April 15, 1994, carnegie newsletter by Carnegie Newsletter

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'May you live in interesting times' - Ancient Chinese curselblessing

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Tuesday, A p r i l 26, t h e Main S t r e e t overpass t o CRAB Park w i l l b e blockaded. People i n t e r e s t e d i n p a r t i c i p a t i n g a r e t o meet a t Carnegie C e n t r e around loam; a march t o t h e f o o t o f blain S t r e e t w i l l commence about 10: 1 5 s t o g e t u s t h e r e by 10:30 a.m.

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On March 17, i n a 5-4 s p l i t , C i t y . -- --- - ---- . Coucnil t r i e d t o k i l l t h e e f f o r t s o f :>--\ = z Downtown E a s t i s d e r e s i d e n t s t o make . -- c CRAB Park a c c e s s i b l e . From t h e f i r s t _- park was open i n ' o f f i c i a l ' day t 3 J u l y 1987, community a c t i v i s t s began o r g a n i s i n g , a g a i n , t o make t h e i d e a of C r e a t ( i n g ) a Real A v a i l a b l e Beach &. +; real. The overpass a t Main S t r e e t was -- -:-:---A .%---. , b u i l t , p r i o s e l j t o i g n o r e t h e physi c a l handicaps o f thousands o f people l i v i n g w i t h i n a 4-block r a d i u s . The on, t h e Committee slogzed through f a c t of t h i s assertion i s c l e a r e v e r y p o s s i b l e o p t i o n o f waysEmeans virtually a l l local-area residents were s e n i o r s w i t h m o b i l i t y impairment, tro p r o v i d e a c c e s s t o t h e p a r k . Ways 6 means i n c l u d e d : a p e d e s t r i a n people with d i s a b i l i t i e s , "unemployoverpass a t Columbia S t . ; a p e d e s t r i a b l e t 1 s i n g l e s and a growing number of s i n g l e p a r e n t s and f a m i l i e s w i t h v e r y an overpass a t C a r r a l l S t . ; an underp a s s ( t u n n e l ) a t Columbia; a ramp young c h i l d r e n . The whole 5-year s t r u g g l e t o make t h e 7-acre park r e a l s t r u c t u r e attached t o e i t h e r s i d e of was made with t h e s e l o c a l people f o r e t h e Main S t . o v e r p a s s ; making a f r e e most - people whose most b a s i c n e e d s bus a v a i l a b l e t o s h u t t l e people i n G o u t from Columbia E Powell ; making an were ignored by Vancouver P o r t Corparrangement w i t h Vancouver Taxi t o o r a t i o n (VPC) and C i t y o f Vancouver e n g i n e e r s , whose d e c i s i o n one morning provide f r e e s e r v i c e t o G f r o . . . w i t h t o b u i l d t h e Main S t r e e t M o n s t r o s i t y v a r i a t i o n s , t h e r e were 10 o r 11 d i f f e r e n t ways. The Committee took almost demonstrates. C i t y Council e s t a b l i s h e d t h e Comm2 y e a r s t o examine e v e r y o p t i o n i n i t t e e on Access t o P o r t s i d e Park ( t h e almost microscopic d e t a i l . The most p r e f e r r e d option f o r every l o c a l name someone hung on CRAB Park t o group was an a t - g r a d e c r o s s i n g a t assuage some g u i l t - b y - r e m i n d e r ) . Meetinzs o c c u r r e d s p o r a d i c a l l y , some- Columbia, walking a c r o s s t h e t r a i n t r a c k s . Federal t r a n s p o r t r e g u l a t o r y t i m e s t w i c e a y e a r . Joan M e i s t e r b o d i e s wouldn't even c o n s i d e r i t . The launched a human r i g h t s complaint compromise agreed t o was a p e d e s t r i a n a g a i n s t t h e VPC. While t h a t dragged

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We need your help distributing flyers, security, and your support. -

COME GET INVOLVED. PLANNING MEETING AT TELLIER TOWER: Tuesday, April 19th, 2 pm BLOCKADE: TUESDAY, APRIL 26th, 10:30 am at the Main Street Overpass

overpass a t Columbia S t r e e t . A l l t h e time-consuming a s p e c t s of t h i s ' p r o c e s s ' can b e r a t i o n a l i s e d , b u t underneath i s an ugly agenda played o u t a c c o r d i n g t o t h e long-range p l a n s of t h e VPC. Consider t h e f o l l owing c o i n c i d e n c e s : 1. The P o r t used t a c t i c s o f i n t i m i d a t i o n , p o l i c e harassment and mounta i n s o f red t a p e t o k i l l t h e whdle i d e a o f a p a r k from 1982-1986. When t h e park was o f f i c i a l l y opened i n 1987, Malcolm Ashbridge, c h a i r p e r s o n of t h e Parks Board, crowed about how enlightened both t h e C i t y 6 the Port were t o b e p r o v i d i n g park space i n " t h i s soon-to-be b u s t l i n g a r e a . " In J a n u a r y 1994 t h e $lan f o r convention centre/luxury hotel/cruiseship pier/ o f f i c e t o w e r s / c a s i n o was adopted a s p o l i c y . .and w i l l "soon b e b u s t l i n g " . 2 . This w r i t e r s e n t a l l l e t t e r i n 1991 t o then-mayor Campbell, e x p r e s s i n g angry f r u s t r a t i o n a t t h e ( d e l i b e r a t e ) s n a i l ' s pace o f t h e Committee on Acce s s . He wrote back t h a t t h e C i t y had never agreed t o b u i l d anything..only t o s t u d y t h e s i t u a t i o n . He s a i d t h e n t h a t t h e work o f t h e Committee was done; t h a t t h e y had made a recommenda t i o n and any f u t u r e a c t i o n by t h e C i t y would b e no more t h a n t o i n c l u d e CRAB Park a c c e s s i n a coming c a p i t a l Council on t h e p l a n . When i t came 1 7 t h o f March, t h e main excuse used by t h o s e k i l l i n g t h e recommendation was t h a t i t c o s t t o o much and t h e

money could b e used elsewhere. 3. Non-reappointment of Council ' s Committee on Access t o P o r t s i d e Park and 3 months l a t e r t h e i s s u e it had worked on f o r 7 y e a r s coming t o Council. 4. The s e l e c t i o n o f a condo-owning, 3-month r e s i d e n t t o r e p r e s e n t t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e on t h e Gastown Heri t a g e Area Planning S o c i e t y and t h e eager a d o p t i o n o f t h i s g r o u p ' s "recommendations". . .which a r e j u s t r e p i t i t i o n s o f o p t i o n s a l r e a d y t r i e d and dropped a s l o s t causes. . b y Council. 5 . The f i n a l r e p o r t t h a t went t o C o r n c i l was 9 pages long. About 3/4 o f t h e f i r s t page had t h e recommendation t o b u i l d t h e pedestrian overpass a t C o h m b i a S t r e e t . The remaining 8%':. pages gave them e v e r y p o s s i b l e way t o weasel o u t o f i t .

C o i n c i d e n t a l l y , neighbourhood r e s i d e n t s and people u n w i l l i n g t o a c c e p t t h i s axe-murder o f p r o p e r p r o c e s s , a r e o r g a n i s i n g a g a i n . The f i r s t e f f o r t w i l l b e c o n t r a r y t o municipal law - t h e blockading of t h e Main S t r e e t Overpass on Tuesday, A p r i l 26, s t a r t i n g a t 10:30 a.m. This blockade i s a s t a t e m e n t t h a t t h e i s s u e of p r o p e r a c c e s s i s a l i v e and k i c k i n g : t h e community wants a t grade a c c e s s a t Columbia o r a p e d e s t r i a n o v e r p a s s a t Columbia. Come one, come a l l ! get a t Carnegie a t loam on t h e 26th and march t o t h e f o o t o f Main S t r e e t . Hope t o s e e you! By PAULR

TAYLOR

Let's Put an End to Povertv T h i s i s how it i s a t Ceeds. Many o f

To t h e Board o f D i r e c t o r s , We would l i k e t o thank you f o r b e i n g kind enough t o p r o v i d e t h e C h i l i Dinne r t o t h e residents a t the Portland Hotel f o r t h e l a s t few months. I t i s c e r t a i n l y a high p o i n t i n t h e month f o r many o f t h e r e s i d e n t s , and has been tremendously s u c c e s s f u l . Bob has been extremely generous i n donati n g h i s time and energy towards doing t h i s , f o r which:lwe a r e v e r y g r a t e f u l . I f any o f you would e v e r l i k e t o come down f o r a v i s i t , you would c e r t a i n l y b e welcome. The s t a f f would l o v e t o meet you. Thank you f o r a l l t h e hard work you do on b e h a l f o f t h e r e s i d e n t s i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e , and f o r h e l p i n g u s make l i f e more p l e a s a n t f o r t h e people l i v i n g a t t h e Portland Hotel.

s Sincerely, The P o r t l a n d Hotel S t a f f

u s a r e former s t r e e t p e o p l e . A number o f u s a r e w e l f a r e r e c i p i e n t s . I t works l i k e t h i s - Ceeds r e n t s o r l e a s e s t h e farms, t h e n Ceeds p e o p l e pay r e n t o f between $200 and $300 p e r month. A t cheque- time t h e y t a k e t h e i r days o f f and head i n t o town 6 o r some R G R. The r e s t o f t h e time t h e y spend on t h e farms where t h e i r e x p e r t i s e and a b i l i t y a r e p u t t o good u s e . C a r i n g f o r animals, gardening and farming. .you name i t , t h e y have i t . Some of u s a r e what we c a l l f u l l - t i m e members, spending a l l o u r t i m e on t h e farms. We a r e a l l v o l u n t e e r s a t Ceeds. No wages. We a r e f r e e o f wage s l a v e r y . We grow and s u p p l y o u r own o r g a n i c food - meat and v e g e t a b l e s - and a wi'de v a r i e t y o f both. We grow tobacco and make o u r own b e e r . Our aim i s t o become a s s e l f - s u f f i c i e n t a s p o s s i b l e . We t r y t o o g e r a t e by consensus. We e a t good h e a l t h y food t h a t i s produced i n a manner t h a t i s i n harmony w i t h Nature. We b e l i e v e i n p u t t i n g back a l i t t l e more t h a n we t a k e from t h e . e a r t h . T h i s i s a b r i e f thumb-nail s k e t c h of dhat we a r e doing t o end p o v e r t y yerma n e n t l y . We b e l i e v e it i s p o s s i b l e and s r e s t r i v i n g t o b u i l d an a l t e r n a t i v e t o b o t h p o v e r t y and wage s l a v e r y . How about paying u s a working v i s i t snd have a look s e e .

c u I . ! onunm

L o r e l e i o r Mike f o r P r e s i d e n t ? T r a i l p a c k e r s on t h e spawning grounds. A b i g f i r e t o f r i g h t e n t h e Sasquatch. Red Robin a g r e e s , t h e y need t h e grub. 'We f i n d it." Animals f o r Apples! I saw t h e zebra! I saw t h e train,1, heard t h e Royal Hudson. I saw a t h r e e eyed owl. Forgot t h e d r i f t w o o d . Figu r i n e blew up. Conflagration w i t h t h e Sasquatch. "Getting scared?" v o i c e from t h e t r e e s . Monitor t u r n s i t up, hum. Sure, I remember J a n i c e . Everybody d i d . P r i v a t e smudge c i r c l e s . 37 s t o n e s . A Primal scream. I ' m h a l f - c l o t h e d and s t i l l wet from a shower. Can I h e l p ? C a l l t h e medie! ( a c l a s s 4 d r i v e r ) . The Main t h i n g i s n o t t o p a n i c . Give u s something t o r e a d ! S e t on s e l f - d e s t r u c t . Recording t h e slowdecay. ."you ' r e l u c k y you d i d t h a t " . . i n the infirmary with heartburn, s h i p p i n g and r e c e i v i n g dementia.

