Amy MacPherson2013-05-21T19:54:57-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=amy-macphersonCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Amy MacPhersonGood old fashioned elbow grease.David Suzuki Empowers 8,000 Youth to Wake Up Canada!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.32128332013-05-05T22:16:20-04:002013-05-06T06:27:26-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/
On April 25, 2013, renowned scientist Dr. David Suzuki attended the WFCU Centre to empower the crowd with his Wake Up Canada call. It's a campaign organized by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC) to support a day of action, encouraging kids to advocate for their environmental future through the very media that overlooked them this time around.
The event was broadcast province-wide with the help of TVCogeco, but still there was little response from adults or acknowledgement of this priceless opportunity for students across Ontario. Guest speakers came all the way from British Columbia to help unite Canadians and foster our understanding that we're all in this together -- that the legacy we leave our children really does matter, especially to them.
This jam-packed hockey stadium hosted fellow speakers in the Wake Up Canada entourage. They included a First Nations activist with Greenpeace, Melina Laboucan Massimo. She explained the damage of Alberta bitumen harvesting practices and oppression that caused her to leave the reserve she always knew as home.
Pictures of tailings ponds shocked the crowd on the overhead screen. Although most of the kids were high school students, some of them were a bit younger. Explaining the threat of chemical leachates contaminating drinking water wasn't lost on any of them though.
Next was Sam Harrison, from Kids for Climate Action. His message was politically focused and it packed a memorable punch. He's only a young fellow and talking politics to children might have seemed out of place, until he riled his peers with tremendous enthusiasm for what he came this far to say.
Six-million children will turn 18 in time to vote in the next federal election. If they all participate, these newly minted adults could be the difference between a minority or majority government of their own doing. He proudly sported a button saying "Future Climate Voter" and the idea of kids having a say in their destiny penetrated deeper than society gives them credit.
Some may see our children as playing in parks without a care in the world; but the truth is we uprooted the trees, paved over the grass and polluted the air so badly that they can't breathe during summer. We replaced their time at parks with a reliance on air conditioning and slathering their bodies in sunscreen to avoid skin cancer. It's not so much that kids are maturing faster in modern times, as we're responsible for forcing them to grow up and solve the issues they've inherited.
Mr. Harrison's message dovetailed with Dr. Suzuki's description of the environmental challenges we've bestowed upon our children. He candidly offered,
"You see, my generation and those that followed, we partied like there was no tomorrow and forgot that there were consequences. We now see the results of living so extravagantly in the '50s, '60s, '70s. My generation left a legacy that you will have to deal with."
He also mentioned that he was speaking with students as a concerned grandfather, after political bullying forced him to abdicate his own board of directors at the David Suzuki Foundation. He wasn't shy to explain his challenges and this example of muzzling Canada's scientists brought a rare moment of silence to the arena. Suzuki was genuine and heartfelt in his delivery. The effect was disarming and somehow more real than hearing these issues discussed by concerned pundits on television.
But the guests of honour wouldn't let this gathering end on a sore note. The sobering moments were perhaps so powerful because the rest of the time was filled with laughter, hope, a ton of cheering and a positive plan for the future. On May 30, 2013, kids will share their Wake Up Canada messages to let us know how much they care and that we can all do something about it! It's a national event, there's enough time for schools to get involved and the only thing they need from us is a moment to truly listen.
Following the grand production a smaller group broke away to meet with Dr. Suzuki and the cast of traveling speakers, barely five minutes away in Tecumseh, Ontario. At the local museum they were joined by Cameron Fenton from the CYCC and Kevin Millsip from Next Up, known for youth leadership training.
The purpose of this detour was meant to inaugurate a very special project that was co-founded by the CAW's Ken Lewenza Jr. (Full disclosure: Lewenza Jr. organized the larger event in Windsor and both were planned together. I'm connected to the latter through social justice initiatives.)
The Canvas Campus is a "street tank" of sorts, akin to a think tank but for ordinary people. Young, old, experts and beginners are welcomed to sign on. Its purpose is to offer free education and the Dean of Canvas Campus is the respected Len Wallace, a professor from the University of Windsor.
With blessings from David Suzuki and a collective pledge of $50,000 from the labour community, things were off to a good start. The Ontario Federation of Labour's Antoni Shelton stopped by for the celebration as well.
The Canvas Campus is situated in an Aboriginal Tipi adjacent to the museum and it was launched through consultations with First Nations elders. They cautiously lent Indigenous support and friends of the project attended for the inspiring grand opening. Native art adorns the interior of this culturally respected structure and teaching is shared in the spirit of Tecumseh. (See pictures below)
The Tipi is cherished by locals in the Windsor-Essex area, but the initiative isn't limited by its physical location. Equipped with audio, video, Internet and Skype; the Canvas Campus began its first class by reaching out long distance.
Fifty-five students were present with Dr. Suzuki and the many guests who came to share their knowledge. A classroom from Peel Region joined them on a screen set in the centre and this is where the real magic happened, as youths were able to interact and ask questions.
Here's one of the more poignant answers regarding the corporate agenda, the politics of environment and the power of children in this equation:
In case anyone thought our kids didn't care about corporate responsibility, here's another glimpse of the business minds and curiosity that propelled their teach-in forward:
(A full list of video clips can be found on the Canvas Campus website here and photos from the inauguration with links to all speakers is located here.)
In the end these grand ideas and global challenges circled back to our own communities. As Dr. Suzuki explained in his experience, it's been too overwhelming for individuals to contemplate climate change on an international scale. Trying to solve the problems of entire industries or continents can become daunting in a hurry, but it doesn't need to be that way if we focus on issues in our neighbourhoods.
