Hi there,

I'm working on a new project, one that I hope will inspire the activist within everybody. It starts with knowing who inspires you. She/he can be in any field e.g. the environment, health, education, human rights, etc. Your nominee does not need to be famous, I'm looking for really interesting people who inspire you.

To share your favourite activist, please make a post here or send me an email at jason[at]akaactivist.org. Please use the following format when making your submission:

Name of activist
Area(s) of activism
What inspires you about this person or group? (optional)
Contact info for activist (if you have it)

Thanks for your help.

Jason

Qui est votre activiste de favori ?
Automatically translated into French thanks to WorldLingo
Bonjour là,

je travaille sur un nouveau projet, un que j'espère inspirerai l'activiste chez tout le monde. Il commence par savoir qui vous inspire. She/he peut être dans n'importe quel domaine par exemple. l'environnement, la santé, l'éducation, les droits de l'homme, etc. Votre dénommé n'a pas besoin d'être célèbre, je recherche les personnes vraiment intéressantes qui vous inspirent.

Pour partager votre activiste de favori, faites svp un poteau ici ou envoyez-moi un email au jason [à] akaactivist.org. Veuillez employer le format suivant en faisant votre soumission :

Nom des secteurs
d'activiste d'activisme
ce qui vous inspire au sujet de cette personne ou groupe ? information (facultative
) de contact pour des mercis d'activiste (si vous l'avez

) de votre aide.

Jason

¿Quién es su activista del favorito?
Automatically translated into Spanish thanks to WorldLingo
Hi allí,

estoy trabajando en un nuevo proyecto, uno que espere inspire a activista dentro todos. Comienza con saber quién le inspira. She/he puede estar en cualquier campo e.g. el ambiente, la salud, la educación, los derechos humanos, el etc. Su candidato no necesita ser famoso, yo está buscando a gente realmente interesante que le inspira.

Para compartir a su activista del favorito, haga por favor un poste aquí o envíeme un email en el jason [en] akaactivist.org. Utilice por favor el formato siguiente al hacer su sumisión:

¿Nombre de las áreas
del activista del activismo
qué le inspira sobre esta persona o grupo? contacto (opcional
) Info para las gracias del activista (si usted lo tiene

) por su ayuda.

Jason

Chi è il vostro attivista del favorito?
Automatically translated into Italian thanks to WorldLingo
Hi là,

sto lavorando ad un nuovo progetto, uno che spero ispirerò l'attivista presso ognuno. Comincia con conoscere chi li ispira. She/he può essere in tutto il campo per esempio. l'ambiente, la salute, la formazione, i diritti dell'uomo, ecc. Il vostro nominee non deve essere famoso, io sto cercando la gente realmente interessante che li ispira.

Per ripartire il vostro attivista del favorito, faccia prego un alberino qui o trasmettami un email a jason [a] akaactivist.org. Usi prego la seguente disposizione quando fanno la vostra presentazione:

Nome delle zone
dell'attivista di activism
che cosa li ispira circa questa persona o gruppo? contatto (facoltativo
) Info per i ringraziamenti dell'attivista (se lo avete

) per il vostro aiuto.

Jason

Wer ist Ihr Liebling Aktivist?
Automatically translated into German thanks to WorldLingo
Hallo dort,

arbeite ich auf einem neuen Projekt, eins, das ich ansporne den Aktivisten innerhalb jeder hoffe. Es beginnt mit dem Wissen, wer Sie anspornt. She/he kann in irgendwelchen sein auffangen z.B. das Klima, die Gesundheit, die Ausbildung, die menschlichen Rechte, das etc. Ihr Kandidat braucht nicht, berühmt zu sein, ich suchen wirklich interessante Leute, die Sie anspornen.

Ihren Liebling Aktivisten teilen, lassen Sie bitte einen Pfosten hier oder schicken Sie mir ein email am jason [an] akaactivist.org. Verwenden Sie bitte das folgende Format, wenn Ihre Unterordnung gebildet wird:

Name der Aktivist
Bereiche des Aktivismus,
was Sie über diese Person oder Gruppe anspornt? (wahlweise freigestelltes)
Kontaktinfo für Aktivist (wenn Sie es haben),

Dank für Ihre Hilfe.

Jason

Quem é sua activista do favorito?
Automatically translated into Portuguese thanks to WorldLingo
Hi lá,

eu estou trabalhando em um projeto novo, um que eu espero inspirarei a activista dentro de todos. Começa com saber quem o inspira. She/he pode estar em todo o campo por exemplo. o ambiente, a saúde, a instrução, as direitas humanas, etc. Seu nominee não necessita ser famoso, mim está procurando os povos realmente interessantes que o inspiram.

Para compartilhar de sua activista do favorito, faça por favor um borne aqui ou emita-me um email no jason [em] akaactivist.org. Use por favor o seguinte formato ao fazer sua submissão:

Nome de áreas
da activista de activism
o que o inspira sobre este pessoa ou grupo? contato (opcional
) info para agradecimentos da activista (se você o tem

) para sua ajuda.