A t t h e head t a b l e everyone wins. 5But n e v e r r e a d your own c a r d s . Cedarh e a r t s , " I t was e v e r y t h i n g we s a i d . She was Jewish." And r e p a i r t h e g l a s s i n t h e window. A roomful o f s n o r e r s , I suddenly am awake. The f i r e p l a c e i n t h e annex l o o k s l i k e Darth Vader's h e l m i t . Ign i t e t h e gas b u r n e r , t h e r e ' s s a u s a g e s t o b e f r i e d . Malcolm makes t h e t o a s t . We a g r e e . Living i n "How q u a i n t t h e woods we f r e e d community. Immigr a t i o n and i d e n t i t y . A l l walks o f l i f e , Many f a i t h s and customs, t h e Golden y e a r s , ijt m e l t i n g p o t . A conc e n t r a t i o n , camp o f f u n . The t r a i l s a r e a l i v e , t h e Gardens p a t h . An e x t r a p a i r of hands, f o r Lovef f I t l st h e S p e c i a l K," says t h e t r e a s u r e r . I ' m g e t t i n g s e c r e t messages i n my a l p h a b e t s . I s X I , s c r a b b l e allowa b l e ? Play c a r d s , l i s t e n t o t a p e s of music o r p o e t r y , o r j u s t r e l a x i n g . Making amends.

Eyes t h a t d o n ' t t e l l no l i e s Fiappy e y e s , s a d e y e s , l o n e l y e y e s . ~ ~ f l e c t i oofn love t h a t l i g h t s up n i g h t s k i e s . Kind e y e s , e v i l e y e s , snake eyes. L i f e a p p e a r s , l i v e s awhile, t h e n d i e s . Eyes t h a t a r e m i r r o r s o f your f e e l i n g s . Innocent eyes, g u l l t y eyes, e y e - l i n g Eye games, eye c o n t a c t , s e c r e t eyes. . . You ( s e e ) Eyes a r e VERY PRECIOUS.

To Joy MacPhail, Minister, Social services Re: Ad Hoc Committee o n Sex Trade Issues I am w r i t i n g t h i s l e t t e r t o o u t l i n e some i s s u e s t h a t have been r a i s e d f o r many y e a r s i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e r e g a r d i n 2 t h e enforcement of t h e a n t i s o l i c i t i n g laws and t h e e f f e c t t h a t c u r r e n t enforcement p a t t e r n s have on t h i s community. For s e v e r a l y e a r s t h e p l i g h t o f p r o s t i t u t e s i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e has been a t o p i c o f d i s c u s s i o n . Over t h e p a s t couple of y e a r s p e o p l e i n t h e community have become v e r y i n v o l ved i n a t t e n p t i n g t o s o l v e some o f t h e more p r e s s i n g i s s u e s t h a t s t r e e t p r o s t i t u t i o n has brought up such a s : n e a r n e s s t o r e s i d e n t i a l neighbourhoods, v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t t h e p r o s t i t u t e s themselves, t r a f f i c problems c r e a t e d by t h e lljohnsll, e t c . The p r e s e n t law a l l o w s f o r t h e p e r s e c u t i o n o f p r o s t i t u t e s and does l i t t l e t o add r e s s any o t h e r problems with t h e current situation. There has been a growing consensus t h a t something must b e done t o d e a l w i t h t h e s e i s s u e s b u t t h a t t h e major o b s t a c l e t o a s o l u t i o n is t h e F e d e r a l law which p l a c e s s o l i c i t i n g i n t h e Criminal Code. The Carnegie Community C e n t r e Assoc i a t i o n has been a p a r t i c i p a n t i n t h e Police/Community L i a i s o n Conunittee i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e and h a s , a l o n g with many o t h e r community o r g a n i s a t i o n s , been p a r t o f a p r o c e s s t h a t focused on ? o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n s t o t h e problem. Because p r o s t i t u t i o n i s an extremely complex problem t o d e a l w i t h , t h i s committee s p e n t a c o n s i d e r a b l e amount o f time l e a r n i n g a b o u t t h e i s s u e s involved and c o n s i d e r i n g a p o s i t i o n on t h e F e d e r a l law. The overwhelming m a j o r i t y o f t h e committee feels strongly that prostitution

should b e d e c r i m i n a l i s e d and t h a t a g e n e r i c law b e developed t o govern t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f p r o s t i t u t e s . Other a c t i v i t i e s surrounding p r o s t i t u t i o n , such a s pimping, could remain i n t h e Criminal Code. Generic law c o u l d be developed t h a t would r e g u l a t e t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f p r o s t i t u t e s i n t h e same way t h a t o t h e r b u s i n e s s e s a r e r e g u l a t e d . Decriminali s a t i o n w i l l a l l o w p r o s t i t u t e s t o do what t h e y do w i t h o u t . b e i n g "criminali s e d " and w i l l a l l o w t h e p o l i c e t o g e t on with t h e job o f d e a l i n g w i t h r e a l c r i m i n a l a s p e c t s o f t h e surrounding a c t i v i t i e s i.e.pimping,violence. The problem i n r e s i d e n t i a l a r e a s could b e d e a l t w i t h by having s p e c i f i c , agreed-upon a r e a s f o r p r o s t i t u t e s t o p u r s u e t h e i r work. These a r e a s could b e w e l l l i t and p a t r o l l e d by p o l i c e who, i n s t e a d o f a r r e s t i n g p r o s t i t u t e s , would b e c o n c e n t r a t i n g on t h e people who abuse them. C o o p e r a t i v e s c o u l d b e s e t up where s e x t r a d e workers could conduct t h e i r b u s i n e s s i n a s a f e and o r d e r l y f a s h i o n . In t h i s way women and c h i l d r e n who a r e n o t p r o s t i t u t e s a r e p r o t e c t e d from b e i n g c o n f r o n t e d w i t h t h i s i s s u e e v e r y day i n t h e i r neighbourhoods. The Carnegie Community C e n t r e Assoc i a t i o n b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e Ad Hoc Comm i t t e e on Sex Trade I s s u e s should exe r t pressure a t t h e Federal l e v e l t o remove p r o s t i t u t i o n from t h e Criminal Code immediately and t h a t g e n e r i c law b e developed t h a t a d d r e s s e s t h e a c t i v i t y t h a t p r o s t i t u t e s engage i n . Sincerely, Margaret Prevost C h a i r , Community R e l a t i o n s Committee, Carnegie Community C e n t r e A s s o c i a t i o n .

Dear Bls. P r e v o s t , Thank you f o r your l e t t e r r e g a r d i n g t h e Ad Hoc Committee on Sex Trade I s s ues. I have delayed r e p l y i n g u n t i l b o t h t h e Ad Hoc Committee and t h e Vancouver C i t y Caucus meetings had t a k e n place. The Ad Hoc Committee met on Feb.28. A t t h a t meeting a s t r a t e g y was p r e s e n t e d f o r d i s c u s s i o n . T h i s proposed s t r s t e g y , which has been developed o v e r t h e p a s t months, i n o l u d 8 s ; a s a f e s t r o l l , a drop-in c e n t r e f o r s e x t r a d e workers, a s a f e house o r houses, an e d u c a t i o n component and a s a f e p l a c e t o conduct b u s i n e s s . While much work remains t o be done b e f o r e we a r e f u l l y a b l e t o implement t h e s t r a t e g y , I b e l i e v e t h e Committee f e e l s we a r e now on t h e way t o d e l a i n g w i t h t h e community's needs. On March 11th t h e Vancouver C i t y Caucus (with r e p r e s e n t a t i o n from a l l l e v e l s o f government i n Vancouver) met and I p r e s e n t e d t h e Ad Hoc Committee's s t r a t e g y f o r t h e i r c o n s i d e r a t i o n . The f e d e r a l J u s t i c e M i n i s t e r , A l l a n Rock, was i n a t t e n d a n c e a t t h e meeting and was a b l e t o h e a r o u r concerns about a v a r i e t y of sex t r a d e issues. Inspector Bob T a y l o r from t h e Vancouver P o l i c e Department a l s o p r e s e n t e d some v e r y u s e f u l i n f o r m a t i o n , s p e c i f i c a l l y about t h e d i f f i c u l t y of enforcing Section 212.4 o f t h e Criminal KQde. A s a r e s u l t of t h e discussions a t b o t h meetings I f e e l c o n f i d e n t t h a t we a r e now engaged i n a p r o c e s s l e a d i n g t o s a f e r and more s e c u r e communities. I understand c l e a r l y t h e p o s i t i o n of t h e Carnegie Community C e n t r e Associat i o n on t h e d e c r i m i n a l i z a t i o n o f p r o s t i t u t i o n . My c o l l e a g u e , t h e Honourable C o l i n Gableman, A t t o r n e y General, i s i n v o l v e d i n ongoing d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h h i s p r o v i n c i a l and f e d e r a l c o u n t e r p a r t t o e x p l o r e changes t o t h e f e d e r a l laws

governing p r o s t i t u t i o n . I w i l l be happy t o b r i n g your correspondence t o h i s attention. Thank you f o r t a k i n g t h e time t o w r i t e t o me t o e x p r e s s your concerns. Sincerely, Joy K. MacPhail MLA

No Choice

I d i d n ' t choose t o cone t o t h i s world. Had I any c h o i c e I wouldn't be h e r e , even i f I had a v i l l a t o l i v e i n , two thousand wines, h a l f a dozen R o l l s Royces, f i f t y m i l l i o n i n gold i n a Swiss bank, a hundred tho* sand a c r e s i n v i n e y a r d s and Goldie Hawn t o massage my back e v e r y morni n g . But I am h e r e and I w i l l have t o make do w i t h what I have. You s e e we d o n ' t c o n t r o l d e s t i n y . A.M.

