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March 31, 2005

Diary of a Young Peacemaker

Bashar Iraqi is a Palestinian Arab Israeli youth living in Israel. He's written an uplifting piece that gives some insight into another view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Despite the recent inroads, it would seem that the future of peace between these states lie in the hands of peacemakers like Bashar and organizations like Seeds of Peace.

Posted by Jason at 9:51 AM

March 21, 2005

Racial Profiling and Canada`s "No-fly List"

Found this article on the Globe and Mail website. The article covers a move by opposition parties to enact legislation that bans racial profiling in Canada. The catalyst that sparked their reaction was a statement made by Transport Minister Jean Lapierre. Minister Lapierre admitted that the government is "developing a special list to keep certain people off flights..."

Okay, I`m all for keeping suspected terrorists off of flights but using racial profiling as a mechanism to do so smacks of human-rights violations. What we need to use to improve security is "criminal profiling" not racial profiling. Let`s not kid ourselves, this IS a slippery slope. Racial profiling is already a problem in Canada`s cities and rural communities. Steps have been and are being taken to eradicate racial profiling. Should the government move ahead with its plans without clarifying its process, they are in essence giving a federal stamp of approval for what is in fact a violation of s. 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

For more information on racial profiling, please visit www.stopracialprofiling.ca Visit the News section of the site to read more about federal discussions on racial profiling.

Posted by Jason at 4:50 PM

Elections Run by Same Guys Who Sell Toothpaste

The title says it all. A nice editorial by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky also touched upon this point in a lecture he gave in Toronto sponsored by Canadian Dimension Magazine. I believe you can find the tape at TVO under "Big Ideas". Definitely worth checking out.

Posted by Jason at 4:29 PM

March 9, 2005

Jill "Butterfly" Hill: Hardcore Environmentalism

I was hanging around Indigo Bookstore when I saw this new magazine called Plenty. The mag has a piece entitled, "Five For The Future." Didn't buy the mag (I should) but visited its website. Check out this profile on Jill "Butterfly" Hill, a 30yr old environmentalist who staged a protest by sitting in an old growth forest redwood for two years!!! Now that's some serious commitment to the cause.

Posted by Jason at 12:17 PM

Starving Artists, Starving Women

A few weeks ago, I read an article on the income disparity between artists who are visible minorities and those who are not. A recent report found Canadian artists earn on average $23,000/yr. Artists who are visible minorities, on the other hand, earn approximately 11% less. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise and is a topic for another day. Race aside, it would seem the old saying "starving artist" still holds true.

With that being said, I find this next statistic truly troubling: Canadian women (not female artists, mind you) earn on average $20,400/yr!

Now ask yourself, why is this?

Posted by Jason at 9:21 AM

March 6, 2005

Counter-Recruitment Movement in NYC schools

One of the saddest moments for me in the film Fahrenheit 9/11 was the scene in which U.S military recruiters preyed upon young inner city youth at a local mall. Believing their future to be bleak, these kids naively listened as recruiter's made their pitch on the benefits of life in the military. Part of me wished I could grab these kids and tell them that there was in fact a better way; that joining the military wasn't the only option for a "better future".

Enter Youth Activists-Youth Allies (YaYas), a youth-led counter-recruitment group based in New York's public schools. YaYas is made-up of Vietnam vets and teenagers dedicated to empowering youth by informing them of the realities of military service and introducing them to alternative options for funding college.

Don`t get me wrong, I think that serving in the military can be a honourable endeavor. I just take issue when youth are taken advantage of by playing on their lack of knowledge and fear of the future. Big up to YaYas.

Visit the Amsterdam News to read more.

Check out YaYas`s bulletin board to learn about events in the NYC area.

Learn about other counter-recruitment orgs by visiting Youthandthemilitary.org

Posted by Jason at 5:33 PM