TIGblogs - Lisa Campbell's TIGBlog http://qnp.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us Growing up Digital http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/396449

Growing up digital has heavily influenced the course of my life. The first computer I used was an old Macintosh at age four years old. From then on it was love. When I was eight I taught myself Photoshop, and was always playing with programs like Kidpix. As a teenager I kept a website, found free hosting and got donated a domain name by a fan and made awesome mashup art. It was in the days before blogging, and things like message boards and IRC were hot.

Right from the start of my digital education, I have been self-taught. In the spirit of the open knowledge commons that are embedded in the internet's founding principles, anything that I didn't know how to do on a computer I could find a tutorial on. Growing up with the internet has taught me to conceptualize knowledge in a different way. I see knowledge as networked, with every issue connected. I also see solutions in terms of networks, looking at how we can work together and share knowledge to empower our communities.
]]> Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:17:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/396449 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 This is Global Hip Hop. http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/393403 ]]> Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:29:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/393403 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 International AIDS Conference 2008 http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/388729 I am really excited for the International AIDS Conference! I was at the conference when it was in Toronto in 2006 and it was such an amazing experience to hear everyone's struggles in battling HIV/AIDS.

I look forward to checking out the resources on the youth site, and getting to know the stories of those who are participating. I am really interested in the ways that we can utilize social networks and mobile technologies in the conference. I think that mobile blogging is definitely one way to go. For example one can post text by sending the blog entry to username-password@tigblog.org -- replace username with your username, and password with your password!

It will be cool to try out some mobile video blogging technology, such as applications like Qik. Qik can be used by most smart phones, and is an application for streaming live video over the internet. While it already works on Nokia smart phones, it will be coming to the iPhone officially next week.

I think that youth can use these technologies as a form of mobile grassroots journalism. It will be interesting to look at what other ways youth communicate at the conference, as youth from around the world have different new media habits. In certain countries like Brazil and India, Social Networks are the big fad, while in other countries mobile phones dominate social communications. Youth may trade tips on media use, creating transnational media habits and sharing best practices in Citizen Media production.]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:38:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/388729 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Super Monkey Ball? I hope you're kidding... http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/386029

Looks like the iPhone hasn't come far. Faster internet, more contracts, a few new applications that don't really rival the ones that us Jailbreakers already have. Many of the applications did blow me away I have to admit. The blogging app was very impressive, as well as Loopt, an app that networks friends through a mapping system, and allows users to exchange Twitter-like messages based on their locations. Associated Press has done some cool stuff as well, with mobile reporting systems and locative reporting. Music software Band was pretty cool, but the lowest of low, was Sega's Super Monkey Ball.

Yet what I really wanted from iPhone wasn't a whole bunch of apps created by multimillion dollar start-ups and corporations, but more innovative apps that push the boundaries and serve as tools for social justice. What I really wanted from Apple were things as simple as having a rape whistle app. With one push of a button, your phone emits a loud scary noise, and instantly sends text alerts with your location to your emergency numbers, including the police.

Just one idea out of many of social applications to create more dynamic software. I'm sure these types of applications will emerge out of the woodwork the longer the SDK program is running. I can't wait until all the beta apps I've grown to love have developed into mature adults, yet I hope that the beta innovation of the web 2.0 era will prosper, creating new cutting edge innovation.

What Apple needs to remember is the root of the philosophy of the internet, creating an environment where the individual is not controlled by the network with open application development for unlimited innovation.]]> Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:03:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/386029 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Going Mobile http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/368325
Recently I have been diving into the work of Nokia's Open Studios research team. Jan Chipcase and Younghee Jung are masters of global ethnographic research, visiting urban slums to capture glimpses of how technology affects the lives of everyday people. Just as fishermen are using cellphones in African villages to negotiate better prices, young activists are starting to use these technologies for social change. Through capturing and exposing human rights abuses, organizing spontanious smartmobs, youth are using mobile devices as a form of what academic/yborg Steve Mann calls sousvielsnce. While survielance signifies watching from below, sousvielence signifies from below, i.e., the grassroots.

