In the Meeting House

I was recently invited to attend a Meeting House discussion at the Public Library. I’ve never been to a Meeting House discussion so I’m not too sure what to expect (is a Meeting House in Canada the same as a Town Hall Meeting in the US?), but nonetheless, I’m curious.  The topic of the night will be the community – how it’s developing, concerns, fears, worries and in general, how we’d like to see it develop.  This is a particularly interesting topic as I”m all for positive change and seeing progress, yet the thought of going to the Meeting House has me strangely anxious. My family has lived in the areas for almost a hundred years; suffice it to say, I know it fairly well. But my anxiety makes me question, do I really? I know buildings, roads, landmarks and friends, but I feel it lacks the same sort of community, the type of place that makes you want to be home and strive toward making it better. This, perhaps may be one of the items on the agenda – how to make a town, a community and a home.

Bringing together different members of the community and the people who can implement change is a great idea and I’m very curious to know what sort of issues will surface. Will it be a safe and open space to express opinions or will biases and intimdation silence voices?

I’ve learned that the tremendous and rapid growth of the region has already caused major problems, especially regarding affordable housing and food security. Knowing this, I became a little alarmed (!) to learn that there really was no social plan in place to deal with the influx of people; no services, infrastructure or preparation to deal with the problems that could surface. What’s worse is there is no data and no research mechanism to provide evidence to support the creation of infrastructure or services. Basically, the strategy is to sit back and wait until problems arise, until they’ve gotten so bad that some money, time and effort need to be thrown at the problem. Really? Is this the way to run a healthy community? It really is maddening to see this type of logic applied to the community where you live.

The Meeting House is a start, but the main actors running it are already swamped with their own (contract) work that takes up much of their day. Let’s face it, this is a full time job of an entire department to create, establish and grow the social infrastructure that’s needed.  However, funding allocations tend to favor activities that will provide a return (ie economic development) without acknowledging the social sector until it’s too late; the down side of politics… Reactions to the Meeting House to come soon….

Lessons Learned

Mornings have never been a easy for me. I always dreaded the inevitable sound my alarm would make and wake me out of a blissful sleep. Even worse were those early winter mornings when the alarm sounded before the sun rose and subsequently showers often ended 30 min longer than they should have simply because the heat of the shower and lack of sunlight led my ever-too-sleepy self to fall back in to dream world while leaning against the shower door.

This habit, however, was successfully put to rest while living in the Caribbean. In fact, mornings become my favorite part of the day! Just before the dogs start barking, before the gardeners come out, I  lay in bed and listen to my fan blow cool air over my bed and around my room and realize just how lazy a person can be.  I had once thought it impossible to be able to work in a hot climate because of the countless distractions there were from prohibiting work getting done. So now, I got to test it!

My first few weeks were hectic – finding the house, starting work, getting stuff for the house, meeting new friends – and the heat was truly unbearable, like trying to swallow a  brick wall, and incidentally made me lazier and more tired. From about April to September, the islands are less tropical and more a hot and dry desert which makes fruit trees barren and vegetable patches bare. Thankfully, there was ice cream

My favourite part about my job was being able to understand and contribute to each and every program and track its progress. Granted statistics have never really been my thing, so I had been a little nervous when numbers suddenly appeared on the job. Slowly, though, I realized just how significant they can be in judging how a program is going and whether or not results are to be achieved.  So I approached data and tables cautiously and, with the help of an amazing mentor,  even began to develop my own! I learned how to develop indicators that were meant to track progress. I learned how to develop charts and analyze results (I knew Excel was good for something!). Ironically, reading data and understanding it was never a problem – perhaps my fear was all in my head?

Now, I can’t understand why I was ever nervous in the first place and more than anything, I understand the need for Research – both qualitative (i.e interviews, focus groups, observations) and quantitative (ie. surveys, case studies, correlational study) and why research inquiry should be done BEFORE decisions are made, both at the project level and the policy level. For instance, why should we implement a project when the root causes aren’t being addressed?

