As Canadians, we look around the world and think we’re doing a pretty good job. And we are. But we also need a reality check sometimes. Recently, the head of the world’s largest human rights group, Amnesty International, was in Alberta encouraging Canadians to speak up, and loudly, about human rights.

A.I. Secretary General Irene Khan praised Canada for the good that has flowed from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, however she reminded us that we shouldn’t get too smug when it comes to human rights and Aboriginal people. “Canada must begin with the rights of indigenous people,” she said. “Unless Canada is willing and ready to put its own house in order, it won’t be in a position to promote this approach to human rights abroad.”

Ms. Khan wasn’t suggesting that our government must do all the work. She let her audience know that each one of us has a role to play. And from a business perspective, I think there are plenty of opportunities to ensure human rights are respected and applied on a daily basis, instead of just hoping our government will “do something.”

Recently all of us got a glimpse of the conditions in which many Aboriginal Canadians live. This isn’t new, and yet with the evacuation of the people of the Kashechewan Reserve, we had another opportunity to see the great disparity that exists between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

One picture in a newspaper pinpointing the locations of unsafe water on Ontario reserves was a shocker for me. But that’s just part of it. Aboriginal Canadians have lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, more years living with disabilities, a suicide rate six times that of other Canadians, and the list goes on.

As a supervisor or employer, we might think there’s very little we can do. And yet, if we think about it, the stereotypes we all hold about Aboriginal people are likely the biggest impediments for opportunities. Having a job and career opportunities are some of the things so many of us take for granted. If we didn’t get a job, it likely meant the successful candidate had more years of experience or more education. We can put in more time and/or upgrade our credentials.

However, if losing the job has to do with your colour of skin, the belief that you’ll always be late for a job, or that you’re not really motivated, then more experience and education will do very little.

If you’ve read this far, I don’t want to lose you. Promise me you’ll carry on reading, even if I quote provocative writer, director, actor, and Academy Award Winner, Michael Moore.

A year ago I picked up Moore’s book Stupid White Men. Considering I’m a White man (as is Moore), I thought, “I wonder if I fit into this category?” After reading the book, I realize he was referring to other White men (stupid ones in fact). I remember some of what he wrote, but there was one thing that stuck with me long after I finished his book. Moore decided that if he is going to make a difference for African Americans, who are still greatly discriminated against in the U.S., then he is only going to hire African Americans.

After giving a long list of problems facing African Americans, he wrote, “How can I write what I’ve already written in this chapter when I’ve done little or nothing to correct the problem in my own backyard? Oh, sure, I could give you a hundred excuses for why it’s so hard to find African-Americans in this business – and they’d all be true. So what? So it’s hard? Does that absolve me of responsibility? I oughta be leading a picket of myself!”

From his quote, and from a Canadian perspective, do you think I’m going to suggest we only hire Aboriginal people? I’m not. But I am going to suggest we get active to hire more Aboriginal people. Michael Moore said it may be hard, but he also said “so what?” In comparison to the hardships facing most Aboriginal people, it’s probably not that difficult.

We can’t do everything about the conditions of Aboriginal Canadians. In fact we’re not going to be able to do most things ourselves, directly. However, in each of our workplaces there is something we can do. My list is not as provocative as that of Michael Moore, but I think there’s some merit.

• Create the environment
Work on eliminating the negative effects of stereotypes of Aboriginal people. We all have stereotypes and my advice is not to try to make ourselves pure, but to make sure the thoughts going through our minds don’t come out in prejudicial ways. This also means taking a firm stand on racial jokes and comments. If your workplace has Chinese Canadians or German Canadians, it’s likely people know to refrain from making jokes about them. However, if there are no Aboriginals in your workplace, then it’s more likely fellow employees will be able to make such jokes, thinking no one is harmed.

• Reach out
Not everyone is going to come walking through your door. You can go to the Aboriginal Canada Portal website http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/ and follow the employment links to General Programs and Services for Aboriginal People. You can also look up the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy, or even Google the Assembly of First Nations - call them up and see what other programs are available.

• Do better than “revolving door” employment equity
I’ve spoken to employers who hire Aboriginal employees, to only find them leaving after a short time. Upon further investigation they wish they had a chance to correct the mistakes. Stereotypes and assumptions can lead all of us to do strange things. I’ve talked to supervisors who were afraid of holding an Aboriginal employee to the same standard as a non-Aboriginal employee, for fear of perpetuating stereotypes, or of being called racist. Aboriginal employees are looking for equality, not kid-glove treatment. People tend to stick around if they’re treated with the same respect as others.

We might not be able to do anything personally about the water. But on the employment front we can make a difference. Amnesty International’s Irene Khan had it right. Each of us needs to get our own house in order if we want to speak up about basic human rights. And Canadians feel very strongly about human rights.

Stephen

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Stephen Hammond, B.A, LL.B, CSP, is a speaker, trainer and author working in the field of workplace human rights. Articles, tips and his books Managing Human Rights At Work: 101 Practical Tips to Prevent Human Rights Disasters and Steps in the Rights Direction: 365 human rights celebrations and tragedies that inspired Canada and the world are available on his website www.stephenhammond.ca. Contact Stephen at 866-685-8338 or stephen@stephenhammond.ca