Spark of Freedom

Opinion: Power Over, Power Within, Power With

2009-05-12T00:00:00.001-04:00

As a social worker I come across quite a number of people who have been harmed by society, by others or by themselves. More and more I am pondering why our society and the people within it experience this harm and live in a mentality where life is deficient. Life is deficient and therefore we need to go to things outside ourselves in order to feel safe or some semblance of wholeness. For some people this may be Governments, Organized Religion, Philosophical Dogmas for still others it may be relationships, sex, self-harm, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, over or under eating, or consumption of consumer goods.

What I have to the conclusion of as to the reasons why we as individuals and a society go to these things is due to how we are socialize to deal with power. From a young age many of us are taught to respect or fear authoritarian power (also known as power-over). This usually starts with a parent (often father) whom we are taught that their way is law, though some of this is needed when it comes to say not running into traffic or putting their hands on a hot stove, this is generally taken further then that. Then as we grow we come to learn to look to the teacher, police officer, professional, or the government as what to follow and go to.

Answers are provided for us from outside ourselves and we are taught that authoritarian power and hierarchies are what to follow. It is the rare parent or society that teaches children about the concept of working as equals (power-with) or to develop their own inner power (power-within). It is this concept of working with power from a place of power-over that people look for things outside themselves to try to quell the internal. We try to have power-over our lives and feel that it is a personal failing when tragedy befalls us, and society reinforces that belief.

In reality power-over always failures to deliver whether in authoritarian regimes or, personal addictions. Every empire throughout history has eventually fallen as people gain courage and fight back or new empires pave the way. We as a society need to rethink how we look at power. Instead we should nurture society to be one that respects and draws strength from its own power-within and recognize that working with others as equals provides diversity, strength, creativity and, fulfilment for the members of that group.

Every person who lays down using power-over, nurtures their own power-within and, then shares that with others as equals is heroic.

History: Mother's Peace Day

2009-05-10T14:41:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers, life-givers, and nurturers.

Mother's Day has a long history, but it was initially Mother's Peace Day started in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe. Commercialization has changed Mother's Day greatly into something entirely different then what it was initially intended. Mother's Peace Day was in response to the United State Civil War in which many thousands died in bloody and grusome ways. Lending itself to one of the darkest points in American history.

The original purpose of the day was for women everywhere to work for Peace. It was to call for disarmament of weapons, a uniting of peoples and, to teach charity, mercy and, patience so that war would not occur again. Howe looked forward to a day where we would no longer fight wars.

Now 139 years later wars still rage around the world. Many of these conflicts are also intra-state conflicts. Unlike Howe's time when most casualties were soldiers themselves, most of the victims of war now are women and children. There is however, a movement started by Inter Pares to reclaim Mother's Day for that purpose. Take Back the Day.

So today honour the life-givers. Honour the nurturers. Honour the Mothers. For they are the ones whom give us life and beauty. Wish for them the Peace that the original day stood for.

As a start Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you and hope this day is just one day out of a new lifetime of Peace.

Opinion: Enough with Swine Flu

2009-05-06T23:04:00.003-04:00

I am so tired of hearing about swine flu or the H1N1 virus that I debated even posting this. There is a lot of scaremongering going on about swine flu. I think back to avian flu, SARS and others. The reality is that all of these including swine flu need to be looked at in the reality of what they are.

So far, more people die per year from regular flu viruses in comparison to these sensationalist viruses. The version in Canada is the same as in Mexico which, would indicate that it is not mutating into something more deadly. Many of the people who die from these viruses are due to other having other healthy complications or not getting healthcare soon enough.

We as a society need to get out of a crisis mentality. We need a proactive mentality about health, the environment and the economy.

Video: IWD

2009-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is a video created by feminists, and people who are for gender equality. It includes what food feminism would be, what dance move feminism would be, I'm not a feminist but.., hopes and fears for the future, what you would tell a child and, other comments. I actually know a few of the people in the video.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Canada: Rebelles a new Young Feminist Movement

2009-04-29T00:00:00.003-04:00

Last October Feminists from around Canada came together in Montreal to create a new Young Feminist Movement. It was a bilingual conference and it attempted to create some guidelines for a movement. Below is their manifesto that was created:

We are the young RebELLEs who have answered a feminist call and we are proud to call ourselves feminists. We recognize that there are multiple interpretations of feminism and we celebrate and integrate this diversity. We are committed to the continual expansion of the plurality of our voices. We are committed to an ongoing process of critical self-reflection to inform and transform our movement. We acknowledge the historical exclusion of "Othered" women by the majority Western feminist movement. We strive to learn from the past, honour the struggles of our foremothers and continue to dream for the future. We value the allies of feminism who support us in our fight for equity and justice.

We are women of diverse abilities, ethnicities, origins, sexualities, identities, class backgrounds, ages and races. Among us are employed, underemployed and unemployed women, mothers, students, dropouts, artists, musicians and women in the sex trade. We state that transfolks, two-spirited and intersexed people are integral to our movement and recognize and respect gender fluidity and support the right to self-identify. Our womenonly spaces include everyone who self-identifies and lives as a woman in society.

We are told that feminism is over and outdated. If this were true then we wouldn't need to denounce the fact that: In reality, many of the demands of our feminist mothers and
grandmothers remain unmet. Women continue to be the victims of sexual violence. Our communities are haunted by the silence that follows these assaults. Throughout Canada, in spite of our right to it, access to abortion services remains insufficient. Across Canada as well, colonized, marginalized, racialized and disabled women are coerced and/or forced to undergo unwanted or uninformed abortions, forced to use contraception and are subjected to forced sterilization. The hyper-sexualization of women in the media has taught us to view women as sexual objects rather than complete human beings. Getting off, lesbianism and being queer are taboo and a women's choice to seek sexual pleasure is seen as negative. Our identities are eroded as we are taught, from the time we are children, and through television and magazines, that how we should look, dress, and act is determined by our sex. Violence is normalized, sexual abuse eroticized. Our sexual health education is inadequate and our reproductive rights are disrespected. Our needs are not being met.

In reality, women still represent the majority of the underprivileged. Our government steals children from poor and Aboriginal women. Capitalism exploits working-class women and confines middle- and upper-class women to "consumer" roles. We are told that equality has been achieved, but still the wage gap persists. Immigrant women are denied acknowledgment of their academic credentials and are forced to endure intolerable work environments in order to stay on Canadian soil. We lack affordable and accessible childcare. Women remain underpaid, underappreciated, and undervalued in the work force. We have gained the right to vote, yet gender-based discrimination keeps women virtually unrepresented in political office.

In this globalized world, we must construct international feminist solidarity. The actions of Canadian political and economic elites harm women around the world, and in a way that is specifically gender-related. War, genocide and militarization are characterized by the use of rape as a war weapon, femicide, and the sexual exploitation of thousands of our sisters. Free trade contributes to women's increasing social, economic and cultural insecurity. In response to Canadian imperialism, we will globalize our feminist solidarity. In this so-called post-feminist world, our roles in society are still defined by traditional views on gender. Religious and political forces aimed at maintaining the pillars of power in our society silence us from voicing our rights. We denounce the current rise of right-wing ideology in Canadian society and the steps backward in women's rights that this has caused.We are being stripped of rights for which those who came before us fought hard. Geography marginalizes women, with remote, northern and rural women lacking access to basic services. Showing solidarity with our sisters means trying to understand all of the issues we face - including race, class and gender - and standing together against oppression.

Finally, we denounce the dismissal of the feminist movement as redundant. Our struggle is not over. We will be post-feminists when we have post-patriarchy. Feminists Unite!

DOWN WITH the colonial legacy of genocide and assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, particularly of Aboriginal women
DOWN WITH the sexism and racism of the Indian Act
DOWN WITH dishonoured treaties
DOWN WITH assimilation
DOWN WITH racial profiling
DOWN WITH Canada's fake multicultural policy
DOWN WITH warmongers & military power
DOWN WITH racist child welfare policies
DOWN WITH stereotypes in the media
DOWN WITH genocide and femicide
DOWN WITH stealing women and children
DOWN WITH COLONIALISM

RebELLEs AGAINST banks for hijacking the world
RebELLEs AGAINST drug companies for institutionalizing women's health
RebELLEs AGAINST public spaces that don't accommodate all bodies
RebELLEs AGAINST development that destroys nature
RebELLEs AGAINST the class system that keeps us impoverished and deprives us of safe, affordable housing
RebELLEs AGAINST the state that forces other countries to adopt the capitalist system
RebELLEs AGAINST the devaluation of women's paid and unpaid work
RebELLEs AGAINST corporations for making money off our backs
RebELLEs AGAINST the advertisers who destroy our self- esteem and then sell it back to us
RebELLEs AGAINST CAPITALISM

RISE AGAINST the industries that cause us to hate our bodies and our sexuality
RISE AGAINST heterosexism that makes it seem that there is only one way of living, loving and being sexual
RISE AGAINST the socialization of children in gender binaries, race categories and colonial erasures
RISE AGAINST the education that reinforces the heteronormative nuclear family
RISE AGAINST the religious Right and its influence on State policy and legislation
RISE AGAINST rape and violence against women
RISE AGAINST the objectification and control of women's bodies
RISE AGAINST all anti-choice bills, laws and strategies
RISE AGAINST the sexual division of labour
RISE AGAINST poverty and women's economic disadvantage and dependency
RISE AGAINST income support programs based on family status instead of individual status
RISE AGAINST masculinists, their false claims and demagogic arguments
RISE AGAINST sexual exploitation
RISE AGAINST PATRIARCHY

We envision communities committed to:
é Eradicating all forms of violence - including sexual, institutional, emotional, economic, physical, cultural, racial, colonial, ageist and ableist
é Challenging all forms of oppression, power and privilege
é Recognizing that others' struggles against oppression cannot be separated from one's own,
because all people are intrinsically linked; and being conscious of how one fits into the
different structures of oppression while fighting to eliminate them all
é Freeing our children and ourselves from the gender binary
é Building institutions and structures that promote the principles of Justice, Peace & Equality
é Eliminating economic inequality
é Funding and supporting affordable, accessible childcare, and the economic freedom to mother in the way we choose
é Learning and teaching true herstory and histories of our victories and struggles, especially those of women of colour and Aboriginal women
é Fighting the stigma and shame of mental health and psychiatric survivors and supporting their struggles

We will: Change our attitude: get pissed off, refuse, resist, walk out, speak up!
We will: Transform our daily lives and relationships: actions can take place in small interactions
We will: Encourage people to learn about, care for and love themselves and their bodies
We will: Support safe and accessible space for individuals to define and express themselves without fear of judgement
We will: Create alternatives, write poetry, articles, letters, make art
We will: Join with others, find common ground, build community, create feminist spaces and gatherings, raise awareness, educate, spread the word
We will: Believe that a better world is possible and work to achieve it
We will: Organize and struggle: build alliances with existing feminist groups and create new ones,
fight together in solidarity, be seen and be heard, disrupt, trouble, destabilize established powers, become culture jammers
We will: Build solidarity based on the commonality of our diverse struggles and perspectives
We will: Value people rather than profits
We will: Demand massive State reinvestment in social programs and the end of privatization
We will: Organize pan-Canadian decentralized days of feminist action against the rise of the Right
We will: Protest and resist sexist bills and laws that threaten our reproductive rights, racist
immigration laws, war, free trade, repression, the criminalization of political movements, corporate exploitation and plunder of the earth, and violence against women
We will: Champion safety, respect, justice, freedom, equality and SOLIDARITY!

This manifesto was adopted at the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering Waves of Resistance,
Montreal, October 13, 2008.
This is a call to action!

F i n d o u t m o r e , g e t i n v o l v e d !
www.rebelles2008.org
info@rebelles2008.org

Ottawa: Navigating the Ins and Outs: GLBT Partner Assault

2009-04-28T12:32:00.003-04:00

Across Canada this is National Victims of Crime Awareness Week. In Ottawa Mayor Larry O'brien has proclaimed Victims of Crime Week from April 26th to May 2nd. On Friday, May 1st the Ottawa Police GLBT Liaison Committee will be putting on an information exchange between Community and Police named Navigating the Ins and Outs: GLBT Partner Assault.

There will be many guest speakers from Community Groups, Victim Services Groups, Police Services and the Crown's Office. It will include four workshops An Introduction to GLBT Partner Assault, Intersectionality and GLBT Partner Assault (Race, Ethnicity & Disability), The Legal Process A to Z and, Critical Incident - Critical Situation Teams. There will also be a Keynote Speaker, a Panel on Reporting and an Information Fair.

It is being held at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre at 300 Avenue des Pere Blanc. From 8:30 to 3:30 and there is free registration as well as refreshments provided. To register simply go here, anyone is welcome to do so.

Video: Earth Spirit Action

2009-04-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

A short 15 minute documentary on deep ecology and the impact of spirituality and political action on it. It includes activists Vandana Shiva, Starhawk, Matthew Fox, Ruth Rosenhek and John Seed.

Mexico: Trotsky's Remains Stolen?

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am curious as to the validity of a news story being disseminated by Anarchist groups. A anarchist group in Mexico has claimed to have stolen the ashes of Leon Trotsky, one of the main leaders of the Russian Revolution and prominent contributor to Marxist theory. He was critiqued by contemporaries for harming people especially by anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman. To complicate matters more, the anarchist group, have claimed to have made his ashes into cookies and have sent those cookies to groups that follow Trotsky and some other anarchist groups. Whether this is true or not I frankly have no idea, but a very interesting story whether true or false. If you have any information as to the validity or lack of please comment.

Here is the broadcast by the anarchists which is circling:

"Eighty eight years of the day Trotsky directed the suppression of the anarchist uprising in Krondstadt, a group of bandits scaled the walls of his former house in Mexico City during the late hours at night. We broke the lock on his mausoleum and we expropriate the content inside it: a silver large vase that bears the inscription of his name, wrapped in the red scarf that he carried around the neck, containing the ashes of the corpse inside. We replace with care the lock in the monument with a reproduction that was similar in the appearance and escaped into the night.

The vase along with its content then was taken far away to a place where the vase was discarded and the content (a combination of ash and bone) were baked in cookies. These cookies then were sent, along with a letter that explains our actions, to newspapers, to organizations of Trotskyists, and to the groups of anarchist around the world.

While we will not repeat everything of our full letter, briefly we propose to give new light to the idea that history does not end with the past and still a small group of bandits can give new direction to fights thought long to be frozen in the time. We want to expand the fight to include dead objects of the past that hold hostage us in the present.

Nevertheless, if Trotsky is right about the history, we do not determine anything, but we are only characters whose actions were written in the revolution of October. As was his destiny, coincidentally, to come to be a cookie.

The ones that receive these cookies have a decision. Through time, the act to consume enemies have been seen as a way to absorb their powers. On the other hand, consuming the body and the blood of the dead person as a sacrament have also been a form of worship. We would want to indicate that, at any rate, the result is always shit.

For those a little delicate, we have tried them, and although they be a little sandy, they are delicious. The green dots, by the way, they are just candies."

Book Review: Webs of Power by Starhawk

2009-04-13T00:02:00.001-04:00

I just finished reading Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising by Starhawk. The book spans the years between 1999 and early 2001. Starhawk is prolific Neo-Pagan writer and is best known for her book the Spiral Dance. This book however, is in comparison to her other books focused entirely on politics, though her spirituality influences her political activism.

The book is broken into two parts. The first part gives an overview of the major demonstrations around the world between 1999 and 2001 and are largely unedited non-fiction stories and reports that the author wrote around those. It specifically addresses the famous Battle of Seattle around the WTO protests, A16 around the World Bank and IMF meeting, Prague also around the World Bank and IMF, the World Social Forum in Brazil, the FTAA demonstrations in Quebec City, the G8 protests in Genoa and, the aftermath of 9-11.

The second part dealt with the very real issue of what type of world that progressive movements would like to build. The main critique generally of progressive movements is what would be put in its place. In reality those alternatives are being created in many places around the world. Starhawk gives essays on what is needed for a new world. They are Our Place in Nature, The Practice of Direct Democracy, Building a Diverse Movement, Cultural Appropriation, "Many Roads to Morning:" Rethinking Nonviolence, What We Want: Economy and Strategy for the End Times and, Spirit in Action. It is through these principles of living sustainably as a part of nature, direct democracy, diversity, respect for each other's culture, a concerted look at tactics, a just economy and, a vibrant non-dogmatic spirituality that we can create a new world.

Overall a very good book. 5 out of 5.

Video: The World According to Monsanto

2009-04-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

I came across this documentary about Monsanto. It is by far one of the best I have seen on the subject.

Site: Best Feminist Political Blog

2009-04-11T11:28:00.002-04:00

This which has been on hiatus due to University mostly, has been nominated in the 2009 Canadian F-Word Blog Awards for the Best Feminist Political Blog. Maybe this will kick my butt to start blogging again.

This was from the administrator of the awards:

"What does being nominated for an F-word Award mean, besides glamour, prestige, and a pretty badge to display on your blog? In the big scheme of things, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! More acutely though, it means that someone who is aware of the awards likes your blog enough to nominate it in our anti-sexist snark festival. It means someone thinks you kick ass! AND YOU DO! W00t!"

Video: Ground Noise and Static

2008-10-10T11:43:00.002-04:00

A underground video of the RNC and DNC conventions put out by Pepperspray Productions and subMedia. It provides more of an anarchist perspective on the protests and, though I may not agree with everything in the videos it at least provides a different perspective then taken by the mainstream media. It provides a broader range of the media spectrum.

