To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

×
      LATEST NEWSOPINIONCLIMATEECONOMY POLITICS RIGHTS & JUSTICEWAR & PEACE
      LATEST NEWS
      OPINION

      malala yousafzai

      Painting Over Greta

      Painting Over Greta

      Activism is meaningless unless there is the political will to leverage civic engagement into policy change.

      Shahid Mahmood
      Oct 31, 2019

      It is incredible that Greta Thunberg's fight for our climate began with a solitary school strike outside the Swedish Parliament in August 2018. And now, that singular act of protest by a fifteen-year-old has spread - involving millions of students world-wide. Currently in California she declined an environmental prize from the Nordic Council, saying, "the climate movement does not need any more prizes...what we need is for our rulers and politicians to listen to the research."

      Before arriving in California, Greta led a climate strike outside the Alberta Legislature in the province's capital city of Edmonton. Not far from the Legislature on a section of a downtown "free graffiti wall" Greta's portrait was admiringly painted by a local artist. Predictably, the mural was quickly defaced with a pro-oil message. The vandal, captured on camera, says, "This is Alberta. This is oil country. My father has worked in the oil industry. We don't need foreigners coming in and telling us how to run our business, support our families, put food on our tables. [Thunberg] is a child who is, "doing what she's told."Child or no child, with handlers or without handlers - Greta is globally recognized as an instigator of change. Unfortunately, young activists like her are fighting a two-prong battle. The first battle is with a "populist conservatism" that mindlessly cherishes tradition and is usually about calculating profits. Leading this battle in Alberta is Premier Jason Kinney who has committed $30-million to a "war room". This war room will be tasked to flush-out and counter what his United Conservative government is calling "foreign interests" that support activists who spread lies about the province's oil and gas industry.

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      Opinion
      International Women's Day--A Woman's Place Is Still in the Revolution

      International Women's Day--A Woman's Place Is Still in the Revolution

      Now more than ever it is imperative that women are celebrated and elevated at the highest level for their immense contribution to shaping a world that is non-sexists, non-gender biased and unequivocally builds gender equitable systems for all

      Madeleine Zuniga
      Beathe Ogard
      Ema Jackson
      Mar 07, 2019

      'Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo'- You Strike A woman, You Strike Rock! Famous words by South Africa women resisting and standing up to racial oppression in 1956 when 20, 000 women of all races refused to be subjugated by the apartheid government. Although the women's March was against restrictive pass laws, this movement proved to be a turning point in the struggle against an unjust political system. The women's march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria led to significant changes in the law and the emancipation women in South Africa.

      History provides examples of women who refused the status quo and forever changed the course of events. From American civil society activist Rosa Parks to Kenyan environmental and women's rights campaigner Wangari Maathai who are recognised for their contribution and their place in the revolution.

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      Opinion
      Why Do We Revere Malala But Not Ahed Tamimi?

      Why Do We Revere Malala But Not Ahed Tamimi?

      "The point isn't that Malala doesn't deserve the platform she’s been given, but that while we celebrate Malala's advocacy for girls' education, we must ask why that platform is not extended to children like Ahed."

      Sarah Kastner
      Dec 14, 2018

      After Israeli forces shot her 15-year-old cousin in the head with a rubber bullet last December, Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian girl from Nabi Saleh in the West Bank, stood up to the occupying Israeli forces and was arrested and charged for slapping a soldier. The story of the activist went viral.

      But what Ahed was fighting for was largely buried beneath sensationalized media representations of her.

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      Opinion
      SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
      Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.
      Follow Us
      Most Popular

      3 Children, 3 Adults Killed in Shooting at Christian Elementary School in Nashville

      Internet Archive to Appeal 'Chilling' Federal Ruling Against Digital Books

      Trump Rally in Waco Called Not a Dog Whistle, But a 'Blaring Air Horn' to Far-Right

      Progressives Slam House Passage of GOP Book Banning Bill That Turns Children Into 'Pawns'

      'Shocking and Immoral': Report Details Private Equity's Stranglehold on US Healthcare

      Biden Urged to Crack Down on 'Terrifying' Use of AI by Medicare Advantage Insurers

      'Never Seen Anything Like This': US Librarians Report Book Bans Hit Record High in 2022

      GOP Voters Keep Backing Trump Because He Hates the 'Right' People

      Senate Dems Blast Medicare Advantage Giants Over 'Exorbitant' CEO Pay

      The Deadly Results of Economic Inequality

      SUPPORT OUR WORK.
      We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100%
      reader supported.