DESIGNER WORLD

Good News From Chiapas When two o r t h r e e thousand mostly Mayan T z e t a l s o l d i e r s o f t h e Z a p a t i s t a Army o f National L i b e r a t i o n (EZLN) o c c q i e d s i x towns i n Chiapas, Mexico, i n e a r l y January, 1994, t o p r o t e s t t h e North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and t o demand s o c i a l r e forms, I f e a r e d t h a t t h e Mexican Army would swoop down and c r u s h t h e r e b e l 1i o n . According t o Marc Cooper i n an a r t i c l e e n t i t l e d " S t a r t i n g From Chiapas - The Z a p a t i s t a s F i r e The Shot Heard Around The World," t h i s u p r i s i n g h a s t o o much s u p p o r t t o be crushed e a s i l y (Pamphlet #30, Open Magazine Pamphlet S e r i e s , P.O. Box 2726, W e s t f i e l d , New J e r s e y 07091-2726, U . S.A.) . The u p r i s i n g was f o r democracy, and a g a i n s t a c o r r u p t government and a g l o b a l economy t h a t made people poore r i n a downward s p i r a l o f competiti v e impoverishment. The p o l i t i c a l s t r a t e g y was b r i l l i a n t . I n s t e a d of calling f o r a revolutionary dictators h i p t h a t would have t u r n e d a l l of Mexico a g a i n s t them, t h e Z a p a t i s t a s c a l l e d f o r two t h i n g s most Mexicans supported: (1) t r u l y f r e e e l e c t i o n s ; and (2) r e a l democratic reform. With p r e s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n s t h i s August, t h e r u l i n g p a r t y (PRI) o f President Salinas has t h e d i f f i c u l t t a s k of convincing t h e people of Mexi c o t h a t i t c a r e s about j u s t i c e . T h i s s i t u a t i o n i s a good o p p o r t u n i t y f o r o p p o s i t i o n c a n d i d a t e Cardenas, whose f a t h e r Lazaro i s remembered by poor p e o p l e a s t h e b o l d e s t o f Mexican r e formist presidents. The murder o f PRI p r e s i d e n t i a l cand i d a t e Luis Donaldo C o l o s i o has compl i c a t e d t h e s i t u a t i o n , however, and

g u s t e l e c t i o n s becauie of it-. In f a c t , some people t h i n k t h a t t h e extreme r i g h t i n Mexico might have engineered t h i s murder. I f Che e l e c t i o n s go ahead, t h e PRI c a n emphasize law and order ( m i l i t a r y oppression) r a t h e r than s o c i a l j u s t i c e . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h e r u l i n g PRI i s a s s o c i a t e d with e l e c t o r a l c o r r u p t i o n and v i o l e n c e . Many p e o p l e t h i n k Presi d e n t S a l i n a s would have l o s t t h e I l a s t p r e s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n s i n 1988 e x c e p t f o r e l e c t o r a l f r a u d , and more t h a n 260 p o l i t i c a l a c t i v i s t s , most o f them members of t h e o p p o s i t i o n , have been k i l l e d i n Mexico s i n c e t h o s e elections. In h i s a r t i c l e Marc Cooper s a i d t h a t t h e Z a p a t i s t a s have widespread support i n Mexico, and he d e s c r i b e d a p r o - Z a p a t i s t a r a l l y i n Mexico C i t y which he a t t e n d e d t h a t a t t r a c t e d over 250,000 Mexicans. The r a l l y i n c l u d e d t h e masked w r e s t l e r , S u p e r b a r r i o , and vendors who s o l d s t e n c i l e d T - s h i r t s p r o c l a i m i n g 1 1 1 am a Z a p a t i s t a " and " A l l o f Mexico i s Chiapasll. Today Mexico i s i n t u r m o i l a s c i t i zens p l a n f o r t h e August e l e c t i o n s i n an atmosphere o f f e a r and u n c e r t a i n t y . According t o Marc Cooper, though, t h e c o r p o r a t e propaganda o f t h e g l o b a l economy h a s been d i s c r e d i t e d by t h e Z a p a t i s t a s , and t h e y have brought hope t o t h e people of Mexico and t h e world. One way t o s u p p o r t t h e Z a p a t i s t a s i s t o f i g h t a g a i n s t NAFTA i n Canada. This f i g h t i s not over a s business l e a d e r s say. I t i s j u s t beginning. By SANDY CAMERON

P I E J U D I C E DISCUSSION 31 March 1994

Sharon Johnson, Sue Johnson, Alan Warner and Leigh Donohue h e l d a v e r y s u c c e s s f u l P r e j u d i c e Workshop on Mar. 3 1 s t . Thanks a l s o go t o Steve Lenteni l o who o f f e r e d p o e t r y , Yuet Fong and blandy f o r t h e i r t r a n s l a t i o n s , and Kye Pleechan f o r h i s a r t i s t i c p o s t e r . Thanks must a l s o go t o Wendy Pederson and Rika Uto f o r t h e i r a i d ; i n p u t from t u t o r s , l e a r n e r s and s t a f f were invaluab l e .

and m a t t e r s of weight, g e s t u r e , body language, l a b e l l i n g , e t c . The workshop broke up i n t o groups and we a l l t r i e d t o come up w i t h some p r a c t i c a l s o l u t i o n s f o r our Centre. By DORA SANDERS

*-' +

a , *

t e

DOES DISCRIMINATION I N EDUCATION AFFECT YOU? Experiences l e d t o conversat i o n s on Racism, Sexism, Classism, Economics, A t t i t u d e s , P h y s i c a l S k i l l / Ailments, Language, F i n a n c i a l S t a t u s , Name C a l l i n g , R i d i c u l e , S t e r e o t y p i n g

A WARM Easter Bunny Thank you to all of you who helped make our Easter/Spring children's party a hopping success! Adrienne, Alicia, Carlos, Dave, Irene, Vickie, Wilfredo and Pizza-Man Paul! A big thank you also goes out to Purdy's Chocolates who generously donated enough chocolate eggs to keep all our children (large and small!) happy.

WRITINGS FROM THE

When I was a l i t t l e g i r l , i t was hard l i v i n g a t home. I had t h r e e o l d .e r s i s t e r s . When t h e r e was a p I was always blamed f o r i t . My t h r e e s i s t e r s would t e l l my p a r e n t s i t was my f a u l t . My p a r e n t s got f e d up w i t h t h e f i g h t i n g between my s i s t e r s , s o t h e y p u t me i n a f o s t e r home f o r 6 mon~ths. The f i r s t one t h e y p u t me i n was a bad place. My f o s t e r s a r e n t s were v e r y mean t o me. They made me do a l l t h e housework a l l t h e time, b u t t h e r e were t h r e e o t h e r f o s t e r k i d s t h e r e too. Then one day I g o t f e d up doing a l l t h e work i n my f o s t e r home. So I r a n away t o g e t away from my mean f o s t e r p a r e n t s . I d i d n t want t o do any more housework f o r them. I l i v e d on t h e s t r e e t u n t i l t h e y caught up t o me. Within a month I was p u t i n t h i s f o s t e r home i n t h e K i t s a r e a . The second f o s t e r home wasnl t too bad. The lady i n t h a t home was a very nice, kind person.. she f e l t s o r r y f o r me and s a i d , "I hope you w i l l b e happy. We w i l l t r y t o h e l p each a s much a s we can, b u t you a r e sad. Don1t be a f r a i d t o t a l k t o me about i t . l t S o I f e l t v e r y h a p p y i: I , t h e r e . When my f o s t e r p a r e n t s wanted t o do a n y t h i n g t o g e t h e r , t h e y would always a s k me, "What do you want t o do t o n i g h t ?I1 I l i v e d with t h e n f o r 1%y e a r s until my p a r e n t s wanted me t o come home b u t I d i d n ' t want t o go. So I r a n away a g a i n . I n e v e r r e t u r n e d t o t h e f o s t e r home a g a i n . By P. Robinson

When I was a k i d I was bad, b u t now I'm an Angel.. NO! Yes, i t ' s t r u e , I am no Angel because I d r i n k , smoke and swear t o o much. I was t o l d t h a t I was a slow l e a r n e r b u t I d i d n ' t l i s t e n t o them because I know I ' m n o t slow..I1m j u s t not a s f a s t a s others. When I was 18 I l e f t s c h o o l because my t e a c h e r s and I d i d n ' t g e t a l o n g t o o w e l l . They a l s o pushed me t o o h a r d a n 4 when I was a s t u d e n t , I s l a c k e d o f f a l o t . I would l e a r n b e s t when I was n o t pressured i n t o learning. When I took t e s t s i n my c l a s s e s a t s c h o o l , I f e l t nervous about i t ; I f e l t l i k e I had t o do w e l l . The o n l y time I f e l t smart was when I was readi n g books i n t h e L i b r a r y by myself. I d e c i d e d t o s t u d y a g a i n because I was s u r p r i s e d t o f i n d I was not r i c h inknowledge of some of t h e more d i f f i c u l t s u b j e c t s . I a l s o know now t h a t knowledge i s worth f i n d i n g o u t about, and t o g e t knowledge, f i r s t , you have t o learn. By RON STRATTON

Editor, How does t h e pnoverb ' t h e s u r v i v a l o f t h e f i t t e s t 1 a p p l y t o t h z human r a c e ? I know how it a p p l i e s t o animal. (domestic E w i l d ) and t o p l a n t s . Nature h a s a way o f d i s p o s i n g o f thc weak f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f t h e s p e c i e s concerned. However, t h i s s a y i n g t a k e s on new meaning when a p p l i e d t o p e o p l e . The way i n which we u s e o u r minds h a s something t o do w i t h t h e s u r v i v a l of t h e f i t t e s t . . l M i n d over Matter'. Of c o u r s e p h y s i c a l l y we need food, s h e l t e r and c l o t h i n g (warmth) t o s u r v i v e . Also, we need h e a l t h y minds. We need p o s i t i v e a t t i t u d e s . I t i s a s t r u g g l e i n one way o r anot h e r f o r s u r v i v a l , I t h i n k , f o r everyone. But t h e f i g h t h e l p s t o d e f i n e o u r s e l v e s , p r o p e l u s forward; i t can be g r a t i f y i n g a s l o n g a s we d o n ' t give up on o u r s e l v e s ! Lisa Enquist

I was s u r p r i s e d t o l e a r n a p e r s o n i s always welcome a t t h e Adult Learning Zentre, no m a t t e r what t h e i r a g e . Knowledge i s l i k e opening a window t h a t h a s been t i g h t l y c l o s e d . Knowledge comes from s c h o o l i n g , s t a r t i n g w i t h elementary c l a s s e s . Most times, even e a r l i e r i n l i f e , home i s where we s t a r t on t h e c o u r s e of l e a r n i n g . Mom and Dad, p l u s s i b l i n g s , a r e our t e a c h e r s . P a r e n t s g i v e u s d i r e c t ion 6 d i s c i p l i n e . . n e g a t i v e o r p o s i t i v e p r a i s e t o o u r l e a r n i n g o f new s k i l l s . 4 c h i l d l e a r n s , a l s o with o t h e r c h i l d ren, t h e a r t o f s h a r i n g , k i n d n e s s , temper and p a t i e n c e . High school can be a s p r i n g b o a r d t o f u t u r e endeavors, m l a sad e x p e r i e n c e . L i f e can b r i n g many i d e a s , l e a r n e d 3ehaviour s k i l l s , through j o b s , c o u r s e s and h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n . Knowledge i s t i o n i n dancing, p a r t i e s and e n t e r t a i r r ment one e n j o y s a t t e n d i n g . I t comes from r e a d i n g books, newspapers, watchi n g t e l e v i s i o n and even going t o t h e movies. P o s s i b l y a person h a s gained knowledge by t r a v e l l i n g . Many p l a c e s have d i f f e r e n t languages, customs and l i f e s t y l e s . A l l t h i s l e a r n i n g broade n s t h e human b e i n g ' s o u t l o o k on l i f e . You can l e a r n t o l i v e and work d i f f e r e n t l y , with people from a l l o v e r t h e world, b o t h t h r o u g h 6 a f t e r t r a v e l l i n g Knowledge opens up many o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n a p e r s o n ' s l i f e . One o f t h e b e s t rewards i s s e l f - w o r t h - l e a r n i n g t h a t you can l e a r n a f t e r a l l . . t h a t you a r e n o t a f a i l u r e . Then, with knowledge, t h e r e a r e no b a r r i e r s t o h i g h e r l e a r n i n g . A l e a r n e r has a b e t t e r chance t o look i n t o a job change. A p e r s o n g e t t i n g up i n t h e morning, happy t o b e a l i v e , e n j o y s h i s o r h e r career By VIRGINIA LUNDY