The overarching theme that tied everything together is we can each do our small part and combined it makes a difference. Training ourselves to pick up a piece of garbage each day can equate to 33-million plastic water bottles or cardboard sandwich containers being recycled, also in a single day (Canada alone).
The Canvas Campus will continue to provide free learning opportunities and it hopes to grow through membership. Upcoming guests include quantum physicist Bill Baylis and while this educational street-tank began with scientific issues, experts from social justice fields will be added to the roster shortly.
If you wish to share your expertise or request a class in the physical and/or Skype audience, you're invited to contact the Canvas Campus. Topic proposals will be accepted and they'll do their best to provide an appropriate instructor to meet your needs.
This project is dedicated to uniting knowledge from all across the country, as well as fostering a sense of unity and strength at the local community level. Eventually there may be satellites and those interested in expansion should direct their inquiries to Ken Lewenza Jr. Finally, here's a photo album to demonstrate what all the hype is about.
]]>Has the Liberal Party Jeopardized Recent Gains?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28582992013-03-13T17:18:55-04:002013-05-13T05:12:01-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/
It was previously reported that 294,000 individuals signed on to help them choose a new leader. It was a memorable achievement, compared to the heyday of Liberal majority governments that caused politicos to re-evaluate the party's ability to rebound. While many celebrated this renewal, detractors were also on cue with criticism to point out the majority didn't account for full-fledged members.
The Libs established a new category of participant in an effort to get the electorate more involved. It was a try before you buy concept that successfully inspired a lethargic public to re-engage in politics, at least for the time being. "Supporters" didn't have to pay for membership and they didn't exercise all the rights that came with being a card-carrying member; but they did receive updates and could vote for the new leadership. It was a laudable strategy that attracted enough new blood for many to start singing the Wind of Change.
The only problem is, with this new designation came a new process that appears to be causing some grief. Members and supporters alike have neglected to finish their registration that included the most important steps to complete. A second confirmation is required by March 14, 2013 to participate in voting and up to three quarters of participants have forgotten to follow through.
According to campaign insider Marc David, out of 294,000 initial registrants, only 73,500 may be eligible to vote. He breaks the numbers down further and explains that 50,000 are believed to be regular paid members, while the rest classify as "supporters." It goes without saying these numbers are estimates until the final tally, but he worries the majority of initiates may miss the opportunity to participate.
"It was the party's first election done this way, so it was expected that some glitches were going to pop up. But to lose three quarters of the people already signed up is hard to take," says Marc David.
He's working double time to inform fellow Liberals, old and new, it is indeed a two-step process. The first registration was meant to indicate or renew party membership and to accept the newest class of supporters. The second is actually registering to vote with the security PIN provided at step one. Mr. David has been sharing the subsequent paperwork to help everyone identify if they filled it out.
Blog continues below slideshow....
Daryl Fridhandler is the southern Alberta district organizer and he expanded on issues that may impact the resulting turnout. By telephone interview, he said the process of double registration is confusing even some of the most weathered Liberal veterans. When you do something one way for so long, it often creates an obstacle to absorb an entirely different method. He adds the LPC had little time to ground everyone in the new technique.
Fridhandler also described resistance from some of the masses, who declined to provide the security information required to keep fraud at bay. All parts of the voter registration document had to be completed or participants would find themselves disqualified from voting -- and this includes paid members. Some registrants were suspicious and took issue with questions relating to birthdate, mother's maiden name and first pet. Despite his reassurance these security features were needed to protect the integrity of the election, there were still folks who refused to provide personal details.
He says prospective voters had the choice to participate online or via snail mail, but the forms might have been challenging for elderly populations and those who practice English or French as a second language. This is the debate reported by volunteers who are trying to encourage them to finish.
Although Fridhandler couldn't confirm the exact numbers provided by his counterpart, he did say these glitches could cost the party 30 to 70 per cent of original support, in agreement with David's projections. He anticipates a debriefing will address complications that arose from the leadership campaign. As with all new things, they also agree it's been a valuable learning experience.
The good news is that information is available to help those affected before it's too late. Fridhandler acknowledges there are numerous emails being sent to recipients from Liberal candidates and the party. He said it's possible they might have overlooked the invitation to complete registration and hopes everyone will hunt for the applicable message.
He advises if supporters provided an email address upon recruitment and haven't received a second message to confirm voting, they can contact the party through the online help section dedicated to this purpose. Any questions related to web participation should also be directed here.
For those who did not provide an email address and opted for traditional mail, the response is a bit more complicated and in this case Fridhandler describes a few scenarios.
If they received a second registration (for the sole purpose of voting) through Canada Post, it will need to be thoroughly answered to qualify. Omitted responses are likely to result in being excluded.
Respondents who've provided the necessary information must ensure their letters are postmarked by March 14, 2013. The party realizes they won't receive all applications by this date, but as long as they're in the mail before deadline, the participant will be accepted.
Finally, anyone experiencing difficulty should contact the representative who signed them up for assistance. This person may be able to help the individual complete the form and get it submitted expediently. Organizers state they're doing their best to alleviate confusion.
A number of volunteers requested an extension that would allow them to cope with glitches, but as yet there is no confirmation and the registration date remains set at March 14. That's only two days to protect the 294,000 participants from dropping to 73,500 if estimates are correct.
Moments before publication, Sarah Bain responded to inquiries on behalf of Liberal Party of Canada President, Mike Crawley. She indicates the party will not release official numbers until the registration process is complete, but they look to be on track to reach 100,000 eligible voters. Ms. Bain confirms that organizers have access to these running tallies and any campaign has the ability to check this information. It's up to them if they provide it in their efforts to process registrants.
