People First Media program archive
Header

My faith, my community—a dialogue

February 9th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on My faith, my community—a dialogue)

While various religions may hold differing attitudes toward worldliness, they still have obligations to their neighbours

The Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society will host an  interfaith bridging dialogue called “My Faith, My Community: Taking Action Together” on February 18, 2012. The dialogue is based on the fact that while religions may have a differing attitude to worldliness, they also have obligations towards neighbours. They need to do more to be proactive—to give to the community. The event brings diverse people together for a facilitated exchange around issues of social justice and civil engagement from the point of view of their faith. (more…)

, ,

Lone MLA takes up ‘welfare challenge’

January 26th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Jagrup Brar, nearing the end of his money, and living in SRO on the Downtown Eastside, is learning about poverty

On May 25, 2011, Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood, B.C., received a letter from a group called Raise the Rates entitled ‘MLA Welfare Challenge’. The coalition, which is concerned about poverty, inequality and homelessness in British Columbia, was inviting the province’s MLAs to spend a month living on what an individual would receive on income assistance—$610 a month. Fast forward to January 2012, and Jagrup Brar—the only MLA who signed up for the month-long Welfare Challenge—has recently settled into an SRO living space on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and is running low on money. He’s noticeably thinner than he was at the start of the month. Jagrup Brar is blogging about his experiences online. (more…)

, , ,

Getting connected to make a difference

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

187 members and 11 campaigns later, SocialCoast.org has grown and is beginning to make its impact felt

SocialCoast.org was established in spring 2011 to provide the Victoria region with an online hub—a social network—for community activism. Since the start, founder Eric Nordal and his partners have been working to fine tune the online portal and increase its presence and impact. 187 members and 11 campaigns later, SocialCoast.org is making a difference, helping socially conscious people to get informed, get connected, and get involved. (more…)

,

An award for mental health activism

December 8th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on An award for mental health activism)

Ruth Ruth Stackhouse, a Mad Pride pioneer, is recognized by the City of Toronto for her outstanding work

Ruth Ruth Stackhouse is a proud member of the psychiatric survivor community and a long-standing social and health activist. Her extensive community work includes organizing Mad Pride, establishing The Friendly Spike Theatre Band, working with anti-violence education, and academic research work on a project about the exploitation of mental hospital patient labour called Out From Under. (more…)

, , , , ,

What now for small-city Occupiers?

November 17th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Occupy Nanaimo is staying put at its downtown location for now, as members hold talks with the city and police

While big-city mayors and police are engaged in various stages of trying to remove Occupy protesters from their public spaces, Nanaimo representatives of the Occupy movement have been meeting with the mayor and RCMP to discuss issues of concern—from both sides. Matthew O’Donnell told The Daily News that concerns expressed by the city will be discussed among the occupiers and that another meeting is planned for next week. (more…)

Rebroadcast: Struggle for inclusion continues

November 17th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Rebroadcast: Struggle for inclusion continues)

David Weekley’s “journey in from the wilderness” continues as he and others face institutional efforts to exclude them

Rev. David Weekley stepped into the pulpit of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon in 2009 to share his story as a transgender person for the first time. After he spoke, the congregation burst into applause. Earlier this year, David shared his experiences in a book called “In from the Wilderness.”

David is a transgender man and an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church  who quietly served his congregations for twenty-eight years before sharing his full personal story and spiritual journey with his congregation, denomination, and the world. But the struggle for inclusion of transgender people continues, as the United Methodist Church prepares for a debate about “compatibility” with Christianity. (more…)

, ,