Difference between revisions of "CNOLC-newsletter-no3/demystifying"

Revision as of 12:53, 17 January 2023

DEMYSTIFYING OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

The purpose of this vignette is to clarify and explain certain concepts, articles, mechanisms and roles related to official languages. In this issue, we provide an overview of the key elements of the Council’s 2023–2026 Strategic Plan: Acting for Change.

ABOUT THE COUNCIL

First, the Council is a horizontal organization of the Government of Canada in which departments, agencies, Crown corporations and regional federal councils work together. The 25-member body provides a voice for the 215 champions across the federal public service, serves as an agent of influence and mobilization, and promotes common approaches.It is led by two co-chairs, who act as official languages champions in their respective organizations, and it is supported by a national coordinator.

REVIEW OF THE 2018–2021 STRATEGIC PLAN

The 2018–2021 Strategic Plan expired on March 31. Despite the problems caused by the pandemic, all key activities were completed, including the following:

An awareness campaign for leaders on the importance of setting the tone for official languages;
The launch of the Dare newsletter, a biannual publication for official languages champions;
Work in collaboration with the Translation Bureau to identify initiatives by all federal institutions on a single page: the Official Languages Hub^®;
A new Official Languages Champions’ Toolbox that contains over 200 tools and resources, including a Reference Guide for champions, and infographics about the Council and the role and responsibilities of champions;
Organizing events with an average of 10 times more participants: Official Languages Day and the Best Practices Forum on Official Languages;
Better regional representation on the Council and greater consideration of official languages issues across the country.

To prepare for the next strategic planning cycle, we conducted an online consultation with Council members, official languages champions and other key official languages stakeholders.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN

Incorporated into the proposed new vision are inclusiveness and greater scope across the country for key partners:

To be a key partner in promoting official languages in the public service and celebrating diversity, inclusion and the use of English and French across Canada.

Being an agent of influence continues to be a central role in the mandate:

Act as an agent of influence for official languages within the Government of Canada and mobilize deputy heads and official languages champions to promote common approaches and ensure that official languages are a top-of-mind issue at the senior management level.

Based on the pillars of leadership, mobilization, support and partnerships, the strategic plan will build on the achievements of the past few years.

BEYOND THE PROMOTION ROLE

The main measure proposed is to encourage official languages champions to act as agents of change by exercising a more strategic and tactical role.In consultation with its partners, the Council will propose common approaches and opportunities for champions to go beyond their promotion functions and fully exercise their role by suggesting elements for their institution’s official languages program, if their situation permits. Through their role in their organization’s executive committee and official languages committee, champions are in a unique position to make a special contribution to the advancement of the official languages program during this pivotal time by demonstrating leadership and influence. To that end, we have identified a few key activities:

Enhancing champions’ leadership role in times of emergency by ensuring that an official languages lens is applied, particularly in communications;
Encouraging champions to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the new Official Languages Act;
Encouraging champions to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Public Service Employee Survey Working Group and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s second-language training framework;
Identifying the converging points between official languages, Indigenous languages, and diversity and inclusion, and providing materials so that champions are better equipped to address these issues.

STRENGTHENING THE COUNCIL’S ROLE AS A MOBILIZER

Mobilizing the official languages champion community to advance the official languages program is central to the Council’s mandate. To that end, we have identified four key activities:
Support efforts to modernize the Official Languages Act;

Promote the designation of Official Languages Day so that the event is celebrated throughout Canadian society;

Keep champions informed through the Dare newsletter;

Promote the best practices of federal institutions by listing them in the Official Languages Hub^®.

Bill C-13: An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts

Details on the Bill entitled An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts

Modernization of the Official Languages Act

@@ Line 97: / Line 97: @@
 <br>
-<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>WHAT ARE THE ENHANCEMENTS SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF BILL C-&nbsp;32 IN JUNE&nbsp;2021?</small></span></strong></span></span>
+<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>KEY ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN</small></span></strong></span></span>
-<br>
 <br>
+<br><p> <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Incorporated into the proposed new vision are inclusiveness and greater scope across the country for key partners:
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">To be a key partner in promoting official languages in the public service and celebrating diversity, inclusion and the use of English and French across Canada.
+<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Being an agent of influence continues to be a central role in the mandate:
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Act as an agent of influence for official languages within the Government of Canada and mobilize deputy heads and official languages champions to promote common approaches and ensure that official languages are a top-of-mind issue at the senior management level.
+<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Based on the pillars of leadership, mobilization, support and partnerships, the strategic plan will build on the achievements of the past few years.
-* <p> <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">The powers of the Treasury Board will be further strengthened, allowing for improved official languages coordination and accountability across the Government of Canada.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">The Commissioner of Official Languages will have a new power, namely, the power to impose administrative monetary penalties on certain privatized entities and Crown corporations in the transportation sector communicating with and serving the travelling public.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">There will be a more detailed Francophone immigration policy with objectives, targets and indicators, in order to increase Francophone immigration to Francophone minority communities, as immigration is a factor contributing to the demographic weight of those communities.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">The new rights in federally regulated private businesses in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence, which make it possible to work and receive service in French in these businesses, will now be introduced via a new statute.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">There will be new wording that is more explicit about the importance of Canada’s two major language communities.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">There will be better direction on positive measures to be taken by federal institutions, for the benefit of official language minority communities and the advancement of English and French across Canada.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Wording concerning emergencies will be added to the ''Act'' in order to provide a clearer reminder for federal institutions that the rights and safety of Anglophones and Francophones must be protected even in emergencies.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">The principles of statutory interpretation will now include the principle of the remedial nature of language rights, which seeks to remedy past injustices and ensure greater protection for official language minority communities across Canada.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Minority language education will be supported by creating a process obligation for the federal government’s commitment to contribute to an estimate of the number of children whose parents have the right to have them educated in the minority official language.
-* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">There will be stronger provisions on court decisions that must be translated, resulting in immediate translation of a greater number of decisions issued by federal courts.
 <br>
 <br>
-<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>WHAT CONCRETE ACTIONS CAN OFFICIAL LANGUAGES CHAMPIONS TAKE?</small></span></strong></span></span>
+<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>BEYOND THE PROMOTION ROLE</small></span></strong></span></span>
 <br>
-<br><p> <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Official languages champions are in a unique position to support their organization and ensure that all the required components are implemented in advance. Given the strengthened oversight powers of the Treasury Board and the Commissioner of Official Languages, it is likely that additional systematized mechanisms will be established. Therefore, preparatory work will need to be carried out in federal institutions to help support the monitoring, evaluation, and audit cycles. <p>
+<br><p> <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">The main measure proposed is to encourage official languages champions to act as agents of change by exercising a more strategic and tactical role.<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">In consultation with its partners, the Council will propose common approaches and opportunities for champions to go beyond their promotion functions and fully exercise their role by suggesting elements for their institution’s official languages program, if their situation permits. Through their role in their organization’s executive committee and official languages committee, champions are in a unique position to make a special contribution to the advancement of the official languages program during this pivotal time by demonstrating leadership and influence. To that end, we have identified a few key activities:
-<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">For example, champions could:
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Enhancing champions’ leadership role in times of emergency by ensuring that an official languages lens is applied, particularly in communications;
-*<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">notify their organization’s executive committee of upcoming changes;
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Encouraging champions to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the new ''Official Languages Act'';
-*<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">consult with the persons responsible for official languages to assess whether the human and financial resources needed to conduct these exercises are available, and which ones will be required;
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Encouraging champions to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Public Service Employee Survey Working Group and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s second-language training framework;
-*<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">initiate discussions with the persons responsible for coordinating section&nbsp;41 of the OLA to immediately systematize the identification of positive measures.
+* <span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Identifying the converging points between official languages, Indigenous languages, and diversity and inclusion, and providing materials so that champions are better equipped to address these issues.
-<br>
-<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">If you have any questions about the modernization of the OLA, please contact Canadian Heritage’s [mailto:mllogouvernance-molagovernance@pch.gc.ca '''Official Languages Branch'''].
 <br>
 <br>
+<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>'''STRENGTHENING THE COUNCIL’S ROLE AS A MOBILIZER'''
 <br>
+<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif"><br><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Mobilizing the official languages champion community to advance the official languages program is central to the Council’s mandate. To that end, we have identified four key activities:
-<span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small>'''FOR MORE INFORMATION'''
+* <span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Support efforts to modernize the ''Official Languages Act'';
-<br>
+* <span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Promote the designation of Official Languages Day so that the event is celebrated throughout Canadian society;
-<span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif"><br>
+* <span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Keep champions informed through the ''Dare'' newsletter;
+* <span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">Promote the best practices of federal institutions by listing them in the Official Languages Hub<sup>®</sup>.
 * <span style="color:#343742"><span style="font-size:18px"><strong><span style="font-family:Franklin Gothic, Demi Cond, sans-serif"><small><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif">[https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-13 Bill C-13: An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts]

Difference between revisions of "CNOLC-newsletter-no3/demystifying"

Revision as of 12:53, 17 January 2023

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