This article examines adaptation to democracy among immigrants who leave authoritarian regimes to settle in Australia. Two questions are addressed. First, do immigrants from authoritarian regimes successfully adapt to democracy, in terms of both supporting democracy and participating in the electoral process? And second, does the pre-migration socialization in authoritarian regimes influence immigrants' democratic transition? Using the 2004 Australian Election Study and the Australian section of the 2005 World Values Survey, the findings indicate that if immigrants from authoritarian regimes lag behind the rest of the population in terms of support for democracy, they tend to participate at least as much as the rest of the population in electoral activities. Overall, the study highlights both the persistence of and the change in immigrants' premigration political orientations.Across the world, a large and increasing flow of immigrants leaves authoritarian regimes each year to settle in the established democracies. Those newcomers who migrate from authoritarian regimes to established democracies are confronted with democratic norms and practices late in life, after having been socialized under authoritarian rules. There is a growing concern in the host societies that public authorities should ensure that these new citizens will adapt to their new democratic political system and that they will learn and adhere to democratic norms and practices. How well do these new citizens absorb democratic values, and what can governments do to ensure a smooth assimilation?To address this question, we investigate the adaptation to democracy among immigrants who leave an authoritarian regime to settle in an established democracy. Such an investigation requires addressing the persistence of the political socialization that immigrants from authoritarian regimes received in their country of origin, as well as their capacity for new learning once in the host country.

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Political representatives in Canada have traditionally been selected using a first-past-the-post electoral system. The major problem with this process of determining “who governs” is that larger parties are often rewarded the majority of seats in legislatures without winning a majority of popular support. Recently, the debate on electoral reform in Canada has begun to gain steam, as several provinces have started to look more seriously at alternatives (Milner 2004). Declining voter turnout may explain why even governments that benefit from the current electoral system are finding it increasingly difficult to simply sideline this issue. But what accounts for the Canadian public's more recent frustration with their traditional electoral system?We would like to thank Nicki Doyle for her research assistance and Concordia University for its financial support.

Objective: Identifying diabetes complications through screening using portable laboratory equipment in Aboriginal communities, and providing education and client empowerment for improved follow-up care and self-care. Participants: First Nations people with known diabetes. Setting: Screening was carried out in temporary clinics and laboratories set up at the local health centre in each of Alberta's 44 First Nations. Intervention: Two mobile units ("SLICK vans"), equipped with professionally trained staff, portable lab instruments and a retinal camera, travelled to all 44 Alberta First Nations communities to facilitate implementation of the Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). The project provided relevant education and counselling in conjunction with screening activities. Outcomes: SLICK screened 1,151 clients between December 2001 and July 2003, and the project remains ongoing. A preliminary evaluation of the project's 19-month implementation period showed screening activities and satisfaction with diabetes services were low prior to SLICK. There were modest improvements in some program outcomes at 6-12 months follow-up. Conclusion: The SLICK project is designed to address the impact of diabetes by utilizing evidence-based CPGs with respect to screening for complications at the community level. It had a successful implementation period facilitated by community acceptance. MeSH terms: Aboriginal, North American; type 2 diabetes mellitus; diabetes-related complications; screening; mobile health units; rural communities La traduction du résumé se trouve à la fin de l'article.