Ottawa: Rally Against Unborn Victims of Crime Bill

2008-09-28T19:12:00.006-04:00

Over a hundred people met today in front of the Women's Monument in order to denounce the Unborn Victims of Crime Bill. Bill C-484 is a private members bill introduced by a Conservative Party MP. It passed the house of commons overwhelmingly in its first reading. The bill is created to pass extra sentencing on violent offenders who attacked pregnant women and cause problems or even death to the fetus.

At first glance of the bill most people would be favourable towards the bill. However, a better understanding of Canadian Law and looking more closely of the content of the bill may change that. Canadian Law already has provisions in the Criminal Code for pregnancy or spousal abuse to be aggravating factors leading to harsher sentences. The bill would however, give fetuses legal rights.

Many pro-choice advocates worry that to give the fetus legal rights would lead to the erosion of the legality of abortion. Abortion has only been legal in Canada for 20 years, it was made legal thanks to the work of Henry Morgentaler. Despite it being legal it is not very accessible with on 15% of Hospitals and a minority of clinics that do. All of these Hospitals and clinics are in urban centers and, one province P.E.I. has no where that abortion is available.

The speakers at the rally brought up that no one is happy about having abortions and, that it is unfortunate that women have to go through them. However, they said being pro-choice means that women actually have choices. These choices stemmed from a need for proper sex education, proper health care, proper child care and, a need for real pay equity. They condemned the current government as having not done any of these things nor, protected the rights of women to be free of violence.

The crowd included the Pro-Choice Coalition of Ottawa, Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, University of Ottawa Women's Center, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Ottawa-Center NDP MP Paul Dewar, Ottawa West-Nepean NDP candidate Marlene Rivier, multiple violence against women campaigns, The Raging Grannies and, more. The event was closed off by a rendition of Bread and Roses and a moment of silence while everyone stood in a circle around the Womens Monument. It was supposed to take the street afterwards, but the rally was denied a police permit "due to the nature of the protest."

Note images are my property. First was drawn on the path in Minto Park. Second is of one of the many speakers at the back of the crowd is Paul Dewar and Marlene Rivier of the NDP. Third was part of the circle of the closing, rocks shown are the side of the women's monument

USA: Palin's Witchhunting Pastor

2008-09-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

Despite all the major things going on in US politics right now the Economy crashing and, the Presidential debates last night there is something about Sarah Palin that fell through the cracks but worries me. Normally I wouldn't focus as much on a US VP candidate though, the possibility of Sarah Palin being President of the United States I have to admit scares me. The latest in the scandles surrounding her is her witch hunting pastor.

When I say witch hunting that is not a euphemism. Sarah Palin was blessed by Kenyan Bishop Thomas Muthee who stated "In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, every form of witchcraft is what you rebuke. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, father make away now." while behind then Mayor Palin with his arm on her. Bishop Muthee got his start actually persecuting a woman in Kenya as a witch. He and his wife after six months of prayer were told by God that a local woman was the cause of crime, deaths and, what he referred to as "spiritual warfare". He led his congregation in praying against the woman and convinced most of the town that she was a witch and needed to be run out of town. When three people died in a car accident in front of the woman's residence, the residents wanted to stone her to death in retaliation. Police entered her home and shot what they thought was a demon, which was actually her pet snake. After that the woman left town for her own safety.

This incident however, became a bragging point for Muthee who said that crime afterwards went down and that he did God's work. Independent reports however, note that there was no change in crime due to the woman leaving town. Palin's church the Wasilla Assembly of God also took note of this and saw it as a major shining point of Muthee's career. For those who thought witch hunting was gone, apperently that was a mistake. Sarah Palin believes has called US soldiers going to Iraq as "God's Soldiers" and, was prayed into office by a witch hunting Bishop. That cannot bode well for the division of Church and State, let alone those of other religions in the United States especially actual Pagans and Witches.

Below is the video of Muthee praying for Sarah Palin.

Ottawa: Women Take Back the Night

2008-09-26T14:36:00.005-04:00

Last night in Ottawa hundreds of women as well as some male supporters took to the streets to demand an end to violence against women. The event Take Back the Night has been running for 30 years now in opposition to to the lack of safety women had at night on the streets of Ottawa. Now thirty years on, the issue of violence against women still rages on in Ottawa and around the world.

The event was organized by the Women's Events Network, but included all forms of groups including student groups from Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Sexual Assault Support Groups, Homeless shelters, Immigrant Groups, Queer Rights groups, Pro-Choice groups and more. Both English and French communities were involved shouting chants in both official languages. The issue of looking at where women have come in thirty years was stressed, but also looking to the future.

Statistics about violence against women are still quite high. According to the Sexual Assault Support Center of Ottawa (SASC) 1 in 2 women have been sexually assaulted, 80-90% of women with disabilities are assaulted within their lifetime and, only 6% of sexual assaults are reported to police. Of those 6% of sexual assaults very few are found substantiated and go to trial, less then any other type of assault and, women are not treated with respect by the police.

The march started at the women's monument with a few speakers and went up Elgin to Wellington, into the market and, eventually to the University of Ottawa where entertainment, refreshments and, information was held. Responses from the public were mixed a few men along the way yelled offensive obsentities at the crowd, while other people joined the march, some people clapped or honked their horns, while other stood in confusion at the massive crowd. Chants were shouted such as "Women Unite! Take Back the Night", "La Rue, La Nuit, Les Femmes Sans Peur!" and, "Hey Mister, Get Your Hands off my Sister!" The mood was strong and, empowered in opposition to the violence that many women in the march had faced. They marched in solidarity into the night.

Note images are my property.

Canada: 3 BC NDP candidates withdraw

2008-09-25T00:00:00.003-04:00

It seems the NDP is having trouble with its candidates in British Columbia. In the past week three NDP candidates in the ridings of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, Vancouver-Quadra and, Saanich-Gulf Islands. The first candidate Dana Larsen dropped out of the race last week due to being in Pot TV video where he was on LSD and was doing marijuana. Mr. Larsen though now a member of the NDP was the cofounder of the BC Marijuana party. The second candidate Kirk Tousaw dropped out of the race two days later also for being seen in a video smoking marijuana. Marc Emery leader of the Marijuana Party has come out and stated that the NDP and the Marijuana Party made an agreement, which Jack Layton denies.

The third candidate who dropped out of the race this week has a very different story. Julian West candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands has now dropped out of the race over allegations that he had stood naked in front of a group of 14 to 17 year old girls while aroused at an environmental retreat in 1996. He was formerly a Green Party candidate and had been removed from the party. Now running for the NDP the allegations have come up again resulting in him dropping out of the race. Though, West dropped out too late, so his name will still be on the ballot and may still garner quite a number of votes.

Video:We Become Silent The Last Days of Health Freedom

2008-09-24T10:17:00.002-04:00

International award-winning filmmaker Kevin P. Miller of Well TV announced the release of a new documentary about the threat to medical freedom of choice. 'We Become Silent: The Last Days of Health Freedom' details the ongoing attempts by multinational pharmaceutical interests and giant food companies — in concert with the WTO, the WHO and others — to limit the public's access to herbs, vitamins and other therapies. 'We Become Silent' is narrated by Dame Judi Dench, the noted UK actress who has won multiple Golden Globe awards, an Oscar, and a Tony for her on-stage work, in addition to dozens of other honors throughout her prestigious career.

Other sections Part 2 and, Part 3.

Video: Sarah Palin is Bush in Drag

2008-09-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

This is too amusing for me to not post. Oh Naomi Klien. From Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday September 19th, 2008.

Ottawa: Prof. Denis Rancourt Banned from Own Trial

2008-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last week Science Professor Denis Rancourt the author of U of O watch and founder of uOttawa Cinema Academia was put on trial within the university, but the Professor, Media and students were barred from entry. The basis of the trial was to suspend Prof. Rancourt due to his use of images from the University of Ottawa site on the blog U of O watch. The University regulation states that:

The University of Ottawa has a stated policy of allowing professors to use its copyrighted images from its web site “for the positive promotion of activities related to the University of Ottawa.” (See Legal Counsel’s letter to Denis Rancourt dated August 28, 2007.)

The argument is that the blog is not positive towards the University. The blog exposes corruption in the University and, is entirely factual. Below is a video of the argument and Prof. Rancourt being locked out of the discussion.

Canada: Polling and the elections

2008-09-19T11:38:00.008-04:00

I used to work on doing polling so, I'm always interested in looking at polls especially when it comes to our election season. Those of us who work in politics put a lot of stock in polling. However, those who have also worked in polling and follow them closely see how inaccurate they are. Below is an example of three different polling firms from the same day from Nodice.ca:

Within the same day the range of the Bloq is 7-8%, Conservatives 36-39%, Green 6-12%, Liberal 24-30% and, NDP 16-18%. Though we get rough estimates in cases such as the Greens and Liberals there are large margins of discrepancy.

The methods of polling are also generally inaccurate. Depending on the poll the question of "Will you vote on October 14th?" isn't asked. The questions asked are usually along the lines of "If the election were today which party would you vote for?" Instead of "Who will you be voting for October 14th?" and allow for undecided voters.

Another major factor is, that most polling uses only home phones. This usually biases questions towards older homeowners as many youth use cell phones instead of a home phone. How they decide on who answer the questions can also skew the survey. Homes of one adult will always be chosen and, where there are multiple people in the home they may not be in political agreement.

Polling is quite unreliable and should be understood as such. I'm not saying do away with them completely, but be aware of the inaccuracies within them.

Ottawa: Police 'A Few Bad Apples'

2008-09-18T09:43:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week I was talking to Ottawa Police Services at a conference on GLBTTQ youth. Two of the members in my break out group were police. In my critique of the police services they took it as a personal attack on them as individuals simply due to critiquing the services as a whole. The Ottawa Police are one of the most progressive services when it comes to GLBTTQ issues, but there have been many cases of police abuse especially against youth and more specifically street youth.

My critique included asking about the ability for Police to actually be youth-friendly in any way. Another police officer came up to me privately and stated that in fact many police officers view a group of youth as potential trouble and are not respectful of youth. The police at my table gave the argument that there were simply "A Few Bad Apples".

The "Few Bad Apples" argument is something that has been heard of in many organizations of coercive power. The best example in recent history would be the Abu Gharib scandle in Iraq where torture was being enacted by US military on Iraqi prisoners. CBC did a documentary on it by the same name. In reality the situation was not just "a few bad apples," but the system itself which was in place.

A famous experiment was done by Phillip Zimbardo in the 1970's about the corrupting influence of these forms of power positions. It was known as the Stanford Prison Experiment and it took regular males and put them in a simulated prison with who was to be guards and prisoners randomly chosen. The result was terrifying where the guards started to truly be violent and the prisoners becoming very subservient.

In the case of the Ottawa Police certain issues are not just an issue of a few bad apples. Police brutality against homeless people in the downtown core is a systemic problem. Under the "few bad apples" analogy we would find proper reprimands, criminal proceedings and, more sensitivity training then one day to cover all marginalized groups. How sexual assault victims are treated with utmost disrespect is not due to a few bad apples. And, that tasers are still considered acceptable despite the evidence of the serious harm they cause. These are systemic and institutional problems in this power system, problems with decisions from the top down as well as not truly dealing with those who abuse their power.

Second image from Ottawa Indymedia of Ottawa Police at Bush Protests 2004

Ottawa: September Activist Event Round Up

2008-09-11T10:19:00.005-04:00

It has come to my attention that a number of events are coming up this month in Ottawa. Here is a list of the major ones I have been told about.

Taxi to the Dark Side
Fundraiser for Nowar-Paix.
Thursday, September 11, 7pm
Bytown Theatre (downtown on Rideau near King Edward)
* This Iraq War documentary won the 2007 Oscar for best documentary

Human Rights Rally:
Bring Abousfiam Abdelrazik Back To Canada!
Friday, 12 September, 12 Noon
Human Rights Monument (Elgin at Lisgar)
Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Canadian citizen, is currently in limbo in the Canadian Embassy in Sudan, with the Canadian government obstructing every effort to bring him home. His lawyer, Yavar Hameed, needs public support in his effort to bring Abousfian back. Please join the rally. Speakers include Paul Dewar, Monia Mazigh and Yavar Hameed. They will indicate the extent to which the government is repeating the same shameful behaviour as in the Mahar Arar case!

uOttawa Cinema Academia
Every Friday, MacDonald Hall auditorium (MCD 146), 150 Louis Pasteur Street.
Doors open at 7pm, film starts at 7:30pm.
Friday, September 12th
Film: DOGVILLE(USA / 2003 / 178 minutes / English)
http://www.iconmovies.co.uk/dogville/
Organized and facilitated by professors Claude Lamontagne and Denis
Rancourt.

Stop The Deportations: Let US War Resisters Stay in Canada
Saturday, September 13
2pm: mass leafletting session at entrance to Byward Market (on Rideau & Williams)
3:30pm: march to the Prime Minister's Office
5pm: film screening at Cafe Nostalgica (University of Ottawa)

Feminist Discussion Group
Sunday September 14th, 1-3pm
Umi Cafe 610 Somerset St. West
This will be the second of what will hopefully become a bi-weekly feminist discussion group. For a possible discussion topic, we had decided on the following question: "What role do men and people of other genders have to play within the feminist movement?" People of all genders, orientations, races and (most importantly) opinions are welcome!

Indecent Sex Acts On Parliament Hill
Thursday September 18th
5-6pm Parliament Hill
POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa / Gatineau Work Educate & Resist) -- cordially invites you to witness...
INDECENT SEX ACTS ON PARLIAMENT HILL
Please join us in this call to protect sex workers’ rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and international human rights law by repealing Sections 210-213 of the Criminal Code!

Take Back the Night!
30 years- A March to end Violence Against Wimmin
Thursday, September 25th
6:30 pm: Rally at the Women's Monument at Minto Park (Elgin and Gilmour) with speakers and aboriginal drummers.
7:00 pm: March to the University of Ottawa
MAKE NOISE! Feel free to bring whistles, horns,
tambourines, drums, pots, pans, etc!

Opinion: Community Organizing

2008-09-10T19:44:00.003-04:00

Last week Barrack Obama US Democratic Party Presidential nominee was criticized for being a Community Organizer. It was if it were a joke by both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin who made fun of his community organizing during their speeches. This just shows how out of touch they are with real people. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities"(Palin). Perhaps Sarah Palin doesn't understand the value of community organizing due to being the mayor of a remote town of 9000 people, but to those of us who live in major centers community organizing is a major part of life.

It is through community organizing that people have been able to advocate for rights. Community organizers work on a direct level to help alleviate the barriers to those who are disadvantaged well being. It is through them that people fight to keep jobs, that we protect local environments, that programs are implemented to help the homeless and those struggling with addiction issues. Community organizers work to improve society and help those who are truly in need at their level. US Community Organizers started a blog: http://organizersfightback.wordpress.com/

As a Social Worker I have a particular bias. That bias comes with the origin of social work which was with organizing new immigrants and eventually expanding into all sections of society. Community Organizing is the legacy of Martin Luther King jr., Ghandi, César Chávez, Abbie Hoffman, and more. Especially for Ms. Palin as has been stated by many before Jesus was a community organizer, the person who ordered his death was a Governor.

Here is a rebuttal by Obama:

Canada: Let the Greens in Already..

2008-09-09T19:35:00.005-04:00

There has been an argument over letting the Green Party into the federal debate. In Canada with our plurality of parties, allowing the Green Party to participate makes a lot of sense. Last election the Greens were not even added to the CBC website as one of the federal parties. I can understand not allowing every party in existence into the federal debates with 16 political parties currently registered ranging from the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada, to the Marijuana Party, to the Western Block Party, to the Neo Rhinos who actually state they don't have a platform they have a happyform it would be slightly absurd to include all parties. The Greens however, have become a viable party.

The Greens unlike the many interesting other parties do compete and organize on a national stage like the Conservatives, Liberals and, NDP. The Greens put viable candidates in pretty much all ridings across the country and in certain ridings are even more organized then some of the other parties. Last election they brought in 6.6% of the popular vote and are currently polling closer to 9% on a national scale. However, due to our first-past-the post system it is difficult to have enough regional concentration to win proportional seats.

The Greens now have their first MP Blair Wilson-West Vancouver. Wilson was formerly a Liberal but left the party and became an independent just recently joining the Green Party. Some see this issue with contention however, the switching of parties has become more frequent within Canadian Politics.

With candidates across the country, their first MP, an established and recognized leader and, a viable National party platform the Greens should be participating in the debates. They are being barred from participating most likely due to the work of the Conservatives and NDP. The Conservatives cite that they shouldn't be allowed because, of a promise of by the Greens and Liberals to not run candidates in their leaders' ridings, something that has actually happened before in Canadian Politics. The NDP essentially have cited the same incident but it is more likely due to a worry of lost votes of left-leaning voters who would "go Green" so to speak. It is even reported that the Stephen Harper and Jack Layton told stations they would refuse to participate in debates if Elizabeth May was included. To me any party that viable should be included. The Bloc despite not running outside Quebec is included and the Progressive Conservatives when they lost all but two seats were included. What are you really scared of about including the Greens.

Elizabeth May talking about the Election Debates:

Activist Video: Killing in the Name of..

2008-09-08T10:22:00.002-04:00

Rage Against the Machine taking the street after the police shut down them from playing on stage at the Republican National Convention.

The Original Video

Canada: Canadians going to the Polls Oct 14th

2008-09-07T11:19:00.003-04:00

It seems Canadians will be going back to the federal polls on October 14th for another election. To many of us this is not at all a surprise. I started to see a new wave of political advertisements and in my district the Conservatives were already building their campaign office as early as at least 10 days ago.