A really interesting case stuck with me throughout my time at UNICEF and was so exemplary of the importance of research; An HIV/AIDS campaign directed at adolescents had been running for some time, trying to raise the awareness of the disease, how to protect yourself and where to get tested. Simple enough, right? Before the next round of funding could be applied, it was time to conduct an Evaluation / Impact study to examine just how effective the campaign was – were infection rates dropping? were more people being tested? The study revealed the success of the awareness campaign – there was ample knowledge about what the disease was, symptoms and how to protect yourself. The study also showed that despite this knowledge, specifically girls were refusing to ‘say no’ or protect themselves. My reaction = huh?!?!?!?! A giant stigma is attached to HIV/AIDS throughout the Caribbean and this study exemplified that.  The point, which became so clear to me, was that the direction of the project should then shift from an awareness campaign to one that promoted self empowerment and respect.  Without the research, the project would have been addressing something that was entirely unnecessary – think of all the effort and funding that would have been wasted!

Now that I’m back in Canada, I’m trying to apply my knowledge, both from working with women & children’s issues and working in Monitoring & Evaluation, to another initiative, just as meaningful and just as rewarding as the last. It’s going to be tough to top a Caribbean island, but I’m certain there are loads of places that could use help in their project implementation and an oversight mechanism to ensure that research was being used and getting out to the right people.

I was recently discussing this disconnect between research and project implementation and policy with my local MPP, who completely agreed with me and referenced a recent example where the Ontario Ministry of Education has just unveiled a program to help graduating high school students with their applications to university and for OSAP…. Full Stop…Taking a minute to let this concept sink in, my first thought was “Well, if they can’t fill out the forms, how well are they going to do at University?” Was research actually done suggested that this was the best use of taxpayer funds?

Universities are by far the best and well-known centres where knowledge is generated and where anyone can go and obtain information about a  given topic, and if it’s not there, at least they might be able to tell you where to go.  In my ignorance, I expected a team or division to be housed deep within the registrar’s office of every university, working to do just that – bring research and studies to the public; make sure results are shared and findings revealed to those that could benefit.  Sadly, I learned differently when I attended a Knowledge Mobilization Expo for York Region a few weeks ago and was shocked to hear that University’s were just now developing ways to get their research out to members of the community, city and nation.  How disappointed I was (and a little embarrassed) to have assumed that this process had been long in existance – not only that, but also that this phenomenon is still in its infant stages and only a couple of universities in Canada are doing it (!) Tell me again, what’s the point of doing research if it can’t be disseminated to those that can most benefit from it?

Despite having had lunches on the beach, soaked in thermal springs and learned to play the steel pan, there was ample opportunity for professional development and I learned a great deal from my posting. My views on social change and how it can be achieved has certainly been influenced and I hope that I’ll soon be able to apply knowledge to practice while in Canada.

A Penny a Day…

As tax season comes to a close and accountants climb back in to their hiding places, the mood is either exuberant (“Yay, I can go on vacation! ) or dismal (“oh no, where do I cut back?). Unfortunately for the most of us, it is the latter. Nobody likes to do taxes – it’s not pleasant – but it’s one of life’s small things that are sometimes necessary, like a trip to the dentist, which will hopefully lead to a better quality of life – better health care, better roads, efficient civil service – all those nice things that make Canadian spaces some of the nicest ones  in the world. If it’s for those reasons, then my disdain for the taxman lessens a little bit as it disappears out of sight for another year. However, it’s when money – my hard earned money – that gets spent on ridiculous things that could have been spotted at Wal-Mart of half the cost or done more efficiently by my 12 yr old neighbour.  I’m not in the marketing business or know the most efficient plans for production, but I know how to balance my budget and I don’t think I can say the same for our government.

We’re all going through rough times and cutting back is necessary – finding money that otherwise wasn’t there. That’s why I’m wondering why exactly Ontario and Alberta’s GST & PST will be combined in to the new HST? It costs a lot to change something like that – money, man power and, well, more money. It claims to be the same percentage, in a different package, but it smells more like a marketing a markup. Last night’s CTV news delicately put it that haircuts, alcohol and construction supplies will be marked up after June 1st.

And so, we must look elsewhere – and yes, it’s come to this – to our own Members of Parliament. Ironic isn’t it, that the government yields the ability to look at everyone else finances, but we rarely get to look at theirs? And it’s looking like we won’t get that chance as the MP’s are refusing to let the Attorney General take a peek. Why would they do that other than to hide the elaborate escapades and bloated bank accounts? If you were really working for the people you represent and want to share in their burden, you’d at least allow the pro’s to take a peek and make suggestions about where to cut back, wouldn’t you?

