We are living in an unprecedented time where we are seeing horrors unfold in the Middle East, yet many Canadian employers find themselves navigating a complex situation in trying to create a safe and inclusive environment for all in their workforce.  At the same time, we are seeing more and more employees get terminated because of their activism. Sometimes it is warranted where it is hate speech under the guise of advocacy, however, more often, we are seeing employers  deliberately manipulate ​an employee’s social media activity and their freedom of speech to terminate, discipline or penalize them for speaking out against a political or humanitarian stance they may disagree with. 

 

Our goal through the Olive Branch Project is to ensure that employers have the right tools, policies, and information to address this critical time in our world history, while empowering employees to feel safe practicing their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, without the fear of being defamed and/or terminated. We will start this project with informational consults for employees and workshops designed for employers. 

 

It should be clear and explicit that this initiative does not tolerate or promote hate of any kind. It is important that we treat the humanity of both Canadian Palestinians and Canadian Israelis, including all Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other beliefs, with equal consideration. We plan to work with other organizations to collectively fight anti-Palestinian, antisemitism and islamophobia in the workplace. 

 

This initiative will be led by the Emerge Law’s Founder, Hani Al-Dajane. Hani is a Palestinian-Canadian Lawyer, a podcast host, and entrepreneur and he will be working with other lawyers and law firms, organizations, to ensure our legal landscape protects all Canadians.