Why I'm pro-choice

I have a broad conception of pro-choice in that I view it as encompassing not only supporting what is commonly referred to as a "woman's right to choose" (i.e. whether or not to have an abortion) but also the right of all persons to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in general. I say 'informed choices' because I think people have the right to be provided with accurate and relevant information about their SRH, which plays an important role in the decisions people make about their health. For example, information about how to protect oneself and one's sexual partners against sexual transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. It often confuses me when pro-life/anti-choice groups oppose sex education in schools and, the real extremists, who oppose the use of contraception. It only makes sense that if you want to reduce abortions that you would support the use of contraception to prevent unintended and unwanted pregnancies that could result in abortions.

All of this said, my MAIN reason for supporting pro-choice, in the sense that particularly emphasizes the right of a woman to freely choose to have an abortion (or not), can be boiled down to the following key points: 1) whether or not abortion is legal, it will still occur; 2) when abortion is illegal, many women die or suffer premanent damage to their health because of unsafe abortions; 3) by contrast, when abortions are legal and women have access to safe abortions, they survive and rarely suffer complications; 4) access to safe, legal abortions saves women's lives. I don't have a stat on hand to prove it but I even suspect that the number of women that die and suffer severe health consequences every year due to unsafe abortions outnumbers the number of safe, legal abortions that occur every year. Anyhow, for me it comes down to saving women's lives. I don't think so-called pro-life supporters truly understand that.

Until next time ...

Doughnuts vs. Diplomacy

When I read reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper skipped out on attending the UN Summit of Climate Change on September 23, in favour of a photo-op with Tim Hortons, I decided it was time to write to Harper and express my displeasure. I have included my letter to Harper below with links to articles about this story. I encourage others to do likewise and write to the PM at pm@pm.gc.ca immediately. Canadians need to act now to let Harper know that we take climate change seriously. Non-Canadians should also email Harper to let him know how his actions are affecting Canada's international reputation. I hope that this issue gets a lot of attention leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. And so, without further delay, my letter to the Canadian Prime Minister:

Hon. Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

I am writing to express my concern regarding reports that you were absent from the UN Summit on Climate Change on September 23 because you were attending an event at the Tim Horton's Innovation Centre. Prime Minister, I have to tell you that I am very disappointed that you would chose doughnuts over diplomacy, that the future of our planet means less to you than a cup of coffee and photo opportunity.

I understand that we are at a critical juncture with the respect to our economy and that, in the midst of a global recession, you would want to encourage large scale companies like Tim Hortons to (re)invest in Canada. However, the decision to attend an event scheduled to take place during a critical summit on climate change sends the message to the international community and to Canadian citizens that you do not take the issue of climate change seriously and that Canada's image on the international stage is not a priority to you or your government.

Prime Minister Harper, I participated in a Global Wake Up Call, organized by Avaaz, on September 21, 2009. The Global Wake Up Call consisted of 2600 events in 135 countries across the globe. The message behind this event was that people all over the world are deeply concerned about climate change and that we want our world leaders to sign a climate deal in Copenhagen that is a bold, ambitious, fair, and sets binding targets to reduce emissions. On September 21, I called your office and requested that you should attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in person this December and that you should send a clear message that Canada takes climate change seriously.

When I read things like "Our priority is the Canadian economy. Nothing takes precedence over the economy" (one of your spokespersons Dimitri Soudas) I think "my government cares more about money than people and our planet". I am glad my government is dedicated to improving our economy and creating jobs for Canadians, but to say that no other issue is considered just as, if not more critical, than this? It worries me deeply.

Please, Prime Minister, I encourage you to reconsider your stance on climate change and to take our international reputation more seriously.

Lastly, I would also recommend that, the next time you are craving some caffeine, you make a trip to Bridgehead, my favourite chain of Fair Trade coffee shops, located right here in our nation's capital and order a cup of delicious fair trade coffee or tea.

"Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. Fair trade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This allows them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fair trade offers consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their every day shopping."