Finding money is tough! Despite being reprimanded by the US, the UN and the EU, Canada is persevering and will find that money if it’s the last thing they do! Unfortunately it comes in the form of oil and in collaboration with China – I’m not so sure if this is the type of business that we want, from environmentally compromising to politically damaging, it doesn’t look good. Shouldn’t we learn from the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico?

In the meantime, it may be true that unemployment rates are slowly shrinking, but not in the way that most of us hope – favoring the low skilled and leaving the managers, executives and highly educated out in the cold. This is not wise, as they are the ones that might have been able to bring in more revenue and therefore more tax opportunities for the province and country. And attracting that type of business is daunting, though not as tough as you might think. Canada’s a great place to do business – close enough to the US border that trade with it is accessible; the dollar is nearly on par; the market has just as much spending power as what Americans do, if not more; and the quality of life and attractiveness of our cities would make any new exec be pleased. Of course, business varies from sector to sector, but in a nutshell – all we’d need to do is create tax incentives for development and support growth opportunities.

Canada is not the US and it never will  be, so finding money and cutting back will always be a challenge. Canadians aren’t dumb either, we know how great our country is and so we don’t let the cost our our taxes deter us from loving it. Our government, however, is a different story; unaccountable MP’s; investment to destroy the environment and lack of work for trained professionals. I love Canada, but the recent ways that we’ve been tackling our economic woes isn’t the way to make Canada better.

Ideas, Perceptions and Realities

I found an interesting article in the BBC summarizing a study by the PEW Research Center in Washington, DC, which looked at common stereotypes often associated with many African nations.

The results are as follows…

“1. 75% of South Africans think polygamy is “morally wrong” – bad news for their president, as Jacob Zuma took his third wife earlier this year and is engaged to a fourth. However, the survey also revealed some possible double-standards. While only 7% of Rwandans approved of polygamy (although this did include women), a rather higher number – 17% – of men said they had more than one wife.”

Interesting. You would have thought that a President’s actions would be reflective of the people that elected him and his example is far from that. Makes me wonder what happened on election day?

2. An overwhelming majority of respondents disapproved of homosexual behaviour. In three countries – Zambia, Kenya and Cameroon – this was a massive 98%. Interestingly, one of the countries with the highest numbers of people – 11% – accepting homosexuals is Uganda, where an MP is trying to get legislation passed which would punish homosexual acts with life in prison and even death in some cases. The former Portuguese colonies of Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique were also relatively tolerant of homosexuality.

Ironic, no?

3. Africa is probably the world’s most religious continent, with more than 80% saying they believed in God in most countries. At least half of the Christians questioned expect Jesus Christ to return to earth during their lifetimes. In Ethiopia, 74% of Christians say they have experienced or witnessed the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person and in Ghana, 40% of Christians say they have had a direct revelation from God. About half of all Muslims expect to see the reunification of the Islamic world under a single ruler, or caliph, in their lifetimes.

Think of all the effort Christian and foreign missionaries spent in trying to spread the word of God throughout Africa – it obviously worked!  Interestingly, it seems as though Muslims have just the same conviction to their faiths.

4. Zimbabwe, where the Lemba people say they are the lost tribe of Israel, was not one of the countries surveyed. But 26% of Nigerian Christians said they traced their origins back to Israel or Palestine.

5. Belief in witchcraft is also common – about 40%; a similar percentage also visit traditional healers to cure sickness. Belief in witchcraft is highest in Tanzania with 93% – this is the country where witchdoctors say that magic potions are more effective if they contain body parts of people with albinism. Ethiopia had the lowest levels of belief in witchcraft – at just 17%. Belief that juju or sacred objects can prevent bad things happening was generally lower – between 20 and 30%. In Senegal, however, 75% thought such things worked – far higher than in Tanzania (49%). It may come as a surprise to learn that South Africa had the highest number of people – 52% – saying they took part in ceremonies of traditional religions, or honoured or celebrated their ancestors.

I wonder if witchcraft is like a religion to the people polled? Can witchcraft and Christianity or Islam overlap? I had once written a paper on the Haitian use of witchcraft as a means to maintain their identities during the slave trade and how they disguised it by using the names of Catholic saints and terminology. Historically, it was fascinating; socially, it was remarkable and I’m really not all that surprised that it still exists.

