rabble.ca - Social Justice

More bike commuters on the road

redeye — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:06:36 +0000

Vancouver has made big strides in recent years to make it easier for cyclists to get around the city safely. Bike Hub is a member-based organization that works to remove barriers to cycling. Every year Bike Hub organizes Bike to Work Week. Steph Gray is Bike Education Manager at Bike Hub.

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New monopoly capitalism

redeye — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:36:50 +0000

Over the past 30 years power and money has become concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Barry Lynn explores how a small number of corporations have destroyed their competition while maintaining the illusion of a free market. Lynn is the author of Cornered: The New Monopoly Capitalism and the Economics of Destruction.

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Doctors protest cuts to health care for refugees

redeye — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:49:05 +0000

On May 11, about 30 doctors marched into the Toronto office of the Federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver and occupied the office while another 50 doctors waited outside. It was one of several protests across the country against a planned reduction to the health care coverage for refugee claimants. Dr. Meb Rashid was one of the doctors who occupied Joe Oliver's office. He is director of the recently opened Crossroads Clinic, a refugee health clinic run out of Women's College Hospital in Toronto.

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18 workers die in a fire in the Philippines

asia pacific currents — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:53:24 +0000

Labour news from the Asia-Pacific region. Interview with Noel Colina, executive director of the Filipino OHS group IOHSAD, about a shopping centre fire that killed 18 workers in Mindanao, Philippines. Asia Pacific Currents in produced at 3CR radio, Melbourne, by Australia Asia Worker Links.

Azawad: Can this breakaway African state work?

Africafiles — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:00:47 +0000

A Tuareg group declared the independence of northern Mali in April.

With looming famine and a coup in the south, it is unclear whether this breakaway state can — and should — survive.

Africafiles speaks to Professor William Moseley about the future and implications of an independent Azawad.

Repression of Bersei protests in Malaysia

asia pacific currents — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:03:10 +0000

Labour news from the Asia-Pacific region. Followed by an interview about the recent Bersei demonstrations for clean and free elections in Malaysia, with Arul from the Socialist Party of Malaysia. Asia Pacific Currents is produced at 3CR radio in Melbourne, by Australia Asia Worker Links.

Movie: Big Boys Gone Bananas!

redeye — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:08:35 +0000

Big Boys Gone Bananas! documents the campaign Dole waged against Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten to try to prevent him from showing his film Bananas! from being distributed in the United States. This first film documented the struggle of Nicaraguan workers to take Dole to court for health problems suffered as a result of use of a banned pesticide.

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Mayday: A Graphic History of Protest

redeye — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:20:54 +0000

Mayday: A Graphic History of Protest is the title of a new comic produced by the Graphic History collective. It traces the history of Mayday from its beginning in the late 1800s to its expression in Canada today. Writer Robin Folvik and illustrator Sam Bradd talk about the comic and the process of creating it.

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The big banks' big secret

redeye — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:57:30 +0000

In 2008 Stephen Harper said that Canada has the only banks in the western world that were not looking at bailouts. But a new report says that several banks did need extra money - billions of dollars, in fact - to stay afloat. David Macdonald is a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of the report.

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Movie: A Separation

redeye — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:06:30 +0000

Asghar Farhadi directs this award-winning drama about a woman who wants a divorce from her husband so she can leave Iran with the couple's child. Film critics Martha and Marty Roth saw the film and share their differing opinions on the movie.

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The false paradigm of peace: Revisiting the Palestine question

redeye — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:33:55 +0000

Ilan Pappe is an Israeli historian and activist currently teaching at the University of Exeter in Britain. In May 2012, he toured Canada speaking about his current research. Redeye spoke with him in advance of his talk in Vancouver. Ilan Pappe is author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.

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Japan labour movement: issues and challenges

asia pacific currents — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:02:59 +0000

Labour updates from the Asia Pacific Region

Interview with Chie Matsumoto, trade unionist and journalist about the major issues facing the Japan Labour Movement at the moment.

Asia Pacific Currents is the program of Australia Asia Worker Links

Asia Pacific Currents is produced in the studios of 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne Australia

Privatization of oil and natural resources in Afghanistan

asia pacific currents — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:49:24 +0000

Labour updated from the Asia Pacific region

Interview with Anonia Juarez, oil and energy analyst and activist about the privatisation of Afghanistan's oil supplies and natural resources under foreign occupation.

Asia Pacific Currents is the program of Australia Asia Worker Links

Asia Pacific Currents is produced in the studios of 3CR Communit Radio in Melbourne

Kinder Morgan pipeline would increase tanker traffic into Vancouver

redeye — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:44:27 +0000

In April, Kinder Morgan announced that they were planning to expand an existing pipeline that carries crude oil from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C. The new pipeline would mean a tanker a day would be navigating the waters of the Burrard Inlet. Ben West is with the Wilderness Committee.

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Harper budget a disaster for environment

redeye — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:02:46 +0000

The Conservative budget for 2012 will weaken environmental standards across the board. This is especially concerning when it comes to corporations seeking approval for major industrial projects. Gwen Barlee is policy director for the Wilderness Committee.

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Reimagine the CBC

redeye — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:16:34 +0000

One of the casualties of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's 2012 budget was the CBC. The network faces a 10 percent cut in funding over the next 3 years. In anticipation of the cuts, OpenMedia.ca and Leadnow.ca launched a project to encourage Canadians to discuss what they valued about the CBC and what they would like to see change. Tyler Morgenstern is spokesperson for Reimagine the CBC.