STRUGGLE IS THE I I

tTHE SEED 11 FUTUR

I \

Mynor is the founder of Project Balam, whose motto is "Protection of the Environment through Peace and Justice." He is a survivor of torture by the army. When he denounced what happened to him, they punished him by torturing and killing his wife. He was involved with a Street Theatre group until so many members were killed it became suicidal to continue and they disbanded. They'd go into a park, make a lot of noise, attract an audience, get out the message of oppression, get out the next message Organize!-oops, there's the soldiers, bye. all in 3 minutes. Mynor brought Guatemalan tapestries and children's art to hang in La Quena until April 24. These children live in Communities of Population in Resistance (CPR) in the jungles of the northern province of El Peten, next to the Mexican border and the states of Chiapas and Tobasco. These are the internally displaced people who hid in their own country from the army. To get to the CPR's he walked for 4 days across the border from Mexico. He would be killed by the army because his name is still on the list and would show up on the computer. Other countries have formed groups such as Project Accompaniment and the Peace Brigade which escort rehgees on their return. He started our conversation saying "Most of us don't listen to what children have to say... Children perceive differently than adults, who'll pick up weapons. First, a brief history. In 1960 the Guatemalan government created the National Institute for Agrarian Transformation. Landless peasants were given access to land and the chance to start a new life. They knew it was going to be tough and they didn't trust the government's promises. They grew rice, corn, beans & peanuts and raised some

livestock. Cotton, coffee and sugar are the cash crops grown on the south coast, where the peasants worked on plantations for the equivalent of 50 cents a day. They struggled to open up the jungle despite dificult conditions - risk of diseases like malaria, poisonous snakes whose bite kills in 10 minutes, isolation, bad roads and lack of medicine. People came from all over the country: from the city, "campesinos"(farmers), poor "ladinos" and "mestizos"(mixed blood). There is a lot of discrimination against people of Native blood. Bus conductors will order them to the back of the bus if a whiter, Spanish person needs a seat. In my dictionary "ladino" also means crafty, sly or shrewd, and "mestizo" is used to describe a mongrel or a talkative person! It's unusual for a Guatemalan to be proud of his or her Native blood. Mynor is a ladino who came to honour his ancestry by working with the indigenous communities rebuilding after the 1976 earthquake, and through studying sociology and the roots of his people descended from the Mayan civilization. One of the more ignorant questions he has been asked about Guatemala is if there are "a large number of civilized people there?" Many of us learned as children about the glorious Mayan civilization with its own complex and precise alphabet. calendar, mathematics and architecture. "But they drank blood," I taunted him. His response was, "Which was more barbaric - Mayan human sacrifice or the witch-burnings in Europe?'Yet the Mayans asked the permission of Mother Earth to wound her when they planted corn. The government attempted to eradicate the Mayan culture and language in much the same way as our Residential Schools here, which punished Natives for spealung their own language and practicing their own spirituality. In Guatemala they were forced into Dev--elopmental Poles which Mynor calls "concentration camps"; they were forced to speak Spanish and leave their traditional clothing and religion behind. These Poles were run by Fundamental/Evangelical Churches who supported reactionary policies. Many came to the cities to work, on the streets, shining shoes and so on, They stopped wearing Native clothing so they wouldn't be spotted, picked up and killed. These new campesinos started organizing Agricul-tural Co-ops, living in peace. They did it by

themselves with minimal government aid; no loans or financial support or vehicles were provided. Their success was seen as a threat to the traditional elitist social system, in a country where 2% of the population owns 75-80% of the arable land (the most inequitable land distribution in all of Latin America). This 2% of rich land-owners, in effect "feudal lords". already had their own organization, protected by the army. They labeled the campesinos organizing themselves "Communism". The military began systematic attacks and assassinations of leaders and organizers. "Disappearing" had very little to do with a magician's act. In Latin America it means that person is never seen again. until their body turns up by the roadside. in a garbage dump or a shallow grave. often horribly tortured and mutilated. In the past 30 years over 40.000 people have disappeared in Guatemala. The generals bought land in the highlands where-oil was discovered..where the indigent population was dependent on the land. The army blamed the Native population for being the breeding ground for the gwerrilla movement. They used a plan of intimidation and indiscriminate massacres. disguised as "counter-revolutionary", to get the Mayans off the land. 440 villages were razed in a Scorched Earth Campaign and over a million people fled to the ~nountainsand jungles. or to Mexico to escape death or forcible recruitment. Another Campaign, "Bullets and Beans" (absolutely nothing to do with Guns and Roses) offered death or "amnesty" if they went to live in the Developmental Poles. General Rios Mott said he was a messenger sent by God to clean up the country of the evils of Communism and the soldiers were his angels! The military became wealthy when they kicked the Natives off the oil-rich land and built military bases, re-possessing and distributing the land among themselves, Planes carrying drugs from Columbia use clandestine landing strips in Belize and Peten belonging to the generals. The 2% of wealthy land-owners, which used to comprise only 17 families, grew to about 50 families with the inclusion of the military. As a result of this genocide, secret communities developed called Communities of Population in Resistance. They move frequently and are small to avoid detection. They farm on hidden pieces of land a distance from the community. They grow their own food. with a daily diet of beans and corn tortillas

supplemented with vegetables from their gardens and fruit such as pineapple. oranges, papayas & bananas. They get honey from beehives and don't use sugar. Chickens and eggs are an occasional luxury. For Mynor's farewell banquet 5 chickens were killed and it was a fiesta for people from all the communities. They eat meat only if they hunt: deer and boar. They choose to protect the right to life of thc wildlife, because they don't want to destroy it; they hunt every 2 months. Individuals fish in the rivers if they have time, but it's not a communiQ event like hunting,. They used to raise pigs in their villages before they were destroyed by the army, but 8-12 children died a year from gastro--intestinal diseases, so in retrospect they are better off without pork. They are on Emergency Alert all the time. Every day they pack up their hammocks so they can evacuate camp in minutes by pre-arranged routes. They can detect the faraway hum of helicopters. and tell a private Cessna from an army plane. What struck me most profoundly was seeing, in his video, the children who were learning to give injections and suture wounds. demonstrated by sewing a dead chicken. The majority being trained as health promoters are 19-20 year-olds, but the younger ones watch and learn because they never know when these skills will be necessary. Kids learn how to inject anesthetic for dental or medical procedures, assist at births, identify soil for crops and become radio operators. Because of this setting, childhood ends at 9 or 10. Even the little ones of 5 or 6 are in charge of the chickens or working on their gardens. They suffer from Post Traumatic Syndrome. Any kid over 7 knows the army is to blame and many are willing to fight "by any means necessary". But they remain non-combatants because a counter-attack by the army would be devastating, the end of their community. They live their lives very fast; at 15 many girls have become mothers and even widows! They talk like intellectuals in very simple words. The paintings of the older ones (9 year-olds) show the influence of war, but the younger ones paint flowers, animals, trees and kids playing in the river. They learn from people coming in as volunteers. The small separate groups in the jungles eventually met up and assessed their health and education needs. There was a high level of illiteracy only the older people who'd been in the city knew

drapetomania yo11 have to pack s o fast you c:inlt I'ccl or t h i n k ;il)out t h e pain you're fleeing strengthening & y e a h that's your thumb stopping n heat-to-shit station wagon with d i a p e r s haby shoos & n stufretl lion on the dnsh1)oard t h e hnckseat splnshetl with clolties n janitor running from oliio his wifc & five kids & o ~ ~ t s i cdlri i c a p ~ cold cnrlmn wind tdincling headlights & :i ritlcofa thousand miles with n mcxican trucker s c a l h i n g ;I load of steel Rr pornn with sawed-ofT shotgun Rr r c i n f o r c d grille & h a n k snow singing "who's gonna love !nu wiicn your raniblin d a y s a r c donr:" & windshield w i p t m like gincornetti sculptures wiping a r k a n s a s fog wcst & vou c n d u p d c . : i d - h k c in t h l l a s on s u n d a v evcning lost Iwtwccn i n d r ~ s t r i n l& reunion s t r c c t s a t t r a c t i n g cops & creeps until r c a c h i n g a salvntion a r m y flop with n h u n d r e d others & a kid on t h e n r x t cot cries out lout/ all night. long

outside this hotel a m a n is freezing to death thrashing around siczing s l e r p tlrcaming frustration waking with stomach clenching anxious lists switch on t h c light cockroaclics stampedc a y l l o w skull grinning i r i I hc 1)lnck windowpane sweat-soaked sliccts wrapped like n straitjncket alarm clock sawing time into pieccs wind l i o w l i n ~shaking windows scarring d u s t with its clnws ceiling I ~ l w d i n gi)lood-rcld ricon from old hotel sign swinging outside sour-s~ncllingshit & wine picrcing t h e n i r a relic from n previous tenant :in nl)nndoncd centrefnld stnincd with dead sperm f w d i n g ro:whcs I gel up to use thc hallway toilet hut somcl)ody's strangled thc~week's roll of paper overnight & left it in larva-like clots nvrr tlic piss-puddled floor cockroaches cover t.he m i r r o r suddenly a phantom a m a n materinlizes I)ehind me wearing a pair of socks & a mustache a face full of wounds & floating eyes his balls a r e larger than his biceps stalactite-hair conceals tlic hones of his hopes his penis hangs like a broken t h u m b & we terrifv each other with how alive we boll1 a r e & in my room t h r milk h a s frozen on the ledge t h e orange juice h a s blown into t h e s t r r c t & exploded

:anada is in a money crisis. kt big corporations have !everbeen richer. t5 time we asked.. .

Where is

the wealth?

t's income tax time again. Everyone is paying- their taxes. ~ v e r i o n ethat , is, except for profitable corporations. 93,000 profitable corporations paid no tax at all in 1992. We pay our fair share for public services ...why don't the corporations? For years, the government has been letting wealthy corporations get away without paying taxes. Sometimes forever. In 1992, this cost the federal government-the Canadian public more than $35 billion. On top of that, some of our taxes actually. go - to these corporations in the form of giveaways, credits, and tax loopholes. -

hen you co of unpaiC?, credits that compa has the lowest co$ the industrialized It isn't fair. And i costing Canadians more than just dollars and cents. It's costing us jol It's costing us imp' tant services provi ed by all levels of government. It's costing us equality for wome people of colour, a people with disabi ties. It's costing us social programs li medicare and edu tion. By not paying ta are putting our so jeopardy.

