This week @ rabble.ca: We remember -- 25 years after the Montreal Massacre

Details: Published on Thursday, 11 December 2014 13:44; Written by editor

05 Dec 2014

Hi rabble readers,

It was 25 years ago this weekend, on December 6, 1989, that 14 young women were separated from their male classmates before being shot and killed. Twenty-five years later, December 6 is a reminder to uproot our culture of misogeny. On this anniversary, rabble called on a range of women to talk about what the events of that day mean to them. You can read reflections about the Montreal Massacre from rabble contributors here.

This week, nations around the world are meeting in Lima for two weeks for the crucial UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, known as COP 20. Seven young people from across Canada arrived in Peru to begin the journey of holding this Canadian government to account for their blatant inaction on the climate. Follow the Canadian Youth Delegation in their rabble blog as they attend the UN climate negotiations, and get the latest on climate justice in our coverage here.

Like farmers? Get angry. Harper rejected a bid from farmers to buy Wheat Board assets, and instead wants to give them away to a U.S. corporation. In Hill Dispatches, Karl Nerenberg reports on the latest Wheat Board fiasco. Support more independent reporting from Parliament with a donation today.

Check out the latest Indie Inside! Artist Kimmortal's first album "Sincerity" is a courageous community-based piece delving into facets of life often untouched by dominant culture. For a chance to win a free download of the album, retweet @rabble.ca with hashtag #indieinside or answer the following question: at what point in the video do you see a lock? Email answers to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This week's top news

From 14 to thousands: Remembering victims of femicide
Twenty-five years ago Nora Loreto was five years old when the Ecole Polytechnique shootings happened. Twenty-five years later she continues to mobilize for women's liberation.
By Nora Loreto

Voices for change: Reflections on the 25th anniversary of December 6
rabble asked a range of women to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the December 6 shootings.
By various

Long Live Occupy: How gender justice became part of the Occupy movement
Occupy feminism. On a warm spring day in May of 2012, some 300 people, mostly women, gathered in Washington Square Park, Manhattan, to hold the First Feminist General Assembly.
By Meg Borthwick

Stark revelations from workplace labour survey on domestic violence
Domestic violence is a workplace issue. Labour, government and employers are going to meet to discuss potential solutions to address domestic violence.
By Ella Bedard

Alberta 'ground zero' for abuse of Temporary Foreign Worker Program
For the first time, the federal government has come down on an Alberta employer for misusing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. But who does this ban actually affect?
By E.K. Hudson

From honest dialogue to practical solutions: Discussing Muslim youth radicalization
With the violence in Ottawa and Quebec, the discussion of youth radicalization has come back into the forefront. What are the root causes and what are the solutions?
By Ferrukh Faruqui

Anti-austerity marches take over Quebec streets
On Saturday November 29, thousands took to the streets in Montreal and Quebec City to protest the provincial government's austerity agenda.
By Francella Fiallos

Harper government's changes to Live-in Caregiver Program harm workers
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander's changes to the Live-In Caregivers Program will harm caregivers. So, several groups have united in opposition to the changes to show a united front.
By Ethel Tungohan

This week's top blogs

December 6: A reminder to uproot our culture of misogyny
What has changed in Canadian society 25 years after the Montreal Massacre? In the wake of the Ghomeshi scandal, MMIW and continued systemic oppression, it doesn't seem like much.
By Judy Rebick

Concordia becomes first Canadian university to partially divest from fossil fuels
This week, Concordia established a $5-million sustainable investment fund, but Divest Concordia denounced the move.
By Jessica Prupas

How to legislatively 'balance' human rights: You can't.
Alberta's Bill 10 demonstrates why you can't try to balance human rights classes using legislation.
By Mercedes Allen

Six things we all need to think about when Canadians volunteer to fight for the Kurds
If Canadian volunteers are allowed to fight for the Kurds with the Harper Government's assent, what will our allies the Turks say, not to mention the Russians we vilify?
By David J. Climenhaga

Vancouver field hockey players forced to wear skirts for (at least) another year
On November 20, 2014 I asked the Vancouver Women's Field Hockey League to give players the choice to wear shorts as part of their uniform. Their response might surprise you.
By Kaity Cooper

Former Q producer goes public. How much longer are women going to be told to 'just try to cope'?
Kathryn Borel claims she was sexually harassed by Jian Ghomeshi when she worked for Q. She was told to "figure out how to cope with that."
By Meghan Murphy

Dear Ryan: We've found the cause of conservatism, but is there a cure?
Character assassination and bullying are time-tested conservative tactics. And now there's a medical explanation for it! Now for clinical trials...
By Linda Leon

This week's top columns

December 6 marks the endorsement of violence against sex workers
In an act of "sick and twisted" irony, Canada's new prostitution law takes effect on December 6, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre and a day now set aside to mourn violence against women.
By Joyce Arthur

