Common Ground, Edition #1: The Liberal Party
One of the things that attracted me to run with the Greens is the freedom to cooperate across party lines. So, in my next three blog posts, I am going to do something different: rather than focusing on what I disagree with in each federal party, I want to showcase three things in the platforms of each of the three other national parties that I do agree with, and would work with them to accomplish.
First up: the governing Liberals.
Bridging the Divide: How to Have Difficult Conversations
My goal with this post is to – hopefully – help you communicate tough topics better – to share what I’ve learned about communicating difficult, at times life-threatening, subjects without having your listener or conversation partner immediately tune out or get defensive. We need all the help we can get to make a just transition a reality; preparing for challenging conversations can help us along the way.
The Benefits of Whole, Plant-based Foods
During the Christmas holidays of 2014, I watched the documentary Forks over Knives. The premise of the film is that many chronic diseases in our society are caused by the Standard American Diet (SAD), and can be prevented and even reversed by eating whole, plant-based foods.
Is Academic Freedom a Privilege for the Few or Vital for a Democratic Society?
In my 50s, I realize more complexity, while the world around me is becoming more polarized. I more clearly perceive the many factors that limit freedom of speech in every-day social interactions or educational settings, ranging from politeness over the concern for some particular vulnerabilities to the desire to avoid conflict. There are so many mechanisms in place that silence thoughts without allowing for a free and honest exploration. We thus limit the opportunities to find confirmation, to seek modification, or to allow for rejection of our hypothesis based on the merits of evidence and arguments.
3 Q’s with a 14-year-old Green Party volunteer
In his own words, Aayush Acharya tells us how he came to be a volunteer, and what students his age are thinking about when it comes to politics.
Canada Needs a High Speed Rail Strategy!
Where are Canada’s green visionaries? Ottawa's latest budget completely omits high-speed rail. The government seems to have limited its imagination to an electric car future. Keeping Canada’s cities connected despite physical distance requires high-speed rail.
Thoughts on “Car Culture”
This year, for Ramadan, I decided to go without using the car. As the month went on, I began to appreciate the things I’d given up by subscribing to society’s “car culture”. With the convenience to travel anywhere, anytime, the temptation is there to cram more into an already jam-packed life.
Reflections on housing and poverty
This month, I had the opportunity to be invited to two community events that connect very closely with my platform. Here are some of the things they brought to mind:
Allahdua draws our attention to the plight of migrant workers in Canada
The Canadian food system makes it legal to exploit the soil, the environment and migrant workers. The food that we eat in Canada is being produced by those who are not being treated properly. This is a very serious threat to Canada's food security. But, are you concerned?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: A compelling argument for Universal Basic Income?
The argument for Universal Basic Income is this: How can living precariously on minimum wage or OW rates (or ODSP, EI, WSIB), scrambling daily for housing, food and basic necessities, possibly foster a healthy candidate for job search?