Residential-schools commission calls for national awareness campaign
by TAMARA BALUJA AND GLORIA GALLOWAY, The Globe and Mail
The commission that was established to reveal the dark legacy of church-run residential schools for aboriginal children says all Canadians should be made more aware of the sorry chapter in their country’s history.
In an interim report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to be released on Friday in Vancouver, Mr. Justice Murray Sinclair says comprehensive awareness efforts are needed to ensure that the rest of Canada fully understands the pain of the students who attended the schools and the parents whose children were taken from them.
Judge Sinclair recommends that every province and territory review its public-school curriculum to assess what, if anything, is being taught about the residential schools and to develop age-appropriate educational material. In addition, the TRC would like to work with the governments to develop unique local campaigns to educate the general public on residential schools.
After assessing statements and testimony from thousands of survivors and more than 100 former employees of the schools, Judge Sinclair says “we were reminded afresh that all of this happened to little children who had no control over their lives.”
About 150,000 first nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend the government schools throughout the 1900s. The last one closed outside Regina in 1996.
The interim report follows a scathing assessment from another federally appointed panel on the current state of first-nations education that urged the federal government to bring per-pupil funding into line with students in the provincial systems.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s formal apology in 2008 for the harm done by the residential schools notwithstanding, the TRC wants the federal government to send a letter of apology to all known residential school survivors and display such letters in every secondary school in the country.
The $60-million commission was struck as part of an agreement between the survivors, the Crown and the federal government, and the interim report outlines 20 recommendations.
The TRC also suggested establishing mental-health wellness facilities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories that specialize in childhood trauma and traditional healing methods that are “critically needed by residential school survivors.”
And the TRC says the federal government and churches that ran schools should invest money in reviving traditional aboriginal cultural and linguistic heritages, and that they and other agencies should hand over all relevant documents to the commission so that it can continue its work.
The commission is halfway through its five-year mandate and has visited a total of about 500 communities in every province and territory. The commissioners will deliver the full report when their mandate expires in 2014.
Robbie Robertson and Bob Dylan
Flag of Earth
by James Cadle, modified by inclusion of NASA image of our planet
Monday, February 27, 2012
Globe editorial calls for concrete action to address tragedy of residential schools
Canadians need to be educated about trauma of residential schools
by Globe and Mail Editorial staff, 24feb12
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s historic apology to survivors of the residential schools was a fundamental first step toward acknowledging the agony of their experience.
But now, more concrete action must be taken to address the tragic consequences of forcibly separating 150,000 Inuit, Métis and First Nations children from their families, consequences that continue to reverberate in aboriginal communities today.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s interim report makes several specific recommendations, which Ottawa and the provinces would be wise to implement, among them making sure that every Canadian learns what went on in these institutions, and the extent of the abuse, neglect and cultural loss. The commissioners found that many Canadians remain ignorant about those events. A massive public education campaign is needed, including the development of an authoritative curriculum and teaching materials for schools.
Imagine the horror of being scooped from your home, sent to live in a boarding school hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres away, subjected to physical and sexual abuse, forbidden to speak your native tongue or practise your religion, and having your name changed to a number. Imagine dying without ever seeing your parents again.
Knowing this will help school students better understand the legacy of such trauma in native communities, which today takes the form of addictions, family breakdown, sexual abuse and poor educational and health outcomes.
The commission recommends that mental health facilities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories be built that specialize in childhood trauma and traditional healing methods. With a suicide rate that is 12 times higher than the national one, it seems cruel that such facilities do not already exist. Parenting programs are also a worthy investment.
Commissioners Marie Wilson, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Justice Murray Sinclair are not being hyperbolic when they say residential schools were an assault on aboriginal culture, families and society. “People are angry at being told they should simply ‘get over it,’” the report observes. “Canadians have been led to believe that Aboriginal people were and are uncivilized, primitive and inferior.... This lack of education and misinformation has led to misunderstanding and... hostility between aboriginals and non-aboriginals.”
The government-funded residential schools operated for a century; the last ones didn’t close until the 1990s. Reconciliation will take generations. But the healing process will proceed more quickly if all Canadians understand the stories of despair – and of survivors’ heroism – from this regrettable chapter in the country’s history.
by Globe and Mail Editorial staff, 24feb12
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s historic apology to survivors of the residential schools was a fundamental first step toward acknowledging the agony of their experience.
But now, more concrete action must be taken to address the tragic consequences of forcibly separating 150,000 Inuit, Métis and First Nations children from their families, consequences that continue to reverberate in aboriginal communities today.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s interim report makes several specific recommendations, which Ottawa and the provinces would be wise to implement, among them making sure that every Canadian learns what went on in these institutions, and the extent of the abuse, neglect and cultural loss. The commissioners found that many Canadians remain ignorant about those events. A massive public education campaign is needed, including the development of an authoritative curriculum and teaching materials for schools.
Imagine the horror of being scooped from your home, sent to live in a boarding school hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres away, subjected to physical and sexual abuse, forbidden to speak your native tongue or practise your religion, and having your name changed to a number. Imagine dying without ever seeing your parents again.
Knowing this will help school students better understand the legacy of such trauma in native communities, which today takes the form of addictions, family breakdown, sexual abuse and poor educational and health outcomes.
The commission recommends that mental health facilities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories be built that specialize in childhood trauma and traditional healing methods. With a suicide rate that is 12 times higher than the national one, it seems cruel that such facilities do not already exist. Parenting programs are also a worthy investment.
Commissioners Marie Wilson, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Justice Murray Sinclair are not being hyperbolic when they say residential schools were an assault on aboriginal culture, families and society. “People are angry at being told they should simply ‘get over it,’” the report observes. “Canadians have been led to believe that Aboriginal people were and are uncivilized, primitive and inferior.... This lack of education and misinformation has led to misunderstanding and... hostility between aboriginals and non-aboriginals.”