Unfortunately due to apathy and none of the parties truly being innovative or standing out we will probably wind up with another minority government with the seats shifted slightly. The Conservatives according to polls are doing the best currently, but with many Canadians distrustful of their social policies as well as economic it is unlikely they will get a majority. The Liberals are still a fractured party with a leader who does not capture the majority of Canadians. The NDP will probably stay relatively where they are. A major fight will be for the Greens who now have their first member of parliament and are trying to get Elizabeth May included in the leaders debates.

So, Canadians here we go again. Will anything be accomplished by these elections? This independent doubts it.

Ontario: Six Nations being targeted by OPP

2008-09-05T00:00:00.003-04:00

On this day in 1877 Crazy Horse was killed. After he had been arrested for leading the rebellion of the Lakota against the United States government, he was taken into a dark building and bayoneted while still tied up. Now years later First Nations on both sides of the border are still treated without dignity and respect. It can be shown by the disregard when Aboriginal womyn go missing, or in the sad state of reservations or, through police violence.

Here in Ontario, the Six Nations are the most systematically targeted group. For the past few years in Caledonia blockades have gone on and off the most extreme of which in 2006. The most recent set of attacks by Ontario Provincial Police happened over the weekend. According to Mohawk Nation News:

[Sunday], a man was grabbed by the cops from his van and held incommunicado for hours. His 14 and 16 year old sons were arrested. The cops ransacked another van looking for something to charge the driver with. Eventually they charged him for driving without a license. Two more youths were arrested. None of the parents were allowed to speak to their children.

Today, at 7:00 am. Labor Day, the OPP raided the demonstration at the illegal construction site of the Irish company, Kingspan. This had been shut down by Six Nations defenders. Two more youths were arrested, according to sporadic reports.

These blockades result in three groups on the highway, the Six Nations blocking the section on their land, Ontario Provincial Police surrounding them and, on the other side caucasian Caledonian residents. In the past this has resulted in a lot of violence being committed by the OPP on the Six Nations as well as, increasing racism from Caledonian residents.

As we saw the brutal violence by police on demonstrators in St. Paul this past week, we forget that, that type of police brutality occurs in Canada as well. However, it is targeted at those who are already disadvantaged like the homeless, poor, and sexual or racial minorities. The worst of which First Nations experience. As is stated in the article:

Canada must start listening to our legal reasoning. The violence against Indigenous peoples has got to stop. We know what’s right and wrong. The more they beat us, the more they make it clear that they are wrong.

The Six Nations want to take these claims to a true court of law. The truth of the matter is though in international law the Six Nations would win. The Government of Ontario and despite the residential schools apology neither does the Government of Canada.

Ottawa: Professor Steps in for Cinema Politica

2008-09-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

Just Tuesday I reported about the shutting down of Ottawa Cinema Politica a free weekly movie night at the University of Ottawa which shows free documentary films. Another professor at the University has come to the aid of Prof. Denis Rancourt who organizes the event. After a summer of fighting for the movie night Professor Claude Lamontagne has now booked the same auditorium and the two are renaming the series uOttawa Cinema Academia (uCA). This Friday will be the first event in the series:

The first event in the Fall 2008 series is therefore this Friday
September 5th, MacDonald Hall Auditorium (MCD 146). Doors open at 7pm. Event starts at 7:30pm.

The first film is “no film”. Producers Professors Claude Lamontagne and Denis Rancourt will be present for the screening.(Canada / 2 hours or more / any language)

We invite you and the media to come out and hear the story of the battle for academic freedom and a political venue on this campus, including town hall style discussions as usual.(Prof. Denis Rancourt)

Opinion: Abstinence Education

2008-09-03T13:10:00.003-04:00

Abstinence education has had a new wave of movement in the world mainly due to the rise of right-wing Christian evangelical movement which has swept throughout the United States and the world over the past 10 years. Most of the pressure for abstinence education is in the United States where the right-wing evangelicals have political sway due to the up to 2006 Republican Congress and, until today President George Bush who is very openly born again. Due to this political control sex-education has mostly been toward abstinence education.

Abstinence education teaches that the best way to go about keeping someone safe is to not have sex until monogamous marriage where the partners can be free of problems such as STIs and unwanted pregnancy. Which for some people is a very good and viable choice however, the problem is generally abstinence education enforced as the only form of sexual education. This policy has been forced on developing countries especially African countries who are looking for international aid to help for AIDS funding. Uganda for example was making a large amount of progress on AIDS due to their ABC's abstinence, be faithful and, use a condom. In order to get funding from the United States however, for AIDS the US demanded on a purely abstinence program. This has resulted in AIDS exploding again in Uganda.

The abstinence movement here in Canada is much weaker, but US organizations such as Focus on the Family have moved north to join with the small amount of right-wing evangelicals in Canada. South of the border however, in order to teach this abstinence education a growing wave of "Purity balls" have been spreading. During a purity ball daughters get dressed in fancy dresses or even wedding dresses and go to the ball with their father. Their fathers give them a ring and they pledge their purity and abstinence until marriage to their father.

Many of these organizations will even lie to say that condoms are unsafe and not effective. Which unless you are putting them on incorrectly or poking holes in them this is entirely untrue. Not to mention the organizations often are homophobic and teach nothing about any type of sex other then heterosexual vanilla sex. Leading to those who do engage in other forms of sexuality as both dangerous position because, they don't know how to protect themselves not to mention the feeling of guilt for going against the will of your family, community and, religious faith.

It has been studied by the American Psychological Association that comprehensive sex education is overwhelming better then abstinence-only education. To quote:

Based on over 15 years of research, the evidence shows that comprehensive sexuality education programs for youth that encourage abstinence, promote appropriate condom use, and teach sexual communication skills reduce HIV-risk behavior and also delay the onset of sexual intercourse.

Not only does it protect people in them having safer sex it actually delays the onset of sex which abstinence-only programs are trying to do. They go on to say that abstinence-only programs increase the risk of pregnancy and HIV infection.

Promotion of abstinence-only programs is in my opinion reckless and dangerous. It prevents youth from knowing how to properly keep themselves safe when having sex. It should also be noted that having sex is a natural and enjoyable act. I say its about time we as society see sex as sacred instead of shameful. Teach about how it can be enjoyable and most importantly teach how to truly be safe.

Image of a Purity Ball from SCWC.

Ottawa: University of Ottawa Censors Movie Night

2008-09-02T18:04:00.005-04:00

Since September 2005 every friday night around 100 students, activists, University staff and, community members would get together to watch a movie and provide discourse afterwards. The series Ottawa Cinema Politca was a free movie night which brought in underground political documentaries for whoever wished to come. The movie night was held on the University of Ottawa campus and attempted to be as accessible as possible.

The movie night was run by activist Professor Denis Rancourt, a tenured physics professor. He was the Professor who ran the famous Activist Course which talked about political activism and brought in high profile speakers such as Malalia Joya outspoken Afghan MP, political experts as well as, community workers. It was a extremely popular course needing the largest auditorium in the university. However, the university administration stopped the course from running again despite widespread student and public support.

The new University of Ottawa President Allan Rock has come in with a stance against the free movie night cancelling it and refusing allowing it to occur on the University of Ottawa Campus. Dozens of letters have been sent directly to the President demanding the reinstatement of the movie night. The University's position is that Cinema Politica failed to provide Deaf access to the events. Prof. Rancourt had tried to apply for interpreters from the University who refused to provide them. Prof. Rancourt did eventually find deaf access provided by the student federation.

To read more about what is happening read U of O Watch. To contact President Allan Rock email president@uOttawa.ca or allan.rock@uottawa.ca

USA: St. Paul Police Arresting People without Cause

2008-09-01T22:12:00.005-04:00

Throughout St. Paul where the Republican National Convention is convening Police services have been arresting, detaining people, breaking in doors with guns drawn without any real charges. They are taking "pre-emptive" raids on protest organizers and even media members. Many of these raids have been done without warrants or correct warrants as well as using automatic weapons. Breaking into private homes without warrants is obviously illegal, but that hasn't stopped police and FBI members having done so.

Groups that have been targeted are Glassbead Collective, Food Not Bombs, the RNC Welcoming Committee, I-Witness Video, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Permibus and Democracy Now!. Democracy Now is an independent news organization which is on over 700 tv and radio stations. The host Amy Goodman and two producers were unlawfully arrested tonight while legally reporting and filming the protests. The incident was caught on film as shown by submedia.

For more information see the Democracy Now! report from before Amy Goodman was arrested, the newsweek blog by Starhawk on the PermiBus as well as submedia who has three reports. DNC Dispatch #3 RNC EMERGENCY DISPATCH #1, RNC Dispatch #2

UPDATE: Democracy Now Host Amy Goodman and producers were released last night. For full coverage watch their report. In the same series of arrests a Associate Press Photographer and other press were also violently arrested.

Ottawa: Dyke March 2008

2008-08-01T09:31:00.003-04:00

The Ottawa Dyke March is coming up again in a few weeks. I think it is an important event to support. Dyke March in Ottawa is truly a community event. It is organized by volunteer community members and everything participating in the march, having food at the bbq and watching the great performers is all free. Nothing is corporate sponsored and it is a great way for the queer womyn community to get together and express themselves and denounce homophobia, transphobia and, sexism in the process. Therefore I highly suggest going.

Opinion: Join the Revolution: Fall in Love

2008-07-29T15:42:00.001-04:00

Reading this piece may explain my absence for the past month. It is a copied version from the L chapter of Days of War, Nights of Love by Crimethinc:

Join the Resistance: Fall in Love

Falling in love is the ultimate act of revolution, of resistance to today's tedious, socially restrictive, culturally constrictive, humanly meaningless world.

Love transforms the world. Where the lover formerly felt boredom, he now feels passion. Where she once was complacent, she now is excited and compelled to self-asserting action. The world which once seemed empty and tiresome becomes filled with meaning, filled with risks and rewards, with majesty and danger. Life for the lover is a gift, an adventure with the highest possible stakes; every moment is memorable, heartbreaking in its fleeting beauty. When he falls in love, a man who once felt disoriented, alienated, and confused will know exactly what he wants. Suddenly his existence will make sense to him; suddenly it becomes valuable, even glorious and noble, to him. Burning passion is an antidote that will cure the worst cases of despair and resigned obedience.

Love makes it possible for individuals to connect to others in a meaningful way—it impels them to leave their shells and risk being honest and spontaneous together, to come to know each other in profound ways. Thus love makes it possible for them to care about each other genuinely, rather than at the end of the gun of Christian doctrine. But at the same time, it plucks the lover out of the routines of everyday life and separates her from other human beings. She will feel a million miles away from the herd of humanity, living as she is in a world entirely different from theirs.

In this sense love is subversive, because it poses a threat to the established order of our modern lives. The boring rituals of workday productivity and socialized etiquette will no longer mean anything to a man who has fallen in love, for there are more important forces guiding him than mere inertia and deference to tradition. Marketing strategies that depend upon apathy or insecurity to sell the products that keep the economy running as it does will have no effect upon him. Entertainment designed for passive consumption, which depends upon exhaustion or cynicism in the viewer, will not interest him.

There is no place for the passionate, romantic lover in today's world, business or private. For he can see that it might be more worthwhile to hitchhike to Alaska (or to sit in the park and watch the clouds sail by) with his sweetheart than to study for his calculus exam or sell real estate, and if he decides that it is, he will have the courage to do it rather than be tormented by unsatisfied longing. He knows that breaking into a cemetery and making love under the stars will make for a much more memorable night than watching television ever could. So love poses a threat to our consumer-driven economy, which depends upon consumption of (largely useless) products and the labor that this consumption necessitates to perpetuate itself.

Similarly, love poses a threat to our political system, for it is difficult to convince a man who has a lot to live for in his personal relationships to be willing to fight and die for an abstraction such as the state; for that matter, it may be difficult to convince him to even pay taxes. It poses a threat to cultures of all kinds, for when human beings are given wisdom and valor by true love they will not be held back by traditions or customs which are irrelevant to the feelings that guide them.

Love even poses a threat to our society itself. Passionate love is ignored and feared by the bourgeoisie, for it poses a great danger to the stability and pretense they covet. Love permits no lies, no falsehoods, not even any polite half-truths, but lays all emotions bare and reveals secrets which domesticated men and women cannot bear. You cannot lie with your emotional and sexual response; situations or ideas will excite or repel you whether you like it or not, whether it is polite or not, whether it is advisable or not. One cannot be a lover and a (dreadfully) responsible, (dreadfully) respectable member of today's society at the same time; for love will impel you to do things which are not "responsible" or "respectable." True love is irresponsible, irrepressible, rebellious, scornful of cowardice, dangerous to the lover and everyone around her, for it serves one master alone: the passion that makes the human heart beat faster. It disdains anything else, be it self-preservation, obedience, or shame. Love urges men and women to heroism, and to antiheroism—to indefensible acts that need no defense for the one who loves.

For the lover speaks a different moral and emotional language than the typical bourgeois man does. The average bourgeois man has no overwhelming, smoldering desires. Sadly, all he knows is the silent despair that comes of spending his life pursuing goals set for him by his family, his educators, his employers, his nation, and his culture, without ever being able to even consider what needs and wants he might have of his own. Without the burning fire of desire to guide him, he has no criteria upon which to choose what is right and wrong for himself. Consequently he is forced to adopt some dogma or doctrine to direct him through his life. There are a wide variety of moralities to choose from in the marketplace of ideas, but which morality a man buys into is immaterial so long as he chooses one because he is at a loss otherwise as to what he should do with himself and his life. How many men and women, having never realized that they had the option to choose their own destinies, wander through life in a dull haze thinking and acting in accordance with the laws that have been taught to them, merely because they no longer have any other idea of what to do? But the lover needs no prefabricated principles to direct her; her desires identify what is right and wrong for her, for her heart guides her through life. She sees beauty and meaning in the world, because her desires paint the world in these colors. She has no need for dogmas, for moral systems, for commandments and imperatives, for she knows what to do without instructions.

Thus she does indeed pose quite a threat to our society. What if everyone decided right and wrong for themselves, without any regard for conventional morality? What if everyone did whatever they wanted to, with the courage to face any consequences? What if everyone feared loveless, lifeless monotony more than they fear taking risks, more than they fear being hungry or cold or in danger? What if everyone set down their "responsibilities" and "common sense," and dared to pursue their wildest dreams, to set the stakes high and live each day as if it were the last? Think what a place the world would be! Certainly it would be different than it is now—and it is quite a truism that people from the "mainstream," the simultaneous keepers and victims of the status quo, fear change.

And so, despite the stereotyped images used in the media to sell toothpaste and honeymoon suites, genuine passionate love is discouraged in our culture. Being "carried away by your emotions" is frowned upon; instead we are raised to always be on our guard lest our hearts lead us astray. Rather than being encouraged to have the courage to face the consequences of risks taken in pursuit of our hearts' desires, we are counseled not to take risks at all, to be "responsible." And love itself is regulated. Men must not fall in love with other men, nor women with other women, nor individuals from different ethnic backgrounds with each other, or else the usual bigots who form the front-line offensive in the assault of modern Western culture upon the individual will step in. Men and women who have already entered into a legal/religious contract with each other are not to fall in love with anyone else, even if they no longer feel any passion for their marital partner. Love as most of us know it today is a carefully prescribed and preordained ritual, something that happens on Friday nights in expensive movie theaters and restaurants, something that fills the pockets of the shareholders in the entertainment industries without preventing workers from showing up to the office on time and ready to reroute phone calls all day long. This regulated, commercial "love" is nothing like the passionate, burning love that consumes the genuine lover. These restrictions, expectations, and regulations smother true love; for love is a wild flower that can never grow within the confines prepared for it but only appears where it is least expected.

We must fight against these cultural restraints that would cripple and smother our desires. For it is love that gives meaning to life, desire that makes it possible for us to make sense of our existence and find purpose in our lives. Without these, there is no way for us to determine how to live our lives, except to submit to some authority, to some god, master or doctrine that will tell us what to do and how to do it without ever giving us the satisfaction that self-determination does. So fall in love today, with men, with women, with music, with ambition, with yourself. . . with life!

One might say that it is ridiculous to implore others to fall in love—one either falls in love or one does not, it is not a choice that can be made consciously. Emotions do not follow the instructions of the rational mind. But the environment in which we must live out our lives has a great influence on our emotions, and we can make rational decisions that will affect this environment. It should be possible to work to change an environment that is hostile to love into an environment that will encourage it. Our task must be to engineer our world so that it is a world in which people can and do fall in love, and thus to reconstitute human beings so that we will be ready for the "revolution" spoken of in these pages—so that we will be able to find meaning and happiness in our lives.

What if everyone decided right and wrong for themselves, without any regard for conventional morality? What if everyone did whatever they wanted to, with the courage to face any consequences? What if everyone feared loveless, lifeless monotony more than they fear taking risks, more than they fear being hungry or cold or in danger? What if everyone set down their "responsibilities" and "common sense," and dared to pursue their wildest dreams, to set the stakes high and live each day as if it were the last? Think what a place the world would be!

Video: No Return

2008-06-12T11:22:00.001-04:00

A video short out of the Vancouver Film School. Heartbreaking.

Opinion: Feminism, Sex and Porn

2008-05-27T21:07:00.002-04:00

I'm part of a sect of third wave feminism known as sex-positive feminism. I believe in the embracing of sexuality and sex. Rerouting it as something that can be used as patriarchal oppression into beauty, strength and, expression. I believe that people should be having sex and things such as abstinence only programs are simply unrealistic. I think sex should be shown as something healthy and beautiful. In schools we should be using an ABC program that was used in Uganda (before the US AIDS program stepped in and fucked things up), abstinence, be faithful and, use a condom. However, I focus simply on teaching safe enjoyable sex. This is why I enjoy things like the Midwest Teen Sex Show.

