Styrofoam drives me mental, what do you do with it?
It is unrecyclable and sticks around forever!
As a new gardener I was happy to learn that you can use these stupid styrofoam cups, peanuts or packing material instead of rocks or broken pottery as drainage at the bottom of your planters and pots! Not only does it make these pots lighter and helps the pots drain but it also finally gives you a place to put this SH*T instead of the garbage can!
Now, being intrigued by this whole concept, I googled for more info. I learned styrofoam cups are also great for planting seedlings since the cup retains an even heat and encourages growth AND collected and shredded styrofoam makes warm dog beds for aging dogs with aching bones! NICE.
Music has the power to inspire, to soothe the soul, and to unite.
Last night I went to a concert where Questlove of the Roots was DJ-ing. Fueled by funky, soulful tunes – I danced away my worries with a smorgasbord of Haligonians. Sharing smiles with strangers. Dancing it up with people whose names I may never know.
Two summers ago, at the Jazzfest in Montreal I caught a free outdoor show by K’naan. A hot summer day turned into a warm summer storm by the evening – but the show went on. Those who wanted shelter ran for cover leaving only the devoted audience members in the downpour. And it’s moments like those – dancing in puddles, feeling so free – that solidify my belief in music’s power and potential to continually inspire, soothe and unite.
“I have said in the past that I believe art does not exist only to entertain but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, to engage in a constant search for the truth.” -Barbra Streisand.
Despite the cultural implications of resorting to Barbra Streisand for a quote about the political and social impact of art, note that there is a strong truth that rests within what this women is saying. I feel as though a general understanding among Canadian artists today (community artists in particular) is the belief that authentic and positive change is primarily achieved through solidarity. An individual may accomplish great things, but the moment they decide to actively participate within a community while applying Streisand’s notion of art as a provoker of truth, is the moment those great things escalate into movements that can transform lives.
Artists Against War, is a Toronto-based organization that has been using their artistic gifts together as a group, in order to express their opinion and raise awareness about the war. Dozens of volunteers are actively involved in organizing events and festivals to communally achieve their dreams and goals.
Tuesday, March 25th marked the long-awaited CitizenShift screening of the ‘Work for All’ short film collection. The evening was attended by many including a panel of diversity professionals, members of the HRSDC, and a very engaged and experienced audience who all had significant input.
There was a strong sense of hope present in the room believing that through each word spoken we might come closer and closer to positively changing Canada’s handling of workplace racism. Although the issue is still both vast and complex, the time has come for citizens to stand together and demand an action plan.
Montrealer in her mid-twenties.
Freelance journalist and photographer,
with an interest in human rights and sustainable living.
Has a cheerful disposition.
Tynesha is CITIZENShift's summer intern from Concordia University's Communication department (Mtl., QC). Brimming with interests, she states "I enjoy school, I sing in a choir and I am also involved in community radio and volunteer work with youth. In the future, I look forward to developing a company that merges my three great passions in sound, community engagement, and music."
David Widgington was the event coordinator for the Citizen Media Rendez-vous 2010 (http://citizen-media.ca). He is a mobile journalist (MoJo) who is well-versed in community radio, video and print and web-based media practices. He has a particular interest these days with diaspora communities returning to Southern Sudan since the end of the war. He is script-writing a documentary project on the subject. (http://southsudaninfo.net).
