As 2010 comes to a close, my hope for the coming decade is for an overhauled Canadian Parliament and similar changes to the BC Legislative Assembly. I doubt anything substantive will change in terms of policy or direction - for this country, this province or its communities - if these changes do not happen.
I hope for the people's representatives to be elected through a new inclusive electoral system; that the powers of back-benchers be returned; that the power in the office of the heads of governments be vastly reduced; and that Question Period, a farce today, be returned to a venue for vital rigourous debate on issues important to Canadians.
I hope for a reversal of the power and responsibilities of Canada’s three tiers of government. Local governments must have more power, greater areas of responsibility and additional means for acquiring their own, direct, revenue. Many Canadians appear, rightly, to have had enough of the paternalism of the federal and provincial governments toward municipalities; the governments closest to the people are those that should have the greatest political power to effect change.
Of the years 2001 through 2010, they constituted the most miserable and worst decade for me personally. The misery was lessened, however, through new friends and learning that this community truly was a ‘community’ in the old-fashioned sense. My rapidly-acquired and subsequently persisting straitened circumstances also came with a silver lining. They forced a reassessment of my values and shoved the activist in me out of the closet. Had my personal circumstances not been so bad I may never have opened my eyes to the distress around me or become such a strong proponent and activist for democratic (and housing) reform.
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Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
31 December 2010
09 November 2010
How very strange
... for the BC government now to permit public servants to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media, but still not permit them to use email to communicate with members of the public seeking their help.
I have written extensively about the problems for people of low income who must choose between having phone service - landline and cell - and having access to the Internet. For such households, the choice is almost always Internet, given it delivers more bang for the buck. With an Internet-connected computer, headphones and a service like Skype, one can still make outgoing calls to other computers and to phones.
Alas, in Canada - but not in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Mexico ... and just about every other advanced country in the world - you still cannot obtain an online number. If you had an online number, then people with a phone could call you at your computer. But without benefit of a phone OR an online number, people wanting to call you by phone - and in the case of the BC government, having to call you by phone, since that's the only way public servants are permitted to communicate with you - you cannot be reached.
The only option for someone without a phone but with an Internet-enabled computer is email. And the BC government won't permit public servants to use email to communicate with clients, consumers, or whatever the hell we want to call those seeking service or information from the government.
The BC government has even cut off the ability of public servants to use email in special cases, or so I was told when I was trying to communicate with the people at SAFER. Had the public servant processing my application required clarification, he/she would have had to use snail mail, thus delaying my application's approval by at least two weeks. The ability to send emails, other than in-house, was disabled.
It's so damn frustrating. A simple fix by the CRTC, that it lift its silly 911 restriction, so that VOIP providers could issue online numbers with Canadian area codes, would make the problem go away in an instant. And this fix, in aid of greater access for low income households, wouldn't cost the government a damn thing.
I've SkypeOUT. I'd have SkypeIN if it was permitted in Canada. But with SkypeOUT I have listed in my contacts all the emergency numbers one might need. So what if 911 isn't accessible?!
Lift the damn restriction, CRTC! It's obvious the only reason you have it there is to protect Canada's big telecommunications companies.
[Cross-posted at economicus ridiculous]
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I have written extensively about the problems for people of low income who must choose between having phone service - landline and cell - and having access to the Internet. For such households, the choice is almost always Internet, given it delivers more bang for the buck. With an Internet-connected computer, headphones and a service like Skype, one can still make outgoing calls to other computers and to phones.
Alas, in Canada - but not in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Mexico ... and just about every other advanced country in the world - you still cannot obtain an online number. If you had an online number, then people with a phone could call you at your computer. But without benefit of a phone OR an online number, people wanting to call you by phone - and in the case of the BC government, having to call you by phone, since that's the only way public servants are permitted to communicate with you - you cannot be reached.
The only option for someone without a phone but with an Internet-enabled computer is email. And the BC government won't permit public servants to use email to communicate with clients, consumers, or whatever the hell we want to call those seeking service or information from the government.