. T -

Cartoon-Llku Kasernets

:ombine the amount haxes with the tax 3anies get, Canada ,':porate tax rate in d world.

''"

he government says we have to cut back. That the deficit is too big. That we're "too fat." We're too fat? Look who's not paying their fair share...

n Imperial oil (Esso) paid their

iobs. IDOrwid-

ot $1.577 billion, R could creak 600,000 child care spaces, len, build 54,000 CO,and op housing units, tbilior tund a nafional dental program 1

;like hca- fur children.

taxes, corporations social programs in

-----

Coca-cola Royal Bank Hollinger Inc. Brascan

$24,500,000 $63,000,000 $94,100,000 $197,100,000

$0 $0 $0 $0

And these are just five of the 93,000 corporate tax evaders from 1992. Let this government know that companies must pay their fair share... just like we do. Stop the corporate tax evaders. On April 30th act. Tell the corporate freeloaders in your community that there's no more free lunch. Canadian taxpayers are here to collect.

o get involved, participate in your local coalition. Contact.. . Alternatives North .............(403) 873-5670 Action Canada Network P.C. .......................(604) 736-7678 Action Canada Network Alberta .................(403) 483-3021 Saskatchewan Coalition for Social Justice.................(306) 525-0197 CHO!CES Manitoba: a coalition for social justice .................(204) 942-0522 Ontario Coalition for Social Justice.......................(416) 441-3714 Solidarite populaire quebec .................................(514) 598-2000 Action Nova Scotia .............(902) 422-2130 Action Canada Network-P.E.I. .....................(902) 892-1251 Fredericton Coalition for Social Justice.................(506) 458-9476 Newfoundland Coalition for Equality .........................(709) 753-2202 The Action Canada Network b a national, nmtpmfil coalition of over 50 national arganirations and provincial coalitions. Our goal it lo ensure that Canada's hrture is shaped by and lor people, not profit.

DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE YOUTH ACTIVITIES SOCIETY

Honday through Friday, 9am 5pm. STD C l i n i c FREE MEDICAL CLINIC Mon, Wed, Friday, 5:30-7:30 pm. NEEDLE EXCHANGE 221 Hain; every day. 9am - 5pm. Needle Exchange Van on t h e s t r e e t evenings, Hon-Sat. N.A. meets every Monday n i g h t a t 223 Main S t r e e t .

Out-To-Lunch Bunch meets d a i l y a t 59 Powell, Loam

1993 DONATIONS Eleanor K.-$25 S t u a r t M.-$50 Adbusters -$50 K e t t l e F.S.-$16 Joy T.-$20 E t i e n n e S.-$50 Legal Aid -$SO

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Paula R.-$20 S t e v e T.-$15 E r i c E.-$16

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llelp i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e ( f u n d i n g ) S o c i a l S e r v i c e s $1000 Vancouver H e a l t h Dept. - $ I 1 Employment 6 Immigration -$a00 P . L . U . R . A . -$lo00

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3 hov to write and read, so they set about teaching others. The 12-16 year-olds then became the teachers of the younger children and illiterate adults. Mynor went down with an education project to teach the children how to teach , along the line of Paolo Friere who wrote Pedagogy of the Oppressed and whose sele is used in much of the classes here at the Carnegie. He got them to write down a plan, 1 week. then 2 weeks. and by the time he left they prolldly showed him a whole year's plan! They wrote their own manuals for writing, reading, math and practical geography (history). Many of them don't know how it is outside the jungle where they live, but they have the courage to survive and are anxious to learn. Children in El Peten are able to achieve the equivalent of a Grade 3 education - something which is denied to many poor Guatemalan children because thev have to work for wages with the rest of their family, who can't afford the loss of earnings or the cost of school materials and uniforms. How have Canadian children responded to his taking this show to elementary schools in Toronto? The kids were receptive and the majority were anxious to do something. and vocal about injustice. The kind of questions they asked were - "What do thev do when the planes come? Do thev eat every

day? Do I hey n ash even day? Do they play? What kind of toys do they need? What time do they go to bed? What do they wear? Do they have TV?'To the last question. he responded, "no. they have the Rainforest." Have they seen the movie Fern-Gully? "They have monkeys and parrots for pets." The kids were impressed -"Oh, like Mowgli." The army still harasses and intimidates the CPR's though they don't attack because of international witnesses, such as Project Accompaniment. However. the army plants mines around the farmland and justifies them by citing 'guerrilla presence'.

The CPR's want to be recognized as victims, noncombatants, civilians caught in the crossfire. They want to be officially recognized as self-sufficient agricultural communities. They want to be on the map and counted in the next census. The last census didn't count the million internal refugees or the 100.000 in Mexico. The U.N. doesn't recognize the internally displaced as refugees. If the army attacks the CPR's, the U.N. doesn't have the authority to intervene because the army hasn't contravened any international laws. Yet, in apparent contradiction. the U.N. has been sending help to the internal refugees of Bosnia. The CPR's want to protect the rainforests from lumber smuggling under the benediction of the military. At one point American picked up what looked like an invasion along the Guatemalan border by a large number of vehicles. The Guatemalan Army was notified and mobilized. capturing 70 vehicles loaded with trees. "What are you doing?" they asked. The response was, "We have permits issued by the governor of Peten and the army." The story was covered up - 'no no the Mexican companies aren't clearing out the forests.' Yet photos is the Nov.'93 National Geographic show the truth. The CPR's are asking for the right to remain there. Every Guatemalan citizen has the right to a piece of land, according to the country's constitution. If they are not supported, it's likely they will be rclocated. They are asking that the army return to its barracks and stop attacking them. What is the threat of the CPR's losing this land? Well, they don't own it to begin with and they are trying to get it to be theirs..it belongs mostly to the state and the generals. The government says the campesinos are destroying the rainforest, thinking to the future when tourists can photograph exotic birds and crumbling ruins in a "Mayan Biosphere". This Eco-Tourism ('save the rainforest from the people who live in it') confuses both local and international listeners. It's very important that the U.N. recognizes these people as civilians living in an area of conflict. The present President visited the CPR's when he was the Human Rights Ombudsman, but has never acknowledged them as internal refugees displaced by the army's massacres. Project Balam approached the Canadian government & the U.N. to recognize the CPR's. They didn't, but a worldwide alliance of churches working for peace and justice did ...with the exception of the Fundamentalists who still believe

the Natives are communists. The only access we have to the CPR's is their contact with the churches, through which we can arrange aid or interviews. The war on drugs is being used to justify the prcsence of American planes, much as they used Noriega. They are spraying the same defoliants and pestic~desused in Vietnam, a combination of 24D and 215T which creates Agent Orange. Though they're not using those names, it's the same stuff. These are pesticides banned in Canada and the USA "Like the Guatemalan government," Mynor says," different clowns, same circus." And civilian areas are the ones being sprayed, contributing to large amounts of DDT in mother's milk and babies born without eyes, arms, and sometimes brains. Mexico wanted to get rid of its Guatemalan refuge camps to look good prior to signing NAFTA, so gave them 2 options - become Mexicans or get out! The refugees organized a permanent commission of refugees to negotiate their return to Guatemala, under pressure from the Mexican government and the U.N.'s cutbacks in aid to them. They chose where they would relocate, but they still had to negotiate - they were going to buy this land from the owners and state agencies controlling it. Initially it was $20.000 an acre. but the greedy owners speculated that with support from the international community they would be able to ask more, and raised their price to $50,000 an acre. A lot of relatives in refugee camps in Mexico will be reuniting with their families in the CPR's and will start to organize co-ops. The Chiapas uprising in Mexico will make it difficult for them. They have close links with the Zapatistas because they're Mayans too; the geographical border doesn't matter. Many of the Zapatistas hid from the army's backlash in the Guatemalan mountains. Troops were sent to cover the border from both sides. The army and land-owners in both countries have the same objectives so they work in partnership. Support routes have changed since the influx of both armies so the CPR's have been isolated, incommunicado since January. Negotiations leading to the signing of a Peace Accord by the URNG (Revolutionary Groups) and the governmentlarmy have been stalled for 2 years, until March 29 of this year. They still need to discuss the re-settlement of refugees, rights of the Mayan People and the role of the army. The URNG is

asking for the formation of an investigative commission of Truth, but the army won't agree to this. It doesn't want to be accountable for the atrocities of the past, and will only agree to an investigation of human rights abuses from the date of signing ONWARDS! What can we do? We can pressure the Canadian Government to pressure the Guatemalan Government We can raise money to supply the CPR's with salt, grain. medicine. flashlights and batteries. powdered milk, clothing and portable stoves. A group from the CPR's picks up supplies provided by a Mexicanbased aid group in a pre-arranged spot in the jungle, and leaves a list of what's needed for next month. They need portable, fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves, so that less of the rainforest is cut for firewood, and they are able to carry them during flights from the army. They need rubber boots and clothing that's mosquito-proof, waterproof and durable. Jeans won't dry after 3-4 days! The leather belt that Mynor was wearing when he first arrived got soaked, so he hung it in a spot of sunshine at 1Oam. By 4pm it was green and moldy. When he tried to clean it everyone laughed and said, "Don't bother!" Add poisonous snakes to that and it sounds unbearable to me, yet the Guatemalans I know love their country passionately and want to return. They also need fuel-wood trees which bum easily, give good heat and have a thin canopy so they can be planted near crops. They realize that cutting down the rainforest isn't a good long-term strategy and would prefer to plant instead. And we can learn. Pass this article to a friend. MYNOR WILL BE SHOWING HIS VIDEOS AT LA QUENA, 1111 COMMERCIAL DRIVE (at Napier), WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20th at 8 PM. A donation would be great, but even if you're broke come anyway - your presence will be appreciated. We can't help but notice the similarity between the struggle of the indigenous people and in Guatemala. By DIANE WOOD

A Reflection .It takes courage t o be crocus-minded, Lord, I'd rather wait until June, like wild roses, when the hazards of winter are safely behind, and I'm expected, and everything's ready fcr roses, But crocuses? Highly irregular! Knifing up through hard frozen ground and snow, sticking their necks out, because they believe in spring and have something personal and emphatic t o say about it. Lord, I am by nature rose-minded. Even when I have studied the situation here and know when there are wrongs that need righting, affirmations that need stating, and know also that my speaking out may offend for it rocks the boat Well, I'd rather wait until June. Maybe later things will work themselves out, and we won't have t o make an issue of it. Lord, forgive. Wrongs don't work themselves out, injustices and inequities and hurt don't dissolve.' Somebody has t o stick her neck out, somebody who cares enough t o think through and work through hard ground, because she believes and has something personal and emphatic t o say about it. Me, Lord? Crocus-minded? Could it be that there are things that need t o be said and you want me t o say them? I pray for the courage. A poem treasured by Ferne Evelyn Graham, M.Sc., D.D.

