401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7
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Here is my WORDS ROCK GARDEN that I created while homeless and in a shelter as a way to cope positively through my struggles. I couldn't finish writing poetry. The phrase is simple-Thank of appreciation.
you-and
the words are few, but behind them is a whole lot
.Hopefully soon! Jaqueline
Paueru Gai Dialogues: Old Roots and New Relationships on Indigenous Lands A Conversation with Peer Organisers in the DTES [Under the auspices of the Powell Street Festival] In a series of 9 online events, BIPOC [Black. Indigenous, People of Colour] artists and activists will share their perspectives on current social issues. The project intends to inspire civic engagement and community building during the pandemic. Fourth in the series proceeded with JeffMasuda hos~ing and panelists being Doris Chow, Justin Sekl~u~hi and. Chris Livingstone. Each began by descnbmg their roots in the local community and contact with the lived experience of many. The frame of reference is the colonialization and sup?ression of no?-white people; the organising and tactics used over time by racialized minorities to stay alive and struggle with the theft and use of land becoming property becoming claimed by processes that have and continue to largely exclude said minorities. Doris has been working in the Downtown Eastside in various capacities, from United We Can through Potluck to Carnegie Centre, and her involvement has helped in developing long relationships with Ch~nese seniors. Disturbing is the stereotyping of Chmese as not worthy poor, not needing to be in food lines or getting any of the donated or low-cost servic.es availabl~. More disturbing is the portrayal of Chmese as bemg malicious with wealth and driving costs up when a large contingent of seniors are barely surviving. Justin ~oke of the Downtown Eastside as home as where his efforts and input are at a common le~el. He grew up on Powell Street and spent time daily in Oppenheimer Park. In relation to the JapaneseCanadian people he sees much NIMBY (Not-In-My -Back-Yardj-ness as visions and development plans over the years limit ordinary people to white stereotypes. Chris introduced himself as now being part of Smoke Signals, an Indigenous-centred hub for connect~ng people with services and housing, with connections to street people. He was living on the street in the early2000s with his peers being in Vandu,
the Woodward squat, the Anti Poverty Committee and other community groups. Uprooting is reflected in endeavors like the first 'illegal' injection site and the condemnation by local white supremacists as they targeted users and street people. Chris spoke of banding together and offering each other protection. Justin spoke of the racism inherent in street checks and the denial of laneway homes elsewhere buy permitted in Strathcona to keep the racialized groups contained. The NIMBY comes with other neighbourhoods not wanting such groups near them. The anit-Asian sentiment has changed from jobs being 'stolen' to now homes being 'stolen' and the blame being laid for homelessness. This perception permeates lowincome communities as the white and elite wealthy have couched their depredations in terms of scapegoating racial minorities. Examples include the ignoring of the thousands of low-income minorities when being bigoted; when :accines. are not av~ilable to those with language I~sues WIthout fightmg 'tooth-and-nail' to get the SImplest access; when Chinese senior are met with violence when trying to survive via food or free services. Community services are needed that represent the make-up of people here, with dialogue among groups to share ill commonalities and housing, and to stop the attempted erasure of Indigenous claims. The land dispossession stems back to the train allocations whereby the white capitalists moved anyone and anything, with a continuous diaspora ofBIPOC communities. It is against this aggressiveness that community roots show the strength of non-white people. T~e discussion covered much about the importance of inter-community organising, with monikers of C~inatown and Japantown and even Hogan's Alley being used by the ruling elite as ways to isolate people and to blame them for being contained. SPOTA was a multiracial organisation formed and fighting the proposed demolition of Strahtcona for a freeway. The Four Sisters Co-op was cited by Justin as a gr~at fomenting ground for getting housing and services for many under the BIPOC umbrella. With street people and those in SROs there are many
community groups that have fought and had success in changing perceptions. Prime example is Carnegie Centre, and the sharing that produced the safe injection site, many feeding programs, the Women's Centre and more. The session segued to smaller groups arriving at questions that need to be asked. I.Can a strong focus on reconciliation and decolonialization bring our communities together? 2.How do we stop pipelines to protect our land, homes & people so future generations can enjoy them? 3.How do we pass on a culture of connection for future generations? 4.what kind of collaboration can we create on a street level to work for social justice? 5.How do we ensure that conversations about the Downtown Eastside occur here and with residents? 6.How do we talk to those who seem to be waiting, who seem indifferent to the struggle? How do we energize them? 7.Can we differentiate between land as governed and our own connection to it on so many levels? The conclusion was highlighted with these areas that all need to bring to awareness. The next panel is May 22 (I think) so go to the Powell Street Festival website to get more information. By PAULR TA YLOR _~_
MURIEL'S JOURNEY This is just a quick note to let you know that the deadline for Muriel's Journey Poetry Prize 2021 has been extended to May 31, 2021 so if you have something you'd like to submit for this year's contest there is still time to do so.