This phenomenon is fairly recent as the field is ripe for study. I am looking for other interested parties that will be interested in collaborating on research. It would be very interesting to do a study with data from TIG users on how we integrate mobile technology into our organizing. ]]> Thu, 08 May 2008 18:29:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/368325 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Visual Literacy http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/367071

David Gray from XPLANE blows our minds once again. With a world now approaching more cell phone users than literate people, it is vitally important that we begin to explore new ways of communicating in the digital age. Interesting fuel for your mind!]]> Tue, 06 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/367071 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Home? http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/361355 Josue and I have just moved into a huge house with a beautiful garden full of fruit trees. We have noni, guayabana, manderinas, and mangos all in our backyard. We live in a quiet neighbourhood just a 10 minute walk from downtown Turrialba. The town itself is tiny but has plenty to do, including a range of cute bars, restaurants, and cafe's equipped with wifi. All around us are mountains, rivers, and farm fields.

I must admit I don't want to leave. My instincts tell me to settle down, find a cool job, and finish my masters desde aquí. It is possible, but I feel like I'd be letting people down if I stay. I think the most important thing is to concentrate on the work ahead and do an awesome job. I still have to finish working on a few websites and I have a pile of translation and subtitling to do.

Other amazing news is that before we left Panama I invested in an iPhone! I have been waiting all year for this, and it was totally worth the wait. Jailbroken, it is the most magical piece of technology I have used yet and I believe that it symbolizes a revolution in mobile communications. The digital divide may not be bridged with one laptop per child, it is already being formed by a huge network of cellphone users. The trick is to develop applications compatible with existing technology.

We went to the Kuna Yala region right before leaving panama and our guides got so excited when we mentioned that we were web designers. They told us that they had just got Internet access and they wanted to figure out how to download free video games and music. Yet both Josue and I were short for advice when they explained that they wanted to do it on their cellphone! They also told us that the local school also wanted Internet, but on an island that is short on power and telephone lines this could only be possible through satellite (preferably solar powered). Any social entrepreneurs interested in a digital divide startup, there is definitely a need for solar powered satellites and the development of better cellphone applications!]]> Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:17:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/361355 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Networking our way to Social Change http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/354665

Social Networks have moved from being a buz word, to an essential element of global pop culture. From India to Brazil, youth, artists, musicians, businesses, politicians, and not for profits are embracing these new technologies in order to spread their influence and reach new audiences. Yet as Social Networking becomes more popular, the array of choices are starting to flood the average user. What do you pick with so many new options popping up everyday? Obviously, you pick what your friends are using, or in the case of NGOs, what your supporters and clients are embracing.

For Canadian NGOs, it is pretty hard to ignore the resounding influence of Facebook. International NGOs such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International have embraced multi-media sites like YouTube, and of course we cannot fail to mention the powerful networking platform TakingITGlobal has provided for youth leaders around the world. Yet there are some agencies that are going the extra mile by producing their own networks, such as the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's site obviously.ca. Youth Action Network has tried to embrace all of these technologies, by having both a Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and TakingITGlobal profiles. Some sites are more popularly used than others, as you can see that our MySpace account is rarely used as it has gone way out of style with Canadian youth. With all these subscriptions, our most popular network is through our website itself and our individual members. Our website gets over 50,000 hits a day, and our toolkits and web publications are some of our most popular downloads. Really it is not the amount of networks you are signed up to, but the quality of content and programming that your NGO provides which makes it the most succesful!

Yet as new sites are popping up everyday, how does a NGO determine where to put its resources into? Is it worth it to construct your own site? I think that it is worth it to invest in independent social networking infastructure in order to provide a focused space for conversation, networking, and idea generation. In big sites like Facebook and MySpace, your project can get lost in all the chatter. MyBLOC.net does a great job in this regard, as they have carved out a specific space for youth activists of colour to engage and network on the issues that concern them. Yet it is also important to have a networked presence in these sites as well if that is what your target audience is engaged in daily. The trick is to find a ballance, and to also find ways to integrate existing online platforms. ]]> Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:33:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/354665 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Comunicación Popular - Grassroots Communication http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/354131

As I am finishing up my semester it means that I have to turn into an essay machine, something that I have been avoiding as of late. I have been up to my ears (as they say in Spanish) with work on CEAAL's new website.

Finally I have a chance to breath a bit, and go back to the theory. Looking through the reading lists I was assigned for this term I have found a huge amount of enticing information online. Comunicación Popular is Spanish for what we call Grassroots Communications in English. Now days it is better know as Citizen Media, an updated term that reflects both past and new media technologies which alow everyday people to publish and distribute media independently.

