Ryerson Free Press March 2011

mar 11

From Wisconsin to the Middle East, women lead the war for peace

NEWS

STEELWORKERS FIGHT ON FOR THEIR RIGHTS

By Molly Hayes

Despite sharp winds and snow banks, it has been a season of support for Hamilton’s Steelworkers. A Day of Action on Jan. 29 brought thousands to the city for a march in support of the locked out of Local 1005 of the United Steelworkers Union.

Hamilton’s wealthy steel tradition has been threatened

by U.S. Steel (the American steel giant that bought the former Stelco plant in 2007), who initiated the lockout back in November over pension disputes.

U.S. Steel wants workers to give up their pension indexing – which protects against inflation – and cut off pensions to new hires. When the company purchased Stelco, they agreed to maintain the existing contract (pensions included) as a condition of sale.

“U.S. Steel hasn’t won any friends in Canada, people don’t like what’s going on,” said Local 1005 President Rolf Gerstenberger.

These sentiments were echoed at the Hamilton rally as supporters gathered outside City Hall. A slew of prominent speakers included Mayor Bob Bratina and local MPs Chris Charlton and David Christopherson.

The real show of support followed with a march through the downtown core. Led by the bright yellow Local 1005 banner, clusters of groups from all over Canada and across the border walked in solidarity for the workers’ rights.

“There comes a time in every democracy where you have to stand up and fight, just like they’re learning in Egypt,” David Christopherson, MP for Hamilton Centre, said.

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And it wasn’t just retirees, or even steel workers, that came out to show their support. Greg Rotsaert, 25, is a trade worker in Hamilton. He’s not connected to the company, but he acknowledges the importance of unions and pension stability. He’s also concerned about ‘Americanization.’

“I’ve started to become aware of the slow, systematic degradation of wage and labour rights from the effects of globalization like the U.S. Steel purchase,” Rotsaert said. “If we let fights like these go without support of the general population we are sending a message to our government that we are willing to let this happen.”

The sentiment was the same from every worker: “We just want what is rightly ours.”

Stelco workers have been criticized for having “Cadillac pensions,” which suggests that their pensions are beyond comfortable; that they don’t have a whole lot to complain about.

But retiree Larry Perris explains that the worry is not so much about the money they’ll lose without indexing, but rather the loss of what they worked so hard to achieve. Perris worked at Stelco for over 37 years and has been living on his pension for 18.

“We’re being battled by foreign entities, they bought these plants and [they] bought them to produce. If they’re going to shut them down, we don’t need them.” Perris said, “Every country should have their own basic steel, lumber, cotton production. We shouldn’t rely on these other countries, it shouldn’t work that way.”

Workers at U.S. Steel’s Lake Erie plant in Nanticoke, Ont. settled for a two-tiered pension deal, with a “defined contribution plan” for new hires, after a similar eight-month lockout last year.

Hamilton workers fear the company is trying to make an example of the Nanticoke plant, as a scare tactic to push for negotiations. But despite these concerns, and the outpour of support for workers, the next move for Gerstenberger and Local 1005 is simply to wait and see.

A demonstration on Parliament Hill is planned for May 1.

PHOTOS: www.uswa1005.ca

Toronto’s Sixth Annual Rally and March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

By Claire Prime It was a cold Valentine’s Day evening for the 200 or more that marched from the Police Headquarters at Bay Street and College Street to the Chief Coroner’s Office, one block north.

A large red and yellow flag led the crowd down the street as protestors beat drums and chanted, “No more silence, stop the violence!” and “No more stolen sisters!” Some held black signs with the names of those who had been murdered or who had gone missing. Twelve police officers, dressed in bright yellow jackets, escorted the crowd.

This was the sixth rally and march organized by No More Silence, a small not-forprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women. The rally was intended to remind policy makers, the police, and the public of the ongoing problem, but it’s also to remember those women who have been lost.

“It’s about remembering the murdered women, about not forgetting where we come from and where we’re going,” said Wanda Whitebird, who headed the opening ceremony, “[and it’s] for the families of the murdered and missing women to know that we haven’t forgotten.”

While the rally is held every year on Valentine’s Day all across Canada, this year’s marches were held in the wake of a decision

by the government of Canada to cut funding for a program designed to raise awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women. The Sisters in Spirit initiative, run by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), lost its funding from the federal government last fall. Part of the role of the project was to research these missing and murdered women. NWAC released a report last year that documented the disappearance or murder of more than 580 Indigenous women, most within the last 30 years. Of those women, more than half were under the age of 31.

In October, the federal government announced in its budget that $10 million dollars would address the problem “through concrete actions in law enforcement and in the justice system” over the next two years. But many of the protestors that marched on Valentine’s Day in Toronto argued that NWAC should be the ones deciding where the money should go.

“The Native community needs to do this.

They need to do this research,” said Carol Lynne D’Arcangelis, an ally member and volunteer with No More Silence. “The native community needs to tell the government what it is they want the government to do.”

Whitebird said she’d like to see the government work harder to end violence against

Indigenous women. “Those women who live in poverty, those women who live in places like the east side of Vancouver and downtown Toronto, women who have to be in the sex trade for whatever reason, need to be safe,” she said. She said she’d like to see more effort put into investigations of violence of all forms against women.

The police have a role to play as well, said Whitebird, “in fighting with the people instead of against the people.” D’Arcangelis says the police carry the same prejudice as everyone else. They “are not unique in their lack of knowledge about the situation,” she said. “It’s just that they have the power to investigate this stuff or not. The same kind of stereotypes that everybody else has about Native people, the police have, right? They’re less likely to take these kinds of crimes seriously.”

Whitebird said the most important thing to do at a local level is to become informed on the issues. From there, there are many ways to become involved.

“It’s really about building relationships and getting together and helping each other out. It doesn’t take a miracle. It’s very simple,” says Brenda Wastasecoot, who attended the rally on said Day. “What more do you need to become engaged?”

“This is not a budget issue, this is a civil rights issue” Police show solidarity with Wisconsin workers

By Meaghan Kelly In 1959, Wisconsin was the first state to allow the right for publicsector workers to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits.

Today, Wisconsin is the site of an embittered battle over those rights between the newly elected Republican government of Governor Scott Walker and public union members and their supporters In the last two weeks, Madison Wisconsin has had protests not seen since the days of the Vietnam War. Almost 100,000 demonstrators, according to Madison police estimates, have hit the streets to voice their opposition to Gov. Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill.” Solidarity protests have occurred in all 50 states.

The new budget is set to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees, as well as to force unions to re-certify annually, collect union fees themselves, cut funding to local governments, and cut education spending by $900 million. The budget plan proposes to fix the projected $3.6 billion shortfall in the 2011-2013 budget. Wisconsin currently has a deficit of $137 million, and Gov. Walker has made it clear that the public-sector workers have to take the hit in order to bail Wisconsin out.

The Wisconsin Assembly has approved the bill as of February 25. It passed 51-17, in a vote that lasted “seconds,” with many Democrats not being able to vote in time, according to CBS News, creating a chaotic and tearful scene. The vote still needs to pass through Senate, but Democratic senators have fled to Illinois in order to stall the vote. 20 senators are needed to make quorum, whereas there are only 19 Republican senators. The Democrats are waiting for Gov. Walker to compromise on the budget plans. After two weeks of protest, including an occupation by hundreds of the Wisconsin State Capitol building, Gov. Walker is not budging.

The governor ordered that the capitol building “be emptied,” but the police did not enforce his demands. Although the proposed collective bargaining ban would not affect police or firefighters’ unions, they have both expressed contempt for the budget plan. The police have made no arrests, and the protests have been peaceful.

This is surely an easier feat when the police actively support the protest, and aren’t afraid to say so (into a megaphone). In a video quickly gone viral, the police joined in with the protestors in a stunning show of solidarity. Brian Austin of the Madison Professional Police Officers Association spoke to the crowds of protesters occupying the building. “This is not a budget issue, this is a civil rights issue...We’re not here to do your bidding. This is not your house, this is all of our house,” he said, ad-

dressing Gov. Walker to wide applause. The Firefighters Union marched through the building, with signs such as “Firefighters for Worker’s Rights.” In an interview with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, the president of the Wisconsin Professional Firefighters Association said “What [Walker is] not talking about is that the collective bargaining provisions take away the rights of American workers, Wisconsin workers.”

Gov. Walker’s Republicans are convinced that it is public-sector employees that should pay for the deficit. In a press release, Walker condemns “union bosses who say one thing and do another.” There is a common belief which Walker’s Republicans and their supporters have perpetuated. They have constructed public-sector workers as being better paid than their private sector counterparts, therefore, in dismantling their union rights, Walker can create a system that’s more fair for the ‘taxpayer.’

“Walker believes that public employee compensation must be cut to make it comparable to private sector pay at the state, local, and school levels,” states a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute. “The data indicates that state and local government employees in Wisconsin are not overpaid…employees of both state and local governments in Wisconsin earn less than comparable private sector employees.”

“Employees in Wisconsin are under-compensated by 8.2 per cent compared with otherwise similar private sector workers. This compensation disadvantage is smaller but still significant when hours worked are factored in. Full-time public employees work fewer annual hours, particularly employees with bachelor’s, master’s, and professional degrees (because many are teachers or university professors).”

Whether it’s public-sector or private-sector workers that earn higher wages, the right to collectively bargaining for better wages and benefits is what most demonstrators are rallying around.

In an interview with Democracy Now, the President of the Wisconsin Professional Firefighters Association, was asked why they joined the protests when their union rights weren’t being challenged. “He’s basically trying to separate the middle class, separate the unions, pit us against ourselves, and get rid of unions and collective bargaining. And we couldn’t just sit by and let that happen.”

It appears that neither the government nor the protestors are planning on sitting by and letting anything happen. The outcome of the battle is yet to be seen, but these historical protests have brought middle-class America into the wave of demonstrations for democratic rights across the world.

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Ryerson Free Press march 2011 3

Trans rights Near historic victory

By Scaachi Koul

On February 9, Bill C-389 narrowly passed in the House of Commons. The bill will amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to add the protection of transgender and transsexual individuals.

It will also prohibit discrimination based on “gender identity” or “gender expression” in the workplace and would amend the Criminal Code so that crimes against individuals because they are transgendered would be regarded as a hate crime.

Although the bill passed in the House, it still has to face Canada’s primarily Conservative Senate, which many believe will kill its progress.

Phyllis Waugh is the chair of the Rainbow Health Network in Toronto, a volunteer-run organization that links supporters of LGBT, anti-oppression and anti-racism issues. Waugh recognizes the importance of having a bill like this pass in Canada. “It’s a symbolic statement that trans people are important, they are valued and it’s important to name them,” she said.

The term “trans” is a broad category that can vary in definition depending on the individual: some believe it covers a variety of people who don’t fit in the typical definitions of gender. This can, for some, include those who identify as transsexual, meaning they identify as being a different gender than their sex at birth.

Luka Sidaravicius knows first-hand how valuable Bill C-389 can be for Canada’s trans population. Sidaravicius identifies as trans and gender queer. “I personally feel that my gender doesn’t match my sex but I don’t know where I’m going to go with that.” He has yet to decide if gender reassignment is a route he wants to take.

Sidaravicius explained that this bill protects more than just the expression of gender identity

in Canada. “It’s also very important not just around discrimination but housing and jobs,” he said.

“Trans people—mainly trans women—are the target of a lot of hate crimes.” Waugh said that of 433 transgender people surveyed in Ontario, 50 per cent had considered suicide because of their gender identity. Transgender individuals also have low levels of personal income in spite of having high levels of education. “We still have a very high unemployment rate,” said Sidaravicius.

The bill has also faced opposition by family groups like REAL Women of Canada and the Campaign Life Coalition. These conservative groups have laid claims that this bill—and bills like it —will protect sexual predators by allowing “legitimized access” to women’s bathrooms, as Campaign Life Coalition national president Jim Hughes has stated.

“This is pure bigotry,” said Waugh. “They call themselves ‘REAL Women’ because women are supposed to be in the family, taking care of the children, the man is the head.” Waugh said that there’s no logic behind the political agenda of these groups.

Sidaravicius knows that even if this bill passed in the house, it has a long road ahead. “I don’t believe that it’ll happen overnight,” he said. “I’m just hoping it will pass.”

Regardless whether the bill makes its way past the Senate, Waugh recognizes the value brought in having the public aware of its existence. “It has gathered a lot of media attention. All of this is important as far as influencing public opinion,” she said. “It brings a level of awareness to the issue that people may not have been aware of.”

Ultimately, both Waugh and Sidaravicius recognize that the likelihood of this bill passing is slim, but the progress made by the community has been worth the fight. “I’m not optimistic,” said Waugh, “the fact that it got this far has been a success.”

Hit the road

Cars that get you excited without draining your funds

By Mai Habib It officially commenced with an acrobatic performance and ended with mesmerized car enthusiasts. Yes, this year’s annual Canadian International Auto-Show truly revved people’s engines.

What once was a lavish display that conquered the Skydome and Metro Toronto Convention Center (MTCC) and featured scantily clad girls is now a humble presentation in the North and South buildings of the MTCC. Despite the cut backs due to a drowning economy, the show must go on!

The awards handed out ceremonially at the beginning of the show definitely reflect a changing economy; one that is looking for what is most affordable. All award winning vehicles go through strenuous testing to get the AJAC awards. This year, a variety of manufacturers took home the hefty glass awards for various aspects of the automotive trend world.

More than anything else at this year’s media day for the Auto-Show, I made it my mission to search for the perfect vehicles for the newly-graduated and young drivers of Toronto.

I probed executives and got the down-low on what is the best deal for you and your wallet.

Here’s what came out of that search.

The AJAC Car of the Year recipient, the 2011 Chevy Cruz, is only number three on the

A row of Fiat 500s at the Canadian International Auto Show.