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After the casinos came in to Atlantic City, the nunlber of restaurants nearby declined from 243 to 146 in only 10 years. In South Dakota, business slumped in clothing stores, recreation services, auto dealers and service stations. In Minnesota, restaurant business within a 50-kilometre radius of the casinos is down by 20 to 50 per cent. Robert Goodman calls it "cannibalization" - the diversion of consumer spending from local businesses into large, new, destination resorts that offer gambling, food and entertainment all under one roof, like the proposed $1-billion Port of VancouverNLC Development plan for the waterfront. Goodnlan, a political scientist at the University of'Massachusetts in Amherst, is the author of a study on the economic impacts of large-scale gambling developments. "The dollars spent on gambling are being recycled out-ofother businesses," said Goodman. frnm "Monev for eamhline isi~si~aIIvdiv~rt~rl people's discretionary expenditures." That means, he said, that the casino becomes another choice for tourists and locals alike when they decide where to spend their money. He said gambling casinos routinely off'er cutprice entertainment, food and booze to patrons to keep then1 close to the tables and as far away as possible from other places where they might spend their money, such as movie theatres. shops, pubs and restaurants. Goodman's study q u ~ t e Steve s Wynn, owner of Mirage Resorts Inc., V1,C's American partner, as confirmingthat local businesses should not expect a bonanza from a casino. Wynn told business people in Bridgepoll, Conn., in 1992: "Get it straight. . .there is no reason on earth for any of you to expect for more than one second that just because there are people here (in the casino), thev're oinc: to run into your ,\ore. or restaurant. or a c . . . It is illogical to,

expect that people who won't come to Bridgeport and go to your restaurants or your stores today will: go to your restaurants and stores iust because we happen to build this building here." Goodman said the area near the casino can also expect an increase in street activities -everything from prostitution and drugs to robberies - making it less attractive for casual tourists. He said communities should make their own independent analyses of rosy revenue and jobcreation figures offered by casino developers. "They tend to exaggerate the benefits and play down or omit the disadvantages," he said. As the number ofcasinos increases,the more' each one will have to rely on local gamblers, meaning that less of the revenue is "new money" and more is simply recycled from other businesses. The prospect of a black hole sucking up revenue from local firms has the Gastown Business Improvement Association worried. Leanore Sali said the BIA, which represents 500 businesses and 100 property owners, has no official position yet on the proposal. But obviously, he said, if businesses are look1 ine at lost. revenue. "we would be very concerned, extremely concerned." It would be devast.atingif'Lrancouverrepented the Atlantic City experience, she said. Marco Puharich, owner ofthe Waldorf Hotel on East Hastings, predicted local business would suffer when residents come to decide what to do on Saturday night -go down to the local pub to watch the game on the big screen or catch the action at the casino. "If I was setting up a casino, I would win1 to encourage every entertainment dollar to stay on the site," said Puharich. "We are all vying for the dollac and tlicrc's no way I can compete with a casino." Goodman said even the claims that the casino will create large numbers of jobs is suspect. "The casino industry is now moving away from table games (which are supervised I J ~ employees) and toward slot.machines, which now pull in two-thirds of all revenue lo thc industry," he said.

MIMQE MRIRNI-S: can change hands q u i c k l y when you f e e l l i k e Superman. Azzinaro E C a p p i e l l o a t t e n d e d t h e Golden Nugget's "Gambling School1' 6 were h i r e d a s "Craps Floormenu; a c c o r d i n g t o Void Dernaris' book "The Boardwalk Jungle", t h e s e two "flamboyant E u n d i s c i p l i n e d " c h a r a c t e r s 'were h i g h l y v a l u e d by Steve Wynn f o r 'what he c a l l e d "customer marketing" $ talents.

by h e a t i n g up an economic d e s e r t , s o t h a t wanderers dying o f t h i r s t w i l l b e l i e v e f r e s h w a t e r i s n o t f a r away. When t h i r s t y t r a v e l l e r s a r r i v e a t t h e $ l o c a t i o n o f a mirage t h e y f i n d noth$ i n g b u t h o t sand. Looking a h e a d t o $ t h e h o r i z o n , t h e y s e e a g a i n t h e cool $ shimmering i l l u s i o n o f w a t e r t h a t f o r c e s them onward u n t i l t h e y d i e . $ This i s t h e way Howard Hughes c r o s s e d $ t h e d e s e r t o f h i s mind t o p r e s e n t Steve Wynn with t h e keys t o t h e king- $ dom. There a r e two kingdoms i n Ameri- $ ca: Graceland, where t h e dead king i s $ s t i l l a l i v e ; E Disneyland, where t h e $ king i s 31s; dead. (They t r i e d t o $ p r e s e r v e t h e body by f r e e z e - d r y i n g i t $ $ but a power f a i l u r e i n C a l i f o r n i a c a u s e d a melt-down i n t h e mausoleum $ 6 Walt I s c o r p s e r o t t e d C, s t a n k t h e $ way Mickey C, Donald's bodys n e v e r $ will.) $ America d e a l s nightmares t o f u t u r e $ g e n e r a t i o n s from behind i t s show bus- $ i n e s s format. In t h e l g g o l s , Neil Az- $ z i n a r o E Louis C a p i e l l o were h i r e d by $ Steve Wynn t o work a t h i s Golden Nug- $ g e t Casino i n Las Vegas. Azzaniro was $ Wynn's p e r s o n a l h a i r d r e s s e r , 6 n e i t h e r $ $ of t h e s e two c l o s e f r i e n d s had any c a s i n o e x p e r i e n c e - however, t h e y g; were e x p e r t s a t a v e r y i m p o r t a n t e l - $ $ ement i n t h e gambling s c e n e . They kept a l o t of S t e v e ' s $ a t r o n s h i g h on $ heroin 6 c o c a i n e - and a l o t o f money$

options t h a t were n o t a v a i l a b l e t o o t h e r employees. When t h e Golden Nugget's v i c e - p r e s i d e n t , Robert Maxey, complained t o S t e v e Wynn about t h e i r drug h a b i t s , Wynn s a i d he "would n o t t o l e r a t e such conduct." But t h e D i v i s i o n of Gaming h f o r c e m e n t f o r Nevada o b t a i n e d w r i t t e n Statements from t h r e e women who f r e q u e n t e d t h e Nugget t h a t S t e v e Wynn had used cocaine i n t h e i r p r e s e n c e . Kathy Thomas s a i d s h e ' d s e e n WYnn s n o r t coke with Azzinaro - t h e same kind of l k o n d u c t f l S t e v e s a i d he "would n o t t o l e r a t e " . Ann F a i r , a p r o s t i t u t e , t e s t i f i e d t h a t s h e had been a t a Thanksgiving d i n n e r with Steve Wynn where cocaine was p l a c e d i n s i d e t h e mouth of a I

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r o a s t p i g E l a t e r served t o t h o s e $ present. Anita Crosby, one of t h e t h r e e worn- $ en who dared t o t e s t i f y , s a i d h e r o i n , $ coke 6 speed were s o l d on t h e c a s i n o $ $ f l o o r 6 t h a t s h e saw S t e v e Wynn r e c e i v e a v i a l o f c o c a i n e from A z z a n i r a $ Wynn d e n i e d i t , a s he a l s o d e n i e d a $ v i a l o f marijuana, which he s a i d had S been l e f t i n h i s o f f i c e by a group of $ musicians. $ $ The f i n a l outcome of t h e Golden $ Nugget's drug t r a f f i c k i n g t r i a l was t h a t Michael J o n e s , A z z a n i o r ' s 'room- $ mate' became t h e f a l l guy, drawing 4 $ y e a r s i n p r i s o n , while C a p p i e l l o was $ found not g u i l t y 6 t h e c h a r g e s a g a i n - $ st Azzinaro were e v e n t u a l l y dropped. $ Although t h i s was a t r i a l o f t o p l e v e l Golden Nugget employees f o r t r a f f - $ icking i n the casino i t s e l f , t h e tri- $ a 1 judge never allowed t h e name of $ t h e Golden Nugget t o appear i n any $ t r i a l documents. $ Soon a f t e r t h i s , S t e v e Wynn was $ g r a n t e d a permanent l i c e n s e t o oper- $ a t e a c a s i n o . He t o l d t h e p r e s s he $ was p l e a s e d w i t h t h i s " s u r p r i s i n g " $ turn of events. $ Needless t o s a y , t h e c o m p l i c a t i o n s $ o f S t e v e ' s wheeling 6 d e a l i n g a r e i m - . $ p o s s i b l e t o i n v e s t i g a t e , b u t , knowing $ t h a t h e r o i n , c o c a i n e 6 speed a r e t h e $ p r e f e r r e d drugs o f gamblers who need $ t o s t a y wide awake E a l e r t a l l n i g h t $ long, & t h a t d r u g marketing a r e a s , o r turf^'^, a r e c a r e f u l l y c o n t r o l l e d G $ sexual s e r v i c e s p r o v i d e d f o r expens- $ i v e w o r l d - c l a s s b u s i n e s s convention $ c e n t r e s , t h e one Steve wants t o b u i l d $ i n Vancouver w i l l have a l l t h i s Emore.$ Where you have drugs, s e x E d o l l a r s , $ t h e r e you have concealed handguns, $ money scams E s e x u a l p e r v e r s i o n s t o l e a d u s i n t o Century 2 1 . Downtown Vancouver may, i n f a c t , become one o f t h e b i g g e s t money-making mirages i n t h e world. TORA

A gambling c a s i n o l i n k e d t o a world b u s i n e s s convention c e n t r e 6 c r u i s e s h i p t e r m i n a l , i s a gambling c a s i n o well s i t u a t e d t o f l e e c e t h e t o u r i s t s . BY i n v i t i n g such a development t o t a k e p l a c e , t h e f e d e r a l P o r t Corporat i o n - an a g e n t of t h e government of Canada - i s c l e a r l y t a k i n g advantage o f t h e v e r y people it was mandated t o protect..i.e. travellers E visitors t o Canadian p o r t s . The more high s t a k e gambling i s i n troduced t o P o r t - c o n t r o l l e d l a n d s , t h e more s e c u r i t y problems t h e P o r t P o l i c e & RCMP w i l l have. Crime f o l l ows money. I t followed i t t o Las Vega s E it w i l l f o l l o w i t t o Vancouver. Concealed handguns a r e bound t o i n c r e a s e t o t h e American l e v e l G l o c a l c r i m i n a l s w i l l b e pawned E conned by t h e i r American c o u n t e r p a r t s , t h e "Tefl o n Dons1', whose i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r e y t o u r i s t s 6 conventioners - w i l l be r o l l i n g i n w i t h money t o burn. Vancouver w i l l become l i k e Hong Kong, Hollywood 6 D e t r o i t r o l l e d i n t o one. A l l t h i s i s b e i n g encouraged, even c a l c u l a t e d , by t h e Vancouver P o r t C o r g o r a t i o n ...i t s m a s t e r i s o b v i o u s l y t h e government t h a t c r e a t e d i t . Its m a s t e r i s American money G we a l l know American money i s an a d d i c t i o n few Canadian j u n k i e s can shake. Steves Wynn, t h e Las Vegas promoter, can keep a d e v i a n t P o r t C o r p ' s h a b i t s well s u p p l i e d . F e d e r a l l y c r e a t e d a g e n c i e s such a s t h e Vancouver P o r t C o r p o r a t i o n should b e p r e v e n t e d by law from p r e y i n g on tourists 6 v i s i t o r s i n order t o sati s f y American i n c e n t i v e s . TORA