6. Predictably, there was also a religious split concerning alcohol, banned by Islam. Surprisingly, however, more Muslims in Chad (23%) approved of booze, than Ethiopian Christians (5%). This comes as a huge surprise to Ethiopia experts, however, who point out that it is traditional to welcome Orthodox Christian clergy with traditional honey beer when they visit your house. Maybe “alcohol” was only taken to mean spirits by some of the respondents?

This was surprising – isn’t alcohol extremely strict for practicing Muslims?

7. Attitudes to divorce showed a strong divide along religious lines in Nigeria. A massive 79% of Christians thought it was “morally wrong”, while among Muslims, a narrow majority (46-41%) accepted divorce.

Really? I wonder why?

8. In recent years, Islamist hardliners in Somalia and Nigeria have introduced strict punishment based on Sharia law, such as amputating the hands of thieves and even stoning to death for adultery. The majority of people disapproved of such Sharia punishments. In Nigeria, they were backed by about 40% of Muslims and less than 10% of Christians. However, a majority did approve of whippings and amputations in Senegal and Mali. In nearby Guinea-Bissau, even 50% of Christians backed them. This was double the rate among Muslims in Ethiopia (25%) – maybe it feels like a more realistic prospect to them, as they share a border with Somalia and most Muslim Ethiopians are ethnic Somalis.

I wrote about this a few posts ago and I am strongly against the practice.  I think the fact that people, Christians and Muslims, support it, the closer they are in proximity to Somalia and its people is certainly characteristic of the lawlessness of the country. But I’d have to question just how closely the people polled were following their faiths  when they supported such a policy.

9. The survey also asked about material well-being in the world’s poorest continent. Not so long ago, Cameroon regularly topped surveys of champagne consumption per head. However, a shocking 71% of Cameroonians surveyed said there were times in the past year when they did not have enough money to buy food. In Ethiopia, which is commonly seen as a country struggling to feed itself, the rate was far lower – at 30% – the lowest of all countries surveyed.

Remember the famine in Ethiopia during the ’80′s. The media really had a field day with that one; the photo-journalists documenting starving children, Band-Aid released a song, raising funds and OECD countries suddenly woke up and delivered badly needed food aid. I don’t think the world ever forgot. It’s not surprising then to hear that Ethiopia‘s access to food being more than double that than Cameroon. It’s also shocking to hear that Cameroon‘s consumption of champagne!?!?! Is it a french legacy Is champagne more important than food or is there just a handful of Cameroonian’s who are buying up the lion’s share of its imports? Interesting indeed.

10. Ethiopia did, however, have the lowest numbers of people – 7% – who said they regularly used the internet. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is striving to turn his country into Africa’s answer to Silicon Valley and is being helped by the arrival of several new fibre optic cables off the east coast of Africa. He will be encouraged by the finding that 30% of his countrymen – the highest number – regularly browsed the web. Mobile phones, were far more common – with 81% of respondents in Botswana owning one. Many countries reported more than 50% having phones but here, Rwanda lagged behind at just 35%.

Wait a minute…Rwanda – the one that suffered from a genocide a while back? I’ve been told that since then, Kigali has become a major international hotspot for non-profit’s, international organizations and the like, who obviously necessitate a need for broadband! I’m shocked that Ethiopia isn’t taking advantage of those fibre optic cables – they could definitely assist in wider communication tools. Mobile phones, on the other hand, signify developing economies and perhaps micro-finance schemes that provide small scale funding for communities to fuel entrepreneurship. I’d want to know those figures, comparing Botswana and Rwanda.

I know it’s geeky to find stats interesting, but they are! How else would we know what is working, what isn’t, what needs work and how the media has manipulated perceptions? I just read a fellow blogger, who was doing just that – using blogosphere to debate North American perceptions of development and through its interaction with theory and reality. Granted it is a bit academic, though good for some brain aerobics.

I’m surprisingly enlightened by this study and appreciate its publishing. I guess it’s more frustrating to realize that stereotypes still exist and its refreshing to get a little dose of reality every now and again.

Choosing a Democracy

I’ve never been in Canada during an election, but for the last one I wanted to be sure that I was a part of it. So I stopped by the embassy, picked up a ballot and made sure that it was delivered on time. It felt good to be a part of the process. My electing party didn’t win, but it was satisfying nonetheless and it’s that sentiment that I think Canadians often forget or take for granted. It’s the best indicator we have of good governance and provides a little sneak peak into what’s to come. So when I read of the tension surrounding previous and upcoming elections, I’m thankful that the tension surrounding Canada’s last election was hushed to a disgruntled murmur post-election that complained of wasted money and time after the election did absolutely nothing in changing the makeup of our democracy.

