test blog 3

One of the reasons wmtc5 is in late August is that June will be crazy in Toronto. The 2010 G20 Summit will be in town, and a beehive of activity is taking place around it, to protest, respond to and counter the official agendas. I've never lived in a G8 or G20 Summit city, and I've never traveled to one to join protests or alternative agendas, so for me personally this is an exciting opportunity. I'm very excited about the June 25 Shout Out For Global Justice event; I'm especially looking forward to hearing Vandana Shiva and Pablo Solon. * * * * From June 18-20, "The People's Summit" will meet to discuss an alternative global agenda. The actions and policies of the G8 and G20 have significant impacts on millions of lives the world over, and with this, comes an opportunity for us - community organizers, activists, non-governmental organizations, independent media, workers, impacted communities, artists – the people – to work together to educate, empower a...

You may not remember Jessica Watson's name, but you should never forget what a 16-year-old girl is capable of. Australian teen completes round-the-world sail SYDNEY – A 16-year-old Australian who spent seven months at sea in her pink yacht sailed across the finish line of her round-the-world journey Saturday, becoming the youngest sailor to circle the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted. Thousands of spectators erupted into cheers as Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbour, the finale to an epic adventure in which she battled 40-foot (12-meter) waves, homesickness and critics who said she'd never make it home alive. "She said she'd sail around the world, and she has," a tearful Julie Watson said as she watched her grinning daughter cruise past the finish line from a nearby boat. "She's home." Watson docked at Sydney's iconic Opera House. The teenager burst into tears and gasped in relief as she stepped off the yacht and into the arms of her par...

A funny thing happens whenever I write about the Liberals or the NDP on this blog. When I criticize the Liberals, someone comes along to say the Libs are really not that bad, the media is against them, Ignatieff is the best they have (goddess help us!), I'm overlooking some key bit of strategy, it's all Harper's fault, or some other excuse. When I criticize the New Democrats, someone stops by to accuse me of supporting the Liberals! When I was angry that the NDP propped up the Conservatives, a commenter said, "Why don't you just admit you're a Liberal partisan and get it over with?" A Liberal partisan? Obviously you don't read this blog - ever. As much as I loathe the Harper Government, I credit a good deal of their political success to the horrifically inept Liberals. If the Liberals were any kind of opposition, Harper would be a thing of the past by now. The Conservatives are vulnerable on so many fronts. Every week they create another opening for th...

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was in Halifax this morning to promote the government's anti-refugee bill. Some folks from No One Is Illegal Halifax were there to greet him. From No One Is Illegal: Refugee Reforms will hurt refugee claimants - Migrant justice activists protest Bill C-11 HALIFAX -- Early this morning, migrant justice activists dropped a banner reading "Status for Refugees: No to Bill C-11" from the Cogswell interchange, in protest of the refugee reform bill currently being debated in parliament. The protests came in response to a visit by Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney, who is responsible for the proposed reforms. "Already people are falling through the cracks in the refugee system and are deported to unsafe situations" says Jane Kirby, a member of No One is Illegal-Halifax. "These reforms will only impose further hardship on those who are fleeing unsafe situations". The proposed reforms woul...

Good morning, CIC spy. I asked the Vancouver chapter of the War Resisters Support Campaign if they wanted me to post this. They said, sure, you're invited, too. + + + + War Resisters Support Campaign - Vancouver CALL TO ACTION! Minister of Immigration who called War Resisters "bogus refugees" - Jason Kenney - will be in Vancouver this afternoon. He will be hosting a "roundtable discussion on immigration reform". That would be the heinous Bill C-11 that was introduced on March 30, 2010. Media have been invited for a photo opportunity and media availability following the roundtable. We're going to join them. What: Greet Immigration Minister Jason Kenney When: Friday May 14, 2010 at 5:15 pm Where: CIC Regional Headquarters, 800 Burrard St, Vancouver, 2nd floor boardroom How: Bring signs, noisemakers, any creative communication tools you can think of [For more information, email me for contact numbers.] War Resisters Support Campaign Vancouver

From friend and reader Matthew Bin , who posts here as M@ , to his Member of Parliament: Dear Terence, I apologize for dropping two e-mails in your inbox on one day, but a situation has arisen that, with respect, deserves an answer. Last summer, I sent an e-mail (copied below) to your office, asking if you could tell me why CIC, with its apparently insufficient resources, is monitoring a private citizen's blog. I received a call from a member of your staff a few weeks later, asking me to confirm that I am actually a constituent in Oakville, and I assured him that I was. He told me that I would receive a reply soon, but to date no reply has been forthcoming. I would like to hear your comments on a related situation reported by the same blogger today. The story is described in full at the following URL: http://wmtc.blogspot.com/2010/05/hello-cic-nice-to-see-youre-still.html I will provide a short summary so that you don't need to pore through the whole thing: the blogger in quest...

From the Canadian Council for Refugees : Urgent action request - C-11 Yesterday the CCR met with a number of Members of Parliament in Ottawa about C-11, as well as appearing before the Standing Committee. We identified an urgent need to press the Liberal Party to take a strong position in favour of refugee rights. It appears that the Party will be discussing what position to take in the next couple of days: the two competing currents of opinion are 1) a rights-based position that rejects unacceptable aspects of the bill, and 2) a compromise position that seeks only a few minor amendments to Bill C-11. We believe that it is important that the Liberal Party hear that many people are concerned about this bill and are looking to the Liberals to take a strong position. Please send an email message, preferably TODAY (12 May) or TOMORROW (13 May) to the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Ignatieff, with copies to the Liberal members of the Standing Committee (Maurizio Bevilacqua, Denis Coder...