The BC government has even cut off the ability of public servants to use email in special cases, or so I was told when I was trying to communicate with the people at SAFER. Had the public servant processing my application required clarification, he/she would have had to use snail mail, thus delaying my application's approval by at least two weeks. The ability to send emails, other than in-house, was disabled.
It's so damn frustrating. A simple fix by the CRTC, that it lift its silly 911 restriction, so that VOIP providers could issue online numbers with Canadian area codes, would make the problem go away in an instant. And this fix, in aid of greater access for low income households, wouldn't cost the government a damn thing.
I've SkypeOUT. I'd have SkypeIN if it was permitted in Canada. But with SkypeOUT I have listed in my contacts all the emergency numbers one might need. So what if 911 isn't accessible?!
Lift the damn restriction, CRTC! It's obvious the only reason you have it there is to protect Canada's big telecommunications companies.
[Cross-posted at economicus ridiculous]
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10 February 2010
NFB Film: Marilyn Waring - Who's Counting?
Amazing film. Will stir you up, make you angry and strengthen your resolve to keep fighting for change.
Synopsis:
In this feature-length documentary, Marilyn Waring demystifies the language of economics by defining it as a value system in which all goods and activities are related only to their monetary value. As a result, unpaid work (usually performed by women) is unrecognized while activities that may be environmentally and socially detrimental are deemed productive. To remedy this, Waring maps out an alternative economic vision based on the idea of time as the new currency.
If you haven't already seen it, I strongly recommend you do so.
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Synopsis:
In this feature-length documentary, Marilyn Waring demystifies the language of economics by defining it as a value system in which all goods and activities are related only to their monetary value. As a result, unpaid work (usually performed by women) is unrecognized while activities that may be environmentally and socially detrimental are deemed productive. To remedy this, Waring maps out an alternative economic vision based on the idea of time as the new currency.
If you haven't already seen it, I strongly recommend you do so.
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03 February 2010
WISE Book Available in E-Book Format
Are you interested in obtaining an electronic version of the book Policies of Exclusion, Poverty & Health: Stories from the front?
WISE sold out its book inventory early in 2007 - a coup given the book was 100 percent researched, written, designed and published by women in poverty and we sold 1,000 copies. An electronic version of the 192-page book is available in PDF format, suitable for desktop viewing and compatible with devices such as the Sony Reader.
The soft-cover edition sold for $25, plus shipping and handling. The e-book version sells for $9.95. Because it's deliverable by email, there are no additional charges.
Please contact me if you would like to obtain this electronic copy of our book.
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WISE sold out its book inventory early in 2007 - a coup given the book was 100 percent researched, written, designed and published by women in poverty and we sold 1,000 copies. An electronic version of the 192-page book is available in PDF format, suitable for desktop viewing and compatible with devices such as the Sony Reader.
The soft-cover edition sold for $25, plus shipping and handling. The e-book version sells for $9.95. Because it's deliverable by email, there are no additional charges.
Please contact me if you would like to obtain this electronic copy of our book.
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02 February 2010
DRM, Reading, Authorship, Amazon, Macmillion, Kindle...
If these related topics tweak your interest, then there's a discussion and phenomenon happening, led by some of my favourite authors, you just might want to catch.
First, there's Closed Circle, a new site started up by three authors. They'd become fed up with publishers' misuses and abuses of copyright and their 'creative' financial schemes that increased profits at the expense of writers. As a result, the women got together, hatched a plan and set out on their own. Now they've begun selling their books directly to their fans. The primary format is e-book, DRM-free, but they've plans also to sell hard-copy versions for readers who simply must have that treasure on their bookshelf.
Second, the three authors could well be leading the way to a new future between writers and their readers.
Catch Lynn Abbey's blog, for example; she is one of the authors with Closed Circle. (The others are Jane Fancher and CJ Cherryh.) Here's a snippet of a reply to a reader in the comments section of a post Lynn wrote yesterday:
Here's Jane on the same topic.
What I most admire is these women's tenacity and refusal to be brought down by barriers. Been following their efforts for about a year; others of their fans much longer. In the meantime, they've taught themselves everything they need to know, from the ground up: how to build their shopping site, how to transform their books into the various e-formats, and so on. As an avid reader, I am excited by what these women are doing and will do my damnedest to support their efforts and similar efforts by others.