Porn is different though. Many feminists are very against porn. I can understand some of their arguments, but I don't agree with them fully. Their argument is that porn is degrading towards womyn and treats them as simply an object. An object often with a disembodied cock that they are sucking on until they get cum sprayed in their face. The unequal economic system pushes womyn into these roles in order to make money to survive. Not only that it provides, especially men, with an unrealistic idea of what sex is supposed to be like which their transfer into their relationships.

These arguments are ones I agree with however, to say all porn is exploitive and degrading towards womyn would in my opinion be untrue. Porn (and other forms of sex work) can to some womyn be a very positive and rewarding experience. It allows them to embrace their bodies as a temple one that can provide a beautiful self-expression. Porn can act as a way of healing one's body issues. Treating one's body as a sacrament.

Canada, US: California Gay Marriage, Ontario SRS

2008-05-15T15:10:00.002-04:00

Same sex couples in California, and transgendered people in Ontario have made great steps in the past week. In California same-sex couples won a great victory this week as the California Supreme Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. This would make California the second state in the USA that same-sex marriage is legal, the other being Massachusetts which made same-sex marriage legal in 2004. In Canada it took slowly province by province before a decision was made in the Federal Court however, such a large state as California could prove to have weight on other states' rulings.

In Ontario transsexuals are on the edge of rejoicing with the decision that the provincial government will be reinstating coverage of sex reassignment surgery which was delisted from health care in 1998. The coverage of SRS will provide about 10 people with operations per year. There is apprehension however, about what standards will be used to approve people for the surgery. There is a hope among the trans community that the decision will not be left to the Clarke institute which works on very strict interpretations of gender as well as is heterosexist.

Activist Video: Pagans and Political Action

2008-05-13T21:41:00.003-04:00

I apologize for my lack of posting lately. I've been dealing with major illness issues and have been focusing more on organizing a local spiritual group. I have been delving into my religion more lately so I can heal myself and form that power-from-within that I can share to the world

USA: Gender & Sexuality at the Winter Soldier hearings

2008-04-27T20:26:00.002-04:00

The Winter Soldier hearings occurred in March of this year talking about what US military veterans saw and experienced in Afghanistan and Iraq. The name came from similar independent hearings that occurred in the 1970s about the Vietnam war. One of the special panels at the recent hearing was the Gender and Sexuality panel talking about what womyn and queer people experience in the US military.

This first video is of Tanya Austin talking about rape in the military and how it is common practice for womyn to be sexually assaulted in the military. The result of which is no affect on the record of those who commit the crime.

The second video is of Jeff Key talking about being gay in the military and being expelled under the "don't ask, don't tell policy".

For more information about the Gender and Sexuality Panel or the Winter soldier hearings to to Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Ontario: Mohawks under attack by OPP again

2008-04-26T10:15:00.006-04:00

I was sent this urgent message of support for the Mohawk Nation:

From Mohawk Nation News:

MNN: April 25, 2008. Mohawks surrounded at the quarry in Tyendinaga. Ontario Provincial Police OPP fully armed with guns drawn. They are yelling through blow horns ordering the Rotiskenrekete to come down with their hands up, or else they are going to take them out.

The Rotiskenrekete have told the OPP they are not coming down from there.

We have been informed that help will probably not arrive in time. The OPP have said they are coming right away. There are 20 left at the quarry. Many have already been arrested.

DO SOMETHING QUICK! WE HAVE TO SAVE OUR PEOPLE.

FOR INFORMATION CALL:

518-358-3660

Warchief: 613-243-4993

Jan Hill 613-961-8515 613-827-1547

Dan 613-919-1354

Rotiskenrekete 613-849-1314 613-827-4991

OPP Easter Headquarters 613-284-4500 L.G. Beechey Chief Supt. Commander Eastern Region

R. Don Maracle 613-396-3089 Cell 613-391-9249

Also for more information go Here.

They are in desperate need of support as they are standing off against both police and skinheads. There is a call out for the following supplies:

Needed urgently: deer meat, fish, non-perishable food, water, Camping equipment, communications equipment, fuel, gas, propane, mobile phones, phone cards, rain coats, gas masks, towels, soap, wet wipes, tooth bushes and tooth paste, bear spray, gloves, work shoes, boots, runners, socks, radios, two-way radios, hand held radio, flashlights, tents, lanterns, wood for the fire, cooking utensils, plates and silverware, first aid.

Canada: Can Military Suicides Soar

2008-04-21T09:42:00.002-04:00

As reported by the CBC suicides in the Canadian Military have soared over the past year, literally doubling from the year before.

Year Suicides Regular force & reserves Rate per 100,000
2003 14 86,937 16.1
2004 17 90,772 18.7
2005 17 91,285 18.6
2006 20 96,318 20.7
2007 36 87,000 41.4

This is very much connected to the ongoing Afghanistan mission where soldiers are becoming overextended. These were listed as "sudden deaths" by the military in 2007 and are only the ones that are officially stated. It is possible that there are veterans who commit suicide after they have left the services. However, these numbers report the saddening increase in suicide rates among active duty personnel.

Activist Video: The Shock Doctrine

2008-04-16T13:19:00.003-04:00

For anyone who has not come across the Shock Doctrine I highly suggest it.

Opinion: Ineffective Protests

2008-04-15T16:25:00.003-04:00

As of late I have become more and more irritated with the ineffective protests which occur in this city. I've said before that Ottawa is the city of major issues and, apathetic action. Perhaps due to living in a political city most people simply tune out dealing with politics, or maybe it is due to the system that we live in which discourages action or at least marginalizes it. There seems this concern to not offend people, to not cause too much trouble, but feel some form of satisfaction from simply making some noise and then going home.

I find it interesting that for instance Canadians' opposition to our forces being in Afghanistan is comparable to that of Americans' opposition to the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Yet at that point there was a consciousness of action throughout the United States from the multitude of movements building into it the Civil Rights Movement, the 2nd Wave Feminist Movement, the Prisoners Rights movement and, the First Nations Right movement. These were movements who were willing to take risks, risks that result in multitudes of people loosing their lives, but provided for better quality of life as well as preventing the silent deaths of others. The silent deaths of Blacks by lynching and other violence, the silent deaths of abused wives or womyn with illegal abortions, the deaths of prisoners by guards, the continuing genocide of the First Nations, the deaths of countless soldiers, Vietnamese and Laotians. Sadly many silent deaths still occur, but now there is an outlet for them not to happen.

For a protest to be effective there needs to be some sort of risk involved, whether that be individual or collective. Most of the protests these days in Ottawa have no real risk factor involved, they march down the street usually to parliament with their nice police escort and then everyone goes home. This type of protest for the most part is one thing that diverts people genuine rage at unequal systems whether economic, violent, racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise and in turn keeps in place the existing system of power.

First Nations seem to be one of the few alive movements left in this country that are willing to take risks. They are willing to risk going to jail blocking mining companies from destroying the land, to cut of trains and roads to make an economic impact and, to defend the broken morsels of Mother Earth that are left in their care. I think the reason for this is because, the First Nations have less to lose. Physical then cultural genocide have been committed against them, the land they were stewards of for the Creator have been taken and destroyed and, on the whole most First Nations live in extreme poverty man of which not even given some necessities of life such as clean water. So, they risk because, what else can they do.

What of the rest of us however, those of us with certain amounts of privilege. Most of us sit in our warm homes or ivory academic towers saying things like "oh how horrid" instead of taking real political action and risking that privilege. But, what of poor urban communities one might ask. Instead of exploding in social action, communities turn on themselves thinking if only I could best the person next door I can get some of that privilege. Believing the words of corporate made rappers or rockers that some day I will have that too.

What we need is liberation. What we need is action. What we need is real risk.

Afghanistan: Spring has Come Again

2008-04-14T18:41:00.002-04:00

Every year in Afghanistan there becomes talk of the Spring offensive and, every year we see a huge uprising of attacks in comparison to the winter where they are much more limited. Most of the Canadian soldiers that are killed in Afghanistan are during the warmer months. It seems the Spring offensive has already begun as two British soldiers and 11 Afghan police died in Kandahar today, and 15 more died in the previous week. I hate to believe this summer may be worse then the last, but I see no foreseeable change for the better any time soon.

Video: CIA cocaine round up

2008-04-01T18:44:00.003-04:00

I've discussed with some people about the CIA's dealing in drugs, primarily cocaine and heroin. It seems many people still have never heard this story despite it having been exposed time and again over the past two decades. Here are some good videos for those who do not know the story.

Recent Video about a CIA plane which crashed in September 2007 with 4 tons of cocaine.

A Guerrilla News Network Video about the history of the CIA drug trade including government whistleblowers.

A Guerrilla News Network Video of Gary Webb who uncovered much of the CIA dealing in drugs. He has passed on now but here is his story about the CIA drug story and about investigative journalism.

Ontario: Premier McGuinty Starts boy band

2008-03-29T09:04:00.002-04:00

[A friend of mine from Toronto posted this and I found it so funny I thought I'd forward it. P.S. sorry about the lack of posts I'm having internet issues as my router broke down]

because the manufacturing sector is collapsing, well we here in Ontario need to put those hard hats to a different use.

BOY BANDS!

so, i wonder if this is what Premier Dalton McGuinty (the lead singer) had in mind when he laid out 1.5 billion for retraining and apprenticeships. if so, i fully support it!

Brussels: Activists Shut down NATO for a day

2008-03-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love Europeans, maybe it is just me but, I don't think North Americans would do this, well maybe Quebecers would supply clowns. On Saturday according to the Independent Media Center 500-1000 (depending on report) Europeans from 17 different countries shut down NATO headquarters. They came in small groups of 20 or 30 and went at the headquarters from basically every direction with materials to scale the barbed wire fences and barricades, including one marching brigade of clowns.

The police were very much expecting the protesters however, and came prepared with attack dogs, water cannons, jail buses and, quite a few police on horseback. The protesters were there due to what they saw as the terrorism and war committed by NATO around the world. One protester put the emphasis on the United States and Britain as the main perpetrators [1 Indymedia movie]. One of the major influences of the date was the anniversary of the Iraq war last week. According to the BBC around 150 protesters were arrested by Belgium police[2].

Images from the Independent Media Center

Activist Video: Howard Zinn On Human Nature and Aggression

2008-03-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

I've been reading a lot of Howard Zinn lately, provocative historian and activist. He was a major organizer in the civil rights movement of the US as well as the 1970s peace movement. One of his most famous books is A People's History of the United States.

Opinion: Religious Holidays in our 'Secular' Society

2008-03-21T17:10:00.001-04:00

So, today is a statutory holiday here in Canada. It is due to the Christian holiday Good Friday which is part of Christian (although Christian Orthodox is later) celebrations for Easter the day when supposedly the day Jesus rose from the dead. Although, I could go on a long tirade about how the story of Jesus was stolen from previous gods, or that the holiday Easter is just taken from a Pagan fertility goddess whose symbols were the egg and rabbit, I would rather talk about these statutory holidays in our 'secular' society.

Canada is supposed to be a secular multi-cultural society where people of all ethnicities and religions are created equal. Yet, when it comes to holidays we are not. Now I have to admit not having to work today and still getting paid is quite something I enjoy. However, I certainly believe that the framework we have in this country for religious holidays is obviously biased and unfair. For the vast amount of Canadians who are Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Bah'ai, Atheist and more they are pushed aside on holidays saying Good Friday, Christmas and, the Christian New Years are the date accepted as holidays. Although, I have less issue with New Years due to its fairly overarching acceptance, though still created by a Pope, I certainly have issues with Good Friday and Christmas.

The only reason these days are at all good for me is getting statutory holiday pay and that I have certain segments of my family who are Christian (though I and my mother are not). My suggestion is giving each person the choice of so many religious holidays a year to take, these would be paid holidays taken upon whatever your faith's days are. If you are however atheist you may take these days simply as free vacation days. People may say that this would create too many problems, would put things out of balance, but I think if scheduled and an actual will was made in our society it could work. However, as I always am assumed to be Christian and am wished a Happy Easter when I celebrate the Spring Equinox and full moon, I have my doubts our society will have the will any time soon.

USA: Presidential Politics and the War

2008-03-20T22:16:00.003-04:00

Usually I stay out of US electoral politics, but after the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and the occupation going into the sixth year and a large number of Americans who watch my site I decided to comment. I hear a lot about ending the war by both the Democratic candidates. When in reality none of the presidential candidates are truly for ending the war despite the widespread opposition to the continued occupation throughout the United States. Below I will detail the three candidates and their actual policies.

John McCain - Republican

John McCain of the three candidates is probably the most honest about his position on the war. He has taken the quintessential stance of the current Republican leadership that the war should have been fought and the policy title on his website is "Strategy for Victory in Iraq". John McCain is an interesting candidate in that he previously had spoken out against the administration on torture, actually served in Vietnam and, had in the past talked out against those on the strong religious right. This resulted in him being liked by people such as Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. During this election that however, changed resulting in him falling in line with the hard Republican and religious right.

McCain currently wishes for more funding for security forces and reconstruction. He wants to keep senior officials in place instead of rotating them, put pressure on Syria and Iran, convince the American people that it is important to stay in Iraq called "Win the homefront" on his website and, ultimately has no plan for ever withdrawing unless the Iraqi's 'stand up'. Which at the moment they seem to be doing just against each other and against US rule.

Hillary Clinton - Democrat

Clinton's website may be very against the war with the title "Ending the War in Iraq" and quotes such as "Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war -- not next year, not next month -- but today." These seem like more rhetoric then anything as her end to the war would still include tens of thousands of troops left in Iraq.

Clinton's campaign has been run on that she is the candidate with experience. When we look at her experience we also see a telling history. Clinton while her husband was President always supported his actions including bombings of Iraq and sanctions that resulted in the deaths of untold Iraqis. When she was acting as a Senator of New York she voted for the invasion and has not once truly apologized for that action. She sat on the Armed Services Committee during that time and, rarely created real opposition to the continuing occupation and, up until recently had not even acknowledged private military contractors. Clinton since a statement by the Obama team has now joined legislation to ban private contractors including groups such as Blackwater, but this has been a obviously political move not one based on ethics.

Barack Obama - Democrat

Obama has been touted by many to be the anti-war candidate. He made a speech against the invasion of Iraq prior to the invasion and in comparison to the other two candidates has a fairly clear history. Obama is believed to be a bridge due to his ethnic background, eloquent persona and, relative blank slate. Although, he has been better then the other candidates on the issue of Iraq, but is not anti-war. He may have the rhetoric of ending the war.

Of all the candidates Obama has probably the most comprehensive policy on foreign policy, but that includes being staunchly pro-Isreal, enlarging the US military, sending more forces to Afghanistan and, keeping 'residual forces' in Iraq. These residual forces would include 40-80 thousand forces as well as keeping in place the private contractors of which there are currently around 180 thousand which are not accurately kept in line. The US Embassy (which is less an embassy and more a giant military Americanized zone) and the green zone would still be kept in place under Obama's plan.

Ultimately I would like it to be understood that the rhetoric put out in the media about ending the war is anything but true by these candidates. Though Senator Obama seems to have the most comprehensive foreign policy plan he too is not anti-war and that should be understood. I ultimately do not support any candidate nor do I think a Canadian has the need to do so or not, but sadly what happens in those elections will effect Canada, Iraq, Afghanistan and, the rest of the world.

Tibet: Increase in Chinese Violence Against Protests

2008-03-18T17:59:00.005-04:00

For those who haven't heard mass protests have been sweeping across Tibet against Chinese rule. Tibet had been a free country up until the 1950 invasion by the Chinese Communists. The Chinese government brutally squashed any dissent and went through a period of cultural genocide by destroying temples, monasteries and, doing awful things to any practitioner of Buddhism especially the monks and nuns. For a while though still under strict Chinese rule Tibet was semi-autonomous due to creation of the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965 and its physical separation from the rest of China. The distance from the rest of China was altered however by the 2006 completion of a railway to Lhasa the capital of Tibet allowing for the increasing of Chinese exploitation of resources and clamp down of power.

Protests in occupied Tibet started a couple weeks ago coinciding with the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese occupation of Tibet. The protests were started mainly by Buddhist monks, but has spread to Tibetan exiles marching over the Indian-Chinese border and, many civilians in Tibet. Some of the protests have actually become violent including stores and police cars being set on fire. The Chinese response however has been even more violent and deadly. Below is part of a release from the Free Tibet Campaign:

The photos, which clearly show gunshot wounds, were taken on Sunday night and Monday morning at Kirtii monastery. As Free Tibet Campaign reported on 16 March 2008 (release below) an eyewitness told Free Tibet Campaign's contact in Dharamsala that he had seen Chinese security forces fire into the crowd of Tibetan protesters and that he had seen 13 Tibetans killed as a result of the firing. Other eyewitnesses reported seeing 30 Tibetans shot dead.

These photos, together with the eyewitness statement, provide conclusive force that lethal force was used at Aba town by the Chinese security forces on 16 March 2008. The photos directly contradict recent denials to the press by Jampa Phuntsog (Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region Govt) and China Premier Wen Jia Bao that Chinese security forces had not used lethal force.

The photos were taken long before the Chinese government's deadline of midnight Monday and prove that the use of lethal force has been in force long before the Chinese government's supposed deadline for protesters to turn themselves in before the use of force would be used.

Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign said: "These photos provide shocking proof of the brutality being exercised by Chinese forces in forcefully putting down Tibetan protests. It is not acceptable for national governments to call merely for restraint from the Chinese government. Government leaders must immediately condemn China's clear use of lethal force and demand that China's leaders stop their brutal crackdown on Tibetan protesters."