Jason

Är vem din favorit- aktivist?
Automatically translated into Swedish thanks to WorldLingo
Hi där,

projekterar I-förmiddagarbetet på ett nytt, ett som jag hoppas ska inspirerar aktivisten inom alla. Det startar med att veta vem inspirerar dig. She/he kan vara i några sätter in e.g. miljön, vård-, utbildning, mänsklig rättighet, Etc. Din kandidat behöver inte att vara berömd, I-förmiddagen som söker efter egentligen att intressera folk som inspirerar dig.

Behaga gör en posta här eller överför mig en e-post på jason [på] akaactivist.org för att dela din favorit- aktivist. Behaga bruk efter formatera, när danande din submission:

Namnge av aktivist
områden av aktivism
vad inspirerar dig härom personen eller gruppen? kontakta info för
tack för aktivisten (om du har det) (valfritt

) för din hjälp.

Jason

Будет вашим актуарием фаворита?
Automatically translated into Russian thanks to WorldLingo
Hi там,

я работаю на новом проекте, одном которое я надеюсь воодушевлю актуария внутри каждое. Оно начинает с знать воодушевляет вас. She/he может находиться в любом поле например. окружающая среда, здоровье, образование, права человека, cEtc. Вашему nominee не нужно быть известен, я ищет реально интересные люди которые воодушевляют вас.

Для того чтобы делить вашего актуария фаворита, пожалуйста сделайте столб здесь или пошлите мной email на jason [на] akaactivist.org. Пожалуйста используйте following форму делая ваше представление:

Имя зон
актуария activism
воодушевляет вас о этих персоне или группе? (опционный)
контакт info для спасибо актуария (если вы имеете его

), то за вашу помощь.

Джейсон

Who is uw favoriete activist?
Automatically translated into Dutch thanks to WorldLingo
Hallo daar,

werk ik aan een nieuw project, dat ik zal inspireren de activist binnen iedereen hoop. Het begint met het weten van wie u inspireert. She/he kan op om het even welk gebied zijn b.v. het milieu, de gezondheid, het onderwijs, de rechten van de mens, enz. Uw benoemde beroemd te hoeven niet te zijn, zoek ik werkelijk interessante mensen die u inspireren.

Om uw favoriete activist te delen, te maken gelieve hier een post of te verzend me een e-mail bij jason [bij] akaactivist.org. Gelieve te gebruiken het volgende formaat wanneer het maken van uw voorlegging:

Naam van activisten
Terrein van activisme
wat u over deze persoon of groep inspireert? (facultatieve)
info van het Contact voor activist (als u het) Dank

voor uw hulp hebt.

Jason

الذي يكون ك شيء مفضّل نشط?
Automatically translated into Arabic thanks to WorldLingo
مرحبا هناك,

يعمل أنا على مشروع جديدة, واحدة أنّ أنا آمل سيلهم النشط ضمن كلّ واحد. هو يبدأ مع يعرف الذي يلهم أنت. [ش/ه] يستطيع كنت في أيّ مجال [إ.غ.]. البيئة, صحة, تربية, حقوق الإنسان, [إتك.]. لا يحتاج معينتك أن يكون مشهورة, أنا أفتّش الناس ممتعة حقّا الذي يلهم أنت.

جعلت أن يشارك ك شيء مفضّل نشط, رجاء موقعة هنا أو أرسلتني بريد إلكترونيّ في [جسن] [في] [أككتيفيست.ورغ]. رجاء استعملت الشكل تالي عندما يجعل خضوعك:

اسم من نشط
منطقة الفعالية
ماذا يلهم أنت حول هذا شخص أو مجموعة? (اختياريّة)
اتّصال [إينفو] لنشط (إن أنت تتلقّى هو)

شكور لمساعدتك.

[جسن]

I cried during my breakfast this morning. I cried for a kid I don't even know. I cried for his family...

On the front page of the Toronto Star today were two stories:

The first -- An 18yr old boy was shot at the funeral of another young shooting victim. There were 300 mourners present.

The second -- The harrowing story of a young shooting victim, Carlos, and his recovery as one of the "lucky ones".

As many of you know, my brother-in-law is one of the "lucky ones". He remains in the hospital, his health improving at a snail's pace. Our hope for his full recovery shining ever so slightly brighter.

Please read Saving Carlos. I guarantee your perspective on gun violence will change. If this story impacts you the way it has me, please pass the link along to someone you know. There's a little activist in everyone.

If you like this post, please visit my other blogAKA Activist

This morning, the CBC's The Current featured two economist debating a controversial economic theory. The theory posits that the act of voting has no inherent economic value. In essence, voters would be better off staying at home and using their time elsewhere as that time could be better spent (economically speaking of course). I'll try and find the full details once it's posted on the CBC website.

Whether or not you accept this theory (I certainly don't), I find it interesting in the content of the Liberal government's soon to be released Economic Update. The "update" promises billions of dollars in income tax breaks, corporate tax cuts, financial incentives for small businesses and increased support for immigration. Sounds good to me (at least in theory). There is one problem though...the timing of its release.