Ferguson is everywhere: The protests against impunity are just beginning
Another police killing of an unarmed man of colour. Another grand jury deciding not to indict: Not for murder. Not for manslaughter. Not for assault. Not even for reckless endangerment.
By Amy Goodman

Stage is set for more voter fraud in next election
In the name of clamping down on "voter fraud," the Conservatives have brought in election reforms that will actually make it easier for voter suppression to go undetected in the future.
By Linda McQuaig

Four reasons why the tar sands are in deep trouble
Will the U.S. government throw a lifeline to a climate-destabilizing industrial project that's under a confluence of pressures that add up to a very real crisis?
By Naomi Klein

The CRTC, open access, and the future of high-speed Internet
At stake in a new CRTC consultation is whether Canadians will be able to access affordable, independent, and reliable Internet services that support their everyday well-being.
By Digital Freedom Update, Josh Tabish, Steve Anderson

A number is never just a number: Billionaires
The number of billionaires in the world in 2014 reached 2,325 -- a 7 per cent increase since last year and it represents an all-time record high. They control nearly 4 per cent of the world's wealth.
By Hennessy's Index

Recognizing Mike McBane: Reflections on social justice
On November 27 the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives gave its first Social Justice Award to Michael McBane. Duncan Cameron shares his remarks in honour of Michael receiving the award.
By Duncan Cameron

MORE FROM...
Naomi Klein, Linda McQuaig, Rick Salutin, Duncan Cameron, Wayne MacPhail, Murray Dobbin and others! Read columns...

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This week's top podcasts

Uniting to stop a pipeline on Burnaby Mountain
An interview with Earyn Wheatley, who's been involved in the resistance to Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline at Burnaby Mountain.
By AW@L Radio, Dan Kellar, Grand River Media Collective

Defending land and nationhood after the Mount Polley disaster
Kanahus Manuel talks about the struggle by the Secwepemc Nation and its allies to defend the land and assert their nationhood after the massive Mount Polley tailings pond spill.
By Scott Neigh

Cuts to veterans, unemployed, fund budget surplus
Finance Minister Joe Oliver announced Nov. 12 that the government will have a small surplus in 2015. He didn't say that the surplus has come from deep cuts to services for veterans and the unemployed.
By Redeye Collective

Small press and community loving
We speak with Caroline Frechette, author of the Family by Choice series and a key player at Renaissance Press. Plus, we debate whether a Goodreads review is worthy of making your book cover.
By Catherine Brunelle, Kevin T Johns

FAFIA launches campaign of solidarity with Aboriginal women and girls
Meghan Murphy speaks with Cherry Smiley and Shelagh Day about the ongoing effects of colonialism on Aboriginal women and girls and the call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered women.
By Meghan Murphy

This week's top rabbletv

Not Rex: The big con of Harper's public service ads
The Economic Action Plans for non-existent programs were bad enough. But now the Harper propaganda machine is on overload.
By Humberto DaSilva

Indie Inside: Kimmortal
Vancouver-based artist Kimmortal releases her first album, "Sincerity," a courageous community-based piece delving deep into the facets of life often untouched by dominant culture.
By rabble staff

This week's top books

Capitalism vs. The Climate: Who will win?
Kinder Morgan. Enbridge. Keystone. TransCanada. These companies and Big Business threaten our planet. What will you do about it?
By Daniel Tseghay

In this issue

Upcoming events

OttawaThe Walk for the 43
We are getting together to support the actions of the National Popular Assembly (Mexico), which was created to demand justice for the 43 missing #Ayotzinapa students.
By Students and Community Members in Action against State Violence

Halifax'Not So Silent' December 6 Vigil
Join us December 6, 2014 from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, 25 years after the Montreal Massacre.
By 'Not So Silent' December 6 Vigil

WinnipegReport launch -- Moving to the City: Housing and Aboriginal Migration to Winnipeg
Join us for the launch of a CCPA-MB report in partnership with Eagle Urban Transition Centre documenting the housing experiences of Aboriginal people moving to Winnipeg.
By Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba

This week's top in cahoots

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women
Let us pause and reflect upon the negative impact caused by violence against women within our society and to commemorate the lives of women who face gender-based discrimination and violence daily.
By Ontario Public Service Employees Union

Reflecting on 25 years
Unifor is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre by renewing its commitment to take on the issue of gender-based violence -- in the workplace and the community.
By Unifor

Harper government fails unemployed youth
Elections Canada has estimated that 38.8 per cent of eligible voters between 18-24 voted in the May 2011 federal election. That's significantly lower than the official turnout of 61.1 per cent.
By Council of Canadians

Active babble topics

Michaëlle Jean chosen as new head of la Francophonie
By sherpa-finn

Safety, housing and drug use: What are progressive responses?
By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Conservative criminalization of sex work comes into force on 25th anniversary of Montréal Massacre
By Unionist