Popular Communication is the process of integrating the voice of the people into communications media, thus finding ways to make media production more independent and accessible to the general population. Some traditional examples of this are Community Theatre, Radio, Television, and Newspapers. These types of media have all been used as tools for democratic participation of civil society, and have been used in a variety of ways depending on the populations. Another example of popular communications in a Latin American context is Diablos Rojos, public buses which are painted with a number of images and slogans which reflect the popular culture of their owners. Popular communications always reflects the culture of those engaged in it.

Some more contemporary examples of popular communications are media like eZines, Blogs, SMS Networks, Participatory Video and Online Communities. New technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones are changing how we conceptualize hegemonic media landscapes.


]]> Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/354131 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Going Carbon Free Today http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/342841 Recently scientists have announced that the world must go carbon zero by the mid-century to avoid the dangerous effects of global warming. After years and years of environmentalists fighting to get their voices heard the world is now finally conscious of this frightening phenomenon. But how does one go carbon free, let alone a nation? I remember in my Global Environmental Politics class one student pronouncing that if we want to go carbon free, we must revert back to village societies.


Yet this is not practical to the average world citizen. With increasing urbanization, people are flocking to the city, whereby their water is pumped, their food is imported,and the concrete landscape is expanding. We need to find ways to create sustainable living in our modern day environment. This means in some cases adapting traditional technologies, and in others using high tech development. In battling global warming, we must take examples of sustainable living from both rural and urban, the north and the south.

With the United Nations Climate Conference in Bali, we must air our laundry out, so to speak, finding different ways to look at our own practices and see where there is room for change. Communities and henceforth businesses are starting to respond to this demand. Organic and vegetarian food options, car and bike sharing, farmers markets, sustainable fabrics, recycled clothing, carbon offsetting, and solar power are all making waves by revolutionizing options for consumers. I think that by embracing village values, we can encourage local businesses, locally produced food, and find ways to reduce, reuse, recycle our way to a carbon zero future.]]> Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:55:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/342841 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Living within ones means... (aka learning to work without my Powerbook) http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/341375 Over the last few months my computer has provided me with nothing but problems. I took it into the shop before I went to Costa Rica and had the screen and logic board replaced. Then weeks later it failed again, and I had to take it into Icon to get fixed in Costa Rica. As the part had to be sent even farther than before, I was forced to start work in Panama without my own computer, doomed to work on a PC. In Latin America there is a tendency to run ridiculously memory intensive software on machines that just can't handle the load. Most machines I've worked on are running Windows XP with less than 250mb of RAM. You get used to monitoring tasks so that you are using the least RAM possible.

Imagine designing a website, where your computer losses power once a day, and freezes constantly? You learn to live... in my attempt to live within my means, I've adopted a few strategies which I will share with my fellow web designers who are working in the third world. Bridging the digital divide does not mean just giving away free computers, it means that as a community we have to develop software which relates to the hardware that people are already using. Not everyone can run Windows XP and Adobe CS3! Even Adobe's software licensing program for NFP's excludes organizations who don't have the most up to date computers because of the hardware requirements!


So what do you do if you can't run the latest slickest graphic software? Well, you download GIMP, an open source super light graphic editing program which works across a variety of platforms including Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows. You also make sure to uninstall every Microsoft program you can on your computer, including IE7, and Windows Messenger! With just the simple tools of Firefox, Joomla, and GIMP; I have been working on CEAAL.org, and it has been going great. I have to admit that sometimes I cheat and sneak onto Josue's MacBook to do a bit of editing in Photoshop, but I feel like by the end of this time I should be good enough at GIMP to preform the exact same tasks.

So if you're running low on RAM, try it out! You might be surprised at all the cool things you can create.]]> Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:38:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/341375 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 ¡Sólo Se Vive una Vez! http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/340699 Living by yourself in another country provides one with inumerable opportunities to challenge existing convictions and ways of living. Being in Panama has taken me a long time to get used to, not because it is so different than where I was living before, but because I am living by myself in an environment where it is up to me to create everything anew. Some things are already set in stone: I work five days a week at a not-for-profit in front of a computer screen, take lunch with my compañeros de trabajo and then come home to my wonderful boyfriend. The rest of the week it is up to me to create my schedule, find cool people to hang out with, and find interesting things to keep myself entertained, happy and centred. The process of reaching that equalibrium in a new environment, and the constent interaction with new variables, makes me reflect a lot on how I intersect with the world.

