in her own words

Getting the Muslim youth vote out in Ontario

Wali Farah, running for the NDP in Ottawa-South, was one of the provincial election candidates called in to speak to Muslim youth in Ottawa.

Concerns have been raised about the lack of political engagement of Canadian youth. During the federal election, voting flash mobs at Canadian universities were seen as a way to get young voters excited and eager to vote.

Unfortunately, most efforts to engage youth have been initiated by groups and organizations that I feel do not reflect the ethno-cultural diversity of Canada's major cities. As an activist in Ottawa's Muslim communities who is passionate about civic engagement, I wanted to take a lead in addressing what I've seen as a lack of engagement among young Muslims of voting age.

embedded_video

in her own words

Municipal Elections 2010: The Colour of Poverty in Toronto and Ontario

Colour of Poverty Campaign 2008. Photo: Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc.

To mark the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty," members of the Colour of Poverty Campaign -- Colour of Change Network (COP/C) from various parts of Ontario -- held a press conference earlier this month to call on all levels of Canadian government to help eradicate poverty in Ontario and Canada.

The group has many concerns about the "invisibility of racialized poverty" and the lack of attention to these issues in the media in Toronto and GTA's upcoming municipal elections.

embedded_video

in his own words

G20 a month later: Reflections on confronting impacts of economic austerity

Photo: Harry Choi

A month ago, thousands of chanting voices echoed between downtown towers in the core of Canada's largest city, with people reclaiming the streets, facing down thousands of armed police -- a dignified challenge to the closed-door G20 summit.

Brightly coloured protest flags flew in the summer winds, people confronted a billion-dollar security machine aimed at stifling dissent. Behind multilayered razor security walls, far away from street protests, technocrats crafted global policy in an armed fortress at a distance from public accountability or media scrutiny.

embedded_video

Columnists

Democracy: 'Government by amateurs'

I went to an all-candidates meeting recently in the race to replace our Toronto city councillor, Joe Pantalone, who's running for mayor. The candidates were mostly lawyer or city-planner types. But one differed: Derek Chadbourne, a bike courier for 16 years who runs The Bike Joint, a local repair shop. A neighbour, who works on Bay Street, said he knows Derek, he's a great guy, too bad he can't win. I asked why. He seemed to think it was obvious. He doesn't have credentials or expertise, like the rest. But, but -- I sputtered -- Democracy is government by amateurs. I must have read it somewhere.

rabble news

Enbridge gets 'mic checked' at Line 9 public hearings

Police and protesters following a temporary shut down of the Line 9 hearings.

Public hearings in London, Ontario for Enbridge's proposed reversal of the Line 9 pipeline had barely begun Wednesday when more than a dozen protesters, including members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, quickly shut down the proceedings.

Within moments of the disruption, the National Energy Board (NEB) panel and the representatives from Enbridge exited the room through the Hilton London staff doors.

Using the people's mic tactic, the demonstrators challenged the hearings for "failing to consider the impacts of tar sands expansion and all the treaties being breached by this proposed pipeline reversal." 

No 'free, prior and informed consent' for Enbridge

embedded_video

politics

Important things missing from report on G20 policing

During the G20 meetings in Toronto in June 2010, police arrested over 1000 people. In the lead-up to the G20, police carried out extensive infiltration of activist groups, and a number of activists remain in jail today. Victims of the police repression have waited two long years without anything resembling accountability. rabble.ca correspondent krystalline kraus reported live from the streets of Toronto during the G20.

embedded_video

Not Rex: Ontario welfare workers - These boots were made for walking

In Ontario's Peel Region and Renfrew County, welfare workers have put on their walking boots!

1234567next ›last »
Syndicate content