November 15, 2007, carnegie newsletter

FREE NOVEMBER 15, 2007 earn news@ven. be.ea Www.earnnews.org 604-665-2289

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LEST WE FORGET To me a bread-line is just as vicious as the lineups of survivors and wounded I remember during World War Two . In wartime we could think of the clean sheets, letters, hot drinks, food, warm smiles from the nurses .. . and much, much more! .. .

But what do survivors look forward to today? I have put aside most of my memories of "fighting the Hun" but I can not forget the nightmares for so many who struggled to survive in the lanes, streets and jungles of our own city during th e '30's.

Today, with thousands fighting the same desperate battles ... who cares? Really cares?

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Breadline outside the door of old First United Mission Church at 424 Gore Avenue... January, 1931.

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Sometimes I feel so alone My thoughts wander in another world where there is no sorrow Wake up to a bright day -reality comes to wake me up.

I have so much remorse.

People are getting to a dead end Too much violence, hate, whatever excuse they have I feel sorry for these people We are all Natives -no matter what country we come from They should wake up and smell the roses Look forward and realise we are all human -not to act like animals V./e have to share this wonderful Earth Be thankful for what our Creator gave to us all Live in harmony, learn to Jove be peaceful , give thanks We are sharing this our land .

I hope that we will wake up and think of all things We were given to free us anq look after them, Destroy and we will lose it all.

Your heart is the same as mine or anyone else.

All my relatio ns, Bonnie E Stevens

To Believe or Not to Believe ¡No baby No You don wanna kill yourself Even though God knows It's enough to try the patience of Job Jes getting' by Hang in there The Sun is Coming Hope is Coming Life is Coming For you and me and all the others -the downtroddenclinging to that bottom rung of the ladder Even for the fair-haired child whose beauty did not save her All have become fodder for the system the social machinery Pawns for that great chess game in the sky some say Fate The game God, Jehova, Raven, Coyote play with us, causing us to believe, time after time, failure after failure Bringing hope into our frail human hearts 'tis the season Pushing us to feel- then lurching away again.

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Remember, fellows: Beware of Gods Their plans have naught to do with our expectations or understanding .. .

We are all we have.

Wilhelmina Miles

WHO DO YOU LOVE? Editorial: James Pau is and has been an elected member of the Carnegie Community Centre Association's Board of Directors for over a decade. Jean Swanson is and has been an activist in social justice with her partner Sandy Cameron for over a quarter of a century. The matter of Aboriginal Sovereignty has been at the core of Native spirituality for millenia. Our beliefs, mine and yours, coincide on almost everything: . The ideology of universalism is based on a code of cardinal human values. Justice, not charity,- the goal is the same for everyone. The questions asked in virtually every submission printed in this issue are "Do you believe?" and "Can you believe?" and "WiJI you act on your beliefs?"

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Address by Dr. James l'au, Recipient of the Thakore Visiting Scholar at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Distinguished guests, ladies and ge ntlemen Please permit me to express my gratitude to the Directors, members and staff of Simon Fraser University's Institu te for the ll umanities, the Thakore Famil y Charitable Foundati on and the Ind ia Clu b of Vancouver for choosing me for thi s award.

On th is auspicious nati onal and internati onal occasion of the celebration of Mahatm a Gandhi 's birth I would li ke to re fer to his phil osophy and show how it has enabled me to work among the needy in Vancouver' s downtown east side.

Gandhi 's accompl ishm ents showcase how th e power of one person with the courage to follow his inspiration can influence change, not onl y in a city or country. but in the entire worl d.

Today I would like speak about some of Gandhi 's thoughts and virtues and then try to show how his phil osophy is appl icabl e to our acti ons and our lives here in Vancouver, and for that matter, applicable to the li ves of people in every country of the world.

Gandhi 's inspirati on came from the heart. He was convinced about "the sovereign rule of the law of love which makes no distinctions"( 14-25-5-1 947page 165) Some of the virtues and beliefs of Mahatm a Gandhi were: -- Kn owledge of self. truth, fearlessness, faith, non possession of assets. passive resistance, engaging in labour to understand the poor, believi ng in the unity of man, believing in the right of all people to equal opportuniti es no matter what their ori gins.

-- He believed that hum an love was intended to serve as a stepping stone to the Divine.

-- I le believed in freedom and democracy.

-- I le believed handouts to be degrading and promoted educati on and train ing in trades so that the disinherited could be given dignity by being able to earn their living.

When I first cam e to the Downtown Eastside in 1975, I saw the need and was resolved to use my expertise both in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture ami my trai ning as a nu rse in western medicine to try and make the li ves of the people among whom I lived more comfortable and easier.

In order to be effective, I knew that kn owledge of self was important, so 1 espoused the Buddh ist phi losophy of service and the discipline of Tai Chi in order to serve the community better.

Many of the virtues Gandhi practi ced are also contained in the Buddhist Philosophy.

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inspired by the people ol the u owmowu r:.a~ Lside and by the motto of the Pau famil y who had once been in the service of the Emperor of China.

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Since I was living in Canada, my adopted country, J resolved to put that motto into practice. I could prove loyalty to my country Canada by being of servi ce to others. filial love would translate itself into providing medical help to all, irrespecti ve of the ir abil ity to pay. llonesty would show itself in my willingness to serve on various comm ittees so as to improve the plight of se ni ors and th ose addicted to dru gs. Not to waste anything would translate for me into living a spartan Iife without ostentati on.

Gandhi says that " truth is not to be found by anyone who does not have a true sense of humil ity" (YI -3 112- I 93 I, p. 24 8) Tn the service of others. truth translates into accountabi lity to society and the promoti on of harm ony between members of the community.

Fearlessness is the first requi site of spirituality. Cowards can never be moral! ( 13-1 0-2 1 p. 323) It takes a great deal of fearl essness to fi ght against discriminati on and prejudice in our society. One encounters all kinds of discrimination in our country.Every day we must fight against it, be it against a certain race, nati onality, sex ual orientation, phys ical or mental di sability, or equal opportunity for employment. Often it takes a good deal of courage and fearlessness to speak up for th e downtrodden.

I have chosen to be of service to th e people of the Downtown Eastside because they are my immediate neighbours. In keeping with the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi 's philosophy of Swadeshi, my work has involved me with the needy that li ve near me. These are seni ors, immi grant youth, people with liiV/1\ JDS, the homeless and those that society rejects. For that reason, I have spent many hours on the boards and committees of hos pitals and community centers as well as representi ng the poor in demonstrations supporting the ri ghts of the poor to legitimate benefits.

Gandhi said" My defin iti on of Swadeshi is well known. I must not serve my distant neighbor at the expense of the nearest. Faith keeps service on an even keel."

"Faith is nothi ng but a wide-awake consciousness of God within."(Y I 24-9-1 925 p.33 I) Faith helps to keep a proper sense of value. It makes us understand that helping other people is good for peace and harm ony in the community. With faith one finds th at true wisdom and knowledge is pursued for the betterment of mankind.

To me, God is truth and love: in Buddhism, service is th e cornerstone of th e fai th. This service was translated for me into the free alternate medical care r pro-

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vidcd for th ose who were in need.

Gandhi engaged in labou r to understand the poor. .

He was a lawyer by profession, but chose to engage tn ordina ry menial tasks, both to encourage th~ poor t~ lind dignity in their work and to give vocatiOnal traming so that each person could be self-sufficient. '·Economic equality in my conception does not mean that everyone literally will have the same amount. It simple means that everyone should have enough for his or her needs ... '' said Gandhi.

The real meaning of equality is to each according to his need. The contrast between rich and poor today is a painful sight. The poor villagers arc exploited by their own countrymen -the city-d\vellers. They produce the food and go hungry. They produce the milk and their children have to go without it. It is disgraceful. Ev~..:ryone must have a balanced diet, a decent house to live in and facilities for the educati on of one's children and adequate medical relief. ... It goes without saying that I cannot hope to bring about economic equality if I am the owner ...

In keeping with the spirit of Gandhi, l have tit~elessly worked on many different boards and commumty centers to persuade government to provide adequate training, living allowances and medi cal care to the most disinherited and abandoned on skid row so that there was hope that some individuals could live a li fe of reasonable comfort and dignity.

In Gandhi's time he realized that handouts just debase the individual so he found a task that everyone could do. This task was spinning cloth. It was his idea that if everyone was employed at spinning cotton cloth, India wo~ld rid itself of the domination of the Engl ish textile industry. A lithe professionals in our society-- doctors, lawyers, dentists, carpenters-should all perform to the highest standards, and treat their professional work like a piece or art. ~actors should try to make the body function as perlec~ly as possible. Dentists should be ethical in the ~crvtces they provide and charge fairly for the servtces rendered. Lawyers should do proper research to de~end their clients and refrain from defending known lelons only because remuneration for defending these individuals would be much more lucrative.

Gandhi also bdieved that if the state was responsible for employment training so as to ctTcctuat~ ~ reasonable standard of living for its citizens, the ct tt zens themselves were responsible for ethical work practices. Drawing wages without performing the required tasks according to Gandhi constitutes theft.

"I have a right to my wage only when I have duly performed the d~ty undertaken. by me. l f I took ,!he . wage without domg my work. tt becomes theft. Thts

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is what Gandhi said.

Both Buddhism and the philosophy of Gandhi believe that humanity is one. We are all united in one humanity and our source of life comes from the same God as each person understands divinity. ''To see th e universal and all pervading truth face to face, one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself, ''said Gandhi (1\MG, 615) ''One must be able to rise above the opposing currents of love and hatred. attachment and mad repulsion.·· (1\MG, 616) In imitating the philosophy of Gandhi, when lam able to render service to th e poor, the \Veak, the downtrodden, those \.vho are rejected by respectable society, "I am endeavoring to see God through service of humanity, for I know that God is neither in Heaven nor down below, but in everyone." " Passi ve resi sta nce is regarded as a weapon of the weak but the resistance for \Vhich I had to coin a new name altogether is the weapon of the strongest." This is from Gandhi.