I just started reading the novel of the year; Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I refer to it as the novel of the year because I think every woman (in the English speaking world) between the ages of 23-55 will have probably read this novel or have heard of it from a friend before the year is out. I am sure that it will be translated into a number of languages as well, including Italian, and maybe even Sanskrit. "Eat, Pray, Love" is the true story of one woman's journey to find independence and happyness, by exploring all sides of herself and the world. I am currently reading about her experiences in an Ashram in India, and I find myself indentifying more and more with her goal for inner peace. The question is, what things do I have the power to change in my life? After two months of living here I've fallen into set patterns of living, but sometimes something can happen that breaks your routine and forces you to see things in a new light.

Recently I started checking the site CouchSurfing.com, and I have been getting a ton of requests from people all over the world to stay on my couch. This weekend I had the amazing experience of hosting two couch surfers. Tessa and Alisa are two beams of light that are traveling around the world. It was so great having them in my home over the weekend, as I saw Panama City through their eyes, thus transforming my former perseptions and habits. The weekend was full of activity, and for once I felt like a tourist in my own city. Slowly but surely I feel like I am giving myself up to this place, allowing it to become my home as opposed to a place where I am temporarily living. The thing that transformed me the most about their visit, was how they seemed to be able to make friends with anybody. I feel like I need to open up my heart to my surroundings. As we were leaving Casco Viejo on their last day, I read off the side of a Diablo Rojo; "Sólo se vive una vez"- You only live once! I feel like I need to use this as my Panama mantra, soaking in my surroundings and cherishing every second.]]> Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:11:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/340699 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Popular Education and Youth in Latin America http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/328065

While I am working here as a Netcorps Intern, I am also enrolled at York University as a fieldwork student and as such I have certain responsibilities. While I am working away I also have to make sure that I'm also integrating my research, and as such I am constantly searching for that mid-point of praxis. I think that learning through doing is the best way to learn, but I have to admit that I am biased because that is what works best for me. Throughout my studies I have always searched for opportunities to apply what I'm learning. That is what is the coolest thing about being at Consejo de Educación de Adultos de América Latina (CEAAL) because it is a direct extension of my Popular Education for Social Change class! While I am not in the field working as a popular educator, being in the office leads to a number of great learning experiences.

Yesterday I had to opportunity to talk with Raúl Leis, the Secretary General of CEAAL, about my plan of study. For my master thesis I plan on examining how youth from around the world are using technology as a tool for social change. I asked Raul about these two themes and he didn't really think that there was much activity within the realm of CEAAL's network itself. We went through the pages of CEAAL's organizational directory and we found a few organizations that worked directly with youth which was really encouraging. I think that the next step would be to contact these organizations individually and find out what their situation is.

When you look at TIG you see youth from around the world who are using new media to get their message out, whether it be on a blog or on a youtube video. Many youth are utilizing new social networking technologies such as Facebook and MySpace to get their messages out. I wonder if the youth in Mexico are using Hi5 to organize for social change as much as the youth in Canada use Facebook? Are some social networking sites more activist than others?

Another question that I have in regards to youth within popular education networks is the question of vocabulary. Reading through Carlos Nuñez "La Revolución Ética" I've noticed that almost every sentence I have to look up a new word in the dictionary. I speak Spanish fairly well, and the words that I keep on finding seem to have a very specific meaning apart from their day to day use. To me this is a signal for jargon, which leads me to think how does this material relate to the Latin American youth of today? Do they relate to these materials and this dialect, or have they come up with other vocabulary to express the same thing? All these questions will help me on my search for new forms of social organizing, but the trick is to stay dedicated in my search.

It kind of reminds me of looking for vegetarian food in Mexico! Everywhere I went I would ask, "¿Tiene comida vegetariana?" They would always tell me no! Then I would ask; "¿Hay frijoles? ¿Arroz? ¿Aguacate?" and then slowly but surely a vegetarian mean would materialize. I guess that's a pretty good metaphor for research!]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:21:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/328065 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Panamá http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/328055

Finalmente estoy en Panamá. No puedo creer todos los cambios que me han pasado en las semanas pasadas. Ahora estoy viviendo en la Ciudad de Panamá, y acabo de empezar me trabajo nuevo con el Consejo de Educación de Adultos de América Latina as a Netcorps Intern. Al principio de mi tiempo aquí toda me pasaba muy bien, muy tranquilo y bastante interesante. Estoy aprendiendo nuevas cosas cada día. Creo que despues de 4 meses mi español sería muchisimo mejor que ahora.