If one follows the below link one will see the photographic evidence. I do however warn people that these images are highly graphic. I feel that these images need to be shown, but I will leave it up the reader whether they feel comfortable enough. See the pictures here.

Images taken from Al Jazeera English

Activist Video: Drug War Reality Tour

2008-03-17T22:38:00.006-04:00

I have to admit on this Saint Patrick's Day my mind does not go to celebration it goes to addiction. I see so many people use any holiday simply as an excuse for addictive behaviour. Therefore for those who haven't seen this Guerrilla News Network video Drug War Reality Tour, this is an amazing video. Addiction is a medical and economic issue not a legal issue.

Original video at: Guerrilla News Network

DRUG WAR REALITY TOUR PART 1
Uploaded by Top-Notch112

DRUG WAR REALITY TOUR PART 2
Uploaded by Top-Notch112

Ottawa: Hundreds Protest War, Thousands More around the World

2008-03-16T12:00:00.003-04:00

Approximately 700-1000 people took over the streets of Ottawa yesterday in opposition to the continuing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The protest was part of a national and international series of protests against these continuing wars. March 19th is the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq which has killed over 29000 officially and some estimates go as high as one million dead as a result of the invasion. Protests in Canada and the UK were called for the Saturday before though many protests in the United States are happening actually on the 19th.

The Ottawa protest which joined Canadians coast to coast in over 20 reported cities was mainly focused on Canadian direct involvement in Afghanistan. The occupation has become increasingly unpopular throughout the country as according to the latest Angus Reid Poll [1] 61% of Canadians oppose the extension of the mission beyond February 2009 and 53% saying they would like to see a withdrawal even before February 2009. Despite the widespread opposition this past thursday a motion was past in Parliament to extend the occupation until 2011. It was opposed by the NDP, Bloc, and a few lone Liberals, but it was passed mainly out of desire by the Liberals not to go into an election, not what the electorate wanted.

Students started the rally here in Ottawa starting from the University of Ottawa and mainly comprising Carleton University and University of Ottawa students who were members of the Student Coalition Against War. They blocked off Rideau and Sussex with a mockuppation a reccuring theme for Ottawa students. With people in orange jump suits and many people with red paint representing blood on their hands they denounced the war and shouted about war profiteers including companies like SNC Lavalin and Boeing. The protest was marched down Sussex to meet the main demonstration starting at the National Art Gallery.

At the National Art Gallery there were a number of speakers organized by the Ottawa Peace Congress. Some of the speakers included Francios Picard of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, the assistant to the President of the Canadian Labour Congress, members of various local peace groups, Qais Ghanem a poet and Green Party candidate for Ottawa South, NDP Member of Parliament Libby Davies as well as her colleagues from the Gatineau NDP coalition, a representative from the Association of Arab Professionals and, performances by the Just Voices Choir and the Raging Grannies.

As demonstrators started to get cold due to the snowy weather the protest was moved going through part of the market leading to the United States Embassy. Outside the Embassy a large die in was enacted using a giant tarp and about a third of the demonstrators. Chants were shout out such as "Bush and Harper are the Same the Only Difference is the name" and "Bush Bush We know you, your daddy was a killer too" as well as the death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan being read out. It has been estimated around 40,000 people have been killed so far in Afghanistan. Afterwards the protest moved up to a brief stop off at Parliament Hill. After that the demonstration split up many people going home and some going to the Anti-War teach-in that happened at the Ottawa Public Library including a recent CBC documentary on how Drug Lords rule Afghanistan's parliament, a live video feed from Winter Soldier the testimonies of US soldiers testifying of the atrocities they've seen and done in Iraq and Afghanistan, finishing with some speeches from Afghanistani community members.

All Images are my own property. Unfortunately my camera battery died before the actual march started images are of the Student Protest and pre-march presentation

In Memory: Of all those who Died

2008-03-15T09:49:00.002-04:00

I would like everyone who reads this today or in the coming weeks to take one minute. Just one minute out of their lives to have a moment of silence for those who have died in the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention in all other wars. Below is a list of Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan, let us remember them and outcry against the death of any more. I wish I could say more about each person who has died, but as wars rage on people become faces, faces become names, names become numbers and, numbers are faceless and nameless.

2002
Sergeant Marc D. Léger Lancaster, Ontario
Corporal Ainsworth Dyer Montreal, Quebec
Private Richard Green Mill Cove, Nova Scotia
Private Nathan Smith Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

2003
Sergeant Robert Alan Short Fredericton, New Brunswick
Corporal Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger Ottawa, Ontario

2004
Corporal Jamie Brendan Murphy Conception Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

2005
Private Braun Scott Woodfield Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

2006
Diplomat Glyn Berry United Kingdom
Master Corporal Timothy Wilson Grande Prairie, Alberta
Corporal Paul Davis Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Private Robert Costall Gibsons, British Columbia
Corporal Matthew Dinning Richmond Hill, Ontario
Lieutenant William Turner Toronto, Ontario
Myles Mansell Victoria, British Columbia
Corporal Randy Payne Gananoque, Ontario
Captain Nichola Goddard Calgary, Alberta
Corporal Anthony Boneca Thunder Bay, Ontario
Corporal Francisco Gomez Edmonton, Alberta
Corporal Jason Patrick Warren Quebec City, Quebec
Corporal Christopher Jonathan Reid Truro, Nova Scotia
Sergeant Vaughn Ingram Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corporal Bryce Jeffrey Keller Regina, Saskatchewan
Private Kevin Dallaire Calgary, Alberta
Master Corporal Raymond Arndt Edson, Alberta
Master Corporal Jeffrey Scott Walsh Regina, Saskatchewan
Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom Comox, British Columbia
Corporal David Braun Raymore, Saskatchewan
Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish Truro, Nova Scotia
Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador
Private William Jonathon James Cushley Port Lambton, Ontario
Sergeant Shane Stachnik Waskatenau, Alberta
Private Mark Anthony Graham Hamilton, Ontario
Private David Byers Espanola, Ontario
Corporal Shane Keating Dalmeny, Saskatchewan
Corporal Keith Morley Winnipeg, Manitoba
Corporal Glen Arnold McKerrow, Ontario
Private Josh Klukie Thunder Bay, Ontario
Sergeant Craig Paul Gillam South Branch, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corporal Robert Thomas James Mitchell Owen Sound, Ontario
Trooper (Private) Mark Andrew Wilson London, Ontario
Sergeant Darcy Tedford Calgary, Alberta
Private Blake Williamson Ottawa, Ontario
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard Bouctouche, New Brunswick
Corporal Albert Storm Niagara Falls, Ontario

2007
Corporal Kevin Megeney Stellarton, Nova Scotia
Sergeant Donald Lucas St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corporal Aaron E. Williams Lincoln, New Brunswick
Corporal Brent Poland Camlachie, Ontario
Private David Robert Greenslade Saint John, New Brunswick
Private Kevin Vincent Kennedy St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corporal Christopher Paul Stannix Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Master Corporal Allan Stewart Newcastle, New Brunswick
Trooper Patrick James Pentland Geary, New Brunswick
Master Corporal Anthony Klumpenhouwer Listowel, Ontario
Corporal Matthew McCully Orangeville, Ontario
Master Corporal Darryl Jason Priede Burlington, Ontario
Trooper Darryl Caswell Bowmanville, Ontario
Sergeant Christos Karigiannis Laval, Quebec
Corporal Stephen Frederick Bouzane Scarborough, Ontario
Private Joel Vincent Wiebe Edmonton, Alberta
Captain Matthew Johnathan Dawe Kingston, Ontario
Corporal Jordan Anderson Iqaluit, Nunavut
Corporal Cole Bartsch Whitecourt, Alberta
Private Lane Watkins Clearwater, Manitoba
Captain Jefferson Francis Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Master Corporal Colin Bason Abbotsford, British Columbia
Private Simon Longtin Longueuil, Quebec
Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier Estrie, Quebec
Master Corporal Christian Duchesne Montreal, Quebec
Major Raymond Ruckpaul Hamilton, Ontario
Corporal Nathan Hornburg Calgary, Alberta
Corporal Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Private Michel Levesque Rivière-Rouge, Quebec
Gunner Jonathan Dion Val-d'Or, Quebec

2008
Warrant Officer Hani Massouh Alexandria, Egypt
Corporal Eric Labbé Rimouski, Quebec
Trooper Richard Renaud Alma, Quebec
Corporal Etienne Gonthier Quebec City, Quebec
Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze Edmonton, Alberta
Bombardier Jérémie Ouellet Matane, Quebec

Activist Video: Sara Marlowe Power of the People

2008-03-14T18:54:00.002-04:00

Rise up! Show the power of the people tomorrow!

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
WORLD AGAINST WAR
BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW
RALLY AND MARCH
Saturday, March 15, 1 PM
Gather at the National Gallery
(Giant Spider, St. Patrick and Sussex, map)
Student Protest outside University of Ottawa Morriset Library 12 noon

Across Canada: Canadian Peace Alliance Call-Out

Ottawa: International Womyn's Day Celebrations

2008-03-11T11:12:00.005-04:00

I missed posting about this on International Womyn's Day as I have been sick and the internet was down temporarily. However, saturday March 8th was International Womyn's Day which has been celebrated since the early 1900s with wide ranging events such as womyn's rights protests, workshops, international conferences, and other events. International Women's Day is actually an official holiday in multiple countries (mostly the former USSR countries) as the March 8th date comes from the beginning of the Russian womyn's "bread and peace" campaign in 1917 though, the day was also linked internationally to a protest in 1857 where womyn in New York walked out of factories in protest despite police repression.

In Ottawa this year most events such as the march for womyn's rights, the workshops at the Bronson Center, and others were canceled or postponed. This was due to one of the largest blizzards in many years (except for one earlier this winter). The art events showcasing the art of womyn of colour at the Agora, and the break dancing/trip-hop/electro event Ladies in the House still occurred at Babylon with large success despite the storm. The canceled workshops will probably be simply postponed until mid-April.

Womyn are far from equal in Canada with a discrepancy of 72.5 Cents on the dollar (which is actually an improvement however), a government body for womyn which no longer has equality in its mandate, only 21% of parliament being womyn and, much higher levels of violence and abuse.

UK: British SAS soldier tells of Extrodinary Rendition

2008-03-06T20:00:00.002-05:00

I wanted to pass on this information for those who haven't heard already. Originally came to me through the blog If there is hope...

Griffin's statement:

This statement was prepared and read by Ben Griffin, ex-SAS soldier, at a press conference on Monday 25 February 2008.

Our government would have us believe that our involvement in the process known as Extraordinary Rendition is limited to two occasions on which planes carrying detainees landed to refuel on the British Indian Ocean Territory, Diego Garcia. David Miliband has stated that the British Government expects the Government of the United States to “seek permission to render detainees via UK territory and airspace, including Overseas Territories; that we will grant that permission only if we are satisfied that the rendition would accord with UK law and our international obligations; and how we understand our obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture¹.” (Taken from a statement given to the House of Commons by the Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday 21 February 2008)

The use of British territory and airspace pales into insignificance in light of the fact that it has been British soldiers detaining the victims of Extraordinary Rendition in the first place. Since the invasion of Afghanistan in the autumn of 2001 UKSF has operated within a joint US/UK Task Force. This Task Force has been responsible for the detention of hundreds if not thousands of individuals in Afghanistan and Iraq. Individuals detained by British soldiers within this Task force have ended up in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, Bagram Theatre Internment Facility, Balad Special Forces Base, Camp Nama BIAP and Abu Ghraib Prison.

Whilst the government has stated its desire that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp be closed, it has remained silent over these other secretive prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan. These secretive prisons are part of a global network in which individuals face torture and are held indefinately without charge. All of this is in direct contravention of the Geneva Conventions, International Law and the UN Convention Against Torture.

Early involvement of UKSF in the process of Extraordinary Rendition centres around operations carried out in Afghanistan in late 2001. Of note is an incident at the Qalai Janghi fortress, near Mazar-i-Sharif. UKSF fought alongside their US counterparts to put down a bloody revolt by captured Taliban fighters. The surviving Taliban fighters were then rendered to Guantanamo Bay.

After the invasion of Iraq in 2003 this joint US/UK task force appeared. Its primary mission was to kill or capture high value targets. Individuals detained by this Task Force often included non-combatants caught up in the search for high value targets. The use of secret detention centres within Iraq has negated the need to use Guantanamo Bay whilst allowing similar practice to go unnoticed.

I have here an account taken from an interpreter interviewed by the organisation Human Rights Watch (http://hrw.org/reports/2006/us0706/2.htm). He was based at the detention and interrogation facility within Camp Nama at Baghdad International Airport during 2004. This facility was used to interrogate individuals captured by the joint US/UK Task Force. In it are the details of numerous breaches of the Geneva Convention and accounts of torture. These breaches were not the actions of rogue elements the abuse was systematic and sanctioned through the chain of command. This account is corroborated by an investigation carried out by NYT reporters into Camp Nama and the US/UK Task Force, which appeared in the New York Times on March 19 2006. Throughout my time in Iraq I was in no doubt that individuals detained by UKSF and handed over to our American colleagues would be tortured. During my time as member of the US/UK Task Force, three soldiers recounted to me an incident in which they had witnessed the brutal interrogation of two detainees. Partial drowning and an electric cattle prod were used during this interrogation and this amounted to torture. It was the widely held assumption that this would be the fate of any individuals handed over to our America colleagues. My commanding officer at the time expressed his concern to the whole squadron that we were becoming “the secret police of Baghdad”.

As UK soldiers within this Task Force a policy that we would detain individuals but not arrest them was continually enforced. Since it was commonly assumed by my colleagues that anyone we detained would subsequently be tortured this policy of detention and not arrest was regarded as a clumsy legal tool used to distance British soldiers from the whole process.

During the many operations conducted to apprehend high value targets numerous non-combatants were detained and interrogated in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of civilians in occupied territories. I have no doubt in my mind that non-combatants I personally detained were handed over to the Americans and subsequently tortured.

The joint US/UK Task Force has broken International Law, contravened The Geneva Conventions and disregarded the UN Convention Against Torture. British soldiers are intimately involved in the actions of this Task Force. Jack Straw, Margaret Beckett David Miliband, Geoff Hoon, Des Browne, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown. In their respective positions over the last five years they must know that British soldiers have been operating within this joint US/UK task force. They must have been briefed on the actions of this unit.

As the occupiers of Iraq we have a duty to uphold the law, to abide by the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention Against Torture. We are also responsible for securing the borders of Iraq on all counts we have failed. The British Army once had a reputation for playing by the rules. That reputation has been tarnished over the last seven years. We have accepted illegality as the norm. I have no doubt that over the coming months and years increasing amounts of information concerning the actions of British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will be become public.

Whilst the majority of British Forces have been withdrawn from Iraq, UKSF remain within the US/UK Task Force.

¹Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession.”

Ben Griffin
25 February 2008

Activist Video: 5 Years Too Many

2008-03-05T08:43:00.000-05:00

Protests are happening around the world to mark the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. For those in Ottawa please join in the protest against the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ottawa Saturday March 15th
1pm Rally And March starting at the National Gallery
2:30pm A Teach in at the National Archives of Canada

For those in other parts of Canada go to: The Canadian Peace Alliance
For those in the United States go to: 5 Years Too Many
For those in the UK go to: Stop the War Coalition

Alberta: Suspected Neo-Nazis Firebomb House

2008-03-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

This is a story that I only heard today. In Calgary a home of two Communist Party Members was firebombed using molatov cocktails on February 12th. The couple and their four children were able to escape the home, but the home itself was badly damaged. Neo-Nazi white supremacist group members are suspected of causing the crime. The couple Jason Devine and Bonnie Collins believe the reason they were attacked was due to their strong Anti-Racism activism and workshops done around Calgary.

Alberta has had some of the strongest support for Neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements. Though other parts of the country have certainly experienced these movements as well, including white supremacist marches on Parliament Hill during the early 1990s where members were attacking people in the streets and giving the heil to the Canadian Anthem. Alberta however, is one of the few provinces where actual organized groups are active in comparison to unorganized racists here and there. As Neo-Nazi groups in the past few years in Alberta have actually held demonstrations. A great post on one of the groups The Aryan Guard can be found at the Anti-Racist Canada blog.

Afghanistan: Opium Production and Death Toll on the Rise

2008-03-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

In Afghanistan things seem to be getting worse according to opium production and death tolls. Opium used to create the world's supply of mainly heroin has been a major issue in Afghanistan for many years. Before the invasion of US and NATO led forces into Afghanistan in 2001/2 Afghanistan had been the lead supplier of Opium producing approximately 75% of the world's opium in 1999. However, come 2000 to early 2001 the Taliban reduced the cultivation drastically which was confirmed by the United Nations [1]. Since the coalition invasion however opium production has risen each year to formerly unknown heights. In 2007 93% of the worlds opium came from Afghanistan which is more then any country ever before. It is also estimated that 14% of Afghanis are participating in the cultivation of poppies [2] and a 78% unemployment rate. This is mainly due to the increasing instability in the country and the economic viability of opium which produces at least 4X or more profits in comparison to other crops.

The instability in Afghanistan is seen very blatantly through increasing mortality rates. 2007 also had the highest mortality rates of more then 6500 deaths by direct conflict 222 being outside forces [3] including 30 Canadians. Five more Canadian soldiers have died already this year including yesterday Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, with no knowledge of how many more casualties will result during the spring and summer -- consistently the most violent time when the most Canadians have lost their lives.