The government-funded residential schools operated for a century; the last ones didn’t close until the 1990s. Reconciliation will take generations. But the healing process will proceed more quickly if all Canadians understand the stories of despair – and of survivors’ heroism – from this regrettable chapter in the country’s history.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Jana Mashonee; Singer, Writer, Actress, Beautiful Human Being
Jana Mashonee is a singer, songwriter, actress, author and philanthropist. She is Lumbee and Tuscarora, originally from Robeson County, North Carolina, currently residing in New York City. She is currently releasing her music through Miss Molly Records available on iTunes and Amazon.
First signed to Curb Records, her single, Ooh, Baby, Baby was picked as Billboard’s single of the week and went on to become a radio and sales success. More than Life followed, selling over a million copies on its own and as part of numerous compilation albums. A controversial version of Led Zeppelin’s epic, Stairway to Heaven, came next, earning her the honor of being the first Native American to top the Billboard dance charts.
Exploring her cultural roots, Jana then released American Indian Story, a brilliant concept album that garnered her a second GRAMMY nomination. The video for the single, The Enlightened Time, won awards at major film festivals around the world as well as a NAMMY for Best Short Form Music Video. Music from the album is featured on the Discovery Channel’s new hit series, Flying Wild Alaska.
Her first book, American Indian Story – The Adventures of Sha’kona, based on the GRAMMY nominated album of the same was also recently completed. The fantasy filled mystery-adventure is the uplifting story of the young heroine, Sha’kona, and her journey of self-discovery and courage. Fans and critics alike have praised this young adult novel for its characters, magic and message.
Jana continued to pay tribute to her heritage with the exquisite, American Indian Christmas, an extraordinary work featuring ten classic Christmas songs sung in ten different Native American languages accompanied by a full orchestra and traditional Native American instruments. A critical and commercial success beyond her wildest imagination, the album won her another NAMMY award. On December 16, 2011 she featured some of these songs in an emotional and intimate performance at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York.
New Moon Born took Jana in a new direction. A soul-stirring collection, steeped in R&B and gospel roots, which brought her back into the mainstream spotlight. She debuted the featured track, an emotional cover of Sam Cooke’s classic, A Change Is Gonna Come, at the American Indian Inaugural Ball for President Obama. This was her second performance for a First Family. A year earlier she sang at the First Lady’s Luncheon for Laura Bush. The song went on to win her an eighth Native American Music Award for Song of the Year and the video took the Best Music Video prizes at the prestigious Indie Film Festival and at the American Indian Film Festival.
With all she has going on and with a tour schedule that has brought her to forty nine of the fifty states as well as overseas, Jana has still found time to give back. Her Jana’s Kids Foundation has been helping Native youth achieve their dreams through its programs and scholarship offerings for almost as long as she has been an artist. In recognition of her efforts, Jana was named 2011 Woman of the Year for her philanthropic work.
Jana’s even taken a stab at acting in a new movie called Raptor Ranch, debuting in 2012.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
First Nations sales manager remembers her roots
Carmen Kootoo at work
by Diane Jermin, The Globe and Mail
When Carmen Kootoo landed a job in a call centre with telecommunications company Northwestel Inc. more than 17 years ago, it was a pivotal point in her life.
As the brand-new mother of daughter Andrea Gray, she was able to stay close to family in her Nunavut hometown of Iqaluit. Plus the company encouraged her to grow, sending her on courses to their Northwest Territories centre in Yellowknife and to “the south” to develop her skills.
Now a sales account manager, Ms. Kootoo is also active in Northwestel’s community outreach, focused on partnering with aboriginal companies and recruiting aboriginal employees.
“My mother was born and raised in Iqaluit and my father is from Quebec so I’m half Inuit,” Ms. Kootoo says. “It’s important for our work force to represent the community.”
Whitehorse-based Northwestel, a subsidiary of Bell Canada, has been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2012 – along with Calgary’s Newalta Corp., an industrial waste management and environmental service company, and Winnipeg’s Boeing Canada Operations Ltd., a manufacturer of aircraft components and a subsidiary of Boeing Co. of Chicago.
These employers are among those that have developed initiatives to create meaningful engagement with aboriginal communities, including recruitment, employee retention, training and skills development, often partnering with band councils, schools and community organizations. They offer a myriad of post-secondary scholarships, apprenticeships, summer student positions and mentoring to help individuals become qualified for jobs.
Key to their success has been aboriginal awareness training to educate employees about the history and culture of aboriginal people – and to debunk myths.
“Aboriginal people are very wary of who’s coming from the outside,” says Tom Erasmus, a member of the Goodfish Lake First Nation in northeastern Alberta and an aboriginal consultant to Newalta. “When you’re engaged with first nations, don’t give the message, ‘We’re new, trust us.’ You have to put in the time and have skilled people who know how to engage. That means taking off the corporate hat and having a community spirit. Sometimes that’s hard for business people to do.”
While Mr. Erasmus believes training and job opportunities are important, he thinks it’s even more important to partner with aboriginal groups in building businesses to become part of the bigger business world.
“Companies need to move beyond just being the employer,” Mr. Erasmus says. “You have to look at the overall development challenges of aboriginal groups as well as at the culture and past issues that are still on our plate with today’s society.”
Jason Bilsky, chief financial officer and vice-president of corporate services for Northwestel, advises companies to think of it as a long-term investment with the goal of ultimately becoming part of the fabric in a community. While business should understand that the benefits will come, that shouldn’t be the primary focus up front. Since Northwestel’s talent pool has a high percentage of aboriginal population, they have to find ways that make sense for aboriginal people to work in their company. While the lack of formal education has been a challenge, Mr. Bilsky says “it’s not a gap in their smarts.”
“It’s almost as a paradigm shift for us as a company to get past that,” he says. “We have to find these people who are dedicated to being in the North that want to be part of the team, and if we can, we’re better off to grow them. We’ll go to great lengths to foster that. It comes down to attitude and aptitude and less about the diploma.”
Northwestel posts information about dates that are important to aboriginals on their communications networks and conducts employee aboriginal awareness training about what’s important at that point in time. As well as aboriginal employees, the company also has several aboriginal business partnerships specially created to do business on their terms.
Source: TheGlobeandMail.com
Vitamin D during pregnancy may improve child's communication abilities
by Kerry Grens, TheGlobeandMail.com
Mothers who had low vitamin D levels while they were pregnant are more likely to have a child with a language impairment than moms who had higher levels of the vitamin, according to a new study from Australia.