Regarding a deadline extension, it would be a committee decision that isn't made directly by the office of president. No alterations have been suggested at this time. Bain closes by informing supporters they can view a website video that explains the double registration process and they are more than happy to help anyone with questions (see video part one and part two).
]]>Part II: Where Your CPP Money Really Goestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24876632013-01-22T12:30:49-05:002013-03-24T05:12:02-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/In part one of this two-part series, we examined the Canada Pension Plan's (CPP) investment in drones, computerized soldiers, land occupation and an infamous prison scandal. Part two is dedicated to the many potential conflicts of interest -- yours, mine, the executives' and the PMO's. Some might be moral. Some might be something more.
If you look at the CPP Investment Board of Directors, you will find that all but one executive was appointed since the determined change in strategy under the Harper government. These board members are skilled leaders from different industries, but no matter their background, most of them share something in common.
Robert Astley was the President of Sun Life. CPP purchased $109 million worth of stock in Sun Life. (See CPP domestic portfolio and foreign portfolio, PDF)
Ian Bourne is Chief Executive Officer of SNC-Lavalin. CPP invested $21 million in SNC-Lavalin in spite of the company being plagued by ties to the Gadhafi regime and fraud charges that are still winding through the courts.
Bourne is also the Director of Canadian Oil Sands Limited, which has a large stake in theSyncrude project -- the project at the heart of a lawsuit involving Greenpeace and the death of wildlife. Syncrude was convicted and fined more than half a million dollars. Our CPP investments in this company total $80 million.
BP is responsible for the tragic Gulf Coast oil spill that may cost more than $7 billion in legal settlements to cover the damage. And if we look in our CPP foreign column, we'll find $347 million invested in BP.
Nexen is another curious entry with $62 million in CPP investments. It's unclear what will happen to this particular investment, since Harper made waves by allowing the company to be purchased by China. The deal was embroiled in controversy regarding national security. CSIS raised concerns about compromising Canadian intelligence, while the United States rebuked the purchaser's energy partnership with Iran. Still, it went unreported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had to freeze assets to investigate cases of Nexen insider trading that resulted from our sell-off.
Moving along in our Board of Directors, we arrive at Pierre Choquettewas the CEO of Methanex. Douglas W. Mahaffy is the current director of Methanex. The company is the world's largest producer of methanol for petrochemical use. It received $38 million from CPP. Choquette further served as a director at TELUS, which received $116 million from CPP. TELUS employs two former consultants linked to the E-Health scandal that rocked Ontario.
Heather Monroe-Blum sits on the Board of Directors for the Royal Bank of Canada. RBC received $707 million from CPP and is the Plan's largest domestic holding. That's putting a lot of our eggs in one basket, which seems unwise, especially when that one company has been implicated in the LIBOR scandal .
Karen Sheriff heads Bell Aliant as the CEO and president. CPP has invested $21 million with that company. Joe Mark Zurel is listed as the Director of Major Drilling Group, which has also received $12 million from CPP. Nancy Hopkins is the Director of Cameco Corporation. CPP invested $43 million there. Robert Brooks was the Vice Chair of Scotiabank. CPP invested $537 million in the company. Brooks also headed Dundee Wealth. CPP invested $20 million with Dundee's parent company.
In addition to these revelations, the CPP is a substantial partner of Onex. The Onex Corporation purchased Raytheon's air division in 2006. Raytheon is a defence contractor. It's the world's largest producer of guided missiles and nuclear warheads. These weapons are involved in conflicts from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Libya to Syria and everywhere the U.S. military sets foot. The acquisition of Raytheon's flight technology created the Hawker Beechcraft company, putting Onex in the business of peddling combat planes to governments.
The managing director of Onex was Nigel Wright. He took leave from the position to become our Prime Minister's chief of staff, exactly two months after CPP entered a multi-billion dollar partnership with his company. While the Conservatives called this "great news for Canada's economic policy," the NDP's Charlie Angus cautioned Wright to "follow the rules" regarding conflict interest.
Wright was recently cleared in an ethics probe about the same issue with Barrick Gold (in which CPP holds a $330 million stake). The founding family of Barrick sat on the Onex board of directors and there were questions about personal lobbying that could have led to the PMO.
Despite the investigation's positive outcome for Wright, MP Angus took issue with the commissioner's process. When additional conflict issues were raised by OMERS, they were dismissed as mistakes in a hasty response from the Prime Minister on Wright's behalf.
As we've seen , Harper's chief of staff is also connected to Lockheed Martin (Incidentally CPP holds $78 million in that company as well). Nigel Wright's duties as director of Onex included oversight of Hawker Beechcraft, the partner to Lockheed Martin, which produced the fighter jets at the centre of F-35 debacle. This places the CPP in a bizarre love triangle with Onex and Lockheed, well beyond anything we purchased in stock.
In July 2010, CPP and Onex purchased Tomkins PLC together, for $4.5 billion (£2.9 billion) with our retirement dollars. We are equally listed owners and our acquisition provides hydraulics to the oil, gas and mining industries. Tomkins was also the previous owner of Smith and Wesson guns before we bought them out.
In November 2012 CPP deepened its relationship with Onex to acquire Tomkins Air Distribution for an additional $1.1 billion (PDF); meaning when Nigel Wright leaves his position with the Prime Minister's Office, he'll presumably return to managing our CPP partnership from the private industry end.
With the 2012 expansion, Onex and the CPP came to own all subsidiaries under the parent heading. One of those spinoffs is Titus, a company that provides data security to the military in Canada, the U.S., Australia, Belgium and Denmark. Titus provides services to the whole of government, aerospace, police and financial industries.
The moral of the story is we've got to come clean about the unethical use of our retirement funds. There isn't enough money to expand CPP because the surplus was earmarked to boost the military-industrial complex. When our hard-earned money isn't being used to cause bloodshed, it's going to companies affiliated with the CPP's own CEOs and the Alberta oil sands.
