Mohawk hits record full-time enrolment
Ministry seeks feedback on education reform
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has asked students to respond to minister Glen Murray's proposed reforms on post-secondary education in the discussion paper entitled "Strengthening Ontario's Centres of Creativity, Innovation and Productivity." Sept. 30 was the last day for student governments including the MSU to draft written responses. Responses will be made publicly available this month. Watch for an online update on the critical responses by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).
Mental Health Innovation Fund launched
The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced that a $7 million per year fund will be established for mental health support on campuses. The fund, available until 2015, will identify gaps in current mental health support services, promote best practices and encourage liaisons between communities and on-campus mental health support. The ministry is accepting proposals from universities, colleges and student groups who wish to benefit from the fund this month. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) urged the ministry to set up such an initiative in earlier this year, and representatives say they're pleased with the result.
The announcement comes in the midst of McMaster's 'Stomp Out Stigma' week dedicated to raising awareness about mental health. In a 2009 National College Health Assessment conducted at McMaster, 50 per cent of students polled said they "felt overwhelming anxiety" and 56 per cent said they "felt things were hopeless."
McMaster First Nations Student Association engages community during annual Powwow
The McMaster First Nations Student Association hosted its 4th annual Powwow last Friday outside the John Hodgins Engineering Building. In addition to raising the profile of McMaster's First Nations community through performances by local singers and dancers of the Ojibwe tribe, the Indigenous Studies Program hosted a send-off for retired elder-in-residence Bertha Skye and professor Hayden King, who will leave for Ryerson. The two were recognized by the First Nations campus community with an honour dance.
Gift from Indian government unveiled at Gandhi Peace Festival at City Hall
A new statue of Mahatma Gandhi was presented at City Hall for the 20th annual Gandhi Peace Festival in Hamilton. The statue is a gift from the government of India and the Indo-Canadian community, and drew emotional responses from attendees of Saturday's celebration. McMaster University received a bust of Gandhi last October during Mac Peace Week. It is located outside President Patrick Deane's office in Gilmour Hall.
Christina Pugliese
The Silhouette
With a season of civil unrest upon us, many have questioned the authenticity of protesters’ concerns. In this day and age, how can we distinguish the agitators from the real deal?
It turns out that the answer, at least in the present case, may be less baffling than one would expect.
The celebratory spirit of this year’s 19th annual Gandhi Peace Festival held on Oct. 1 was highlighted with the unveiling of a Gandhi statue presented to McMaster University on behalf of the Indian government.
A vastly different scene was evoked, however, at Carleton University, which revealed a similar statue of the Indian icon on Oct. 2, despite strong opposition from a demonstration of protesters representing the Organization for Minorities of India.
The group, whose Facebook page ‘Stop the Carleton University Gandhi Statue’ garnered upwards of 150 fans, resists commemoration of Gandhi across North America.
Their convictions hinge primarily upon the belief that Gandhi’s popular embodiment of peace and non-violence are a pretense of his true legacy, outlined on their website (stopgandhistatue.com) as follows:
“Gandhi is a hero only to a select group of upper-caste Hindu Indians.
To others, he remains a man who unashamedly and unapologetically constructed a legacy of racism against blacks, support for racial segregation in South Africa, cheerleading and participation in British colonial wars of conquest, insensitive and anti-Semitic remarks about the Jewish Holocaust, disturbing amiability towards Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, shocking disregard for the psychological well-being of his grandnieces and consistent belittlement of Indian minorities such as Dalits and Sikhs.”
While perhaps unsettling, these accusations come as no surprise to Dr. Rama Singh, professor of Biology at McMaster and Chair of the Gandhi Peace Festival Committee.
“A few years ago, G.B. Singh, [founder of the Organization for Minorities of India], wrote to me asking why I was wasting my time,” he said.
“Rather than engaging, I simply responded by saying, ‘I am going to assume that Gandhi has all those faults, and in spite of them, the fact that he still could become a Mahatma to the rest of the world means that there is hope for you and me.’”
Singh is critical of the organization’s self-imposed title of ‘Minority,’ noting that the group’s agenda fails to address any concern outside the realm of Gandhi tribute, such as poverty, sexism or racism, that often affect these populations disproportionately.
Singh described the factual validity of the group’s views as “misinterpretations of the events of Gandhi’s life,” providing the example of Gandhi helping to save the wounded during the Boer War as ‘evidence’ of his participation in combat.