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top picks for young-friendly vehicles. The car is supposed to “cruise into the North American market” and replace the Cobalt. Kevin Williams, the President and Managing Director of GM Canada, described this car as the “line in the sand for GM.” The four-door sedan is expected to become one of GM’s top sellers in the next few years. Williams says that GM plans to lead in mid-size vehicles and that they are developing cars with aerodynamic technology. The well-designed car has the highest safety rating in its class and comes with standard connectivity features like built-in Bluetooth. That said, experts such as Saskatchewan journalist, Jim Kerr, were not buying everything the Chevy Cruze had to sell. Kerr points out that although the Cruze has proven itself a good little car, the engine on the Ford Fiesta or VW Jetta outrank the Cruze by his standards. So how much damage will this mixed -review sedan cause to the bank? The basic model of the Cruze starts at $14,995 and goes up from there depending on additions.

The second most sensible bang for your buck is the Honda Fit. The four door car has the quality one would expect from Honda fused with peppy performance. This car starts at $14,480 and its hatchback design is why Jerry Chenkin, Honda’s executive vice president, said the Fit is a perfect entry level car for new graduates and young drivers. He went on to say that the Fit is the perfect lifestyle car and suits the downtown crowd. With practically unmatched versatility for a car of its size, it’s easy to see why the Fit stands out.

The car that undoubtedly takes the cake for best young driver vehicle is the 2011 Fiat 500. This Italian take on the Mini Cooper is retro-cute and customizable. It comes in 14 exterior colour choices and 11 interior choices.

The Fiat 500 is five inches shorter and an inch slimmer than its (pricier) equivalent Mini Cooper. It is a fun-todrive small car that is as stingy with its gas as young drivers are with their money. This two-door hatchback offers spaciousness internally but is small enough to zip around the city seamlessly. The car has a 1.4 litre engine and rated at 101 horsepower and comes in five-speed manual or sixspeed automatic. The car is equipped with sound technology and communication fixings. What is the vice president of marketing Ed Broadbear’s advice? “Come in and see the car... there’s so much room, you won’t believe it!” With unbeatable fuel mileage, design and a spunky personality, the Fiat 500 is truly the best value for money and the best choice for young drivers.

Of course, the Auto-Show satisfied every appetite and for those of you whose wallets are not hurting, take a look at the brand new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe. The super car which won AJAC’s Best New Design Award has every possible feature and accessory an avid car enthusiast can dream of. And yes, even those cool upwards opening doors. Not a penny too cheap at a snazzy $214,550.

It has come and gone but the skid marks remain.

Manufacturers are recognizing the need for efficient and affordable cars and the public isn’t standing down. Let us hope that the newly graduating drivers of today will drive the change for tomorrow’s vehicles.

PHOTO: MICHAEL GIL/FLICKR

Sinixt in Vancouver Courts “Extinct” nation defends traditional territory

By Gord Hill Throughout January and early February 2011, members of the Sinixt Nation were in Vancouver attending a BC Supreme Court case resulting from their three-weeklong anti-logging blockade in October 2010.

In this case, Sunshine Logging Ltd., as well as the Attorney General and Ministry of Forests, are respondents to the Sinixt injunction that was obtained at that time (and which granted a temporary halt to logging operations).

The territory of the Sinixt is located in the south-east region of the province in the Slocan Valley area between the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers (including the Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes, for which the Sinixt are also named). They began the blockade in October 2010 to protect Perry Ridge, the site of proposed logging. According to the Sinixt, Perry Ridge is an important archeological site as well as some of the last remaining untouched wilderness in their territory.

The Sinixt are an interior Salish people that were declared extinct by the federal government in 1956, effectively eliminating

Sinixt from any benefits under the Indian Act, including a land base (i.e., a reserve).

Their traditional territory spans the U.S.– Canada border, which was established in 1846. Many Sinixt gravitated towards the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State (which had several different tribal groups concentrated there, including Okanagan and Nez Perce). Some 80 per cent of Sinixt territory, however, is north of the border.

The Sinixt territory has been devastated by a century of industrial mining, logging and dams. Fifteen dams have been built in the region, centred around the Columbia River Basin. In fact, just one year after Canada declared the Sinixt extinct, the U.S.– Canada Columbia River Treaty was signed (in 1957), granting the U.S. access to vast amounts of water and hydroelectric energy from this dam system.

The dams, which have destroyed salmon habitat (a primary food source for the Columbia River peoples), are used to supply power to numerous metal smelters, includ-

ing aluminum, zinc, and lead. Corporations such as Cominco (now owned by Teck Resources Ltd.) have dumped millions of tons of toxic pollutants into the Columbia River.

For the past 25 years, members of the Sinixt Nation have campaigned for recognition of their sovereignty and in defence of their land. Some also demand that the federal government re-establish the Arrow Lakes Indian Band and reserve.

Since 1989, the Sinixt have maintained a presence at Vallican along the Slocan River. The camp was established to protect burial grounds and archeological sites unearthed by road construction in 1987. At that time, the Ministry of Highways (which builds the roads and bridges for logging companies) made no effort to contact any Sinixt and instead deposited skeletal remains and archeological objects into museums.

In 1997, the Sinixt, along with local residents and environmentalists, blocked road construction on Perry Ridge where as many as 300 people participated. In 2000, non-Native residents of the area protested

clear-cut logging by blockading the logging road. Most recently, on October 26, 2010, the Sinixt Nation asserted their sovereignty by initiating the Sinixt Slhu7kin’ (Perry Ridge) Protection Camp on their ancestral lands.

In addition to government bureaucracy and intransigence, the Sinixt also face obstacles from neighbouring Indian Act band councils, including those of the Okanagon National Alliance and the Lower Kootenay Band, both of which claim Sinixt land as part of their traditional territories. In Washington state, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has asserted itself as the sole representative of Sinixt in both the U.S. and Canada.

Hearings into the case concluded on February 4, and, according to the Nelson Star, a decision could be rendered within the month.

Originally published by the Vancouver Media Co-op.

A Kafkaesque Nightmare for Hassan Diab Canadian standards of evidence admissibility do not apply to foreign evidence

By Mat Nelson Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger ruled on Feb. 18 that faulty handwriting analysis crucial to France’s case against former Carleton University instructor Hassan Diab should not be thrown out.

Although Maranger found the evidence “problematic” and likened it to “pseudoscience,” he nonetheless concluded it is “presumptively reliable” under existing extradition statutes.

Maranger argued that imposing Canadian standards of evidence admissibility to foreign evidence would violate Canada’s Extradition Act. Undoubtedly, this decision will be crucial in establishing a precedent for future extradition cases in Canada.

The French government has accused Hassan Diab of being behind the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue. He was arrested by the RCMP on the request of the French government in November 2008. In July 2009, he was unjustly removed from teaching an introductory sociology course after the Carleton University administration faced pressure from B’nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Diab’s extradition hearing began last November. The case is based on secret intelligence that is unknown and hence untestable and two French handwriting analyses that have proven questionable.

Diab’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, has put evidence before the court showing how French investigators have consistently tailored unsourced intelligence to make it fit their case.

Other disproven or questionable pieces of evidence include a palm print that the RCMP has established does not belong to Diab and witness descriptions that do not match him. Although the Lebanese-born Diab was 26 years old in 1980, France’s own evidence describes a 40-to 45-year-old Mediterranean European man.

Most importantly, Bayne has argued that the handwriting analysis allegedly tying Diab to the bombing is “manifestly unreliable” and should be tossed out. The handwriting evidence—which federal prosecutors have falsely characterized as “the smoking gun” in the case­—supposedly links five words on a hotel registry in Paris to Diab.

It is commonly accepted that the man who signed the registry using the false name Alexander Panadriyu was the same person who planted the bomb in a motorcycle saddlebag outside the synagogue. The French police assert that the

guest who used the false Greek name, the bomber, and Diab are the same person.

According to Bayne, however, the French expert, Anne Bisotti, is incompetent and used methods that run counter to internationally acceptable standards.

On Dec. 11, 2009, Diab’s defence won the right to call witnesses to contest the handwriting analyses, which in an extradition hearing is unprecedented in Canadian legal history.

After the decision, Bayne introduced three of the world’s top handwriting experts­—from Canada, Britain, and the U.S.—who are extremely critical of the French case. Bayne had earlier challenged the French case on two occasions, resulting in French authorities withdrawing evidence provided previously by two handwriting experts.

Diab has no automatic right to present evidence to counter the accusations against him under Canada’s extradition treaty with France. The treaty states that French evidence must be presumed reliable if it is sanctioned by a legitimate legal authority.

Although the prosecution in the case has argued that “an extradition hearing is not a forum to adjudicate on the requesting state’s evidence,” Maranger suggested that the three defence experts have done more than simply disagree with the French handwriting analysis.

The experts, in fact, testified that the report of the French expert is effectively baseless and unscientific. “Are you saying that the most baseless opinion on the face of the earth can never be challenged because it is presumed reliable?” Maranger asked the prosecution.

A former RCMP forensic document examiner, Brian Lindblom, told the court during Diab’s extradition hearing on Dec. 13 that he was “shocked” by the conclusions reached by the French expert Bisotti.

According to Lindblom, “Ms. Bisotti’s report is often confusing and incomprehensible... I find her opinions to be patently unreliable and, for the most part, not supported even by her own observations.”

John Osborn, a U.S. forensic document examiner and former FBI adviser, testified that the French evidence is “confusing and convoluted,” containing “flaws so critical as to render the determinations wholly unreliable.”

“A specific country doesn’t have mystical powers that

supersede the accepted processes [of analysis],” said Osborn.

The third expert, Robert Radley from Britain, argued in court that Bisotti’s conclusions are “frankly absurd – totally misguided and totally incorrect.”

Radley, a forensic document examiner, has 30 years of experience working in Europe and internationally. “I find this whole [handwriting] report unacceptable and not what I would expect from a trained, competent expert,” he said. “In over 30 years dealing with casework and having to produce critiques on literally hundreds of police laboratory reports, I have never had to express criticism in such robust terms.”

Despite the flawed case against Diab, Justice Maranger told a shocked courtroom on Feb. 18 that the French expert’s “curriculum vitae supports the proposition that she is qualified.” However, Maranger added, “While I find the Bisotti report very problematic, very confusing, with conclusions that are suspect, I cannot say that it should be rejected out of hand based on the expert evidence.”

According to Bayne, the decision is particularly disturbing given that France does not extradite its own citizens, “but Canada will extradite its nationals on unreliable evidence because the test for unreliability is so high no one can meet it.”

For Diab and his wife Rania Tfaily, a professor in the Sociology department at Carleton, the ruling is a lose–lose situation. Tfaily outlined some of the injustices in Diab’s case at a recent Feb. 7 event entitled “Kafkaesque Justice: The Case of Hassan Diab,” organized by the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada, Local 2025.

“I would like to share a story with you,” said Tfaily at the beginning of her presentation. “Imagine that one day out of the blue you are approached by a journalist who informs you that you are under investigation for a crime that took place about 30 years ago, and that a foreign country will be seeking your extradition from Canada.”

For Tfaily, however, there is still hope. “While you wait for the final decision,” she concluded, “you know that your life has changed forever and that you will never get back what you lost. You hope that in the end fairness, reason, rationality, and justice will prevail.”

This article was originally published in The Leveller.

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 5

Nortel Abandons Pensioners

By Iain Alec Bain

Josée Marin has embraced death as it creeps over his face “I have given up on humanity, now that I know my government doesn’t care about us.” She has learned to “tame the pain” as she says goodbye to her son and herself as her 33 year old body gives way. Marin has Crohn’s disease which has affected her entire body causing sores on her face. Unable to work, Marin has not worked for her former employer Nortel for nine years. She has been living on a long term disability (LTD) pension plan with Nortel, and now, Nortel has discontinued her’s and 550 other LTD plans. Since January 1, these people have had no source of income, potentially becoming destitute and condemned to death.

Nortel laid off employees thousands at a time. By the middle of 2001, Nortel had cut up to 20,000 jobs. Some of those who do not work for Nortel anymore receive a disability pension for illnesses incurred on the job including multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Last year Nortel declared bankruptcy and on December 31 2010 these 550 people’s pensions were null and void. Nortel liquidated all their assets and investors made a tidy profit of 60 per cent as all costs were nullified and the wealth to be redistributed, a total of $6 billion. A percentage was expected to go into a trust for the LTD workers, however the work-

ers discovered otherwise. These pensions paid for mortgages, food, and medication for these 550 people and their families.

Without her medication, Marin’s body fluid consistency would harden thicker than honey. These people are dying without their income. “Being unable to work is the first step toward death,” said Marin.

Marin and the rest of the workers were not informed that their pensions would be nullified. The legal representation from Nortel signed a settlement contract without consultation of the workers. Marin picked up the morning paper one morning and discovered in an article that said that her pension was not insured. Marin, shocked, promptly joined the activist group of the collective LTD pensioners from Nortel. “Why would the lawyer agree to absolve the people that signed the pension agreement, and without any action from the government?” asked Marin, “It’s disgusting.”

The pension agreement itself had legal representation on behalf of the disabled workers. Marin stood firm that there was a conflict of interest since the lawyer, Susan Philpott head of the Koskie Minsky Pension and Benefits Group, was on retainer for Nortel and did not have the pensioners’ interests at heart. Philpott being among the leading practitioners in the area by Best Lawyers in Canada maintained that “There is no conflict in our acting for the disabled employees of Nortel.”

The pleas of the Nortel workers in hopes to ratify the LTD clause in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act reached the Canadian Senate.

Senator Art Eggleton put forward Bill S-216.

This Bill states that the company would be held to their LTD plans to pay the creditors regardless of their bankruptcy claim. James Pierlot, an independent pension expert, was called upon by the Senate for his professional testimony to Bill S-216. Pensions for retired employees in their old age are protected under the BIA and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA), however, LTD plans are not. In this respect Pierlot observes “Where LTD benefits are not fully funded or insured, employees bear the risk, even though they are arguably in the worst position to do so. This begs the question, why the double standard?”

Firmly opposed to the bankruptcy litigation in this respect, Pierlot testified that “it is a modest but important first step toward improving benefit security for Canada’s most vulnerable workers, those who are unable to support themselves due to the workplace OISE Auditorium, 252 injury, illness or disability.” Bill S-216 however Bloor St. West was shot down in the Senate in late November 2010. Eggleton was surprised by the rejection, and immediately took the bill to his colleague MP Mark Eyking to “keep the issue before the government,” refusing to let the issue drop. The reincarnation of Bill S-216 was presented to the House of Commons as C-624 on February 11 and was seconded by Liberal MP Judy Sgro.

