From the good folks at Make Poverty History:
We have an exciting job opportunity in Ottawa for the right person. We are looking for a full-time Online Campaign Coordinator to make our website and emails come alive.
If you are interested in helping alleviate poverty around the world and here at home, and have experience creating websites, writing engaging blog entries and sending calls to action by email to thousands of people, this is the perfect job for you.
The Make Poverty History campaign is gearing up to make a big splash at the G8 meeting in June next year, and you can be a part of this important project. We need someone to take charge of our online communications - web, email, social networking sites, heck, even Twitter - and make them a compelling call to action for Canadians who want to see an end to poverty.
Interested in learning more? Download the job description and application instructions here. We have an exciting job opportunity in Ottawa for the right person. We are looking for a full-time Online Campaign Coordinator to make our website and emails come alive.
If you are interested in helping alleviate poverty around the world and here at home, and have experience creating websites, writing engaging blog entries and sending calls to action by email to thousands of people, this is the perfect job for you.
The Make Poverty History campaign is gearing up to make a big splash at the G8 meeting in June next year, and you can be a part of this important project. We need someone to take charge of our online communications - web, email, social networking sites, heck, even Twitter - and make them a compelling call to action for Canadians who want to see an end to poverty.
Interested in learning more? Download the job description and application instructions here.
Better hurry, we will be accepting applications until midnight on Tuesday, September 8th.
PS: there's a French version of this ad here
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Twice I lied: Videos of LabourStart Conference Events
Thursday, August 20, 2009
OK, So, I lied. Sue Me
The full text of AFL-CIO President John Sweeney's welcome to delegates at the LabourStart conference in Washington, August 2009: HERE
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
LabourStart Conference
The vacation bit is done and the conference has started. Day 1 opened by AFL-CIO President Sweeney, lunch talk on the crisis in the US news industry by Bernie Lunzer, President of the CWA/TNG. Teamsters hosted a reception afterwards at their HQ.
Much fun, good people, including folks like Mahesh (India) and Roy (USA) whom I only get to see at these things. No time to report more as am too busy trying to fit in a trip to the Y and some work that has found its way into my inbox.
Photos HERE for any who are interested.
Much fun, good people, including folks like Mahesh (India) and Roy (USA) whom I only get to see at these things. No time to report more as am too busy trying to fit in a trip to the Y and some work that has found its way into my inbox.
Photos HERE for any who are interested.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Popping-in on the US Healthcare Debate
Day 3 in Washington, a bit of sightseeing before the LabourStart conference begins.
I cannot say 'hi' to an American without being asked about the Canadian medicare system. I can't remember anything since perhaps the Meech Lake referendum (and mebbe not even then) that would compare to this.
The Big Lie approach alive and well. Some truly bizarre TV adverts, and while news from the politically-biased or affiliated networks like Fox is quite bizarre at the best of times I gather, it has now have gone quite loonie. After watching Fox for an hour you begin to wonder if the bit of Canada you live in is the only part where you need government approval to take a leak or get out of bed in the morning, where people aren't camped out at hospitals begging for treatment.
'Town Hall' meetings where people show up wearing handguns or waving rifles, making the point that they will defend their right to live (and die) without state-supplied medical care, stories about 'militias' (not really, more like private armies made up of right-wing loons with automatic weapons) getting ready to defend their communities against forced euthanasia and more. One such was interviewed about his 'preparedness' while he was making bombs out of dynamite.
I'm hoping and assuming much of this is the news media focussing on the nutters, but it's hard to tell and there's so much of it...
Hard time yesterday at the liquor store convincing people that government committees don't order euthanasia when the cash register is empty or to a quota set by some committee of bureaucrats somewhere, that politicians, budgets and bureaucrats don't decide whether I get my tonsils pulled. All the opposed had stories that (a) were quite crazy, and (b)they were convinced were true.
Our beer got warm while I tried, and failed, to explain how we see medical care as a civic right, like voting or freedom of expression or garbage collection, fire and police services.
Sad. And very odd.
One fun thing: most white Americans we have spoken with are opposed to Obama's anemic plan, all Black and Latina/os either in favour or are curious about how our system works.
I cannot say 'hi' to an American without being asked about the Canadian medicare system. I can't remember anything since perhaps the Meech Lake referendum (and mebbe not even then) that would compare to this.
The Big Lie approach alive and well. Some truly bizarre TV adverts, and while news from the politically-biased or affiliated networks like Fox is quite bizarre at the best of times I gather, it has now have gone quite loonie. After watching Fox for an hour you begin to wonder if the bit of Canada you live in is the only part where you need government approval to take a leak or get out of bed in the morning, where people aren't camped out at hospitals begging for treatment.
'Town Hall' meetings where people show up wearing handguns or waving rifles, making the point that they will defend their right to live (and die) without state-supplied medical care, stories about 'militias' (not really, more like private armies made up of right-wing loons with automatic weapons) getting ready to defend their communities against forced euthanasia and more. One such was interviewed about his 'preparedness' while he was making bombs out of dynamite.