In Vancouver. passive resistance takes the form of demonstrations for decent housing, fair wages, adequate medical care, transit fares that the poor can afford, walks for the rights of the disabled etc.

"If I take anything that I do not need for my immedime usc, and keep it, I thieve it from somebody else" said Gandhi.

Now, I know that we are not Gandhi, and the above quotation must sound a little extreme. We may not be able or willing to practice ncm-possession the way Gandhi physically practiced it, but \Ve can adopt his spirit and way of thinking. We could begin by acccpting people as they are and sharing with them.

That is not to say that we shou ld let people take advantage of us, but we should truly light for the rights of the disabled, mothers of infant child ren. the elderl y, to receive the care thev• need in order to live with dignity. It is our responsibility to demonstrate and petiti on our elected government to spend funds originally allocated to health and home care programs instead of funneling them into corporate bribes toward the outcome of the next election. Dispossession in our day and age would look more like giving our time and using our expertise to see that the poor in our society receive their just due and involving ourselves in politics to change the way government allocates funds. lf truth be told, funds arc available for all the needs of our citizens. It is our responsibility to sec that the all ocation of such funds are channeled into the right programmes and not wasted on illegal wars and inefficient bureaucracy. Who is going to do this? It should be vou and I. Gandhi believed that human love should lead to un~

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ion with the Divine.

While working to better the life of drug addicted prostitutes on the Downtown Eastside, I have often been saddened hy the way these women are treated in our society, and I have endeavored to help them with medical care and advice. While the subject of marriage is not relevant to the girls \-Vho work as sex slaves in order to survive. one might wonder about the Johns who use them. Often these men have wives and child ren and walk proudly projecting the image of outstanding members of the commun ity. Gandhi says that "Prostitute" app lies to women of a lewd character, but men \.vho indulge in vice arc just as much. if not more, prostitutes than the women who, in many instances, have to sell their bodies for the sake of earning a livelihood. Men who seek out prostitutes have forgotten about the dignity or the human being and about the true meaning of love in order to satisfy their lust. They treat women as slaves, as objects.

Their acts are those of animals calculated to satisfy their basic instincts. The unfortunate human beings who are the object of such attentions become further alienated from societv and are unable to extricate themselves from their condition because of poverty and chemical dependence.

With the high cost of living in Vancouver, the welfare rates and the minimum wages arc hardly adequate for survival. They should be raised to reflect the cost of li ving.

Drug users should be given the opportunity or education, harm reduction, adequate and timely treatment, not only for their addictions but also for their other health problems. Governments should establish programs where unskilled addicts could function as employees in areas that do not require certification.

The general public should not discriminate against people because of the drug use. Many have pronounced mental and physical problems. The general publ ic should work toward helping add icts recover and rehabil itate themselves, and provide opportunitic~ for them to become functional persons.

Gandhi showed us that the courage to follow ones convictions could change the world. He was instrumental by his passive resistan ce in obtaining freedom from British colonialism by his love of humankind, non-violence, peaceful protest and inclusion of all ethnic groups. Now the world is still divided into factions for sci fi sh gain. I hope people will learn from Gandhi's teaching to achieve harmony, sol idarity, peace and non-violence among humankind.

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Thank you, have a good evening and happiness in days ahead.

(Edited by Trish Graham)

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through the glass darkly The poor are a gift from God to man To mirror the souls of those they are g iven "What lust and greed! So out of hand!''

The benefactors mourn to Heaven.

The working woman spreads her thighs Like a part-time church opening its doors The preacher not seeing his mirror sighs, His confession, "All I see are whores!"

His gods are those he tru sts to keep him a li ve Po licemen and pharmacists and fistfuls of keys Look in his mirror and all you see is a dive Look at his face and watch him hide his eyes.

Mary Thorn

a culture afraid of love will die a culture of violence breeds vio lent thoughts which are prone to explode in violent outbursts a culture of abuse tends to create people who don't even register outrageous circumstance~ considering it all normal a culture afraid of its own shadow will not examine its own shame wi ll refuse to recognize just how it perpetuates the cycle of despair a culture of pain seeks to lose awareness to avoid responsibility for the state of emergency in which we are suspended a violent abusive culture afraid of the pain it generates will naturally produce obsessive co mpulsive individuals unacquainted with their gentleness afraid to trust to love to change Delanye

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We're Open!

Friday November 23

The library is open again after the summer and fall's job action. Please stop by and say hello!

Things are slowly getting back to normal, and we really appreciate your patience and support. There were no fines charged on any items that were due back during the strike, as long as you returned them

by November 10. If you forgot to return any books, please bring them back anyway, and we' II see what we can do about th ose pesky tines.

It's great to see everyone again!

New Books: War, peace, and philosophizing Another Sky: Voices of Conscience From Around the World (808.8) brings together journalists, po liticians, dissidents and authors whose voices are suppressed by those in power. Their resistance to censorship has led to their imprisonment, torture, exile, even death. Yct th eir writing bears witness to the resilience and good humour with which they have sustained themselves. The writers come from as far away as Nigeria ( Ken Sat·o-Wiwa), Russia (A nna Politlwvskaya), and Cuba (Raul Rivero), but their voices of resistance do not seem a million miles from the Downtown Eastside.

Who Really Runs the World? (909.83) That's the over-arching question posed in this book by Thorn Burnett and 1\ lex Games, a British security expert and journalist, respectively. Different chapters look at free trade, globalized media, surveillance, banking. Some of it's familiar; some of it was new to me. /\I most all of it is crushin g ly depressing.

Other new books this month include: Thinking it Through: An Introduction to Contemporary Philo.mphy by Kwarne Anthony Appiah (I 00), Play Poker Like the Pros, by Phil Hellmuth (795.41 ), and The J\tlammotlt Book of Best War Comics (741.49).

Beth, your librarian

The Carnegie Newsletter apologises for misreadi ng and hence misspelling the name of Elwin Xic in l Teart qf the City Festival report subm itted by Robyn Livingstone for the Nov.! edition.- Editor

9:00am to 4:00 pm Oppenheimer Park Rain or Shine

Rockridge Rugby

Free Hot Meals

A BOOK REVIEW "None ofus will be truly.free, until all are.fi·ee."

I don't know who said that, in the above epithet, but it seemed to strike a bell with me. The other day, I was perusing a book called "Poor-Bashi11g: The Politics of Exclusion," by Jean Swanson and started to think: When people are poor-bashing, they're attacking themselves. We all live in the same country.

I'm sure we've all heard of Jean Swanson. She's been a tireless worker for people living in poverty for a good many years. At one time, she actually ran for mayor of Vancouver. Almost deeked out Go rdon Campbell, I think.

Then-Premier Michael Harcourt told the press in 1993: "We want to clear the cheats and deadbeats off welfare rolls." Swanson says:" .. he was clea rly aware of his blatant poor-bashing and wanted to distance himself from it."

In Chapter 7, Swanson points out the inauguration of the "Workfare" program. She says: "In Ontario, workfare, or forced labour for people on welfare, was at the top of the Harris political agenda." (Mike "!latchet" Harris, then-Premier of Ontario).

One person started a ·workfare program in the past.

His name was Heinrich Himmler.

Jean Swanson's book is a must to read. She tells it in the way it is. She is not to be bogged down with fine points of academia, as with end less statistics and charts. This book should not only be requ ired read ing for every Sociology course; lt shou ld be mandatory reading for the entire popu lation of this country.

By ROBERT R RIC! I

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Burgers, Hot Dogs & Drinks

Soul

Friends

Never Give Up

They do come in many packages mall, tall, but most of all Where is my soul? true friend -one to confide in It is so lost say things .. that trust is there.

I know I need some kind of love Never underestimate the power of friendsh ip o understand, care or share Sometimes it can be broken, my most inner feelings ever say it won't be mended To be truthful that was taken away Forgiveness is so powerful a long time ago It will hold your friendship together , I'm wi lling to forgive So PATIENCE is another one·, lt is so hard Too many hurts Understand that we are humans May the Creator understand, We cannot be perfect all the time I have so much hate Keep your friend ship I have to find th at love aga in.

Indeed, it will be a success.

So many of us are like th is When you especially run out of frie nds So many scars from th e past Don 't go that route I have to overcome this ever in doubt With the love from all my friends Love what you have.

Indeed I wi II become a lovable person • once agam.

So be it!

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We tend to say 'I can' t do it.'

We give up so easy Life is a ro ller coaster but w~ have to learn to slow down., Thmk of where we are heading Success can be an easy task Positive th oughts in any endeavour You will be a hit in whatever you do. ake that leap, don't look back Look towards the sky Don't be afraid to ask for help Our Creator is always there.

Use all resources, don't be too proud Hope is always there Especially your friend s and fam ily Take care of Number I .

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A Tale of Two ATROcities I realise life is not supposed to be fair, but cruel and unusu.al bordering on insane can hardly compare, 15 ~o mg on 45 years in Richmond I had everything a ktd would need, reliable trans it, things working, not strik ing was the norm, even dogs and strangers felt at home and no one used a key; even school was somewhat cool - my friend and I wou ld hurriedly make our rou nds maybe th e mall today and play bell tomorrow and in between all this awesome music with indescribable ultracoo lsound!

It took me several attempts and seventeen years before I left for VANCOUVER, the big city, with dreams on hyperdrive it didn't take long to arr ive and before long I was playing alongside th ese people and these were my songs in a place in her prime n~u~t have been ve~y prett; when things fell apart l d JUSt grab my thmgs and start all over new songs new band same location but the day was to come when selfishness engulfed everyone in one word: relocation, Relocation,RELOCATION. The future of my past was not supposed to last but due to my dormant belief system I'm left-handed with no one else to blame; from the face of my p Janet to the face of the moon we are marathon running ourselves ri ght-handed ly out of roo m this so-called second corning could not come a second too soo n

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in no time at all this will be a world in flames.