Thank you and I look forward to hearing more about your renewed interest in climate change and promoting a better international image of Canada.

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Links and background information:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Doughnuts over diplomacy - The Toronto Star, Sept. 24

The Global Wake Up Call - Avaaz.org

TckTckTck - The World is Ready - A global campaign to encourage world leaders to commit to signing a bold, ambitious, fair, and binding climate deal in Copenhagen.

About Fair Trade - Fair Trade Labelling Organizations

Leaving the Country

Forgive me if I am have written about this before, but I scanned through old entries and could not find the reference that I was looking for.

During the 17 months that I lived in Nigeria, I was fortunate to obtain a copy of Poems of Black Africa, an anthology of some of the continent's best poets and their poems, edited by Wole Soyinka. For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with poetry. I've been writing poems since the age of 10, or perhaps earlier. I think the first well-written poem I wrote was penned at the tender age of 12. This being so, I was always on the lookout for a good book of poems and Poems of Black Africa certainly falls into this category. In fact, to say that it is 'good' seems a gross understatement, but I did not begin this entry with the intention of providing a full scale review of the book.

I came across Poems ... on one of many trips to Wuse Market, located in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja. I was browsing in the bookshops, which bore a very scarce resemblance to some of the second-hand bookstores that I have been to in Ottawa. The bookshops in Wuse Market were very small and yet seemed to house hundreds of books, stacked on shelves and in piles on the floor. When I entered a shop, I would sometimes ask for books by a specific African author or else ask for any books by Nigerian authors. It was on one of these occasions that I was handed a copy of Poems of Black Africa.

I remember quite clearly that the first time I opened the book the poem I came across was Bahadur Tejani's 'Leaving the Country'. I gazed upon those words in stunned silence. At this time, I was struggling to come to grips with my upcoming departure, which was scheduled to take place shortly after I completed the 6-month internship that had been my raison d'être for coming to Nigeria. At that time, little did I know that I would end up staying another 11 months.

As I read the poem, I felt myself falling a "deep daze of dislocation" (to quote the author). The words were painfully beautiful and beautifully painful. I fell in love with the words, the way they made my heart ache with longing and sadness, expressing feelings I had not had the ability to articulate (at least not as eloquently). I felt like weeping and perhaps, later in the privacy of my single room apartment, I did. The last stanza of the poem had a particularly profound effect on me at the time, although I admit that I would find it difficult to play favourites now. But for the sake of recollection and sharing, the last section of the poem reads:

"Only one solace:
there have been
others too,
lingering in that twilight,
who shed
home and country
and at times
colour
who travelled the long way
and also never felt happy. "

At the time I read those words, I was not happy. I was struggling with the thought of leaving a place I had come to consider 'home' and returning to a place I had, for the most part, willingly and happily left behind (although with some trepidation, this having been my first venture overseas). But, as I've already said, I did not leave then. I stayed, perhaps longer than I should have. However, I do not regret lingering there. I still have a lot of love in my heart for Nigeria and hope, some day, to return to the country. Perhaps when I do, I will write a poem about it.

Soul Food

Music is food for the soul. Not all music, mind you. Some music might destroy your soul, if not listened to with a measure of understanding and some distance. But I don't want to dwell on the negative. Rather, let me put into words some thoughts on some a very wonderful, soul enriching musical experience.

Tonight I had the absolute overwhelming pleasure and privilege to see K'Naan and his crew perform live. The show took place in a club in downtown Ottawa, my home town. I was pleased to find that K'Naan can be counted among those artists that are even better live than recorded, which is saying a lot because K'Naan's albums are fabulous. I was moved by the performance to the extent that I almost cried. In particular, on my way home, I felt that emotional tugging feeling I get some times when I am overwhelmed by something so beautiful that it almost hurts. I honestly felt like he treated us, all of us, like his very close friends. This, I believe, is one of the highest marks of a good performer, being not only at ease with an audience but speaking and singing to them in a way that makes them feel familiar, loved, and appreciated. I can't speak for the rest of the audience, but when K'Naan spoke I listened intently and felt within me a brilliant glow of admiration and love. It's an interesting feeling to have when you don't have a direct personal connection with someone. It is feeling like you know someone you don't know or, to make it sound less nutty, it is 'shared feeling'.