Grandma and Grandpa might not sleep so well knowing all that.]]>Your CPP Is Funding War Crimestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24874242013-01-17T12:09:50-05:002013-03-19T05:12:01-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/
In a recent interview with Harry Fear we touched on CPP investments and how they contribute to the Israel-Palestine conflict; through complicity in drone warfare, an illegal wall, the death of children and suppression of human rights.
While this was enough to make anyone angry, it wasn't until I received mortified responses from baby boomers that I investigated further. The messages from this demographic were compelling and show that we're ready to take action to restore our reputation and the shame of these transgressions will not be tolerated.
It's claimed the amounts we contribute to CPP are not enough to cover the population's living expenses and as a result, the plan turns to the stock market in an effort to generate a sustainable future. We've done well enough that organizations are pushing for expansion, to allow Canadian retirees a degree of pride that sustains them above the poverty line. With the amount of privatization, downloading and user fees they will surely need it; but the Harper government says we can't afford to treat our own a little better.
It may indeed be a matter of priorities, but not as we are led to believe from a lack of funding. Instead it's the difference between humanitarian care for Canadians, versus the pursuit of power in a vicious, military-industrial complex. At the end of the day CPP relief is not available to seniors because the government wants a greater share to invest in pet projects of warfare.
Everyone remembers the horrifically iconic photographs that circulated media from the darkest corners of Iraq. What Canadians may not have realized is that our holding, L-3 Communications, was the first private contractor to settle with victims for $5.8 million to account for their role in the torture and inhumanity.
Reprieve is a UK charity focused on the human rights of prisoners. They cite L-3 Communications as not just a violator in the Abu Ghraib case, but also as a"key drone component manufacturer" for the American-made predator. This is the weaponized, remote control aircraft responsible for increasing attacks on civilians in Pakistan and Yemen.
According to international law it's illegal to use armed drones in non-war zones, but no one from the company will acknowledge these concerns. In the meantime, as many as 885 innocents were killed, accounting for 176 children in Pakistan alone. That means every working person in Canada paid about $5 in CPP contributions to make it happen and we continue to perpetuate violence in this corner of the world.
But our unethical investments don't end there. We support Elbit Systems Ltd., on the forefront of miniature drone cars that also kill by remote control. They can take action of their own accord, without the need for human intervention to shoot whatever these Guardium models deem a threat in their computerized judgement. Automatic killing machines pose a challenge to human rights and yet the Canada Pension Plan is behind pushing them to market.
Canadians hold another $16 million in CAE, as a partner to Elbit for the purpose of developing Integrated Soldier Systems. Most information has been removed from public view by the Department of National Defence since the project was approved for a tendering process by the Canadian government. Earlier research (PDF) indicates the creation of veritable robo-cops like what we've seen in the movies, complimented by eyepieces with pop-up TV screens to feed intel to the troops. This is the military meets Xbox and CPP facilitates this development too.
With the presence of hacktivist groups like Anonymous watching over the battlefield and increased warnings from CSIS regarding digital espionage as the biggest threat to our security, a new industry of war games is birthed against conventional wisdom that places profit front of mind with little regard for human beings.
In fact, Chinese-based servers are responsible for hacking into Canada's defence research, treasury and finance departments in an unprecedented breach of our most classified information. Ironically, the Integrated Soldier System was housed in a compromised department and it may still come to pass that the government looks to Anonymous for protection at the rate we're going.
By no means are these the only examples of our financial stake in conflict, but they do represent some of the most heinous crimes and self-inflicted danger that our savings are used to promote. With every paycheque we're breaking human rights around the world. CPP has been manipulated to terrorize Palestinian children by the hundreds of thousands. Hundreds more are killed across the Middle East and a majority of countries where drones are hovering equipped with missiles. The ones that aren't weaponized perform surveillance to challenge North American civil liberties and we're so heavily invested in warfare that if peace occurred, our retirement fund would become bankrupt.
It's important to understand that CPP is not a tax and therefore doesn't qualify as government revenue (PDF) to do with as it pleases. Despite this, the investment board is a crown corporation that is directly responsible to the federal government and immediately after Prime Minister Stephen Harper was elected in 2006, they updated their policies to encourage aggressive tactics.
Dramatic changes followed quickly. In 2007, new legislation altered CPP practices through measures contained in Bill C-36. By April 2007, all CCP assets were transferred to control of the investment board (PDF, see pg. 18, New Investment Policy) and in 2012 they changed from passive management to active management techniques. Aggressive trading requires a team of involved experts and staff at the CPP ballooned from 70 to 811 in the same short period [LINK]. They've opened offices in Hong Kong and London, took on riskier markets, decreased Canadian equities in favour of foreign projects, hedged currency and shifted public holdings to private interests. Our hard-working dollars used to find their place in safer government bonds, but the lion's share was migrated to a war-centric market.
The investment board explains they're unique from other retirement funds and they're padded to take on the risk. They're only expected to share 25 per cent of profits to provide for CPP benefits and the working class pays the rest. With $170 billion in assets now and 18 million people to cover, the plan can already sustain itself for another 75 years. (PDF, see pgs. 1-21, CCPIB Annual Report 2012).
Since Conservative rule and the CPP makeover, we've borne the brunt of losses great as 18.6 per cent. We must divest from the war machine and put our money where it doesn't kill, if not for humanitarian grounds then because financially it doesn't make sense. As international diplomats have said, "Canada is not the good guys anymore -- we all have a bit of blood on our hands."
See Part II, CPP and the Conflicts of Interest....