Don ' t get me wrong I like to be right right as rain can be, be it measured in spirit just don 't go near it if it's time to run away again, at least th is time l'll run gallantly! But to what? To who? and the big one where I' II tell you if you actually care it's back to the future l 've heard that word before, the amou nt of wasted time has begun to erode my mind now 1' m in and there's no great secret to what goes on behind closed doors, DO NOT get me wrong I've never been right but when the broken record fits play it; we used to care and even share but now it's almost illegal to say it whatever there was to be said, certain words no matter how absurd, even posturing will get you dead.

Random notes from my past could now pass as random notes in that future am I the only one whose heart beats off time? Eye-to-eye contact now terrorises the comeback of self-esteem I thought I'd earned when will I learn that none of that is mine ' my torch burns less bright the future starts tonight and my tale of two cities' atrocities I forgot the Golden Rul e: to be careful what you wish for, from the sad but always consistent happy smiles that register on my face on my world to th e cosmetic surgery on yours let me walk you to the door.

Bye!! !

By Robert McG illivray

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firming their name on the list, then casting a ballot.

That will no longer work and people who come expecting this to be adequate will be turned.away.

If you don't have the required documentation, you can have another voter vouch for you. But the rules for vouching are so narrow that this will leave many citizens unable to vote. One voter can only vouch for one other. That means my neighbour cannot vouch for both my spouse and me, though we have lived next door for over twenty years.

And it just about has to be your next door neighbour- under the new rules, you can only. vouch for someone who lives in your own pollmg district. In the West End (which is Vancouver Centre riding) a polling division can be as smal~ a~ a half a block. In some cases it is a single budd mg.

These rules will disenfranchise thousands of citizens. The former Chief Electoral Officer, JeanPierre King-sley, estimated conservatively that 5% of voters would run into problems voting. We get more than 14 million voters in a federal election.

That means more than 700,000 citizens are likely to be unable to vote under these rules.

There are many ways people will run into problems with the new rules. Many people will simply show up without bringing the right documents. If it's late in the day and there isn't time for a second trip to the polls, they just lost the right to vote. If you have limited mobility, because of age or a disability, and arranging a second trip is a problem, you may well have just lost the right to vote.

Many peop Je don't possess drivers' licenses or other government photo ID. Many elderly seniors have stopped driving, many people with disabilities do not drive, and many low income people can't afford to drive. They are far more likely to lose the right to vote than others.

Many people do not have a residential address.

That includes people in many rural areas where street numbers are not assigned, and many rural Aboriginal reserves. Thousands of people do not have an address because they are homeless. All of these people will lose the right to vote if the new restrictions stand.

People who have moved shortly before an election are at risk of being disenrranchised. They often will not have 10 with their new address, and they are less likely to know the neighbours well enough yet to find someone qualified to vouch for them.

For that reason, people who move addresses more often, like many renters and students, will be at

CHARTER CHALLENGE TO NEW FEDERAL VOTER JD RULES Jim Quail, Executive Director, BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre About a year ago, Bill C-31 was introduced into the House of Commons. After undergoing minor amendments it received Royal Assent in June '07.

The part of the Bill we are concerned about creates new rules for voting in Canadian parliamentary elections. They say that even if you are a registered ' voter, you will be refused a ballot on election day unless you can meet documentation and identification requirements.

The rules require every voter to prove both their identity and their residential address. They provide limited ways of doing this.

First, you can produce government-issued LD with your photo and current address. The only such kind of ID that most adult Canadian citizens carry is a driver's licence. So, for example, a Passport would not qualifY, because it is not issued with your address printed on it. Similarly, a First Nations Status Card does no qualifY because it does not show an address.

1 would like to point out the irony, that if you walk into the polling place with a driver's license, which is not evidence that you are eligible to vote, that's all you need to be given a ballot. But if you carry a passport or a status card, which are surely the best evidence that you are eligible, you will be turned away unless you fit the other requirements.

If you don't have a driver's licence, or a BCID card, perhaps, you will not be allowed to vote unless you can piece together confirmation of your identity and current address from a Jist of approved secondary documents posted on the Elections Can- ' ada website.

Many voters are used to bringing their voter card to the polls with them, which they get in the mail from Elections Canada before each election, con-

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greater risk of losing the ri ght to vote.

Why are they doing this? The govern ment (along with many opposition MPs) try to justify it in order to "preserve the integrity of our electoral process."

But is there any evidence that the integrity of the process is at risk? It is already a serious offence to vote fraudulently, carrying a maximum $5,000 fine and 5 years in prison. Because the parties have scrutineers present in polling places, voting day is watched closely and Elections Canada investigates complaints carefully. In the last two decades there have been two prosecutions for fraudulent voting in federal elections.

In the Parliamentary Debate, much was made about the situation in the Toronto riding of Trinity Spadina in the last election. II ,000 voters registered on the voters' list at the polling places in that ridin g on election day. This was an enormous number, the MPs said, and demonstrates something suspicious was goi ng on. It so happens that Trinity Spadina is the home of Canada's largest university, the University of Toronto, Thousands of students live there, many of whom come of age to vote for the first time while at school, and register for the first time in any given election.

Elections Canada looked into the situation, and found , initially, that there may have been one person who voted in Trinity Spadina and should n't have, out of the II ,000. Later, the new Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Mayrand , reported to the Senate committee that there were no wrong ballots cast in that rid in g. Zero.

( suggest that if you want to undermine the integrity of our democratic electoral process, the best way to do that is to stop el igible citizens from casting their votes. Our problem is not that too many people vote- it is that not enough Canadians participate in our democratic process.

Section 3 of the Charter of Rights guarantees Canad ian citizens the right to vote in federal elections.

It is one of the most powerful sections of the Charter. It is immune from the "notwithstanding" clause. It is not subject to any other countervail ing rights - unlike freedom of expression, for instance, which gets weighed against the rights of others who can be affected by malicious speech. The right to vote is about as absolute as any ri ght we have under our constitution. There was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2002 that struck down the section ofthe Elections act which barred federal prison inmates from voting.

We filed our challenge to the new ru les on Thursday November I 2007 in the Va ncouver reg istry of the BC Supreme Court. We are asking the court to strike down the voting restrictions. We hope to ach ieve that before a general election hap pens.

This challenge is brought by two individual voters and four organizations that speak for members of our communities who are at high risk of losing the right to vote because of these restrict ions.They are: Rose Henry, an activist for the rights of people who arc homeless in Victoria Clyde Wright, a resident of the Downtown Eastside and a VAN DU executive member BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) Council of Senior Citizens' Orgs. of BC (COSCO) Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU)

The Carnivore 'There was the carn ivore in his gait as he sidled and slunk across the street toward his sh ivering prey.

The dealer the predator the spirit eater

Housing Action Alerts: Do yo u live in the Colum bia Hote l?

We need to talk to you.

The Dom inion Hotel is closing Dec. '07.

Bring us an Ev iction Notice is you live there Have you been affected directly by the Food Bank Depot closure at the Door Is Open? There are no. more outlets in the DTES. We' ll likely start a pett tion or take other action if enough people will help

Contact Wendy: 2"d fl Assoc.Office 604-839-0379

John Shavler

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GOING DOWN BEFORE THE SHIP ...

I'm inside, and I am new in your town I'm a King from back home and yo u too will get on your knees before your king.

But let's get back to that one shall we.

I'm inside now, and I've been around for more Than a few decades, see I'm the traveler.

I've seen them come, seen them go, watched them go from the very top to the very brink of suicide.

I'm inside now and my patience is real I can wait a very long ti me before 1 will have all control.

I'm inside now, when I say control I mean 1 will wait for you just so I can get enjoyment and pleasure of just watc hing you and those lose all contro l. Sec it'll be just a matter of time.

I'm inside now, the tables have turned, I'm in control now, I've seen all the craziness I've ever wanted to see. You sec you consumed me more than a few times. At first you were a weekend warrior now you're at full strength.

I'm inside now, and I've been evicted but I will only move on to another till I have consumed all I need. See I'm only getting stronger and I've just lost one, he slipped away, but that's fine we'll meet again.

I'm inside now, I'll introduce myself, my name is Crack Cocaine. I am King, now on yo ur knees I wi II tell you where I come from see I have crossed valleys, climbed over mountains ' swam seas, walked into your back yard.

I'm inside now and I had control of many souls, many lives I have infected. After I move in I am in control of everything around me. 1 control Emotions, fears, strengths and most of all, hope.

Ya see I' ve stripped you of all that is real in your world. I'm inside now, now that I've been evicted from yo ur world it's time for me to go make someone dance, cry, scream like a little child and now l'll move on to another community, sneak around and start teasing people so I wi II benefit from it all I'll ge t stronger you'll get weaker and then I'll have the~ all under my finger. See I'm strong now and I w1_11 be at ~y prime soon but till then I'll see you agam. We will meet again. I am a King, 1 was back then And like I said I'll have you on your knees, tweak ing too ... see yo u aro und .

Don Mack

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Moonset, moodset, mindset GO, if things (;Ould be changed I might evade a smile but common sense dictates the richer get ri chest & the poor get to repeat that last mile, if laws could be rearranged I might even crack a joke, but only until this world smartens up there will be no laughter just the opposite as I give my senses a poke. Don' t bring in your masses and blame faulty glasses we see the same misery the difference must be classes kind of makes you want to choke, then again it cou ld just be me I will not blame society because it's not just me seeing this anti-future hope.