También estoy muy feliz aquí porque estoy reunida con Josue. Estamos viviendo juntos en la cuidad y explorandola poco a poco. Ahora el barrio que me gusta lo más es Casco Viejo que me parece mucho de Paris. Allí se puede encontrar edificios clasicos, vistas hermosas, y mucha historia. Creo que los restaurantes allá son los mejores en toda la cuidad, pero todavía no la conozco muy bien entonces no es mi derecho de decir la última verdad. Comimos en Manolo Caracol y pienso estuvo lo mejor comida en mi vida. Entonces me siento muy feliz aquí con mi novio, buena comida, buen trabajo, y un apartamento llena de sol.]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:12:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/328055 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 One more blog post about how much Spirit Airlines sucks. http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/314565 So I'm sitting here in Miami Airport after getting here two hours early and Spirit Airlines tells me that my flight has already left. Flash back three days earlier- I'm sitting in La Guardia and the woman working at the Spirit desk is apologizing that my flight to Miami has left without me. There seems to be a trend at Spirit Airlines; they don't like their customers to board their flights. Maybe it's to save all the money they loose from their -$1 flight deals? Not only has Spirit not boarded me on two of the flights I've taken with them, but they also lost my luggage on my last trip. I had read countless posts on how shitty Spirit is, but I bit the bullet and went with them for their cheap fairs. I have been lied to multiple times by Spirit staff, pushed aside, been promised freebies with no delivery, and for the past 45 minutes I have been waiting to talk to a supervisor. It seems like no one here gives a shit. There is a flight leaving in two hours from this airport, but instead Spirit has booked us a flight at 7pm with a cheap airline an hour away. I cannot believe how horrible this experience has been. I will never fly with Spirit again. I am even scared to go home with them. I think I would rather take the bus.]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:37:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/314565 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 The Pitch http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/306457

Bikas Das/Associated Press from NY Times


Today I started a documentary film workshop at the Canadian Screen Training Centre at the National Film Board. The workshop has been amazing so far, and I've been loving all of the advice that we're getting from our knowledgeable instructors! It is great to get a business oriented workshop, and there are so many details that you have to learn about. Our assignment for tomorrow is to bring in pieces of our work for a practice pitch session for our documentary projects or future film ideas.

Tonight when I was coming home I took a cab and got into the most intense conversation with my taxi driver. He started telling me about the monsoons in Pakistan and India, and was describing it in such rich descriptive detail. Mountains and rivers and floods and pounding rain 24-hours a day! He inspired me with this idea for a documentary where the focus will be on regions with severe flooding and rainfall, and then juxtapose it with footage from arid regions where there is drought like Australia. The overall narrative of the piece will focus on climate change and how it is effecting the distribution of water on the planet. ]]> Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:44:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/306457 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Panda Punk! http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/295939

In April of 2007 designer Armando Torrealba discovered that the work that he had posted on Flickr has been used by a retail store without permission. Torrealba worked in conjunction with the NGO Derechos Digitales and used his Creative Commons License to claim royalties. He has recently won the case and the money has gone to opening a Linux computer lab at the E-120 “María Saavedra” School, Chillán which will provide access to the 200 students. The lab takes its name and logo after the panda and is run by by the Chilean group LinuxChillán. This monumental trial is the first case of a Creative Commons License to be used in court. This proves that Creative Commons works for artists as a viable alternative.to traditional ways of patenting information.

]]> Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:17:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/295939 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Remixing Slavery http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/294891

This is a video that I made with Helena Shimeles from Young Dips. We are going to be facilitating a workshop tomorrow at Cedarbrae Collegiate on the legacy of slavery. Let me know what you think, and I'll let you know how it goes!]]> Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:49:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/294891 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Blog Funk? (Add some baile!) http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/292931

It's been awhile since I've really blogged. I've been so busy as of late with school that I haven't even been going out or going downtown. Also the cold has made my prone to hibernation! Instead of my usual routine I have been bundling up on the couch and watching copious amounts of television. Yet so much has been happening as of late! I feel almost guilty for not blogging it all.

The craziest thing that happened over a month ago now is that I was offered another internship with Netcorps! I'm returning to Central America after a half a year hiatus, going to work with the Consejo de Educación de Adultos de América Latina. I will be moving to Panama City for 4-6 months, so it's time to start blogging bilingually again.