Thailand today is declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok after protester’s stormed the parliament, angry of a corrupt government who obtained power illegally. “The Red Shirt movement — known formally as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship — contends Mr. Abhisit came to power illegitimately in the years after ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was removed in a 2006 coup on corruption allegations. The group is made up largely of Thaksin supporters and pro-democracy activists who opposed the putsch.”

Meanwhile, an election is especially significant and perhaps more so in Sudan where ethnic differences and memories of Darfur haunt the election campaign. The National Electoral Commission seems assured that the election will be held on time and as fair as possible. The ruling parties, though, disagree. The major rival to Sudanese President Bashir’s ruling (yep – that’s the one that was indited for crimes against humanity by the Hague) has pulled out of the race because “the poll in Darfur is being rigged in favour of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). Supporters of other parties, he says, are being disenfranchised through difficulties in registering and having to walk long distances to reach a polling booth.” Yasser Arman, of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), goes on to “[accuse] the NCP of using the state’s resources in its campaign, of exploiting the state of emergency in Darfur to give the NCP and Mr Bashir an unfair electoral advantage. Mr Arman claims that his party and others contesting the elections are not allowed to venture out of the three major cities of Darfur, Neale, Geneina and al-Fasher.” If this is the case, perhaps it is better that he pull out of the elections – no sense in running them if they’re doomed to be fraudulent anyways – but if they don’t happen now, will they ever?

On Thursday, legislative elections in Sri Lanka could not only reinforce his coalition party, but also welcome the rest of his family in to the political sphere, which includes his 23-yr old son and 3 brothers. I’m not sure how I feel about this – it doesn’t sound right and highly doubtful that all members of The Rajapaksas would merit a spot in government. As the BBC wonders, I’d also like to know how the varying communities are represented and if the first family is legitimate.

I could  go on and on and on; elections in Afghanistan were suspected to have been ridden with holes, the Iraqi elections have given way to coalition building, Egyptian courts have just released opposition party members on bail. So many issues surrounding the conduct and results of elections and I’m not sure if this is what the founding fathers of democratic theory had in mind? It was all so cut and dry back then, wasn’t it? Didn’t exactly give us a guidebook to instruct us how to put dictator here and put corruption and violence there. Britain’s upcoming election, hopefully, will set a standard and show ‘em how it’s done! Otherwise, it’s back to the drawing board of leadership and hope that whatever we come up with will have a more lasting affect on the state of our democracies.

Weighing the Pro’s and Con’s of Afghanistan

I’m hesitant to discuss Afghanistan, knowing full well that it connects much of the world’s security concerns and therefore much of t he world’s attention. I’m hesitant because I haven’t yet made up my mind about it and am not sure what I support. We know scant little to make a valued opinion. We know that it is home to the 9/11 terrorists and that before 2001, the country was a feudal state, run by brutal warlords who called themselves, the Taliban. We know that troops in Afghanistan bears greater justification than in Iraq and is consolidated by a handful of nations that would agree. We also know that this is an initiative that carries a high price tag. Can’t get much simpler than that!

Ok, so what do we do? First we topple the ruling elite, send in troops, dispersing would-be terrorists who subsequently lead and utilize guerrilla styled attacks throughout the country. Meanwhile, brave coalition forces attempt to create stability, form a working army and consolidate a reliable leader. The reorientation of the US foreign policy is comforting as there is safety in numbers, but there are several obstacles that stand in the way of making Afghanistan what the world wants.

Obstacle #1: Does Afghanistan want to be occupied? Answer: Likely not! Who in their right mind wants to be occupied?! But if you’re President Hamid Karzai and you want to consolidate power by creating a standing army and police force that pledges allegiance to your ruling, then the ISAF and US missions are your friend, not enemy. They’re the one’s that are defending your rule, will provide the foreign aid, diplomatic support and investment needed to bring Afghanistan in to the 21st century. That’s not what Karzai seems to care about though – his childish reaction being uninvited to Washington (itself a reaction to Karzai’s scrapping of an independent panel revealing Karzai’s election fraud) was to seek out persona non grata himself, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and invite him for tea and a speech. Someone better teach this man his manners! Really calls in to question Karzai’s vision for the country that is a little less American occupation, and a little more corruption, little less democracy and a little more hate speeches. Makes you think whether we’re supporting the right man? The fact that there was fraud at all in the last election suggests that the rival presented a real challenge to Karzai – if it was fair, would a different President be in power, whose views align more closely with the coalition forces? In any other situation, I’d reject this notion of playing puppeteer to a nation – no nation should have that power, except when it comes to Afghanistan.