The final lots of land are being snapped up in order of appearance the auction in the sky continues to imply if you have cash Jet's ta lk if this is in any way a hardship loll ipop delay enjoy the street you sleep on as others continue their walk, wires growing out of ears if only St. Minus was here but this selfish sickness ca lled mankind made him wna t to disappear- POOF - gone, now that's a lucky guy ... the world's falling down .. i swear I can hear the ice cubes clinking as they sip their Arctic Tea while the rest can drown.

No worries I used to say god that was an odd time to be around, do you remember th e nights we used to sneak away and camp out above ground, fresh air, clean water, even the lies didn't smell as bad I'm not quite sure when everything went to hell?

Could have been all those years I took off school, now being a fool by nature came naturally to me St. Minus and we were scho lars at fai lure we did not need success to be coo I. NOT SO FAST!!

I was told that coming in second just means you're the first loser, weights hang from my defeats tri cks are truly not treats even the sun beats down on me like trying to put out the sun with a battalion of !irehoses did you ever suppose we aren't meant to evolve further when Father Time kicks sand in your face, screaming 1'm going to get you if I have to kill the whole human race why quicken my pace let's face it once I'm gone maybe things will be put back in place, let all the real cowards live as long as they can, the one thing I can't understand this old age kick makes you a man, sad-sadder-Saddcrday as good a day as any for the expiry date of man! .... to be continued?

Robert McG illivray

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The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister [No postage needed.]

Prime Minister Harper,

Recently, you stated that "NAFTA has been unequivocally good" and that no one "dares suggest to rip it up." And yet the day after you made this statement, two American oil corporations - Exxon and Murphy Oil- served notice that they would sue Canada·for $50 million because we required them, in their own words, "to put into place more robust local-content requirements," including putting a larger share of their huge profits in local research and development. [Stipulated by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the utilization of off-shore oil discoveries·.]

This is another example of why Canada needs a meaningful National Energy Strategy to satisfy our need for national energy security and an ecologically secure future. While you speak of Canada becoming an "energy superpower," the reaJity is that Canada is becoming nothing more than an energy satellite exporting our resources at minimal royalty rates to the U.S., while importing 850,000 barrels of oil a day to meet our own needs. (

I'm asking you to reclaim Canada's energy sovereignty and security by implementing a National Energy Strategy that puts us. not the energy corporations and the U.S. first. I am particularly concerned that, under the FTA and NAFTA, Canada ceded total control of its oil and gas reserves, and must provide the United States with as much oil and gas as it wants -forever.

Rather than pursue continental energy integration plans negotiated in secret by un-elected corporate leaders [the so-called SPP - "Security & Prosperity Partnership"], and providing the U.S. with energy security, I urge you to listen to Maude Barlow and thousands of Council of Canadians members like me who do dare to tell you that, "this outrageous challenge is proof that NAFTA was designed for American corporate interests alone. The government of Newfoundland is simply doing what any good government would do in trying to maximize local resources to promote local jobs and prosperity. You should abrogate this flawed deal once and for all."

I await your reply. Thank you Signature

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CCAP Letter to United Nations "Since I have been down here, I've seen my people dying on the street. A lot of them are homeless. They can't clean themselves up physically or mentally to get away from this situation. There is no support for them. We need the United Nations to help us."

Phil Whonnock. Elder, Aboriginal front Door 路'Government abandoned homeless people in New Orleans and are doing that here in Vancouver. Our government has millions and billions of dollars and there is no reason for our rich nation to not look after people" DTES hotel resident, Jacob Rikley, member of Vancouver Area Net'vvork of Drug Users (VANDU) Miloon Kothari Special Rapporteur on Adequate I lousing Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for !Iuman Rights UNOG-OHCHR 12 I I Geneva I0. Sw路itzerland Dear Mr. Kothari, We are writing to you on the occasion of your visit to Canada to investigate the crisis of homclessness and inadequate housing in ou r country. We urgently seek your assistance, and we wish to offer you any help that you may need to effectively carry out your important work.

Who we are:

We are the Carnegie Community Action Projectaccountable to the 6000 members of the Carnegie Community Centre Association in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, the poorest neighbourhood in Canada. We are working to get better incomes and housing because we care about what happens to the poor. We live mostly in hotels, social housing, on the streets and in shelters and we arc affected profoundly by the growing homelessncss and poverty.

We are also deeply concerned about the escalation of property values in our neighbourhood without housing plans for th ose who live here: gentrification.

What we request: We ask you, as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate I lousing, to intervene on our behalf with the Vancouver municipal government, the government of British Columbia, and the government of Canada, to urge them to end homelessness and improve housing conditions in ou r neighbor hood. the city. province and country.

The situation in Vancouver:

Homelessncss in Vancouver was estimated in 2007

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to be at the level of approximately 1500-2000 people sleeping outside at night and hundreds more in shelters and couch surfing (Judy Graves, City of Vancouver's Tenants' Assistance Program). It is expected to reach 3000 by the year 20 I 0 when the Winter Olympic Garnes will be held here.

The initial cost of hosting the Winter Olympics was thought to be about $600 mi Ilion but estimates of the cost have now more than doubled. If money were spent on building social housing instead paying for games, homelessness in Vancouver could be solved by 20 I0.

But we do not even need the Olympics money to solve the problem o f homelessness. The provincial government is running a budgetary surplus this year of $4.1 billion. The federal government had a surplus of$6 .4 billion in the first quarter of2007. To build 3,200 units of soc ial housin g to get a start on solving homelessness by 20 I 0 would cost $640 million, according to Marc Lee of the Can ad ian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Canada has ample resources to so lve the problem of homelessness and inade quate housing.

In the run-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics bid, the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and th e three levels of government- municipal, provincial, and federal- made five housing commitments.

These \.vere: I) Provide an affordable housing legacy and start planning now: Protect existing rental housing stock; 2) Provide many alternative forms of temporary 3) accommodation for Games' visitors and workers; 4) Ensure people are not made homeless as aresult of the Games; 5) Ensure residents are not involuntarily displaced, evicted or face unreasonable increases in rent as a result of the Games.

Last year, the provincial government set up a committee of government, business, and communitybased organizations to determine how to implement the commitments. This group was called the innerCity lnclusivity (ICI) Housing Table. It recommended that 800 units of social housing be built each year up to 2010, starting in 2007. A Iso, it recommended that social assistance rates be raised by

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50 per cent and barri ers to obtaining welfare be elim inated.

On June 28. 2007, the ICI report was brought before Vancouver City Cou ncil, and adopted- but City Council made implementation of the recommend ations subject to "fund ing constraints.'' In other words, the Vancouver O lympic Organizing Comm ittee (V ANOC) and the three levels of government have provided themselves with an excuse for breaking their O lymp ic promises, even th ough there are more than suffi cient funds available to meet the commitments.

In our opinion, by not meeting the Olympic promises and by allowing thousands of people to be homeless, our municipal, provincial and federal govern men ts are violating human rights treaties and comm itments that have been agreed to by the international community and ratifi ed by Canada.

Rights that are being 1·iolated: I) The right to an adequate standard o f living, in

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eluding adequate food, clothin g and shelter This right was first articu lated in 1948 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25. whi ch reads: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being ofhimselfand of his family, includingfood, clothing, housing and medical care and necessmy social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

This right is also set out in Article II ofthejnternational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultured Rights, which Canada ratified in 1976. [I] Ar-

ticle I I says: The States Parties to the present Covenant recogni::e the right ofeveryone to an adequate standard <?(lh·ingfor himse(f and his family, including adequate food. clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of livinJ; conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on ji-ee consent.

Canada is not currently implementing this ri ght.

Instead of co ntinuous improvement in living co ndi-

ti ons, Canada has seen a co ntinuous decline. /\s we have indicated, there is increasing homelessncss and many poor people in Vancouver do not have adequate hous ing. The federal government has contributed to, if not created this problem , by abo lishing its national housing program in 1993, thus depriving those in need o f building and subsidization of approximately 25.000 units of social housing per year.

In its 2006 Concluding Comments, after rev iewing Canada's adherence to the rights set out in the ICESCR, the Un ited Natio ns Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) made a strongly-worded recommendation to Canada.

121 It said: The Committee reiterates its recommend at ion that the federal, provincial and territorial governments address homeless ness and inadeq uate housing as a national emerge ncy by reinstating or increasing, where necessary, soc ial housing programs for those in need, improving and properly enforcing antidiscrimination legis lation in the fi eld of hous ing, increasing shel ter allowan ces and social assistance rates to realistic leve ls, and providing adequate support services for persons with disabilities. The Committee urges the State party to implement a national strategy for the reduction of homelessness that includes measurable goals and timetables, consultation and collaborati on with affected communities. comp laints procedures, and transparent accountability mechanisms, in keeping with Covenant standards (CESCR, 2006, para. 62).

Vio lations of th e right to ad equate housing are contributed to by in adequate social ass istance rates, whi ch do not bring recipients above the poverty Iine, or permit them to pay for adequate shelter. CESCR noted wit h concern in its 2006 Conclud ing Comments that: ... in most provinces and territori es, social assistance benefits are lower than a decade ago, that they do not provide adequate income to meet basic needs for food, cloth ing and shelter, and that welfare levels are o ften set at less than half the Low- Income CutOff (CESCR 2006, para. 21 ).

Because of poverty, too many people in Vanco uver do not enj oy the ri ght to food. A network of charitable "food banks" attempts to make up for lack of adeq uate assistance from the state by offering some free food to poor people. But they are un able to offer adequate, healthy food to all those who need it.

