Reverend Doctor Denise Yarbrough is the Interreligious Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, New York, and a teacher of Interfaith Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. In July of last year, she was part of a delegation that traveled to Israel and the Palestine under the sponsorship of Interfaith Peace Builders and the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. There, she spent much time in the West Bank and in Palestinian sections of Israel itself, speaking with both Palestinian and Israeli human rights and peace activists.read more

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Jack Layton's reputation speaks for itself. For more than two decades he has been dedicated to public service - as a councillor, scholar, president of the federation of Canadian municipalities, chair of the Toronto board of Health, and the city's Member of Parliament and deputy mayor. Since 2003, he has lead the New Democratic Party of Canada and in 2008, successfully increased the federal caucus by almost 25% - just 6 seats less than at the party's peak during the 1980s.On October 9th, Jack Layton gave a speech at this year's CUPE National Convention in Montreal. In it, he praised the work of public sector employees and their families, and emphasized the importance of strong public services in overcoming economic recession.read more

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Ken Georgetti is one of Canada's most recognized defenders of labour rights. He was first elected 10 years ago as president of the Canadian Labour Congress, after a quarter century of union activism in British Columbia. This included a 13-year stint as the youngest-ever president of the BC Federation of Labour, during which time its membership doubled. Both provincially and federally, Georgetti has been an avid leader and activist, and has advocated what he calls "intelligent militancy" and unity between the 55 affiliated unions within the CLC.read more

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Since 2003, Vancouver East has been home to North America's first legal supervised injection site for drug users lacking access to health services. The program is called "Insite," and provides a safe location for men and women to inject drugs and to receive needed health attention  - everything from immediate care for disease and infection, to addiction counselling and mental health treatment.read more

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On September 7th, 2007, Kenyan parliamentary candidate Flora Igoki Terah was abducted and tortured by a group of men. The attack took place with the intention of silencing her election bid against a minister in President Mwai Kibaki's government, and was carried out with impunity. Terah's physical recovery took weeks and resulted in the loss of her place in the December election, but the hardest blow came the following year when her 19-year-old only son was murdered, his death brushed aside by the authorities. read more

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On September 26th, the Yukon NDP Leadership Convention was held in Whitehorse. The event's special guest-speaker was Jim Sinclair - President of the BC Federation of Labour, which represents 500,000 workers throughout the province. For more than 25 years, Jim Sinclair has been an articulate member of the labour movement. After working for the Nelson Daily News, he became part of the fishing industry and, in the 1990s, was elected second Vice President of the United Fisherman and Allied Workers' Union/Canadian Auto Workers' Union - a position he held for eight years. He was elected President of the BC Federation of Labour in 1999, and since then has also come to sit on the Board of Directors for Working Enterprises Ltd., the Working Opportunity Fund, and BC Citizens for Public Power.

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For the past 30 years, Gloria Mills has been a driving force in the trade union movement. After moving from Trinidad to Britain in her late teens, she became a regional organiser for the National Union of Public Employees in London in 1985, beginning her life's work as a campaigner for workers' rights. In 2005, Mills was appointed president of the Trade Union Congress - the first black woman to hold the position. During her year-long term, she became a prominent advocate of diversity issues and equal opportunities in the workplace. Today, she is national secretary for Unision, the biggest trade union in the UK, and is honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.read more

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On September 8th, the Canadian Centre for International Cooperation's Americas Policy Group hosted a panel discussion at the University of Ottawa to explore concerns raised by the Harper government's proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The meeting highlighted the importance of conducting a Human Rights Impact Assessment before ratifying the agreement, as was recommended by the House of Commons' international trade committee. In addition, it examined the influence of transnational corporations on the rights of Colombians, and the potential harm to be caused by the Canadian government in endorsing such corporations in a country with significant existing human and labour rights abuses.read more

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This is the second in a three-part series of talks from the Social Change Institute, held at Hollyhock on Cortes Island in early May. This time out, Van Jones, an environmentalist, social justice advocate and social entrepreneur who Judy Rebick believes might become a greater leader than Martin Luther King. Van Jones, 37, is the founder and National Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Headquartered in Oakland, CA, EBC is a national organization that challenges human rights abuses in the U.S. criminal justice system.

