Mexican journalist, activist and feminist Lydia Cacho battles to keep her Cancun shelter open.
human trafficking
Sasha: Sperm donations, and the criminalization of sex work
Dear Sasha,
My girlfriend went into menopause unexpectedly at 31, when a simple (botched) surgery ended in her waking up with a complete hysterectomy.
She is the only daughter, and her brother never had children of his own because he married a woman who already had five.
Both she and her parents really wanted her to have children of her own. When she and I met, we agreed that we, too, wanted children. It's been five years since the surgery, and she is still distraught over the issue.
Canada's treatment of the Tamil refugees is a defining moment
Whatever else happens, the MV Sun Sea shall be remembered as having posed a security, immigration and moral dilemma for Canada, depending on who you speak to.
A Thai registered cargo ship, the MV Sun Sea had approximately 500 potential claimants for refugee status, all of whom are of Tamil origin. It originated in Sri Lanka and was denied permission to dock by Thailand and Australia.
The ship arrived in Canadian waters Friday and was intercepted by armed Canadian military and the RCMP. After health and security officials boarded the ship in Victoria, B.C., the passengers were given medical check-ups; most have been moved to detention centres in the Vancouver area while their refugee claims are being processed. Hearings are due to begin today.
A missing daughter: Jessie Foster's story
This week will be a busy one for Glendene Grant but she describes it as resulting from "a mother's passion for her child." She will appear on radio and TV, give print media interviews, and talk to anyone who will listen.
The Kamloops, B.C., internet technician lost her daughter, Jessie Foster, four years ago, after the 22-year-old disappeared from her home in Las Vegas. Grant has hardly paused in the time since, the trauma of the loss compelling her to reach out in every direction, and across international borders in the effort to locate Foster.
"I absolutely can't stop, but I've had some people ask me why I'm wasting my time. It hurts," Grant said.
Not Rex: Terrorists, traffickers and Tamil Tigers? Oh my...
Shawn Syms, this week's Not Rex, asks: what can be done about Public Safety Minister Vic Toews' irrational fear of boats?
Toews insists the MV Sun Sea, which arrived on the B.C. coast last Thursday carrying just under 500 Tamil refugee claimants, is full of terrorists and human smugglers. But neither recent history nor reliable intelligence seem to back up his claims.
Human trafficking and The Games
In the weeks and months preceding the 2010 Winter Olympics and throughout the Games, Vancouver's billboards, airspace, and newspapers have been filled not only with ads for corporate sponsors, beers, and athletic brands, but with images of a darker sort: women beaten and bloodied, young girls looking woefully into the camera lens.
