Category Uncategorized

Facebook moderators call for advertiser boycott to be extended: Guardian

In line with the continued failure of Facebook and other social media organizations to effectively manage hate speech and misinformation, the Facebook advertising boycott from this website will continue into the fall, and possibly later, unless significant changes take place before that.

Until then, I am counting on you to help me out! Please share this widely in your circles, join directly through the website (subscribe to newsletters etc) instead of only through Facebook, and encourage others to do the same. Facebook is opening banking on small businesses to give up the boycott before they have to make any meaningful changes. Let’s not make life so easy for them. 🙂

On the website, there are new pages and resources that have been added, and new items are regularly being added to the online store! We have a wide range of really cool sustainable items, including laundry detergent, upcycled yarn , Palestinian Fair trade products, bedding, phone cases and more!

Tru Earth Laundry Strips

Facebook Fails to Appease Organizers of Ad Boycott NYT

As the Facebook advertising boycott continues, this website continues to add its’ voice to countless others who are calling for Facebook to be held accountable for hate speech, violence, misinformation and other significant problems that it is allowing to continue.

Facebook does not yet seem moved to action, and appears confident that people will continue to use the platform (eyes on screens) and spend $ (advertising revenue). We all have a part to play in speaking up against hate. In that spirit, here is my ask for today:

ACTION: This website does have a Facebook page, and that is a way that many in this community are connected. My ask for today is that you join others by following the website (here) by email/through WordPress. Not only will you get more information (the website has far more details, resources and an online store!), you will be able to stay connected without opening Facebook.

By joining others on the website, you will be a part of helping make a statement to Facebook, and contributing one small action towards change against hate speech. Click here for details.

NOTE: In line with the boycott, I will not be promoting this on Facebook. Please share widely within your circles. See you soon!

Click here for details.

Freelancers and others frequently get asked to work for free, or for significantly reduced rates. It definitely happens in the non-profit world, and I have heard from others that it is frequently a problem in the creative world as well.

Along with strong support for a Universal Basic Income, and significant caps on CEO/executive and other high earner salaries to close the gap between low and high earners, let’s start from the premise that everybody deserves to be paid fairly for the skills and expertise that the bring to a project. We all deserve to have a living wage, whether freelancer or not.

Happy watching! (And thanks to everyone in the video for testing the theory in the real world, so that I don’t have to do it! :))

Watching from Facebook? Join us on the website for more great resources!

As many of you may have already heard, a boycott has begun, Stop Hate for Profit – withdrawing advertising dollars from Facebook until they strengthen their regulations and policies related to hate speech, violence, misinformation and other related pieces.

I personally know that I, and this website, are a very small operation, and my few dollars of advertising that I have spent do not register in any meaningful way in Facebook’s advertising budget. At the same time, I firmly believe that we each need to use our voice – in whatever form that takes – to stand up for what is right. Collectively, we can create changes that none of us can do on our own.

So, in that spirit, I will not be spending any money on Facebook for July and August, and possibly later. This could change (earlier or later) depending on the status of the boycott and if/when changes happen. I will do my best to keep you updated on things as they evolve.

In the meantime, for those of you who have joined us only on Facebook, I would like to offer extra encouragement to come over to my website and join there! All of my posts (which you see on Facebook) are there, plus I have lots of extra resources, and an online store, filled (and growing!) with lots of cool, sustainable items!

If you know others who might be interested in joining as well, please share this around. The more the merrier! 🙂

We have to wake up: factory farms are breeding grounds for pandemics: Covid-19’s history is not yet fully known, but the links between animal and human health could not be clearer Guardian

NOTE: During this pandemic, and always, immediate safety, health and other concerns come before discussion on other related issues. Discussion on policies during the pandemic, their implications and choices we make collectively for the future do not, in any way, minimize the impacts of the present crisis.

While this pandemic continues, and most of the world remains locked down, it feels imperative to me to try to look at root causes, as a way to reduce the chances that this happens again. This does not minimize the work that countless people are doing to find a treatment etc. However, I think we can all agree that working to prevent the next pandemic is at least as important as addressing the current crisis. To be clear, information on this current pandemic is rapidly changing. I am focusing on a combination of what we know about this pandemic in the present, as well as what seems to be clear about trends, related to animals, food systems and climate change, in broader terms.

……..

Following up from a few days ago, there is more evidence that factory farming – and the general systems through which most of the world gets animal products (including meat, dairy and eggs) is an overwhelming contributor to the disease spread which leads to pandemics and the type of crisis that we are in right now.

Pathogens do not respect species boundaries, either. Influenza and coronaviruses move fluidly between human and animal populations, just as they move fluidly between nations. When it comes to pandemics, there is not animal health and human health – not any more than there is Korean health and French health. Social distancing works only when everyone practises it, and “everyone” includes animals. (Bold mine)

Guardian

So, the evidence is clear, The question is only related to how we respond to the clear risk to our own health (personally, communally and for the climate), that this evidence presents to us.