Reutw

LONDON - Genetically Mendly pigs are being bred & organ donors for people. A strain of pig has beeh developed whose genetic makeup has been altered so that their organs can be transplanted into people without rejection, scientists in Cambridge said. The transplants could become commonplace within a few years, they said. The scientists said the "transgenic" pigs open up the posibility of thousands of pigs' lungs, kidneys and other organs being planted into humans, alleviating a severe donor shortage. "Thle problem with this type of hansplant has always been almost

immediate rejection of the organ by the patient," scientist David White told a news conference at the Royal College of Surgeons. 'Now, having been able to create human proteins in the pigs, the patient's immune system should not reject the pig's organ," he said. "We could have the first transplants within two years but realistically it would be more likely to be three." Scientist John Wallwork, director of the heart and lung transplant program at England's Papworth Hospital, said the program could produce thousands of transplant organs. Trials on people could start late in 1996 if the results are positive, the scientists said.

f'iEANWHILE, DbWN THE WAY FROM THE CRABHELI LANDS-... .--.-Wimr CORPORATE POWER HAS OVER THE CIVIC AND THE WEST VANCOUVER CLAN HAS NOW COME EGRWARD TO PRESENT I T S TRUE COLORS: ONE OF THEIR MASTERS, GENERAL MOTORS, r i ~ 5SUCCESSFULLY QUASHED THE PUBLIC ULTCRY OVER I T S "SlDESAGDLE FUEL TANKS" bN 4.6 MILLION 1973-87 PICKUP TRUCKS, ThAT EASILY EXPLODE ON IMPACT AND HAVE EbbN THE DIRECT CAUSE OF DEATH OF MULTIPLE GENERAL MOTORS TRUCK DRIVERS WHO WOULD HAVE OTHEKWlSE SURVIVED THEIR' COLLISIONS. ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THAT GENERAL MOTORS I S I N FACT CONTROLLED BY MECUTIVE CRIMINALS OUGHT TO RESEARCH THE OLD GM NEWS CLIPPINGS AT THE M A I N VANCOUVER LISRATY. WHEREAS MOST NORTH AMERICANS WOULD GO TO J A I L FOR WILLFUL HOMICIDE, GENERAL MOTORS MERELY PAY A HEFTY FlNE FOR WHICH I T I S QUITE CONTENT TO CO WITHOUT APOLOGY. THE WESl VANCOUVER CLAN HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE GM CORPORATE POWER THROUGH THE ACQUISITlON OF PROPERTIES THAT INCLUDE THE VANCOUVER NHL FRANCHISE, AND A LkRGE PIECE OF DOWTOWN LAND FOR A NEW HOCKEY AKLNA THAT WILL BEAK THE CGRPORATE POWER'S NAME.

I N EFFECT, GENERAL MOTORS, THE BIGGEST CORPORATION OF ALL, HAS COME AND PUT 1TS BRAND ON VANCOUVER'S RUMP FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. EVERY TlME k TELEVISED CANUCKS HOME GAME I S PLAYED, THE TV ANNOUNCER WILL bEGlN WITh: "LlVE, FROM THE GENERAL MOTORS ARENA I N DOWNTOWN VANCGUVER..," IMHGlNE THE EXTENT OF ORGAEjlZED CRIME'S CORPORATE POWER WHEN I T CAN CONVINCE THE NHL BOARD OF GOVERNORS THAT FREE TV COMMERCIAL SPOTS FOR GENERAL ~ R WOULD BE A GOOD THING. Oh SATiLLITE DISHES FROM HERE TO TiMBUKTU, GENERAL MOTORS WILL EE SYNONYKUUSLY LINKED TO VANCOUVER, AND JUDGING BY THE UNLIMITED INFLUENCL

BC GOVERNMENTS, THE GENERAL MOTORS/ VANCOUVER RELATIONSHIP WILL BE ONE OF MASTER-SERVANT, WITH THE WEST VANCOUVER CLAN OVERSEEING THE DAILY OPERATIONS.

@@@8@8@88@8888@@8@8@88@8@@88 MEANINGFUL PROGRESS? DON'T BANK ON I T PROPER PROCESS TOOK A LONG KICK I N THE RIBS, AND FREE SPEECH WAS KNOCKED SENSELESS BY SEVERAL ARTICULATE BUT UNOBJECTIVE PEOPLE AT A D E s i d e MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH. WITH THE AID OF A FLOATING SPEAKERS L I S T , THE FEW SAME LONG-WINDED VOICES COULD NOT CONTAIN THEMSELVES WHENEVER A NEW PERSPECTIVE WAS OFFERED INTO THE DISCUSSION, AND THE END RESULT WAS THAT THE SINGLE ISSUE OF THE DEBATE WAS PUT OFF UNTIL "ANOTHER TIME." NOTHING WAS RESOLVED! WITHOUT DEFINITE DISCIPLINE OF STRUCTURE, THE "PROPER PROCESS" PREVENTS A PROJECT FROM PROCEEDING WITH A FIRM STEADY ADVANCING MOVEMEMT, CAUSING A BUILDUP OF FRUSTRATION THAT ERODES THE INITIAL S P I R I T OF THE TASK AT HAND. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OBJECTIVE I S : A D E s i d e TYPE BANK AT M&H WOULD CURTAIL SOME OF THE NEGATIVE HARDSHIPS OF POVERTY, BECAUSE, I F WE DESIRE OUR MONEY TO LAST FOR THE ENTIRE 4 WK MONTH, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO BUDGET, AND WE CAN'T LEARN THE ART OF EUDGETING I F WE STORE OUR MONEY UNDER THE NON-RESISTANT, EASY ACCESS OF OUR MATTRESSES. A D E s i d e TYPE OF BANK WOULD GIVE MANY OF US AN AVENUE OUT OF THOSE WELL-MEANING BUT CRIPPLING FREE MEAL LINEUPS. IF'MASSIVE L I F E STYLES ARE TO IMPROVE S WITHIN THIS CENTURY, I T MUST BE DISCLOSED%TOOUR BELOVED MOTOR MOUTHS THAT DELAYING THE PROCESS FOR THE SAKE OF HEARING THE DRAMA OF OUR OWN VOICES 1 S A SELFISH & HICEOUS EVIL THAT I S ST,TGHTLY BETTER LEFT TO BUREAUCzATS.

. . ?/lain & Hastings Housir~aand Emplovment Protect

The S t e e r i n g Committee f o r t h e Main and H a s t i n g s p r o j e c t w i l l b e r e p o r t ing r e g u l a r l y i n t h i s N e w s l e t t e r r e gan i n g t h e ongoing1 evelopments. It w i l l a l s o have d a t e s and t i m e s f a r : upcoming c o n s u l t a t i o n Lm e e t i n g s . . One of t h e sub-committees i s working on 5 q u e s t i o n s r i g h t now: Who i s e l i g i b l e t o b e housed i n t h e new u n i t s ? Who i s e l i g i b l e f o r t h e j o b s c r e a t e d through t h e p r o j e c t ? Who i s e l i g i b l e t o provide t h e t r a i n i n g â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x2122;0 I t h e s e j o b s ? Who w i l l manage t h e b u i l d i n g when it i s f i n i s h e d ? What w i l l t h e . spaces on t h e s t r e e t l e v e l b e used f o r ? These a r e tough q u e s t i o n s , espe c i a l l y i n l i g h t of t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s m a l l number of a p a r t m e n t s and job o p p o r t u n i t i e s won't s o l v e t h e huge need i n t h e community. The subcommittees a r e t r y i n g t o b e b o t h f a i r and s e n s i t i v e t o t h e n e e d s w i t h i n t h e neighbourhood. Over t h e n e x t c o u p l e of months, t h e s e i s s u e s w i l l b e d i s c u s s e d by t h e Committee and e v e n t u a l l y p r e s e n t e d t o t h e community a t p u b l i c meetings f o r decision. For t h o s e who a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n becoming more involved on t h i s p r o j e c t t h e sub-cbmmittees meet on t h e f o l l o w ing days a t t h e o l d bank on t h e corne r of Main & Hastings: - Employment & Education Committee 6pm, every 2nd & 4 t h Monday; Housing Committee 7pm, every 2nd & 4 t h Wednesday S t r e e t Level Committee ( t o be announced) A s a f i n a l note, dates & times w i l l posted i n t h e windows of t h e o l d ak b u i l d i n g , s o i f you t h i n k you .ght be m i s s i n g an announcement, go ler t h e r e and check f o r new news.

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VO'LUNTEER -

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RECOGNITION WEEK

A p r i l 17 - 23 * Volu n t e e r P a r t y - April 17 - 2nd f l o o r .

* Volun t e e r P i t c h n P u t t - A p r i l 19 Sign up with Nat.

- A p r i l 20 Theatre a t 4:30

* Volun t e e r Dinner

* Volu:n t e e r Wave Pool - A p r i l 21 Sign up w i t h Sandy

* Volun t e e r Bowling - A p r i l

22 3-5 pm; Sign up w i t h Sandy

* S e n i o r s l Dance - A p r i l 22 T h e a t r e a t 7 p.m. . Canyon p * Volu n t e e r -Lynn ... T- r i~,

A p r i l 2 3 ; S i m up w l t n sanay

Gay 8a Lesbian Drop-in Ist & 3rd Thursdays 3-5 p.m.

Carnegie Centre in the Pottery Room 401 Main Street Sponsored by: First United Church Neighbourhood Helpers Carnegie Community Centre Association

By Greg Middleton Staff Reporter

Her new life was just one shot of heroin away. MichelleWing had promised her boyfriend she would go with him to Calgary this weekend to start a new drug-free life. First. t h e 25-year-old Surrey mom wanted one last shot of heroin. But s h e was fatally stabbed when s h e argued about being shortchanged on her last fix. "We'd been a t t h e Biltmore (hotel o n Kingsway) drinking," said her boyfriend Steve Hodgins, 27. "She was going to come to Calgary with me. "We were going t o Calgary to get away from the drugs. She was going to quit and we were going to start a new life." The plan was to pick up her five-year-old son on Good Friday and head out yesterday. Wing went to Pigeon Park-an illicit drug supermarket on a triangle of pavement at Carrall and Hastings early Thursday. She bought a $10 flap -heroin in a piece

of folded paper - but went back to t h e woman who sold it because she was u n h a p py with the quantity. "They got into an argument, but it was like a fair fight," said a Pigeon Park regular and . friend of Wing who didn't want his name used for fear of being labelled a rat. Then a second woman pulled a knife. "Michelle didn't even know she'd been stabbed at first," he said. "She got up, but s h e didn't even know . she'd been stabbed. She was bleeding a bit from the nose and complained about a pain in her chest." Then s h e collapsed. Ambulance attendants, who have made a specialty out of reviving people stabbed inJhe heart, couldn't save her. On Friday, Hocigins spray-painted a memorial to his dead sweetheart on the pavement and adorned it with flowers and candles. But it was dismantled later by friends who said dealers would hide their drugs among the tokens of grief and defile it. Colleen Durham, 25, is in custody charged with seconddegree murder.