Obstacle #2-4 : We’ve agreed that occupation is necessary and if it’s necessary, it’s going to be messy and costly and likely lengthy. Guerrilla type tactics are extremely effective and give the guerrillas an advantage, working on their own doorstep. At the same time though, terrorist displacement throughout Pakistan, Yemen and further to Germany and inside the US makes me think that it’s working. There is no base of operations anymore and organized crime and terrorism is much more difficult when borders divide them and technology can track them. Granted we haven’t succeeded in developing the necessary precautions or tools to prevent this yet and we’re ignorant not to.

The costs are astronomical for all countries involved and it comes at a particularly fragile time when the world’s economies are consistently being gambled with.  No one wants to do it, but no one also wants a concentration of terrorist activity and training grounds. Afghanistan has suffered years of neglect and mismanagement and its principal industry is the drug trade. This isn’t a problem that Afghanistan can conquer alone.  If balancing a budget is more significant to a foreign policy and a re-election campaign than ensuring global security and avoiding endless destruction and loss of life, then by all means it’s time to pack up shop. But these priorities are not clear – either you’re all for it and all the things that it includes, or you’re all against it.

And lastly, Afghanistan will be a lengthy process. Most wars are. Hopefully with increased troops to the region, reconstruction and development can proceed – that’s nation building. There’s no clear recipe for it, but the idea is the same. In a nutshell; demobilize combatants and consolidate rule; create opportunities that provide an alternative to violent extremism; rebuild and reconstruct infrastructure that instills the instruments of the state (especially the judicial, legislative, education and health sectors) and creates jobs – at least that’s the intention.

No one wants a war. No one wants to be tangled in mess for years that will only drive up a budget and drive down popular support. The obstacles are just a few among many that include Afghani support for the mission, Pakistan, confusion among multi-national intelligence circles, drug trafficking, democratic values and human rights and many, many more. (Note: I purposefully excluded religion from this list as I don’t see religious differences as an obstacle to this mission) I’m tired though of debating the pro’s and con’s of whether we should or whether we shouldn’t be there. Clear priorities have to be drawn and committed to, if anything, to build the confidence of a teetering Afghanistan and show that our support is unwavering and its reliance on corruption, terrorism and illicit ways are things of the past.

Baby Steps on the Road to the G8

The G8 is coming, the G8 is coming! Roll down the windows and roll out the policy debate! As early as January when the PM made an appearance at Davos, he un-characteristically unveiled a novel idea that suggested looking to the future and the challenges that lay before the G8 and not simply dwell on the issues of meetings past. And so he set the course to rally behind maternal and children’s health issues – and what a cause to support! One would have thought the PM was taking his leadership role seriously and setting in place an initiative that would reverberate throughout the most influential countries in the world. Little did we know of the plans that the PM was laying in store for the government’s policy, to be fretted over and debated until its unveiling closer to the G8 meetings, avoiding what may have been a backlash from Canadian constituents. And then along came Haiti, and then Chile and all the efforts that Canada laid out to help those in need and a policy in its infant stages rushed to its maturity only to be unveiled by a disorganized and disgruntled government that clearly had no idea of what the other was intending. Or so is what I’m reading this morning - it would appear that the Conservatives are finding it a little difficult to step outside of the box, try on a new policy and run with it. Instead, the ‘maternal and children’s health issues’ that Canada was hoping to address on a wider scale didn’t actually address one of the major issues of the 21st century – contraception – at least not until the PM was hounded by aid agencies, NGOs, journalists and even a UN official citing the importance of contraception for maternal health. The Foreign Minister and the Minister of Int’l Cooperation both were ignorant of the PM’s plans and instead issued statements stating the contrary. So now, the PM is supporting contraception, leaving his Minister’s in the dark, but also condemned strongly abortion.Meh, good enough for now I suppose.

