Alternative News
Articles from non-mainstream as opposed to corporate for profit sources.
Survival launches worldwide tribal photography contest - News from Survival
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- Published on Monday, 16 March 2015 13:46
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Read more: Survival launches worldwide tribal photography contest - News from Survival
BCSEA E-News: Whisper These Words... Shovel-Ready Projects
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2015 23:22
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BCSEA is a non-profit society that relies on memberships to advance the low-carbon economy. Will you please join us?
WHISPER THESE WORDS... SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS
by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. february 18, 2015
CALLING ALL MUNICIPAL STAFF, COUNCILLORS AND REGIONAL DISTRICT DIRECTORS…
Are you ready? You never know when money might be available for a good project. It could be the spending fever that happens every February, just before the end of the financial year. It could be a foundation that decides to change its priorities, and make climate change or affordable housing a priority. Or it could be the next financial crash.
The next crash will doubtless arrive, sooner or later, and when it comes the government in Ottawa will shovel money to stop Canada’s economy from falling into a depression. It has happened before, and it will happen again. No less an organization than TD Canada Trust has told its staff that a financial crash or ‘readjustment’ happens on average every eight years, so the next may come in … well, you can do the math.
It might be caused by the collapse of the housing bubble in China, or the banks’ excess trading in derivatives. It might be a decision by Greece to default on its debts, or a bank failure linked to the record levels of consumer debt. Whatever the cause, it would be a brave person who bet on it being delayed as long as 2020.
The money will fly. But where will it land? Whisper these words … shovel-ready projects.
In 2009, following the 2008 crash, Victoria International Airport had a project primed and ready to go. They wanted $24 million to build a series of roundabouts to shave 30 seconds off the trip to the airport. The fact that the new interchange boggles the most experienced driver, and has been called “Amen Corner” and “an engineering and logistical feat so complex as to foil even the most diligent of first time motorists” is neither here nor there. My point is that it got its funding because it was -ready.
On nearby Salt Spring, Island Pathways got twice the funding it asked for because their project for off-road, multi-use pathways around Ganges was shovel-ready, with financial partners ready to play.
Back in 2009, if the Capital Regional District and the Victoria cycling community had been prepared, that $24 million could have built 240 kilometres of safe, separated bike lanes.
Read more: BCSEA E-News: Whisper These Words... Shovel-Ready Projects
The Role of the Internet in Building Just and Open Societies
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2015 16:44
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Today, the Open Society Foundations joined the Ford, Knight, MacArthur, and Mozilla Foundations in a public commitment to work towards an internet that is built, used, and governed in ways that allow everyone to access it and benefit from its potential. Given our starting point, this will not be straightforward. The world’s communications infrastructure needs to contend with pervasive surveillance, censorship, and misinformation. The need for us, as foundations, to join in advancing the public interest in this rapidly evolving digital environment is greater than ever.
I invite you to read the Declaration of Principles [PDF] underlying this collaborative initiative. I also want to explain some of the ways the Open Society Foundations contribute to the important issues it addresses.
The declaration seeks to make the internet an open, secure, and fair space protecting free expression and privacy, and advancing economic opportunity, knowledge exchange, and civic engagement that everyone can access and afford. These are high priorities for the Open Society Foundations. While the internet is a powerful tool that holds great benefits for disadvantaged communities, many still cannot afford access. In many parts of the world, low-income consumers and marginalized groups have no access at all or lag far behind in broadband adoption.
Sixty percent of the world’s population, or more than four billion people, have little or no internet access; even in the United States, broadband penetration in tribal lands and native communities is less than 10 percent. Working to change this situation—through, for example, growing the publicly shared as opposed to privatized use of wireless spectrum—is crucial if the internet is to become a space of opportunity for marginalized communities around the world instead of another aspect of their disenfranchisement. To the same end, the Open Society Foundations work to secure effective legal protections for net neutrality, in an effort to create a level playing field for all online services and users.