While the results do not prove that low vitamin D is to blame for later problems, “they point to a very plausible association that warrants more attention,” said Lisa Bodnar, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in this study.
Pregnant women advise to get 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day
Vitamin D is important for fetal development, but “the effects of lower maternal vitamin D levels on the developing offspring is not fully understood,” said Andrew Whitehouse, the lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Dr. Whitehouse said earlier studies have shown some links between low vitamin D during pregnancy and problems in children such as weaker bones, asthma and poor growth.
He and his colleagues, based at the University of Western Australia, sought to determine whether vitamin D levels in the moms might have anything to do with kids’ later behavioural and language development as well.
Twenty years ago, they measured the vitamin D levels of more than 700 women who were about halfway through their pregnancy.
Five and 10 years later, they tested the children of these moms to measure their behavioural and emotional development and language skills.
The researchers split the moms into four groups – from lowest to highest vitamin D levels – and they found that the risk of having a kid with emotional or behavioural issues was the same for each group.
The low-vitamin D group had between 15 and 46 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) in their blood, while the high-vitamin D group had 72 to 154 nmol/L. Levels below 30 nmol/L are considered deficient.
When the researchers looked at language skills, the team found that mothers in the lowest category were more likely to have a child with a language impairment than mothers in the highest vitamin D category.
The language impairments were determined from scores on a vocabulary test.
For instance, about 18 per cent of moms in the lowest group had a child with a language issue at age 10, compared to roughly eight per cent of the moms in the highest group.
“The logical thought is that maternal Vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy is affecting the normal course of brain development,” Dr. Whitehouse wrote in a e-mail.
“If vitamin D insufficiency during prenatal life is a cause of childhood language difficulties – and this still needs to be determined conclusively – then vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women may be an important next step,” he said.
Dr. Bodnar said one factor that will be important to tease out is whether obesity might be involved.
“We know that obesity before pregnancy is associated with poor vitamin D status in pregnancy, and we know that obese moms are more likely to have children with developmental delays and cognitive impairments,” she said.
Dr. Bodnar said it will be important for future studies to determine if vitamin D is to blame for the language impairments, because it’s a simple problem to fix with supplements. Sunlight is also a primary source of vitamin D.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women get 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day.
Mothers who had low vitamin D levels while they were pregnant are more likely to have a child with a language impairment than moms who had higher levels of the vitamin, according to a new study from Australia.
While the results do not prove that low vitamin D is to blame for later problems, “they point to a very plausible association that warrants more attention,” said Lisa Bodnar, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in this study.
Pregnant women advise to get 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day
Vitamin D is important for fetal development, but “the effects of lower maternal vitamin D levels on the developing offspring is not fully understood,” said Andrew Whitehouse, the lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Dr. Whitehouse said earlier studies have shown some links between low vitamin D during pregnancy and problems in children such as weaker bones, asthma and poor growth.
He and his colleagues, based at the University of Western Australia, sought to determine whether vitamin D levels in the moms might have anything to do with kids’ later behavioural and language development as well.
Twenty years ago, they measured the vitamin D levels of more than 700 women who were about halfway through their pregnancy.
Five and 10 years later, they tested the children of these moms to measure their behavioural and emotional development and language skills.
The researchers split the moms into four groups – from lowest to highest vitamin D levels – and they found that the risk of having a kid with emotional or behavioural issues was the same for each group.
The low-vitamin D group had between 15 and 46 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) in their blood, while the high-vitamin D group had 72 to 154 nmol/L. Levels below 30 nmol/L are considered deficient.
When the researchers looked at language skills, the team found that mothers in the lowest category were more likely to have a child with a language impairment than mothers in the highest vitamin D category.
The language impairments were determined from scores on a vocabulary test.
For instance, about 18 per cent of moms in the lowest group had a child with a language issue at age 10, compared to roughly eight per cent of the moms in the highest group.
“The logical thought is that maternal Vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy is affecting the normal course of brain development,” Dr. Whitehouse wrote in a e-mail.
“If vitamin D insufficiency during prenatal life is a cause of childhood language difficulties – and this still needs to be determined conclusively – then vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women may be an important next step,” he said.
Dr. Bodnar said one factor that will be important to tease out is whether obesity might be involved.
“We know that obesity before pregnancy is associated with poor vitamin D status in pregnancy, and we know that obese moms are more likely to have children with developmental delays and cognitive impairments,” she said.
Dr. Bodnar said it will be important for future studies to determine if vitamin D is to blame for the language impairments, because it’s a simple problem to fix with supplements. Sunlight is also a primary source of vitamin D.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women get 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Mary Spencer named to Canada's Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq also on prestigious CAAWS list
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced today the twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list (MIW) for 2011. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene. The women on the MIW are influential women who contributed in a significant way to sport and physical activity in the year 2011.
“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honour Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity," said CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom (Ottawa, Ontario). “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity—and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”
Every year, the MIW list includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. There are some women who have been named to the list several times, such as Paralympian and coach Chantal Petitclerc; and some who are new to the list like Olympic boxing hopeful Mary Spencer, and Karen Rackel who is the first ever women President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (in its 116 year old history). Nine of the women are making their first appearance on the MIW List, while Olympian Beckie Scott and Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc have each been named to the MIW list 6 times, and Olympian Charmaine Crooks has appeared a record seven times.