FEE FY FO FUM Morality is the demand of the day 'Prout' the cry of the suffering humanity. Wise you be, may not or may, If sincere, success a certainty. Fee Fy Fo Fum. Expel the demons from physical stratum. Fee Fy Fo Fum. Expel the exploiters from economic stratum. Fee FyFo Fum Expel the brutes from psychic stratum. Fee FyFo Fum Expel the parasites from spiritual stratum. Human body is to serve one and all, Human mind to attend Cosmic Call, Human spirit at the altar Supreme, Surrender and be Supreme.
From the LibrarY As I sat down to begin writing this I realized I had no idea what to write about. So, I decided to visit the trusty New Books shelf and pulled a few books that seemed worth reading. These are the books I chose. Thomas King's new novel Indians on Vacation is a humorous and incisive story about an Indigenous couple, Mimi and Bird, on vacation in Europe. Mimi loves to travel while Bird doesn't, and this dichotomy is the source of much of the humour. While the plot seems deceptively simple, the novel is deep and complex with multiple threads throughout. Acclaimed writer David Sedaris' recent book The Best of Me is a career-spanning short story collection. Sort of a "Best of' collection, this book is a great introduction to Sedaris' writing. Both funny and poignant, the book, typical of Sedaris, attempts to find humour in the hardest things in life. Last but not least, Tatiana de Rosnay's Flowers of Darkness is an intense thriller about a writer struggling with writer's block who has recently moved into an ultra-modern Parisian apartment but experiences the creeping feeling she is being watched. Please visit the Carnegie branch to borrow these, and many other, books (and DVDs). Happy Reading, Daniel
We've Learned from COVID, Now Let's Fight Climate Change ' Ten lessons from the pandemic effort to apply to our next imminent global crisis. Canadians are hoping to surface sometime this year from the pandemic. We know it won't be a clean break. Outbreaks will continue. New variants will arise. But all going well, we'll have the science, the machinery and the logistics in place to contain and manage it. Much longer will be the economic, social and personal recovery, and as it comes it will be into a different world. Very different from what we have known. What can we expect? The arrival of climate change's full impact. COVID-19 would have forced us into major life changes even if climate change was not at hand. But it is. Now the question is what lessons we can draw from our pandemic experience for engaging climate change, which.without a doubt, is the most serious global crisis humanity is facing. COVID-19 has shown that human beings have the organizational, scientific and technical knowledge and skills to mobilize resources and mount massive responses in remarkably short periods of time. Important too is how the pandemic has been revealed to have a disproportionate impact on people who are poor, racialized, marginalized and vulnerable. At long last issues of fairness and equity are coming to the fore. Some of these inequities are being acted on in the unhesitating actions of our governments to get financial resources and services out to people and organizations - mostly mindful of "who is most in need?" There have been glitches, mistakes and confusion. But the pandemic has focused the minds of our governors and bureaucrats with single-minded purpose. We, the public, have done our part as well. Yes, with some grumbling, and with some outIier resistance, but Canadians as a whole have come together to accept what each of us must do to contain this virus. We have demonstrated pot-banging support for our frontline workers, we have lobbied and advocated for improvements, we have spontaneously set up support groups. In short, we are demonstrating remarkable resilience in our personal and community lives. The impacts of climate change will demand similar responses from each of us, from our public authorities, from community and civil society, from organized labour and from business. There are many lessons from COVID-19 that are relevant. Here are a few from my list: 1. Government communications. Make every effort to provide the public with information that is clear and factual. Acknowledge that due to the urgency of the crisis, information is subject to continuous change as experience is gained and knowledge acquired. Ensure there are emergency communications protocols in place that can reach all Canadians as crises arise. 2. Government policy planning. Use or create policy bodies at the cabinet level that are interdisciplinary and that have the authority, flexibility and nimbleness to formulate timely plans. Always test for how these will work on the ground. 3. Government policy implementation. Have specifically created bodies with the authority to implement policies across departments and to share information about their work and what they are learning. For example, in 1939 the federal government established the Wartime Prices and Trades Board to contribute to the successful mobilization of public and private sector policies and resources to control inflation and to support the war effort. 4. Public resources allocation. Organize public finances to support cross-departmental collaboration. For
example, in the early 2000s Vancouver, the B.C. government and Ottawa created the Vancouver Agreement to co-ordinate policies, finances and programs regarding the Downtown Eastside. 5. Cross=political party collaboration: Bring all the parties together in crisis planning and supervision. Perhaps something like the 2017 Confidence and Supply Agreement between the BC Green Party and BC NDP caucuses, which set out the terms of collaboration in a minority government situation. 6. Establish the over-arching priorities and standards for programs. Allow for flexibility in the local application of programs to ensure they accommodate local realities. 7. Provide a measure of authority and resources to communities to create activities and design innovations that will work locally. 8. Support the community (civil society, labour, business) in local planning, decision-making and implementation - and in providing information, back up the line about policy and program effectiveness. 