| Responsible Citizen conference
The Parhad Programme at the University of Calgary is holding its annual responsible citizenship conference on September 22 and 23 at the Rosza Centre.
This year’s theme is "bringing economic power to the service of progressive social change." Keynote speakers will include Maude Barlow, chairperson of the Council of Canadians, who will speak about how individual action can change the world, and journalist Linda McQuaig, who will speak about the need to resurrect the notion of the common good.
The conference will include workshops on the co-op movement, corporate responsibility for social activists and success stories of socially and environmentally responsible companies as well as a brainstorming session on how to start up a socially responsible business.
"Generally the theme is empowering people to get involved in social justice issues, to challenge them for more than just the status quo, to try something different," says Jamie Taylor, program manager of the Parhad Programmes.
"The conference itself focuses on alternative economic, social, progressive activity that has the environment and economic sustainability of the community in mind."
"People can learn they can be more than just a consumer. They can be involved and be a part of capitalism, but also build the community."
For more information on the conference you can call Jamie Taylor, program manager for Parhad Programmes, at 220-2136.
Citizen-led climate change plan
Climate Action Network Canada is hosting workshops across the country this month to create a citizen-led climate action plan. Recommendations from the workshops will be presented to Prime Minister Stephen Harper this fall.
The network is a coalition of 40 organizations including Greenpeace, Sierra Club of Canada, Pembina Institute, KAIROS, World Wildlife Fund and the David Suzuki Foundation.
Climate Action Network Canada is hosting the workshops in order to pressure the Harper government not to abandon Kyoto and to come up with a strong action plan to reduce Canada’s growing greenhouse gas emissions. The network is asking the government to require the oil industry to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and to set stringent Canada-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and timelines to meet those targets.
The Calgary workshop will be held on September 27 at 7 p.m. at the Calgary Area Outdoors Council office (1111 Memorial Drive N.W.). For more information visit www.sierraclubchinook.org.
Project Ploughshares open house
Project Ploughshares is hosting an open house and potluck to show off its newly renovated office and to celebrate international peace day on September 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Parkdale United Church.
After the potluck there will be a screening of the film Peace One Day at the Plaza Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Province needs better health care planning
NDP MLA Ray Martin is calling on the provincial government to come up with a long-term plan to address critical problems in the health care system such as acute bed shortages, not enough health care professionals and an increasing number of red alerts caused by insufficient numbers of ambulances available to respond to emergencies.
Martin says the Conservatives lack of a plan has led to a crisis in health care.
At the end of August the NDP released statistics that showed that Calgary’s population grew by 240,000 between 1992 and 2004, but the number of hospital beds decreased by 78 over the same time period.
The NDP is also calling on the province to staunchly defend Alberta’s public health care system in the face of a new lawsuit that will challenge the province’s right to prevent Albertans from paying for private health insurance for publicly delivered services.
Bill Murray launched the lawsuit after having to pay for a special hip replacement surgery that wasn’t covered by the public health care system. Public health care advocates fear that if Alberta’s health care system is opened up to private insurance it would seriously undermine the public system. |
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