The Caaws Most Influential Women List For 2011 is:
Dr Jodi Abbott, Official and volunteer, Skate Canada, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, (Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit, Nunavut)
Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO, Women’s Tennis Association, (St Petersburg, Florida/Welland, Ontario)
Caroline Assalian, Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee (Ottawa, Ontario)
Claire Buffone-Blair, President and CEO, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, AB)
Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team (2011 team)
Charmaine Crooks, Board of Directors, Canadian Olympic Committee, (Vancouver, BC)
Dr Wendy Frisby, Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, (Vancouver, BC)
Wendy Gittens, Executive Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada, (Ottawa, Ontario)
Andrea Grantham, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada)
Dr. Vicki Harber, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Lindsay Hugenholtz, Deputy CEO, 2011 Canada Winter Games, (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Clara Hughes, Olympian and advocate, (Winnipeg, Manitoba / Glenn Sutton, Quebec)
Élaine Lauzon, Director General, Égale Action, (Montreal, Québec)
Anne Merklinger, Director Summer Sports, Own the Podium, (Ottawa, Ontario)
Kelly Murumets, President and CEO, ParticipACTION, (Toronto, Ontario)
Chantal Petitclerc, Spokesperson, volunteer and coach, (Montréal, Québec)
Karen Rackel, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Beckie Scott, Olympian and advocate, (Vermillion, Alberta)
Mary Spencer, Athlete and volunteer, (Windsor, Ontario)
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) has named 20 women in its Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list for 2011, and Mary Spencer, Ojibwe, is one of the honorees.
Spencer, of the Cape Croker Ojibwe First Nation in Ontario, is Canada’s powerhouse pugilist. She’s an eight-time national champion, five-time Pan-American Games champion, and three-time world champion—that’s a lot of metal in her trophy collection, with some heavier elements expected to be added soon. Ringside pundits and experts see her medaling, likely taking gold, at the London Olympic Games this summer, when women’s boxing makes it debut.
Although a basketball star in high school who dreamt of one day turning pro, Spencer, 28, began boxing in 2002 at the age of 17. After a few months of testing the ropes she found herself at the Windsor Amateur Boxing Club, in Windsor, Ontario, training under three-time Olympic coach, Charlie Stewart. Her career record stands at an incredible 118-8. And the accolades she’s winning outside the ring are equally impressive.
This includes her recent CAAWS recognition. The CAAWS list, which has been published for 11 years, includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. Spencer moved up a class this year from CAAWS’s 2010 Ones to Watch list.
“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honor Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity,” CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom told The Globe and Mail. “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity – and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”
Spencer is without a doubt a leader. Gen7, an organization that aims to encourage aboriginal youth to live, and encourage others to live, an active and healthy lifestyle through sport and physical activity, has noticed. The nonprofit has selected Spencer to be a Gen7 Messenger, a role that has her helping to develop the next generation of aboriginal leaders in communities across Canada.
The fighter sums up her philosophy of success in and out of the ring by noting that “Failure is determined by the things we allow to happen. Success is determined by the things we make happen.” Further, she’s grateful for the people in her life that helped her succeed in achieving her goals. They went out of their way to help her and from this she has learned that when you help someone, not only are you helping them, you are also helping yourself become a better person.
“I feel like there is a very good reason why I have the experiences that I do and that reason is so that I can share them with others,” she observed. Spoken like a true champion.
For more on Spencer as she trains for the London Games, visit her official website, MarySpencer.ca.
Sources: http://www.caaws.ca/influentialwomen/e/, http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/02/17/she%E2%80%99s-a-knockout-ojibwe-boxer-mary-spencer-is-a-leader-with-influence-95544
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced today the twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list (MIW) for 2011. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene. The women on the MIW are influential women who contributed in a significant way to sport and physical activity in the year 2011.
“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honour Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity," said CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom (Ottawa, Ontario). “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity—and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”
Every year, the MIW list includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. There are some women who have been named to the list several times, such as Paralympian and coach Chantal Petitclerc; and some who are new to the list like Olympic boxing hopeful Mary Spencer, and Karen Rackel who is the first ever women President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (in its 116 year old history). Nine of the women are making their first appearance on the MIW List, while Olympian Beckie Scott and Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc have each been named to the MIW list 6 times, and Olympian Charmaine Crooks has appeared a record seven times.
The Caaws Most Influential Women List For 2011 is:
Dr Jodi Abbott, Official and volunteer, Skate Canada, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, (Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit, Nunavut)
Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO, Women’s Tennis Association, (St Petersburg, Florida/Welland, Ontario)
Caroline Assalian, Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee (Ottawa, Ontario)
Claire Buffone-Blair, President and CEO, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, AB)
Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team (2011 team)
Charmaine Crooks, Board of Directors, Canadian Olympic Committee, (Vancouver, BC)
Dr Wendy Frisby, Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, (Vancouver, BC)
Wendy Gittens, Executive Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada, (Ottawa, Ontario)
Andrea Grantham, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada)
Dr. Vicki Harber, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Lindsay Hugenholtz, Deputy CEO, 2011 Canada Winter Games, (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Clara Hughes, Olympian and advocate, (Winnipeg, Manitoba / Glenn Sutton, Quebec)
Élaine Lauzon, Director General, Égale Action, (Montreal, Québec)
Anne Merklinger, Director Summer Sports, Own the Podium, (Ottawa, Ontario)
Kelly Murumets, President and CEO, ParticipACTION, (Toronto, Ontario)
Chantal Petitclerc, Spokesperson, volunteer and coach, (Montréal, Québec)
Karen Rackel, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, (Edmonton, Alberta)
Beckie Scott, Olympian and advocate, (Vermillion, Alberta)
Mary Spencer, Athlete and volunteer, (Windsor, Ontario)
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) has named 20 women in its Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list for 2011, and Mary Spencer, Ojibwe, is one of the honorees.
Spencer, of the Cape Croker Ojibwe First Nation in Ontario, is Canada’s powerhouse pugilist. She’s an eight-time national champion, five-time Pan-American Games champion, and three-time world champion—that’s a lot of metal in her trophy collection, with some heavier elements expected to be added soon. Ringside pundits and experts see her medaling, likely taking gold, at the London Olympic Games this summer, when women’s boxing makes it debut.
Although a basketball star in high school who dreamt of one day turning pro, Spencer, 28, began boxing in 2002 at the age of 17. After a few months of testing the ropes she found herself at the Windsor Amateur Boxing Club, in Windsor, Ontario, training under three-time Olympic coach, Charlie Stewart. Her career record stands at an incredible 118-8. And the accolades she’s winning outside the ring are equally impressive.
This includes her recent CAAWS recognition. The CAAWS list, which has been published for 11 years, includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. Spencer moved up a class this year from CAAWS’s 2010 Ones to Watch list.