Not to mention that though part of the reason for this war is "Women's Rights". The rights of women are worse then ever. A male journalism student recently looked at a article on the internet that said that women's subjection under Islam was actually a misrepresentation of the Prophet Mohammed's words and the Koran. This has resulted him having to go to court with a possible death sentence. To quote The Independent of London "Violent attacks against females, usually domestic, are at epidemic proportions with 87 per cent of females complaining of such abuse – half of it sexual. More than 60 per cent of marriages are forced. Despite a new law banning the practice, 57 per cent of brides are under the age of 16. The illiteracy rate among women is 88 per cent with just 5 per cent of girls attending secondary school. Maternal mortality rates – one in nine women dies in childbirth – are the highest in the world alongside Sierra Leone." [4] It seems that despite the overthrowing of the Taliban regime things in Afghanistan seven years later are worse not better.

Images of Opium Production and a recent Afghan Funeral from the BBC

Opinion: Ten Commandments for Changing the World

2008-03-02T14:10:00.003-05:00

I was sent this and very much enjoyed it so I figured, I would post a copy of it. Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the death of one of the authors Tooker Gomberg.

" TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR CHANGING THE WORLD
by Angela Bischoff and Tooker Gomberg

Changing the world is a blast. It's all the more achievable if you have some basic skills, and lots of chutzpah. With apologies to Moses, and God, here are our top Ten Commandments For Changing the World. Try them out on your issue. Have fun!

But first, some inspiration from Noam Chomsky: "If you go to one demonstration and then go home, that's something, but the people in power can live with that. What they can't live with is sustained pressure that keeps building, organizations that keep doing things, people that keep learning lessons from the last time and doing it better the next time."

1. You Gotta Believe
Have hope, passion and confidence that valuable change can and does happen because individuals take bold initiative.

2. Challenge Authority
Don't be afraid to question authority. Authority should be earned, not appointed. The "experts" are often proven wrong (they used to believe that the earth was flat!). You don't have to be an expert to have a valuable opinion or to speak out on an issue.

3. Know the System
The system perpetuates itself. Use the tools you have - the telephone is the most underrated. The internet can be of great value for research as well. Learn how decisions are made. How is the bureaucracy structured? Who are the key players? What do they look like? Where do they eat lunch? Go there and talk with them. Get to know their executive assistants. Attend public meetings.

4. Take Action
Do something - anything is better than nothing. Bounce your idea around with friends, and then act. Start small, but think big. Organize public events. Distribute handbills. Involve youth. It's easier to ask for forgiveness after the fact rather than to ask for permission. Just do it! Be flexible. Roll with the punches and allow yourself to change tactics mid-stream. Think laterally. Don't get hung-up on money matters; some of the best actions have no budget.

5. Use the media
Letters to the Editor of your local newspaper are read by thousands. Stage a dramatic event and invite the media - they love an event that gives them an interesting angle or good photo. Bypass the mainstream media with email and the world wide web to get the word out about your issue and to network.

6. Build Alliances
Seek out your common allies such as other community associations, seniors, youth groups, labor, businesses, etc. and work with them to establish support. The system wins through Divide and Conquer, so do the opposite! Network ideas, expertise and issues through email lists. Celebrate your successes with others.

7. Apply Constant Pressure
Persevere - it drives those in power crazy. Be as creative as possible in getting your perspective heard. Use the media, phone your politicians, send letters and faxes with graphics and images. Be concise. Bend the Administration's ear when you attend public meetings. Take notes. Ask specific questions, and give a deadline for when you expect a response. Stay in their faces.

8. Teach Alternatives
Propose and articulate intelligent alternatives to the status quo. Inspire people with well thought out, attractive visions of how things can be better. Use actual examples, what's been tried, where and how it works. Do your homework, get the word out, create visual representations. Be positive and hopeful.

9. Learn From your Mistrakes
You're gonna make mistakes; we all do. Critique - in a positive way - yourself, the movement, and the opposition. What works, and why? What isn't working? What do people really enjoy doing, and do more of that.

10. Take Care of Yourself and Each Other
Maintain balance. Eat well and get regular exercise. Avoid burn-out by delegating tasks, sharing responsibility, and maintaining an open process. Be sensitive to your comrades. Have fun. As much as possible, surround yourself with others (both at work and at play) who share your vision so you can build camaraderie, solidarity and support. Enjoy yourself, and nourish your sense of humour. Remember: you're not alone!

So there you have it. Tools for the Evolution. You can easily join the millions of people around the world working towards ecological health and sustainability just by doing something. With a bit of effort, and some extraordinary luck, a sustainable future may be assured for us and the planet. Go forth and agitate."

History: Truth and Reconciliation

2008-02-29T08:32:00.001-05:00

South Africa holds a certain hold on the minds of the world. Personally I have a mother who grew up under Apartheid, she may have been part of a privileged minority simply due to her skin colour, but the system still has impact today. For others especially in the South it provides a beacon of overturning oppressive systems.

The system of Apartheid in South Africa was abolished in 1994, but the affects on the people were not stripped from their psyche. It was known that a system needed to be put in place to deal with the cycle of violence that had plagued the people of South Africa. There had to be some recognition that it was the racist institution of Apartheid that had been the problem, not the people socialized under it. If any type of true unity and peace was to be established the sins of the past needed to be cleansed.

In 1995 an institution was created to deal with the aftermath of the violence committed under Apartheid, it was known as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The idea was to bring justice for the crimes committed, but with the least harm possible. For the commission to work people from both sides the perpetrator and victims had to be present. If the crimes were politically motivated and, proportional and, the perpetrator gave full disclosure of everything that happened in presence of the victims they were given the chance of amnesty.

The people brought to trial included crimes from every side of the violence including the former Apartheid government and African National Congress members. Some say that the Commission didn't do enough, but is a profoundly different way of approaching crimes then the more European form of victor's justice. Ultimately it was an institution that should be remembered and improved upon to deal with future injustice.

UK: Scottish group wants pardon for Witches

2008-02-28T17:10:00.002-05:00

It seems that witchcraft has been in the news a lot lately. There was the scandle over Miss Canada Plus being a Witch, the recent condemning of a Saudi women for "practicing witchcraft" and, now in the UK a group is trying to get pardons issued for Witches who were jailed in the UK under the Witchcraft Law of 1735. The law continued to convict people for the practice of witchcraft -- and things mistaken as such -- until 1951 when it was repealed. The group wishes a pardon for some 4000 people who have all passed on who were charged under the law.

Quotes: In Memory of 1973 Wounded Knee

2008-02-27T22:29:00.005-05:00

I was enlightened to find out the standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973 by the American Indian Movement started today. They were the same people who fought at Wounded Knee in the massacre of 1890 and the same people who today they are seperating from the US.

Quotes from the Sioux Nation:

"Western civilization, unfortunately, does not link knowledge and morality but rather, it connects knowledge and power and makes them equivalent." - Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933 - 2005)

"One does not sell the land people walk on." - Crazy Horse, Sept. 23, 1875

"You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. " - Black Elk Oglala (1863-1950)

And an Ancient First Nations proverb of unknown origins:

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

Image from http://themartyrindex.com

Ottawa: Protest against Gay Organ Ban

2008-02-26T17:31:00.003-05:00

Today on parliament hill gay rights protesters gathered in protest against a recently introduced policy by Health Canada. The policy bans gay men from being organ donors, a move made based more on homophobia then any form of science. This is a move that only hurts people desperately needing organ transplants. The idea states some sort of dark age belief that gay men are some how contaminated and diseased which is far from acceptable in a country that is supposed to be one of the most progressive on gay rights.

It seems that the charter of rights and freedoms is a document that many people are forgetting these days. As under Charter law people cannot be discriminated against based on sexual orientation. Yet Health Canada seems to have forgotten the Charter and is living on either Judeo-Christian notions of sin or the homophobia based scare of HIV/AIDS despite the fact that most AIDS victims are actually heterosexual. The concept that people may die because, Health Canada won't allow gay males to give their organs is a blatant disregard for the Hippocratic Oath and any other for Health professionals to do no harm.

The protest was organized by 'Standing Against Queer Discrimination'. The first protest held was in London, Ontario on January 17th outside the Health Canada office there. They since called a National Day of Action for February 26th. Cities across the country had protests outside local Health Canada offices against the ban and, here in Ottawa SAQD officials met with parliamentary officials while the protest went on outside. According to Ottawa residents the protest on Parliament with about 80 people in attendance and speakers including an NDP MP and the Liberal Health Critic.

Yet this is not the only discriminatory health practice in Canada against gay males. Any man who has ever in their lifetime had sex with another man is barred from donating blood by the Canadian Blood Services a policy that has gone on since 1977. Even if a womyn has had sex with a man who has sex with a man she is disqualified for giving blood for a year. Both the organ ban and blood donation ban does nothing but harm the public and puts people at risk who could otherwise be helped.

Photos Courtesy of Kaitlyn Kincaid

Canada: Authorization of US troops on Canadian Soil

2008-02-25T12:27:00.001-05:00

It seems the Harper and Bush governments have signed a no-longer secret agreement on February 14th authorizing the use of the foreign government's military on domestic soil. Canadian Troops on American soil and American troops on Canadian soil. The result of which is the further integration of the Canadian and American militaries as well as possible abuses of power.

There is distrust of this agreement on both sides of the border. On the Canadian side of the border there is a distrust of the American military and how it has been used around the world. According to many polls Canadians want to be less connected militarily to the United States and want to be more independent working with many other countries around the world. There is a fear that the American military may be called in to quell civilian disturbances such as protests opposing corporations, further integration, the control of Canada's natural resources or dissent against foreign policy decisions. In the United States people feel that Canadian forces may be called in to also quell local dissent and aren't bound by the same laws preventing the use of military and military searches in civilian situations.

I don't doubt the importance of the military during natural crises, but why we need a foreign power especially one that has had serious abuses of power is dangerous for Canadians. When we are in a period when the use of our military is being so hotly debated it is undemocratic and an abuse of power to sign an agreement allowing foreign military on our soil without parliamentary or public consent. This seems just one more step in a North American Union.

Image of Bush, Fox, and Harper at the Security Prosperity Partnership

Opinion: Marginalized Groups Against Each Other

2008-02-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

It seems that the largest problem standing in the way of true freedom today is a combination of apathy and, opposition. Every day it seems that one oppressed group is being pitted against one another. Instead of communities that should be exploding you have communities imploding. Groups fighting each other as if it is life or death or worse turning the struggles into life or death. We loose sight that the same powers that be are usually the ones oppressing all of us. Instead we see the other oppressed group as a threat to their own freedom and so oppress them more.

It saddens me to see Queer groups being pitted against racial or religious groups. Religion becomes a profane word for Queers and is made into something evil to be defended against. Then just harder we see the opposite happen, fear of Queers used as a political tool to distract the masses and win elections. It saddens me to see poor whites being pitted against immigrants as if they are some awful invasion force stealing the jobs and education poor whites deserve. When in reality its the large corporations outsourcing jobs and the education is failing due to the government.

Liberation movements seem coopted to oppress others as if there is only so much liberation to go around. A major example is the 2nd wave feminist movement which was discriminatory against people of colour, lesbians and, trans people. Movements today have been pushed by others and seem less so, but so is the amount of people willing to participate feeling so much apathy. Instead you see rights movements waning in strength (except I would say for the anti-globalization movement) and marginalized peoples being politically used against each other. It is a unfortunate state of affairs in my mind and the greatest political tool for keeping the people in line for them to think that their greatest threat to their freedom is the person down the street.

Ottawa: Reliving Bilderberg

2008-02-23T18:55:00.003-05:00

Last night at Ottawa Cinema Politica the movie Endgame by Alex Jones was shown. I have a number of issues with the movie, but he does accurately give information regarding the creation of a North American Union, the Security Prosperity Partnership, local militarization, a history of Eugenics (though I don't agree with all his inferences) and, the Bilderberg Group. The Bilderbergs are a group that has met since the 1950s including major heads of state and, large corporate interests. The group meets secretly in order to have discussions on world affair. Some major members include the Rothchilds, Rockafellers, royalty of the Netherlands, members of the IMF, World Bank, and most western heads of state such as Steven Harper. In 2006 the Bilderbergs met in Ottawa and I was covering them, here are the links for those who were interested.

Bilderberg Posts:
Ottawa: Bilderbergs Arrive Tomorrow
Ottawa: Some Bilderbergs Arrive
Ottawa: Bilderberg Tickets and Researchers
Ottawa: Bilderberg Site and Article Round Up
Ottawa: Bilderbergs at Brookstreet Report
Ottawa: Pictures Outside the Bilderberg Conference
Ottawa: Bilderberg Conclusion

Also people had an interest towards the military takeover and operations in Winnipeg of that same year as many could not believe it.:
Winnipeg: Exercise Charging Bison

Activist Video: Take America Back

2008-02-18T16:18:00.002-05:00

A video of Steve Connell and Sekou at the 2006 ACLU conference. It is a very good spoken word poem, performed with such ease that it impresses me.

USA: Lakotah Seperates from the US

2008-02-15T08:51:00.004-05:00

The official cessation of the Republic of Lakotah occured on December 17th, 2007. According to both United States constitutional law and international law it has a strong case. The new republic takes large portions out of the Northern Mid-west of the United States. These are descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and the resisters of Wounded Knee. This is completely legal and has been done with full legal requirements. The question that it really comes down to is whether the US will follow its own constitution and international law, in a time where it is regularly broken and, against a people it has historically had no trouble violating. Below is a video by Elder Russel Means explaining the withdrawal.

Activist Video: Join the Revoultion Fall in Love

2008-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is by far one of my favourite short films so I thought I'd share it. It is from the Crimethinc book Days of War, Nights of Love[1] which is a very interesting book even to non-anarchists like myself. The section of the book that the video is depicting is "L is for Love". It talks about how the most revolutionary act in life is true passionate romantic love. Warning: It does depict scenes with nudity, sexual acts, and violence. Keep a box of tissues around.

[1] http://www.crimethinc.com/books/days.html

Ontario: Push for Gender Studies in High Schools

2008-02-13T08:30:00.001-05:00

On Valentines Day across the province feminists will be calling the Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne. No, the minister of Education does not have secret love affairs across the province the people will be calling in support of the Miss G_ Project. The Miss G_ Project was instituted three years ago with the main purpose of instituting a Women's and Gender Studies course into the high school curriculum.

The campaign has gained momentum throughout the province, but has been constantly been pushed aside with bureaucracy and excuses that they look into it are vaguely given. The major purpose of the inclusion of this course is to provide anti-discriminatory education in schools. Though issues some issues of discrimination are dealt with in schools issues such as sexism and homophobia are practically normal daily occurrences. The course would allow students to analyze those issues and have an institutional way to deal with the issues they are experiencing in their school and community. The course would also allow for the untold history of womyn to be spoken publically.

So, on Valentines Day join the people of Ontario in demanding Women's and Gender Studies be included in the Ontario high school curriculum. For more information on how watch this video:

For More Information:

The Miss G_ Project: http://www.themissgproject.org/

Ontario Minister of Education: Kathleen Wynne's
Office: 416.325.2600
TDD/TTY: 1-800-263-2892
info@kathleenwynne.com
Fax: (416) 325-2608
Website: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/

Ottawa: Non-Humane Humane Society?

2008-02-12T19:14:00.000-05:00

You find a lost hurt animal on the street, you care about animals so naturally you think that you should do something. You aren't sure whether this is a lost pet or was abandoned. You decide that the best thing to do is to bring it to the humane society in order to help it. This is a common theme for animal lovers in many places including Ottawa. Sadly however, many people don't know the actual practices of the Ottawa Humane Society.

Yet this seemingly flawless organization from its media image at its heart is actually unaccountable and treats animals fairly badly attracting the attention of pet owners, now former Ottawa Human Society (OHS) donors, and animal rights activists. A campaign was started about a year and a half ago called 'Reform the Ottawa Humane Society'. It was created by a pet lover who found a stray dog and her neighbor who was a donor to the OHS. The stray dog was taken to the OHS in case its' owner went looking for it however, if no one came to claim the dog it was going to be adopted by the person who found it and her partner. The OHS euthanized the dog against their wishes saying that it had an aggressive temperament. Despite this being a very small dog who had been very friendly to the person who found it.

After this a campaign was started as the pet lover heard more and more similar stories. The way the OHS tested the dogs' temperament was examined. It seems that the OHS' testing method to see if dogs are aggressive is while they are in a large room with concrete walls, metal bars and, loud noise due to a number of animals the dogs are poked with a stick which has a rubber glove on the end of it repeatedly. If the dog at all bites the glove or stick they are deemed aggressive and are never shown to the public and are euthanized. For cats there is no formal assessment just a subjective look at the cat in the highly disturbing and stressful environment.

This does not even look at the unaccountability issues. No information from the OHS is recorded on the amount of animals who are collected, nor the amount that are euthanized. The board of directors in mainly nameless and prefer to be anonymous to the public and choose the next board. Not to mention the amount of stories of volunteers or members who were immediately fired or had their membership revoked if they at any point said anything negative about the organization. What do they have to hide? Why are tax dollars being spent, yet the organization refuses to be at all accountable to the public?

The most obvious answer was that despite the OHS being a non-profit someone is making money off of it. The more extreme speculation suggested by some is that the OHS sells animals to animal research in compliance with the Ontario Animals for Research Act. "The Ontario Animals for Research Act requires pounds to relinquish dogs and cats they have held for more than three days if requisitioned by a registered research facility. ... [it is stipulated] that laboratories pay only $6 per dog and $2 per cat. In contrast, a person wanting to adopt one of these animals as a companion could be required to pay up to $150 for a dog and $80 for a cat." [1] It is publicly stated though that any pound associated with the SPCA including the OHS do not approve or comply with this Act, but without evidence either way it is impossible to know.

