Occupy Vancouver reboots tonight to join the worldwide #WaveOfAction that began on April 4 and runs [at least] to July 4, 2014. We will meet in Grandview Park on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, unceded Coast Salish territories. 615pm is the start time, though honestly, I’ll be there a bit
Continue readingTag: Idle No More
Politics, Re-Spun: Let’s Play Cowboys and Indians
Why not? It seems to be working in Washington, DC. And you know what? They’ve got our backs. When ranchers are farmers and tribal communities realize that the tarsands and their toxic pipelines threaten us all, it’s pretty easy to figure out how working together gets things done. They’re even
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: What Yoko Ono Knows About Fracking
Today we are fresh off the tar soaked heels of Enbridge’s lie and spin machine in Kitimat, leading to a vote AGAINST their toxic future. In Kitimat, in a non-binding plebiscite, the people of Kitimat, but not the first peoples who live outside the town boundary, voted about 60-40 to
Continue readingArt Threat: Painting, Resisting, Giggling: An Interview with George Littlechild
I first stumbled upon George Littlechild’s art at the Comox Valley Art Gallery in my hometown of Courtenay, British Columbia. After reeling from the emotional turmoil and historical reopening, rapprochement and reordering rendered in his bold and colourful brush strokes and integration of collage through archives, I was delighted further
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Women Who Inspire Us
Pam Palmater, getting it done! “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead For three decades of activism I have been inspired by a great number of wise, engaged women. Carleen Pickard, for instance.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Canada’s Growing Income Gap Between the 99% and the 1%
The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer, and the gap between them is growing. This is the test of whether we can be content in our complacency. Here’s why. In 2010, a tax filer required an annual income of $201,400 to be in the top 1%. This was 37% higher than
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Jesse Ventura Is On Our Side On Racist Team Names
More support for changing the name of the NFL team in Washington comes from Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Yesterday, I wrote about how incredibly easy it would be to change the racist name of any kind of team. It’s really not that hard. Imagine the reverse, though. Imagine changing the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: What’s With Pipeline-Loving Old Men?
High 5′s to people are aren’t old men! [on average, 19 times out of 20, +/- 3.6% of the time.] My apologies if you’re a man, or over 55, but those two demographics love the Big Oil, and they’re giving you all a bad name! Here’s why. I know lots
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Harper Invitation Only Meeting In Mill Bay Met With Significant Opposition
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Word of PM Stephen Harper speaking at a ‘Invitation Only’ meeting at Brentwood College in Mill Bay travelled quickly throughout the Cowichan Valley. Up to 200 protesters representing a real cross-section of the community from young to seniors, trade unionists, environmentalists and strong colourful representation from the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Yesterday’s Climate Justice Protest #SpinAlert
Sean Devlin, of ShitHarperDid.ca, had the temerity to interact with our employee, Mr. Stephen Harper. Yesterday, we saw a new level of action against climate destruction policy. In the style of co-conspirator Brigette DePape, two protesters crashed Harper’s contemptuous public appearance. Harper holds the media and the general public of
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Just How Lazy ARE Indigenous People, Anyway?
It’s a trick question. And let’s not forget how many of us are told we are inherently lazy because we are native. Hard to shake that. via Twitter / apihtawikosisan: And let’s not forget how many …. And if you want to read one person’s analysis of destructive, racist stereotypes,
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: Idle No More 2.0
Several hundred members and supporters of Idle No More gathered at the centre court of the Polo Park Mall in Winnipeg Friday evening to sing and to dance. Some are calling it Idle No More 2.0. Idle No More Manitoba spokesperson Michael Kannon explains why in this video report. Filed
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Enbridge: What Now? We Escalate Our Fight
Some breaking news occurred yesterday, the Joint Review Panel of the National Energy Board approved the Enbridge pipeline, but with 209 conditions. To quote a teenager from 1994: “Big whoop.” Also, big whoop goes out to the awesome pictures of soon to be decimated pristine wilderness on the report cover.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: ACTION: Illegal Israeli Settlement Goods Sold at London Drugs
SodaStream boycott informational picket Saturday, Dec. 21, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. London Drugs, Broadway @ Cambie, Vancouver Below is a notice of an important event happening on Saturday in Vancouver. If something is labelled as “Made in Israel” but is really made in an illegal Israeli settlement in the West
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Fried Squirrels
It’s a crisp, foggy November Saturday morning in the south side of the city. Seventeen people sit in the large open area at the back end of an organic fair trade coffee shop run by a workers’ co-op inspired by the Mondragon movement in Spain. Meet-ups like this are quite
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Are We Good Allies to First Nations?
This is what solidarity looks like; make sure it’s authentic! Lots of us care about deepening relationships with and social/economic/political justice for first peoples. It’s hard to come in, though, sometimes as a person from an oppressor or settler class. But there is a good checklist to make sure we’re
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Noam Chomsky in Montreal: Canada on fast track to "destroy the environment"
Chomsky in Montreal/ Tar Sands/ Syncrude upgrader plant north of Fort McMurray Noam Chomsky was in Montreal last week on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Canadian Dimension magazine. While in the city he delivered a speech. In an interview covered by the Guardian, Chomsky took direct aim at
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: The five main threats to Lake Winnipeg
October 26, 2013: Diane Orihel, founder and director of the Coalition to Save ELA, speaks to a workshop in Winnipeg on water quality sponsored by Idle No More Manitoba. Photo: Paul S. Graham Diane Orihel is a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta and the founder and Director of
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: Fracking in Manitoba
Winnipeg, Oct. 26, 2013: Retired scientist Dennis Le Neveu spoke at a forum on the environmental hazards of fracking, sponsored by Idle No More Manitoba. Photo: Paul S. Graham Fracking is a process used to extract oil and natural gas. It involves drilling horizontal wells into rock formations and injecting
Continue reading