author:jasmine rezaee - This Magazine
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Twenty-years ago, Marc Lépine strolled into the Université de Montréal’s engineering school, L’École Polytechnique, armed with a 223-calibre Sturm-Ruger rifle and murdered fourteen young women. Lépine’s callous rampage was motivated by his hatred for women, whom he held responsible for ruining his life. Opening fire in one classroom, Lépine, only twenty-five at the time, shouted… More »
Friday FTW: Did a 1976 UN treaty commit Canada to free university for all?
UBC’s student union, the Alma Mater Society (AMS), filed a complaint with the United Nations this week accusing Canada and B.C. of violating the 1976 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. By signing this treaty, the AMS says, the Canadian government agreed to eventually make post-secondary education free and accessible to all. Article… More »
Malalai Joya Q&A: Nato "pushed us from the frying pan into the fire"
Those who still support Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan should read Malalai Joya’s new book, A Woman Among Warlords. Joya was suspended in 2007 from the Afghan Parliament for denouncing the presence of warlords in government. However, Joya doesn’t just stop at opposing the corrupt government of Hamid Karzai or the Islamic Fundamentalism of the… More »
Today is the Day of Action for a Poverty-Free Ontario
Students, faculty, workers and community members will march today, November 5th, as part of the Campaign for a Poverty-Free Ontario. Organized by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and allied groups, this Day of Action calls on the McGuinty government to take concrete steps to eliminate poverty in Ontario by adequately funding social services and… More »
Q&A with Charles Demers, author of The Prescription Errors
The Prescription Errors, Charles Demers’ debut novel from Insomniac Press, is a profoundly entertaining, thoughtful and well-written story about a Vancouver-based character named Daniel who struggles to come to terms with his obsessive-compulsive disorder. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the rich, dark and contradictory nature of human relationships and politics…. More »
University of Toronto's Transitional Year Program safe — for now
A quick update on a story we featured in the September-October issue of This: The threat faced by the University of Toronto’s Transitional Year Program, a special access program designed for students that do not meet the academic requirements to enter university, has been subdued, at least for now. Here’s what happened last week: Monday,… More »
Friday FTW: Hope in Shadows empowers Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
The Hope in Shadows contest is changing perceptions of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) by giving residents an opportunity to document their stories through photographs. This year marks the seventh annual Hope in Shadows photography contest. Every June, around 200 free disposable cameras are distributed to DTES residents. Contestants are allotted three days to take pictures,… More »
Wednesday WTF: B.C. the "Best Place on Earth"? Not For women, says new report
British Columbia’s adherence to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has been recently assessed by the West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) with disturbing results. West Coast LEAF’s first annual Report Card has assigned the B.C. government a grade of “D” when it… More »
The corporate-free alternative to Nuit Blanche: Les Rues des Refuses
Toronto’s Nuit Blanche is an all-night arts festival with “a mandate to make contemporary art accessible to large audiences, while inspiring dialogue and engaging the public to examine its significance and impact on public space.” However, despite these admirable intentions, Nuit Blanche’s corporate presence is simply too great. After all, Nuit Blanche, as the countless… More »
Toronto Palestine Film Festival aims to look beyond the headlines
While most Torontonians know about TIFF—the hugely publicized Toronto International Film Festival—very few have heard about TPFF, the Toronto Palestine Film Festival. Unlike TIFF, the TPFF isn’t attended by Hollywood stars, doesn’t receive much mainstream media coverage and has no paid staff. Despite these challenges, TPFF is an ambitious film fest that features over 40… More »