NB: See also the Baen Free Library. It's not the same concept as Closed Circle or Book View Cafe - see Abbey's comment in above link - but it's a step in the (somewhat) right direction.
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First, there's Closed Circle, a new site started up by three authors. They'd become fed up with publishers' misuses and abuses of copyright and their 'creative' financial schemes that increased profits at the expense of writers. As a result, the women got together, hatched a plan and set out on their own. Now they've begun selling their books directly to their fans. The primary format is e-book, DRM-free, but they've plans also to sell hard-copy versions for readers who simply must have that treasure on their bookshelf.
Second, the three authors could well be leading the way to a new future between writers and their readers.
Catch Lynn Abbey's blog, for example; she is one of the authors with Closed Circle. (The others are Jane Fancher and CJ Cherryh.) Here's a snippet of a reply to a reader in the comments section of a post Lynn wrote yesterday:
I’ve become a big fan of 'disintermediation' - getting rid of the mess in the middle, which, from my author’s perspective includes both Amazon, because of its DRM and exclusivity clauses, and conglomerate-based publishers.
Here's Jane on the same topic.
Macmillan is following a marketing paradigm designed around supply and demand. S&D is a perfectly valid capitalist philosophy that really came into its own with the mass production of product that came into its own in the 20th century, taking serious hold with the Model T and assembly line production. It is not a given of the human condition....
CJ, Lynn and I want to work with the people who want to read our books. We want to make them available to those who never even knew they existed… because of NY's 'Rorschach' marketing practices (more on that tomorrow). Since we made the decision to make this leap of faith, we’ve been working literally around the clock to find a way to bring you a quality product at a reasonable price that will pay our bills while we write more books.
What I most admire is these women's tenacity and refusal to be brought down by barriers. Been following their efforts for about a year; others of their fans much longer. In the meantime, they've taught themselves everything they need to know, from the ground up: how to build their shopping site, how to transform their books into the various e-formats, and so on. As an avid reader, I am excited by what these women are doing and will do my damnedest to support their efforts and similar efforts by others.
NB: See also the Baen Free Library. It's not the same concept as Closed Circle or Book View Cafe - see Abbey's comment in above link - but it's a step in the (somewhat) right direction.
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Political Activism vs. Academic Scholarship
Barbara Kay would have people believe (rather than think, which takes some work) that all academic scholarship is sans political activism - except for women's studies.
Well, Barbie (I assume you prefer that to 'Ms'), I've news for you. Virtually all academic scholarship is political. Right from who funds the research institutes, including governments, to the eligibility criteria for student scholarships, the choices instructors and departments make for their courses and programs, the fields students choose to study and where they study them ...
Try telling anyone who studies the Social Determinants of Health or Health Promotion that it isn't political.
Try telling anyone who studies sociology or political science or philosophy or any number of the humanities, including literature, that it hasn't an element of political activism to it.
Try telling a doctor studying infectious diseases that what she does is irrelevant to the political sphere or a physicist petitioning for space exploration isn't engaged in political activism.
Try telling someone who is writing their doctoral dissertation that what they do has no political implications. No matter what the topic, no matter how esoteric, the point is to change or influence how people think about that subject.
LEARNING is a form of political activism. The uninformed citizen is the least likely to be engaged.
But perhaps that's what you would want.
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Well, Barbie (I assume you prefer that to 'Ms'), I've news for you. Virtually all academic scholarship is political. Right from who funds the research institutes, including governments, to the eligibility criteria for student scholarships, the choices instructors and departments make for their courses and programs, the fields students choose to study and where they study them ...
Try telling anyone who studies the Social Determinants of Health or Health Promotion that it isn't political.
Try telling anyone who studies sociology or political science or philosophy or any number of the humanities, including literature, that it hasn't an element of political activism to it.
Try telling a doctor studying infectious diseases that what she does is irrelevant to the political sphere or a physicist petitioning for space exploration isn't engaged in political activism.
