This in response to a story in the Toronto Star (September 13, 2007) which filled me with horror and outrage!     Read more »

International Women’s Day falls on Thursday this year.  The annual Toronto rally, march and fair will be held on Saturday.

International Women’s Day rally & march
Saturday, 2007 March 10, 11 am rally
and 1 pm march to fair (below)
OISE, 252 Bloor St West  (at St George subway)

International Women’s Day fair
Saturday, 2007 March 10, noon to 5 pm
Ryerson Student Centre, 55 Gould St

Last Saturday, I participated in a rally to Close Guantanamo.  It was a rally I helped to organize with the USA Team of Amnesty International, but I never even blogged about it because I was so busy with other things.

Guantanamo is where the United States continues to hold hundreds of prisoners captured in Afghanistan.  By labeling these prisoners “enemy combatants”, the United States has claimed that they have no legal rights whatsoever.  The rally marked five years that the prison has been in operation.  Many of the prisoners that remain at Guantanamo have not had any contact with family in all these years.  Dozens of them are juveniles.  There have been suicides, hunger strikes, force-feedings and deaths.  Allegations of torture are numerous.  In fact, the United States does not deny engaging in sleep deprivation, playing loud and/or offensive music at all times of the night and day and using other techniques they do not deem torture when they are the torturers.  During the rally, we were asked for 5 minutes of silence to mark this grim anniversary.  As I thought about what these prisoners have endured, and what their families have endured, I started to cry, as I always do at Amnesty rallies.     Read more »

Troops are massing in Darfur for a ‘final solution’ that may dwarf the over 200,000 already murdered. Speakers at this rally will include Romeo Dallaire, Tragi Mustafa, and Justin Trudeau.

Sunday, 2006 September 17 at 2pm to 3:30pm.
Ramsden Park near the Rosedale subway station. Free.

Lots more information at the Global Day for Darfur (Toronto) website.

One thing I was disappointed with at the Green Party Convention was that my proposal to encourage a diverse slate of candidates didn’t pass.  All my own prospects for candidate in this riding are men, all but one are white.  Now if you know me at all, you’ll realize that I’m really quite fond of white men, and men in general, but it is nonetheless embarassing, during an election, to have to answer multiple questions about the diversity of the Green slate, with nothing positive to offer.

One day soon, I’m going to let you in on my personal thoughts about potential candidates, but I want everyone to have a voice first.  I would love to find the perfect candidate who will not only be a credit to the local Green Party, but will also help diversify our slate.  Tell me if you know that candidate.  Actually, if you know anyone out there who would make a great candidate, please get in touch with me.  And don’t forget to consider yourself.  I’d love to be in a position where we actually had a choice!