To reduce risk of pandemics for ourselves, our gaze needs to turn to the health of animals. In the case of wild animal populations, such as the bats that scientists have theorised as a probable origination point for Covid-19, the best solution seems to be to limit and regulate human interaction.

In the case of farmed animals, though, the lack of public understanding has allowed unscrupulous corporations to move policy in exactly the wrong direction. Across the globe, corporations have succeeded in creating policies that use public resources to promote industrial farming. One study suggests that the public is providing $1m per minute in global farm subsidies, overwhelmingly used to prop up and expand the current broken model. The same $1m a minute that promotes factory farming also increases pandemic risk. (Bold mine).

Guardian

What other systems are allowed to remain so pervasive in every day life, with consequences that are so profound, yet so unspoken? So, here’s today’s challenge. Let’s come out of this pandemic with at least one silver lining. Let’s make sure that we change our systems so that we have reduced our risk for the future. What does that look like practically?

Here are some next steps to consider. Pick, choose, adjust for your individual circumstances. 🙂

1) Stop eating animal products. Use up what you currently have in your fridge/freezer, and commit to not buying more after that.

2) Commit to only eating animal products from very small farms (eg a few backyard chickens etc), where the disease risks can (presumably) be managed, and we are not interfering with nature/wildlife (eg hunting etc). For overall climate emissions, a total consumption reduction is in order (especially for meat), but this is one way to still use eggs, for example, without the disease risks that come from larger operations.

These two are the fastest pathways to change, and are best for both disease prevention and climate health. Systems change, from a policy perspective, is very difficult, especially when large players are making money on the status quo.

Especially during this shutdown, stocking up on dried legumes and rice etc is not only easier and more sustainable, it’s also more cost effective. A large bag of brown rice and a few bags of dried lentils and chickpeas goes a long ways. 🙂

3) In addition to the above, a secondary level of change work is related to advocacy and policy change. After significantly reducing/eliminating the market for animal products from factory farms etc, creating strong policies to ensure better practices for the future is much easier, although it still often takes a long time.

Let me know what changes you are making in response to this challenge. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂

Hope everyone is staying safe!

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Donations, whether large or small, are gratefully received to help maintain this website. PayPal details are available on the website. Thank you!

Bill Gates, at Odds With Trump on Virus, Becomes a Right-Wing Target NYT

This particular conspiracy theory – or at least parts of it – is one that I have seen circulating multiple times already on social media, and it is discouraging, to say the least. In an era in which strong, cooperative leadership and community – both local and global – are so important, engages in baseless conspiracy theories is wildly counterproductive.

To be clear, I do not agree with Bill Gates, or his foundation, on everything. I disagree with the tax and other systems that allowed him, and others, to become so wealthy. Also, naturally, as with any development organization or foundation, I don’t agree with every planning, programming or funding decision that he or the org have made (although I have spent only minimal time accessing, so that’s a fairly superficial assessment.)

Regardless of any policy or program disagreements that I may have, there is absolutely no place for these kinds of attacks or conspiracy theories. They are fundamentally inappropriate and must stop. I am no engaging on the specifics of the topic at hand here – just the fundamental process of how we engage in positive and meaningful public dialogue, including civil society, government, faith groups, non-profits, public health and others.

From that perspective, there are a few things that are needed, including:

– Respect: If we do not start from a fundamental place of respect for others, everything that comes later will be tainted. A strong civil society is better equipped to discern baseless conspiracy theories and not give them traction.

– Shared Values and an end to Polarization: Any conversation that becomes black and white, like this, is likely to end poorly. When the discussion becomes “I do option A and I’m right, so anybody who doesn’t do option A is bad”, the conversation has little value, and will likely do a lot of harm. To be very clear, that does NOT include tolerating hate speech of any kind, violence against anybody or other similar things. It does mean, however, that more cooperation and less polarization would do the world a lot of good right now. 🙂

– Cooperative, respectful leadership: Leaders that enflame tension, belittle others or use a crisis to justify their own authoritarian tendencies cause problems for everyone. Humble, cooperative and respectful leadership is needed from everyone.

So, here’s hoping for an end to the conspiracy theories, and a positive, cooperative, respectful future. Happy weekend everyone! 🙂

A New Mission for Nonprofits During the Outbreak: Survival NYT

NGOs, among others, are in a particularly difficult spot during this shutdown. Fundraising is frequently a challenging part of NGO work, particularly when applying for grants etc. When there is a downturn or crisis, everything becomes much more difficult. When an org is living at the very edge of financial viability at the best of times, there is little capacity left to cover gaps or challenging times.

In a 2018 survey by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, a consultant, three-quarters of nonprofits said they would run out of cash in less than six months. Nineteen percent said they had only enough funds to last, at the most, for a month.

(Bold mine, and I believe that this is a US stat, but not confirmed. I assume stats would be similar for Canada).