Read more: The Role of the Internet in Building Just and Open Societies
BCSEA E-News: The Future of Energy on the Seas
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2015 16:44
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BCSEA is a non-profit society that relies on memberships to advance sustainable energy. Will you please join us?
COULD BC'S FUTURE FERRIES BE ELECTRIC?
by Thomas Cheney and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. february 11, 2015
[ACTIVlist] ACTIVlist Update - February 18, 2015
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- Published on Monday, 16 March 2015 13:46
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This daily ACTIVlist e-mail is a compilation of blog posts, media releases and action alerts from the Council of Canadians. For more information about our campaigns, how to get involved, and how to become a member, go to www.canadians.org. Please forward this e-mail and encourage others to join our list! Thank you for your interest and support.
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Barlow asks President Obama to reject Upland pipeline Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow has written US President Barack Obama to ask that he oppose TransCanada's proposed Upland pipeline.
There are no accidents.....
One year ago today, a TransCanada natural gas pipeline violently exploded near Rocky Mountain House Alberta.
Chapters respond to call for an...
Nova Scotia media not telling the full story. Plotters Neo-Nazi sympathies downplayed
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2015 11:22
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KJIPUKTUK, HALIFAX - Thankfully, a plot to kill a lot of people in Halifax on Valentine's Day was foiled.
Who were those plotters? Why would they want to do such an awful thing?
Well, they were murderous misfits,Federal Justice minister Peter MacKay told reporters yesterday, adding that the “the attack does not appear to have been culturally motivated, therefore not linked to terrorism.”
Maybe MacKay is right. Maybe he isn't.
But Nova Scotia's media is not giving us the information we need to make up our minds.
Read more: Nova Scotia media not telling the full story. Plotters Neo-Nazi sympathies downplayed
Hard Talk: Syriza's First Weeks in Power in Greece
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 23:22
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1082 .... February 18, 2015
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Hard Talk:
Syriza's First Weeks in Power in Greece
Sakis Gekas
On January 25th, Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) formed a government in Greece with the help of the ANEL (Independent Greeks). Within 24 hours direct attacks, threats and provocations aimed at the Greek government, about to begin negotiations with EU and Eurozone leaders, began. The attacks were pre-emptive strikes against efforts to find a quick, viable and productive solution to the Greek debt problem that continues to strangle the Greek economy and society; time is very short and everyone is aware that it is working against the efforts of the Greek government that needs to reach an agreement by February 16 or February 28 at the latest.
First came the German Defense...
Read more: Hard Talk: Syriza's First Weeks in Power in Greece
Derailed oil train continues to burn in West Virginia, Its a new safer type too!
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 21:44
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attribution: Screenshot/WCHSTVThe train carrying crude oil that derailed in West Virginia on Monday was still burning on Tuesday, disrupting life for thousands in surrounding communities. One house burned as a result of the derailment, and:Federal Railroad Administration workers were able to get within 50 yards of the derailed cars late Tuesday morning, according to the agency. Some of the rail cars were still on fire, and local emergency responders were still in charge of the scene.
Flames also burned power lines in the area, knocking out electricity to about 900 customers. Appalachian Power spokeswoman Jeri Matheney said electricity has not yet been restored because repair crews are having trouble accessing the extent of the damage.
About 2,400 people were evacuated or displaced by the train derailment, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Read more: Derailed oil train continues to burn in West Virginia, Its a new safer type too!
Four Bright Lights in Aboriginal Arts are Lost in Saskatchewan Car Crash
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 14:44
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Facebook via CBC NewsClockwise from upper left: Michael Green, Narcisse Blood, Michele Sereda and Lacy Morin-Desjarlais. All were prominent in the Alberta or Saskatchewan arts communities, and were driving together to give a seminar when they were killed in an auto accident on Tuesday February 10.Read more athttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com//2015/02/13/horrific-car-crash-saskatchewan-kills-four-bright-lights-aboriginal-arts-159179
ICTMN Staff2/13/15
Flags were lowered on Thursday February 12 in Regina and Ottawa as Canada mourned the deaths of four prominent artists in a horrific car wreck two days earlier.
