Poverty and Education in Indonesia

Mancho, the son of a farmer, is now a manager at the Commonwealth Bank. Latif, whose parents worked as domestic helpers, recently defended his PhD at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Goesthi, whose father once sold food on the street, is now a senior engineer. Bangkit, the son of a school canteen worker, now servesContinue reading “Poverty and Education in Indonesia”

Mind and Body: A Health Connection We Can’t Ignore

“There is no health without mental health” – David Satcher Health, both mental and physical When people think of “health”, their focus often lands on physiological health, resulting in the sidelining of mental health. However, 1 in 2 people worldwide will develop some form of a mental disorder in their lifetime, this highlights the commonalityContinue reading “Mind and Body: A Health Connection We Can’t Ignore”

Addressing Edmonton’s Deepening Food Security Crisis

1. Food Security Overview Food security is a pressing issue in Edmonton, where many residents lack consistent access to affordable and nutritious food. Food security, defined as a state where everyone has “physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthyContinue reading “Addressing Edmonton’s Deepening Food Security Crisis”

Structural Racism against Indigenous People in Canadian Law Enforcement

“That hand is not the color of yours, but if I prick it, the blood will flow, and I shall feel pain. The blood is of the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a Man.” – Ponca Chief, Standing Bear In Canada, the Indigenous community faces ongoing challenges of discrimination andContinue reading “Structural Racism against Indigenous People in Canadian Law Enforcement”

Kashmir and Palestine: A Tale of Two Occupied Lands

“India and Israel are changing our world, and maybe changing parts of the world,” was a statement said by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Local Kashmiris have been seeing just this- change, but for the worse, since the election of India’s Right-Wing, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). From increased military encroachment, to internet blackouts and disappearanceContinue reading “Kashmir and Palestine: A Tale of Two Occupied Lands”

The Impacts of War on Civilians: A Case Study on Tigray

TW: This article contains information that circles around sexual violence and war crimes including starvation and killing “The biggest road block to action on genocide and other human rights crimes is ignorance. Most people just don’t know that such things are happening, and often, if they have a vague idea they are happening, there isContinue reading “The Impacts of War on Civilians: A Case Study on Tigray”

Why Sex Work Should be Decriminalized in Canada

Sex work is widely considered to be both one of the oldest professions in human history, as well as one of the most stigmatized. Fundamentally, sex work can be defined as “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for money or goods” (CPHA, 2014). Though the sale of sex was decriminalized in Canada in 2014 through the introduction of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), paying for these services remains a criminal offence. This act has been contentious, superficially addressing concerns about the criminalization of sex workers while failing to validate the sex trade as a legitimate labour market. As such, sex workers face severe challenges regarding their safety, working conditions, and health.

Forty Three Years and 120,000 Lives Later

“In February of 1979 Tehran was in chaos”. Says my grandmother, who lived during the Islamic revolution. Months ago when we spoke, she was unsure of how long the protests would last.   She said: “we’re far from a revolution, people will get scared away”. She was hopeless then, but in our most recent conversation she said proudly, “Iran is in chaos. This is a revolution”. 

Decolonization of Education: The Alberta UCP Curriculum Draft

The Alberta UCP’s K-6 curriculum draft produced a lot of controversy with the public and with Alberta’s teachers. Teachers and parents expressed feelings of frustration, anger and disappointment because they felt that the curriculum was racist and effectively omitting important lessons in history. The Edmonton school board asked education minister Adriana LaGrange to rewrite theContinue reading “Decolonization of Education: The Alberta UCP Curriculum Draft”

POST-COVID IMMIGRATION TO CANADA

One area that Canadian leaders are seeing a change in as we slowly enter into our next chapter of post-COVID is the rise of Canadians’ disagreement with the number of immigrants being allowed into the country. As Canada moves forward, how can we really move forward holistically? Not just from point A to B but where do we want to end up? Extreme circumstances can cause us to be short-sided when it comes to our next steps, but as a nation, who do we want to be? If Canada was a person, who would they be?