A Headhunter’s Nightmare at Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom

Published in the Toronto Star, February 18, 2013 Despite the recent papal drama in Rome, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion-focused body with prominent personnel troubles. In Ottawa, the Harper government has spent the last year dealing with a leadership vacuum of its own as it struggled to find a suitable ambassador to lead

Published in the Toronto Star, February 18, 2013

Despite the recent papal drama in Rome, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion-focused body with prominent personnel troubles. In Ottawa, the Harper government has spent the last year dealing with a leadership vacuum of its own as it struggled to find a suitable ambassador to lead its long-promised Office of Religious Freedom.

Virtually no one would quibble with the notion that a right to freedom of religion is part of a larger set of human rights to freedom of conscience, assembly and expression. As critics have persuasively argued, however, religion is too multi-faceted in its forms and contested in its practice to be championed impartially by any government office. A selective focus on the persecutions of certain religious groups in certain places won’t (and shouldn’t) be acceptable to the Canadian public.

But if these conceptual arguments aren’t convincing enough, let’s take a look at the situation from a different angle — as a human resources issue. The Harper government, which is expected to announce the office’s first ambassador on Tuesday, spent well over a year under intense public scrutiny looking to fill a job with a fancy title and handsome perks. It reported that two or three prospective candidates were approached but turned the job down. Why was the search so difficult?

The answer may have something to do with the job description. After all, a suitable ambassador for this office will have to fill four essential criteria….

Read the rest of this article on the Toronto Star website.

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Le blogue du CÉPI est écrit par des spécialistes en la matière.

Les blogs CIPS sont protégés par la licence Creative Commons: Attribution – Pas de Modification 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0).


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A Headhunter’s Nightmare at Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom

Published in the Toronto Star, February 18, 2013 Despite the recent papal drama in Rome, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion-focused body with prominent personnel troubles. In Ottawa, the Harper government has spent the last year dealing with a leadership vacuum of its own as it struggled to find a suitable ambassador to lead

Published in the Toronto Star, February 18, 2013

Despite the recent papal drama in Rome, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion-focused body with prominent personnel troubles. In Ottawa, the Harper government has spent the last year dealing with a leadership vacuum of its own as it struggled to find a suitable ambassador to lead its long-promised Office of Religious Freedom.

Virtually no one would quibble with the notion that a right to freedom of religion is part of a larger set of human rights to freedom of conscience, assembly and expression. As critics have persuasively argued, however, religion is too multi-faceted in its forms and contested in its practice to be championed impartially by any government office. A selective focus on the persecutions of certain religious groups in certain places won’t (and shouldn’t) be acceptable to the Canadian public.

But if these conceptual arguments aren’t convincing enough, let’s take a look at the situation from a different angle — as a human resources issue. The Harper government, which is expected to announce the office’s first ambassador on Tuesday, spent well over a year under intense public scrutiny looking to fill a job with a fancy title and handsome perks. It reported that two or three prospective candidates were approached but turned the job down. Why was the search so difficult?

The answer may have something to do with the job description. After all, a suitable ambassador for this office will have to fill four essential criteria….

Read the rest of this article on the Toronto Star website.

Articles liés


Le blogue du CÉPI est écrit par des spécialistes en la matière.

 

Les blogs CIPS sont protégés par la licence Creative Commons: Attribution – Pas de Modification 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0).


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