Eggleton stressed on November 29, 2010 that if they do not receive the money, “some of Ryerson them will face more dire medical circumstancStudent Centre es and worse health.” Senator Marjory Leb55 Gould St. reton, Leader of the Government in the Senate, assured the Senate that “We are currently looking at ways to better protect employees on long-term disability in the event of bankruptcy.

International Women’s Day (IWD) has been celebrated for more than I can assure honourable senators that this is 100 years. In Toronto, IWD has a matter of great concern to the government. traditionally been a rally and Several ministers are working on proposals to march, and is organized by a alleviate the situation, especially for employees committee of social justice, labour, health and women's rights activists. on long-term disability who are working for companies that go into bankruptcy.”

While the Bill was supported by the expert For more info: womenscentre@rsuonline.ca witness Pierlot, Lebreton said “this Bill would The Women’s Centre it one of 5 Equity Service Groups of the not have helped Nortel long-term disability Ryerson Students' Union which includes RyePRIDE, recipients. Instead, it would have undoubtedly Students Against Racism, the Community Food Room, and RyeACCESS led to endless litigation to the detriment of all involved.” The issue being that while the bankruptcy case was sorted out, the funds of $6

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billion are frozen, to be redistributed at the end of the hearing, and the Bill would simply throw another creditor into the mix, diluting the case further and prolonging the procedure.

The 550 disabled however require $80 million only, arguably the $6 billion could be invested while the funds are frozen to earn interest for the time being. Senator Hervieux-Payette responded to Lebreton “if the $6 billion were invested and earning interest, I do not understand why they would still go after people living in extremely deplorable financial and physical situations, and lose hundreds of millions of dollars in interest while the courts deal with this issue.” In addition to that Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette pointed out that the sum of $80 million is dwarfed by $6 billion and stands firm that investors would not go after 550 disabled workers instead of pursuing the majority of their alleged wealth. Hervieux-Payette also pointed out that 54 countries studied by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 34 of them protect workers with disabilities by giving them sufficient income, treatment, and necessary medication for their well-being and by not penalizing them and ensuring that funding is available. Nortel managed to find money to pay seven executives $8 million in bonuses a year ago. They have assets of $6 billion, $1 billion of which is in Canada.

Lebreton was repeatedly asked when and what the Senate could expect as an alternative to Bill S-216. Lebreton repeated her answer that “a solution will be forthcoming.”

Senator James Cowan noted that the bill was proposed in the spring and “surely the government has had ample opportunity. The government has made the decision that Eggleton’s Bill is not the solution. Have they or have they not identified the solution that they will propose? That is the government’s responsibility.”

In a last attempt to sway the government to reopen Bill S-216, testimonies were read aloud from the disabled workers.

“I am not able to talk, write and read due to a stroke while I was working in the office. This statement was written by my wife, with help. The stroke was caused by a blood clot, et cetera. To help look after me, my wife has quit her job, and without the medical benefits, we don’t know how to pay for my essential medications, annually costing some $5,000, over and above medicare. Without disability benefits, we are not sure how to pay our rent, our household expenses and help our children with their education.”

Another felt so depressed that they attempted suicide to relieve the financial burden from their family only to be discovered breathless by their son and then revived in hospital.

“To end up disabled and in utter poverty after all the years of studying and hard-working is much for one in life. When I was thinking about all this, I decided to commit suicide, and I did it.

At the end of this March, when the judge was deciding when to stop our life support, immediately or December 31, 2010, like it would make a difference, I wrote a last note, asking my mum to teach my children, live on rice and potatoes, and took a huge overdose of my pills.” wrote the worker. “I wake up and wonder if I am already dead and in hell.” said Marin.

Eyking holds this bill in high priority and is determined to work closely with Eggleton to pass Bill C-624. “Some of these people never took a sick day in their lives and now they’re being swept under the carpet.” When asked what alternatives were in mind if the Bill was to be shot down in the House of Commons or again upon review in the senate, Eyking replied that he thought it was criminal that these people were being abandoned.

Marin asked, “Does my government care that we have been deprived of a fair representation in court that we were victims of a well polished process, a game played between the corporation, the monitor and the court appointed counsel?” She has decided the government does not care. Since January 1 Marin has had no income to support her and her son and will eventually lose her home, and then her life. Bill C-624 is the remnant of what people believed to be what Canada stands for. It has a long way to go through reading and discussion in the House of Commons and then the Senate again. Eggleton empathizes with the sentiment that citizens are gasping: “This is not the country I thought I lived in.”

Marin has fought her last battle and has found herself helpless. “I am exhausted mentally and physically I beg you, do the right thing, stop this tragedy, do not let Nortel walk away and force us to die.”

OPINION The rise of Islamophobia And how you can oppose it

By Hafsa Mulla Islam has swiftly made its way to the centre of North American political discourse since September 11, 2001. Muslim practices, teachings, cultural institutions, and religious (Shariah) laws are being publicly scrutinized as never before. Routine examples of racial profiling, hate crimes, and blatant discrimination are now commonplace and sustain social inequality. The rise of what has come to be known as Islamophobia – an anti-Muslim sentiment— permeates the lives of many Muslims living in the West.

While there have been no evident signs of terrorist attacks within Canada since 9/11, the highly publicized 2006 arrests of the so-called Toronto 18, combined with the 2010 arrests of four Muslim men in and around Ottawa under terrorism charges, have intensified and disseminated antiIslamic sentiments among a section Canadians.

These two cases in particular aren’t the only examples of Canadian Muslims charged with terrorism; nevertheless, they have drawn the most public attention. As a result, debates following their aftermath point to pressures between maintaining Canada’s multiculturalism while upholding the concept of Islamic terrorism as a continuous global threat.

Mahmood Mamdani’s 2004 text Good Muslim, Bad Muslim provides a solid framework that has been commonly cited when discussing the position of Muslims in post9/11 North America. Mamdani points to the constant efforts by political leaders to remind the public that, while some Muslims may be terrorists, the remaining majority are not.

However, he argues, unless classified and proven to be “good,” Muslims are presumed to be “bad.” The “good” Muslims are characterized as peace-loving, Westernized, and unbendingly secular, while the “bad” are pre-modern, violent, radical, sexist, and quintessentially marked by thick beards, veils, or traditional (unconventional) attire.

This extreme categorical division reiterates that one must secure membership in the group of the good, whilst being reminded that the bad are those who run counter to the conventional standards of the dominant North American culture, and who by default, pose a noticeable threat to national security and need to be contained.

Strangely enough, Canada is no stranger to this binary division.

“My full beard came to be seen as the primary marker of who I was,” says Omar Kamran, 25. “It had become a prominent social divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’. It was taxing trying to contend with the competing cultural demands.”

To resist subordination, like many other Muslims, Omar had to accommodate to his social surroundings.

“I felt targeted and alienated on the basis of my faith and ethnicity. Eventually, I knew that the beard had to go.”

The prevalent issues of representation and religious accommodation have enabled many Muslims to initiate change and modification within the cultural status quo of their society to avoid the fear of being alienated, or in some cases, arrested. It is beyond the bounds of possibility to learn the reality behind the Toronto 18, the Ottawa arrests, or the innumerable other alleged terrorists who have been detained, tormented, harassed, abused, deported, or arrested across Canada. It is just as difficult to struggle with the role of deeply rooted spies and police informants and the probability of framing individuals, or the personal backgrounds and motivations of each of the individuals involved.

The extensive investigations and final sentencing of the Toronto 18 demonstrated the rise of government intelligence and monitoring in the daily lives of its Muslim citizens. The Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) have since revealed they are currently tracking nearly 200 Canadian citizens accused of having connections with international terrorist groups, and aim to attract more informants from mosques all over Toronto. These operations will continue to diffuse into families, workforces, and private lives, consequently disintegrating and fragmenting communities already subjected to extreme public scrutiny.

Essentially, the most pressing question is not whether there are Canadian Muslims who are involved in terrorism, and how other Muslims are responding to it. Nor is it about learning the Muslim mentality, or the social infuriation and ulterior motives behind any such thoughts or actions.

Rather, we must ask: What permits the state to broadcast publicly allegations of intended violence—despite never having witnessed any such plot materialize?

Naturally, it is likely for the general public to look to the Muslim communities for leadership and solidarity in such

moments. However, phenomena such as this can primarily be resolved through education and awareness towards these issues and facts about Islam.

Sabina Mohammed, 23, says: “I find it quite bizarre that many people are unaware that Islam is a mélange of beliefs and backgrounds. When people hear my surname they automatically expect to see a Burqa-clad woman and cast me as a fundamentalist. The reality is far off. We each have our own set of beliefs and identities. I’m a Canadian-Pakistani Muslim and my plural identity represents my heritage, which is also shared by many other Muslims around the world. We are not monolithic.”

Recognizing diversity and pluralism in the Islamic tradition is crucial. Many of us fail to understand that Islam represents a spectrum of beliefs, orientations, and values.

Understanding this diverse framework eliminates and rejects marginalization of the “good” and “bad” representations of the faith in a secular system.

Involvement with these Muslim communities therefore becomes integral to building resistance against such dominantly Islamophobic times. “Developing transnational solidarities is vital in challenging and eradicating Islamophobia,” says Omar. By dealing with differences, demystifying stereotypes, stripping the systemic basis of social inequality and reframing the current dominant attitudes, Muslims can defend their unequivocal opposition to systematic repression and ongoing racism, which is otherwise masked by the façade of multicultural pride.

It is a political responsibility to hear out the diversified voices, to defend Islam against struggles over power, gendered violence, or marginalization of the suppressed Muslim woman or the violent Muslim man. This is what fuels the growing global phenomena of racism.

“Our Canadian citizens should civilly welcome and understand Islam from a more balanced perspective. From a platform of peace and social justice, and not through the shadows of terrorists and suicide bombers,” says Sabina.

“We live by the exemplary life and peaceful teachings of Prophet Mohammed that inspired Gandhi and many other world leaders throughout history. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Challenging mainstream media, psychiatry’s cheerleaders

By Don Weitz The myths and stereotypes surrounding “mental illness” and the “violent mental patient” are unfortunately alive and well. Medical reporters and columnists, editors, and producers in the mainstream, corporate-controlled media in Canada and the United States constantly parrot psychiatry’s discredited medical model of “mental illness,” “mental health,” “safe and effective medication,” and “lifesaving” electroshock as though they were proven scientific facts.

I charge the corporate-controlled media with promoting fraud—presenting psychiatric opinion and “mental health” ideology as “medical science.” They air psychiatric propaganda—psychobabble—almost every day, repeating like a mantra that “schizophrenia” is a brain disease; that “bipolar mood disorder” is caused by a “chemical imbalance” in the brain; that “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD) is a “neurological disorder.”

In fact, it’s another psychiatric fraud.

All are false claims, unsupported in the medical and scientific literature. So-called objective and balanced articles and TV specials on “mental illness” or “mental health” broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and published in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post never cite credible medical or scientific evidence to support such claims­ —because there is none.

Nevertheless, we’re asked to believe this nonsense.

I also charge the corporate-controlled media with elitism. Personal statements and, in particular, psychiatric survivors’ testimony, that criticize forced drugging and electroshock and promote non-medical alternatives are routinely dismissed as “anecdotal” or not credible, or, even more

commonly, edited out of major news stories on “depression,” “schizophrenia,” and “mental health.”

Where are the balance and fairness on which the media prides itself?

When reporting on research findings that support psychiatric claims of the alleged safety and effectiveness of psychiatric treatments, the media generally oversimplify them and overstate their scientific credibility and social significance. Challenges of such claims are extremely rare. At the same time, studies whose findings do challenge—or flatly contradict—the notion that these treatments work and are safe are glossed over.

For example, studies that expose the fraudulence of the diagnostic label “ADHD” and the addictive effects and violent behaviour triggered by the amphetamine-type drugs used to “treat” this so-called disorder (such as Ritalin and Adderall) are rarely even cited, much less discussed. And, although scientific studies conducted over the last ten years have proven conclusively that Prozac, Paxil and other SSRI antidepressants frequently trigger “suicidal ideation,” suicide attempts, and mania in young people and others, the media did not even begin reporting on these alarming “side effects” until three or four years ago.

It’s time to challenge the Canadian media’s pro-psychiatry spin on these and other “mental health” issues.

Don Weitz is an antipsychiatry activist and host/producer of Antipsychiatry Radio on CKLN, 88.1 FM. This piece is an excerpt from his unpublished manuscript Challenging Mainstream Media: Psychiatry’s Cheerleaders.

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 7

Can Harper win a majority government?

By Ken Harrower My answer to this question is no.

Stephen Harper cannot be trusted because he comes from the Conservative party. I feel that Stephen Harper is too set in his policies. He never wants to negotiate a compromise: it is either his way or no way at all.

The last majority Conservative government was under Brian Mulroney. Since its spectacular defeat in 1993, a majority of Canadians still don’t like the idea of a Conservative majority government. Brian Mulroney was not good for Canada – at home or abroad, and Canadian remember that.

But when it comes to alternatives, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff must do more to inspire Canadians. It may be true that some people in Canada don’t know him very well, but, in my opinion, he could be more exciting.

Ignatieff has sometimes threatened to bring down Harper’s government, but he has never really held Harper’s feet to the fire. In fact, he has supported him, instead of saying “enough is enough!”

I am disappointed that the opposition parties have not been able to defeat Harper’s minority government. I wish the opposition would defeat the government. The longer it takes for this to happen, the more worried I get about the future of Canada.

In my opinion, I think that both Harper and Ignatieff should step down. We need leaders who inspire the public to get involved in politics. There was very low voter turnout at the last election. All the political parties must find ways to address this problem. We need to give people an incentive to vote.

The next election could be one of the most important elections in Canadian history. I hope, by then, that more people will be engaged in the political process, and encouraged to vote.

The extremes of Facebook Do we love it or hate it?

By Priyanka Jain Everyone has it and everyone’s talking about it.

Facebook has turned seven this year, and I’m certain there will many more years to come. The term “Facebook” has gone from a noun to a verb, with people using lines like “Facebook me” or “Facebook creeping.” Facebook has become a worldwide phenomenon and an incredible networking source for all ages. People have been able to reunite with family and friends, advertise their businesses, and, best of all, portray an overall image of themselves through photos, videos, wall posts, etc.