This too has been a subject of co ncern to CESCR since 1993. The Committee recommended in 2006 that Canad a: "significantl y intens ify its efforts to •

address the issue of food insecurity and hunger in Canada." The Committee reminded Canada "of its core obligation to fulfil (provide) the right to food when disadvantaged and marginalized individuals or groups are, for reasons beyond their control, unable to realize these rights for themselves ... " (CESCR, 2006, para. 6 I) 2) The right to remuneration capable of providing a decent living This ri ght is set out in Article 7 of the ICESCR: The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right ofeveryone to the enjoyment ofjust andfavourable conditions ofwork wh ich ensure, in particular: (a) Remuneration, which provides all workers, as a minimum, with: (ii) A decent living for themselves and their fam ilies in accordance with the provisions ofthe present Covenant ...

Minimum wage levels set by the federal government and by the government of British Columbia do not prov ide an above-poverty-level income for full-time workers. This violation was also noted by CESCR in 2006. The Committee expressed it dismay that, desp ite repeated reco mmendations, Canada has not addressed the treaty body 's principal concerns about Canadian implementation of th e !CESCR, including: [t]he insufficiency of minimum wage and social assistance to ensure the realization of the right to an adequate standard of livin g for all (CESCR, 2006, paras 11 and 11(t)).

3) The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health This right is set out in Article I 2 of the ICESCR: The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right ofeveryone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard ofphysical and mental health.

Violations of the right to an adequate stand ard of living cause violations of the right to health. They also cause violations o f the rig ht to life. The Hum an Rights Committee, which oversees the implementation by States parties of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, expressed its concern in 1999 that homelessness in Canada has lead to "serious health problems and even to death". [3] The Committee recommended that Canada take pos itive measures to address this serious problem (HRC, 1999, para. 12). But those positive measures have

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no t been implemented and conditions have deterio rated since 1999.

Summary Canada has been rebuked repeatedly by the UN for human rights violations. Despite all the UN treaties and conventions that it has ratified , Canada has not moved forward in a concerted and positive way to ensure that residents actually enjoy the s ubstance of their human rights. We note that in the pledge made at the time of the elections to the new Human Rights Council, Canada, then an eager candidate said that it "commits to actively pursue the implementation of human rights domestically." Yet this is not what we witness. Instead , homelessness and poverty continue to plague the poorest people of Vancouver, despite British Columbia having o ne of the most prosperous economies in Canada, and despite Canada being one of the richest countries in the world.

The legacy of Vancouver's 20 J0 Winter Olympics as outlined by the ICI Housing Table report was supposed to be ending homelessness. Instead, our governments, which have the capacity and resources to end homelessness and poverty, are making only token, not real , efforts.

We ask for your assistance in addressing this pressing human rights problem . Please help us.

Sincerely, Jean Swanson, Coordinator Carneg ie Community Action Project

[I] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 9 December 1966, 993 U .N .T.S. 3, Can. T.S. 1976 No. 46, 6 I.L.M. 360 (entered into force 3 January 1976) (!CESCR) [2] Review of 4th and 5th periodic reports: Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Canada, UN CESCR, 2006, UN Doc. E/C. l2/CAN/C0/4, E/C.l2/CAN/C0/5, para.ll (t) (CESCR, 2006).

Online: Office of the High Co mmissioner for Human Rights http ://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/898 586b 1dc7b404 3c1256a450044f33 1/ 87793634eae60c00c 12571 ca00371262/$ FILE/G064 2783.pdf [3] Review of 4th period ic report: Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee: Canada, UN CCPR, 1999, UN Doc. CCPR/C/79/ Add.l 05, o nline: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/

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seeing others seei ng the others who Iivc here I wi ll always run into them and we will be having short conversatios on the streets of Vancouver someone offered me a moment of rest another told me about the dance tonight one sold me a pair of shoes the other a stolen flower in front ofNo 5 Orange I found a cat whose owner saw my poster there were others involved ... always people working bchi ncl the scene making jewellery pick ing up drumsticks organi zing free clothes days givin' us turkey dinner talking insane chatter for a matter of moments it's up to me to hear it

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On disabi lity but want part-time 'Nork? In recovery bul want to 'vvork? Come to our Road to Employment Expo at Pathways Information Centre. This show is all about getting you working.

It's not just about where the j obs are. We focus on the journey of getting back to work. There wi II be workshops and tables so that you can meet the relevan t helping agencies. Employers who hire people on disability will exp lain their hiring policies. Finally we'll have people who've overcome disab ilities to talk about their road back to work.

We are keeping the Expo smaller this year so that it will be easier for one-on-one interaction. We arc wheel chair accessible.

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willing workers picking up garbage and need les for $1 0 an hour the guard at Hastings and Main, infront o f the drugstore, making sure no one is out of place watching the scene

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29 Novem be•· - Thu•·scJ ay WIIERE 390 l\1ain Street Pathways lnfo•·matio n Centre [corner of Main & Hastings] TIM I ~ I I :00 a m - 2:00pm

there arc musicians with gui tar cases heading for the latest jam and pretty girls who just became hookers

See you there!

in the Downto>vvn Eastside of Vancouver

Ttl£ ART OF SONG

Rudolf Penner

T he Gu lf Is la nds area is b r o ug ht to life in t he words of Ladys m ith poet Ken Ca thers a nd th e m usic of Va ncouver co m pose r C hristo phe r L udw ig. T h e p e r for ma nce is by C liff Ridl ey &

Da niellc Mat·cincl<.

REZ SIS'l'ERS: A PLAY

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By Thompson llighway

FREDERIC WOOD THEATRE:

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November 14-24, 2007

C liff Rid ley baritone Da nie lle Ma rcine k piano

401 Main Carnegie Theatre -----· - - ... - ----·- --

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6354 Crescent Rd, UBC I Preview: Nov. 14 I Opening: Nov. 15 I Curtain: Mon. - Sat 7:30pm Ti ckets: $20/$14/$121 Box Office: 604.822.2678 I Parking: Rose Garden Parkadc 6278 Marine Dr. More at: www.theatre.ubc.ca

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DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE YOUTH ACTIVITIES SOCIETY 612 Main Street

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NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN - 3 Routes: 604-685-6561 City- 5:45pm - 11 :45pm Overnight - !2:30am -8:30am Downtown Eastside- 5:30pm - 1:30am

604-2 51-3310 "The job ofthe newspaper i~ to comfort the afflicted and afjlict the comfortable."

The famous quote is about a hundred years old and can be traced to the work of Finley Peter Dunne, one of the great journalists of the day Editor: PauiR Taylor

NEWSLETTER THIS NEWSI EITER IS A PUBLICATION OF TilE CAHNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

We acknowledge that Carnegie <.:ommunity <.:entre, and this 1 L N!w!!et,!!r,.!r~a.fP~i~ 0_!! t~ S_2u~i!!' ~f~n!_ fe!_'"i~ry..:. _I

2007 DONATIONS Libby 0.-$100 Rolf A.-$75 Barry for Dave McC-$125 Christopher R.-$30 Margaret D.-$40 Penny G.-$50 Janice P.-$30 Wes K.-$50 Gram-$400 John S.-$60 Leslie S.-$20 Michael C.-$80 Sheila B.-$20 Wilhelmina M.-$ 15 CEEDS -$50 Saman -$20 Phyllis L.-$200 Paddy -$1 25 Bob S.-$100 Barry M.-$ 125 Winnie T.-$5,000

Submission deadline for next issue: Tues.day, November 27

.Jenny WaiChing Kwan MLA 1

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l Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr V5L JYJ Phone:775-0790 Fax:775-0881

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Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association

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Cover submitted by Huddy Roddan

The 4th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival A Big THANK YOU to everyone involved!

Presenting a festival on the scale of the Heart ofthe City Festival is a huge undertaking and a unique endeavour in Vancouver and in Canada. We can't do it without the vast support of community individuals, organizations, sponsors and audiences.

Your participation is greatly appreciated!

Particularly we want to thank the individual artists in the community who present their work during the festival with such commitment, passion and generosity. Your strong voices are essential to the success of the festival.

Ifyou have any ideas or events to contribute or suggest for next year's Festival give us at call at 604254-69 11 or talk with Rika, 604-665 -3003 .

From the Festival programme and production team.

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Come to our FREE CLINIC On Carnegie's 3rd floor Law Students' Legal Advice 路

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DEllA helps wilh: Phone & Safe Mailboxes

Welfare Problems; Landlord disputes; llousing problems & unsafe living conditions.

At 12 East llastings St. or caii604-682-09JI

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When I was younger, and lived in a strange place, I thought the world had forgotten me.

1 was placed in foster homes. 1 was away from my family. 1 knew only that I was alone.

One of the punishments I was handed was to be locked in a granary. Once I overcame my fear of the mice that scurried around, l found myself being at peace. In the granary no one abused me, no one told me that I was different. My only thought was that one day someone else would unlock the door. I would listen to the footsteps fade away. I would sit and wait. I knew I would be back.

My prayers have been answered. People of the Carnegie have opened the door and allowed me to be me. That is one of the best gifts I've ever received. I thank the people of the Carnegie.

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Vanguard by Kat Norris

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Vanguard, safeguard, lantern in the window, stop here for a moment and let me lighten your load .. like a warm cup of tea on a cold, hard-bitten night Being lost and cold coming into the warmth .. conjures up fantasy ... dreams. Hot desert, heat waves .. riding .. floating on ocean currents, wafting in the aura and warm hues of earth .. honey .. brown sugar .. temptrous taste of maple nectar that suckled the pilgrims .. sending back word to the homeland of a land of riches ... of MILK and honey ... escape from the crown ...

Golden brown, ... skin turns copper in the middle of summer.. coppertone skin, heat emanates and burns still as the sun slides behind the mountains and the earth cools.. and frogs and crickets sing lullabyes and goodnight to the sun .. and welcome big sister moon.. Oh yemen, the freedom ye feel at the sight of tawny, sun-kissed, sepia sunsets ... rich earth is colored bronze .. and liquid amber will draw you in forever ..

