Needs No Introduction

Jack Layton's reputation speaks for itself. For more than two decades he has been dedicated to public service - as a councillor, scholar, president of the federation of Canadian municipalities, chair of the Toronto board of Health, and the city's Member of Parliament and deputy mayor. Since 2003, he has lead the New Democratic Party of Canada and in 2008, successfully increased the federal caucus by almost 25% - just 6 seats less than at the party's peak during the 1980s. On October 9th, Jack Layton gave a speech at this year's CUPE National Convention in Montreal. In it, he praised the work of public sector employees and their families, and emphasized the importance of strong public services in overcoming economic recession.

Ken Georgetti is one of Canada's most recognized defenders of labour rights. He was first elected 10 years ago as president of the Canadian Labour Congress, after a quarter century of union activism in British Columbia. This included a 13-year stint as the youngest-ever president of the BC Federation of Labour, during which time its membership doubled. Both provincially and federally, Georgetti has been an avid leader and activist, and has advocated what he calls "intelligent militancy" and unity between the 55 affiliated unions within the CLC. Goergetti's focus is not merely on issues close to home, however; under his leadership, the Congress has been at the forefront of campaigns to fight corporate globalization, forced labour and sweatshops. He is Vice-President of the International Trade Union Confederation and an executive member of the Trade Union Advisory Committee for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Georgetti was the first labour leader to receive the Order of British Columb

Since 2003, Vancouver East has been home to North America's first legal supervised injection site for drug users lacking access to health services. The program is called "Insite," and provides a safe location for men and women to inject drugs and to receive needed health attention  - everything from immediate care for disease and infection, to addiction counselling and mental health treatment. Libby Davies is an NDP Member of Parliament representing Vancouver East and is her party's federal spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness and Multiculturalism. A longtime supporter of drug policy reform - specifically to end criminalization of users - she has been instrumental to Insite's success since its inception. This contributed to her recognition at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference for her "outstanding drug policy reform work."

On September 7th, 2007, Kenyan parliamentary candidate Flora Igoki Terah was abducted and tortured by a group of men. The attack took place with the intention of silencing her election bid against a minister in President Mwai Kibaki's government, and was carried out with impunity. Terah's physical recovery took weeks and resulted in the loss of her place in the December election, but the hardest blow came the following year when her 19-year-old only son was murdered, his death brushed aside by the authorities.  Flora Terah's case is not an isolated incident - 153 cases of electoral violence against women candidates were reported to Nairobi's Education Centre for Women in Democracy leading up to the 2007 elections. For Terah, this injustice has given her all the more reason to hold onto her political aspirations. She has since founded Terah Against Terror - an organization for victims of electoral violence, and works with the Centre for Multiparty Democracy to strengthen the democratic process in Kenya. Her bo

On September 26th, the Yukon NDP Leadership Convention was held in Whitehorse. The event's special guest-speaker was Jim Sinclair - President of the BC Federation of Labour, which represents 500,000 workers throughout the province. For more than 25 years, Jim Sinclair has been an articulate member of the labour movement. After working for the Nelson Daily News, he became part of the fishing industry and, in the 1990s, was elected second Vice President of the United Fisherman and Allied Workers' Union/Canadian Auto Workers' Union - a position he held for eight years. He was elected President of the BC Federation of Labour in 1999, and since then has also come to sit on the Board of Directors for Working Enterprises Ltd., the Working Opportunity Fund, and BC Citizens for Public Power.

For the past 30 years, Gloria Mills has been a driving force in the trade union movement. After moving from Trinidad to Britain in her late teens, she became a regional organiser for the National Union of Public Employees in London in 1985, beginning her life's work as a campaigner for workers' rights. In 2005, Mills was appointed president of the Trade Union Congress - the first black woman to hold the position. During her year-long term, she became a prominent advocate of diversity issues and equal opportunities in the workplace. Today, she is national secretary for Unision, the biggest trade union in the UK, and is honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. During a visit to Canada last October, Mills was interviewed by the RPN's Meagan Perry. She provided insight into her life and work, as well as the philosophies which enabled her to become such a strong part of the trade union movement.