I'm hoping and assuming much of this is the news media focussing on the nutters, but it's hard to tell and there's so much of it...
Hard time yesterday at the liquor store convincing people that government committees don't order euthanasia when the cash register is empty or to a quota set by some committee of bureaucrats somewhere, that politicians, budgets and bureaucrats don't decide whether I get my tonsils pulled. All the opposed had stories that (a) were quite crazy, and (b)they were convinced were true.
Our beer got warm while I tried, and failed, to explain how we see medical care as a civic right, like voting or freedom of expression or garbage collection, fire and police services.
Sad. And very odd.
One fun thing: most white Americans we have spoken with are opposed to Obama's anemic plan, all Black and Latina/os either in favour or are curious about how our system works.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Spammers Target UnionBook
Holy snappin' arseholes! It takes a lot to get me off one of my fave activities (Geri thinks of it as a manifestation of my OCD): travel planning at 0500 in a strange city.
Day 2 in Washington (hello housebreakers, we have a housesitter!) and I should be planning today's walking, but am flummoxed by the intensity of the spammer attack on UnionBook. I have never seen this from the inside before. Astounding.
Amazing. Really. If a crowd on a streetcorner (like the Jews for Jesus loon we ran into yesterday at the White House, only a herd of them) came after me like these spammers are at UnionBook, I'd lose patience right quick and whack them. Or at least give them a sharp elbow. Hopefully in the neighbourhood of a deep hole with sharpened poles stuck in the bottom.
All that energy and time in the cause of making me happier with the state of my nether region or getting me connected with a Canadian pharmacy (I can walk from home to ten or so, thanks very much).
Trying to get a fix on this with some U. of Oxford Internet Institute podcasts on security and spammers and by heading to our hotel's gym to work out with a punching bag.
Day 2 in Washington (hello housebreakers, we have a housesitter!) and I should be planning today's walking, but am flummoxed by the intensity of the spammer attack on UnionBook. I have never seen this from the inside before. Astounding.
Amazing. Really. If a crowd on a streetcorner (like the Jews for Jesus loon we ran into yesterday at the White House, only a herd of them) came after me like these spammers are at UnionBook, I'd lose patience right quick and whack them. Or at least give them a sharp elbow. Hopefully in the neighbourhood of a deep hole with sharpened poles stuck in the bottom.
All that energy and time in the cause of making me happier with the state of my nether region or getting me connected with a Canadian pharmacy (I can walk from home to ten or so, thanks very much).
Trying to get a fix on this with some U. of Oxford Internet Institute podcasts on security and spammers and by heading to our hotel's gym to work out with a punching bag.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Iraqi Labour Rights Petition Now Online
The following is from US Labour Against the War and is directed at the US government, but the online petition it asks us to sign is open to all, regardless of nationality.
Almost immediately after the fall of the dictatorship, a vibrant, independent, democratic and pluralistic trade union movement sprang forth. Soon after the invasion in 2003, the U.S. tossed out most of the repressive Saddam-era legal code. But there was one law it kept on the books and enthusiastically enforced – the 1987 law that Saddam Hussein imposed making it illegal for public sector and enterprise employees to join unions or negotiate the terms of their employment. The subsequent Iraqi Interim Governing Authority continued to enforce this undemocratic denial of worker rights.
The new Iraqi government imposed additional restrictions on worker and union rights. It seized union bank accounts and froze their assets. U.S. and Iraqi forces have raided and ransacked union offices and assaulted and detained union leaders. Management of public enterprises, including the oil industry, was directed not to recognize or bargain with unions.
But the Iraqi labor movement continues to grow despite harassment, beatings, kidnappings, detention, torture and even murder of trade union activists.
Sign the petition HERE.
Almost immediately after the fall of the dictatorship, a vibrant, independent, democratic and pluralistic trade union movement sprang forth. Soon after the invasion in 2003, the U.S. tossed out most of the repressive Saddam-era legal code. But there was one law it kept on the books and enthusiastically enforced – the 1987 law that Saddam Hussein imposed making it illegal for public sector and enterprise employees to join unions or negotiate the terms of their employment. The subsequent Iraqi Interim Governing Authority continued to enforce this undemocratic denial of worker rights.
The new Iraqi government imposed additional restrictions on worker and union rights. It seized union bank accounts and froze their assets. U.S. and Iraqi forces have raided and ransacked union offices and assaulted and detained union leaders. Management of public enterprises, including the oil industry, was directed not to recognize or bargain with unions.
But the Iraqi labor movement continues to grow despite harassment, beatings, kidnappings, detention, torture and even murder of trade union activists.
Sign the petition HERE.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
UnionBook Improved
UnionBook has just been upgraded to the latest version of Elgg.
Much-improved. New features and easier, more intuitive navigation.
If you haven't already, take a gander now by clicking HERE.
Much-improved. New features and easier, more intuitive navigation.
If you haven't already, take a gander now by clicking HERE.
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