Your eyelids free themselves of the burden of intelligentali sm, and hang ever lower, almost dropping, you so free your self of the reality of thought and toil and trouble, and fees and foes, You walk closer, you strut...adrenaline kicks .. feelings of buying up precious topaz .. and golden tinged tigereye ..to add to your collection.. feelings of power and taming wild earth fantasy fills your taste buds ...

All things warm and comfy .. are have an effect on the sensory receptors ... coffee, golden honey, hot milk chocolate, even cognac and champagne ..

Touch the torch and ye will get burned .. raise your face to the sun and get a copper-tone tan.... Such freedom I give oftimes, unwitting, your thought fantasy of this simple beautiful vanguard for your heart .. front-line warrior me, person of honey-color. ... . YOU north on the medicine wheel mind. takes the hand of my littl e brown inner child's hands, leading me aside ... to rescue your manness, with a look, a side glance ..

I will be the protector and will raise your sense of worth for a time Vanguard, safeguard, lantern in the window, stop here for a moment and let me lighten your load .. like a warm cup of tea on a cold, hard-bitten night ...

For Coast Salish, Indigenous Action Movement updates and events- Check out http://ind igenousacti on. blogspot.com/ Call 24 hour update line: (604) 682-3269 Extension: 77 18 or email actions to: csiaction@gmail.com

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-IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING WOMEN- Alberta Williams, Aleisha Germaine, Alice llall, Amanda P. Flett (Mandy), Amy McCauley, Ann Wolsey, Angie Williams, Annie Cedar Jr., April Reach, Barb Mills, Barbara Charles, Barbara Gus, Barbara Larocque, Barbara Paul, Basma Rafay, Bernadette Campo, Bernadette Grace Pierce, Bernadine Standing-Ready, Betty Case, Betty Lou Williams, Beverley Ann Desjarlais, Beverley Whitney 11cverly Wilson, Brenda George, Bonnie Catagas, Bonnie Lincoln, Bonnie Peters, Bonnie Pruden, Carol Cardinal, Caro Ann Wadden, Carol Davis, Carrie Ann Starr, Chantal Venne, Chantal Gillade, Charity Cassell, Charlene Kerr, Cheryle Joyce Vicklund, Christina Lorraine Christison, Christine (Chrissie) Billy, Christine Elizabeth McCrae, Cindy Williams, Clorissa Mary Adolph, Connie Chartrand, Connie Rider, Carol Ann Wadden, Corrine Dagnault, Corrine Sherry Upton La Fleur, Dana Draycott, Darlene M. Johnston, Darlene Small-Legs, Darlene Weismiller, Darlinda (Dawn) Ritchie, Dawn Lynn Cooper, Debbie Ann McMath, Debbie Kennedy, Debbie Neaslose, Deborah Chisholm, Debra Foley, Debn Lucas, Delilah Martin, Delores Rivet, Denise Stillwell, Diane Lancaster, Donna Rose Kiss, Dora Joseph Patrick, Edna Shande, Elizabeth Chalmers, Elsie Sabastian, Elsie Tomma, Enola Evans, Florence Isaac, Fang Min Wong and her 3 week old daughter, Gail Worm, Gerri Ferguson, Geraldine Williams, Gertrude Copegop, Gloria Duneult (Sam), Gloria Baptiste, Haljinder Kni.ijar, Helena George, Helen Lessardo (Bowers), Holly Cochran, Jacqueline Michelle, Janet Basil Janet Pelletier, Janice Saul, Jane Hill, Jean McMillan, Jeannie Wiebe, Jennie Lea Water, Jennifer Moerike, Jennifer Pete, Josephine Johnson, Joyce Paquette, Julie Mai Smith, June Hill, Kandice Mills, Kanwaljitk Gill, Karen Ann Baker KatWeen Dale Wattley, Katherine P. August, Kelly Myers, Lana Morin, Laurie Ann Rix, Laurie Scholtz, Lavern Jack, Lavcrna Avivgan, Leanne Cupello, Linda Jean Coombes, Linda Louise Grant, Linda Learning, Linda Nelson, Lisa Leo Lisa Marie Graveline, Lisa Moosomin, Lois Makie, Lorna Carpenter, Lori Newman, Lorna George (Jones), Lorna Lambert, Lorraine (Ray) Arrance, Lou-Anne Stolarchuck (Bonnie), Margaret Vedan, Maria Ferguson, Maljorie Mack, Maljorie Susan Prisnen, Martha Gavin, Mary Ann Charlie, Marina George, Mary Ann Jackson, Mary Anne Monroe, Mary James, Mary Johnson, Mavis McMillan, M?thilda Charles, Maureen Riding-At- The-Door, Mavis Hippolyte, Maxine Paul, Melody Newfeld, Meranda Isaac, Mertyl Roy, Michelle Latleshe, Michelle Liza Webster, MicheHe Win Monika Lillmeier, Marietta Smoker, Naazish Khan, Nadine McMillan, Nancy Jane Bob, Nancy Anne Clark, Nancy McDonald, Nancy Jane Poole, Norma Clarke, Nya Rane Robillard, Olivia Gale William, Patricia Andrew, Patricia Am Wadhams (Trish), Patricia Thomas, Pauline Johnson, Peggy Favel, Peggy Snow, Peggy Suhner, Rachael Davis, Ramona Wilson, Ranjitk Toor, Rhonda Gaynor, Rhonda MacDonald, Rita Holy-White-Mao, Roberta Lincoln, Rose Merasty, Rose Peters, Rose Piapst, Roxanne Thiara, Ruby Williams, Ruth Anderson, Ruth Oliver, Sadie Chartrand, Sally Abou, Sally Jackson, Saltana Rafay, Sandra Amos (George), Sandra Flamond, Sharon Arrance, Sheila Hunt, Shirley Nix, Sonia Mathews, Susan Ball, Susan Jones, Susan Presvich, Swaranjitk Thandi, Tammy Lee Pipe, Tanya Emery, Tanya Marlo, Tanya Wallace, Teresa Brewer, Theresa Humchitt, Tracy Lyn Hope, Terry Lynn, Tracy Olajide, Vanessa Ferguson, Vera Lyons, Verna Missar, Verna Parnell, Veronica Harry, Vicky Buchard, Victoria Joseph (Misty Victoria Yonkers, Violet Delores Herman, Wendy Grace Lewis, Wendy Poole, Yvonne Stevens '*Some names have not been included, to have a name of a woman added, please call Marlene at (604) 665-3005. List is compileG from 2004 & previous files & at the request of some families.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families whose daughters have been tragically murdered Andrea Borhaven, Andrea Joesbury, Angela Jardine, Brenda Wolfe, Cara Ellis, Cindy Feliks, Dawn Theresa Crey, Debra Jones, Diane Melnick, Dianne Rock, Georgina Papin, Heather Bottomley, Heather Chinnock, Helen Hallmark, fuga Hall, Jacqueline McDonell, Jennifer Funninger, Kerry Koski, Marcella Creison, Mamie Frey, Mona Wilson, Patricia Johnson, Sarah Jean DeVries, Sereena Abottsway, Sherry Irving, Tanya Holyk, Teressa Williams, Tiffany Drew, Wendy Crawford, Yvonne Boon, & 3 unidentified women known only as Jane Doe.

Our prayers remain with the women who are still unaccounted for Angela Arseneault, Cara Ellis, Catherine Gonzalez, Cindy Beck, Danielle Larue, Delphine Nikal, Dorothy Spence, Elaine A llenbach, Elaine Dumba, Elizabeth Chalmers, Elsie Sebastian, Frances Young, Gloria Fedyshyn, Ingrid Soet, Janet Henry, Jacqueline Murdock, Julie Young, Katherine Knight, Kathleen Wattley, Lana Derrick, Laura Mah, Leigh Miner, Lenora Olding, Lillian O'Dare, Linda Grant, Marilyn Moore, Marie Laliberte, Mary Lands, Michelle Gurney, Nancy Clark, Nicole Hoar, Oliv William, Rebecca Guno, Richard "Kellie" Little, Ruby Hardy, Sharon Abraham, Sharon Goselin, Sharon Ward, Shell) Uaker, Sheryl Donohue, Sheila Egan, Sherry Rail, Stephanie Lane, Tammy Fairbairn, Tania Peterson, Teresa Triff, Verna Littlechief, Wendy Allen, Yvonne Abigosis

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Spirit of Missing Women A rt Exhibition by Olga Afonina

November 16- 29, 2007 Opening Reception:

November 16, 4-Spm Carnegie Centre 3n1 floor Gallery •

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Olga is a Russian born artist who came to the Downtown Eastside two years ago to find her 19 year old son. This exhibition is about her reflection on the DTES, her learning and changes here after her journeys around the world.

Carnegie Center is a quiet and healing center in a very complicated and traumatic neighborhood. Carnegie provid~s many opportunities for creativity and education, social networking, activism and wonderful meals. It is upheld by committed volunteers and staff. The glass dome of the building, 0 lga notes, is like a healing crystal.

Olga believes that art was one of the most important things that brought Europe out of the Dark Ages during the Renaissance. Her exhibition is related to this subject, as she believes that art is one of the important things that is also helping the DTES in the same way. She wants to share her experience of hope and the possibility of rejuvenation even in great difficulties such as those that face many people in the DTES. - .

My tattered emotions sway heavily from peaceful to quiver, and so do I move around -a bit of a tilt- I try not to shiver; Hallowe'enish hoodoos spare no recompense for my sudden, impending countervailing self-destruction.

It's all about goblins and ghouls and glowing eyeballs and brooms with witches casting curses and concocting mayhem .. maybe even granting you your darkest wishes.

'What the Hell's this about?!!"you may ask, you may wonder but it's about laughing death as firecrackers explode -are torn apart and asunder- mirroring the scattered debris of our Downtown Eastside's reduction. Ask 'who will prevail in the end?' as you dwell in and ponder your fright.

