 
After reviewing your posts, I have a strong feeling that you have several other problems holding up your application that are not at all related to being a minority.  This could be one:

eaglehawkdown said:
I have a parent living outside of Canada hes been out for over 10 years and I myself have not left Canada in over 10 years. And the right people I emailed I am referring to the recruiting office staff that I was dealing with and who gave me their card to contact them.

You have also had problems with passing the CFAT, which could also be a factor, not at all related to being a minority.
 
PumpKickr said:
Well, this isn't good: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/systemic-racism-in-canadian-forces-needs-inquiry-veterans-say-1.2571614

While I would never claim that the CAF is free of racists, I have a hard time accepting a claim that there is systemic racism or that there would be institutional barriers to a POCs progression.  I just don't see it.

In my 25 years in the forces I have never seen any racism. I'm sure it exists as the forces has the same problems of society in general. Looking at the news story from the first page of a letter that's displayed, seems some of the problem was a posting out west when he wanted Greenwood and the per was blaming it on racism. When he was out west in a posting he probably did not want, said he was harassed.
 
I think this has already been a story a few years ago if I remember..........
 
" between 2001 and 2012, there were 290 cases of racism complaints within the Canadian Forces and 129 of those cases were won by the complainants"

Personally, that's pretty outstanding...............that sure doesn't sound "systematic" to me.
 
Bruce Monkhouse said:
I think this has already been a story a few years ago if I remember..........
You DO remember correctly ....
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/105137.0;all

Stand by for merge....
 
I have been following this for a bit on FaceBook.  Some of the posters have known the two in this news article, and have commented that it was not a matter of race, but a problem of personalities.  They posted that the person was an obnoxious 'asshole' and was treated as such by those who came in contact with them.  This looks very much like a couple of persons who have an obnoxious personality manipulating the system by using the "minority card" ( this is not just a problem of people using the "race card", but also the "gender card", the "religion card", etc. ) to get their own way. 
 
First line in the letter from the article says he wasn't posted to Greenwood from QL3 because of race? Or is it because Greenwood is one of 50 postings new traffic techs can get and isn't a particularly busy place for someone to practice new skills...?
 
The headline for this article, and the assertions that Ombudsman Marin stated that there was systemic racism in the CF, are grossly inaccurate and misleading; he said no such thing. What he did say was: "We have identified two systemic issues that could be pursued further, the first being: what is the CF's role and responsibility with respect to assisting with the integration of members and their dependants, specifically those that are visible minorities, into the community? The second issue concerns CF's policy with respect to independent or higher level review of harassment complaints and more specifically of racism, with the aim of identifying systemic racism or discrimination. At present, the existing policies are either silent or lacking."

So, the Ombudsman identified systemic issues with how the CF handles integration of minorities into the community and how it investigates harassment complaints... NOT SYSTEMIC RACISM within the CF.

For the reporter to twist this around reflects either gross incompetence or deliberate sensationalism (or perhaps both), for which there should be no tolerance in professional journalism. Sadly, we see this more and more often today. 

 
Transporter said:
For the reporter to twist this around reflects either gross incompetence or deliberate sensationalism (or perhaps both), for which there should be no tolerance in professional journalism. Sadly, we see this more and more often today.

This is how the North American media sells papers/adds/commercials/etc. There is no more journalistic integrity.

My Wife has a degree in journalism and she's a visible minority. She's the first to attack such dribble at the hands of the MSM.

For the record, if I ever suspected anyone in my chain were treating our people in a racist manner I would put an end to it immediately. Nothing degrades the brotherhood and team work of our units faster than racism. To ignore it in our units would be a gross failure of leadership.
 
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PuckChaser said:
First line in the letter from the article says he wasn't posted to Greenwood from QL3 because of race?

Or maybe he wasn't posted to YZX because of his posting preferences that he gave to the career manager while on his QL3. If you list bases in N.S, Ontario, and B.C, then you've told your career shop that you are open to a posting anywhere. I am certain Mr. Fowler does not expect that someone on this site was also on the same QL3 as he was.
 
Everytime NS papers want increase their minority readership. Wally pops up. He is the story that keeps on giving because can't tell the full truth in public. Time to let it go Wally.
 
Problem is as a white guy in Canada I almost never see the racism around me. I'm treated well so I never think about it. When I was in Asia and the subject of super annoying racism that almost made me beat the crap out of one or two people it was a very different story. I remember being wound up by some racist ass in a bar with some local friends and one of the girls at the table looking amazed and saying she had never seen racism in her country. I saw it most days I was there. It's something to remember when I hear things like this.
 
Don't be stupid............assholes in a bar is a whole different kettle of fish of systemic workplace racism.
 
I also had to pay more for consumer goods in many stores and pay larger bribes to local officials. It was systemic and mostly invisible to those not targeted. To the point that many naive locals did not think it existed. They wondered why I was such an angry guy some days. My wife accused me of reverse racism. We were out buying a coke and as luck would have it the shop keeper shorted me on my change by about 20 Canadian cents thinking I would not notice. I let her go on her tirade and then gave the the receipt and my change and asked her to count it. Best argument win in the marriage IMO. It was very educational to be treated like that.
 
Back on topic.

The Army.ca Staff
 
I wonder if anyone is investigating the media for "Systemic" stupidity for flogging these stories?
 
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