I can understand the difficulties in stepping outside of the box and erring on the side of liberalism (and the better they are for it!) but what I don’t understand is how a policy’s direction could so clearly have been misunderstood by the Minister’s most affected by the policy itself. Is the PM just playing with fire, baby steps here, see what happens, baby steps back? No one likes a PM with no backbone, especially is Cabinet. Recognizing the challenges of a minority government and holding on to the fragile balance of power, political uncertainly is bound to follow, yet the PM’s been at this for quite a while. At this point in his tenure, it would be worthwhile to grow a backbone, show the G8 that it’s PM knows what it wants to achieve and how it’s going to get there. If it doesn’t work out, then it was never going to anyway and if it does that at least you have something to show history you’ve achieved.

What do Polls Really Say?

I went for a job interview once at a polling company that constructed polls and analysed the data. I thought it could be interesting, especially when the content was dealing with something interesting. Turned out, it wasn’t. But it did highlight the significance of polls in today’s world; be it for the leading marketer of canned soups, the political party in the lead or or the quality of living of global cities – this one was interesting to read in the 2009 Mercer’s Report, released last April and it really made me wonder what the criteria is to be ranked on the list because apparently Vienna came 1st in quality of living! After living there for about 3 years, I can certainly see why it should be on the report, but first? I’m not so sure. Looking closer, in the Americas I see the top 5 being all Canadian cities?!  Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary – Wow! Again, wondering what the criteria is and how each were judged?

It is entirely different to be an insider, living in a city than those looking in, juding it by the statistics and polls. Vienna is beautiful and clean and safe, with efficient transportation systems, bountious leisure activities, close proximity to travel destinations, good social security – tough to find a fault, really. But looking closer, you’ll find a history that continues to affect every-day life, stereotypes bordering on racial behaviour and hidden truths that never seem to surface. I enjoyed my time there, but it was very difficult to get to know locals (language barrier aside)  and even if I did, they were the ones who either were foreigners themselves or had an international character – one in a million. I would definately go back to see my friends or for vacation, but only to visit.

On the other hand, my own country. Wow – still amazed that 5 Canadian cities topped the North American listings! Seems like all we do is criticize one or another government without really taking stock of our situation in comparison to other nations…Clean cities – (sometimes) check! Good social security – (meh) ok, check! Health Care – (ok) check! Multi-culturalism – (depends where you go) check! If all that adds up to excellent quality of life, then the better we are for it! I guess I just have problems seeing it that way also.

In the last months, we have a Parliament that is closed for the season, we’ve earned a negligible human rights record abroad, we’ve degraded the environment for an oil source and we’ve a government that is out of control, all at a time when the biggest sporting event in the world is taking place in Vacouver. It’s a wonder why the PM was replaced by the Governor General at the Opening Ceremonies?

I am a proud Canadian, especially when Canadians are on that podium, but I haven’t been lately in regards to our own government and conduct abroad. I’m also very much a liberal, which perhaps is where my views with the present government’s view collide. I’m wondering though if Canadian cities were amongst the top cities last year, where they’ll stand this year? A lot has happened. But if we’re at the top of the list for ‘quality of life,’ what does that say about people around the world and how they treat each other and how well we’re taking care of our environment?

It’s sad. We have summit after summit, all highlighting a global issue; environment, security, health, economies, all claiming to be working together to reach a common goal. But really, is this what we’re doing or are leaders just using these meetings to critisize and place blame on each other for not adhering to given rules. It seems childish and one that is further complicated by political struggles or troubled economies. But if each of our countries can’t face facts and promote openly their global initiatives, it’s a fat chance that any other country would follow suit. This is what is going through my mind as the G8 approaches.

The Educational Revolution

From as long as I can remember, education has always been highly regarded in my family. My sister is a teacher and it’s been the family business for the last half-century to promptly and safely deliver students from their door to the school’s, twice a day.  And although, I’m not directly involved in the educational system, I’ve spent more time there than anyone else I know :S and support education, in all forms.

“Do the best you can and if it’s the best you can do, then you know you’ve done all you can,” echoes in the back of my head when a math problem gets too daunting or a language is just too complicated. Some would give up, but for me, this phrase just reminds me to just take a break and come back to it.

That’s why I found it so interesting to read this morning of a school bus in Arizona that is connected to Wi-Fi! I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I’m exuberant that kids are able to extend the school hours by working on their laptop from the back of a bus; doing homework, communicating with teachers, which the bus driver reports as being the cause of the decreased level of noise and rowdy behaviour (I guess, that’s one up on the safety scale?)

