POLICY
PAPER ISSUE DEVELOPMENT
(MODULE
#3)
…
POLICY PAPER ISSUE
DEVELOPMENT:
THE SECOND STEP IN POLICY
ANALYSIS IS ISSUE DEVELOPMENT (RE-CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAJOR
PUBLIC DISCOURSES IN SYSTEMATIC AND ANALYTIC CONTEXT).
FOR EXAMPLE, PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL ECONOMY
MAY IDENTIFY MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN OUR SOCIETY AS STEMMING FROM THE “PATTERNS
OF POWER AND INEQUALITY” THAT ARE ROOTED IN PATTERNS OF GENDERED AND/OR
COLOUR-CODED PRODUCTION.
THEREFORE, PAPERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE TARGETED AT AND/OR FRAMED BY AN UNDERSTANDING
OF THE “ANALYTIC CONTEXT” OF AND FOR A TOPIC. THIS MEANS AT THE SOCIAL
STRUCTURAL LEVEL, YOUR TOPIC {E.G., WHATEVER IT IS – IMMIGRATION POINT SYSTEM,
RACIAL PROFILING, ETC.,} IS INVARIABLE CONTAINED/FRAMED BY ONE OR ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING:
1) GLOBAL CAPITALISM (AND ATTENDANT POLITICS
OF NEOLIBERALISM)
2) PATRIARCHY (WHITE MALESTREAM REALITY)
3) WHITE
SUPREMACY (ASIDE: IN OUR CLASS WE HAVE PREFERRED THE TERM “CULTURAL HEGEMONY”)
THE POLICY PAPER CRITERIA:
REMEMBER THE VALUE OF A POLICY PAPER
LIES IN ITS USEFULNESS TO RELEVANT AUDIENCES OR “STAKEHOLDERS.” THE EMPHASIS
FOR YOUR WORK SHOULD BE TO SUBMIT THE BEST ANALYSIS POSSIBLE, AND TO PROVIDE
THE BEST SOURCES OF MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN FIND ABOUT A SOCIAL PROBLEM, IN A WAY
THAT IS BOTH LOGICALLY AND PRACTICALLY COMPELLING IN REGARD TO SOCIAL POLICY
DECISIONS.
HOWEVER, WITHOUT A CAREFUL (NOT PIECEMEAL)
EXAMINATION OF THE LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE, BOTH
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS WILL CONTINUE TO FLOAT IN A HAZE OF CONFUSION AND
MYSTIFICATION.
THUS, GOOD POLICY ANALYSIS SEEKS TO ESTABLISH THE SOCIAL
ROOTS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS FOR SOUND PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF SOCIAL POLICY.
GENERAL FEATURES OF POLICY
PAPERS:
1) INTRODUCTION
IDENTIFY AN IMPORTANT MATTER
OF PUBLIC INTEREST OR SOCIAL PROBLEM AND ITS RELATION TO PUBLIC POLICY.
EX: A PROJECT ON HIV/AIDS AND IMMIGRATION?
ON 20 SEPTEMBER 2000, CANADIAN NEWSPAPERS REPORTED
THAT HEALTH CANADA RECOMMENDED TO CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA THAT
TESTING ALL PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS FOR HIV, AND EXCLUDING THOSE TESTING
POSITIVE, IS THE "BEST PUBLIC HEALTH OPTION." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE
MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION, ELINOR CAPLAN, STATED THAT HER
DEPARTMENT IS INDEED CONSIDERING IMPLEMENTING MANDATORY HIV TESTING FOR ALL
PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA, AND EXCLUDING ALL THOSE TESTING POSITIVE
(WITH THE EXCEPTION OF REFUGEES AND FAMILY-CLASS SPONSORED IMMIGRANTS) FROM
IMMIGRATING TO CANADA ON BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH AND "EXCESSIVE COST"
GROUNDS.
EVEN BEFORE THESE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS, THERE WAS
DISCUSSION AND DEBATE IN CANADA ABOUT THE ISSUES RAISED BY HIV/AIDS IN THE
CONTEXT OF IMMIGRATION
2) ISSUES
AND/OR BACKGROUND
IDENTIFY WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
EX: AN ANALYSIS OF IMMIGRATION POLICY IN THE CONTEXT
OF HIV/AIDS MUST CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS {IE., EXPAINING WHY THESE ARE
THE RELEVANT QUESTIONS, HOW THEY FRAME OR IMPACT THE ISSUE, AND WHAT IS THE
CURRENT PUBLIC DISCOURSE?}:
I. SHOULD VISITORS WITH HIV EVER BE
RESTRICTED FROM COMING INTO CANADA? {"EXCESSIVE COST" GROUNDS –
SOUND REASONING OR STIGMA?}
II. SHOULD
THERE BE MANDATORY HIV TESTING OF ALL PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS?
III. SHOULD PERSONS WITH HIV SEEKING TO IMMIGRATE
TO CANADA BE PREVENTED FROM BECOMING PERMANENT RESIDENTS?
IV. SHOULD THERE
BE MANDATORY TESTING OF REFUGEES?
V. SHOULD
REFUGEES WITH HIV EVER BE BARRED FROM ENTERING CANADA?
VI. SHOULD THERE BE ANY RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON
IMMIGRANTS AND/OR REFUGEES WITH HIV WHO ARE ADMITTED ONCE THEY ARRIVE IN THE
COUNTRY?
3) HISTORY
IDENTIFY WHAT ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN
BY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND ORGANIZATIONS (NGO'S)
I. PUBLISHED WORKS OR INFORMATION (LEGAL AND
OTHER SOCIAL RESEARCH ON ISSUES RAISED BY HIV TESTING).
