FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| NEWS Jazz festival to go ahead in Calgary Despite the demise of the Calgary International Jazz Festival society, WestCan Jazz Association Inc. has announced that a major jazz festival will be happening in Calgary from June 19 to 28. WestCan is an umbrella organization of jazz festivals across Western Canada with representatives in Victoria, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. The Calgary Herald will lead the team of supporters as the title sponsor of The Jazz Festival 1998. Preliminary discussions with local supporters, sponsors, musicians and government agencies indicate a high level of support for an event in the Calgary community, according to WestCan. Because of its geographic proximity, the Jazz City Festival Society in Edmonton will be administering the event on behalf of WestCan. One of Canada's longest running international jazz festivals, Jazz City will manage the final bookings, production, staging and marketing of The Jazz Festival 1998 event. "The Jazz Festival 1998 programming will feature the very best from the community of Calgary jazz musicians, and will also present major international jazz artists touring Western Canada," says festival producer Marc Vasey. "We have excellent headliners from the jazz and blues world in place. Once we have all the venues and sponsors sorted out, we will announce the entire line-up. This will be a fantastic event." The Jazz Festival 1998 artist program will be announced in late spring. DJs to spin in support of women's group This weekend, you'll find some of Calgary's finest DJs spinning hip hop, soul, trance, drum 'n' bass, rhythm and blues, and more - all for a great cause at a hip price. Feroshus, Duffy and Maniac Maurice Morgan, as well as a scratch DJ, will perform Saturday, March 28 at Club Excess with proceeds going to the Women of Colour Collective (WOCC). The non-profit women's organization, for Aboriginal women and women of color to come together to share and affirm pride in who they are, runs activities such as public readings, creative writing workshops, support groups, and anti-racism workshops. "Here's an opportunity to support an important cause while having a blast with your friends. The commitment WOCC has received from the DJs and the venue is phenomenal," says office coordinator Sitar Kumar Tickets are available in advance at Feroshus, Books & Books, Brotherhood, and herland film and video festival, or at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the club is wheelchair accessible. Designated dates for the month of April April is a busy month with several special dates and events to mark on the calendar, including the openings of Hire-A-Student offices. The first day of the month is April Fools Day, followed by Daylight Saving Time on April 5 (spring ahead one hour at 2 a.m.), which is also Palm Sunday. Other designated days include: April 7, World Health Day (1998 theme "Safe Motherhood"); April 10, Good Friday; April 11, first day of Passover; April 12, Easter Sunday; April 13, Easter Monday; April 22, Earth Day; and April 23, Canada Book Day. Special weeks in April include: March 30 to April 6, Information Rights Week; April 5 to 11, National Wildlife Week; April 18 to 26, Earth Week; April 19 to 26, National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week; and April 19 to 25, National Soil Conservation Week, and Volunteer Week. The entire month is devoted to Canadian Cancer Society, International Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Dental Health, and Parkinson's Awareness. Government approves routine prenatal HIV screening All pregnant women in Alberta will routinely be offered testing for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) under a new government program in order to facilitate early detection and treatment of HIV infection in both mother and child. "Detection of HIV infection during pregnancy provides the opportunity to offer specific options including drug treatment to improve the health of the mother and reduce the risk of passing the virus to her infant by about 70 per cent," says Health Minister Halvar Jonson. "All pregnant women in Alberta should be aware that HIV testing will now be part of routine, good prenatal care and will be done unless a woman chooses not to be tested." Routine testing for HIV has been identified as one of the elements of optimal prenatal care by national and international professional bodies and advisory groups. Medical studies show the use of antiviral drugs during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of transmission of HIV infection from mother to fetus. "Preventing infection in as few as two children each year will result in direct health care savings that balance the costs of routine laboratory testing," says Jonson. As part of the implementation of the new program, Alberta Health will develop educational materials for both the public and health care professionals. It is expected that the routine testing for HIV in pregnant women will begin by the summer of 1998. Further details of the program will be announced at that time. A report submitted in November 1997 to the Minister of Health by a multi-stakeholder committee, co-chaired by the Alberta Medical Association and Alberta Health, recommended that a program be implemented for routine HIV testing in pregnancy. Current routine tests include those for hepatitis B, rubella (German measles), syphilis, Rh factor and antibodies to red blood cells. "The AMA was pleased to help facilitate this important project and appreciated the participation of a number of community groups and agencies," says Alberta Medical Association President Dr. Bill Anderson. "When routine HIV testing is implemented, discussion with each patient will be an important part of the process." AADAC to host international youth forum The United Nations Drug Control Program, together with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC), will stage a gathering of youth drug prevention programs from around the world in Banff, Alberta from April 14 to 18. Young people will share their programs and experience with drug abuse prevention in their own countries as a first step to developing strategies to address the problem of increased drug use by youth. In recent years, there has been a trend toward increased consumption of drugs by young people around the world. A greater variety of drugs is available and they are being taken in riskier forms. Many factors contribute to the problem, including high levels of youth unemployment, homelessness and poverty in countries around the world. This event comes to Alberta, hosted by AADAC, as a result of the ongoing work of CEO Leonard Blumenthal as Canadian Delegate to the United Nations. One of the key responsibilities for AADAC is the coordination and training of the Youth Crew, according to Dennis Jones, local organizing committee chairman and AADAC representative. "The Youth Crew is a team of Canadian youth who will be involved in hosting, small group facilitation, off-site tours and activities, daily newsletters and peer support." Albertans make up 34 of the 49 young people on the youth crew. Youth are also involved in setting the agenda for the conference. Four young people, two from Canada, are playing a key role on the Program Planning Committee, ensuring that the topics covered will be both interesting and relevant to youth. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to create a worldwide youth network that will monitor trends and share information about success and difficulties in implementing youth drug abuse prevention programs around the world. According to Jocelyn Burgener, chair of AADAC, there are also significant advantages to the Alberta youth involved and to the province. "This is an opportunity for our young people to learn about what others are doing to prevent drug abuse and the issues they face. In addition, they will be able to share their views and experiences with peers from around the world. From a broader perspective, this is a chance for AADAC to share its expertise and to learn different approaches which may be successfully applied in Alberta." To date, more than 150 young people from 22 countries have agreed to attend the conference. The countries represented include: Egypt, Bolivia, India, US, Italy, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, Colombia, England, Thailand, Russia, Senegal, Sweden, Hungary, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ukraine and Canada. Many non-traditional approaches to prevention such as soccer, street theatre, peer counselling, circuses and motor sports will be demonstrated in performances that will transcend language differences among participants. |