“I would say that these people are a disgrace to the Gandhian movement. You don’t have to believe in Gandhi, but Gandhi’s ideas are not only Gandhi’s ideas; they are Martin Luther King’s ideas, Dalai Lama’s ideas, Nelson Mandela’s ideas. These people fought for something. That’s what Gandhi symbolizes. So to fight over Gandhi’s faults is a waste of time,” noted Singh.
Singh further promoted the incorporation of the Gandhian ideology on campus, saying “In my mind putting a statue of Gandhi on a university campus is like having a combined course on ethics, morality, and international development, without the teacher or exam. It is a constant reminder of a man who never compromised on his principles and there is no better way to empower students.”
Singh highlighted the importance of Gandhi’s teachings regarding the reciprocal process of learning. He drew particular emphasis to the need for professors to learn from their students, as given their globalized exposure to the world, they “are more in tune with societal needs and change.”
He stressed that a crucial role of the professor is to “promote student engagement through, for example, courses, dialogues, inter-disciplinary programs, and peace centers.”
“In short,” he added, “I would say it is our job to give them a Gandhian empowerment.”
Bushra Habib
The Silhouette
McMaster’s Peace Week began with the unveiling of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on Oct. 3 outside the McMaster University Student Centre. Patrick Deane, President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster, and Preeti Saran, Consul General of India in Toronto, were present at the event.
The statue, donated by the Government of India, will reside permanently in Mills Memorial Library, promoting efforts to spread Gandhi’s legacy of peace.
McMaster’s Peace Week is part of the Annual Gandhi Peace Festival and Peace Walk, which celebrated its 19th year on Saturday, Oct. 1.
“The statue will serve as a constant reminder that honesty, integrity and hard work will pay off in more ways than one,” said Dr. Rama Singh, a professor of Biology and Peace Studies and Chair of the Peace Festival. “It will help build character.”
Prior to the unveiling, Deane echoed some of Gandhi’s words, and expressed how this representation of Gandhi is symbolic of the views that McMaster upholds with respect to education. “This underlines the importance of Gandhi, not only as an historical figure, but as a symbolic representation of him at the heart of our campus, because of course, Gandhi’s values must be our values as an institution that seeks to shape and form a desirable society for us all in the future.”
McMaster has, in recent years, begun expanding its reputation globally with numerous partnerships and has strengthened relationships with institutions around the world, most notably in India. Deane reflected on the recent Research and Development Forum at McMaster, which featured leaders from high-ranking institutions around India.
“We’re in the process of building our relationships with Indian universities, and most recently at our successful Research and Development Forum we met with and planned to cooperate with deans from five or six top Indian institutions.”
Deane further explained, “it is important on an occasion like this to reflect on some of the details on our relationship with India, as an institution,” crediting initiatives of McMaster’s Centre for Peace Studies, as well as research relationships with several India schools.
This year continues the tradition of uniting prominent speakers under the same pressing subject of peace. The Annual Mahatma Gandhi Lectures on Nonviolence were established by the India-Canada Society of Hamilton, with sponsorship from McMaster’s Center for Peace Studies. Among notable guests of the week were Princeton University’s Professor Richard Falk, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of International Law. He delivered the annual Gandhi Lecture on Nonviolence on Oct. 3, discussing nonviolent geopolitics and their necessity in today’s world.
Echoing the 2011 Festival theme of “No to Fear – Yes to Peace” on Oct.4, Professor Hilal Elver, Visiting Fullbright Professor at McGill University, spoke about “Reflections on Islamophobia in North America”.
The lectures and events held throughout the week aim to serve as ways to remember Gandhi and to follow his principles in a time of global unrest and turmoil. “Educational institutions around the world are rediscovering Gandhi and his philosophy of peace, nonviolence and communal harmony,” said Singh. “Through honouring Gandhi, McMaster shows its commitment to students’ development and their future readiness for local, national and international engagement in making a better world for us all.”
The Peace Festival aspires to promote nonviolence, peace and justice while providing an avenue for various peace and human rights organizations within the local community to become collectively visible. Following the theme of exchanging dialogues and resources, Singh also hoped that “students become energized by seeing the statue and that Mills Library, which also houses Bertrand Russell’s papers, will become an educational pilgrimage for students and visitors.”
Peace Week continues until Oct.7 and will feature numerous events, including live music during lunch, evening workshops and a candlelight vigil to stop violence against women.
In politically and economically tumultuous times, Singh shared what he felt was Gandhi’s most relevant teaching for McMaster students: “Understand your enemy’s position to help make your enemy your friend.”
Education and the quest for knowledge were held in high esteem for Gandhi throughout his life and journey. Being an academic himself, he recognized the importance of education and imparted that wisdom to his followers as he led India to independence.