There is no doubt that Facebook has succeeded enormously—so much that there is even a film about the invention of the social networking site. People love it, and Facebook’s fan base is thriving.

However, with all the praise Facebook has received, the site is still flawed, and has raised many questions. Yes, Facebook is great for seeing people’s photos and other major events in their lives, but where do we draw the line in terms of privacy?

There was the time everyone changed their profile pictures to their favourite childhood cartoon for fun, but then that resulted in rumours saying it was just an easy way for child-predators to add people under a false name, as everyone’s profile pictures were relatively the same. And there is always talk about privatizing your album settings, so you have control on who’s viewing your photos.

This brings me to Izzy Misganna’s story. Misganna is a 42-year-old shop owner in London, England. He is a friendly, easy-going person; overall, a likeable man.

However, two years ago, Misganna did something rather suspicious, which raises ethical questions about how far one can go to gain personal fulfilment.

When Misganna was 21-years-old, his girlfriend at the time was expecting his baby. Misganna, who came from a strict Eritrean family, had to choose between the baby and his family. At the time, there was no question as to what Misganna was going to do; family always came first.

He told his girlfriend that he would not be able to support her, and advised her to get an abortion. When Misganna’s girlfriend decided to keep the baby, he made it clear that

he didn’t want to be a part of their lives anymore.

Despite the decision to leave his girlfriend and child, Misganna still thought about his baby constantly and the kind of life he or she would be living. “He always used to talk about how old his kid would be, and wondered what hobbies his child enjoyed,” said Pravin Jain, a close friend of Misganna.

A few years later, Misganna found out through mutual friends that his ex-girlfriend had given birth to a boy named Christian.

As Christian got older, Misganna thought about his son even more, and wondered what kind of person he would grow up to be. Misganna always felt guilty for leaving his son, but at the time, he had no other choice.

Two years ago, Misganna decided to do something many would consider suspicious. He found his son on Facebook, and was eager to see more. Out of extreme anxiety to see his grown son’s profile, Misganna made up a fake account, pretending to be a Japanese girl that Christian met at a dance festival.

Christian accepted, and now Misganna had access to his son’s entire life. Through Christian’s profile, Misganna found out that his son was in university, the kind of hobbies he enjoyed, the friends he had, and so much more that revealed his day-to-day activity.

“He had absolutely no intention of pursuing anything from here as this fake person; he just wanted to be an outsider looking in. He was so happy after seeing all the photos of Christian’s birthday parties when he was younger, his christening, and other major events. It was a completely innocent move,” said Jain.

For Misganna, Facebook was the best thing that ever happened. He was at ease to know that Christian had grown up to be a bright individual.

On the other hand, what Misganna did was extremely dangerous. He could have been anyone, and if it was that easy to make up a fake account to get his long lost son to accept, the options could have been endless.

These are the extremes of Facebook. Are you still hooked?

PLEASE VOTE IN THE STUDENT ELECTIONS TO THE CKLN BOARD OF DIRECTORS Your Vote Makes a Difference Please cast your vote in the election for four (4) student seats on the Board of Directors of CKLN Radio Inc. (88.1 FM). CKLN is the student voice, Ryerson’s Campus Community Radio Station and the first of its kind in Toronto. The four student representatives will stand for your concerns and issues. To learn more and to see candidate statements, please visit www.ckln.fm

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When?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM Thursday, March 17, 2011 between 10:00 AM and 6 PM Where?

Student Centre, 55 Gould Street at the CKLN offices located on the Second floor or in the front lobby.

Who is eligible to vote?

All full-time undergraduate and graduate students are able to cast a vote.

Part-time students, certificate students and Continuing Education students are eligible upon payment of at least $10 either during the most recent Funfest or if you pay on the spot!

What do you have to bring?

Please have your Ryerson University Student Identity Card with you.

Questions?

Write to the CKLN Station Manager at stationmanager@ckln.fm **CKLN will be simultaneously hosting an open house at its office on the Second Floor of the Student Centre. Please stop by to learn more about the station and to see how you can get involved.**

FEATURES One hundred years of International Women’s Day Celebrating the struggle against oppression

By Sarah Ensor International Women’s Day, which marks its one hundredth anniversary this year, is now celebrated across the world on March 8.

Some use it to emphasize sisterhood against women’s oppression. For others it is a chance to celebrate women’s achievements.

There will be events to celebrate women in business and politics, and raise awareness of women as survivors of domestic violence, rape, and war. The best will see discussions about the struggles of working-class women for equality, and of the idea of International Women’s Day as an event to celebrate the struggle of women workers.

Everyone agrees that women have come a very long way since the first International Women’s Day in 1911. Its history is one of working women joining with working men to fight oppressive employers and the system.

Clara Zetkin, a revolutionary socialist in the German Social Democratic Party, first proposed it in 1910. Zetkin had been elected leader of the Women’s Bureau and had won the argument that socialists must campaign for the vote for working-class men and women. Zetkin chose March 8 because, on that day in 1908, some 15,000 women workers in the needle trades in New York City marched. They were demanding the vote, better pay, and a life worth living.

The Socialist Party of America then declared the first ever National Woman’s Day, celebrated in the U.S. on February 28, 1909.

Later that year the New York Shirtwaist workers went out on strike in “the uprising of the 20,000.” Some of the very young immigrant women had voted to start a union and were immediately fired. When their jobs were advertised, other workers walked out. They picketed the company for five weeks facing down attacks from the company’s hired thugs and police harassment.

Union officials tried to bring out other workers, but then Clara Lemlich, a young worker, addressed a mass meeting crowd in Yiddish, the language most of them spoke.

She called for a general strike against the long hours, insulting bosses, and disgusting conditions. This inspired a walkout by 20,000 garment workers across New York.

The strike saw a debate between wealthy reformers who supported the action and socialists, who intervened in the dispute. Socialists argued that the women garment workers had the same concerns as their male co-workers. This meant that a united fight involving working-class men and women was the only way to win real change.

Terrified that they would lose a fortune in the next fashion season, the employers finally agreed to a shorter week, paid holidays, and to pay for all the workers’ tools.

It was an historic victory.

It was these struggles that socialists wanted to celebrate when Zetkin proposed International Women’s Day at a conference of socialist women in Copenhagen in 1910.

The disaster of the First World War wrecked the workers’ movement as social democratic parties across Europe sided with their own ruling class against other rulers. But it was working-class women and men who marched during the war for “bread and peace.”

Then in Russia in 1917 women again demanded bread and peace in demonstrations that began the February revolution, leading to the overthrow of the dictator, the Czar.

When International Women’s Day was raised again in the 1970s, it came out of the struggles against all forms of oppression—racism, sexism, women’s oppression, and homophobia—and against imperialism and the Vietnam War. Now the revolutions across the Middle East have seen women and men striking and protesting together against crushing poverty and brutal dictators. The women who have played a key role in Western governments over the last three decades—such as Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Angela Merkel—were happy to do business with these tyrants.

The struggles of today mean that International Women’s Day can again be an event when we learn from the struggles of the past. This can help us organize for women’s liberation from capitalism—and the rulingclass men and women who benefit from our oppression.

This feature originally appeared in Socialist Worker (UK) on March 5, 2011: www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=24049 PHOTO: MELANIE COOK/FLICKR

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 9

Cairo calling…

How students can help Egyptians’ struggle for democracy

By James Clark, Features and Opinions Editor “It’s like an oasis of freedom. This is the only place in Egypt where I can speak freely and say what I really believe – without getting beaten up or arrested.”

That’s how one Egyptian delegate described the Cairo Conference, an annual gathering of Egyptian activists and their allies who have been meeting in Cairo, Egypt since 2002 to oppose the occupations of Palestine and Iraq – and now the dictatorship of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

From March 27 to 30, 2008, about 2,000 delegates attended this year’s Cairo Conference – the biggest so far—bringing together anti-war and anti-occupation activists from all over the Middle East and around the world. A majority of the participants are Egyptian: students, trade unionists, women’s campaigners, artists, human rights advocates, peasants and farmers—all sectors of society are represented. And so is every political tradition: Islamist, socialist, communist, pan-Arab nationalist, democrat and so on.

Despite the widespread repression of the Egyptian state, the conference generally unfolds with little interference, although hundreds of riot police and troops sit in military trucks outside. Held at the Journalists’ Syndicate in central Cairo, the conference gives delegates the chance to speak and organize freely, without the fear of detention or arrest.

Sadly, that may soon change. As the conference becomes more successful and attracts more participants, the state will likely be tempted to shut it down altogether. And pro-Mubarak journalists who are associated with the Syndicate have increasingly expressed opposition to hosting an event that has become so critical of the Egyptian government.

That’s why international solidarity with the Cairo Conference has been so important. Every year, large delegations of activists from all over the world arrive in Cairo to support and participate in the conference. Activists from Canada have attended the conference for the last five years, including 15 delegates who attended this year. The presence of international delegates—including Members of Parliament and international media—makes it more difficult for the Egyptian state to attack the conference, and gives Egyptians more room to organize.

The conference has been successful on many fronts. That it has continued to take place in the face of an increasingly repressive Egyptian state is an achievement on its own. More than that, the conference has allowed the movements for democracy and reform in Egypt to grow and develop, uniting diverse political trends and traditions that, historically, have been at odds with one another. What was once a taboo topic when the conference was first organized—any discussion of challenging Mubarak’s grip on power—has now become a central feature of the event.

The growing confidence of the conference participants has become more apparent from year to year. In between the conferences, participants have had the chance to test in practice the unity they have built among such a diverse range of groups.

In 2006, Egyptian students organized elections for free and independent student unions—an act that was outlawed by the Egyptian state and pro-Mubarak university administrators (the legal student unions on campus are merely extensions of the state that stifle any criticism of the Mubarak regime). Hundreds of thousands of students defied widespread repression by state security forces—including arrest, detention, torture and physical violence— just to cast a ballot or attend a debate. In order to demonstrate the contrast between the free student union elections and the presidential election that was happening at the same time, students built “see-through” ballot boxes—everyone could see that their ballot was counted and that the process was transparent.

In 2007, the same kind of militancy among students spread to Egyptian workers, who organized and led a wave of strikes all over the country, the biggest for more than a generation. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected, raising the confidence of ordinary Egyptians to take a stand against the Mubarak government.

Last year’s strike wave recently culminated in another call for strike action on April 6 to protest rising inflation and low wages.

The call came from the El Mahalla textile factory in El Mahalla El Korba, a city in the Nile Delta. The factory is one of the largest workplaces in the entire Middle East, employing over 25,000 workers, and is owned and operated by the Egyptian state.

The Egyptian government pre-empted the strike by sending 35,000 riot police to occupy the city and surround the factory.

Hundreds of people, including strike leaders and labour activists, were arrested before the strike could event begin.

But Egyptian workers protested nevertheless. The following day, tens of thousands of people marched in the city centre—at one point, even ripping down a portrait of Hosni Mubarak and dancing

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on his image. Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd.

At least two people were killed.

In response, Egyptian activists have issued broad calls for solidarity actions around the world, asking international allies to raise the profile of events in Egypt and to generate support for Egyptian workers and the social movements. Solidarity actions took place in Montreal, New York, London, Vienna, Athens, Istanbul and Seoul. In Toronto, the Toronto Egyptian Solidarity Campaign organized a picket outside the offices of EgyptAir—the only diplomatic office for the Egyptian government in Toronto—and collected signatures on a petition to the Egyptian Embassy in Canada, condemning the violence by Egyptian riot police and calling for all political prisoners to be released.

The next major action in Egypt will take place on May 4 when workers attempt to strike again. More solidarity actions are planned around the world to support the strike, including a picket and rally in Toronto on Monday, May 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Dundas Square, not far from Ryerson University. This event will also draw attention to the ongoing repression against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt – the largest opposition group in the country whose members have been arrested, detained and tortured. In the last few weeks, a military tribunal in Egypt convicted 25 out of 40 men—all members of the Muslim Brotherhood—on charges for which they were repeatedly acquitted in civilian courts. Some of the men received ten-year prison sentences.

These kinds of solidarity actions are important, and for a number of reasons. The first is that they boost the confidence of Egyptian activists who must organize in difficult circumstances and face widespread repression for demanding even the most basic of rights. When Egyptian activists learn of support from abroad, they feel less isolated and more connected to an international movement.

The second reason is that these events raise the profile among ordinary Canadians of the struggles facing activists in Egypt. The greater range of freedoms that exist in Canada makes it easier for solidarity activists to put pressure on Egypt’s diplomatic representatives who live and work here. Solidarity actions also reach ordinary people who generally support basic democratic demands, especially when others must struggle to attain them. Past solidarity actions have ensured that the struggle for democracy and freedom in Egypt has enjoyed a national profile in Canada. When the Egyptian state cracked down on Egyptian judges who spoke out against electoral fraud and corruption, activists in Canada published letters and editorials, won trade union and student union support, and hosted educational meetings that helped explain the situation in Egypt.

Students at Ryerson can play a role in supporting students and workers in Egypt who are struggling to win basic human rights. Every bit of support demonstrated here in Canada registers with the movements in Egypt, boosting the confidence of activists to continue their struggle. Ryerson students can also connect with Egyptian and Arab students on campus, to get a first-hand account of what’s happening in the region.

This article was originally published by the Ryerson Free Press in 2008, almost three years before the Egyptian Revolution.

PHOTO: JAMES CLARK

Egypt’s student movement

By Sharanja Devasundar

The past two months have seen a wave of revolts sweeping the Arab world. Beginning in Tunisia, and stretching as far as Yemen and Libya, masses of people have come together to protest the governments within their states. For most of February, the world was transfixed by Egypt, where protestors filled the streets to demand the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981. The Egyptian people made history when Mubarak was forced to step down on February 11, 2011.

Many of the protests against Mubarak were coordinated

by Egypt’s various student groups.

The April 6 Youth Movement and We Are All Khaled Said are two of the largest student and youth-led groups in Egypt.

The April 6 Youth Movement was formed in 2008 by 30-year-old civil engineer Ahmed Maher, a graduate of Egypt’s Alexandria University. Maher and a group of friends created the Movement when they set up a Facebook group to support textile workers in El-Mahalla El-Kubra who led a strike on April 6, 2008.