Michele Sereda, 49, a co-founder and artistic director of the experimental theater company Curtain Razors; dancer and powwow instructor Lacy Morin-Desjarlais, 29, Saulteaux and Métis, of Regina; Michael Green, 58, of Calgary, a co-founder of the theater company One Yellow Rabbit, and Blackfoot elder Narcisse Blood, 60, Kainai First Nation, were riding together on their way to Piapot First Nation when the Subaru Outback driven by Sereda collided with a truck driven by Morley Hartenberger, 59, who also died.
The four had been heading to speak to students at Payepot School, where Sereda had taught for five years, and where now there are grief counselors on hand,CBC News reported.
Read more: Four Bright Lights in Aboriginal Arts are Lost in Saskatchewan Car Crash
[ACTIVlist] ACTIVlist Update - February 17, 2015
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- Published on Monday, 16 March 2015 13:46
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This daily ACTIVlist e-mail is a compilation of blog posts, media releases and action alerts from the Council of Canadians. For more information about our campaigns, how to get involved, and how to become a member, go to www.canadians.org. Please forward this e-mail and encourage others to join our list! Thank you for your interest and support.
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RCMP sees "anti-petroleum" movement as a threat
In response to the news about an RCMP document obtained by Greenpeace Canada, Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow has tweeted:
‘Anti-petroleum’ movement a growing security threat to Canada - RCMP Dissent is a right! http://t.co/BXysWIlLfB
Peterborough-Kawarthas chapter protests the indefinite detention of migrants
The Council of Canadians Peterborough-Kawarthas chapter joined with Youth 4 Global...
Thanks for stopping Bayer's lies about the bees
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 13:22
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This brain-harming pesticide has got to go!
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 11:44
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...
Massive bee die-off
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2015 04:22
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Bealls List of Predatory Publishers 2015
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- Published on Monday, 16 February 2015 13:44
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2015
Beall’s List of Predatory Publishers 2015
by Jeffrey Beall, January 2, 2015 Each year at this time I formally release my updated list of predatory publishers. Because the list is now very large, and because I now publish four, continuously-updated lists, this year’s release does not include the actual lists but instead includes statistical and explanatory data about the lists and links to them.Potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access publishers: This year, 2015, marks the fifth annual release of this list, which is also continuously updated. The list this year includes 693 publishers, an increase of 241 over 2014.
Number of predatory publishers, 2011-2015
Potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access journals: This year, 2015, marks the third annual release of this list, which is also continuously updated. The list this year includes 507 journals, an increase of 204 over 2014.
Number of predatory, standalone journals, 2013-2015
Two New Lists: Misleading metrics and Hijacked journals This year, I started two new lists that track two new areas of questionable practices related to open-access journals. The Misleading metrics list includes companies that “calculate” and publish counterfeit impact factors (or some similar measure) to publishers, metrics the publishers then use in their websites and spam email to trick scholars into thinking their journals have legitimate impact factors. The Hijacked journals list includes journals for which someone has created a counterfeit website, stealing the journal’s identity and soliciting articles submissions using the author-pays model (gold open-access).
Misleading metrics: 26 (list debuted in March, 2014)
Hijacked journals: 30 (list started in May, 2014)
Here are links to current edition of each list:
Cinema Libre Acquires The Police Reunion Tour Documentary!
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- Published on Monday, 16 February 2015 11:22
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Friends: We are excited to finally announce that CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU: SURVIVING THE POLICE is coming to theaters in March, starting with the AMC 25 and the Village East In Manhattan on March 20th! The documentary is based on Andy Summers’ acclaimed memoir, One Train Later, features Summers, Sting and Stewart Copeland, and tells of the band’s meteoric rise, headline-grabbing break-up, and reunion twenty years later, through rare archival footage and Summers’ personal collection of photographs. Sign up for updates & giveaways! Follow the film on Facebook for more news, behind the scenes previews and more!
