Alan Dutton

Alan Dutton is a member of the Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society. He is an expert on anti-democratic movements, right wing extremism, Nazi organizations and the impact of racism on individuals, institutions and society. He specializes in methods to help youth recover from recruitment into political extremist groups. He has received the MOSAIC human rights award, an award for combating racism from the Attorney General of British Columbia and an award of appreciation for government service from the Ministry Responsibility for Multiculturalism and Immigration of BC.

Dutton holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Victoria, an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Victoria and did doctoral research (ABD) at Simon Fraser University where he was awarded a C.D. Nelson Memorial Scholarship. He holds a Certificate in Computer and Information Security from Langara College and an Associate Certificate (Hon.) in Web Technologies from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has taught ethnic relations and quantitative methods in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University, in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, introductory sociology in the Secwepmec First Nations university transfer program Secwepmec and introductory sociology in various Corrections Canada programs.

Dutton was accepted as an expert witness on racism by the Ontario Labour Relations Board in an appeal by Paul Fromm of his termination by the Peel School Board^[1] and provided a report on the impact of Paul Fromm’s associations and activities.^[2] Dutton was also accepted by the Supreme Court of BC as an expert on the impact of racism on juries in a case alleging discrimination by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia

Government Service

Dutton served on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funding review committee from 2004–2006 and the “Blueprint for Change” steering committee struck by the Settlement and Multiculturalism Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General of BC in 2004 to establish a five-year strategic direction on anti-racism and multiculturalism for the Province of British Columbia.

Dutton served on the Advisory Committee to the Canadian Secretariat - World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in 2000 and chaired the Hate and New Media Working Group. The Working Group co-authored a detailed report on Combating Hate on the Internet with extensive recommendations. Dutton was a delegate of the Government of Canada to the European Union preparatory conference for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism and was sponsored to attend the United Nations WCAR in Durban South Africa.^[3] Dutton also supervised the organization of the Government of BC’s five regional preparatory conferences for the World Conference and co-edited the report of the recommendations of the conferences.^[4]

Dutton was part of a team that provided Corrections Canada research and workshops on hate groups in prisons. Matsqui Institution won an award from the Attorney General of B.C. for undertaking the workshops and training. Dutton also contributed to the Aboriginal Hate Crimes Forums, November 1999 funded by Multiculturalism BC and helped organize Anti-racism Terminology, Concepts and Training^[5]

Dutton also served as a member of the Government of Canada Roundtable on Hate Crime, co-authored the research paper, Hate Propaganda, for the Department of Justice Canada, provided training for Judges on hate crime, and was twice appointed to the BC Advisory Council on Multiculturalism.

Community service

Dutton has been a keynote speaker at many conferences on civil rights and has organized several major conferences on anti-racism and hate on the net, including:

Anti-racism Online with support from the BC Human Rights Commission and Simon Fraser University.

Organizing Against Hate with support from the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Kamloops and the Kamloops and District Immigrant Settlement Society.

Anti-racism and the Workplace with support from the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, the City of Kelowna and the BC Federation of Labour.

Anti-racism: Terminology, Concepts and Training with support from the Province of British Columbia, Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism and Human Rights.^[6]

Multiculturalism In Surrey with support from the Province of British Columbia, the City of Surrey and the Surrey and Delta Immigrant Settlement Society.

Towards a Dialogue with support from the Sal'i'shan Institute, United Native Nations and the Musqueam Band, Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia.^[7]

Racism, Hate Crime and the Law ^[8] with support from the province of Province of British Columbia.

Documentaries

Dutton has received support from the National Film Board of Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Province of British Columbia and Knowledge Network to interview leaders and present and former members of racist groups to produce educational resources for police, educators and social services on the recruitment and recovery of youth from racist groups.

Criticism

Dutton and the Jewish Western Bulletin were sued for libel when Dutton was quoted as saying that radio station AM 1040 was broadcasting interviews with racists. AM 1040 had broadcast extensive interviews with Paul Fromm (activist), David Irving, Doug Collins of the North Shore News,^[9] Charles Scott of the Church of Jesus Christ in Israel,^[10] and Tony McAleer of the White Aryan Resistance Movement.^[11][12][13] The Georgia Straight carried the same allegations as the Jewish Western Bulletin but was not sued. The case went to discovery but was dropped. AM 1040 paid legal costs.

Paul Fromm (activist) ^[14] of the Canadian Association for Free Expression, and former school teacher fired for his association with racists, states that:

"... Alan Dutton of CAERS, the Canadian Anti-Racism and Research Society... receives government grants through the Multiculturalism and Immigration Community Liaison Branch of about $100,000 a year, a unit controlled by Dosanjh.

"...the Attorney General is trying to quash my [Fromm's] application for a judicial review of the Human Rights Code, which in effect is an appeal designed to render ultra vires a law that totalitarians would approve of. Dutton and Dosanjh move in symbiotic tandem."

References

1. Findings of the Ontario College of Teachers regarding Paul Fromm
2. Dutton, A. (1998) Report on the Impact on Youth, Families and the Community of the Groups and Individuals with whom Paul From is Associated
3. List of Delegates to the WCAR sponsored by the Government of Canada
4. Equality, dignity, justice: united to combat racism. Preparations for the world conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Multiculturalism BC. ISBN 0-7726-4591-4
5. Anti-racism Terminology, Concepts and Training. Multiculturalism BC ISBN 0-7726-2334-1
6. Anti-racism: Terminology, Concepts and Training. Multiculturalism BC. ISBN 0-7726-2334-1
7. See Towards a Dialogue: Proceedings of a Conference on Colonialism held in Vancouver, B.C. ISBN 0-9696026-0-X
8. Dutton. A. et al. (ed.) Racism, Hate Crime and the Law. CAERS (1995)
9. Collins was found to be in violation of the BC Human Rights Code for a series of articles published in the North Shore News. See Abrams v. Collins and the North Shore News
10. Scott was a well known racist recruiter for Aryan Nations and Christian identity groups.
11. Tony McAleer was found to be in breach of the Canadian Human Rights Act for racist telephone messages and was jailed for contempt when he moved his hate telephone line to the USA to circumvent Canadian law.
12. The White Aryan Resistance Movement was a racist California based group. The leader was Tom Metzger who was found to have encouraged the murder of an African immigrant in Portland, Oregon.
13. A Vancouver radio station sues an anti-racism lobby group. Jerry Collins. Alberta Report / June 3, 1996
14. Findings of the Ontario College of Teachers regarding Paul Fromm