Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

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What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

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The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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This situation is horrific, Slain Men Hoped For Better Life Here.

Two elderly men who died after being brutally beaten in a Surrey park followed their children to Canada and expected to spend the rest of their lives in a safer society, living with family and helping to care for their grandchildren.

Family members of the two senior citizens say the men found that better life here until last July.

And this is absolutely unbelievable:

On Thursday, a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy charged with the assault and robbery of the two seniors made their first appearance in a courtroom in Surrey.

Assault? According to the article:

Then, on July 18, Mewa Singh Bains was attacked in the washroom at Bear Creek Park. He died Sept. 3 at the age of 82.

A day later, on July 19, Shingara Singh Thandi was attacked in the same park, allegedly by the same two boys suspected in the beating of Bains. He died Aug. 6, at age 74.

Two men are dead. Is that not murder? What was the motivation in these beatings? Surely not just robbery as the charges suggest. I do not understand why these murders have not been investigated as hate crimes. In the course of two days, two elderly men, both from Punjab, were beaten so brutally that it resulted in death. Surely that was not over a couple of dollars.

Canada's justice system lacks teeth at the best of times, but when it comes to dealing with young offenders, it also lacks the ability to serve justice.

Canada is in severe need of justice reform.