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On August 26th, Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood was the location of an enthusiastic panel discussion regarding the Canadian government's abuse of the civil rights of some of its citizens in the name of security and counter-terrorism precaution. The panel, organized by Octopus Books, was an opportunity for the sharing and consideration of the experiences and activism of its speakers and all in attendance.Speakers:Abdullah Almalki - Canadian citizen who was detained, interrogated and tortured in SyriaYavar Hameed - Human rights lawyer, counsel for Abousfian Abdelrazikread more

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On May 27th, the fourth and final equity issues panel was conducted at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities. The sessions marked the 25th anniversary of Rosalie Abella's Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, and sought to explore the status of equity today, and the progress made by those committed to the equity agenda in Canadian universities. The last panel, "25 Years After: A Retrospective on the Abella Commission and Employment Equity," looked specifically at the successes and failures of employment equity initiatives over the last two and a half decades in order to determine just how much of the rhetoric has been supported by practice.Speakers:Judy Rebick, Ryerson UniversityShelagh Day, Poverty and Human Rights Centre of Vancouverread more

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On May 28th at the Congress of the Humanities, Judy Rebick discussed some of the themes explored in her recent book, "Transforming Power: From the Personal to the Political." Her lecture examined the social and political potential of what has become a new, interactive movement driven by technology - a movement Rebick asserts has the capacity to revolutionize our understanding of power and to engage an ever more connected public. The lecture was followed by a question and answer period. (Please note that audience members did not have a microphone, so audio quality varies.)read more

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The Federation Equity Issues Portfolio conducted the third of its four-part equity panel series on May 26th. It featured Joyce Green, Makere Stewart-Harawira and Rauna Kuokkanen, who examined the status of indigenous peoples in Canadian universities, and the status of scholarship on indigenous people. Held as part of the 2009 Congress of the Humanities, the panels serve to explore what has been gained and what stands to be achieved for equity-seeking groups in the Canadian Academy.Speakers:Joyce Green, University of ReginaMakere Stewart-Harawira, University of AlbertaRauna Kuokkanen, University of Torontoread more

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On June 26th, The International Development Research Centre hosted a lecture by Neil Turok, Director of the Perimetre Institute for Theoretical Physics, and founder of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Capetown, South Africa. Turok showcased the AIMS model and stressed the importance of investing in the math and science skills of the continent's younger generation -- what he asserts are crucial tools in driving economies and addressing challenges such as disease and natural resource management.The event was followed by a brief question and answer period.

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"Seeding Change: Linking Youth for Food Sovereignty in Honduras and Canada" took place on July 2nd in Ottawa. The event was hosted by USC Canada, which has been working to improve food security in Honduras since 1998. Three young organic farmers - two from Ottawa and one from Honduras - shared photos of their experiences and, with the help of an intimate audience, discussed the challenges and benefits of regaining control over what we eat and where it comes from.Speakers:Sergio Ramirez, ecology student and coordinator of a youth agricultural research team (CIAL) in HondurasDavid Burnford, co-founder of the Riverglen Biodynamic Farm in OttawaGeoff Cross, facilitator of the OPIRG community garden at the University of Ottawaread more

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On May 25th, the second installment of a four-part equity panel series was conducted by the Federation Equity Issues Portfolio at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities. The panels served to examine the status of equity-seeking groups in today's Canadian Academy, 25 years after Rosalie Silberman Abella issued the Report of the Royal Commission on Equality in Employment. Speakers:Anthony Stewart, Dalhousie UniversityAruna Srivastava, University of CalgaryDarren Lund, University of Calgary The panel was followed by a question and answer period.    

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Five speakers from across Canada made up the first of a four-part panel series held at the Congress of the Humnanities to explore the status of equity-seeking groups in today's Canadian Academy. Speakers:Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Simon Fraser UniversityJames Deaville, Carleton UniversityAshok Mathur, Thompson River UniversityCarl James, York UniversityDolana Mogadime, Brock University  The panel was followed by a question and answer period.