On September 8th, the Canadian Centre for International Cooperation's Americas Policy Group hosted a panel discussion at the University of Ottawa to explore concerns raised by the Harper government's proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The meeting highlighted the importance of conducting a Human Rights Impact Assessment before ratifying the agreement, as was recommended by the House of Commons' international trade committee. In addition, it examined the influence of transnational corporations on the rights of Colombians, and the potential harm to be caused by the Canadian government in endorsing such corporations in a country with significant existing human and labour rights abuses. Speakers: Dora Lucy Arias, Colombian human rights lawyer from the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective; Gauri Sreenivasan, trade analyst with the Canadian Centre for International Cooperation.  The panel was moderated by Fiona Meyer-Cook of the CCIC Americas Policy Group. Philippe Tremblay of Lawyers Without Borders

On August 26th, Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood was the location of an enthusiastic panel discussion regarding the Canadian government's abuse of the civil rights of some of its citizens in the name of security and counter-terrorism precaution. The panel, organized by Octopus Books, was an opportunity for the sharing and consideration of the experiences and activism of its speakers and all in attendance. Speakers: Abdullah Almalki - Canadian citizen who was detained, interrogated and tortured in Syria Yavar Hameed - Human rights lawyer, counsel for Abousfian Abdelrazik Maureen Webb - Human rights lawyer, co-chair of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and author of "Illusions of Security: Global Surveillance and Democracy in the Post 9/11 World." The panel was followed by a question and answer period. Introductions and closing statements were made by the panel's moderator, Bill Skidmore, who teaches human rights at Carleton University.

On May 27th, the fourth and final equity issues panel was conducted at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities. The sessions marked the 25th anniversary of Rosalie Abella's Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, and sought to explore the status of equity today, and the progress made by those committed to the equity agenda in Canadian universities. The last panel, "25 Years After: A Retrospective on the Abella Commission and Employment Equity," looked specifically at the successes and failures of employment equity initiatives over the last two and a half decades in order to determine just how much of the rhetoric has been supported by practice. Speakers: Judy Rebick, Ryerson University; Shelagh Day, Poverty and Human Rights Centre of Vancouver; Isabella Bakker, York University; Joanne St. Lewis, University of Ottawa.  The panel was followed by a question and answer period and closing statements were made by Malinda Smith (Vice-president Equity Issues, Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Scienc

On May 28th at the Congress of the Humanities, Judy Rebick discussed some of the themes explored in her recent book, "Transforming Power: From the Personal to the Political." Her lecture examined the social and political potential of what has become a new, interactive movement driven by technology - a movement Rebick asserts has the capacity to revolutionize our understanding of power and to engage an ever more connected public. The lecture was followed by a question and answer period. (Please note that audience members did not have a microphone, so audio quality varies.)

On June 26th, The International Development Research Centre hosted a lecture by Neil Turok, Director of the Perimetre Institute for Theoretical Physics, and founder of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Capetown, South Africa. Turok showcased the AIMS model and stressed the importance of investing in the math and science skills of the continent's younger generation -- what he asserts are crucial tools in driving economies and addressing challenges such as disease and natural resource management. The event was followed by a brief question and answer period.

"Seeding Change: Linking Youth for Food Sovereignty in Honduras and Canada" took place on July 2nd in Ottawa. The event was hosted by USC Canada, which has been working to improve food security in Honduras since 1998. Three young organic farmers - two from Ottawa and one from Honduras - shared photos of their experiences and, with the help of an intimate audience, discussed the challenges and benefits of regaining control over what we eat and where it comes from. Speakers: Sergio Ramirez, ecology student and coordinator of a youth agricultural research team (CIAL) in Honduras David Burnford, co-founder of the Riverglen Biodynamic Farm in Ottawa; Geoff Cross, facilitator of the OPIRG community garden at the University of Ottawa.  Speakers were introduced by Sarah Mohan, Public Engagement and Fundraising Program Officer for USC Canada. Susie Walsh, Executive Director of USC Canada, directed the question and answer session and delivered the event's closing statements.

