August 25, 2010
Whatever Happened To… Gary Freeman, “Canada’s Black Panther”?
Gary Freeman, AKA Joseph Pannell, pictured circa 1976. He was branded Canada’s very own Black Panther. In 2004, Gary Freeman, born Joseph Pannell, was arrested by Toronto police at gunpoint outside of his workplace, the Toronto Reference Library. It turned out that this friendly library assistant, father, and husband was harbouring a secret past. In Chicago in 1969, he had shot a cop three times,... [More >>]
July 28, 2010
Harper’s parliamentary reforms could solve some problems—and cause others
Over the years, governments have tinkered with the parliamentary rules set by the Charlottetown conference, pictured here. The Harper government has placed a bill before Parliament that would alter the formula for how seats are redistributed following the census. It would give Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia more seats in the House of Commons; naturally, Quebec and the Atlantic Canadian provinces... [More >>]
July 19, 2010
Another reason for voting reform: Parliament needs women
Canada has shockingly few female legislators. Our electoral system is broken. Voting reform could fix both problems at once. One Thursday last spring, an Angolan MP named Faustina Fernandes Inglês de Almeida Alves addressed an assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Those present—members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the UN Division for the Advancement of Women, professors,... [More >>]
July 2, 2010
Interview: Pride Toronto Executive Director Tracey Sandilands
[Editor's note: This interview was conducted and published ahead of the final decisions about the fate of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. Eventually, the Pride Toronto board of directors decided to ban the phrase "Israeli Apartheid," then retracted the decision after community outcry. See today's blog post by Natalie Samson for a different—and considerably less sunny—outlook on Pride 2010.] Tracey... [More >>]
June 25, 2010
6 tips for protesting the G8 and G20 in style and safety
Protesters against the G20 in Toronto. Photo by Jesse Mintz. From June 25–27, the world’s most influential political and economic leaders will descend upon Muskoka and Toronto for the G8 and G20 summits. Joining them will be thousands of protesters advocating everything from anti-globalization to climate justice. If you want to get in on the dissent, check out this advice for emerging activists... [More >>]
June 9, 2010
16 African states marking 50 years of independence in 2010
Colonies freed in 1960’s “Year of Africa” ended up on very different paths This year marks the 50th anniversary of the “Year of Africa,” when 16 African countries successfully achieved independence from their European colonizers. Since then, the graduates of the 1960 decolonization movement have gone on to do some great—and some not-so-great—things. Below we highlight five... [More >>]
June 2, 2010
My video-game forum fosters real political discussion. No, really.
Online communities bring together people who would never talk in real life. Illustration by Matt Daley. Though you can count the joys of graduate school on one hand—without even using all of your fingers—spending an evening with like-minded friends just chatting is definitely one of them. As the drinks flow and discussions stretch late into the night, it’s easy to feel the glow of both comfort... [More >>]
May 31, 2010
What Stephen Harper should really do to support global maternal health
G8 Leaders meet in L'Aquila, Italy, July 8, 2009. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on January 26 that he was going to use Canada’s Group of Eight presidency to push for an annual G8 summit agenda focused on women’s and children’s health. Former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis said it best when he called the announcement an act of “chutzpah.” First of all,... [More >>]
April 26, 2010
Don’t save the economy. Make a better one
The golden age of the welfare state wasn’t that golden. The real solution is economics that actually promotes equality Remember the good old days when Canadians used to think the government was supposed to help everyone share in economic prosperity and prevent anyone from shouldering the brunt of economic adversity? We thought we’d learned the bitter lessons about the perils of the free market... [More >>]
April 8, 2010
Six progressive religious movements throughout history
The French Revolution demonized organized religion, calling it an agent of conservatism that held society back. And while there’s no denying that organized religion is still generally a conservative force, every now and then it can push forward social reforms. Let’s look at how several major faiths have helped shape many societies into more inclusive, free, and democratic places to live over the... [More >>]