Other Highlights:
- Robert Williams, the rebel and underground artist that put lowbrow art on the map, is launching a new show in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at the Barnsdall Art Park. Kicking off the two month exhibition of his work is a FREE screening of ROBERT WILLIAMS MR. BITCHIN' on February 22nd!
- If you are not familiar with the 'Angola 3,' three African American men who were falsely accused of murder. While in prison they were held in solitary confinement for decades. We wanted to share Amnesty International's campaign to help Albert Woodfox, the last of the three men still in prison. Albert spends 23 hours a day isolated in a small cell — four steps long and three steps across — with no access to meaningful social interaction or rehabilitation. In 1972, he, Robert King and Herman Wallace were accused of murdering Brent Miller, a prison guard. Since then, Albert has been fighting to prove his innocence in a legal process tainted with flaws. No physical evidence ties Albert to the crime. Brent Miller's widow has said she believes that Albert is innocent. The Federal courts have overturned Albert's conviction three times!
Now that an appeals court has again ruled in Albert's favor, his legal team has filed for bail. Tell Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to ensure that Louisiana stops standing in the way of Albert's freedom. It is time for him to walk free.
Read more: Cinema Libre Acquires The Police Reunion Tour Documentary!
Kids Learn Culture and Language at Surreys Only Indigenous Preschool
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- Published on Monday, 16 February 2015 02:22
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But support for Aboriginal Early Childhood Education has dropped, report says.
By Katie Hyslop, 13 Feb 2015, TheTyee.ca
Growing up, Terri Shouting, a member of southern Alberta's Blood Tribe, received little education about her Aboriginal background. Today as a mother of three young children in Surrey, B.C., she feels lucky to have a free preschool nearby where her kids have gained exposure to Coast Salish culture and its Halq'eméylem language.
"We never had any of the Aboriginal aspect growing up," said Shouting. All three of her children have attended Awahsuk Aboriginal Head Start program in Surrey's North Whalley neighbourhood.
"It just feels right," she said. "It's somewhere you belong to -- I'm never uncomfortable here."
Terri Shouting says her children have thrived in an early Aboriginal childhood development program. Photo: Katie Hyslop.
But not every Aboriginal family in British Columbia has access to a preschool program like the Awahsuk Aboriginal Head Start.
In fact, access to Aboriginal early childhood development programs is a B.C.-wide problem, which was highlighted in A Cold Wind Blows, a recent report on the funding, reach and quality of the province's Aboriginal early childhood development programs, written by the British Columbia Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS).
The impact of the lack of preschool programs can be seen in the fact that 50 per cent of the over 8,000 children in government care in B.C. are Aboriginal, said BCACCS researcher and A Cold Wind Blows author Kathleen Jamieson.
Jamieson suggested it would be wiser for the government to invest in quality preschool programs for Aboriginal children. "The foster care program is very expensive and it doesn't always help children that much," she said. "I think prevention is surely the way to go, to invest in that."
Read more: Kids Learn Culture and Language at Surreys Only Indigenous Preschool
Be the judge: Why are Peter MacKay's wedding guests, friends and donors bring appointed judges?
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- Published on Monday, 16 February 2015 02:22
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This new story may be of some interest to your members - given the optics for MacKay and the Conservatives.
Please feel free to share.
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/why-are-peter-mackays-friends-wedding-guests-and-donors-getting-appointed-judges
Thanks,Chris
The Historic Victory of Greek Left: What Now?
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- Published on Saturday, 14 February 2015 22:22
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LeftStreamed — Recorded in Toronto, 8 February 2015
The Historic Victory of Greek Left: What Now?
On January 25 2015, Greece elected a new government representative of a range of radical and left forces after years of protests and street battles against the extreme policies of austerity imposed by the so-called Troika composed of the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Syriza represents the first and the strongest democratic response to the bizarre deepening of neoliberalism after the 2008 crisis.
This forum brings together two important commentators on the left, socialist strategies and Greece to comment on the openings and dilemmas now confronting the Greek, and indeed the European and international, left.
Moderated by Paul Gray. Presentations by:
- Leo Panitch is Canada Research Chair in Comparative Political Economy at York...
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