It should be noted however that the OHS does provide some important services to the community such as spay/neuter education, community education programs, cruelty investigations, emergency response and micro-chipping family pets this is why the campaign is to reform the OHS not abolish it. Plus many other Humane societies have much higher standards then the Ottawa version, including real animal temperament testing techniques. Regardless the Ottawa Humane society has too many issues to deserve the name 'humane' and needs some real changes and accountability.

For more information:
Reform the Ottawa Humane Society: www.reformtheohs.ca
The Ottawa Humane Society: www.ottawahumane.ca
Cruel Science (Canadian Animal Testing): www.cruelscience.ca

Opinion: 2011? Supporting our Troops?

2008-02-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

As we come close to the end of Canada's military role in Afghanistan, the war drums are on again to continue the occupation longer. The Canadian combat operations are set to end in Afghanistan in February 2009, a year from now. Due to this Stephen Harper is on the warpath to extend combat operations until 2011. He has stated after that, the operations would be handed over to Afghan security forces.

Yet, this would indicate that slowly the country is getting more stability. This is not the case. Even in Kabul considered one of the safest regions suicide attacks have started, which is a tactic that up until recently was rare in Afghanistan even if a widely used tactic in Iraq. Norway has actually had to evacuate their embassy recently in Kabul [1] due to terror threats. Plus Canadians are having more and more people come home in body bags.

In a letter I sent to former Minister of Defence Gordon O'Conner when the combat mission was extended in May 2006 to continue to February 2009, one of his major statements was "When terrorists attacked the United States on 11
September 2001, 24 Canadians died. We must do all that we can to tackle the
terrorist threat to our national interests before Canadian lives are lost again." [2] In total so far 79 Canadians have died in Afghanistan which by my count is much higher. The numbers are concentrated in the last few years however with 37 deaths in 2006, 30 in 2007 and 4 so far just this year.

According to a recent Strategic Counsel poll [3] more Canadians think that Canada is in Afghanistan because, the United States wants them there. More Canadians think their foreign policy is less independent then 50 years ago and that the US is the thing most influencing foreign policy. Plus according to their July 2007 study [4] Most Canadians (59%) oppose our troops being in Afghanistan.

Lets bring our troops home, go with public opinion, and not see any more destruction of our military or the death of our soldiers.

[1] http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200802111653.htm
[2] Personal Email Sept 27, 2006
[3] http://www.thestrategiccounsel.com/our_news/polls/
2007-12-10%20GMCTV%20Dec%206-9%20final.pdf
[4] http://www.thestrategiccounsel.com/our_news/polls/
2007-07-16%20GMCTV%20July%2012-15.pdf

Toronto: Canadian Beauty Queen discriminated against for being Wiccan

2008-02-10T12:39:00.001-05:00

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. -- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

It seems that the religion aspect of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms according to the Miss Toronto Tourism pageant doesn't refer to Wiccans.

I am by far not one who frequents the world of Beauty Pageants and, in fact have many problems with them, but the outright discrimination of anyone on the basis of religion is something that bothers me. Recently the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant dropped Miss Canada Plus as a judge due to finding out "her hobbies are yoga, reiki and tarot card reading." According to the pageant reiki and tarot card reading are occult practices and are "...not acceptable by God, Jews, Muslims or Christians. Tarot card reading is witchcraft and is used by witches, spiritists and mediums to consult the dark world." This was the direct reasoning for her being dropped from being a judge.

The result of which was Miss Canada Plus openly coming out as a Wiccan and a Witch. She tried to dispel the myths that either are evil and worship the devil. This outright discrimination is despicable by a supposedly secular organization. Worse is the denunciation of what is or is not acceptable to God and obviously their consideration of who counts as a religion.

Her practices were demonized to the extent that Karen Murray, Miss Toronto Tourism pageant director said, "We want someone down to earth, not someone into the dark side or the occult." If Ms. Murray wasn't obviously ignorant she would know that in fact Wiccans are more 'down to earth' then those who practice Abrahamic religions as Wiccans believe in the direct worship and respect for the Earth, in comparison to Abrahamic religions which believe they can do as they wish with the Earth as its a gift to them from God.

To quote the Toronto Star "The letter went on to quote a couple of passages from the Bible, including one from the book of Leviticus that warns, 'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spirits for you will be defiled by them.'

'We hope that Stephanie Conover will turn from these belief systems and will repent from her practice of them,' the letter reads."

Ms Conover (Miss Canada Plus) character was also directly insulted merely for this, not on any of her actual record. She may be taking the organization to court. I certainly hope she does and wins.

Ottawa: Students March on Parliament Demanding Lower Tuition

2007-02-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

Students from around the country today took to the streets to protest high tuition fees and large debt sentences. In Ottawa students from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University converged on Parliament.

All pictures were taken by myself and are my property. I left out images of individuals and left only the group pictures.

Ottawa: First March for Trans Rights

2006-11-15T21:49:00.001-05:00

In Ottawa this sunday there will be the first protest for transgendered rights the city has seen. Transgendered people who range widely on the gender continum including transsexuals, intersexed, androgyns, genderqueers, and more are not properly protected in laws. Only the North West Territories has the inclusion of gender identity and expression within their human rights code. Bill Siksay of the NDP has introduced legislation that would include gender identity and expression under the Canadian Human Rights Act. In my view this needs to be added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The amending of legal rights will not end discrimination or transphobia, but it will be easier to fight for personal rights, work rights, and health care rights. Transgender people are at much higher rates of depression, self-endangering activity, direct discrimination, verbal and physical attacks then other sections of the population. Trans people need to have more official rights on an institutional level as well as, more support services to make sure trans people get the help and especially medical attention they need.

The march in Ottawa is in lead up to November 20th which is the Interational Trans Day of Remembrance for all those who have died in the past year due to transphobia.

For more information:
Ottawa March For Trans Equality
Ottawa Trans Day of Remembrance
International Trans Day of Remembrance

Ottawa: Municipal Elections

2006-11-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

Today in Ottawa is the Municipal elections for Mayor, Councillors, and School Board Trustees. The major issues in the current election are public transit, pesiticide use, waste management, homelessness, and womyn's rights. All these issues are important and I encourage you to check out the candidates even if just for mayor.

The Front Running Cadidates for Mayor are:
Bob Chiarelli: http://bobchiarelli.com/
Alex Munter: http://www.alexmunter.ca/
Larry O'Brien: http://larryformayor.ca/
No matter who you support people should use their democratic right to vote.

It is rare, but for once I'm going to endorse a candidate. In these elections I am endorsing Alex Munter as he is a life-long gay rights activist, has been very involved with local politics, and I agree with the majority of his platform. One of the other major reason I support him however, is his support of womyn. Neither Chiarelli or O'Brien have been supportive or open to listening to womyn's groups. At a candidates debate on womyn's issues only Munter out of the three was even willing to show up and talk to local womyn. A video interview with one of the organizers is available here.

Video: Can. War Resister

2006-11-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

Canada has its first public War Resister. Former member of the Canadian Navy and then Army officer canditate, Francisco "Paco" Juarez. I was lucky enough to meet and see him speak in person yesterday at the Canadian Peace Alliance Convention. I encourage everyone to watch this speech of him in Vancouver last month.

History: 100 years ago today

2006-09-11T22:58:00.001-04:00

100 years ago today Ghandi set upon his mission of Satyagraha. He spoke of how to change the world without violence. His message by some was continued and, some still practice it today.

For more information see:

An interview on Democracy Now with Arun Ghandi, Mahatma Ghandi's grandson.

Also here is the transcript of the original speech in 1906.

Peace and love be in your hearts.

Canada: Pope scolds Canada

2006-09-09T11:48:00.001-04:00

The Pope on friday lashed out at Canada for policies on same-sex marriage and abortion. This is anything but new from a Pope who has shown his career as focusing on 'family values'. He stated that "Such laws, ... are the result of 'the exclusion of God from the public sphere.'"[1]

I say yes, it is part of the exclusion of traditional Catholicism from the public sphere. I also say this is how it should be. The Canadian state is the collection of many groups. Yes, Catholics make up a significant portion of the country, but that doesn't mean that they should dominate the rest or that all are 'traditionalists'. There are progressive Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Agnostics, Athiests, Pagans, Indigenous Religions, and others that make up Canada. There is no reason that Catholicism should be intertwined with the state. When religion is mixed with states it ruins not just the state, but also the religion. People should be able to practice their religion without dealing with a state where someone else's religion is intertwined.

Afghanistan: Canadians once again hit by friendly-fire

2006-09-05T15:07:00.001-04:00

The first Canadians to die in Afghanistan were killed by friendly-fire due to an American bomber bombing them during a training exercise in 2002. However, during live combat this labour day one Canadian has been killed and 30 more injured by being strafed by NATO planes. The day before four other Canadians were killed in live combat. This brings the total Canadians killed in Afghanistan up to 32 with many more injured.

A Strategic Counsel poll done on July 18th, 2006 showed that 56% of Canadians opposed troops in Afghanistan with only 39% supporting. With a particularly deadly summer where 15 soldiers have been killed since the poll was taken it is quite possible that opposition to troops being in Afghanistan will only increase.

Across the country peace, labour and, faith groups are getting ready for a push against Canadians in Afghanistan by having a major cross-Canada protest on October 28th. The endorsing groups of the action can be seen here.

Site: I'm Back

2006-09-02T09:39:00.001-04:00

I wound up becoming extremely apathetic and took a break from Politics. Considering I'm going back to my politics program come thursday, I'm going to get back in the swing of things. Expect semi-regular updates coming back especially once I become immersed in political issues again.

Ottawa: Dyke March on its way

2006-08-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

Ottawa's Third Annual Dyke March is well on its way. The collective has been working hard to bring the best grassroots Dyke Day events that this city has ever seen. The group is bringing four events all accessible, and by donation.

Dyke March is a tradition first brought into place in San Francisco in 1992 as a way to give Queer Womyn a way to step out and speak out about oppression. Being under a patriarchal, homophobic, and heterosexist society Queer Womyn face oppression on many fronts. Early Dyke Marches were mainly acting as a protest, but now its more of a way of Queer Womyn affirming their right to be on the street and safe. Many Dyke Marches now are also intregal parts of Pride Weeks around the world.

The Ottawa Dyke March started in 2003 acts as a way to bring light to Queer Womyn and Trans-People of all types. It also acts as a completely grassroots, accessible, non-discriminatory safe space for Queer Womyn and Trans-People. Last year Dyke March Ottawa decided to start to honour one group per year for the work they've done in the community. This year the honoured group is AGITATE Ottawa the Queer Womyn of Colour Collective.

Opinion: Politics and Apathy

2006-08-07T08:58:00.001-04:00

Somehow in our society the word politics has become a dirty word. Worse then those 'four letter words' in use in daily life. There is a definite feel of apathy which runs through much of the society with the feeling 'I have enough to deal with in my own life'. This may be due to an oversaturation of the idea of democracy. We say yes we've been a democracy for over a hundred years and were better then other political systems because of it. Yet, in especially single member plurality countries such as the United States and Canada which have long been democracies voting rates in recent years are only in the 60 percentiles and the traditional discussion of politics at the family dinner table and within the home have lessened. To the point where people are told 'oh don't talk about that'. There is obviously a feeling that nothing really can be changed, that all major political parties are similar and, its fairly useless to try otherwise. That is not a functioning democracy.

The majority of people only tend to get involved when they feel they are being directly affected by the situation. Even though in reality all people are always being affected by politics in some form or another. But, unless the people consciously realize this and feel they can do some good nothing happens. Some examples are the famous water rights uprising in Cochabamba Bolivia, Gay rights activists working for the right to marry, or international Palestinian and Lebanese communities protesting the current war crimes by Israel (by international law what they are doing is war crimes). Yet, lets take the last example Arab communities for the past few years had fallen away from the anti-war movement, but with this latest offence either endangering the lives of or killing relatives has spurned the community to become active again.

There is one more major community though that becomes apathetic about politics, the activist community. I know that myself there are times when there is only such much that I can take. Being an informed activist allows you to see the overwhelming injustice in the world where you might not have known before. At times people will just have to break out of activism for a while for their own sanity. Social Psychologist say that those who most accurately view themselves are more likely to be depressed, I think this goes to viewing the world accurately as well. All communities need to work on their political apathy if we are to have any type of real functioning democracy.

Poem: The Game We Played

2006-08-06T18:05:00.001-04:00

I've been fairly distraught lately with current international affairs. I feel people are being slaughtered in what is close to a genocide in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Not to mention the real genocide still going on in Darfur. I wrote this poem to get out some of that pain about the world. It is in the perspective of a American Iraq Veteran who has PTSD and is starting to loose their sanity. It is fairly jagged in structure on purpose.

My sleep is disturbed
By the dropping bombs
From far away
That break in my slumber
Like a Giant
Swinging an axe by my head

The visions grow stronger
And my rest grows weaker
As I start to loose control
From the horrors that haunt me

The burning bodies
The deformed children
And my dead friends
Still speak to me

I break at the edge of my existence
Wanting to just sleep forever
To have been on the opposite
End of that gun I fired

To be the victim
Not the murderer
Spurned on by my training
To be a murderer and a hero
All at the same time

Wretched nights continue
And even more wretched days
As people say they are proud
Of what I have done

What have I done
Been a pawn in an oil man's game
To kill the poor
For the rich and their black gold

Kill Kill
Is the name of the game
And with childrens bodies
We play
And with childrens bodies
We play
Kill Kill
Is what we play
By: Aurora Jade Pichette
Date: August 6th, 2006

Movie: Peace, Propaganda & The Promised Land

2006-08-03T14:26:00.002-04:00

Peace Propaganda and the Promised Land

This is an excellent movie. It shows the other side of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and how it is falsely portrayed in the American Media.

"Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites--oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region, among others--work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported.
Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied terrorities appears to be a defensive move rather than an offensive one. The documentary also explores the ways that U.S. journalists, for reasons ranging from intimidation to a lack of thorough investigation, have become complicit in carrying out Israel's PR campaign. At its core, the documentary raises questions about the ethics and role of journalism, and the relationship between media and politics."

Opinion: Middle East Conflict

2006-08-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

I haven't written much for a while out of pure apathy. The situation in the middle east has not been improving instead only more innocents have been killed. I know at least one of the two people I know are out of Lebanon, but yet more die. This is a tragedy, to call it anything less would be false.

What angers me most is that the different sides are shown as if they are equal. Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel are by no means equal and should not be compared as such. Israel is one of the most powerful military powers in the world. It is one of the select club of nuclear powers and, they are backed up the most powerful country the United States. Israel kills many more Palestinian and Lebanese civilians then could be even fathomed by the other side. Israel is a militaristic apartheid state, to call it anything else would be false. That it clings that its merely defending itself and that it clings to the Jewish religion is a farce and a disgrace. Murdering civilians is not defence, using apartheid on a people is not defence, annexing others territory is not defence. It is a war state.

Ottawa: Thousands Protest Israel

2006-07-23T00:16:00.001-04:00

After looking at a picture of the rally, I must say it was much larger then I stated earlier today. Perhaps 2000 people or more showed up. It was the convergence of the Lebanese community, the Palestinian community, the Anti-War community, and organized labour. Lebanese, Palestinian, Canadian, and CUPE flags flapped in the air. Where there were not flags there were plackards and banners to cover the rest of the way. The protestors circled the Parliament hill path with chants such as "What do we want? Cease-fire! When do we want it? Now!", "Shame Shame USA", "Stop the Killing, Stop the Crime, In Lebanon and Palestine", "End the Occupations Now!" and, "Mr. Harper when you hide; You let Canadians Die".One of the most powerful speakers was the Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress. Labour has come out against what Israel is doing, as well as what Canada is doing in Afghanistan. CUPE Ontario has even joined a growing campaign of divestment and boycott of Israel. The current aggression has only increased Labour in their support of the Palestinian and Lebanese people. The last speaker who was a Muslim Lebanese faith leader who tied in that what is going on in Afghanistan is not peacekeeping and bridged the gap between the conflicts. Even two Members of Parliament joined the protest Meili Faille and Richard Nadeau of the Bloc Quebecois.

Similar protests were held all over the world, but Canadian protests included Montreal, Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Vancouver and fourteen more across the country. Internationally there were many protests including in the United States and in Israel itself. Tel-Aviv for example had over 2500 demonstrators. The world is once again saying no to war.

Image from YaYaCanada

Ottawa: Children provide hope during a Protest against such brutal murder

2006-07-22T15:01:00.001-04:00

Well I got back from the protest condeming what Israel is doing in Lebanon and Palestine as well as our government's response to it. I'd say there were around 1200 - 1500 people who came out, but its always hard to judge numbers. As one of the speakers talked about the over 100 innocent children already killed I felt myself on the verge of tears. As people should know I adore children, and would go out of my way to defend them. However, children can give great joy as well and as I stood at the top of the stands (that were set up for the sound and light show) holding the TROOPS OUT NOW! banner which rests in my room, I was surrounded by children on either side of me, behind me and below me. Despite the odd accidental bump to the head by a flag they were playing with, they made me smile greatly and showed me the innocence of hope in the face of such murder and insanity.

I'm going to write more and hopefully be able to get pictures, on this later.

Site: Update

2006-07-20T17:28:00.001-04:00

Sorry, I haven't been posting as regular as usual, I have been quite busy as of late. I unfortunately due to spamming will have to take off the option of full anonymity. This is not something I wanted to do, but is currently necessary.