]]>Harry Fear Has a Message for Canadianstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24330432013-01-08T13:28:45-05:002013-03-10T05:12:01-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/with live reports from the most recent conflict between Palestine and Israel. Now that a ceasefire has been reached, British filmmaker and human rights advocate, Harry Fear, has embarked on a world talking tour to share his knowledge about the social, political and economic ramifications from a firsthand perspective.
He arrived in Toronto Monday, amid much ado from Canada Customs the moment he stepped off the plane. That curious greeting will leave a lasting impression; complete with grilling about his political perspective, examination of his website, a list of domestic associates and questions regarding which side he supported. It used to be that a British passport could get you into Canada, but now not so much. Now it depends on where you stand and if your freedom of speech is acceptable to the Harper government.
Thankfully Fear passed the interview and wasn't turned away like British diplomats before him, due to peaceful and sympathetic views that include the Palestinian people (see MP George Galloway). Sometimes we're luckier than we know to receive communication from the outside world and in this rare glimpse; Harry provides extensive interview to help us understand what our handlers already had the benefit of gleaning from his experience.
Fear's lectures, Aggression in Gaza - A Talking Tour, are scheduled for numerous venues across the country. Tonight, he speaks at University of Toronto, followed by engagements at respective universities in Hamilton, London, Windsor and Calgary. Due to the overwhelming response, more dates and locations in various provinces are still being determined and you can keep an eye on the itinerary here.
(photo credit: SPHR McMaster University)
For those who can't make it, he was kind enough to provide us with two hours of intimate answers to our deepest questions, unedited. Via Skype video recording, Harry Fear compels us to think harder about what we've been told. He points to concerns about our current leadership's role in perpetuating the conflict by taking a hard stance that may not be conducive to a peaceful resolution. In fairness, Fear identifies a North American mindset that falls short of grasping the repercussions or why it is so important for us to sit up and take notice.
These topics do not shy away from what amounts to controversy in the western world. We do, however, stand alone in our foreign affairs policy toward the situation, as seen by the United Nations vote for Palestine's observer status and our lonely opinion against them. One hundred and thirty eight countries gave their nod of approval and Canada was amongst the nine to object. We're also in the minority to label Hamas a terrorist sect, but Harry does a thorough job of explaining international law and how our opinions translate on the streets of Gaza.
Not only was Fear present for the onslaught of bombing in Operation Pillar of Cloud (aka Pillar of Defence), he is also a scholar from Oxford in the discipline of political science. In our personal exchange he goes on to explain the reason for that name change, in that Pillar of Cloud is a religious reference to a children's playground. It might not have been good optics in a public relations war, that sees them dying and sometimes burnt to the bone by white phosphorus.
From the bombing of kindergarten humanitarian schools on International Children's Day to the demoralization of depending on foreign aid for food, Harry Fear is not too timid to express in real terms what their day to day reality is like. He is passionate about this suffering and urges us to understand the majority of civilians in Gaza are children. He says the violence and occupation punishes them as if they were responsible for the adults and world politics.
Fear also paints a picture of arbitrary detention, in a system where kids are imprisoned and even tortured for throwing stones. He describes some as having to defend themselves in a foreign court, in a foreign language, all alone. Moreover he amends the terminology of PTSD to say the children are coping with "continuing stress disorder". This presents with symptoms of bed-wetting, separation anxiety and consistent shell shock that does not have a chance to heal.
The dialogue isn't nearly confined to children though and broaches topics such as apartheid, "with a small 'a'". This involves road systems that Palestinians aren't allowed to use in their own territory and colour-coded licence plates to alleviate racial profiling by identifying their vehicles for interrogation. In other strange measures, Palestinian males can be guilty of a crime for failing to announce their ethnicity to a prospective sexual partner.
Nearly every aspect of the Israel-Palestine conflict is touched upon in this account, underlining unemployment, education, Hamas and perceived terrorism, as well the dangers to Israeli citizens. But where the West has been led to believe the Jewish people strictly oppose Palestinians, he challenges us with information about their protests in support. Fear outlines the difference between a Zionist, an Israeli and those who practice Judaism, explaining many Jews decry the occupation and complain their religion was hijacked by politics. Contrary to North American beliefs, the truth of the situation is that Rabbis for Human Rights are some of the most active Israelis campaigning against the illegal settlements in search of peace for all (in English and the original in Hebrew).
Fear offers a balanced and honest assessment from both perspectives, right down to the pros and cons of Palestine obtaining observer status. He breaks down the structure of their government, so Canadians are able to understand the nature of each territory, the reasons for disjointed leadership from the West Bank to Gaza Strip and where they've been able to work together.
He discusses the different tactics of oppression in each of the areas. In Gaza it's predominantly violence related and an open air prison, surrounded by the Israeli Defence Forces. In the West Bank it's entirely occupied and they rely on humiliation, complete with constant control of Palestinian movement.
He brought this message to Canada and the U.S. to draw attention to superpowers that are aiding and abetting the occupation. One example through my research is the Canada Pension Plan. Our citizens are retiring based on our government's investment in the very companies that supply arms and build the illegal wall (more here, including photographs).
Harry mentions the G4S company, that provides armed security for illegal settlers also contrary to international law. A number of significant entities have already divested to clear themselves of supporting that violation as well as the maltreatment of child prisoners. And yet here is G4S Canada, thriving without an ounce of recognition in the Canadian consciousness.
Our collective CPP investments (domestic companies list and foreign companies list -- PDF) include Elbit; responsible for drone smart cars and the newest patrol of Palestinians with the ability to kill by remote control. Whether it's on the ground or in the air, drones are being used to target citizens 365 days a year regardless of any ceasefire. Our retirement is doubly invested in CAE, which has partnered with Elbit to provide similar technology on Canadian soil.