“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honor Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity,” CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom told The Globe and Mail. “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity – and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”
Spencer is without a doubt a leader. Gen7, an organization that aims to encourage aboriginal youth to live, and encourage others to live, an active and healthy lifestyle through sport and physical activity, has noticed. The nonprofit has selected Spencer to be a Gen7 Messenger, a role that has her helping to develop the next generation of aboriginal leaders in communities across Canada.
The fighter sums up her philosophy of success in and out of the ring by noting that “Failure is determined by the things we allow to happen. Success is determined by the things we make happen.” Further, she’s grateful for the people in her life that helped her succeed in achieving her goals. They went out of their way to help her and from this she has learned that when you help someone, not only are you helping them, you are also helping yourself become a better person.
“I feel like there is a very good reason why I have the experiences that I do and that reason is so that I can share them with others,” she observed. Spoken like a true champion.
For more on Spencer as she trains for the London Games, visit her official website, MarySpencer.ca.
Sources: http://www.caaws.ca/influentialwomen/e/, http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/02/17/she%E2%80%99s-a-knockout-ojibwe-boxer-mary-spencer-is-a-leader-with-influence-95544
Friday, February 17, 2012
Outta Your Backpack Media Justice League
The Outta Your Backpack Media Collective creates community ownership of media, recognizing the inherent creative energy of youth, and challenges corporate dominated media.
Outta Your Backpack Media Workshop
February 18-20, 2012
Flagstaff, AZ
• Make a Short Movie!
• Learn Hands-on Script Writing!
• Camera Operation!
• Lighting!
• Video Editing!
• & More!
The workshop is free & open to young Indigenous people ages 12-25. (exceptions made of course!) Lunch will be provided. Housing & transportation will not be provided.
Apply here: www.oybm.org/workshop-application/
WHAT IS THE OUTTA YOUR BACKPACK MEDIA WORKSHOP?
• The workshop comprises youth coming together with experienced Native media makers to gain skills to produce their own short video, documentary or digital story. During the three day workshop, participants will learn the basics of video production, camera operating and video editing to create a 3 to 5 minute video.
WHERE IS THE WORKSHOP?
At Taala Hooghan Infoshop & Youth Media Arts Center
1700 N 2nd St. Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Registration closed February 10th, however if you live in the Flagstaff AZ area, bookmark the Outta Your Backpack Media Justice League website for future courses!
Outta Your Backpack Media Workshop
February 18-20, 2012
Flagstaff, AZ
• Make a Short Movie!
• Learn Hands-on Script Writing!
• Camera Operation!
• Lighting!
• Video Editing!
• & More!
The workshop is free & open to young Indigenous people ages 12-25. (exceptions made of course!) Lunch will be provided. Housing & transportation will not be provided.
Apply here: www.oybm.org/workshop-application/
WHAT IS THE OUTTA YOUR BACKPACK MEDIA WORKSHOP?
• The workshop comprises youth coming together with experienced Native media makers to gain skills to produce their own short video, documentary or digital story. During the three day workshop, participants will learn the basics of video production, camera operating and video editing to create a 3 to 5 minute video.
WHERE IS THE WORKSHOP?
At Taala Hooghan Infoshop & Youth Media Arts Center
1700 N 2nd St. Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Registration closed February 10th, however if you live in the Flagstaff AZ area, bookmark the Outta Your Backpack Media Justice League website for future courses!
Friday, February 10, 2012
First Nations must have equal access to education
Aboriginal education gaps can no longer be tolerated
From Friday's Globe and Mail (10FEB12)
The gaps in the education system for aboriginal Canadians revealed by a national panel on Thursday are something no Canadian should have to put up with. That panel, set up by the Harper government and the Assembly of First Nations, has produced sensible recommendations for building an effective system. Continued leadership from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan is needed to put that system in place, but native chiefs, too, need to lead, and a good number of them boycotted the panel.
After visiting 25 First Nations schools, the panel described the gaps as startling. No regular reporting on a child’s educational attainment. Inadequate or non-existent early literacy and numeracy programs, and no clear literacy programs to help children who fall behind. No functioning system for the assessment and support of special needs. Schools in substandard, unsafe physical condition, without plans to fix. No consistent practice around teacher certification, discipline or regulation, around monitoring of children’s attendance, around ensuring school is safe for children.
Yes, filling these intolerable gaps will cost more money. Education budgets across Canada have been growing at a 6-per-cent annual rate, but those increases have largely bypassed aboriginal communities, despite their high birth rate and dire needs.
It would be wrong, though, to be hung up on money. The system is opaque and lacks accountability. Canadians don’t even know how much money is being spent on aboriginal education – the panel itself didn’t offer a figure in the report. And the system doesn’t know how the children are doing – the tracking and testing done in the rest of the country are largely absent.
The education of aboriginal children and teens should be on the same Canadian sustainability agenda as trade with Asia, retirement-income security and improvements to science and technology programs. The panel wants to see a national commission, overseeing regional bodies that would work with provincial governments and, of course, First Nations. It’s a useful starting point for an urgent discussion on how to prepare the fastest-growing and neediest group of Canadians for self-sufficiency and prosperity.
From Friday's Globe and Mail (10FEB12)
The gaps in the education system for aboriginal Canadians revealed by a national panel on Thursday are something no Canadian should have to put up with. That panel, set up by the Harper government and the Assembly of First Nations, has produced sensible recommendations for building an effective system. Continued leadership from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan is needed to put that system in place, but native chiefs, too, need to lead, and a good number of them boycotted the panel.
After visiting 25 First Nations schools, the panel described the gaps as startling. No regular reporting on a child’s educational attainment. Inadequate or non-existent early literacy and numeracy programs, and no clear literacy programs to help children who fall behind. No functioning system for the assessment and support of special needs. Schools in substandard, unsafe physical condition, without plans to fix. No consistent practice around teacher certification, discipline or regulation, around monitoring of children’s attendance, around ensuring school is safe for children.
Yes, filling these intolerable gaps will cost more money. Education budgets across Canada have been growing at a 6-per-cent annual rate, but those increases have largely bypassed aboriginal communities, despite their high birth rate and dire needs.