Opinion: Lebanon and Gaza recent attacks

2006-07-17T11:09:00.001-04:00

The current offensive by Israel is anything but justified by the capture of their soldiers. In both Lebanon and Gaza they are murdering hundreds of innocent civilians, not to mention the complete destruction of infrastructure. What is almost as disgusting is the blatant blind support of Israel. Israel is an apartheid state and an militaristic power with little respect for life.

Despite that criticism of Israel results in those people being denounced as anti-semetic or 'a self hating Jew'. Zionism is not a religious ideology it is an expansionist racist ideology which tries to crush dissent to its crimes. Jews or Israelis are not the problem, as many Jews speak out about the barbarity of the Israeli government. But, those who do speak out and work for peace are marginalized and told that they are not supporting what they are. A religion whose main tenants include, "Thou Shall Not Kill", "Thou Shall Not Steal", and "Thou shall not covet your neighbor's house..." goes directly against a militaristic, expansionist and, racist policies of the government of Israel.

For the first time I know people in the warzone. I already opposed war and occupation, but knowing two people who are currently in Lebanon only reinforces that fact. Over the weekend there have been protests in many cities against the continued aggression of Israel and the blanket support by countries like the United States and Canada. As this aggression continues resistance will only grow stronger.

Opinion: International Terrorism

2006-07-14T11:15:00.001-04:00

I decided to post this as I will be gone for the weekend. This was from the same course as the Free Trade paper. I think I've seriously progressed since writing this but its still something interesting to read.

The Fall of the Soviet Union brought with it hope for a more peaceful future, a future that had been hoped for after many major wars such as World War One and Two. A concept of not having two opposing sides in constant opposition and struggle, that undermine world peace. President George W. Bush's famous speech after the September 11th terrorist attacks has undermined that concept of peace and reinvigorated a duality of being ' either with us or with the terrorists'. They have since used hegemonic control to lead a war on terror. The war on terror however, only further destabilizes the world in their defile of international law in the name of national security.

Terrorism creates an entirely mode of physical conflict in comparison to war. Conventional methods of military intervention are not effective in the ending of terrorism. The United States method of otherthrowing governments that are deemed bastions for terrorists has proven extremely ineffective. Iraq has become a breeding ground for terrorist organizations since the fall of Saddam Hussein and, although the Taliban, who had close ties with Al Qaeda, in Afghanistan was overthrown the country is mainly run by regional warlords. This entire policy runs upon a concept that the United States can combat terrorists in other nation-states so, they do not have to deal with terrorists upon it's soil. This entirely conception of reality has flaws if one looks at September 11th and the London Bombings. The terrorists who flew the planes into the World Trade Center were trained at flight schools in the United States and, the London suicide bombers were British born. Terrorism is a new type of warfare, a international battle that in many ways cannot be fully won.

United States' foreign policy tends to create more problems that it later combats with military force. Here are three examples Panama in 1990, Afghanistan in 2001 and, Iraq in 2003. In 1990 United States troops invaded Panama and devastated the civilian population to capture the 'narco-terrorist' General Noriega. Noriega was a former CIA contact who had been on the CIA payroll when George H. W. Bush was CIA director. In 2001 the United States led a coalition to invade Afghanistan in order to disband the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda had been given CIA money and training in the 1980s in an effort to stop the country from coming under Soviet control and, the Taliban had been honoured guests of George W. Bush earlier in his political career. The most currently talked about war is the war in Iraq. The United States led a “coalition of the willing” to invade Iraq to quell terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction yet both of these reasons were false. The ruler they deposed was Saddam Hussein who had been given United States' support during the Iran-Iraq war and whose Ba'ath party had been given support earlier to launch a coup d'etat over the former government of Abdul Karim Qassim. These three conflicts are only a small example of United States' international involvement. The first and foremost change the United States government could do to prevent terrorism would be to stop funding terrorist groups or regimes, even if at that time the support is militarily convenient.

The worst part of United States foreign policy is its disregard for international law. The invasions of Panama in 1990 and Iraq in 2003 were direct violations of international law and were in fact condemned as illegal by many states around the world. The United States government did not stop with its illegal activities there. There have been growing scandles about unlawful detention, illegal invasions of privacy and, the use of torture. For the stability of world peace and to be in the moral right a state must follow international law especially in relation to the conduct of war.

The United States' approach to the war on terror goes against moral and legal conviction. International law and cooperation are the only way to ensure world peace. The United States has gone against the fundaments of peace and has been a major contributor to terrorism. To prevent further terrorism the United States should begin by ending their engagement in it and to work with the other many states of the world.

Ottawa: Protest Against Israeli Crimes in Gaza

2006-07-13T22:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, a couple hundred people met at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa. The mood was a mixture of solemn pain for what is going on in Gaza and on the other hand happiness from people reconnecting at the demonstration. A significant Palestinian protest has not happened in Ottawa for over two years. The buzz of Bluesfest played on in the back while in front of the protest many people were honking their horns in support.

It was set up by the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians. They were there to say no to the crimes Israel is currently committing in Gaza as well as Canadian complicity. Canadian foreign policy has changed to a position of protecting Israel, both in the UN and in terms of aid. Later that night candles were lit to remember those killed.

Pictures from YaYaCanada

Opinion: Free Trade

2006-07-12T22:49:00.001-04:00

The fall of the Soviet Union in the late 21^st Century left the world with only one superpower, the United States, who adamantly pressured the rest of the world for free trade. The United States has become the hegemon of the world militarily and economically. Free trade has since proliferated from the United States lead hegemony's pressure and the creation of supranational organization such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and, the World Trade Organization. These policies work upon an assumption that free trade raises the world standards, and that it is necessary. In reality free trade lowers world standards, creates a larger gap between rich and poor and, harms the environment.

Globalization has allowed for trade at record speeds with products being transported around the world where they weren't able to before. Transnational corporations have become the leading benefiter of this type of trade and in particular free trade. Most of these transnational corporations however, are based in the North. They use a new form of global exploitation by going to countries in the South with the lowest wages and usually minimal political rights as well. China has become a major market for cheap labour even though, the citizens have little rights and, work in poor labour conditions. As seen in Columbia with Coca Cola where workers who were trying to unionise were assassinated (Harris & Lapin, 2005). This type of use of labour instead of raising the bar, as free trade proponents claim, lowers the bar by workers having to work for lower wages with low or non-existent benefits if they wish for the transnational corporations to set up shop in these countries. Workers in Northern countries however, loose their jobs as the companies go around the world looking for the lowest wages. This loss of jobs and the reduction of wages contributes to the growing gap between rich and poor.

Ever since humans started moving away from communal hunter-gatherer societies and into settlements there has been a certain amount of disparity between people. Inequality was high at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution however, it eventually became more equal as workers unionised and wages grew. In the post-industrial world inequality has been rising within countries, but even more so between countries. Free trade becomes one of the major causes of this as policies of privatization are enforced, despite the negative consequences on other countries from the variability of the market. Developing countries in the South are also pressured into becoming individual resource dependant. The term banana republic is an example of this, as certain countries in Latin America are pressured into focusing on fruit mainly for export to the North. However, if the market crashes on that product so does the economy of those countries who major in their production. Even still in the boom cycles of those products little goes to the actual farmers and instead goes to the transnational corporations and business elites that control their products from privatization. Thus the South becomes a resource and cheap labour market for the North and the gap between rich and poor grows.

Although there are many externalities placed upon workers with low wages, bad work conditions and, union busting one of the major externalities is the environment. Genetically modified food, chemicals and, pollution are pushed on governments and people throughout the world due to free trade. The repercussions of genetically modified foods at the moment is not known, yet they are being pushed on markets around the world, as an example, the World Trade Organization has even said that the banning of genetically modified foods in Europe was illegal. Chemicals can destroy land, lead to desertification or can get into water supplies and kill marine life and possibly humans as well. One example of forced products is MMT a deadly toxic fuel additive which was forced on Canada, by an American company through the use of the North American Free Trade Agreement. These transnational corporations which enter free trade can serious affect water supplies as well, an example of this was Coca-Cola in Plachimada India which made the water level fall from 150 ft below sea level to 500 ft below (Shiva, 2005: 168).These policies of forcing products on countries despite the affect on the environment is quite detrimental.

The lowering of labour standards, the growing disparity between rich and poor in the North and South and, the degradation of the environment due to free trade being a vessel for transnational corporations does not make the world better. Instead a new type of exploitation has been created under the name of something that is free. The free trade policies that are petitioned by these transnational corporations and supranational organizations should be looked at very carefully, so they do not erode the rights of countries and the citizens within those countries. There needs to be a clause to protect workers and the environment if there is to be any trade which brings society up.

Written a while ago, but due to being busy I found it fitting at this time. Important activist updates about Ottawa events will be coming soon.

Activist Image: Death Cult

2006-07-11T10:19:00.001-04:00

This is from my friend over at the Apoplectic Press he states along with it " Actively seeking profit from war is one of the most unspeakably obscene aspects of capitalist pseudo-democracies. It boldly illustrates the underlying amorality of the free market and exposes the horrific lie behind the arguments of corporate sycophants such as Milton Freidman. If we believe financial growth is the ultimate good then we have missed entirely the point of being human and have made a date with our extinction. Apparently It seems the current plan to avoid being judged by history is to erase it.

The Deathcult graphic features corporations historically and currently collecting usurious profit from war and military destabilization. Their soulless lobbyists and associations ensure that the world is in a perpetual state of armed conflict.The fact that a sitting US president and his Vice-President (former oil men) literally have vested interests in the continuation of this wickedness is a crime beyond historical precedent. These sociopathic institutions despise peace. These corporate abominations rely on misery and body-counts for their quarterly profits to rise...and their investors demand that they rise without fail. These would be the first monsters to be tried and convicted in a Corporate Crimes Tribunal. These are the leaders of the Deathcult."

Ottawa: Dead Soldier wanted home

2006-07-10T14:33:00.001-04:00

According to the CBC the 17th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan wanted to come home. Cpl. Anthony Boneca was killed Sunday west of Kandahar. Kandahar is currently occupied by international forces under Canadian leadership. The mainstream news has said that it is a hotbead for Taliban resistence, but the numbers do not add up and the possibility of resistence simply due to outside occupation is not even mentioned.

The family of the recently killed soldier is calling for the troops to come home. Cpl. Boneca "...felt he had been misled by the military."[1] Stephen Harper stated that, "... On behalf of Canadians, I praise Corporal Boneca's courage and self-sacrifice and I take comfort knowing that his memory will live on in the spirit of fellow CF soldiers serving around the world, and in the hearts of his countrymen who pray for their safe return. ... As a country we stand proudly behind you."[2] On the contrary Mr. Harper you obviously do not support them. Maybe you stand behind them with a gun in their back making them doing what more do not want to then we know. If you support the troops bring them home from the war.

As the war rages on more military families will courageously speak out against this war. This is not the first family to speak out however, dissent against the war is not popular in the media despite about half of Canadians who oppose it. It is up to everyone to speak out against this war for those who cannot.

Press Freedom: Letter From Craig Murphy

2006-07-08T19:43:00.001-04:00

========================================
I am sorry to trouble you, but believe that we now face a threat both to the Web and to Freedom of Information in the UK which must be challenged. The British government is arguing that government documents, even if released under the Freedom of InformAtion Act or Data Protection Act, cannot be published, on the web or elsewhere, as they remain Crown Copyright. They have required me to remove documents from my website on that basis, under threat of legal action - see the attached letter from the Treasury solicitors.

If you think about it for a moment, the government could thus cancel out almost the whole purpose of the Freedom of Information Act; information released would be just for the private use of an individual. Newspapers - or bloggers - could not publish it in any detail.

If accepted, this extraordinary use of copyright could keep literally everything - everything - produced by government a secret.

The documents in question are the supporting evidence for my book, Murder in Samarkand, which has just been released. The government continues to claim my story is untrue. There is one important advance in all this. Up until now the government refused to acknowledge the documents were authentic. Now Buttrill's letter specifically acknowledges all of the documents and claims copyright over them.

Some of these documents have already been published widely on the web (not least due to the efforts of many of you on this list), particularly the "Tashkent telegrams" on CIA and MI6 use of intelligence obtained under torture in the UK. Those are now admitted as authentic.

Some are new to the web. Perhaps the most important is the chart of the changes the British Government insisted be made to the book. These are extremey revealing for what they admit to be true - for example, only minor changes are requested in the key meeting between senior officials on the legality of using intelligence from torture, at which it was confirmed that this is US and UK policy.

Perhaps still more revealing is the insistence on removal of the assertion that "Colin Powell knowingly lied" when he claimed that bombs in Tashkent were the work of al-Qaida. The British government insisted on removal not because it was untrue - as detailed in the book, they know full well it is true - but because it would "Damage UK-US relations".

The changes requested were made in the book, because my publisher would not publish without. That is why the truth needs to be out there on the web.

It is on the face of it very strange that the British Government is going after me over the Copyright Act and not the Official Secrets Act. The answer is simple - under the Copyright Act there is no jury. A jury would never convict for campaigning against torture, and be most unlikely to accept that documents released cannot be published. The table of changes requested by the government is not even a classified document in the first place. But a single judge may be more malleable - John Reid had put a huge effort lately into browbeating judges over anything connected to the so-called War on Terror. As the government know very well I have no money to pay a small, or even large fine, they can get the book and documents banned and me in jail without having to convince any jury of pesky citizens.

How to fight back?

Well, we must not let the documents disappear from the web. There is as yet no legal ruling on these matters, Mr Buttrill's claims are only highly controversial legal contentions. So if you post the documents pending a court ruling, there is a danger you may be contravening the - civil, not criminal - law, but then again you may not. You would quite likely receive a threatening letter from Mr Buttrill. Now you have this email from me, NSA and GCHQ are almost certainly tracking you, (they can, incidentally, reciprocally spy in the other country for each other and then swap the info, because neither needs a warrant to spy abroad), but then they probably were already.

The publisher had firm and very expensive legal advice that it was not contravening any civil or criminal law to publish in the book links to web pages containing the documents. So you are almost certainly on safe legal ground in publishing this link to the Dahr Jamail site if you do not wish to mirror the docs yourself.
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/murray/

Feel free to publish this email and the letter from Mr Buttrill [attached].

It might also be helpful if we urged people to contact him, by phone, email or letter, and ask him complex questions about the fascinating and difficult legal and ethical questions thrown up by the government's position. As a government servant he's obliged to reply.

Finally, the government made plain to parliament that it would act against the book itself if it was published. As it only came out on Friday, no injunction yet but it could happen any time. So if you are interested in getting it, buy now and beat the injunctions! It is available from most online booksellers, though bookshops seem very reluctant to stock it.

Many Thanks,

Craig Murray
========================================

Opinion: 7/7 One year On

2006-07-07T15:24:00.001-04:00

Well today is the first anniversary of the 7/7 transit bombings in London. I remember specifically being worried about a friend of mine who was in London. In the UK today there will be a two minute moment of silence for those who have died.

One year later where are we? Security since 7/7 has become stronger only resulting in one innocent man being shot by police. The cause of the bombings was stated by the terrorists as due to British aggression. Yet, Britain still is engaged in occupation most notably of Iraq bringing much more terror down on Iraqi civilians. Instead of reaching out to Muslim and Arab communities Islamophobia and racism has continued to increase. This is certainly a sad day, but not only for those who lost their lives in London.

Ottawa: Pride Never Dies

2006-07-06T23:25:00.000-04:00

Today Queer Action met for the first time to create a radical community queer pride. There will be a week of events including workshops, movie nights, socials, queer readings, and club nights. The events will span from August 19th to August 27th. All events are non-corporate and grassroots, drawing on local community organizations and small queer businesses.

However, the Ottawa-Gatineau Pride Committee due to a $20,000 loan from Capital Xtra will be running some type of Pride. Most likely it will be much smaller and will include a parade and a pay outdoor festival. Queer Action will not directly shun the Pride Committee, but will provide many other choices to participate in outside of the Pride Committee actions. It is important not to divide oppressed communities, but it is important to make your community what you wish it to be.

USA: Veteran Homelessness

2006-07-05T19:30:00.001-04:00

Homelessness in America as well as many other western countries continues to be a problem. This is due to the growing economic inequality which is brought about by the current economic system if the right social institutions are not in place. In places like New Orleans homelessness has skyrocketed due to mismanagement and corruption after hurricane Katrina. Many poor residents in large public housing units have been locked out from returning to homes, while many bought mobile homes were left to rot unused instead of actually distributing them to the poor public.

There has been an increase in homelessness in another segment of the population however, Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. Homelessness in military veterans is not a new phenomena in the United States. The Vietnam war left many vets on the streets to fend for themselves and some still are homeless after sometimes 25 or 30 years. Now with a new generation of veterans a new generation of homeless veterans are popping up. This is not surprising considering if one looks at the way economics plays into military service.

The most obvious reason contributing to veteran homelessness is the slashing of veteran benefits. The Bush administration has created the largest military budget in history, but at the same time cut military personnel's benefits. Its also important to look at unemployment and the use of the military in order to better oneself in life. Many people join the military in order to have some type of job as the number of Americans grow, but the number of American jobs shrink. After being released from the military with decreased benefits it is quite possible that many veterans from poor families will end up on the streets. The other major use of the military is a way to pay for extremely expensive post-secondary education. These individuals are pulled away from actually doing their degree and if also low-income it is possible to become homeless. The other major category are partially disabled veterans who find themselves unable to pay large medical bills and wind up on the street because of it.

Most homeless veterans are from the Vietnam war still, but with the wars still raging and the possibility of further US aggression against Iran, North Korea or, elsewhere the numbers of recent veterans on the streets will only rise. According to the Associated Press there are currently 200,000 homeless veterans on US streets.[1] With statistics like these it shows that the current government is not the one that is pro-military.