The University of Alberta partnered with the government in Alma, Quebec, to develop and test Israeli drones for greater human impact and profit. This was accomplished through an Israeli economic mission to Canada last spring, unbeknownst to most Canadians. So not only is our retirement tied to keeping the conflict going, but we're also developing the unmanned machines to kill Palestinians in our own backyard.
The Canada Pension Plan is heavily invested in construction of the illegal wall. That too was reprimanded by United Nations, but we're paying for it through Elbit, CHR and Caterpillar. As Fear says, this places blood on all Canadian hands and we are morally compelled to guide our leaders in an ethical direction. For a running list of companies in the divestment campaign, please see Stop the Wall. (PDF)
Finally Fear addresses the Canadian government, asking the Harper Conservatives and federal Liberals to rethink their stance in support of Israeli violence without question. He notes the NDP may have represented our country better under Jack Layton and was surprised to learn even they haven't condemned the occupation or spoken of divestment under new leadership.
In the video he encourages everyone to visit IfAmericansKnew.org to get a real handle on the numbers and to visually grasp the disparity between them. Fear describes the Israel-Palestine conflict as a case of David and Goliath and asks us to take one minute out of each day to learn more, write a letter or anything we can to make a difference. A solution must be found and 60 years of suffering hasn't improved by us ignoring it. The rest of the world doesn't perceive Canada as the good guys anymore and it's high time we restore our reputation for the benefit of these many children.
Without further explanation, here is the answer to every burning question you've ever had about Palestinians and what Fear was able to see for himself. If you would like more information, please visit HarryFear.co.uk or GazaReport.com. You can also follow Fear on Twitter via @HarryFear.
]]>Is This Politician Insulting War Vets?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21092202012-11-12T00:00:38-05:002013-01-11T05:12:01-05:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/first sitting cabinet minister to be found in contempt of Parliament, extravagant use of taxpayer dollars and repeat performances defying the law by smoking in her parliamentary office. Her eventual departure from politics spawned a by-election in the Ontario riding of Durham and all eyes across the nation are now fixed on the candidates vying to become her replacement.
Campaigns kicked into high gear for this second chance to win the public's support and federal Liberal Grant Humes has managed to generate controversy amidst the excitement. As his election sign was revealed on social media leading up to Remembrance Day, it generated negative responses from veteran families the candidate wasn't expecting.
(photo credit: provided by Humes campaign manager, Quito Maggi)
Facebook followers of the campaign page shared their criticisms ranging from "offensive" to "publicity stunt," "classless" and "shameless as stealing a poppy box." A concerned Afghanistan vet voiced disapproval and others indicated they would not vote for Humes as a result of this material.
Part of the problem was confusion about the sign itself. The candidate's name does not appear and it seems to be an invitation to a patriotic website in support of veterans. Upon arrival at Durham4Vets.org, visitors are greeted by press clippings regarding veterans' issues, followed by Grant Humes' reasons for seeking office and a bit about his work history.
Clicking the petition displays a form to collect personal information, requests a $20 contribution toward the veterans awareness campaign and support for "sound National Policy" -- although there is no petition.
In the same navigation bar clicking the "donate" option will cause a different box to appear; this time displaying the candidate's Liberal Party of Canada donation page pertaining to the by-election.
To clarify, I contacted Humes and he put me in touch with campaign manager Quito Maggi to respond on his behalf. By telephone and follow up email exchange, Maggi explained the purpose of the site and how it relates to the by-election. I also learned animal cruelty is an issue dear to the candidate's heart and a similar venture was set up to address those matters at StopTheCruelty.org. Both endeavours are authorized as part of the Grant Humes Liberal campaign, but some donations are separate for advocacy about the featured issue at each website. Manager Maggi elaborates,
"Any money raised through the Durham4Vets.org website goes right back into the public awareness campaign (and) yes the money raised from the animal cruelty campaign goes towards keeping that website active and paying for magnets that have been designed (a number have already been produced and distributed)."
When asked about support for these projects, the campaign cited intimidation from the Harper government as a reason veteran groups were afraid to speak up. As a result there were no official endorsements of Humes' initiatives to report. Regarding the websites and their strategy to educate with continued monetary support; the candidate said he planned to establish veterans and animal advocacy prior to any knowledge of an election. Maggi affirms,
"The websites were registered before the writ was dropped (on October 21) and there was no way for us to know when the writ would be dropped.
(Referencing veteran website advertising on election signs,)
"If we could keep the signs up after the election we would, but the sign bylaws are very strict."
StopTheCruelty.org and Durham4Vets.org are collecting funds through Liberal party mechanisms in the meantime. Whether a by-election campaign or public awareness for cherished issues, this confusion could result in consequences for those who are unable to tell the difference. The timing of a federal election coinciding with the candidate's project is reported to be incidental, but surely they should be kept apart for the public to perceive ethics in politics.
The last word is offered by Grant Humes who summarized,
"It's important we respect our Veterans and give them the benefits they deserve. What the government is doing is wrong and I hope people will add their voice and call on the government to take action."
]]>Why Are the Freemasons Collecting Our Children's DNA?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.19065212012-09-26T07:31:18-04:002012-11-26T05:12:02-05:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/
Fabled as a secret society, Freemasons see themselves as an esoteric fraternity; an ancient brotherhood of initiates who are voted into membership for the purpose of sharing enlightenment through the use of exclusive teachings.
They are not a religious group and yet elevated status can be obtained through invitation to the various esteemed Rites and the legendary Knights Templar. That full proper title is The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta.
It is argued they find their roots in an historical Christian militia, which once upon a time nearly bankrupted the Vatican. Despite an effort to distance themselves from politics and religion in modern times, Scandinavian branches to this day will only permit entry of fellow Christian worshippers. Women remain forbidden although there's good news for slaves and the disabled -- who may have overcome discrimination after a thousand years of human rights progression.
