Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege is a tribute to the power of books to heal, to offer refuge, and to nourish communities. It’s also a tribute to the spirit of resistance to tyranny and oppression. In 2013, the Syrian town of Daraya was targeted
Continue readingTag: human rights
wmtc: what i’m reading: syria’s secret library: reading and redemption in a town under siege
Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege is a tribute to the power of books to heal, to offer refuge, and to nourish communities. It’s also a tribute to the spirit of resistance to tyranny and oppression. In 2013, the Syrian town of Daraya was targeted
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: The bad faith “debate” about trans human rights
Recently, the National Post published a discussion that I engaged in with Jonathan Kay. I participated in that because it was an opportunity to provide a counterpoint for readers who don’t often see one. It was a chance to challenge some of the distortions and misinformation that have been circulating
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: When poverty mattered: the Poor People’s Conference of 1971
The following is an excerpt from Paul Weinberg’s new book, When Poverty Mattered: Then and Now, released this year by Fernwood Publishing. Unknown to the people at the Toronto based Praxis research institute its stolen files and conference registration forms happen to be in the hands of the RCMP Security
Continue readingwmtc: write for rights 2019 #write4rights
Today, December 10, is Human Rights Day. The date commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, the first document of its kind. Every year on December 10, Amnesty International holds a global letter-writing event: Write For Rights (in Canada). Hundreds of thousands of
Continue readingwmtc: write for rights 2019 #write4rights
Today, December 10, is Human Rights Day. The date commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, the first document of its kind. Every year on December 10, Amnesty International holds a global letter-writing event: Write For Rights (in Canada). Hundreds of thousands of
Continue readingwmtc: toni morrison on good and evil in literature
Graphic viaStudents Exploring Inequality in Canada For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by stories of forgiveness and redemption. I believe endlessly in the human capacity for redemption, and that belief that has only been strengthened as I’ve seen more of the world. The stories that
Continue readingwmtc: toni morrison on good and evil in literature
Graphic viaStudents Exploring Inequality in Canada For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by stories of forgiveness and redemption. I believe endlessly in the human capacity for redemption, and that belief that has only been strengthened as I’ve seen more of the world. The stories that
Continue readingwmtc: maya moore’s quest for justice
Long ago (in internet terms), in the early days of what we then called the Blogosphere, one of the primary functions of blogs was to share other posts and articles of interest that we came across online. Social media has taken over that function — and much less effectively. How
Continue readingwmtc: retro blog part 1: maya moore’s activism
Long ago (in internet terms), in the early days of what we then called the Blogosphere, one of the primary functions of blogs was to share other posts and articles of interest that we came across online. Social media has taken over that function — and much less effectively. How
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Guy Dauncey makes the case that it’s entirely possible – even if daunting – to meet the challenge posed by the climate crisis. But we need first to come to terms with the reality that emissions are still rising even as the
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The Persecution of Julian Assange and its Implications for Canadian Press Freedom
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange leaving Royal Court of Justice in London, England on July 13, 2011. Photo from Flickr. The case to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the United States seems to have little to do with Canadians at first glance, however, the truth is that this unprecedented challenge
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: The Conscience Chronicles
UPDATE: As this was being readied for posting, the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Public Bills voted to recommend that Bill 207 not move forward in its current form, meaning that the bill will not be proceeding to the floor. I have elected to post this anyway,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: It’s Jason Kenney, not Amnesty International, who’s poking holes in Alberta’s claim we produce the most ‘ethical oil’
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s petulant response yesterday to Amnesty International’s scorching letter about the dangers represented by his United Conservative Party Government’s approach to defending the fossil fuel industry exposes a surprising lack of judgment for a former senior federal cabinet minister. Rather than reassuring people elsewhere in Canada and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – John Nichols interviews Bernie Sanders about the importance of resurrecting the principle of economic rights. Gallup examines how the American public is again recognizing the value of unions. And Simon Goodley writes about the positive effects of shortening the work week to 4
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading. – Ryan Nunn, Jimmy O’Donnell and Jay Shambaugh study how the U.S.’ labour movement has been ground down by corporate-controlled governments – and how workers in all kinds of workplaces are worse off as a result. And Robin Tress cautions against allowing businesses
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Bottom lines and shifting goalposts
I noted last night that there’s no validity to complaints about the NDP ruling out support for a Con government. But if anybody wants to point out which party’s stance on supporting anybody else as a possible government does seem problematic, there’s yet more odd spin coming from the Greens:
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: frederick douglass, prophet of freedom
My biography reading continues: I finally finished Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by the historian and Douglass scholar David Blight. It is a monumental work, not an easy read, but extremely enlightening and very satisfying. The book is notable for Blight’s refusal to ignore or sugar-coat Douglass’ flaws. Douglass was a
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: On “Unalienable” Human Rights
Screen capture, launch of the Commission on Unalienable Rights On Monday, July 8th, the U.S. State Department announced the launch of a Commission on Unalienable Rights, which is intended to rethink and reshape how human rights laws are applied around the world. This Commission was deemed necessary to ensure that
Continue readingwmtc: three thoughts arising from a focus on the housing crisis
Today I attended a working meeting that included almost all the service providers in the region. These service providers were brought together by the Mount Waddington Health Network to build a coalition that will deal with the housing crisis. I was there mainly to stay informed and to network, and
Continue reading