But on the other hand, do you really want your kids to be so engaged with their laptops, that they stop being kids? Everyone always complains of the one callous-fingered suit in the room who has 3 Blackberries and can’t carry on a conversation – is this the future for those kids who are constantly connected?

It’s a technological paradox and, judging by the ambivalent tone of the article, one that is a success. One that could potentially flow to other buses, school districts and states. I’m wondering if this is the case, how it will impact the kids who don’t have their own personal computers? How it would affect the affluent vs poor neighbourhood academic performance? Or is Wi-Fi in the buses just another reason to move to an area with good educational facilities?

Granted Canada is not the US educational system. So it goes, that all educational facilities in all provinces have proportionally equal budgets and with standardized ciriculums, but often the good teachers transfer out of rural areas that are dotted with broken homes and abusive families who don’t reinforce teacher’s lessons or behavioural concerns.

The Ontario government (last of all provinces) this coming year is implementing an all-day Kindergarten in various neighbourhoods, many of them low-income areas. The motives for it, allows parents to save on day-care funds – stands to reason that these are the areas that could really use some help and  Premier Dalton McGuinty also explains his rationale to the CTV that,

“[e]xpanding junior and senior kindergarten will improve learning skills for the 250,000 four- and five-year-old students across the province…[Kids] perform better when it comes to their math and language skills, and they are also more proficient throughout their school years,” he said of early childhood education. All that starts in the earliest years, and that’s why we are so enthusiastic and excited about moving forward with full-day learning.”

It’s a phenomenal intiative that should have been implemented long ago. And, as my sister points out, the research, tests and evaluation of the kids who have the full-day programs will be compared ‘like crazy,’ to those that don’t have it.  I hope that those results will allow it to be extended to all schools.

I don’t like inequality anywhere and shudder to think that either Wi-Fi in buses or all-day daycare for some and not others may influence their opportunity at a better education, instill greater perseverance or empower a child’s will to succeed.  At this point, baby-steps are what we’ve got to work with and if it has to be baby-steps toward progress rather than nothing, then I’m satisfied.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

China, China, China. What can I say, it’s a walking contradiction. How can a society, in some ways, have developed thousands of years in advance of the Western World but fall behind in others – way behind? After all, it was the Chinese who avoided the Plague by implementing hygenic measures; and it was the Chinese who invented gun powder. They should be more economically advanced with the best insitutions and scientific discovery. I guess that’s what a Civil war, a World war and dabbling in Maoist socialism gives you.

I think now though, they’ve finally gotten a hold of capitalism and is taking it for a ride. It’s been reported that China is leading the world in investments in alternative energies – but arent’ they the one of the world’s greatest emitters? Something that the US is aiming for and Canada has feebly given up. It’s ironic too that China would invest so heavily in wind and solar energies, knowing the long history that it’s had in striking up oil deals with auspicious leaders around the globe, notably Sudan , which others wouldn’t touch with a stick.

Democracy however isn’t important to China, money is. Loosening its grip on Tibetans or Taiwanese is unlikely to come any time soon, despite the support that the US may lend to them. At the same time, the tides of democracy are hard to quell in a growing and globalized world. Why else would Google have reported a major cyber attack and “also said hackers had infiltrated the private Gmail accounts of human rights activists, suggesting the effort might have been more than just mischief“. Using the internet to squash opposition, what kind of government does that? Kudos to Google for not packing up shop and leaving, but rather creating Goojje - Google’s little sister.

China has entered the 21st century with a bang, and to the bank I might add, but it hasn’t gone far enough. Coming to terms with the past would be a first step in identifying exactly who they, what their goals are and how they will go about in achieving it. No more claiming to be one thing and doing another. Next, identifying niche markets has worked fantastically and is likely to continue, along with the further development of the provinces, which is sure to reduce the number of poverty stricken families – imagine what a billion productive workers could do for the economy? I don’t dare think that minimum wage would rise soon as it’s cause for heavy investment from abroad. But one can only hope that with greater investment, the spread of web technologies and raising of living standards, a middle class will emerge to threaten the status quo. Something happend like that in 18th Century France, no?

Whatever may happen in the future, China will always be a major player in the world’s economy. But altering attitudes, behaviour and policy of the ruling elites to respect democratic values is another task entirely. We may just have to wait until the elders die out and a younger generation replaces them a la Democratic House. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t still advocate for change or get rid of sanctions or stop critisizing. It just means patience is necessary.