It would be wrong, though, to be hung up on money. The system is opaque and lacks accountability. Canadians don’t even know how much money is being spent on aboriginal education – the panel itself didn’t offer a figure in the report. And the system doesn’t know how the children are doing – the tracking and testing done in the rest of the country are largely absent.
The education of aboriginal children and teens should be on the same Canadian sustainability agenda as trade with Asia, retirement-income security and improvements to science and technology programs. The panel wants to see a national commission, overseeing regional bodies that would work with provincial governments and, of course, First Nations. It’s a useful starting point for an urgent discussion on how to prepare the fastest-growing and neediest group of Canadians for self-sufficiency and prosperity.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
5 things dying people wish they'd done differently
By Bronnie Ware (who worked for years nursing the dying)
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.
I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.
I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Makin' A Noise by Robbie Robertson - In Honour of The Ancestors
Robbie is a Native, Canadian and Global treasure.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Pliancy Props to Pliny
by Yuya Joe College, with a nod and a wink to Pliny the Younger
Pliancy
As wax by pliancy shapes our world with our commands
Inspired and formed to beauty 'neath an Artist's hands
Mars sings soulful while chaste Minerva dances in the wind
She knows the fire of Venus, and the charms of the Sun
We are not alone as we quench the raging flame
The sacred fountain pours her friendly stream
Sweetly gliding through the flowery green
She nods refreshingly o'er the smiling scene
The square the park the youth spring for hope
Wisely flexible, the higher calling now the start
Receiving impressions of love and of art
This year coming is the birth of humanity
The Transit and the darkness shall pass
Humanikind will prevail
Pliancy
As wax by pliancy shapes our world with our commands
Inspired and formed to beauty 'neath an Artist's hands
Mars sings soulful while chaste Minerva dances in the wind
She knows the fire of Venus, and the charms of the Sun
We are not alone as we quench the raging flame
The sacred fountain pours her friendly stream
Sweetly gliding through the flowery green
She nods refreshingly o'er the smiling scene
The square the park the youth spring for hope
Wisely flexible, the higher calling now the start
Receiving impressions of love and of art
This year coming is the birth of humanity
The Transit and the darkness shall pass
Humanikind will prevail
Saturday, November 12, 2011
(De) Occupy Toronto Native Solidarity march on now
Saturday afternoon, live feed of the protest march:
LIVE footage of De Occupy Toronto Native Canadians solidarity march
LIVE footage of De Occupy Toronto Native Canadians solidarity march
Friday, November 11, 2011
Rock Reunions: Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Utopia and Stone Roses
As I post we are about half an hour from the announcement of the Black Sabbath reunion, at least that seems to be what the countdown clock on their homepage would indicate.
Van Halen's reunion is to be announced November 30th at the Grammy Nominations Concert, plus Stone Roses, the influential Manchester UK band, has just announced they will be playing their local Heaton Park venue June 29 and 30, 2012 before embarking on a world tour.
Finally, the brilliant Todd Rundgren is talking up a reunion of his seminal Utopia band.
Van Halen's reunion is to be announced November 30th at the Grammy Nominations Concert, plus Stone Roses, the influential Manchester UK band, has just announced they will be playing their local Heaton Park venue June 29 and 30, 2012 before embarking on a world tour.
Finally, the brilliant Todd Rundgren is talking up a reunion of his seminal Utopia band.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Nuit Blanche street art by Alan Webb and Christine Leu
Yonge Street art installation in front of old Sam the Recrod Man store
Architect / Artist team LeuWebb created this retor Yong Street installation for Nuit Blanche 2011. As I both donated and and sold records to the project, I feel like I am a part of it and even nicknamed it Guten Golona (analog Gutenberg); enjoy the pics, and congrats to Alan and Christine!!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Occupy Wall Street; Crucial American Movement
by E. Henry SchoenbergerEntrepreneur, financial specialist, writer and author
Our country is in a crisis. There exists a terrible mismatch between the ultra rich and the 99 percent of us who are not driven by unbridled greed.
The root cause of the problem: a nation that was deregulated at the expense of the conscience of our country and at the expense of the fabric of the American Dream -- deregulated for Wall Street mega-banks and multinational corporations who care nothing for people sleeping in tents or without jobs in foreclosed lives.
Occupy Wall Street is a tide of upheaval and alienation, much like the other crucial movements in our past that led to a more equal and fairer American society. The history of these movements in America began more than 200 years ago with a revolution against the tyranny of King George, who wanted to extract as much money from the colonies as possible. It includes the Civil War and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation; Women's Sufferage (remember that not too long ago, women were not allowed to vote); and the Civil Rights Movement, which recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation needed teeth.
The civil Rights Movement was fundamentally about human rights, and Occupy Wall Street is also about human rights. It is about how most Americans really do not have a voice in our democracy because government has not protected the public, but favored the 1 percent who bankroll our elected officials.
"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such attention that a community which has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."
- MLK
To understand the need and raison d'etre for the Occupy Wall Street Movement, it is important to remember the above quote from a letter, which the Rev. Martin Luther King wrote from the confines of a cell in the Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963.
Dr. King was right -- and this new movement should be a wake-up call for Congress. In this country, preserving freedom to allow Capitalism to flourish is vital, but it should not trump the protection of the public good. Citizens have a right to have their economic and societal well-being protected ahead of Big Money. It's that simple.
We are not alone. Many other people in countries around our ever-smaller globe are marching for the same right, based on the same gravitas and reasons.
Now is the time for another Great American Movement, a new moment of truth for our country. And the scions of Wall Street watching from their lofty piles of money, deep in their sociopathic hearts, must know. Jeffrey Immelt, our President's jobs czar, also should know.
Wall Street is emblematic of Congress' concern for the interests of special interests, promoted by highly paid lobbyists for Wall Street and Big Business. And this sad reality has become palpable to 99 percent of Americans, who have decided not to take it anymore.
Today, our society has become -- of the lobbyists, by the ultra rich and for the ultra rich.