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Lester Pearson's Peacekeeping: The Truth May Hurt

redeye — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:50:28 +0000

A new book by activist Yves Engler says that far from being a peacekeeper, former prime minister Lester Pearson was a dedicated cold warrior and an ardent supporter of NATO. Engler takes a close look at key moments in Pearson's in foreign policy. Engler is author of Cars and Capitalism and Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid.

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Film: Bear 71

redeye — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:46:52 +0000

An innovative multimedia projects documents the life of a female grizzly bear in Banff National Park. The story of Bear 71's life is told from the bear's perspective and is illustrated by hundred of trail cam images of wildlife in the Rocky Mountains. Filmmaker Leanne Allison is bringing Bear 71 to the DOXA documentary film festival.

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Vancouver neighbourhood fights condo development

redeye — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:09:47 +0000

Long-time residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside say new condo owners moving into their neighbourhood don't want them around. A new condo project is being proposed for an area of the Downtown Eastside that has so far been spared from gentrification. Dave Diewert is a long-time housing activist in the Downtown Eastside.

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Research on Enviropig halted

redeye — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:38:51 +0000

The University of Guelph has been doing research into a genetically modified pig since the mid-1990s. The Enviropig would have produced waste lower in phosphorus than that of a regular pig. Paul Slomp is Vice-President of the National Farmers Union. He explains why Ontario Pork withdrew funding for this research.

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Workers memorial day: Mourn the dead, fight for the living

asia pacific currents — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:11:46 +0000

Labour news from the Asia Pacific region. Interview about about workplace diseases and injuries at Samsung, with Dr. Jeong-ok Kong from the Korean group Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry (SHARPS). Asia Pacific Currents is produced at 3CR radio in Melbourne, by Australia Asia Worker Links.

Thai labour activist imprisoned

asia pacific currents — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:16:22 +0000

Labour news from the Asia-Pacific region. Interview with Patchanee Lek Kumnak, co-ordinator of the Thai Labour Campaign and a member of the Marxist-formation Turn Left, about the campaign to free imprisoned Thai labour activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk. Asia Pacific Currents is produced at 3CR radio in Melbourne, by Australia Asia Worker Links.

The promise and failures of international law

redeye — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:52:21 +0000

One important impetus for the creation of international law was the two world wars of the 20th century. The United Nations was born with the intention of preventing war and promoting peace and justice. The International Court of Justice was created at the same time. Michael Mandel is a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. He examines the record of these institutions.

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B.C. criminal justice system in crisis

redeye — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:21:22 +0000

Christy Clark launched a comprehensive review of the province's justice system two months. She says her goal is to make it more efficient and modern. But a new report prepared for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association says a business administration model won't help to fix what's broken in B.C.'s justice system. Kevin Tilley wrote the report Justice Denied.

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Book: The Will of Many

redeye — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:52:11 +0000

Democracy usually refers to a form of governance for a nation state. However many modern social movements have grown in explicit rejection of this kind of democracy. Marianne Maeckelbergh is author of the book The Will of Many: How the Alterglobalisation Movement is Changing the Face of Democracy. She explains participatory -- or horizontal -- democracy.

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Survivors of violence face complex legal issues

redeye — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:24:18 +0000

Over half the women in Canada are survivors of violence. The vast majority of women who seek support services will also have to face legal battles. Angela Marie MacDougall talks about the kind of legal issues that women may have to negotiate. MacDougall is executive director of Battered Women's Support Services.

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Canada's record on legislating strikers back to work

redeye — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:59:42 +0000

Canada's governments are among the worst offenders when it comes to legislating striking workers back to work. Since 1982 more complaints have been made against Canada at the level of International Labour Organization than any other country in the world.

Workers in Newfoundland and Labrador have strongly resisted back-to-work legislation in their province. Hans Rollman tells us about a couple of creative strategies unions there used to fight this tactic. Hans Rollman is a reporter, columnist and opinions editor for the Newfoundland and Labrador-based website theindependent.ca.

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Psychopaths Inc

redeye — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:20:25 +0000

In 2010 a U.S. Supreme Court decision rolled back legal restrictions on corporate spending on the grounds that political speech by a business entity could receive the same First Amendment protections that people do. But the notion that corporations are people is under attack. Joel Bakan wrote the essay Psychopaths Inc which challenges the idea of corporate personhood. It appears in the new Occupy Handbook, a new book published in April 2012. Joel Bakan is a professor of law at the University of British Columbia.

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Asia Pacific Currents

asia pacific currents — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:56:54 +0000

Labour updates form teh Asia Pacific Region

Interview with Alnem Pretencio, Vice-President of PALEA, about the struggle of workers in Philippines Airlines

Interview with Wilson Fortaleza about the situation and politics of the Philippines

Asia Pacific Currents is the program of Australia Asia Worker Links

Asia Pacific Currents is produced in the studios of Community Radio 3CR in Melbourne

Is China close to crisis?

asia pacific currents — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:22:54 +0000

Labour news from Indonesia, Malaysia and China. Extended interview with Vincent Kolo, senior editor of the China Worker website http://chinaworker.info/en/content/ Asia Pacific Currents is produced at 3CR radio, by Australia Asia Worker Links.