Try telling someone who is writing their doctoral dissertation that what they do has no political implications. No matter what the topic, no matter how esoteric, the point is to change or influence how people think about that subject.
LEARNING is a form of political activism. The uninformed citizen is the least likely to be engaged.
But perhaps that's what you would want.
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24 January 2010
Don't Get Conned by Con Commenters
Wasting our resources on Harper supporters and their media shills plays precisely into their hands. DON'T DO IT.
We needn't be concerned about Harper Conservatives commenting or blogging about the rallies, trying to downplay their significance. Over 25,000 Canadians stood up and made our opinions known yesterday and we represent only the tip of the iceberg of Canadian discontent.
There aren't enough Harper supporters left to match our numbers. So chill. Don't waste your energy trying to reason with those for whom reason is antithetical to their Harper idolatry. Apply it instead to action to reform our democratic institutions and processes.
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We needn't be concerned about Harper Conservatives commenting or blogging about the rallies, trying to downplay their significance. Over 25,000 Canadians stood up and made our opinions known yesterday and we represent only the tip of the iceberg of Canadian discontent.
There aren't enough Harper supporters left to match our numbers. So chill. Don't waste your energy trying to reason with those for whom reason is antithetical to their Harper idolatry. Apply it instead to action to reform our democratic institutions and processes.
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23 January 2010
Report Update (now with pics): Duncan CAPP Rally
Daphne and I stayed for the full two hours, yours truly leaving stiff, bent over and sore. BUT it was worth it.
Little ole Duncan had 35 to 40 people show up, all told, with the group being at least 25 strong throughout. Duncan lies between Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island. The city itself, a total of one square mile, has a population of 5,000; together with the surrounding area, which includes a lot of farmland, the population is 78,000.
I don't recall seeing a single person at the rally who was less than middle age. [ETA: I recall now there was one little girl, but she and her dad couldn't stay long.] Most of us were seniors, from late 50s to very elderly. In other words, PEOPLE WHO VOTE.
Some of us stood on the overpass and waved at motorists as they whizzed by; others held up or stood by signs along the Trans Canada Highway, encouraging drivers to honk.
And honk people did. And waved. And high-fived.
We got WAY more positive responses than negative ones; and lots of them. Certain desperate naysayers went by in both directions to make sure we got their one-finger message; one enterprising driver caused a series of backfires, also in both directions. But for each negative response, we got at least eight positive ones. That really cheered us and made any discomfort worth it.
The pictures below were captured by Daphne - click thumbnails for larger view. There were people also along both sides of the TCH and facing each direction on the overpass. Happy faces, all.
We also got good media coverage. Shall follow-up with that when it comes out too.
WAY TO GO, DUNCAN!! WAY TO GO, CANADA!!
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Little ole Duncan had 35 to 40 people show up, all told, with the group being at least 25 strong throughout. Duncan lies between Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island. The city itself, a total of one square mile, has a population of 5,000; together with the surrounding area, which includes a lot of farmland, the population is 78,000.
I don't recall seeing a single person at the rally who was less than middle age. [ETA: I recall now there was one little girl, but she and her dad couldn't stay long.] Most of us were seniors, from late 50s to very elderly. In other words, PEOPLE WHO VOTE.
Some of us stood on the overpass and waved at motorists as they whizzed by; others held up or stood by signs along the Trans Canada Highway, encouraging drivers to honk.
And honk people did. And waved. And high-fived.
We got WAY more positive responses than negative ones; and lots of them. Certain desperate naysayers went by in both directions to make sure we got their one-finger message; one enterprising driver caused a series of backfires, also in both directions. But for each negative response, we got at least eight positive ones. That really cheered us and made any discomfort worth it.
The pictures below were captured by Daphne - click thumbnails for larger view. There were people also along both sides of the TCH and facing each direction on the overpass. Happy faces, all.
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We also got good media coverage. Shall follow-up with that when it comes out too.
WAY TO GO, DUNCAN!! WAY TO GO, CANADA!!
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Haiti and the CAPP Rallies
I came across a tweet this morning that I've had a hard time wrapping my head around.