The strike wasn’t as successful as they had hoped, but the group attracted attention for its use of Facebook to organize a protest. The idea spread among Egyptian youth that the Internet could be an effective tool to demonstrate their opposition to Egypt’s 30-year-old regime without fear of persecution by the government.

We Are All Khaled Said was formed by a group of students after the murder of its namesake, a 28-year-old man from Alexandria, Egypt. Khaled was found tortured to death in June 2010 by two police officers. According to the organization’s website, its main goal is to end the systemic torture

of Egyptians by their government. Its most important protest methods are the “silent stands” – when participants dress all in black and stand in silence across the shores and bridges of Egypt, in mourning of the country’s torture victims.

During the protests in Egypt earlier this month, an alliance was formed between these two groups, both of whom were mostly secular, pro-labour, anti-Mubarak, and in favour of the creation of a democratic republic in Egypt.

Both groups built promoted their protests through Facebook: The April 6 Movement recruited 70,000 online members to its group. It has also been able to spread its proreform message to Egypt’s educated youth, unemployed, and underemployed – despite the government’s attempts to block them. For a few days in January, the Egyptian government completely shut down the Internet in the entire country.

Together, the two student groups coordinated meetings with several important political parties, including the Wafd party, a liberal nationalist group and one of Egypt’s opposition groups.

On January 30, the coalition helped bring together a committee of ten people consisting of members from various groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, dissident Ayman Nour, and the National Association for Change. The committee elected Mohamed Elbaradei, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and prior Nobel Peace Prize winner, as its spokesperson and titular leader.

The coalition was able to hold a meeting in Tahrir Square, where they brought Elbaradei to speak to the crowds of protestors. Tahrir Square was a focal point in the revolution against Mubarak, where over a million protesters had gathered during those few weeks in January and February.

How can we aid Libya’s freedom movement?

Yes to solidarity, no to military intervention

By John Riddell The brutal massacres of civilians in Libya at the order of the country’s dictator, Muammar Qaddafi, have shocked the world. His air force has carried out air strikes against unarmed civilians. On February 25, Qaddafi followers aimed murderous fire on anti-government protests in his last stronghold, Tripoli. The government declares its intention of reconquering the country in civil war.

What can we in Canada do to end the killings?

On February 26, the United Nations Security Council voted for sanctions against the Libyan regime, including an arms embargo and the freezing of assets of Qaddafi and his family. These measures are hardly more than cosmetic, serving to polish up great-power credentials.

Four days earlier, the New Democratic Party called for stronger action, advocating that Canada press the United Nations to “establish a no-fly zone in Libya’s airspace.”The “no-fly” proposal conjures up the vision of a protective hand stretched over Libya’s troubled skies. But as Robert Dreyfuss commented in the Nation February 23, it is a dangerous idea.

“A no-fly zone is worthless unless the United States is prepared to back it up with overwhelming military force,” Dreyfuss says. In other words, U.S. fighters would invade Libyan airspace and shoot down any aircraft they find there. A no-fly zone is an act of war.

We know the logic of such actions from Iraq, where a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone was an initial step toward a murderous all-out assault.

Significantly, few calls for military intervention have been heard from Libya, a symptom of the imperialists’ lack of influence in an insurgent movement that seems mindful of the need to protect national sovereignty.

Solidarity Nor were such calls made when Libyan-Canadians and their supporters rallied in Vancouver and Toronto February 26. Some of the signs carried by the 500 Toronto protesters read, “No Libyan blood for Libyan oil,” “Freedom for the Arab world; kick out dictators.” Actions took place in at least seven other cities.

A statement by the Toronto Arab Solidarity Campaign, organizer of the action there, commented, “It is im-

perative that no military intervention is undertaken under the pretext of protecting the Libyan people… Decisions to support Libyans must be based on the demands of Libyans themselves and not on the agendas of international alliances.” TASC consists of about a dozen Arab-Canadian organizations as well as Toronto Stop the War Coalition.

Similar actions took place in seven other cities.

Derrick O’Keefe, an organizer of the Vancouver action and co-chair of the Canadian Peace Alliance, said the CPA “wanted to make clear that we would strongly warn against … any kind of NATO military intervention.” [4] Sending in NATO “would be like calling the arsonist to put out the fire,” O’Keefe told this writer. He pointed to the example of Iraq, where “the oil fields were protected while hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed.”

Some writers have suggested that concern with intervention is misplaced. “We don’t believe, truly, that NATO is going to invade Libya,” write Santiago Alba Rico and Alma Allende in Rebelión. Raising this spectre “has the effect of entangling and blurring the anti-imperialist camp.”

The authors enumerate the Qaddafi regime’s many recent services to imperialism, including its active participation in George Bush’s “war on terror” and setting up “concentration camps where thousands of Africans headed for Europe are held.”

Alba Rico and Allende have their facts right but draw the wrong conclusion.

In an earlier period, the imperialist powers were at odds with the Qaddafi government, vilifying and harassing it. Indeed, in 1986 the British and U.S. governments carried out a brutal airstrike against the country, in which 60 Libyans were killed and 40 aircraft destroyed. But those days ended long ago. In recent years, the Qaddafi regime has been on the best of terms with the NATO powers.

Canadian complicity Canada has long been complicit in supporting the Qaddafi regime – in fact, Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has been building a $275-million jail in Tripoli.

According to U.S. State Department cables revealed

by WikiLeaks, Petro-Canada paid Qaddafi and his cronies

a $1-billion “signing bonus” to obtain rights to extract Libyan oil for 30 years. These rights now belong to Suncor, one of Canada’s largest energy companies.

It is not the Qaddafi regime that worries Stephen Harper and his allies, but a revolutionary people’s movement aiming to overthrow the dictatorship. To the NATO powers, that spells “instability” and an insecure oil supply.

If they intervene, it will be in an attempt to quell the insurgent movement and reassert control in the guise of a new client regime. And Qaddafi’s murderous war against his people, if it continues, offers the NATO powers an opening for such an intervention.

As the British Stop the War Coalition notes, “Such interference over the last century is the root of the region’s troubles…. The future of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen and all the other states facing popular uprisings must be determined by the people of these countries alone.”

So far, the Libyan protesters have showed great courage and resourcefulness, winning control over a large part of the country.

The Libyan insurgents have not yet enjoyed the political freedom to chart a new course for their country. The immediate results of their struggle are unpredictable. But the broader significance of their movement is already clear.

It forms part of the great rising of Arab peoples, whose aims are democracy, human rights, popular sovereignty, and a chance to struggle for social justice.

Their victory in this difficult struggle would give a mighty impetus to the movements for liberation throughout the region. The Arab revolution has already changed course of history. It is this great uprising, not the initiatives of Canadian and allied governments, that points toward a better future for the Arab peoples and the world.

The Libyan and other Arab insurgents deserve our full support.

John Riddell is co-editor of Socialist Voice and a Torontobased solidarity activist. This article originally appeared in The Bullet on March 1, 2011: www.socialistproject.ca/ bullet/472.php.

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 11

Wisconsin rising

By Ariel Troster

When I woke up on Thursday morning, I had no idea that I would be going to sleep in Madison, Wisconsin. When my boss wandered into my office that morning and asked me if I was willing to hop a plane and join a Canadian union delegation in solidarity with the thousands of workers who had been occupying the state capital for 10 days, I didn’t think twice.

Just the day before, I had clipped a photo from the newspaper—one of the rare images of the Madison uprising to appear in the Canadian media. It shows hundreds of people crammed into the capital building, holding signs that say “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” and “Hands off unions!” It made a stunning picture. It was even more breathtaking in real life.

When I walked down the streets of Madison on Friday morning, I felt like I had been transported to Toronto in the mid-90s. Thousands of people were marching down the streets, heading to the State Capitol building. There wasn’t a riot cop in sight. It reminded me of the early days of the anti-Mike Harris protests when I was in high school: Overwhelming hope in the face of grim political prospects.

And the prospects are grim indeed. If Governor Scott Walker’s budget bill passes, Wisconsin workers will lose the right to bargain collectively anything other than wages. It will mean an immediate end to workplace rights for thousands of public sector workers. But luckily, Wisconsonites aren’t taking this lightly.

The Capitol building felt surreal when I entered it on Friday. Roughly 2,000 people had been occupying the building for the last two weeks. University students showed up with air mattresses and crock-pots, taking residence in Senators’ offices. Thousands of people have pitched

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest.

in to help—cooking meals, ordering food to be delivered (lots of pizzas from the now famous Ian’s), and setting up a first aid station and pharmacy. The walls of the building were papered with hundreds of posters and messages of solidarity.

And all day, people marched into the Capitol. The crowd in the rotunda parted and groups of workers marched through the middle of the building. Firefighters, led by bagpipes, cut a slice through the throngs of cheering bystanders. Pipe fitters, power workers, nurses, teachers: everyone seemed to be carrying a sign that described the value of their labour. Lots of people brought their kids, giving the protest the feeling of a giant field trip. In fact, the state had to close schools last week, because so many teachers were taking their students to the capital, providing real-life lessons in the practice of solidarity.

In every coffee shop and on every street corner, people were talking about unions. I overheard snippets of conversation about spouses who had been laid off, families terrified of losing all sources of income, workers infuriated that their government was playing political games with their future.

The protest sign that broke my heart was the one that said, “I will give everything for Wisconsin. Except my rights.” And that pretty much summed it up. The unions have agreed to absolutely every concession demanded by the state, except the proposal to eliminate collective bargaining. This is literally the last straw. If they lose this, then all of their workplace rights will be obliterated in a split second.

But I am convinced that they can win. I have never seen such a unanimous display of solidarity and determination in my life. There were 150,000 people in the streets of Madison on Saturday. Every time a new group of workers marched by, the crowd broke into their favourite cheer, “Thank you! Thank you!” They thanked the teachers who take care of their kids, the maintenance staff that keep their hospitals clean, the power workers who keep the lights on, the administrative employees who mail them their tax forms.

There wasn’t a riot shield or baton in sight. It was the diametric opposite of what I saw at the G8/G20 in Toronto last summer. No horses trampling civilians, no “kettling,” no tear gas, no arrests. There were signs all over the Capitol building, politely asking people not to deface public monuments. There wasn’t a lick of graffiti on any of the walls. Police officers welcomed people into the building and even joined the occupation on Friday night when the state ordered them to evacuate the students.

Governor Walker has ordered the Capitol building to be locked down, in an effort to force the protestors out. This has led some Democratic Senators to set up shop outside the building.

The spirit of unity in Wisconsin was infectious and undeniable. The attack on workers is a global problem. People are being forced to pay for an economic crisis that they didn’t create, fuelled by rampant speculation, bank bail-outs and corporate tax cuts. As we head into another federal budget season here in Canada, we will see cuts to public sector jobs and more malicious rhetoric about unions. But I will carry a piece of Wisconsin in my heart for a very long time.

We are all Wisconsin.

Ariel Troster is a writer, editor, organizer, and activist in Ottawa. Her article appeared on rabble.ca on March 3, 2011: www.rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/arieltroster/2011/03/wisconsin-rising

Is it too soon for me to worry about my pension?

By Ruane Remy

Students cannot afford to burden themselves financially by saving for pensions, and yet they can’t afford not to understand how it all works. When you know what to do with money to maximize its benefit (when you actually have it), you’re ahead of the game.

I visited my financial advisor to discuss pensions and he asked me if I had a boyfriend. What my relationship status had to do with pension planning, I was unsure of at the time. What I was certain about is that the last thing on my mind, with student loans looming over me, was pensions. But my parents are fewer than two decades away from retirement, and I began to wonder if thinking about pension planning at my age would avoid stress when I reach theirs.

Retirement age in Canada is 65, but average life expectancy is 78 for men and 83 for women. That is 13 to 17 to years after people stop working. By the time my generation gets there, life expectancy may increase.

Let’s say I wanted to marry that boyfriend while I’m young or wanted to fund other goals. Unwise spending could affect my financial health in old age. By then I could be too tired and unhealthy to work or I may rather spend time socializing and making up for all those parties I skipped in my youth to study.

Whether I’m young or old, leisure costs money and so do regular living expenses like rent. Both are difficult to fund if I’m retired and no longer work to replenish savings. There are government regulated systems to save me from complete poverty if I am terrible at saving, but inflation, which is currently around 2.5 per cent in Canada, will devalue the dollar from what it is when I originally earn it. I would need to compensate with extra funds. There are ways to save on my own, which supplement government run social security, so I have a chance at that relaxed life seniors with money enjoy.

According to the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canada

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Pension Plan allows 4.95 per cent of my gross annual income to be deducted up to the limit of $47,200. Ever since I started working in high school, I contributed to my pension with every paycheck, as long as I was not self-employed. My employer matches the contribution. If I’m self-employed I have to ensure both halves of my contribution are made (Quebec has its own equivalent to the CPP.).

As of September 2010, the average monthly CPP payment for retirement pension was $504.50. If you’re between the age of 18 and 25 and your parent or guardian received money from CPP, you may be eligible for some of those funds.

Then there is Old Age Security pension. It doesn’t depend on how much money you make in your lifetime, but on your residency status in Canada: you must be a citizen or a legal resident. To receive OAS, you must be at the age of retirement. You can qualify for full or partial security. How long you’ve lived in Canada after age 18 factors in, along with living in countries Canada has social security agreements with. As of September 2010, the average monthly OAS payment was $490.47.

One way of supplementing CPP and OAS is to save with the Retirement Registered Savings Plan. As students, RRSPs can be a financial drain, especially when students must pay tuition. Don’t forget living expenses, traveling costs and mounting student debt. At some point, however, we all graduate.

The first step is to go see a financial advisor. Banks offer these services for free. He or she will encourage you to get a Financial Health Check, which is bank lingo for assessing your income versus your expenses. For example, if you win the lottery and have $50,000 but you are $40,000 in debt you’re only $10,000 richer. Your advisor will help you keep things in perspective.

RRSPs are the most beneficial if you have money to manipulate. The RRSP works in relation to the tax system to

save money if you know to which tax bracket you belong. The money you contribute to your RRSP becomes non-taxable income. You can contribute, within government regulations, enough to decrease your taxable income bracket, causing you to pay a lower tax percentage.

