"The worst thing to do in life is to live in fear."

The Jamaican Diaspora community has lost another one of its civil rights activist(voices). He passed away on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at the age of  76. The landscape of the black and Caribbean community in   Toronto, Ontario were blessed to have had a person such as Mr. Laws who as the title of this blog states believed that, "The worst thing to do in life is to live in fear." He further went on to say in a 2000 interview with the National Post,  "I have no fear at all. If one becomes afraid, you can’t do your work. You’ll be looking over your shoulders and be afraid to say what you want to say."

Whether you agreed with his approach or not it is a fact that Mr. Laws had no fear of speaking out against things that were unjust and too some extent against the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians. He has been able to leave this part of  the world better than he found it.

So to you we say thank you and hopefully more of the black/Caribbean Diaspora will analysis the actions of Mr. Laws and recognize that due to his efforts we all do not have to look over our shoulders as much. 
 

Varing Persepectives on Democratic Rights

This weekend will see voting in Egypt for constitutional changes which has been sometime in coming and recent events solidify the appetite for change amongst the people of the country. The following statement was reported in one of the news articles, "My vote today will make a difference. It's as simple as that," this statement to me as a observer summarizes the situation. 

Haiti will also be having their Presidential run-off on Sunday and it has been reported that Aristide is on his way back from 7 years of exile to the island nation.

The above points are noted to bring your attention to some basic concepts that have been lost here in our Western cultural the right to vote and express ones democratic opinion is taken for granted, although we see what has been happening all around us on a daily basis. Let us be that much more cognisant of this right and exercise it so as to assist in creating the universal harmony the world needs.

For me there is some irony in the locations where voting is taking place this weekend, that is Haiti was  the first independent country in the 'New World' and Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

Recent World Events

The catostrophic events in Japan over the past few days should give us all a reason to pause. Mother Nature has a mind of her own and does what comes naturally, but in doing so it can set off a chain reaction.

It is self-evident that this chain reaction has left us all questioning how such sophiticated systems could fail and what are the lasting affects. But these events should also make us recognize that we need to harness the strength and power of Mother Nature to create better solution for suppling energy.

Maybe this is the wake-up call to us all to be more respective of our planet and seek solutions for our energy consumption that work in tandem with the planet.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult and uncertain time.

A Little Canadiana

Dr. Olive Dickason  (March 6, 1920 – March 12, 2011)

Dr. Dickason was one of Canada's unsung heroes in the wider community but she was a women whom most women could become. She returned to the University of Ottawa at age 50 and received an MA in Canadian History and subsequently her PhD. Her passion for early Canadian history and her pride and interest in her Metis heritage are reflected in her work.

Dr. Dickason authored may books but the one that stands out of us is her 1992 book called, Canada's First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples From Earliest Times, she noted, she has tried to "reverse the perspective of the standard history." This in our mind and the minds of many make her a key figure in making Aboriginal History serious study in Canada's academic world. Coincidentally this book is still in use today.

Dr. Dickason passed away this week our thoughts and prayers are with her family. One of the lessons that we believe she has left with us is to challenge the status quo and look deeper for a greater perspective.

Welcome!

The objective of our post are to make you think about the world around you just a little differently!

We will endeavour to keep you up to date on the news that affects us all...
and then the newz that affects us directly.

Stay tuned and enjoy the ride it's sure to be amazing!