It will be us, you and I; we ain't ever giving up the fight!

We don't have a choice, in my humblest opinion, 'cause we owe it to the flitting ghosts and the departed, restingin-peace souls and most honoured ancestors whose pounding pulse keeps a beat in my head keeps me strong, keeps me focused as the steady destruction abounds.

We can stop it hocus-pocus. United in numbers, making wonderful, organised marches, as they're cooking it up in a hot cauldron, a poisonous potion of the bourgeoisie and self-named elites .. . They don't realise what we've got - the remedies, the antidotes that will knock them off highchair seats, defeating their terrors, their ultimatums and their doggerel decrees; they don't know what they're in for as they fall shaking to their knees.

Yes we've got the cure for all the ills of their sinister tactics, their Eastside libellous aspersions and slanderous slights: we will politely scare them away - they have ingrained aversions to honesty - and I have no doubt in your hearts you all agree .. , it's a fact.. it's meant to be.

It's written down in books, some contemporary and some ancient. It gives us power, is solid truth but noncomplacent Is it a wish , is it a dream .. you must decide for yourself.

Brotherhood, sisterhood say those volumes on the shelf; I love you, you love me and we'll keep the treasure of our homes. This is just, this is the way it should, that it has ever and always been meant to be.

• Robyn Livingston

Welcome to the Monkey House

Paufs Law: You cant fall off the floor.

Give money, send energy, take the best of yourself and give it away. Struggle is the essence of life.

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The Treaty Process and Indian Nationalism In a treaty process that is strictly circumscribed by the federal government's Comprehensive Land Claims Policy.

Indian status is being legislative! y extinguished. The treaties of thi s process require trihal people to ( I) renounce their status as Indians under the meaning of the Indian Act, (2) cede their aboriginal entitlement to land and (3) incorporate into Canada as (first nation) municipalities. The government's Comprehensive Land Claims Pol icy is only incidentally a policy for the settlement of land claims. Primarily. it is a policy to extinguish Indian status.

Canada's treaty process is. on two counts. illegal in international law. Canada exercises colonial rule over a people whose nationality is Indian. i.e .. Canadian Indian. ( I) By depriving Indian people of their nationality Canada is violati ng their human rights in contravention of artic le 15 of thc UN Universal Declaration On Human Rights which states that ''No one shall be arb itrarily deprived of his nationality. " (2) By. then , incorporating Indian tribes into Canada as municipalities Canada is violating Indian people's political rights in contravention of article I of the UN International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights which states that" All peoples have the right of self-determination."

Additionally. the treaties of the federal government's treaty process are not bona !ide. Treaties are b) definition made between nations. Canada is a nation. Provinces and tribes are not. Separately e:-.:isting and independent tribal nations did exist prior to colonization. Upon being colonized by Canada. ho路wevcr. tribal auth orities 路were replaced by the Department of Indian Affairs operating under the authority of the Indian Act and the tribes were unified into a single. de facto. national entity: the native internal colony.

Legal apologists for the government's treaty process hold that negotiated agreements o f the treaty process are valid in that they arc arrived at (I) bilaterally. (2) voluntarily and (3) fairly. This is not so.

(I) The central issues or the treaty process involve the interests of two opposed national entities: the native internal colony and Canada. In the treaty process the federal government in effect pays the Indian representatives.

Treaties of this arrangement are not bilateral. They are fraudulent.

(2) The go\'crnmcnt pa) ments or land, resources and money in the treaty process are part of the normal requirements of an underprivileged people. As such, treaty payments arc necessities of life that an.: purposely withheld by gO\ crnmcnt in order to for~c Indians into the treaty process. The treaties of such a process are not voluntary. They are coerced.

(3) In the government's treaty process. the quantitative aspects dealing with amounts of money, land andresources arc negotiable and a template regarding these is being formulated. The qualitative aspects. hovvcver, dealing with the relationship between Indian people and Canada. are not negotiable. The treaties of such a process arc not fair.

They are imposed.

The underlying motive for the federal government's extinguishment policy is the demand by big business for economic "certainty" in regard to aboriginal title and land claims. The lcderal government responded with a 路wholesale attack on Indian rights. In 1969, the government put forth the White Paper Policy On Indians that proposed to unilaterally extingu ish Indian status, Indian reserves. the Indian Act, the Department of Indian Affairs and all rights or entitlements pc11aining to In dians. At the same time. the government began sponsoring a native leadership and funding social reforms to be carried out by that leadership. ln 1973. the extinguishment policy ot' the (failed) White Paper was rcaflirmcd in the federal goYcrnment's Comprehensive Land Claim Policy. After several decades of nurturing a captive native leadership. the fedcral government is now implementing the e:\tinguishmcnt polic). bilaterally. in the comprehensive treaty process.

'I hc go\ernment gives ostensi\'c recognition to tribes as nations. i.e .. first nations. in order to ( I) foster tribalism in the native internal colony, (2) subvert Indian nationalism and (3) give credibility to ''nation-to-nation" negotiations that requin: tribes to secede from the Indian national entity.

Further deception on the part or government is its stated opposition to the Indian Act as on out-modcd document. ln reality. government wants to nullify the Indian Act because the Indian Act recognil'es the existence or a colonized people whose subjection and expropriation question the legitimacy of the Canadian settler-state.

Indian leadership sponsored by government cannot be relied upon to resist government attack. This resistance can only come from the Indian people, themselves, in direct action and independent organization. To be successful this resistance needs to be inspired by a vision of the future.

Although Indian nationalism has always been a component of native consciousness. it is sometimes thought to be politically unviable. For instance. the native internal colony is sometimes perceived to be small and powerless in relation to the Canadian settler-state. On the global level. the native internal colony is, politically, part of a powerful majority. The entire non-Europeanized world, except for Japan. suffers from foreign domination and exploitation. The national liberation mO\路cmcnts in this vast area represent the principal and determining con1licts of ou r time. This is so to the extent that their success constitutes and historical precondition for the positive devel opment of conflict bdween

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the nati' c internal colony un d the Ca nadian settler-state. The establishment of this precondition. although crucial for the native internal colony. is not within the scope of thi s presentation. Suffice it to say that (I) wars, such as the Vietnam War. have proven that imperiali sm can be defeated in the global sou th and (2) the continuin g devastation caused by imperialism guarantees man) more Vietnams. The smallness and powerlessness of th e nati ve internal colony is belied by the objective process of history.

Three udditi onal features of the native internal. colony that sometime cast doubt on Ind ian nati onalism arc that ( I ) the members of the nati\'C internal colony are part of the Canadian working class. (2) one-h alf of them live in the cities of' the Canadian settler-state and (3) the tribal territories of the nati ve internal colony are divided throughout theCanad ian settler-nati on.

The fcatun~s of the nati ve internal colony indica te (I) the close interre lation of the native internal colony and the Canadian settler nation and (2) the, simultaneous. opportunity in and vulnerab ility of' its posi ti on.

International ly. the vulnerability of the nati\'c internal colony can be seen as imperiali sm militarily attacks the p...:oples of the global south and outlaws internal support for them. Opportunity on th e other hand can be seen in th e position of' the native internal colony as a bridge be tween di,·idcd parts of humanity all of whom on one level or another arc tr) ing to transcend a once d) namic social system that now poses a threat to th~ir survival.

Nationally. the native internal colony is vu lncruble as can be seen by the genocidal din:cti on of gon~ rnment In dian policy in ( I) the residential sc hool sys tem . (2) the c:-.:trerne military and police reactions to native acti,·ism and (3) th...: e:-.:tinguishm...:nt treaty process. On the other hand. the resou rces of the tribal terri tories can never be completely separated from the Canadian economy and hold the promise or future cooperati on and mutual bcnctit. Additioni:lll y. th e nH.:rnbers of the native internal colony. as workers in Canadian prod uction. can look forward to th e right of dual citizensh ip.

The reality that precludes decolonizati on and respect for the ri ght of nati ve people to nati onal self-determin ati on is Canada under the control or banks and corporations. Such a country is impervious to rutional ity and humanity. Once imperialism has been ovcrthwwn in the global south. however. it \vi ii no long...:r b..: able to bribe its domestic worke rs with high . .vages and political liberties. The Canadian workers will then trans form the banks and corporations from organs of private em ichment into social assets or a new Canada. Before that event. Indian nationalists must( I) associate \\'ith and support national liberation movements in the global south. (2) resist anti-Indian policies of the Canudian se ttler-s tate. (3) clari(v and strengthen the native nati onal entity and (4) de velop allies in th e Canadiun work in g class , ~, !~ .. \ y HOIW I , .ll lll'\ l ll\~01')

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Port Militarization Resistance

stopping the US military's use of th e Port ofOlvmpia. Thirty- seven people were arrested for acts o f nonviolent civil disobedience over the course of I 0 days during that first campaign.

On Monday November 5 o f this year, the USNS Brittin arrived at th e Port of Olympia with equipment from 3rd Stryker Brigade returning from that same deployment in Iraq. The troops of the Brigade had returned to Fort Lewis about 2 weeks previous, minus 48 of their fe llow soldiers who had died from injuries sustained in Iraq.

Wh en OlyPMR membe rs learned o f this incomin g shipm ent, they quickly mobilized, releasing the following statement: We oppose Olympia's complicity in a war whose disastrous effects have been felt worldwide and we will actively resist the use of Olympia's porttofitrther that war.... Through nonviolent actions we intend to stop the Port of Olympia from becoming a revol,·ing door of military machinery f urthering illegal war. This war has taken the lives of 3,8-15 US soldiers, over one million Iraqis, and has displaced millions more. These weapons are return in?, ~

Olympia, Washington Olympia activists stand firm against continued militat-y shipments through Port Late Friday afte rnoon (Nov.9), approximately 50 mem bers o f Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPM R) sat down near the main gate of the Port of Olympia in Washington State. Two tractor trailers, one carrying two Stryker combat vehicles, another filled with military ca rgo, were blocked from exiting the port. Police arrived on the scene and after failing to persuade the demonstrators to allow one truck through, ceded control of th e entrance.