II. CONDUCTED
INTERVIEWS OF KEY INFORMANTS AND PERSONS CONCERNED.
III. ORGANIZED
WORKSHOPS/ PUBLIC INFORMATION FORUMS.
IV. COMMUNITY
COALITION BUILDING.
4) CURRENT
POLICY AND NEW DIRECTIONS
IDENTIFY WHAT THE DRAFT DISCUSSION PAPER
CONTAINS.
A DRAFT PAPER ON PROPOSED MANDATORY HIV TESTING OF
IMMIGRANTS WOULD:
I. DESCRIBE THE GENERAL TRENDS IN APPROACHES
TAKEN TO DISEASE AND MIGRATION BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND IN CANADA;
II. DESCRIBE
CANADA'S CURRENT POLICIES REGARDING HIV/AIDS AND IMMIGRATION;
III. DESCRIBE SOME OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN
IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION AND POLICY THAT MAY AFFECT VISITORS, IMMIGRANTS, AND
REFUGEES WITH HIV/AIDS;
IV. EVALUATES CANADA'S CURRENT AND PROPOSED
POLICIES REGARDING IMMIGRATION AND HIV.
V. PRESENT A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FEDERAL
AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THEIR POLICIES ON
IMMIGRATION AND HIV.
VI. {AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST} EXPLICITLY EXPLAIN
WHAT ISSUES THE DISCUSSION PAPER "DOES NOT" ADDRESS — OR CANNOT
ADDRESS [FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SPECIFIC DISCUSSION PAPER MAY NOT ADDRESS THE
ETHICAL ISSUES/ANALYSIS OF MANDATORY TESTING]
4) ASSESSMENT
IDENTIFY AND EXECUTE THE GOALS OF THE
PROJECT.
THE GOALS OF A DRAFT PAPER ON PROPOSED MANDATORY HIV
TESTING OF IMMIGRANTS WOULD BE:
I. TO CONTRIBUTE TO A PROCESS OF INFORMED AND
RIGOROUS DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE MANY ISSUES RELATED TO HIV/AIDS AND
IMMIGRATION IN CANADA,
II. {AND} TO ENSURE THAT DECISIONS ABOUT
WHETHER PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE MANDATORILY TESTED FOR HIV, AND EXCLUDED
FROM IMMIGRATING IF HIV-POSITIVE, WILL BE BASED ON A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE
LEGAL, ETHICAL, AND POLICY ISSUES INVOLVED.
5) CONCLUSIONS
IDENTIFY AND SUBSTANTIATE THE POLICY PAPER'S
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS.
A POLICY PAPER ON TO HIV/AIDS AND IMMIGRATION IN
CANADA MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT:
I. CANADA'S POLICY OF NEITHER TESTING NOR
EXCLUDING VISITORS WITH HIV (EXCEPT IN SOME RARE CIRCUMSTANCES) IS SATISFACTORY
AND SHOULD BE MAINTAINED;
II. THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF MANDATORY TESTING
OF IMMIGRANTS ARE OUTWEIGHED BY ITS POTENTIAL HARMS;
III. ANY EXCLUSION OF A PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANT
WITH HIV ON PUBLIC HEALTH GROUNDS IS DISCRIMINATORY AND INCONSISTENT WITH
CURRENT, COMMONLY-ACCEPTED PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE;
IV. CANADA'S CURRENT POLICY OF AUTOMATIC EXCLUSION
OF ALL PERSONS KNOWN TO HAVE HIV ON THE GROUND THAT THEY WILL POSE AN EXCESSIVE
BURDEN ON HEALTH OR SOCIAL SERVICES IS UNWARRANTED, AS IT SINGLES OUT HIV WHEN
THERE ARE OTHER DISEASES AND CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT PLACE GREATER DEMANDS ON THE
PUBLIC PURSE, AND DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A CASE-BY-CASE ASSESSMENT;
V. PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS WITH HIV WHO HAVE
COMPELLING COMPASSIONATE AND HUMANITARIAN REASONS FOR BEING IN CANADA SHOULD BE
GRANTED PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS, RATHER THAN BEING ISSUED MINISTER'S PERMITS,
WHICH AFFORD THEM NO ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE AND WHICH MAY BE REVOKED AT ANY
TIME; AND
VI. ALL
MEDICAL BARRIERS TO ADMISSION OF REFUGEES SHOULD BE REMOVED.
6) RECOMMENDATIONS
WHAT ARE (THE) SUGGESTED OR NEXT STEPS TO BE
TAKE {RULED BY PRACTICALITY AND IMPLEMENTABILITY}?
I. THE POLICY PAPER WOULD BE WIDELY
DISTRIBUTED FOR COMMENT AND INPUT. IN PARTICULAR, TO INDIVIDUALS AND
ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL MINISTRIES, HIV/AIDS AND
IMMIGRANTS ORGANIZATIONS.
II. A CANVASS WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN REGARD TO
WHETHER THEY AGREE WITH THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAPER;
WHETHER RELEVANT INFORMATION IS MISSING; AND WHETHER CERTAIN AREAS IN THE PAPER
SHOULD BE EXPANDED.
III. A FINAL POLICY PAPER AND REPORT ON HIV/AIDS
AND IMMIGRATION WOULD UNDERTAKEN, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE COMMENTS AND INPUT
RECEIVED.
IV. THE FINAL REPORT WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO
HEALTH CANADA AND TO CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA, AS WELL AS TO ALL
THOSE TO WHOM RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT WILL BE DIRECTED.
V. {FINALLY} A VARIETY OF
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN AIMED AT ENSURING THAT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.
Table of Contents
Executive
Summary/Introduction
Background /History
Statement of Problem/Issues
Current Policy
New Directions/Assessment/
Findings/Conclusions/Recommendations