Then you’re age 65 and retired and getting CPP, OAS, and perhaps funds from an employer pension plan assuming the company is still viable, but it’s not enough. You withdraw from your RRSP to supplement your income. All the money you receive, including your RRSP, is taxable. But since your total taxable income – CPP, OAS, RRSP – will most likely be significantly decreased from what you made pre-retirement, the tax percentage will not be as high. You’ll be paying less tax in the short and long term.

Plus the money you put away will earn interest. Withdrawing it before age 65 may cause financial planning problems specific to RRSP rules.

I can barely see beyond my next tuition payment. According to my financial advisor, the key to saving for anything is discipline, skimping on comforts I can live without in my youth so I don’t lack what I shouldn’t be without in my old age.

Along the way, I must avoid plunging myself into unnecessary debt, like taking on loans to pay for that marriage to the boyfriend my financial advisor asked about.

Retirement may be decades away, but we need to monitor it now to ensure we know how it works and to make sure the social security plans in place can maximize their benefit for us. Changes to social security now most likely will not help grandma and grandpa, but they can help mom and dad, as well as you and me.

For more information about pensions, please visit the Canadian Labour Congress: www.canadianlabour.ca/issues/ pensions-retirement PHOTO: MARK DANIELSON/FLICKR

CULTURE Dumb and dull A review of The Avenue

By Scaachi Koul I’m not cute.

I’m not fun, I’m not engaging and I’m not endearing. Most of all, I am not interesting.

That last reason in particular, amongst the others listed, is why I do not have a TV show.

What excuse the cast of The Avenue has, I don’t know.

The Avenue is a new reality show following the lives of five under-20s living in Toronto and trying to “make it.” They’re glamorous, affluent, arrogant and tedious. They are also all very thin: I would like to feed them sandwiches.

The show follows five main characters, none of whom seems to have last names: Gregory, the protagonist, is already an online celebrity of sorts thanks to the thousands who subscribe to his makeup tutorials on YouTube.

The show begins with Gregory moving to Toronto for his (fictional) boyfriend, Dan, and the new friends and enemies he makes in the city. His friend Rachel, a fiery redhead, and her friend Claire, a shy blonde, fill out the sympathetic part of the cast.

Jessica and Arta fill out the villain portion of the show: Jessica plays the irritable model who scowls like Wednesday Addams and just

to even rent a car, but she’s the intimidating powerhouse of the show.

Reality shows work on two levels: you either envy the represented lifestyles — similar to what The Hills accomplished at the peak of its popularity — or you pity the characters you watch in order to bolster your self-worth — like Jersey Shore does so well week after week. The Avenue tries to do the former: they want viewers to gawk at Gregory’s opulent lifestyle and Arta’s authority. In spite of this two-pronged attack, the show fails simply because it’s boring.

The Avenue’s inability to be juicy is what takes it past guilty pleasure and pushes it over the edge to unabashedly dull. The Hills worked because its characters were somewhat sympathetic and you rooted for those girls to win in a big city that could just as easily have eaten them alive. They also had real villains who were actively trying to cut them down.

Not to mention the fact that they were at a distance from the audience: they looked, acted and lived better than the majority of their viewers.

The people on The Avenue are students we see around Ryerson campus every day. They are, frankly, typical. They have charming apartments, their looks are polished and refined and they go out for dinner and drinks in slinky outfits. But even with all that, they’re just students: not big enough to be statuesque and not small enough to be plebes. Granted, their marketing team begs to differ.

I am boring. My friends are boring. I live a dull, tedious life that I’d never wish on another human being and after watching the first three episodes, I now know that the five people filmed for The Avenue are just as boring as me — the difference is they don’t know it. Yet. What’s insulting is that the people cast on the show don’t even have the decency to be convincing in their dramatic readings of what is so obviously scripted banter. They have yet to prove that there’s a story arc beyond eating out and bemoaning their over-privileged, upper-class, first-world nonproblems.

Oh no, some girl didn’t say hello to your friends when she came to speak with you at a club? You and child soldiers have cornered the market on tragedy.

Moreover, The Avenue has no foundation in creativity, something at the fault of the producers. Say what you will about the monster that is Adam DiVello and his creations The Hills and The City, but he extracted something

Oh no, some girl didn’t say hello to your friends when she came to speak with you at a club? You and child soldiers have cornered the market on tragedy. can’t understand why she’s not getting gigs.

Arta is a second-year Ryerson journalism student who is changing the fashion world as the editor of Défilé, Ryerson’s newest fashion magazine. Sure, the show omits that, on the date of this paper’s publication, Défilé has yet to release a single issue and Arta is too young PHOTO: www.carillonregina.com

fresh from the tired format of reality television.

That man practically invented filming tall, thin blond girls crying over patio lunches because they’ve put too much stock in a man that inevitably stepped on their little chicken hearts.

The Avenue doesn’t even attempt to stray from his formula: Aerial shot of downtown, primping in the mirror, trotting around holding handbags, private booths at a club, trying to have a serious conversation at a private booth in a club, grumbling about someone being a bitch at a club, argument on a balcony, staring blankly over drinks, aerial shot of downtown. Credits.

Narcissism is fine, but narcissism without the decency to be dramatic or interesting — that’s almost a crime.

The cast may not be as stupid as portrayed, but viewers will never know. What the show does say about the main cast is that they have no problem appearing stupid, which is how they come off. In a scene where Gregory talks to his friend outside a club, she says “like” nine times and “I don’t know” eight times, both as filled pauses.

The conversation is 50 seconds long.

I don’t know if these people are actually this stupid, but they are willing to act the part, be it for glory, a paycheque or “career advancement.” Whatever the reason might be, they can’t start crying when the way they pretend to be becomes the way people believe they are.

I ran into Arta for the first time on campus a few weeks ago. She is indeed strikingly beautiful: shiny black hair, lean physique, impeccable style and wide, dark eyes. She was friendly with me, giving me a big smile while asking for help with visual equipment and actually having intonation in her voice.

I wanted (and want) to like her, but as she spoke to me, her scene from the first episode of The Avenue aired on the television directly behind her. Juxtaposed with this pleasant woman was her haughty counterpart, snapping at underlings and pretending to be in control.

We may not know which one is real, but I can tell you which one I want to force-feed horse tranquilizers.

But what do I know? It’s not like I’ve got a cool loft apartment, millions of bedazzled blazers from H&M or a TV show — just this lousy yet functional brain, which counts for less and less every single day.

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 13

Brian Deer talk prompts renewed discussion on health reporting

By Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif Exposing a major medical fraud is not easy.

Investigative journalist Brian Deer of Britain’s Sunday Times spent seven years uncovering Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent claim that there was a link between the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine and autism.

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Brian Deer spoke at Innis Town Hall along with a panel of experts.

The panellists were Penny Parker, executive director of the Science Media Centre of Canada; Dr. Matthew Stanbrook, deputy editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and Dr. Miriam Shuchman, chair of the Research Ethics Board at Women’s College Hospital. The event, organized by the Canadian Journalism Foundation, was moderated by Jay Ingram, co-host and producer of Daily Planet.

The now-retracted study, published in 1998 by the weekly, peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, caused vaccination rates to drop in the U.K. and the number of cases of measles to rise. Deer exposed how Dr. Wakefield’s subjects were handpicked by a lawyer paying him to make a case against the MMR vaccine. Deer showed how the data was made up and manipulated in a way that looked convincing. “Continued association becomes frightening evidence,” said Deer. The journalist highlighted that Dr. Wakefield had registered a patent for an alternative, “safer” vaccine, hoping to make millions from concerned parents’ fears.

Being a health and science journalist today is already different than it was for Deer. But what hasn’t changed is the pressing need for more specialized science journalists.

One of the major changes in today’s medical journals, and science journals in general, is that the data is increasingly available online, said Dr. Schuchman. This allows anyone, and especially journalists, to look at the data and to draw the conclusions themselves.

In his investigation, Deer compared previous versions of Wakefield’s research paper. There, he discovered how “the content of the paper was being sexed up.” According to Deer, early versions of the paper claim that 11 out of 12 of the handpicked children’s symptoms were due to the MMR vaccine. The number was quickly dropped to eight, because it sounds more plausible than 11.

The reality is that most journalists are not experts in

the many scientific fields they could be covering. It’s not easy to read scientific journals if you don’t know what to look for. Health and science journalism is now falling into the lap of the general reporter. What’s more, it can be difficult to find experts with the time to explain their research thoroughly.

To bridge the gap between scientists and journalists, the Science Media Centre of Canada was started in 2008. Its research advisory panel has experts in fields ranging from ocean sciences to microbiology. The Centre’s promise is to connect reporters with specialists who are clear communicators. As soon as a science story breaks, the Centre’s representatives speak to the right experts and provide free quotes online for journalists to use, explained Parker, the Centre’s executive director. The website also provides easy-to-understand background information on important topics within a day of a science story breaking.

“Things should be reported with a little less emotion and a little more fact in the mainstream media,” said Dr. Stanbrook.

Even with today’s increased access to information, the ultimate factor that allows a journalist like Deer to uncover this fraud is, as moderator Jay Ingram put it, a “dogged pursuit of the truth.”

And that’s true in all journalism, always.

Brian Deer showed how Dr. Wakefield’s data was made up and manipulated in a way that looked convincing

Carin Bondar: From ballet to biology

By Amanda Cupido The next David Suzuki is hailing from Chilliwack, B.C., and her name is Carin Bondar.

Bondar has worked on several environmental projects and, most notably, wrote and starred in a short documentary called Why Did the Toad Cross the Road? The project received a lot of attention and won the 2010 Discovery World HD Film Snacks Competition at the Planet in Focus International Film Festival held in Toronto last October.

The documentary illustrates the dangers that many toads face while trying to cross a road in Fraser Valley, B.C., during their migration period.

“The visuals are just stunning,” she said. “These little itty bitty guys literally hopping by the thousands across a very busy road.”

The event is recognized by locals, but the video brought the issue to the forefront for an international audience and has provided information about the science behind the migration. The road is now closed during the toad migration period.

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“For the most part, citizens are very respectful of the fact that the roads are closed,” she said.

After making the video, Bondar has continued her pursuit of educating the public about biology-related issues.

She recently published a book called The Nature of Human Nature, which tackles two necessary aspects of human biology: survival and reproduction.

“I try to think about the biological basis of our behaviours,” she said. “It’s something that entertains me quite a bit.”

Bondar has a PhD in biology but didn’t pursue a science education from the beginning. She initially performed as a professional ballet dancer in Europe. Later, she decided she had to change her profession when she realized her true passion. “I was the kid who was inside the library at recess looking at the National Geographic Magazine,” she said.

Bondar is currently working on a new project called BioMusings, which is an online video series that incorporates powerful images with useful information.

“There’s a lot of beautiful, visual nature programs but incorporating science is something that’s not being done all that much,” she said.

Last summer she sent cameras to several field researchers across the world. She received footage from places like Ethiopia, Australia and the Canadian Rockies.

“Now that I have all of this wonderful footage, I can come up with an interesting biology story to tell around their footage,” she said.

Bondar has a biology blog that she updates regularly and she thinks it will continually incorporate powerful visuals and videos.

“I think that there’s a niche out there for the work that I do and the online world,” she said. “The online world is coalescing with the TV world and I think that’s somewhere I will find myself in the coming years.”

For more information about Bondar’s work, you can visit CarinBondar.com.

PHOTO: Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif

Making Love in the Junction

By Annie Burns-Pieper

On the Sunday before Valentine’s Day, I took my first trip to the Junction, boyfriend in tow. At the intersection of Dundas West and Keele Street, this distinctive Toronto neighbourhood is named for the four railway lines that converge nearby.

After a few hours exploring antique and design shops, having brunch and Maltese pastries, and wandering into a couple of galleries, we ended up making love in the Junction.

No, we didn’t have a frisky wintry freak fest around the corner from a vintage radio shop. We actually spent the rest of the afternoon in the basement of Wise Daughters craft shop listening to Junction artists and friends explore the notion of love through spoken word.

The small group of about 30 that attended “Making Love in the Junction” were taken on an aural exploration of the ways we love, from banana hammock crushes to a love poem about smoking.

The afternoon began with Mary Breen, the owner of the venue. She made eyes at the woman collecting donations at the door as she described how the two had met. It happened

not in the least bit coincidentally, through an elaborate set up.

They ended up buying a house together three months later.

Sharon Harris, wearing an “I Heart ‘________’” t- shirt, described how she became obsessed with documenting expressions of love. It began serendipitously on Harbord Street after her recent divorce when she came across some graffiti reading “I Love You” in blue paint. She describes it as a life-changing experience and has since documented 150 more graffiti “I Love You’s” which she contributes to the website iloveyougraffiti.com.

Chantalle Asselin described her personal story of getting over her husband who left her despite her efforts to keep him with blowjobs, sex, going to shamans and taking drugs.

Junction-based author Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer read a story about a woman who seduces a fat Russian man named Yuri while he was wearing green underpants in High Park, after her husband’s suicide.

Paul Vermeersch read poetry about programmable ringtones, deciphering the language of bears and past loves

including the aforementioned love of smoking. Aisha Sasha John wrote about self-love through poetic portraits of herself at different ages from her book The Shining Material. Host and organizer of the event Shannon Bramer read a poem written about the strains of her husband’s infidelity.

Shawn Micallef read from his book Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto. The book, which dissects the city into history and memories, was described as a sort of love letter to Toronto. Micallef, a senior editor at Spacing magazine, read an excerpt on the Junction that explains the importance of the Maltese community, its plethora of mechanics and the reason there aren’t more bars.

All in all, the event was cute, with only a few minor cringe-worthy moments like when audience members received T-shirts with the slogan “Please don’t let your pooch poo where little people play.” Micallef ’s inclusion may have been a strange one, but perhaps the most appropriate for the little event, which seemed to personify the eccentric neighbourhood I had visited for the first time.

Celebrating People’s History at the Toronto Free Gallery

By Sara Torvik We tend to think social activism has been a feature of our society since the 1960s. But a powerful new exhibit at the Toronto Free Gallery is expanding our understanding of social activism as it has appeared throughout history.

Merging modern art techniques with an overview of protest movements over the past 250 years, the exhibit is a succinct and diverse depiction of the evolution of organized activism.

