Illiberalism in Action

Illiberalism and Social Protection

  • Inquiry into the balance between societal protection and illiberalism.

Residential Schools in Canada

  • Established in the 1870s; over 130 schools operated by government and churches.

  • Aimed to eliminate parental involvement; children placed against parents' wishes.

  • Forbidden to speak native languages or practice cultural traditions.

  • Significant abuse suffered by children (mental, physical, sexual).

Truth and Reconciliation Committee

  • Created to uncover the history of Residential Schools and guide healing.

  • Prime Minister's apology addressed the suffering caused by these schools.

  • Last school closed in 1996.

  • Purpose: Resolve historical conflicts through acknowledgment of wrongs.

Japanese Internment during WWII

  • Following Pearl Harbor in 1941, the War Measures Act was invoked.

  • Japanese Canadians labeled “enemy aliens” faced internment and property confiscation.

  • Affected individuals lived under curfews and were relocated to camps in BC and Alberta.

  • Approximately 27,000 detained without trial.

End of Internment

  • Japanese Canadians regained freedom by April 1, 1949.

  • Prime Minister Mulroney's apology and compensation announcement occurred 40 years later.

FLQ and the October Crisis

  • Ongoing cultural struggles for Francophones in Canada since 1759.

  • Early 1960s: Discontent over political/economic equality for Francophones.

  • FLQ: Nationalist group utilizing terrorism to pursue political change in Québec.

Actions of the FLQ

  • Fear of Anglophone governance spurred radical activism.

  • Activities included bombings, theft of weapons, and kidnappings.

  • Kidnapping of officials led to serious incidents, including murder.

Government Response to the FLQ

  • Prime Minister Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act on October 16, 1970.

  • This enabled police arrests without warrants; 497 arrests made.

  • Many detainees were not directly involved in FLQ activities.

Guantanamo Bay

  • US operated a prison in Guantanamo since 1987, on leased land from Cuba.

  • Post 9/11 conflicts led to detention of up to 775 individuals; 122 remain as of January 2015.