Fair Trade Winnipeg 2015

It looks like Winnipeg wants to join a notable list of other Canadian cities who are recognized as Fair Trade cities (including Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton) this year!  For more information and how you can get involved, go to:

fairtradewinnipeg.ca

Menstrual Products are a Necessity. Period.

Jen Zoratti of The Winnipeg Free Press talks about a desparately needed item at shelters - feminine hygiene products - and the fact that the federal government considers them 'non-essential' items and therefore taxes them, keeping them further out of reach for those already experiencing homelessness:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/menstrual-products-are-a-necessity-period-293595591.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-2

Building to a One Billion Rising Revolution

Check out the following article and  more about Building to a One Billion Rising Revolution at:

www.onebillionrising.org/15608/husband-murdered-gave-strength-save-countrys-girls-fartuun-adan

CNN: Crowd Sourcing to Fight Human Trafficking

This CNN article highlights a number of excellent organizations working in Cambodia to counteract the effects of human trafficking:

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2015/01/30/crowd-sourcing-to-fight-human-trafficking

Helping Women and Girls. Period.

Trying to take some of the squeamishness out of addressing menstruation - a great article by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/helping-women-and-girls-period/?module=BlogPost-ReadMore&version=Blog%20Main&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body#more-13097

Step into My Shoes

Please check out the videos and resources that Compassion has put together for the Step into My Shoes campaign:

stepintomyshoes.ca

Satellite Images from Nigeria

This link will take you to a CTV video, where satellite images show the destruction Boko Haram is doing in Nigeria:

winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2193427

Stella's Voice

stellasvoice.ca

Taking Action in 2015

James Hoddinott, also an educator, wrote the following blog post (December 31, 2014) as a call to action for fathers in 2015, but I think it's a larger call for all of us.  The year that was 2014 was not one where we protected our children as we should have.

jameshoddinott.com/2014/12/31/calling-all-fathers-taking-action-in-2015

Remember Our Girls: 269 Days & Counting

An article featured in the Winnipeg Free Press today, reminding all of us that 219 Nigerian girls are still missing and have been missing for 269 days and counting:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/Remember-our-girls-269-days-and-counting--288073541.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news

Faith Leaders Sign Declaration to End Slavery

www.globalfreedomnetwork.org/declaration

United Against the Taliban

An article posted anonymously to protect her identity, she speaks personally from Pakistan:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/23/united-against-the-taliban/?module=BlogPost-ReadMore&version=Blog%20Main&action=Click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body#more-13066

International Human Rights Day

What an appropriate way to celebrate International Human Rights Day - awarding this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi.  More details at:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/child-rights-activists-malala-of-pakistan-satyarthi-of-india-receive-nobel-peace-prize-285338411.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news

"Love, Kindness, Respect & Forgiveness"

Tears came to my eyes as I watched the video of 16-year old Rinelle Harper address a special chiefs assembly at The Assembly of First Nations today.  I became emotional because I wondered why it takes young ladies like Rinelle and Malala Yousafzai - broken, bruised and left for dead - to get our attention when it comes to issues that affect girls and women.  Why can't we have voices that are proactive in these causes and prevent them from happening in the first place?  Why do we have to talk about "women's issues" when really these are human rights issues?  I thought back to the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre from this past weekend and wonder how long the battle will wage on.  A friend of mine had a baby girl this weekend and it's my hope that Gabbie grows up in a better world, especially for girls and women.  I hope that when she is Rinelle's age, that we can talk about the way it used to be for girls, not the way it continues to be.

I admire Rinelle for the courage she displayed in using her voice to speak for those who can't speak for themselves, specifically missing and murdered indigenous women.  Her words were profound:  "I ask that everyone here remember a few simple words: love, kindness, respect and forgiveness."

winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/rinelle-harper-calls-for-inquiry-into-missing-murdered-indigenous-women-at-afn-meeting-1.2139029