Occupied Ottawa will be baaaaaaaack on May 12th. But we didn't really go away. In this blog, allow me to present guest bloggers Matt Morgan and John Bainbridge w/ an interview of Squid Murgatroyd, writing here to give you all an update.

N.B. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Occupied Ottawa.

I've noticed my blogs about the Inner Activist training module "Building Conscious Use of Power" are getting longer and longer. For those of you who would rather explore the program for yourselves than watch my talking head, check out Inner Essentials, which is an online program offered by the same folks who are putting on this training. And honestly, they are not paying me to shill this program. I think it's a really good idea for those of us who are engaged in change work.

As my adventures in "Building Conscious Use of Power" continue, check out the body work I had to do yesterday and today. As resistant as I have been to some of this "inner work," I have to admit I have been given some startling and interesting insights into some of the things that make me tick (and tock) as an activist and sources of power that I was not aware of.

Video after the jump... stay tuned for more!

Whew! it's been a tough and draining day here at the Haven on Gabriola Island. I learned tons today, not all of which is going to fit into one video blog, so I'm going to try to post two tomorrow because there was one particularly intriguing exercise I wanted to share. Scroll down after the jump for the video blog.

Today we talked about power, marginalization, unconscious and systemic biases and how to try to overcome them. Some of the concepts I found most interesting:

Second installment -- more to come tomorrow!

Hey, Rabble Rousers!

I'll be on Gabriola Island in beautiful B.C. over the next few days, taking a course called The Inner Activist. The module I'm doing is called 'Building Conscious Use of Power' and i'm really looking forward to it.

But what use is training and education if you don't share? Like Maya Angelou said:

"When you learn, teach, when you get, give."

Bourgeois society is not fundamentally opposed to the bourgeois women's movement... - Clara Zetkin

On International Women's Day 2012, most of the women of this country are in deep shit.

So, here we languish in Harperstan, watching our fearless leader off in Switzerland alternately boasting and smacking those Europeans around for their silly attachment to "entitlements" such as workers' rights. Don't worry, he's coming home soon to spank us too. Gone are the sweater vest, the fireplace chat, and the kitten; here's Economic Rambo.

When I was much younger and used to canvass for union-buster extraordinaire Greenpeace, we all quickly learned that the holiday season was the time to rock those door-to-door donations. The United Way has long known this and 'tis the season for those United Way workplace fundraising drives. Chances are your workplace has one getting started right about now.

One month ago, on a beautiful October day at noon, surrounded by red-gold autumn trees, I stood with my family and 500 people around the huge fountain in Confederation Park, feeling the thrill of history being made. As our first facilitators -- "rogue page" Brigette dePape and Indigenous environmental activist Ben Powless -- jumped onto the fountain and hailed us, I felt as though the sun had come out at last in this cold, grey capital, where people usually hurry by, stern-faced, avoiding your gaze. At last we were going to take the time to talk to each other face-to-face.