Things have been going amazing at school, as you can see from the Popular Education for Social Change blog. I'm meeting so many amazing people, and I think I'm actually going to miss York when I leave. Last week we had an event to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and it was very touching. The performance was coordinated by Honor Ford-Smith's Cultural Production seminar and it was amazing to be a part of.

Right now I am up to my eyeballs in end of term work, including work for updating the VIVA! Project website. It is done in Drupal which is new to me so I am being very cautious and researching every step of the way. We are looking to open up our website to be a place very similar to TIG, and I am looking into how to build a searchable database of community arts organizations.

So far I have found a software called CiviCRM which was recommended to me by Phoenix Community Works Enterprises. As you can see the VIVA! site as it stands now is very shabby design wise, but inside is a whole world of functionality just waiting to be released. The CMS as it stands is 99% private, and we are looking to open it up to the public, as well as inviting other community arts and popular education groups and individuals to submit content. Piece of cake, right?


]]> Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:20:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/292931 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 The Real Revolution (will not be televised) http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/281391 ]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:02:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/281391 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 plantatreetrade website launched http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/275447 plantatreetrade with Janet for the last few weeks. This is a new brand that my father developed in partnership with Tree Canada in order to help battle global warming. This wine is going to plant millions of trees, which is what our world needs in order to help battle deforestation and reduce carbon in our atmosphere. Check out the wine! It will be available at LCBO's across Ontario starting November 9th.]]> Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:15:00 EST http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/275447 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Popular Eduction 101 http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/273539 Right now I am taking a course at York called Popular Education for Social Change. As a part of our course we have started a blog. It is great having a site where we can continue our class discussions, and as well share our personal histories which brought us to this work. A number of the people in my class are doing popular education already, working with a myriad of communities to democratize education and educate about critical issues such as racism, sexism and environmental destruction. I have loved this class so far, as we are diving into more of the theoretical nature of the practice.

I also love getting to know my classmates more. Talia is an ethnomusicology student who is focusing on Latin American women who are using hip hop music to battle sexism. Then there's Blakka, who has been working in popular theatre for years in Jamaica and is also a stand up comic. Last but not least there is Helena, the amazing E.D. of Young Diplomats, a local Toronto group that works to empower Ethiopian youth. These class, and all of the amazing people in it, serves to inspire my work and I hope to collaborate with everyone well into the future.]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:28:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/273539 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Ruckus! 2007 http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/271779 Ruckus! is a FREE two-day youth-led conference that started in 2002 as a response to the lack of inclusion of youth of colour into current social justice and environmental movements. Our goal is to introduce participants to existing activism and community work, to provide safe spaces for youth of colour to discuss racism and provide practical skills and tools for youth to take action in their communities. Ruckus! is an initiative of the Youth Action Network with support from the City of Toronto Access, Equity and Human Rights Community Investment Program.

November 23-24, 2007
New College
University of Toronto
45 Willcocks Street

Lunch Provided

Workshop Schedule available in November…


If you have any questions regarding Ruckus, please e-mail Michelle at ruckus@youthactionnetwork.org or call 416.368.2277.]]> Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:20:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/271779 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 I think I'm going to stop reading the Globe... http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/268603 Christie Blatchford's article on blogging is ridiculous at best. Her main point seems to be don't try this at home kids, especially if you don't have a paid editor on staff! She also seems pissed that people take the liberty to post their personal thoughts online. I mean, that's for diaries!

After being blogged Blatchford shares her sense of violation of life's private moments. While I agree that not everything in life deserves to be blogged about (or Facebooked for that matter), the opinions of public society deserve to be shared and distributed. We are sick of hearing whiny white ladies dramatize murder trials, and put colonization in brackets. Pardon us if the rest of the world wants to take a step up to the plate to get our voices heard. We may not have journalism degrees, but I think we have a thing or two to contribute.

That being said, I think I'm going to stop reading the Globe and Mail!

p.s. Is this why you hate blogs Christie? I agree that his grammar is atrocious, but your article just gave him a few thousand hits. Way to set yourself up for failure and embarrassment.]]> Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:24:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/268603 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333 Spoken Word pt. 2 http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/267617 Creative Resistance issue.]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:14:00 EDT http://qnp.tigblog.org/post/267617 9.9 -83.6833333 9.9 -83.6833333