We are a living example of capitalism gone awry -- living in an economy that has been laid to waste by deregulating the barriers against greed erected in the aftermath of the Great Depression. We are living in a society controlled by lobbyists -- an army of mercenaries with cash as their weapons -- who are conducting a war on behalf of Wall Street Banks, Big Business and Big Money.
Capitalism is not the problem -- the problem is that its actors have been motivated by personal greed and nothing else. Financial capital is being turned away from real investments that create jobs and toward financial investments that create billions of net worth but no capital formation to create jobs. American multinational corporations that have generated enormous profits continue to ship middle-class jobs overseas for cheap labor, along with profits to avoid taxation here. Immelt, our jobs czar and CEO of GE, has proposed being allowed to bring all the untaxed profits home without any tax, nor any guarantee of how that money will be actually be spent.
Shortly after Adam Smith''s time, it became apparent that a totally free economic system unleashed powerful forces that were not always good. So the notion of total hands off was addressed and modified by the English Factory Act of 1833, which established a system of inspectors to prevent the abuse of child and women labor.
The past should serve as prologue. But for the past 30 years, Congress has gone back to the hands-off notions that caused our Great Depression and led to the Sherman Anti-trust Act and the Glass-Steagal barriers between banking and taking investment risks.
"Free the Market" became the cry of Wall Street-Mega Bank Holding Companies, Big Business and the Big Money supporting all the lobbyists. The new Republicans have supported the drive to totally free Capitalism at the clear expense of the Public Good, and the Democrats have either been unwitting participants or worse.
There has always been a tension between Capitalism and the Public Good. In the United States this crested when Herbert Spencer, the 19th Century British philosopher, postulated his theory of Social Darwinism based on the ethic of "survival of the fittest." This had nothing to do with Darwin, but only with providing a moral basis for the unbridled greed of Capitalism. And this moral was adopted by men like Andrew Carnegie and Rockefeller to justifytheir infinite avarice without one shard of concern for the public. Robber-baron greed was at the expense of the workers necessary to grow their personal riches, no matter what the consequences. Social Darwinism was simply -- public interest be damned!
There is a quote from the Declaration of Independence that is important to revisit: "He (the King of Great Britain) has refused to assert to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
Therefore, this country was founded on the franchise that Americans have the right to expect laws to be enacted for the Public Good; and an expectation under the surface of things, to have the government protect the public.
And now a majority of Americans feel disenfranchised! Just like at the time of the Civil Rights Movement -- when Lyndon Johnson, a Southerner, supported the movement to end the inequalities based on color alone. Johnson forcibly pushed legislation through Congress knowing that it was right and knowing it would cost the Democratic Party the South.
So, once again, the time has come for another crucial American Movement that represents the real spirit of how Americans pull together when glaring inequalities threaten the American Dream.
Henry Schoenberger is the author of the new book, 'How We Got Swindled By Wall Street Godfathers, Greed & Financial Darwinism - The 30-Year War Against The American Dream,' which will be available in November.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com
Our country is in a crisis. There exists a terrible mismatch between the ultra rich and the 99 percent of us who are not driven by unbridled greed.
The root cause of the problem: a nation that was deregulated at the expense of the conscience of our country and at the expense of the fabric of the American Dream -- deregulated for Wall Street mega-banks and multinational corporations who care nothing for people sleeping in tents or without jobs in foreclosed lives.
Occupy Wall Street is a tide of upheaval and alienation, much like the other crucial movements in our past that led to a more equal and fairer American society. The history of these movements in America began more than 200 years ago with a revolution against the tyranny of King George, who wanted to extract as much money from the colonies as possible. It includes the Civil War and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation; Women's Sufferage (remember that not too long ago, women were not allowed to vote); and the Civil Rights Movement, which recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation needed teeth.
The civil Rights Movement was fundamentally about human rights, and Occupy Wall Street is also about human rights. It is about how most Americans really do not have a voice in our democracy because government has not protected the public, but favored the 1 percent who bankroll our elected officials.
"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such attention that a community which has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."
- MLK
To understand the need and raison d'etre for the Occupy Wall Street Movement, it is important to remember the above quote from a letter, which the Rev. Martin Luther King wrote from the confines of a cell in the Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963.
Dr. King was right -- and this new movement should be a wake-up call for Congress. In this country, preserving freedom to allow Capitalism to flourish is vital, but it should not trump the protection of the public good. Citizens have a right to have their economic and societal well-being protected ahead of Big Money. It's that simple.
We are not alone. Many other people in countries around our ever-smaller globe are marching for the same right, based on the same gravitas and reasons.
Now is the time for another Great American Movement, a new moment of truth for our country. And the scions of Wall Street watching from their lofty piles of money, deep in their sociopathic hearts, must know. Jeffrey Immelt, our President's jobs czar, also should know.
Wall Street is emblematic of Congress' concern for the interests of special interests, promoted by highly paid lobbyists for Wall Street and Big Business. And this sad reality has become palpable to 99 percent of Americans, who have decided not to take it anymore.
Today, our society has become -- of the lobbyists, by the ultra rich and for the ultra rich.
We are a living example of capitalism gone awry -- living in an economy that has been laid to waste by deregulating the barriers against greed erected in the aftermath of the Great Depression. We are living in a society controlled by lobbyists -- an army of mercenaries with cash as their weapons -- who are conducting a war on behalf of Wall Street Banks, Big Business and Big Money.
Capitalism is not the problem -- the problem is that its actors have been motivated by personal greed and nothing else. Financial capital is being turned away from real investments that create jobs and toward financial investments that create billions of net worth but no capital formation to create jobs. American multinational corporations that have generated enormous profits continue to ship middle-class jobs overseas for cheap labor, along with profits to avoid taxation here. Immelt, our jobs czar and CEO of GE, has proposed being allowed to bring all the untaxed profits home without any tax, nor any guarantee of how that money will be actually be spent.
Shortly after Adam Smith''s time, it became apparent that a totally free economic system unleashed powerful forces that were not always good. So the notion of total hands off was addressed and modified by the English Factory Act of 1833, which established a system of inspectors to prevent the abuse of child and women labor.
The past should serve as prologue. But for the past 30 years, Congress has gone back to the hands-off notions that caused our Great Depression and led to the Sherman Anti-trust Act and the Glass-Steagal barriers between banking and taking investment risks.
