Cardus

So have you seen changes over your career and how people view this issue or even just in relation to PSEPA, our legislation that we've had since 2014? Have you seen shifts in kind of that internal consciousness within policymakers of how they contextualize and understand this? Or is there still a long, long way to go, as I fear?

Well, so it's interesting you raise this because in anticipation of our report publication last week, we at Cardus were just trying to figure out what kind of media would be interested in this.

So we did a search, you know, just to see which journalists are talking about it.

And we typed in the word prostitution.

And again, listeners, make sure that you go read this report.

It's just an incredible piece of writing.

So cardus.ca, Cardus, and that paper, once again, is sex work actually work? So look for it in our show notes or go check out their website because Cardus has done a lot of other great research, some other great articles also by Renza.

So thank you so much for being here today.

And it's something that I'm talking a lot about in anti-civilization, because I think that one of the most worrying trends of Western societies in the last 50 years is what Robert Putnam describes in Bowling Alone, like this decline of community life, this decline of engagement in civic associations, And also what Theda Skoppel from Harvard calls diminished democracy in her book of the same name, where civil society kind of becomes like only professionalized NGOs, like myself, I recognize that, but without the grassroots part.

And so this is why, for example, at Cardiff, we don't take government money.

We need to have backers in society that believe in what we do.

And so whenever I write a paper, I consult with the people that back us.

And we discuss with people in society that share our vision or people that don't share our vision.

And we're trying not to be insensitive in this ivory tower when we write.

And for example, something else that we're working on at Cardus is the whole question of astroturfing or a circular lobbying essentially.

So when the government will fund nonprofits so that they have less need and less incentive to be rooted in society when they advance policies, when they talk about our public life.

It's very in the weeds, I, I admit, the, the, in terms of some of the specifics, but I think the premise is, um, it just goes too far.

Brian Dykema from, uh, Cardus, uh, joins us, who's been on our show before.

He's the president of Cardus, uh, and, uh, has been adamant on this particular issue that, uh, we're going down the wrong direction.

Brian, it's great to have you back on the show.

Greg, great to be here.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen of On The Line.

We have with us today Brian Dykema, president of Cardus Canada.

This is a Christian think tank, and he has a lot to say about some directives that are coming down from the Department of National Defense that seek to further strip out specific religious symbols and prayers, uh, for our troops.

Really actually interesting stuff.

Um, and so I, I think you're, you're bang on by saying that.

But I'd add a couple of things, and I...

And I'm gonna be- try to be charitable and constructive because I think it's probably the best way to live, is that, you know, if you look at Cardus' data, the two groups, the, those who are non-religious, there's about 20%.

It's like 16 to 20%, depending on the year.

I started out as an academic.

I was a researcher.

I was a professor of education.

I was very happy in higher education, working in the education field.

I'm sure they would hear this and say, man, Lynn, all of this is great, and it resonates me, and it encourages me.

What advice would you give to, let's say, both groups, the people who are savvy with research, who really gravitate towards it, and the people who say, man, thank you for these findings.

How should they use this effectively? Are there some talking points? What do you recommend as a researcher, but also as a former practitioner within the school?

That's a great question.