On the Grand Lodge of Canada website, they continue to affirm this illusive aura with statements like the following:
"Freemasonry is a fraternal association of men of good and high ideals but it is not a public association. "Private" is a more appropriate description than "secret" and as with many organizations, certain information is reserved for members only."
So why then is an exclusive group collecting our children's DNA, with support of police and the government across the USA and Canada?
You know them as MasoniChip, or perhaps you've been led to believe it was a state and provincial endeavor intended to protect your little ones. They set up fairs, forge partnerships with law enforcement and even strive to distribute their services through North American public school systems.
In Massachusetts this Freemason program was promoted by CBS News from the steps of the official State House and included their police dog, coincidentally named Mason. Reporters only failed to mention the private nod to those promoting him or that government had little to do with it.
What is MasoniChip you ask? It begins on the surface as a child identification project, in case your loved ones are ever to be horrendously abducted. Parents are familiar with at-home kits to record their kids' vital information, for protection against the greatest of all fears to be inflicted on a family. Normally height, weight, hair and eye colour are recorded, along with a set of fingerprints and hopefully a current photograph. It's just the good folks at your local Masonic Lodge saw fit to take things further.
With advances in technology, they began to offer digital fingerprints, digital imaging, digital video, dental impressions and DNA mouth swabs. This data processing is managed by their proprietary software that's designed to be compatible with local and national law enforcement. This is after all, a campaign created by police in the brotherhood regardless of its private funding.
A great distinction is made to ensure governments are nothing more than their supporters. Freemasons assert ownership of this project as an integral part of their mission statement:
"We the Freemasons are the sole "sponsor" of the Masonic Safety Identification initiatives as developed in our various Masonic Grand Lodge Jurisdictions. As such we schedule the Events and coordinate the equipment, materials and volunteers necessary to conduct events. All groups and individuals are welcome to work alongside, but they are not referred as sponsors but listed and involved as "supporters", "supporting partners", "corporate partners", "in collaboration with", or "in cooperation with."
They claim their services are superior to what a parent could accomplish at home, by recording the children's data personally and providing their own "health care professionals" to collect their DNA samples.
These are either hired hands who answer to the Freemasons or members of the fraternity whose history and credentials are protected by the organization. There is no way to guarantee what happens behind closed doors and although they claim to delete sensitive information (the Canadian website states "No information is ever stored by the MasoniChIP program"), any computer savvy person knows that clicking an "x" isn't permanent unless you format the entire system.
Parents are asked to trust an intriguing, private fraternity; to ensure that quality standards are met and family privacy is legally respected without any kind of oversight. Because Freemasons fund 100 per cent of the initiative, there is no opportunity to discuss issues regarding data ownership or how they feel about those technicalities in the privacy of their meetings.
Every Masonic Lodge may "jump on the bandwagon" and choose to run the program differently. None are managed at the national level by an exact set of principles. The only thing they share is an internet portal, where everyone claims to expunge the information that was painstakingly collected.
Let us then consider the function of a DNA sample. If a child goes missing will police swab every glass and rock they come across for a match to find the trail? In the video for Massachusetts they claimed it would help Mason pick up a scent, but in all reality the clothes a child was last wearing will provide stronger notes and this can't be the intended purpose. DNA has nothing to do with scent and its only use can be harnessed once a child has been located.
With somber scrutiny and if further tragedy struck, authorities would match remains with parental samples for definitive confirmation. It is the parents' DNA that could aid in matching the unnamed, but only accredited laboratories are permitted to conduct the process. Whether a parent or child, collecting DNA cannot occur at an open park event, run by stranger volunteers and become admissible to the national database. The FBI continually quotes the DNA Identification Act of 1994 in establishing these requirements to be included within CODIS.
It is with great sadness for grieving families that we must note the Freemason project is not supported by government DNA databases. Although the superficial identifiers are surely helpful and Freemasons contribute to charitable acts in their communities, the most controversial component of the MasoniChip undertaking is not recognized for the purpose they advertise and state to parents.
Furthermore, a simple hair sample from children is all that was needed and in the United States only five of these cases are permitted per month, per licenced agency. (Downloadable from the FBI here.)
In Canada the situation is even more colluded, as the federal government won't consent to a missing persons DNA database whatsoever. They cite privacy law and cost concerns as a barrier to its establishment; so the 50,000 families that already participated have shared their biometric markers with Freemasons for apparently no good reason. It is therefore peculiar the Masonic Grand Lodge of Canada would make bold claims to be working with Canadian law enforcement agencies to gain the trust of parents.
All in all they've registered 1.5 million children to date. The push is on to document as many possible, as keenly demonstrated by the event schedule for Ontario. From community halls to grocery stores, fairground booths, libraries and even chartered banks, the private fraternity will be on hand to collect everything about your children whether it's relevant or not.
When it comes to the little people we'd do anything to protect them, but perhaps their families might give sober second thought to what exactly they're signing in a contract with Freemasons. This DNA collection program is planned to be extended to the disabled community and seniors, but who benefits when it's inadmissible to a certified registry of any sort?
And why is the face of government through public schools or police through public events, being placed on an effort from private organizations to mislead parents? Sharing one's fingerprints and biometrics is a serious decision. For public safety we must insist that brokers of such events become transparent and regulated.]]>Hey Harper, Socialists Were War Heroes Tootag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14796252012-05-04T17:05:42-04:002012-07-04T05:12:04-04:00Amy MacPhersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-macpherson/
Although J.S. Woodsworth led the CCF as WWII was just beginning and he was in fact a pacifist, he suffered a stroke in May 1940 and was replaced by M.J. Coldwell. Coldwell immediately threw the party's support behind our veterans and defeating Hitler. At this time even the United States wasn't on board and professed their intent to remain neutral.