The Federation Equity Issues Portfolio conducted the third of its four-part equity panel series on May 26th. It featured Joyce Green, Makere Stewart-Harawira and Rauna Kuokkanen, who examined the status of indigenous peoples in Canadian universities, and the status of scholarship on indigenous people. Held as part of the 2009 Congress of the Humanities, the panels serve to explore what has been gained and what stands to be achieved for equity-seeking groups in the Canadian Academy. Speakers: Joyce Green, University of Regina; Makere Stewart-Harawira, University of Alberta; Rauna Kuokkanen, University of Toronto.  The panel was followed by a question and answer period and closing statements were made by Malinda Smith (Vice-president Equity Issues, Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences).

On May 25th, the second installment of a four-part equity panel series was conducted by the Federation Equity Issues Portfolio at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities. The panels served to examine the status of equity-seeking groups in today's Canadian Academy, 25 years after Rosalie Silberman Abella issued the Report of the Royal Commission on Equality in Employment. Speakers: Anthony Stewart, Dalhousie University; Aruna Srivastava, University of Calgary; Darren Lund, University of Calgary. The panel was followed by a question and answer period.

Five speakers from across Canada made up the first of a four-part panel series held at the Congress of the Humanities to explore the status of equity-seeking groups in today's Canadian Academy. Speakers: Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Simon Fraser University; James Deaville, Carleton University; Ashok Mathur, Thompson River University; Carl James, York University; Dolana Mogadime, Brock University.   The panel was followed by a question and answer period.

At the 2009 Congress of the Humanities, Carleton University's International Policy Forum presented a panel discussion to promote the launch of "Afghanistan and Canada: Is there an Alternative to the War?". Speakers: Lucia Kowaluk - co-editor of the book, grassroots community organizer and former coordinator of Montreal's Urban Ecology Centre Steve Staples - co-editor of the book, Director of the Rideau Institute, defence and public-policy researcher Stephen Cornish - contributor to the book, Policy & Advocacy Advisor for CARE Canada Introduction by Loren Hunter - Director of the International Policy Forum, Carleton University From Black Rose Books: For over six years, thousands upon thousands of troops have been in Afghanistan fighting a seemingly endless war. Billions of dollars of foreign aid have been poured into the country. Thousands of military and civilian causalities are the tragic human cost. International observers report that corruption is rampant, and the opium trade flourishes. A new Taliban

On May 5, 2009, Ryerson University was host to a free screening of Us Now, a UK documentary about how the web enables people of all ages to participate in their communities. The event was organized by Volunteer Toronto. 02:36 The event began with words from Toronto Mayor David Miller on shift toward open governance in the City of Toronto (see Toronto.ca/open), and on Twitter. Mayor Miller is introduced by Andy Strote, President of the Board of Directors, Volunteer Toronto. 15:40 Following the film screening, author Don Tapscott shared his observations about the film, society and technology, and the global shifts in the economy and institutions, as we know them. This was followed by panel disucussion on the role of technology in community engagement with Toronto's social innovation and non-profit organizations, moderated by Volunteer Toronto's Celina Agaton. Allyson Hewitt, Director of Social Entrepreneurship, MaRS Discovery District; Christine Cooper, Executive Director, Family Assoc. for Mental Health Everyw

SaveourNet.ca partnered with Telecommunities Canada, rabble.ca and The Tyee for Ottawa's Open Internet Town Hall, with support from NUPGE. Speakers: Michael Geist - law professor at the University of Ottawa where he is Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law; Charlie Angus - NDP MP, Heritage and Culture; Rocky Gaudrault - CEO, Teksavvy Solutions Inc. Introduction by Steve Anderson - Co-founder, SaveOurNet.ca Discussion Facilitator: Marita Moll - TeleCommunities Canada Special guests: Jacob Glick - Canada Policy Counsel, Google Canada, * Mike Gifford - founder of Open Concept Consulting Inc * Leslie Regan Shade - Communications Professor, Concordia University * Graham Cox - Canadian Federation of Students David Fewer - Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) Ottawa's Open Internet Town Hall was designed to give local citizens the chance to shape Canada's broadband future. As Canada falls behind other OECD countries on Internet speed, cost, and openness, SaveourNet.ca will host

TBD.

Teamsters Canada held its 10th convention from June 8-11 at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. Globe and Mail columnist and CTV commentator, Jane Taber, addressed the convention on the importance of union engagement with media and new media, and also shared some insight into the experience of reporting from the Hill.