The exhibit, entitled “Celebrate People’s History,” opened at the Gallery on February 10 and runs straight through until March 19. Over 200 posters shedding light on various social justice movements and their hidden histories are on display. The project was started in Chicago in 1998

by Josh MacPhee as a graphic distribution project, which he called Justseeds. It has now expanded to include 26 artists all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico who make print and design works reflecting radical social, environmental and political beliefs.

Entering the Gallery, one is immediately struck by the bold statement made by 200 graphic posters lined up on bare white walls. The posters have no particular order to their display with the exception of the Malcolm X poster that is positioned as the very first in the entire exhibit. This placement is highly relevant given the significance of Malcolm X to the modern movement and his recognizability as an icon of it.

The subject matter of this exhibit is incredibly diverse.

One poster depicting the Haitian Revolution of 1804 uses very few words, but relays an effective message through detailed and deep imagery. On the flipside, a poster about the Philadelphia AIDS movement uses soft colors, simple drawings and lots of handwritten text. The poster about the

“Diggers,” who were a group of people who protested and denounced capitalism in the U.K. in the 1640s, combines words and imagery in a very unique way to tell its story. The words are woven into the grass of the picture, to emphasize the grassroots ideology of the movement.

Anarchist-activist Emma Goldman is depicted as a playing-card queen on a poster commemorating her life, effectively illustrating the leadership in her work. Many of the topics that Emma Goldman focused on until her death in the 1940s are as relevant nowadays as they were in her lifetime. Some of these topics included prison reform, homosexuality and freedom of speech. Folk singer Aunt Molly Jackson, who died in 1960, appears as an old-time ballad singer, midwife and union organizer in a poster highlighting her work. Other well-known protesters and movements, too numerous to mention, are given interesting artistic treatment in this exhibit that makes the viewer look more deeply at the concept of social change.

Overall, this exhibit is a unique history lesson that is never dull. Looking at the posters is almost like reading a comic book that keeps our attention. In fact, a book that captures the entire exhibit is available for sale at the gallery.

Celebrating People’s History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution is $30. As well, you can purchase the posters themselves for $5 apiece. You won’t have an original work of art, since many copies are being made, but you will definitely have something creative and interesting to hang on your wall.

The Toronto Free Gallery is at 1277 Bloor Street West. For more information, please visit TorontoFreeGallery.org

Photos: Annie Burns-Pieper (TOP); sara torvik (bottom)

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 15

Local filmmaker on the rise is part of “Emerging 20”

By Amanda Cupido

Films to look forward to

By Amy Ward

So, the gowns have been red-carpeted and Hollywood’s best acting talent has pretended to be okay with someone else going home with the golden man they coveted. And the Academy Award losers were pretty gracious, too.

Yes, it’s post-Oscar season once again, when all the honourably nominated films linger in theatres like bridesmaids after last call. With two months until blockbuster season, where can you direct your filmic anticipation next? That all depends on where your loyalties lie.

For fanboys You don’t actually need to read this article because you already know exactly how many days, hours and minutes remain until the premieres of Thor (May 6) and Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22). Unless you are a DC Comics fan, in which case you will make those calculations relative to the opening date of Green Lantern (June 17). You may now resume blogging about the decisions to cast Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Ryan Reynolds in their respective tights.

For those who like it better the second time ’round Remember that movie you were surprised to enjoy a couple of years ago? Well, Hollywood enjoyed your ticket money just as much, and has courteously offered up more of the same. You may continue dropping cash on the latest instalment of franchises that are guaranteed not to suck as much as the next sequel. Stay tuned for Scream 4 (April 15), Fast Five (furiously released on April 29), The Hangover Part II (May 26) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 11). Stay tuned for more sequels.

For those who love books Book snobs will be devastated to hear that their favourite novels are about to be distorted, miscast and unfaithfully adapted on screen. Plan to hide at the library during the release of Jane Eyre (March 11), Atlas Shrugged Part I (April 15), Water for Elephants (April 22) and The Three Musketeers (Oct. 14).

If you prefer to do your reading in the cemetery or at Hogwarts, indulge in the next releases of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15) and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Nov. 18). Just remind the Literati that J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer are the ones propping up the book industry.

For those who love Johnny Depp There’s a lot of him to be had this year. If you loved Depp spoofing Keith Richards as a pirate, check him out in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20).

If you loved Depp as Hunter S. Thompson’s fictional alter-ego in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), look for more inebriated antics in The Rum Diary (to be released whenever the Mexican jumping beans wear off).

If you just plain love Depp (or if you hate him but can pretend you don’t recognize his voice), go see Rango (March 4), an animated feature about a chameleon who escapes his terrarium and finds himself in the Wild West. In other words, the sanest character Depp will likely play all year.

For those who like it arty Artistry tends to defy buzz-worthiness. That said, here are some new releases that have been getting noticed.

To Die Like A Man (April 15), an official selection at both Cannes and TIFF, is about a drag queen who must decide between religious convictions and making the final cut for love.

The Topp Twins (March 24) profiles a pair of country-singing lesbian twins. If that description doesn’t sell you on the film, maybe its 2009 TIFF People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary will.

Cody Campanale is a name to look for on the big screen.

The Toronto local has been gaining major recognition in the film scene over the last three years. Most recently, Campanale has been named as one of the “Emerging 20 Filmmakers” after submitting his short film Teach’er (2011) to the 2010 Reel World Film Festival’s Indie Film Lounge.

“I was really excited about being accepted into the Indie Film Lounge,” he said. “It was a very positive experience.”

Teach’er is about the competitive environment theatre students are subjected to while trying to pursue their passion at school. The short film was written and directed by Campanale. He said he was inspired by situations he experienced while taking acting classes in high school.

“I noticed there to be a close-minded competitiveness that a number of my peers and I possessed,” he said. “And because of this, I witnessed the dramatic work becoming more about being better than everyone else in the class, and less about being true to yourself.”

After high school, Campanale attended the University of Victoria for theatre and writing. He was rejected from several film schools but never stopped working towards breaking into the industry.

“I received my film education by volunteering, and then later getting paid to crew on professional sets,” he said. “Everything I needed to know about the technical and political aspects of working in film I learned by doing.”

After six drafts, Teach’er was ready to be shot. Campanale got two producers on board and filmed over a span of three days on Ryerson campus. The filmmaker also sent the script to Cameron Rufelds, a former Ryerson theatre student.

“He loved the script and immediately asked if he could be in the movie,” said Campanale. Rufelds acts as the lead character, Jason.

Campanale enjoys both writing and directing and thinks each aspect of the film industry has its perks.

“Writing is always fun because it’s something you can do by yourself and it doesn’t cost you anything but time,” he said. “But if I could only do one, it would be directing. I love spending a lot of time with actors in rehearsal.”

In addition to his most recent award for Teach’er, Campanale has sold the short film Roofies & Romance (2010) to the University of Ottawa to be used in a 2011 course curriculum. He was also one of the top five pitching finalists at Toronto’s Reel Asian Film Festival’s “So You Think You Can Pitch?” competition in 2009.

Despite his success making short films, Campanale doesn’t think he’ll be making them for much longer.

“I have to make a feature eventually, so I don’t see any better reason than to attempt it now,” he said. “This is obviously a lot easier to say than to do, but I feel like I’m a realistic person, and I am aware of the difficulties involved.”

He is about to shoot his latest short film with actors from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, which Campanale said is the top accomplishment when it comes to making shorts. He’s also in the process of writing a feature screenplay.

“I’m developing a horror screenplay with another Toronto-based filmmaker,” he said. “Whether or not one of these films will be my first feature as a director is really up in the air right now.”

For those who want to direct Comparing notes with your favourite auteurs is like six frames of separation.

Martin Scorsese’s new film, Hugo Cabret (Nov. 23) is a mystery about an orphan, a robot and a train station, written by John Logan, the same screenwriter who wrote the Johnny Depp flick Rango.

J.J. Abrams is releasing his new zombie film Super 8 (June 10), which was produced by Steven Spielberg, who is directing a First World War horse flick, War Horse (Dec. 28).

Speaking of horses, there probably won’t be any elaborate cowboy-train chases like The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) in Kim Jee-woon’s new thriller I Saw the Devil (March 4).

Hollywood —it’s all who you know.

For the eclectics Hobo with a Shotgun (March 25). Need we say more?

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A still from the set of the short film Teach’er, directed by Cody Campanale.

PHOTOs: TOM MAGLIERY/FLICKR (top Left); Kelly Kruschel (Bottom right)

Toronto’s Best Vintage

By Rhiannon Russell Spring is finally upon us. It’s a time of rain puddles, budding flowers and, what we’ve all been waiting for, warmer weather. What better way to usher in the new season than by making some additions to our wardrobes? Read on for five of the best vintage shops in Toronto.

Flashback flashbackvintage.com 25 Kensington Avenue • 33 Kensington Avenue 416-598-2981 These shops have something for everyone: lingerie for the romantics, jerseys for the sports fans and party dresses for the diehard vintage lovers. From cloche hats and lace gloves to mod shifts, Flashback’s wares span all decades. Prices are reasonable - leather boots start at $35, thick cable-knit sweaters are $25 and silk scarves cost $6. Crochet, beaded and patent leather purses are $20 and up.

There’s even a vintage bike ($200) in the back room. Staff at both locations are friendly, helpful and, of course, very stylish.

69 Vintage 69vintage.com 1100 Queen Street West – 416-516-0669 1207 Bloor Street West – 416-516-1234 69 Vintage is a hipster kid’s dream. It has a similar atmosphere to Urban Outfitters, but it lacks the overpriced and mass-produced pieces. At the Queen Street location, a red cashmere sweater and a pair of light-wash Levi’s jeans are both priced at $40. Fur coats start at $90 and printed dresses from the 1970s are $60 and up. The Bloor Street location is perfect for people willing to dig a little more for that desired item. The store has a “buy the pound” deal. Customers can select a pound of clothing from the back room for only $15. There’s plenty for men at both locations. Plaid button-downs ($20) and corduroy jackets ($40+) are both stylish and warm – perfect for those brisk spring mornings. There’s also a large selection of boots and loafers from $20.

Philistine philistinevintage.com 1394 Queen Street West 416-532-3662 This tiny shop is perfect for outdoorsy, music-loving guys. Black and white photographs of James Dean, Ursula Andress and Stevie Nicks are framed on the walls and encyclopedias and fedoras rest casually on the shelves. A colourful array of silk and rayon dress shirts ($25) hangs next to trenchcoats, bomber jackets and windbreakers ($40+). Rows and rows of military boots and leather oxfords line one of the back walls. For women, there are some great picks for spring including high-waisted suede shorts ($50) and florid dresses ($35). The shop’s also got a collection of sunglasses that’s reminiscent of Tom Cruise in Risky Business (1983).

Black Market blackmarkettoronto.com 256a Queen Street West 416-599-5858 What started as a sale two years ago has become Black Market’s trademark. All clothes and shoes cost a mere $9.99. Without a doubt, this Queen Street fixture houses some of the cheapest vintage in the city. Bandanas and scarves are $2.99, belts are $7.99 and neckties cost $5.99. Plaid runs rampant in everything from button-downs to jackets. Much of the clothing is unisex including chunky wool knits, tweed blazers and band T-shirts featuring Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z. Black Market is a grungy, rock ‘n’roll place, and if you’re willing to dig to find treasure, it will be your haven.

I Miss You 63 Ossington Avenue 416-916-7021 You could easily mistake I Miss You for a designer’s flagship store, that is, until you glance at the pricetags. Pieces from big-name brands such as Issey Miyake, Stella McCartney and Christian Dior are marked down from the original prices by hundreds of dollars. A pair of animal-print Chanel shorts costs $325 and grey Balenciaga pants are $195. Yes, prices are steep, but they’re still far cheaper than what the clothes would originally sell for. For students who dream about designer duds but can’t afford them at retail price, the sale rack is a must-see.

There’s also a neat assortment of clutches, belts and hats for $20 and up.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander

By Ruane Remy Lisbeth Salander, famed Swedish hacker of the fictional Millennium Trilogy, has a new face. Rooney Mara will star as a younger, paler and more aggressive looking Salander in the English film version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first in the trilogy.

Pictures of Mara, 25, as Salander have popped up in Toronto subways. After the physical transformation—nipple piercing included—Mara looks the part, but her acting resume hints at what kind of Salander she will be.

Her most recent telling role was as Nancy Holbrook in the 2010 re-imagining of A Nightmare on Elm Street. A serial killer hunting you down in your dreams—absurd as it may be—is an extraordinary scenario. Although it is still not as extraordinary as what Salander with her photographic memory and fiery personality will bring, it’s the closest example from Mara’s movie career.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? ‘Cause you’re in my world now, bitch,” said Holbrook just after she sliced Freddy Krueger’s throat and burned the crime scene. Salander would be proud.

Holbrook gave Mara the opportunity to showcase a wide range of skills similar to Salander’s character: an introvert living inside her head–check; an intuition into what’s really going on behind peoples’ pretenses–check; taking her problems into her own hands–check; hunting down a murderer–check; and making the fight physical, despite her thin physique–check.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t exactly fit in,” Holbrook said. That line would have been just as true for VINTAGE CLOTHES PHOTO: RHIANNON RUSSELL

Salander in Dragon Tattoo. Of course, with her irregularly cut, jet-black hair, Salander would look out of place in a land known for its blonds.

Back in the United States, Mara gave a haunting stare in Youth in Revolt (2009). With the mid-movie introduction of her character Taggarty, I saw the kind of look Salander would give if she were surprised by someone or by a revelation that changed her plans and began a whole new, dynamic thought process. Her brain is so sharp and quick, her body would have no other choice but to pause.

There was little depth to Taggarty, except the desire to have sex with 50 boys by the time she graduated high school.

But with a strong, angular jaw and slightly sunken eyes, Mara brought a fierce mystery to her character. A good portion of Dragon Tattoo is spent with men trying to figure Salander out.

Good luck.

Mara’s appearance in The Social Network (2010) was normal and approachable, two things Salander is not, except when she wants to impersonate for financial gain or to hide from the police. Mara portrayed Erica Albright, the girl who broke up with Mark Zuckerberg. Aside from Albright’s refusal to take abuse from the creator of Facebook, she had very little in common with Salander. But The Social Network’s David Fincher must have seen something in Mara because he’s also directing the Millennium Trilogy.