I mention this because Harper appears to have the greatest respect for American military opinions, yet they didn't agree to fight until December 8, 1941, nearly two years after the CCF, NDP or whatever he wishes to call socialists, risked their lives and bared arms. They didn't just talk about it.
My grandfather William Coker was a farmer from the Ontario greenbelt; a young and proud socialist who believed in public ownership, universal health care, pensions, children's allowance and EI. In 1940 they didn't have the internet and television wasn't created until after the war.
Receiving news wasn't anything like it is today and after learning of the trouble in Europe, my grandfather marched with his best friend for six hours to reach the nearest recruiting city. Public transportation didn't exist then either. Her name was Minn, but the army wasn't accepting white horses.
Upon reaching the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, my grandpa and many like him became a foot solider. Military life wasn't a career in those days and this was the first declaration of war ever made by our country. One million Canadians from all walks of pre-industrial, pre-petro life, heeded the call to defend the world from fascism and ethnic cleansing. They were all new to battle and some of the most valuable soldiers were socialist farmers who already knew how to handle a gun and kill what was necessary. With all due respect, Harper, it's important he immerse himself in the character of 1940 before trying to frame its context or that of socialists.
As a member of RHLI, grandpa would continue to the Battle of Dieppe where he faced the most brutal engagement of the entire war. The extreme losses they suffered were studied and used to build the allies' winning strategy that finally won WWII.
During that mission the farmer stocked, Hamilton Light Infantry was the only division successful in their task. They took the casino and continued with the infamous hand to hand combat you've likely heard about whenever anyone mentions the Battle of Dieppe. The most fearless of our men were the socialists our Prime Minister has disparaged.
Whether 1940s CCF farmers or 21st century NDP trade unionists, Hamilton still does a very good job of representing socialists and they in turn represent our country with the greatest honour throughout history. Grandpa fought that war with the honest heart and equitable outlook that made him a socialist in the first place. He watched his best friend blown up right beside him. He fought with Connie Smyth of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as his friends called him anyway. He carried wounded strangers into the safety of trenches and says he never really slept a single minute of the war.
Grandpa killed men whose names he'd never know, on behalf of our country and all innocent people around the world. This was his reality for the better part of four years, fighting for what he believed in. Grandpa didn't speak of the bloodshed though, just like he wouldn't describe slaughtering the cow on our dinner table when he was finally able to come home.
Returning to the post-war boom, my grandfather remained a socialist and wouldn't accept money for his service. He didn't believe in getting paid to kill people. He just did what had to be done. Instead he accepted his wages in bricks from which to build our family home and so became a mason. Building all those bridges and structures in the war would be put to good use in one way or another.
With the industrialization of Canada, grandpa was hired by Stelco and joined the Hamilton local steelworkers union. From there he continued to fight for the safe and fair treatment of workers and families, to whom he felt even more connected. The camaraderie of war and brotherhood doesn't end when the last bomb is dropped. He lived his life as if he fought for a reason and that extended to everyone he knew and even didn't.
Then along came his hero Tommy Douglas, who stood for everything in my grandfather's heart. Defeating Hitler was an honourable and necessary accomplishment, but in the bigger picture he was one formidable obstacle to building the world all the William Cokers believed in. The end of Hitler brought the birth of the middle class. The end of Hitler brought our ability to build beautiful things and ensure a future for our children.
Grandpa didn't fight for outright capitalism like the wars our Prime Minister engages in today. He didn't fight to create disparity and the gap between rich and poor. He fought to rid the world of fascism so we could protect everyone equally with the tenets of socialism as Douglas, voted our greatest Canadian, so proficiently expressed them. Sixteen years after grandpa killed many men, he finally received his good reason.
When I was born, grandpa raised me to be a socialist too. He taught me to fight the battles that were necessary and not to glorify the required bloodshed that went with it. He taught me to find the courage in my own heart; to stand up when democracy, justice and equality were under threat.
He hoped I would succeed him in protecting the very things he made the greatest sacrifice to provide. And so I never screamed when tear gas was lobbed at the G20. I never flinched when the Prime Minister's security asked for my name, as I called upon him for a public inquiry to address the voter suppression scandal. For grandpa's sake, I won't give up trying to correct this record either. Good socialists saved and built this country and Stephen Harper can learn to respect that.]]>
My grandfather William Coker was a farmer from the Ontario greenbelt; a young and proud socialist who believed in public ownership, universal health care, pensions, children's allowance and EI. In 1940 they didn't have the internet and television wasn't created until after the war. 
Upon reaching the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, my grandpa and many like him became a foot solider. Military life wasn't a career in those days and this was the first declaration of war ever made by our country. One million Canadians from all walks of pre-industrial, pre-petro life, heeded the call to defend the world from fascism and ethnic cleansing. They were all new to battle and some of the most valuable soldiers were socialist farmers who already knew how to handle a gun and kill what was necessary. With all due respect, Harper, it's important he immerse himself in the character of 1940 before trying to frame its context or that of socialists.
During that mission the farmer stocked, Hamilton Light Infantry was the only division successful in their task. They took the casino and continued with the infamous hand to hand combat you've likely heard about whenever anyone mentions the Battle of Dieppe. The most fearless of our men were the socialists our Prime Minister has disparaged.
Returning to the post-war boom, my grandfather remained a socialist and wouldn't accept money for his service. He didn't believe in getting paid to kill people. He just did what had to be done. Instead he accepted his wages in bricks from which to build our family home and so became a mason. Building all those bridges and structures in the war would be put to good use in one way or another.