ADVOCACY m a t i s advocacy and a d u l t e d u c a t ion? And what i s t h e r e l a t i o n between t h e two? Advocacy i s t h e r i g h t t o h e l p o t h e r s by s u p p o r t i n g them i n s e v e r a l ways. The main support would b e i n a l e g a l manner. One might t a k e up t h e cause of Engl i s h a s a Second Language L e a n e r s (Education) by h e l p i n g L e a r n e r s understand t h e i r r i g h t s i n a legal matter, (Advocacy). If some o f u s l i s t e n t o t h e i r problems and h e l p them unders t a i d o u r b a s i c l e g a l system we can t h e n s u g g e s t t h e y meet w i t h Carnegie v o l u n t e e r law s t u d e n t s who a r e h e r e once o r t w i c e a week. A s an example, one of my s t u d e n t s had a t t e n d e d a c l a s s a t Kind Edward Campus and was on h e r way t o c a t c h t h e Broadway bus, a t a s t o p d i r e c t l y a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t from KEC. Crossing a t t h e l i g h t , s h e was almost a l l t h e way o v e r when s h e h a s h i t by a c a r , which slammed a g a i n s t h e r r i i g h t s i d e and knocked h e r down. A s s h e l a y h e l p l e s s s h e saw t h e d r i v e r look o u t a t h e r b u t keep on going. (She d i d n ' t understand t h a t t h e y c o u l d n ' t s t 0 2 r i g h t t h e r e but had t o d r i v e p a s t t o keep t h e l a n e open.) She asked p a s s e r s b y t o "Please come, h e l p me up and o v e r t o t h e bus s t o p . I have t o c a t c h my bus." But t h e p e o p l e knew n o t t o move h e r . When t h e ambulance came s h e t o l d t h e crew, '11111 be f i n e . I d o n ' t want t o go t o t h e h o s p i t a l . I have t o g e t my c h i l d r e n from t h e d a y c a r e c e n t r e b e f o r e s i x when it c l o s e s and t a k e them o u t of t h e r e . I must a l s o g e t home f o r my husband. l1 "But you should go t o t h e h o ~ ~ i t a l 2nd b e checked o u t and t h e a c c i d e n t , i t t e n down f o r ICBC. T h a t ' s t h e law :e, t h e d r i v e r i s s t a n d i n g by be-

cause he has t ~ . " She looked a t h e r watch and s a i d , V l e a s e , I must go g e t my c h i l d r e n and go home. My f a m i l y depends on me" The ambulance men helped h e r t o h e r f e e t and over t o t h e bus s h e l t e r . She i n s i s t e d t h e y l e a v e h e r , d e s p i t e bed i n g warned, "You should go t o t h e h o s p i t a l . Your c h i l d r e n w i l l be s a f e a t t h e day c a r e c e n t r e . The s t a f f w i l l under st and your emergency. " 1 1 1 must go home, p l e a s e . l1 There was l i t t l e e l s e t h e ambulance men could do b u t a d v i s e h e r t o s e e 1 1 h e r d o c t o r a s soon a s p o s s i b l e . She caught h e r bus and want t o h e r waiti n g c h i l d r e n , t a k i n g them home. She t h e n made d i n n e r , a s h e r husband was working t h e n i d h t s h i f t and had t o l e a v e f o r work. She was n o t a b l e t o go t o h e r doct o r u n t i l t h e n e x t day. S i n c e t h e acc i d e n t she h a s n o t been a b l e t o c o l l e c t v e r y much from ICBC. My Chinese l e a r n e r h a s a bad back, neck and arm and s u f f e r s c o n s t a n t p a i n , depending on how t i r e d o r a c t i v e s h e g e t s . What l i t t l e she has r e c e i v e d came from r u l e s w i t h v e r y l i t t l e sympathy. My ESL s t u d e n t , who came from Hong Kong w i t h h e r f a m i l y a y e a r p r i o r t o t h i s a c c i d e n t , asked me t o h e l p h e r with h e r problem. ICBC w i l l n o t pay t h e c o s t o f Chinese medicine f o r h e r c o n d i t i o n , but might pay f o r Canadian medicine p r e s c r i b e d f o r h e r p a i n . They d o n ' t h e l p h e r a s much a s h e r t r a d i t i o n a l medicine. If she had gone t o t h e h o s p i t a l a s a d i v s e d she would n o t have a s l a r g e a problem a s she now has, so I suggest newcomers b e a d v i s e d o f o u r a c c i d e n t and medical p o l i c i e s upon a r r i v a l . I n t h i s way t h e y w i l l have more of an o p p o r t u n i t y n o t t o e r r on t h e s i d e o f ignorance o r , a s i n t h e c a s e of t h e young mother, s e l f s a c r i f i c e . I f t h i s i s a l r e a d y being done, I

suggest it be impressed upon newcome r s t h a t they study our accident r u l e s very c a r e f u l l y . Bv DORA SANDERS --

Lines from the Learning Centre Your Learning C e n t r e on t h e t o p f l o o r o f Carnegie i s w a i t i n g f o r you. The s t a f f and v o l u n t e e r t u t o r s a r e ready t o h e l p you i n many ways. If you want t o review b a s i c r e a d i n g , w r i t i n g and a r i t h m e t i c , you can. From t h e r e s t a f f can a s s i s t you a l l t h e way up t o High School s u b j e c t s and a diploma. You can have an i n d i v i d u a l t u t o r o r work i n small groups..whate v e r s u i t s you. Times, days and eveni n g s w i l l b e a r r a n g e d f o r your convenience. Come and meet Michelle Lebeau, one o f o u r d r o p - i n t e a c h e r s . Michelle i s

t h e f u t u r e , she p l a n s t o c y c l e i n Northern Canada, e s p e c i a l l y i n B.C. Michelle comes from an adventure5 some 6 a r t i s t i c f a m i l y - musicians, c a q ~ e n t e r s ,a d u l t e d u c a t i o n t e a c h e r , e t c . Even h e r 9 1 y e a r - o l d Grandma g e t s i n t h e a c t . . s h e i s t h e model f o r an animated f i l m by M i c h e l l e ' s s i s t e r t h a t may b e shown i n t h e F a l l o f 1994 i n c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e National F i l m Board o f Canada. Michelle i s a l s o i n t e r e s t e d i n photography, h e r s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t being i n people 6 r u r a l scenes. I f you a r e a photo f a n she can h e l p you. P r i o r t o coming t o Carnegie, Miche l l e s t u d i e d communications p o l i c y a t Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y 6 h a s worked i n r e s e a r c h and communication informa t i o n f o r developing c o u n t r i e s . Two y e a r s ago Michelle came t o t h e Carnegie Learning C e n t r e a s a v o l u n t e e r t u t o r and s i n c e S e p t . ' 9 2 she has been a p a r t - t i m e t e a c h e r . Michelle s a y s she l i k e s t h e people a t Carnegie and s e e s t h i s p l a c e a s a "hidden gem". Come t o t h e Learning C e n t r e and meet Plichelle. The s e s s i o n s a r e f r e e and e s p e c i a l l y designed f o r you. Joan Doree Volunteer Tutor

from an i n t e r e s t i n g family t h a t o r i g i n a t e d i n Belgium and Quebec, s o she s p e a k s French and English. Her grandp a r e n t s on b o t h s i d e s o f t h e f a m i l y pioneered i n Manitoba. Michelle was born i n Somerset, Mani t o b a . She was moved t o Brandon a t t h e age of 3 and went t o school there. She l i k e s animals and h a s a l s o been a drummer i n bands t h a t played a t v a r i ous a f f a i r s . Michelle came t o Vancouver llzi y r s . ago t o change and expand h e r l i f e . She i s a g r e a t o u t d o o r s p e r s o n : h e r l a t e s t f e a t was t o c y c l e from Vancouv e r t o Manitoba w i t h 2 f r i e n d s . In

COMMUNITY HEALTH FORUMS * How are "health dollars" spent in this neighbourhood? * What changes are needed? * How can you be guaranteed a say in these changes? A Community Health Plan is working out our ideas to make the Downtown Eastside a healthier community in which to live. A Community Health Plan will help make sure our services are the best they can be to make the neighbourhood a better place to live. A Community Health Plan is like a map for the community. It will tell us about our current health and what needs to be done to improve what we have. There will be 3 meetings - STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRE ( t o start) 601 KEEFER SUNDAY MAY 1st 1-3 p.m. Languages - English, Cantonese & Vietnamese

PENDERA 133 W. PENDER ST. WEDNESDAY MAY 4th 7-9 p.m Languages - English, Spanish

CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE SATURDAY

401 MAIN ST. MAY 7th

11-1 p.m.

Languages - English, Cantonese, Vietnamese

Each meeting will be accessible for wheelchairs and there will be food provided. If you need a ride, busfare reimbursement or will have childcare expenses, call Amalia at: 253-8414 Some questions to think about * How can we include lots of people? * What's your idea of good health and a healthy comnmunity? * If you are wiling to make the COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN work, who else needs to be involved?

with Sandy Hirshen Director of the UBC School of Architecture

SUNDAY, APRIL 24th at 5:00 pm at CARNEGIE CENTRE

The Raging Grannies & more Please join us for dinner, coffee, speakers and

If !ou thought Expo was bad news for the Dolt ntoM 11 Eastside, 11a i l dntil jm see the new waterfront mega-pwiect. .

A DEVELOPMENT OF TITANIC SIZE By now, you will have heard about the waterfront casino development the authorities want to build smack dab against CRAB Park.

But maybe you haven't heard that the casino is part of a 2.6 million square foot waterfront mega-development. That's larger than B. C. Place and Canada Place put together. Beside the casino, there will also be

* a giant cruise ship terminal * a huge 10,000 person convention centre * a 1,000 room luxury hotel

What a waste of an opportunity to build a real community development.

* If they want to provide jobs and housing so badly, why don't they build housing for local people on the waterfront and provide training to local people to build it?

* What about daycare, a recreation centre and swimming pool? Development for people, not profit That's what we really need in this neighbourhood.

4 Reasons to Stop This Development .I

1. A waterfront development this size will steamroll right over the Downtown Eastside, taking with it all the housing and services for people with low incomes. Everyone in the Downtown Eastside will be at risk of being thrown into the street, as our housing gets knocked down or renovated for upscale uses.

2. It will be a playground for the rich. Las Vegas casino operators and uptown real estate hustlers will skim off the profits and leave the problems with us. CRAB Park will be taken over by tourists and rich people. How long can the summer program for neighbourhood kids survive there? --

please join us for

A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THE Casino & Waterfront Development Sunday, April 24th at 5 0 0 pm at Carnegie Centre, 401 Main St. with speakers, music, food, coffee

ITttSTIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT ON THE WATERFRONT!

I 1

3. Is Vancouver ready to become the Las Vegas of the North? Is B. C. ready for legalized profit-making gambling? A for-profit $casinowill suck in all the money that goes to nonprofit casinos and bingos. Many of these already provide services to people in the Downtown Eastside as well as the rest of the city.

This leaflet produced by the Carnegie Community Centre Association and the Neighbourhood Helpers Project. For more information on how you can help stop this development, come to the April 24th communnity meeting or call 254-

4. Once again the authorities and developers are throwing crumbs and pie-in-the-sky promises at our neighbourhood. You can't live in a promise or eat one. Some of the same people involved in this development were also involved with the Expo disaster.