Posts Tagged ‘Green Party of Ontario’
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The internal activist
The list for a donor organ in Belgium is 1,248 patients long. Many will wait more than three years to receive a kidney. Roel Marien, 39 and the father of two young girls, says he does not have the time to sit and wait. So he took matters into his own hands and began to search for a donor among his Facebook friends.
His move sparked a discussion among doctors and patients in Europe about the current system, which is based on strict laws and anonymity. Is it fair if people search for organ donors online to avoid endless waiting lists? Might social media give certain patients an advantage, if they can present their stories well online? Should Patients Be Able to Find Organ Donors on Facebook? (2015) by Benjamin Duerr as published in The Atlantic.I am an activist. But I am not a normal activist as you might think. I am an activist for one person – me, myself, and I.
This may seem like a selfish position, but in the day of online slacktivism, I think we are all activists for ourselves. You have the people who use GoFundMe to ask for money for school/health, or to ask for a kidney.
My activism may be a bit more broad – I care about the Green Party and the Environment, my health, and other causes close to my heart. But try and talk to me about something outside of that, and I’ll be with the rest of the world watching Pop Star.
And isn’t it sad that we can’t move out of our bubbles, our comfort zones, to consider what others are being activists for? What is close to their hearts?
I heard it said once that liberal-types unfriend more people on Facebook than conservative-types, because conservative types are supposively more open minded. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do have a hard time reaching other activists in my sphere about my non-profit Journey to Diversity Workplaces.
Does that mean they don’t care? I don’t know. It means that they don’t care enough to look deeper into what I’m presenting.
The same can be said with my own kidney search. I haven’t taken to GoFundMe, because I am not out of pocket for any expense money. However, I have been on the transplant waiting list for 8 years. Yet a previous blog post I did on the topic got very few reads.
So what does all this mean? We’re all selfish bastards, and we need to learn to both lighten up, and to support our friends, and neighbours.
Because isn’t that what a good neighbour would do?
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Revitalizing democracy
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On April 13th, I will be stepping down as President & CEO of the Barrie Green Party after almost 6 years. If I were the President of the US, that’d be a term and a half. Alas, I’m a volunteer President, and so after 6 years it is time to move on.
I leave behind a legacy of democracy. When I held my first Annual General Meeting in 2009, we could barely make quorum. Over the years we’ve completely replaced the constitution with one that works much better for us, and not only do we meet quorum at our AGM’s, we exceed it. Simple things such has having a speaker, and sometimes Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner help bring out members, friends, and supporters. One change we made in 2014 was moving the meeting from January, to April, where we can promote it at our annual Earth Hour activities.
This year we present Sandra Holdsworth, a presenter with the Trillium Gift of Life Network who will be speaking on organ donation. Sandra herself is from the Simcoe/Muskoka area, being a local native herself.
I’ve always felt it was the President’s job to protect democracy within the Electoral District Association. I always claimed the AGM as mine, my event to organize, and invite the members to. To ensure it is not only held, but that anyone who wants to attend can. I also moved it from a boring evening during the week to a Sunday afternoon at the Barrie Public Library, where notably, the room is free.
The new President of course will be able to chart their own course, but I am proud of my 6 years, and I cannot wait for whatever window opens next.
“Second star to the right and straight on till morning.” – Captain Kirk, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
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Let’s dance again… by volunteering.
I like to keep active by volunteering. I find it gets me moving, the blood flowing, and I get to meet all sorts of amazing new people. This is especially true when I am the volunteer head of the organization. Two of which could really use your help.
In 2008, the Green Party of Canada, here in Barrie, had it’s best result ever, having a statistical tie with the NDP for third. Everyone was shocked. We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers. Three years later, we didn’t do so well. Why? We didn’t have as many volunteers. The Globe and Mail has actually come out and said that if we want to change how politics is done in Canada, citizens should join a political party and change it from the inside. I agree.
Coming up this July, the Green Party of Canada will hold it’s biennial general meeting in Fredricton, New Brunswick. In the Green Party, the only policies the leader is allowed to promote are the ones voted on by the members. It really is grassroots democracy. And you can be the change!
I’m also the volunteer head of another, non-political, non-profit, non-charity organization Journey to Diversity Workplaces.
J2DW was created because of a real desire for change — in our pocket books. To change the way we work, the way we treat each other, employees, managers, and co-workers, and to make life a little more stress-free. We want workplaces that are ethical, moral, and legal. No loophole searching.
J2DW as born this past December, but we still need a few good people to join the Board of Directors during the infancy of the organization to help us find out balance as we start to stand on our own two legs.
If you would like to volunteer for either of these two amazing organizations, please don’t hesitate to email me.
Neither of these two groups peak your interest? Email me anyway, and perhaps I can put you in touch with an organization that does.
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Reflections on a Green Century
I have been a Green Party member here in Canada since 2004. Most people know this story – I got involved because a friend of the time who was doing a Master’s program at Ottawa’s Carleton University was telling me about Green Party tax policy, and suggested we become a member. 7 years later and I don’t know if he’s still a member, but I’m the only one of us who got involved.
In the last 2 – 3 years, we have made major strides. Elizabeth May became our first Green MP in the Canadian House of Commons,
English: Green Party leader, Elizabeth May. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
representing Saanich–Gulf Islands in British Columbia. If you’ve never been to Victoria, BC you should really go. It’s such a beautiful area, and Elizabeth is lucky to represent it. Now this year we’ve earned a spot in British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, with Andrew Weaver representing Oak Bay–Gordon Head.
This is truly exciting. Two elected Greens in Canada. Plus Adriane Carr on Vancouver City Council, where they do have municipal political parties. Sure we have other municipal elected officials, but unfortunately due to the non-partisan nature, they often go unrecognized.
So we truly are in the Green Century. The Green parties in Canada have evolved, and changed so much since I became a member in 2004. We’ve gotten better, higher quality leaders like Elizabeth May, and Mike Schreiner (leader of the Green Party of Ontario.) And higher quality candidates. This tells me that we will continue electing people, even under the antiquated first past the post system. And Fair Vote Canada recently gave the Canadian government a petition of 25,000 signatures on their Declaration of Voters Rights.
In Barrie, we have a plan to elect Ontario’s first Green MP. We’re calling the Order of the Green Century. The plan is pretty simple. Like a legion of 100 centurions, we’re recruiting 100 volunteers, and 100 monthly donors. With this we will be able to have a fully funded election campaign, and enough volunteers to knock on every door in the electoral district at least once. Because this century is the Green Century, and I want it climate change-free. Want to get involved? Email me!
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Updating in the ecosystem
Canada (Photo credit: palindrome6996)
So it’s been a while since my last update. My Kobo I mentioned is a really good product. I did have to send it in under warranty to be replaced a few weeks ago, I couldn’t connect the Kobo to my computer. Works great now!
So with the Barrie Green Party, which is the local electoral district association for both the Green Party of Canada and the Green Party of Ontario; for a few years now we’ve played host to a few college co-op students. This term we’ve had our co-op students working on research articles for the newly formed Georgian College Young Greens. The newest is on Alternative Energy Sources. They’ll also be doing one for the Barrie Young Greens.
Health wise I’m still on the transplant list, I potentially have a 5 year wait still. I’ve been on the list for 5 years since it goes back to my “return to dialysis” date.
What else is new? I’m going to BC in August for the Green Party of Canada convention. I’m really looking forward to that!
Oh and I’m also now on Google+! And my main website has been totally changed to a cool new format!
Have a great day!!
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