The film Tanner Hall (2009) where Mara plays a teenage girl who has an affair with a married man is her hardest film

to find, and may hold secrets to her version of Salander.

But by the end of this year when Dragon Tattoo is released, Mara will not escape comparison to Noomi Rapace, who played Salander in the Swedish version of the trilogy. Whether it was necessary to remake the first film after the original was only released in 2009 is debatable, but Fincher’s reinterpretation will be fascinating for fans who allowed the novels Rooney Mara at the 2009 Toronto to mercilessly suck International Film Festival them into a world of government and corporate corruption and dangerous family secrets.

Ryerson Free Press march 2011 17

Social Media and the Egyptian Uprising

By Sharanja Devasundar The Internet today, in the form of social networking sites, does something that was thought to be unheard of a decade ago. It connects youth. It brings people who are miles, or even countries, apart, together. It can help put a single message, may it be about politics or human suffering, within the grasp of people in different parts of the planet. Ten years ago in Egypt, a rebellion may still have been possible without modern day Internet, but it might not have involved a large percentage of Egyptian youth such as the one this past January.

According to research done by CoffeToday, an online news organization, in Egypt alone there are at least five million Facebook users. This number was reported by Andrew Noyes, a spokesperson for Facebook, who added that numbers increased dramatically in the two weeks before the protests in Cairo began. During that period, there were 32,000 groups and 14,000 pages created for the purpose of exchanging information in Egypt.

Last month, Egypt saw a drastic change in government after President Hosni Mubarak, who had been in office for the past 30 years, resigned. His resignation came after 18 days of protesting from thousands of Egyptians since late January. The protestors were dissatisfied with Mubarak’s authoritarian government and demanded a new, more democratic government.

According to a Globe and Mail article by Patrick Martin, Egypt’s underage population was at the “forefront of the movement for power change.” Groups consisting of university students played their own roles in organizing the protests that ultimately led to Mubarak’s resignation.

A catalyst of this unique youth movement was the use of social media. Young Egyptians employed social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to voice their concerns about Mubarak’s government and help in organizing protestors.

One active leader among these groups is an assembly of youth called “We Are All Khaled

Said.” The group is made up of volunteers who came together after the murder and torture of its namesake by two police officers in Alexandria, Egypt, last June. The members’ main goal, boldly stated on its website, is “to end torture in Egypt.” They also want to “show the world that Egyptians are standing up for their rights...”

While working with another youth organization called the April 6 Youth Movement, both groups have created their own Facebook pages. Currently, each group has close to 100,000 online followers.

In addition to organizing protests, Egyptian activists – such as those mentioned above – used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to share information and videos. As a result of sharing information through the Internet, news of the events in Egypt spread quickly to the global community, and in a form that was uncensored by the government.

An example of this “sharing” is a YouTube clip posted on January 25, the first day of Cairo protests. In the video, a young man is standing in the path of a mounted water cannon.

Among YouTube users, the video is revered for its similarity to the lone protestor who stood in front of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989. This video alone has received over 200,000 views on YouTube.

The revolution in Egypt may have come about because Egyptian protestors were passionate to see a change in their homeland. But social media was an important tool in bringing about that change. Put in the hands of Egypt’s youth, sites like Facebook and Twitter helped spread the word about the dates and locations of protests. They also sent information detailing the political chaos occurring in Egypt to the global community in the form of blogs on Tumblr, photos on Facebook and videos on YouTube. In a sense, it helped bring together two entities: It united the people of Egypt as well as the global community through the sharing of important information and ideas.

Heavy metal connects Improv Night Serbia to a dark history in Canada

By Deanna Mac-Neil

There is a city in Serbia where heavy metal is loved by youth. This younger generation of fans in Kragujevac are keeping metal alive. Most of them are in high school and they attend local shows and buy the albums of their favourite bands. One of the city’s metal ambassadors is the band Forever Storm, which tells stories of past wars and battles. Their first album, Soul Revolution, sums up the overarching theme: Forever Storm asks for a revolution of the soul first, to solve the problems of the world. Lyrics from the song “Storm” describe the feel of the album in one sentence: “We’re here to belong, not to destroy.” The mood and content of this album speaks of Serbia’s forgotten history; a time when children, like the ones who love Forever Storm, were taken out of their classrooms to be killed in an atrocious act of war.

During the Second World War, the Nazis killed innocent children attending local schools in a town outside of Kragujevac, Serbia. This time in history is memorialized in story and poem. The story is told in Serbian, citing the words of a teacher, while the poem Kragujevac contains the final lines “Pucajte. Ja i sada drzim cas.” The rough translation means, “Go ahead. Shoot. I am giving my lesson. Now.” These words reveal the re-telling of a tragedy shared among Serbians.

Because there were no survivors to tell the story that day, folklore lives on in remembrance. However, there were letters written by children, left on pieces of paper found in the classrooms, expressing last words to their loved ones. Richard Burns, a poet and writer who lived in former Yugoslavia, tells of a letter from a 17-year-old student addressed to his mother and father: “Dear mum and dad, hi for the last

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By Amanda Cupido

time. Ljubiša.” The massacre, which lasted from October 19 to 21, 1941, was justified by the Nazis with the notion that, “...100 people should be shot for every German killed, and 50 for every German wounded.” Children became a part of this killing spree.

Presently, in Kragujevac, there is a place of alliance for youth who love heavy metal. On the steps of a local high school, fans of metal meet and listen to music. These fans and players in Kragujevac are outcasts and non-conformists. Stephan Kovacevic of Forever Storm shared his views on the Serbian musical majority. The most common genre is folk music, thus, writing and playing in a metal band can be frustrating and alienating due to popular trends in music. However, heavy metal provides a place for fans and players to belong.

Soul Revolution, Forever Storm’s first album release, connects to a history in Serbia rarely discussed in Canada.

Songs reveal epic battles, alienation and oppression on personal and national levels. Lyrics of the song “It Rains” read: “We’ll keep fighting on and on / just let your heart lead the way.../ on this holy ground we’ll forever stay.”

The most passionate fans of heavy metal and Forever Storm are youth living in the city. In Kragujevac, specifically, heavy metal is loved immensely, despite being a misunderstood genre.

The music addresses issues of war that are not often shared. In song, there is an emotional resonance that connects the city’s youth to the bands and music they love. Forever Storm is a heavy metal band with a social and political message. Their younger fans have a place within heavy metal and the band. It is a place where they share common ground.

It’s exactly like Hockey Night in Canada. Except there’s laughter instead of chants, a stage rather than ice and comedians in place of hockey players.

Starting in September 2009, Improv Night in Canada was launched by Todd Charron and Paul Shoebridge, two improv instructors at Second City comedy club in Toronto. Currently, the show is held every Tuesday at 8:45 p.m. at the John Candy Box Theatre.

Improv Night has two teams that perform three times (once in each period of the game).

At every break throughout the show, there are “injuries” that take place and allow a new comedian to be drafted to the team.

At the end of each period, the point is awarded to the team that the audience cheers the loudest for. Charron was the one who originally came up with the idea for the show to mimic Hockey Night in Canada.

“Way back, Paul and I were…looking for a format where a bunch of people could play in,” he said. “We wanted to get teams of people playing together as a team even if they didn’t

know each other.”

It started with only four comedians showing up to play. Now there are about 50 people who come out on a weekly basis.

Shoebridge said that many famous comedic actors such as Tiny Fey and Mike Myers started off as improv students with Second City, just like the comedians that perform each week at Improv Night in Canada. “I think they will be the future stars of this world,” he said.

Ben Ball is a comedy student in Toronto who attends the event almost every week.

“I like performing in front of people and this gives me an opportunity to do that,” he said. “It’s really cool and I like it.”

Ball thinks the format is fun and hopes that the experience will lead to other comedy gigs. “I just want to make people smile,” he said.

John Candy Box Theatre is located at 70 Peter Street and admission is pay-what-you-can at the door. For more information, you can call 416-340-7270.

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Exchanging languages at Toronto Babel

By Annie Burns-Pieper

There is something about winter that makes us long for days spent somewhere else, sometimes somewhere warmer but often just the freedom and excitement of travelling. Beth MacLeod started Toronto Babel to recreate that very feeling.

Toronto Babel is a language group that meets upstairs at the Rivoli nightclub on Queen Street West every Wednesday. Torontonians, newcomers and travellers come to practice languages and to meet people from other cultures.

While people come to improve language skills, the real reason for the meet-up is social.

“I owe my social life to this place,” says Ayan Mukherjee. He moved to Canada from India in early December to work as an analyst in a bank. Mukherjee found out about Toronto Babel on Couch Surfing, an online network for travellers, and has been coming every week since he arrived in Toronto. He now takes over running the group when MacLeod can’t make it.

Babel first started in Madrid but now these types of groups are all over the world. MacLeod found out about the groups while she was living in Spain and looking for friends and people to practice Spanish with. What started out as a small gathering in Madrid has slowly grown into a worldwide phenomenon.

The Toronto group claims to be the first North American extension of the group started in Madrid. MacLeod, who runs the event as a volunteer, is a fourth year PhD student in linguistics at the University of Toronto. She says she started the meet-up to create an international community in Toronto, much like the ones she has experienced while travelling. “It makes me more proud than ever to be Canadian and from Toronto,” says MacLeod.

Toronto Babel started just over a year ago and now approximately 90 people come every week to practice English, Spanish, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Armenian, Arabic, Turkish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Croatian, Polish, Ukrainian and Hindi, to name a few. When new people join, they meet with the organizer who introduces them to others who want to practice the same language.

The Rivoli has a dark, noisy and informal pub atmosphere. People stand in circles or sit in small groups. While language practice would be easier somewhere quieter, regulars say

that the ambience makes the situation more realistic.

“The noise and the distractions make it like a real world setting,” says Roots Sharma. Originally from Toronto, he joined the group to practice Spanish and Japanese after a year of travelling around the world.

Many in the group have just arrived in the city, either to live here longterm or to stay for a few months, and are looking to connect.

“This place gives newcomers to Toronto a Toronto Babel founder Beth MacLeod chance to hang out and see the diversity of the city,” says Mukherjee. He adds that the move to Toronto wouldn’t have been as easy without the group, and although he doesn’t practice his languages much he plans to keep coming back for the company.

If you are interested in joining Toronto Babel, the group meets on Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to midnight, upstairs at The Rivoli (332 Queen St. West) More information can be found at TorontoBabel.com or MeetUp.com/TorontoBabel

Do-It-Yourself Culture

By Kate Spencer There is no sound on earth half as beautiful as the joyful gurgle and guttural jog of a toilet mid-flush. A less wonderful sound is that of a toilet trying to flush around the cleaning brush that clogs it. After panicking my way through the day and receiving a couple of shocking repair estimates from plumbers, it was determined that broke students would have to be inventive students. Following a hasty trip to Home Depot with an ambitious boyfriend, I found myself peering into a big box of toilet parts, trying to imagine how they would all fit together.

For a twenty-something couple, learning to install our own toilet felt like a major life experience. While we couldn’t argue with the $150 price tag that came with installing it ourselves, it was hard to shake the feeling that this was the kind of job best left in the hands of professionals. For people of our grandparents’ generation, women making clothes and men building houses were routine activities, a part of the accepted lifestyle. My father grew up being taught that there was no job he couldn’t tackle if he had to and could read the instructions. “It’s rare anymore that I find stuff I can’t do,” he says.

But then some of that knowledge was lost when families suddenly had two working partners and less time for home renovation projects. Cheap goods became available, and it was easier to buy something new than repair something old.

As Kerry Wills points out in her book The Close-Knit Circle: American Knitters Today, many of my generation’s mothers were busy proving they could do more than be housewives.

And a generation later, I wouldn’t have the first idea of how to can a pickle.

Some of my generation regret not having these skills, and are going back to learning and doing for themselves.

We know the images: the yuppie foodie showing off their latest wine coup; the hipster in the pork pie hat learning to butcher whole sides of beef; the ladies in the stitch and kitsch groups with whole rooms devoted to their wool. When we were moving into our sadly unfurnished apartment and needed a new bed frame, my boyfriend Duncan decided he was going to build it for us. Even though he had never built furniture before, he dove into the process with enthusiasm.

“The process was kind of about independence,” he said. “I like Photos: Annie Burns-Pieper (TOP); sewpixie/flickr (bottom)

to think I can take care of myself, so the idea of being able to do this without someone else helping appealed to me.” He’s not alone in finding manual work appealing. In spite of its image as a less-than-popular career choice, Statistics Canada reports that construction is actually one of the fastest growing industries.

We may also be relishing the prospect of reducing our consumption, relying less on corporations, and finding more intimate ways to connect with our possessions by making them ourselves. Kerri Wills says our generation’s socially conscious elite are more inclined to try to make small changes in their lifestyles. “Their actions are practical, like recycling, reusing and making their own stuff rather than buying from Wal-Mart or The Gap.” Of course, we’ve put our own spin on the creation joy—we have found a way to make it a status symbol. Jane Holbrook is an avid knitter and member of a knitting club in Waterloo. She thinks of knitting as being almost an elitist endeavour and certainly not a cost-saving venture. “If I buy a hundred grams of really nice sock wool, it can cost 16 dollars,” she said, “I can buy socks for 2 dollars. Knitting can make a wonderful gift for someone, but you’re not doing it to save money.”

I understood the snobby ways of becoming a more self reliant, down to earth person almost immediately. I have begun knitting, and I am sure I will one day move past the “only able to make scarves” phase. I buy Ontario produce and I grew my own herbs and small vegetables before we moved to a basement apartment and everything died. And whenever someone new comes over and wants a tour, I am proud to point out our hand-made bed.

Messing around with dirty toilets didn’t sound so immediately appealing. But broke students cannot be picky students. So, armed with the huge box our landlord helped us carry into the apartment, and the tools he lent us, and with my father on Skype giving us step-by-step instructions, I helped navigate through the process, learning new words like “flange” and “wax ring.” The toilet is now one of my favourite things in the apartment. Whenever people ask to use our washroom, I am compelled to remind them, “We installed that toilet. Can you install major bathroom appliances?”

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