This "Economic Update" comes days/weeks before an impending call for a federal election. This is a thinly veiled attempt to garner voter support. I cry bullsh*t. My vote is not for sale!!!

This kind of political maneuvering is bad for Canada. It panders to our short-term political memory and rewards governing by soundbite. I know many will argue that this is just good political strategy, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Clearly, out vote is extremely valuable in the eyes of politicians. We should not forget this. Whether or not you believe this Economic Update is good for Canada, make sure you let the Liberals (and all politicians for that matter) know that they have to earn your vote, not buy it. Let's not cheapen our democracy.

Technorati tags: Canadian Politics,Economic Update,Liberal Party

As many Canadians are aware (and you should be if you're not), the minority government survived a non-confidence vote by the narrowest of margins (one vote). Quite an ending to this political soap opera. Of all the stories that sprung from the build-up, the actions of Chuck Cadman, an independent, should stand out the most.

After Belinda Stronach, a Conservative, crossed over to the Liberals, the political die had been set -- it would come down to the votes of the three independents. Most knew that Carolyn Parrish would vote in favour of the government. Although she hates Paul Martin, her distain for the Conservatives runs even deeper. Odds were David Kilgour would most likely vote against the government. Kilgour became an independent in reaction to his disgust with the Liberal Party and the sponsorship scandal. Chuck Cadman however took a different approach to making his decision: he polled his constituency. How about that?! A politician actually asked the people he represents what they thought.

In an era where political superstars are made or bought; where partisan politics are deemed more important than the will of the people; and political ambition is masqueraded as conscience, Cadman's decision making process is like a breath of fresh air. Inevitably, the public will forget about the roles people played in this historical vote. But in the meantime, let's not forget that regular people can still make a difference in the running of our country. We can thank Chuck Cadman for reminding us.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning I was awoken by the ringing of my phone. At first I thought I was dreaming but the repetitive rings had that eerie sense of urgency. I answered the phone and was given the following news: My 17 year old brother-in-law was shot point blank in the stomach. His chances of survival were next to none. The shooter was also a teenager; age 16. I sat there unable to move as if someone had just unplugged me.

Over the next 48 hours, I would become witness to unbelievable pain and suffering. I'd also witness unwavering love and support for a young man who needed a miracle...one that he would receive.

In a time where violence is glorified; where hip hop stars boast of the number of bullets that have pierced their flesh; where the top selling video games are about robbing and murder; where the military markets war to young men and women; I am here to tell you that there is absolutely no glory in what happened to my brother-in-law. This act of violence can only be described as gruesome and horrendously painful.

Picture a young man's chest and stomach opened to the world. His body swollen, no longer a young athletic dynamo but a near lifeless shell. Blood soaked the sheets of his hospital bed. The faces of his family contorted with agony, with the thought that they would lose their beloved brother and son. There is absolutely no glory in this whatsoever.

How could this have happened? This is the question that surfaces in a sea of sadness. The answer is undoubtedly complex. Lack of family support and guidance for the young offender. The apparent ease of acquiring a gun. The glorification of violence in our media. All of these precipitated this terrible act.

It is important to reiterate that this is not a story of urban youth and gangland retribution. This tragedy happened to middle-class teens in a "nice" neighbourhood. There is no hiding from this. No one is immune from this social illness. No amount of money nor distance from a city can protect you or the ones you love. As a witness to this tragic event, I am asking you, no, begging you to act...now. Don't support media that glorifies murder. Talk to your political representatives about gun laws. More importantly, hold them accountable. Support programs that give youth positive outlets to express themselves. Most importantly, talk to young people. The stakes are way too high not to.

I decided to include a spoken word piece along with this post. If you like it, please pass it along and ask that the person retell this story. Fortunately, this story had a happy ending. I shudder at how easily it could have gone the other way. Such was the case for another teen shot that very same night.


The Games Our Children Play (aka The Evolution)

Bitch!
Bitch? Who you callin' bitch? Bitch!!

It used to be about cops and robbers
It used to be about cowboys and indians (Native Americans, First Nations)
And now out of the mouths of babes comes,"Keepin' it real."
Very live
extremely direct
In the absence of thought
violence takes root in the mind

Punk!
Punk?
Why'd you hit my brother, punk?
I didn't touch your brother, punk!!!

The slap/crack of flesh against bone against flesh
The sound of young hands wielding misguided manhood
Look ma! Check my new skillz (creating conflict)
Small hands sometimes
kill
while shattering illusions of being a man
And in a puddle of salty tears
violence
begins to grow in the heart

Fuck you!
Fuck me? Fuck you!!

A drive-by
A Columbine High
A nation left to ponder why
But we know why

And yet it's so easy to blame technology
Let's just...
"Get the guns off the street."
Let's just...
"Place metal detectors in our children's schools."
Let's just...Face reality
It's time to redefine our sense of
community

Scientists say,
"evolution"
is a result of changes within our environment
They say
that which is unnecessary
is rendered obsolete
Violence
can be rendered obsolete
But only if
our communities change
the games our children play