"Free the Market" became the cry of Wall Street-Mega Bank Holding Companies, Big Business and the Big Money supporting all the lobbyists. The new Republicans have supported the drive to totally free Capitalism at the clear expense of the Public Good, and the Democrats have either been unwitting participants or worse.
There has always been a tension between Capitalism and the Public Good. In the United States this crested when Herbert Spencer, the 19th Century British philosopher, postulated his theory of Social Darwinism based on the ethic of "survival of the fittest." This had nothing to do with Darwin, but only with providing a moral basis for the unbridled greed of Capitalism. And this moral was adopted by men like Andrew Carnegie and Rockefeller to justifytheir infinite avarice without one shard of concern for the public. Robber-baron greed was at the expense of the workers necessary to grow their personal riches, no matter what the consequences. Social Darwinism was simply -- public interest be damned!
There is a quote from the Declaration of Independence that is important to revisit: "He (the King of Great Britain) has refused to assert to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
Therefore, this country was founded on the franchise that Americans have the right to expect laws to be enacted for the Public Good; and an expectation under the surface of things, to have the government protect the public.
And now a majority of Americans feel disenfranchised! Just like at the time of the Civil Rights Movement -- when Lyndon Johnson, a Southerner, supported the movement to end the inequalities based on color alone. Johnson forcibly pushed legislation through Congress knowing that it was right and knowing it would cost the Democratic Party the South.
So, once again, the time has come for another crucial American Movement that represents the real spirit of how Americans pull together when glaring inequalities threaten the American Dream.
Henry Schoenberger is the author of the new book, 'How We Got Swindled By Wall Street Godfathers, Greed & Financial Darwinism - The 30-Year War Against The American Dream,' which will be available in November.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Your Right Hand
You held me in your hand
I clung to your head
Scratching your scalp
Caring not scaring
I waited for your touch
U enthralled the boy
U reached inside
Grasped me firmly
Shook me with motion
Passionate devotion
Loving explosion
Gentle sleep
I clung to your head
Scratching your scalp
Caring not scaring
I waited for your touch
U enthralled the boy
U reached inside
Grasped me firmly
Shook me with motion
Passionate devotion
Loving explosion
Gentle sleep
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
American Autumn of Inspiration spurs United for Global Change movement
Saturday October 15th protests in 719 cities, 71 countries
On October 15th people from all over the world will take to the streets and squares.
From North America to Asia, from Africa to Europe, Australia, Central and South America, people are rising up all over this beautiful planet to to claim their rights and demand a true democracy. Now it is time for all of us to join in a global non-violent protest.
The ruling powers work for the benefit of just a few, ignoring the will of the vast majority and the human and environmental price we all have to pay. This intolerable situation must end.
United in one voice, we will let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future. We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers who do not represent us.
Time and water are running out, the Earth is heating up, and it is time for a global green revolution, a grassroots movement, a coalition of diverse forces with common goals. We want a more humane, equitable, just and sustainable society.
On October 15th, we will meet on the streets to initiate the global change we want. We will peacefully demonstrate, talk and organize until we make it happen.
It’s time for us to unite. It’s time for them to listen.
People of the world, rise up on October 15th!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Giving Thanks for Heather
by Yuya Joe College
I'm still afraid of love
Even after all these years
Even after all these tears
You're still with me my dove
You gave up your career and your friends
For four newborn babies
And a dad with a bottle in one hand
A guitar in the other
Maybe it is a miracle
We made it thru togetha
Maybe I didn't tell you enough
How much we meant to each other
I showed you honey
I stayed by your side
I love you honey
I need you beside me
The nights are getting colder
Whether we were born for one another
Or just learned to live this way
We're blessed by the lord of the stars tonight
With children, family, music, and love
Giving Thanks, for our daughters and sons
And most especially, my loving wife Heather
I'm still afraid of love
Even after all these years
Even after all these tears
You're still with me my dove
You gave up your career and your friends
For four newborn babies
And a dad with a bottle in one hand
A guitar in the other
Maybe it is a miracle
We made it thru togetha
Maybe I didn't tell you enough
How much we meant to each other
I showed you honey
I stayed by your side
I love you honey
I need you beside me
The nights are getting colder
Whether we were born for one another
Or just learned to live this way
We're blessed by the lord of the stars tonight
With children, family, music, and love
Giving Thanks, for our daughters and sons
And most especially, my loving wife Heather
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Do not act corruptly in the land
Excerpt from La Heavana Music Part III - Chapter Seven, Part III - Signs of Itopia:
Do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief. Therefore, pray to Jah on our behalf to bring forth for us, out of what the earth grows, of its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic; cabbages and carrots, potatoes, lentils and onions. For every green herb We shall have for meat. Moses was surprised at such devotion and said, Will you exchange that which is better for that which is worse? Enter unto Tafari, so you will have what you ask for. May the LORD bless this land, with precious dew from heaven above, deep waters that lie below. May the rebellious return, and May He cause to grow for you thereby plentiful herbage, olive trees, and palm trees, and the grape vines, and trees of all the fruits that make Life sweet. A sign for a people who reflect. He has made subservient for you the night and the day; the sun and the moon, and the stars are made subservient by His commandment. Signs for a people who ponder.
Online text of La Heavana Musica, by Yuya Joe College
Do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief. Therefore, pray to Jah on our behalf to bring forth for us, out of what the earth grows, of its herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic; cabbages and carrots, potatoes, lentils and onions. For every green herb We shall have for meat. Moses was surprised at such devotion and said, Will you exchange that which is better for that which is worse? Enter unto Tafari, so you will have what you ask for. May the LORD bless this land, with precious dew from heaven above, deep waters that lie below. May the rebellious return, and May He cause to grow for you thereby plentiful herbage, olive trees, and palm trees, and the grape vines, and trees of all the fruits that make Life sweet. A sign for a people who reflect. He has made subservient for you the night and the day; the sun and the moon, and the stars are made subservient by His commandment. Signs for a people who ponder.
Online text of La Heavana Musica, by Yuya Joe College
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