9. Establish systems of accountability and evaluation at all levels and share their work openly with the public. These systems should pay particular attention to fairness and equity in public policies and programs, working to reduce gaps in society. 10. Recognize where good work is happening, applaud it and share it. These steps can help build public confidence that political and administrative systems are working the way they should, with competence and responsiveness. They will strengthen public tolerance that allows a margin for mistakes. They will motivate citizens to do "their part." There are other important contributors to public confidence and well-being during crises. Arts and culture and sports provide essential outlets for expression and for mental and physical well-being. Both deserve significant public and private support. Finally, as citizens in a democratic society there are two means that are within our own control that will help us cope and influence how crises impact us. One is the ability and freedom to volunteer and organize ourselves into groups for mutual help, to share talents and skills in working together, to monitor for injustices in the public and private sectors, and to advocate for enlightened public policies and programs. This is building community resilience. The other is in the relationships we have with one another. Every day we cap express respect and civility in our interpersonal transactions, and in every commercial and public exchange. These set the climate for which trust, collaboration and co-operation are possible. As Canadians, we have a lot of experience in these "habits ofthe heart." Climate change requires us to call on them like never before. MICHAEL CLAGUE [Michael worked as Director of Carnegie Community Centre from the late . he received the Order of Canada. This was in The Tyee in late March, 2021.J
90s until about 2005. Somewhere
Part time position available: Solidarity Notes Choir Seeks applications for Musical Director begrnning September 2021. We are a nonaudition, Metro Vancouver community- based choir.This is a part time position that will require flexibility regarding time, locations and practice methods. Extensive information on the choir and repertoire can be found at: https://solidaritynotes.ca. The
Successful candidate will have: Proven broad musical knowledge and skills Strong connection and commitment to social justice activism Ability to work collectively with choir committees A respectful, inclusive leadership style. Willingness to learn and build on the choir's repertoire Interest and skill in recruiting new members
We are committed to respecting all Covid health rules and guidelines and therefore cannot predict how or where we will be meeting in September. It appears likely we will be continuing via Zoom. We welcome prospective candidates to join us at our Sunday 1:00 PM Zoom rehearsals. Please contact Earle Peach at earlepeach@yahoo.ca to be added to the Sunday practice list. Inquiries to the Solidarity Notes Hiring Committee regarding this position can be forwarded to: Paula Davies, daviesp@cnc.bc.ca.
CCAP Carnegie Community Action Project members have been meeting on most Fridays at 1:00 PM at the Lost and Found Cafe during the last several months. Everyone attending is committed to continuing CCAP's work and activism in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Carnegie Community Centre Association board members continue to be supportive of CCAP members' work. CCAP is a project ofthe CCCA. The Chinatown Concern group continues to support its members and is providing vital outreach to Chinese community members during these difficult times. During the next year the Association will be engaging the community in a series and workshops to do strategic planning, to set goals for what we want to accomplish during the next three to five years. These workshops will involve board members, city staff, and community members. The Board is committed to engaging with CCAP in this strategic planning for the community. Board members and CCAP agree that we share the goals of ending homelessness, of asserting that having a home is a human right, of wanting to raise the welfare rates and of ending gentrification. A part of the strategic planning will involve reviewing this mandate. We were hoping to be able to start meeting again at Carnegie Community Centre soon, but a recent tightening of the Covid rules has prevented the staff from re-opening the third floor, so that move has been postponed. Members will be notified about future meeting dates, time, and place
An Audience with the Pope I get on the midnight bus, sit down, and across the aisle there is an inebriated young man with his girlfriend who obviously is his designated caretaker. Impishly he takes her hat, inverts it and puts it on his head. "I'm the Pope," he loudly declares, "Ask me a question and I'll answer it." No one responds. Ear buds in place, they're lost in their l-Pods. He points to me: "You, sir, do Y01J have a question for the Pope?" "Is God a fraud?" I ask. Suddenly the Filipino lady sitting next to me moves to the back of the bus. I suspect she's a devout Catholic. But the drunk gets excited. "Well, sir," he says, "what do you think? Is God a fraud?" "You tell me," I answer. "You're the Pope," "Oh, I see," he says, savoring the repartee. "I can tell you who God is: 'God is a concept by which
GILLES CYRENNE
we measure our pain.' That's John Lennon," he says,proud of his muddled brain's ability to conjure the quote. But I am insistentr''You still haven't answered the question. Is God a fraud?" "God is a fraud," he concedes. "But what about reality?" "It's an illusion," I answer. He pauses to formulate his thoughts then responds: "One, if God is a fraud and two, reality is an illusion, where do we stand?" "On quicksand," I reply. "A poet, we got a poet!" he shouts. In a conversation on a midnight bus, we have created a thumbnail definition of Existentialism: If God is a fraud and reality is an illusion, where do we stand? On quicksand. The bus approaches my stop. I shake hands with the drunk who tells me with great seriousness: "Thanks, man, you're the only person on this bus who talked tome." Stew Brinton
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