What is 'shared feeling'? It's along the lines of people being very different from one another, but having something(s) in common that don't need to be explained to be understood. While everyone's own perspective and experiences are unique, there are similarities that unite us. This is where solidarity comes from.

To shift gears briefly, K'Naan and J.Period recently collaborated to produce tributes to Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan. The series is entitled: The Messengers. K'Naan explains that he identified each of these artists as 'Messengers'. He states "in our world today, in the world of sound, music and rhythm, within it, who has a message? who has something to say to us? who has a way to propel us forward? And I felt like Fela Kuti did, I felt like Bob Marley did, I felt like Bob Dylan did, and I hope I do." K'Naan himself is indeed a Messenger. His lyrics are poetry, they tell rich and powerful stories, they speak Truths. They are insightful, tragic, beautiful, and happy. It is truly refreshing to listen to him.

K'Naan is sincere. He is not perfect; he is human, he is a man. I do not worship him, I admire him. And I am thankful for the opportunity to witness his music and words. I hope to some day regain the ability to write poetry, as I once did, with an open heart and mind. I did that once and K'Naan reminded me of how liberating and freeing it can be.

And on that note, I will attend to the pressing matter of sleep.

What happened to my links?

I am not entirely certain as to how it happened, but all the links on the sidebar of this blog were erased. I have the sneaking suspicion this happened when I was trying out different templates the other day. I am rather annoyed. I had a decent collection of links that pointed to some very interesting pages. Unfortunately, I can't remember every link and so could not possibly rebuild the original list.

I have, however, learned a valuable lesson: do not rely too heavily on technology. I admit that I have become too reliant on technological devices, gadgets, and services. I can't seem to go a day without checking my email and Facebook accounts. I am frequently online, whiling away the hours when I should be outside getting some fresh air and exercise. This having been said, I think that I will hop on my bike and enjoy the sunshine. Summer will be coming to an end all too soon.

Coming Home

In the past year I have failed to regularly update this blog, a year in which I packed up and ventured overseas. I have since returned 'home', having completed my assignment, but I am once again left feeling as if some part of me stayed behind. My experience this last time was quite different from my experience in Nigeria and yet bore some key similarities. At times I lacked the light hearted, easy going, open approach I adopted while living/working in Nigeria. Despite the difficulties and challenges, I was rewarded with a very enriching experience and formed new and fulfilling friendships during my 10 months abroad. I hope to be able to draw on these experiences and rekindle this blog, after a long hiatus, in the coming weeks/months.

Roll up for the Mystery Tour

Yearning as I had not felt it for some time. At least not as intensely. Then a flood of memories, juxtaposed against the Present, in all its splendour. Past and Present, both are beautiful yet bring with them something sharp that stings. It is not necessarily a 'bad thing'. Like a ray of bright light, the brilliance of which may seem overwhelming. Although I sometimes think I might change 'things' if I went back, the past should not be denied and it has all lead me to this moment, for which I am grateful. For, although this moment may not be perfect, I have had moments I could describe as such, one way or another. I have also had not so perfect moments, ones that pained me, stripped me down to the core and pinched very hard, if you catch my drift. What I want now is not to strike a balance, but to tip the scales to exponentially increase those lovely moments that sustain me, that fill me with hope and joy.

I want to go to Nepal, and stand in the foothills of the Himalayas. I want to gaze on the glory of the Pyramids in Egypt. I want to feel the rush of a great waterfall (set location). I want to float on a lake at night, the sky above my head filled with stars. I want to feel the spark within me burning intensely with the warm glow of pure happiness. I want to know.