NYT

I had not seen specific stats on this piece, and, while I am not entirely surprised, it is still shocking, assuming these stats are accurate, to see how close to the financial viability edge many NGOS are operating.

In the immediate term, I hope NGOs and small businesses etc are able to get through this crisis intact. There will be very tough decisions to make, and things will likely get worse before they get better.

In the longer term, my hope is that NGOs, especially the smaller ones, learn from this and come back with stronger admin structures where needed, a more extensive donor relations base that can weather storms more easily, professional support and expertise where they need it, and a savings account that can help buy them time through the next crisis. In some cases, perhaps that will mean coming back to full functioning via a merger with a similar small NGO or any of a variety of creative solutions. Through this difficult time, stronger organizations with better program design, admin structures and donor relations may be the silver lining that we can look forward to. 🙂

For International Women’s Day (just past), here are a few links that I have been collecting over the last little while. Despite progress, women are still under-represented and under-valued in countless ways. Happy Reading! 🙂

‘We still have a problem with female authority’: how politics sets a trap for American women (The Guardian)

After My Abusive Relationship, I Couldn’t Leave The House. Travel Opened My World Up Again. HuffPost

My life got easier after top surgery. Is this what male privilege looks like? (Guardian)

A new poll shows what really interests ‘pro-lifers’: Controlling Women (Guardian). Far from truly caring about protecting women and children, denying access to full reproductive health services, along with other rights that men have, is ultimately about men (primarily) attempting to control women.

Warren jokes men who think marriage is between one man and one woman should ‘just marry one woman’. CNN – Let’s put our own action and integrity first, before we engage in discussion with others about their actions. Another one I have seen recently (I think on Facebook)… Any men who genuinely care about limiting the number of abortions in the world should get a vasectomy first. 🙂

These people have a country to run. (Macleans) – A look at an amazing and progressive government, and what leadership looks like, when barriers are removed. 🙂

Fighting the tyranny of ‘niceness’: why we need difficult women.
(Guardian) – To be clear, being nice and being strong are not at all mutually exclusive. However, sometimes, difficult decisions need to be made, or conversations need to be had, and women do not deserve to be limited only to roles where they are only passive and “not difficult” for others.

The queue for women’s toilets is a feminist issue. (Guardian) – Anybody else tired of long lines that men never have to deal with? 🙂

Running Out of Children, a South Korea School Enrolls Illiterate Grandmothers (New York Times)

And, on a lighter note, here is a great article about Robert Munch and The Bag Bag Princess (CBC). A perfect book to go back to for International Women’s Day… 🙂

“The program uses state-of-the-art AI techniques, but simple tests show that it’s a long way from real understanding.” The Atlantic

A long read, and a bit heavy on grammar – for those who are not as interested in grammar as others 🙂 – this is well worth the time to read. Among other things, it is a good reminder that Google translate my help with very simple tasks, such as explaining a word or short, basic phrase to help with communication. However, even in relatively basic sentences, Google may miss key grammatical cues, thus fundamentally changing the meaning of the sentence from Language A to Language B.

To me, the word translation exudes a mysterious and evocative aura. It denotes a profoundly human art form that graciously carries clear ideas in Language A into clear ideas in Language B, and the bridging act should not only maintain clarity but also give a sense for the flavor, quirks, and idiosyncrasies of the writing style of the original author. Whenever I translate, I first read the original text carefully and internalize the ideas as clearly as I can, letting them slosh back and forth in my mind. It’s not that the words of the original are sloshing back and forth; it’s the ideas that are triggering all sorts of related ideas, creating a rich halo of related scenarios in my mind. Needless to say, most of this halo is unconscious. Only when the halo has been evoked sufficiently in my mind do I start to try to express it—to “press it out”—in the second language. I try to say in Language B what strikes me as a natural B-ish way to talk about the kinds of situations that constitute the halo of meaning in question.

The Atlantic

Ultimately, Google is attempting a direct, word for word translation, with no sense of context, or other pieces that humans take for granted in communication. I think the author makes a great point when questioning whether what Google translate does is actual translation in the full sense of the word. If the Language B text is largely made up of Language B words, but is not grammatically accurate, and does not have clear meaning, has the text genuinely been translated?

Is this actually in English? Of course we all agree that it’s made of English words (for the most part, anyway), but does that imply that it’s a passage in English? To my mind, because the above paragraph contains no meaning, it’s not in English; it’s just a jumble made of English ingredients—a random-word salad, an incoherent hodgepodge. (Bold mine).

The Atlantic

Language, relationships, communication and translation are highly complex. Google may be able to help with some of the basics of translation, but it is a long ways from what a real person can do. 🙂

CBC.ca: GO ridership from Kitchener jumps 40 per cent, Metrolinx report says.

Numbers show ‘if you build it, they will come,’ Waterloo mayor says

CBC

More incentive to continue to work at leaving the car at home and taking the GoTrain/bus for these kinds of trips. Let’s continue to add incentives to the system to put resources towards greater public transit, in all forms, instead of more highways and parking lots. 🙂