The 2 trucks were forced by these circumstances to back up- returnin g inside the port gate.

Oly PMR was founded in May 2006 when Olympia peace activists attempted to block outgoing Strykers and other military equipment in advance of the deployment of the 3rd Brigade Stryker Team from Ft. Lewis. Activists united under the banner of Olympia Port Militarization Res istance, declaring a common mission to "end our community's participation in th e illegal occupati on of Iraq by

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to be repaired and refittedfor further combat. We see this as a continuation of the war despite our nation's and the Iraqi people's overwhelming opposition to the war. " OlyPM R blocked several convoys of Strykers beginning the evening of November 7, continuing into the morning. Dozens of protesters blocked the road with their bodies as one convoy after another attempted to exit the Port of Olympia. In each case the convoys eventually passed, but only after police shoved protesters, striking many with batons and dragging them from the road in order to clear it. At 2:30 that morning, police used pepper spray against 20 people in ord er to apprehend one man in their midst who was then arrested and charged with pedestrian interference and resisting arrest. Protesters reported that their nonviolent actions were met with unwarranted and excessive force by police.

At a Thursday evening open meeting, a packed room of more than 60 activists agreed on a plan for using human blockades to non-v iolently contain military cargo at the port. Approximately 200 people gathered at the port entrance, which activists say was a number twice as large as that needed to execute their plan. After several hours it became apparent that there wo uld be no movement of vehicles from the port that night, and activists set up an encampment in order to keep watch while others rested. Activists at this location issued a call to action on Friday, when military equipment began to move from the port.

Civil disobedience and other actions at the port are expected to contin ue as an ti-war activists have declared their commitment to ongoing resistance. ''The combat vehicles being shipped through our town were used to invade and destroy a sovereign nation, devastating the lives of millions of Iraqis and thousands of Americans. The reason we are blocking them now is because we do not want these war machines to ever be used for this purpose again," said Sandy Mayes, an Olympia nurse, and founding OlyPMR member.

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As the nation begins its annual observance of the Veterans Day holidays, OlyPMR says they stand with the men and women of the military by 路demanding an immediate halt to the War, and the return of all the troops.

"We want the troops to know we are glad they are home. We also want them to know that we will do everything we can to make sure that they never have to go again," said Mayes.

This message seems to resonate with many soldiers. Activists involved in PMR actions in Olympia or Tacoma report overwhelmingly positive gestures such as "thumbs up" from troops as they drive by in their Strykers and other vehicles. TJ Johnson, Austin Kelley and others keeping a vigil at a busy intersection in Olympia this Thursday report that a Non Commissioned Officer wearing fatigues pulled over, got out of his car, came over, shook their hands and said , "I just want to thank you people for what you're doing." He told them that he had been deployed to Iraq twice before and found it to be a "hopeless situation." He said that he and other so ldiers wished that they cou ld speak out against the war, but military regulations prohibited them from publicly opposing the war.

Members of OlyPMR argue that they are struggling for what most US soldiers, and the majority of citizens in the US and Iraq clearly want. It is, they insist, the politicians themselves who must be made to respond due to such direct action, in order that the will of the People be fulfilled. *In video recordings of Strykers moving out of the Port of Olympia Wednesday night soldiers are seen making apparent gestures of support as they pass the protesters: Submitted by Kevin Annett

Read and hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and present, at www.hiddenfromhistory.org "Kevin is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than many who have received it in the past."

-Dr. Noam Chomsky Institute Professor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology "A courageous and inspiring man." (referring to Kevin Annett) - Mairead Corri gan-Maguire Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Belfast, Northern Ireland

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A Downtown Eastside Romeo &Juliet (Presented on Nov.2 at the Russian Hall) It was wonderful for me personally and for so

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many others in the audience, cast and crew to return to the historic Russian Hall. It is a great venue for live Theatre, upstairs or down. This particular production of Romeo & Juliet consists of several thought-provoking, amusing and often hilarious comedic vignettes; Vancouver Moving Theatre is sti ll developing it - in which direction and of what content this musical comes to completion - for presentation April I5-2_5, 2008 when it appears in its final glory.

Before the actual play began the evening's entertainment was kicked off with an astonishing array of comedians, some seasoned and some just starting out (with dreams of climbing the precarious yet long ladder to fame and fortune, which is sometimes full of pitfalls and pratfalls .. ) Many of the comics present had already been in a very popular and successful tour of British Columbia, as well as being the subject of a major one-hour documentary on the O.B.O. last year, which was screened incidentally in the Carnegie Theatre to a fu II house on November 3. The show was called We're All in This Together and Cease Wyss's documentary, is Bringing Shadows into Light.

HOWEVER: the main theme of their show, Stand Up for Mental Health, is to have tons of fun making people and themselves laugh! All of the comics used self-dep recating humour quite effectively and their comic timing was a wonder to behold. Many of them used notes, which the audience found most amusing; their entire set was a blast!

After this the 2"d half of the evening was the starstudded production of Vancouver Moving Thea-

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tre's half-started/half-finished play, with the generous support of too many to mention in this space.

Of course it was A Downtown Eastside Romeo & Juliet Workshop presentation.

This is an often biting farce, made even better by the amazing range of local actors' sk ill levels and acrobatic coord ination of physical movement. In a series of vignettes or sketches, complete with black outs and effective Iighting throughout the presentation, it takes on the feeling of a documentary of what is quite simply obvious of right and wrong in our expanding society. What seems to be shame of the have's and the powers-that-be leaving the havenot's cast off in the name of gentrification, progress and redevelopment of the Downtown Eastside and beyond to other neighbourhoods, with many left drifting in the wake of all this confusion like tossed off rubbish to confront the debris of hopelessness and despair. Some are dragged down quicker than others ... each moment throughout the show stru ck my scattering thoughts.

Overall, during the 55 minutes, I found it to be a delirium of delightfulness and hilar ity with justlyplaced minutes of astonishing objectivity, feeling prophetic. It is also a forceful delirium of happ iness and pure joy that will leave yo u trembling in wonderful, convulsive, side-splitting laughter.

It is after in this edition of Romeo & Juliet (a community form of The Theatre) a label becomes real:rare and perennial art ofTheatre of the Absurd!

Which is my opinion of physical, clownish comedy taken to the absolute extreme yet can also be heartfelt, sublime simplicity, subtle in many forms.

This production has deep lineages, ascorbic sarcasm, paired together with irony, in a sometimes scathing rebuke of the often slanted point of view of the fifth estate and other streams of the media, in their humble point of view, that they dish up as social community. Most often perception is everything, don't you agree?!

For me personally I thought all of the performed scenes had an amazing and profound relevance, especially a piece with a ballerina and a homeless boozer on a park bench. The contrast of these two characters was sharp with pathos, honour and the desperation in everyone to be loved; and another piece which was performed in a pleasant deafening, the entire cast drifting on stage one-by-one to purchase drugs off a street pusher was truly transfixing and thought-engaging. All the audience had to do was sit back and imagine, fill in blanks, and ponder 'what if?' 'what can I do fo r her?' 'what can I do to

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help?? ' ... both tender and sad in its minute - J have seldom been so moved.

There were two solo numbers, both so compell ing each may bring a tear to your eye.

All in alii found this production, A Downtown Eastside Romeo & Juliet, to be both thoughtprovoking madness wrapped up in a generous modicum of mayhem as well as poignantly poetic, profoundly revealing and irresistibly relevant; a most unique achievement and combination of Theatre to contemplate. I can hardly wait for the full production when it premieres next April at the Russian Hall It will fo r certai n I truly believe astonish you out of your very shoes, a Must See! Kudos must go to Terry Hunter, the producer and artistic director of Vancouver Moving Theatre, along with Master Clown Gina Bastone and the entire cast and crew.

And everyone involved in any way. Bravo!,

By ROBYN LIVINGSTON

Walking on Air l left it all behind To go chas ing afler ghosts Before I could slow down I was out upon the coast On an ocean of confus ion And the tides were rolling in It was now or never, do or die It was time for me to sin k or swim.

CHORUS

Somehow l just kept drifting Now I' m waiting on a cloud Oh so high I go passing by Playing my music loud.

And 1 can't feel my feet Touching ground anymore Hanging onto nothing Walking on thin air.

There are so many th ings I tried real hard to do Then it all fall s apart and my part's the blues Should I cry about lost love again When alii wanna do is scream and shout I'm just searching out my Heaven~ That's what life is all about CHORUS

Children learn what they live "Train a ch ild in the way he should go, and when he is old he wi ll not turn from it."

Change is rarely easy. In fact it can be very diffic ult to change the patterns learned in our developmental years. Solomon noted the imporrance of early training some 3.000 years ago.

Dorothy Law Nolte explained it rather precisely: If a child lives with criticism. he learns to condemn.

If a chi ld lives with hostility. he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridic ule, he learns to be shy.

If a chil d lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty .

If a chi ld li ves with to lerance, he learns to be patient.

If a chi ld lives with encouragemen t, he learns confidence.

If a ch ild lives with praise, he learns to a ppreciate.

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with approval , he learns to like himself.

I f a child li ves with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

It hardly needs saying that we need to be very lov-

ing in the way we bring up our children. But what if we, as adults, didn't receive loving, wholesome training as a child ourselves? Can we change? Yes, if we truly want to and are willing to accept responsibility for doing what we need to do to change.

Carved out al l along these twisted winding roads I see a lot of faces carrying heavy loads It reminds me I' m not blind or dead yet.. can't you see There's another bend up there my friend And I'm riding a coo l breeze.

CHORUS

Freedome

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