How could any Canadian suppose that participating in a CAPP rally today would in any way signify the diminished importance of the Haiti disaster?
To me, the very extent of the disaster bespeaks how vital it is that Canadians protest the actions of government. The prior treatment of Haiti by Canada (not to mention the very real possibility of further exploitation) provides more reason, not less, for raising our voices against the erosion of our democracy.
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How could any Canadian suppose that participating in a CAPP rally today would in any way signify the diminished importance of the Haiti disaster?
To me, the very extent of the disaster bespeaks how vital it is that Canadians protest the actions of government. The prior treatment of Haiti by Canada (not to mention the very real possibility of further exploitation) provides more reason, not less, for raising our voices against the erosion of our democracy.
Recommend this post
22 January 2010
MUST READ
... if you need encouragement to attend a rally tomorrow as part of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament. The Globe lists not just the 36 bills that were killed due to prorogation but also the time spent and now wasted, preparing and debating them.
Wherever you are, there's probably a rally near you. If there isn't and you can't get to a rally further away, make your own banner and go stand on a corner. It likely won't be long before others join you.
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Wherever you are, there's probably a rally near you. If there isn't and you can't get to a rally further away, make your own banner and go stand on a corner. It likely won't be long before others join you.
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Ownership of a Movement Matters
Over at DAMMIT JANET!, there's a discussion about whether the NDP's Jack Layton, or any other politician, is wrong to call the grassroots movement against prorogation "our" movement; that is, the movement of the NDP.
From the point of view of a population sector that is left consistently unheard and certainly unrecognized, let me say that ownership matters. Particularly when it involves the disenfranchised. Appropriating a grassroots movement for partisan purposes is like researchers who appropriate the knowledge of the poor or other marginalized persons for the purposes of producing books and adding another line to their curriculum vitae.
The grassroots movement of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament is bringing Canadians together like never before. We come from all party affiliations - and none. Many of us have voted ever since we became eligible, others aren't old enough to vote. More of us have turned away from the polls in disgust with the options presented on the ballot, and with a party and voting system that skews the results and leaves us unrepresented.
That Jack Layton should suggest this grassroots movement is "the New Democrat movement" leaves me stunned. YES, members and supporters of the NDP are welcome to join this GRASSROOTS movement. As are Liberal, Green, Bloc Quebecois and Conservative supporters. But let no political leader suggest this movement is theirs.
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From the point of view of a population sector that is left consistently unheard and certainly unrecognized, let me say that ownership matters. Particularly when it involves the disenfranchised. Appropriating a grassroots movement for partisan purposes is like researchers who appropriate the knowledge of the poor or other marginalized persons for the purposes of producing books and adding another line to their curriculum vitae.
The grassroots movement of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament is bringing Canadians together like never before. We come from all party affiliations - and none. Many of us have voted ever since we became eligible, others aren't old enough to vote. More of us have turned away from the polls in disgust with the options presented on the ballot, and with a party and voting system that skews the results and leaves us unrepresented.
That Jack Layton should suggest this grassroots movement is "the New Democrat movement" leaves me stunned. YES, members and supporters of the NDP are welcome to join this GRASSROOTS movement. As are Liberal, Green, Bloc Quebecois and Conservative supporters. But let no political leader suggest this movement is theirs.
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Duncan CAPP Rally
Daphne and I will be there. The Cowichan Valley can be a hotbed of activism, so I suspect we'll be joined by many others.
The organizers of the Victoria rally, which we would have attended if the Duncan one hadn't happened, suggest people wear whatever colours and regalia they like.
What a great idea! If people do that, it will show how diverse our group is.
As for me, I'll be wearing a Palestinian scarf and if there were one of these left, that too.
I don't have a banner and hope some enterprising individuals will think to bring spare ones along.
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The organizers of the Victoria rally, which we would have attended if the Duncan one hadn't happened, suggest people wear whatever colours and regalia they like.
What a great idea! If people do that, it will show how diverse our group is.
As for me, I'll be wearing a Palestinian scarf and if there were one of these left, that too.
I don't have a banner and hope some enterprising individuals will think to bring spare ones along.
Recommend this post
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