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At the 2009 Congress of the Humanities, Carleton University's International Policy Forum presented a panel discussion to promote the launch of "Afghanistan and Canada: Is there an Alternative to the War?". Speakers:Lucia Kowaluk - co-editor of the book, grassroots community organizer and former coordinator of Montreal's Urban Ecology CentreSteve Staples - co-editor of the book, Director of the Rideau Institute, defence and public-policy researcherStephen Cornish - contributor to the book, Policy & Advocacy Advisor for CARE Canada Introduction by Loren Hunter - Director of the International Policy Forum, Carleton Universityread more

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SaveourNet.ca partnered with Telecommunities Canada, rabble.ca and The Tyee for Ottawa's Open Internet Town Hall, with support from NUPGE. Speakers:Michael Geist - law professor at the University of Ottawa where he is Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, bloggerCharlie Angus - NDP MP, Heritage and CultureRocky Gaudrault - CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc.read more

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On May 5, 2009, Ryerson University was host to a free screening of Us Now, a UK documentary about how the web enables people of all ages to participate in their communities. The event was organized by Volunteer Toronto. 02:36 The event began with words from Toronto Mayor David Miller on shift toward open governance in the City of Toronto (see Toronto.ca/open), and on Twitter. Mayor Miller is introduced by Andy Strote, President of the Board of Directors, Volunteer Toronto.read more

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From the 2009 Congress of the Humanties: Dr. Devon Lougheed talks about just what's funny, and just what what's funny means to us all.read more

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Teamsters Canada held its 10th convention from June 8-11 at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. Jimmy Hoffa Jr, the General president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, addressed the assembly on issues including the new Obama regime, the economic crisis, organizing across borders, and the Columbia Free Trade Agreement. Hoffa is introduced by Teamsters Canada President, Robert Bouvier. To learn more about the Teamsters, visit http://www.teamsters-canada.org/

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The Future of the Internet:  Access, Openness, and Inclusion A Town Hall Discussion Open Internet Town Hall Meeting (TORONTO) Monday June 8, 2009, 7:00pm – The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West) Speakers include: Mark Surman – Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation Steve Anderson – Co-founder, SaveOurNet.ca Rocky Gaudrault – CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc. Raymi the Minx of http://raymitheminx.com/ & Sass of http://zucket.com/ Derek Blackadder –  National Representative with CUPEread more

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Teamsters Canada held its 10th convention from June 8-11 at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. Globe and Mail columist and CTV commentator, Jane Taber, addressed the convention on the importance of union engagement with media and new media, and also shared some insight into the experience of reporting from the Hill.      

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What made Obama's campaign marketing work so well? Dr. Jeffrey MacLeod presents research at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities.read more

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Alex Marland, Associate Professor at Memorial University, presenting at a 2009 Congress of the Humanities roundtable. The title of the session was The State of Political Marketing in Canada.

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This month is rabble.ca's eighth birthday, and to celebrate we convened a panel to talk about the media. It was called What's Wrong With Canada's Newspapers, and featured Linda McQuaig, Peter C. Neuman, and Wayne MacPhail. This is Linda McQuaig's address.

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On March 9, 2009,John Ging, UN Director of Operations in Gaza, addressed a Code Pink delegation in Gaza City. Code Pink visited Gaza at the invitation of UNRWA - the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA,was established by United Nations General Assembly by a resolution made in December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2011.read more

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On March 9, 2009,  Mr. Husam El-Nounou and Mr. Hassan Ziada, of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme addressed members of Code Pink in Gaza City.  They discussed the psychological effects of the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza, both on the general population, and on youth in particular. They also spoke to the need for Israelis to address their own psychological wounds as part of the path to peace. http://www.gcmhp.net/The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) is a Palestinian non-governmental, non-profit organization established in 1990 to provide comprehensive community mental health services - therapy, training and research - to the population of the Gaza Strip.read more

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