Martin Luther King Day

We all remember that fateful day fifty years ago when one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in America changed the way we looked at the freedom movement. It elevated the question and opened dialogue which led to massive changes in the American way of life. The million people who witnessed the event left Washington with a resolve of hope and they made a difference.

In  Canada where many of our citizens live a sheltered life in quiet towns and rural areas where prejudice is just another word that has meaning out there became forced to recognize the evil of the situation in America where African Americans had few rights and  were treated like second class citizens. The closest parallel we had in Canada was the treatment of the aboriginal population who are segregated on reserves and are mired in poverty and are treated as second class citizens by our government.

Most everyone now believe in the equality of all people regardless of race, color, or religion. The fact remains that millions of peoples of the world suffer because they live in societies where these truths are not a reality for them. Mr King was not just fighting for the black people of America but everyone who lived under the yolk of discrimination.

I have lived in America and have travelled extensively and can say that although there has been a tremendous change in the last fifty years but there is still room for improvement and it will be slow in coming. The younger generations will be the chief agents of change  as the old guard leave the leadership roles to the youth of tomorrow. How proud we can be of the memory of Martin King and his courageous role he played in making a difference. It tells every person that they to can really make a difference if they only try.

Me To We

 I had never heard about this exciting program until my grand daughter Darcy became involved with the movement. She embraced the Me to We program and became a believer to the point where she attended a leadership academy one summer and spirited her school chums to become involved in building a school in Costa Rica. She was so enthusiastic that her feelings motivated many with whom she connected. She travelled to Costa Rica and was involved in the actual construction of the school.

Her mother was struck with the same magic as this movement is contagious arising from a humble beginning with two Canadian boys - Craig and Marc Kielburger - who had an idea to create change - to world recognition within a few years.This movement is a young people's thing with raw commitment to become leaders, agents of change and contribute to society by being a citizen of the world. It appears to be a youth thing at first sight but becomes a people thing where everyone has value and helping people to reach their own potential is important. Started 15 years ago as Free the Children by 12 year old Craig, the offshoot program Me to We has caught on to the extent that it now has world recognition.

Every year there is a We Day event held in cities across Canada and now spreading to the U.S. Thousands of young people and their teachers fill the Air Canada Center and are inspired by celebrities, social justice speakers and musical performers and reaffirm their commitment to "be the change". My daughter was an early believer and travelled to Kenya with Darcy to volunteer, school build and learn about the challenges faced by the people there. She is committed and preaches the word when possible. It has become a family thing and another of my grand daughters went to the Free the Children leadership academy this summer and claims it was a moving program and a life changer. Darcy interned for We to Me this summer and will always be a follower of this movement.

I have been brain washed and have written about this youth movement on occasion. Oprah W. had the Kielburgers on her program and they were a big hit; she strongly endorsed their work by sponsoring a program with FTC. While in Kenya my family members were inspired by the women  who were being empowered with the help of FTC and saw great potential in raising the level of education and life in general. I mentioned that women in particular were empowered because their skills were a source of economic value because the structure was put in place to sell their beautiful handmade artisan products in Canada and the USA.

If  I were a young person this movement would seriously challenge me to help make this world a better place. It captured my family's interest and I believe everyone who discovers this movement will be equally impressed. So Tuesday is We Day, do something that makes that Me  a We by sharing yourself with others.

Darcy learning the art to spackling at the Kisaruni Girls' School build in Kenya

Working on Kisaruni, first girls' residential secondary school in the Mara region.

Masaai women teaching their intricate beading techniques

A Message For Canada

Stephen Lewis took advantage of the golden opportunity to give Canada a message of hope, civility and love. Hope for a better Canada, civility in relations with each other and love of country were stated so eloquently over and over again by Canada,s best speaker. The language used by Stephen was blended so well as to make everyone aware of the importance of the message. It was as if he was talking to the Prime Minister and advising him of the way things should be done in Ottawa.

He challenged everyone to take Jack as an example of how to relate to people of all stripes and to always be civil while doing so. There is so much distrust and anger against our leaders whether they be political, economic or even religious because of their actions reported through the media. The social media has opened up the world to practically everyone instantly, and has caused a a social revolution.

People are just sick and tired of the way our country is being managed and feel helpless but Jack changed all that with a picture perfect campaign during the last election. He used honesty, humour and a message of hope to convince we the people that we can become agents of change. He said we must work together and make things happen. This message resonated through Stephen's  entire speech and brought everyone to their feet on any occasion where he spoke of civility and co-operation  in making our country a better place in which to live.

He praised Canada for being a great country but emphasized the challenge of making it an even better country by sharing the wealth and being inclusive so everyone in Canada could feel welcome and  could share its bounty. Jack and Stephen were great friends and shared the same ideals and convictions. Stephen works on a world stage and uses his skills to provide basic needs for people whose country is not doing so. His bond with Jack is that he has being the same work at the people level. If there was a social cause Jack was in the lead and if there was a balanced argument required Jack was not adverse to taking the often unpopular stand to make that argument.

Together they make a formidable team for good here in Canada and have thrown out the challenge for us to do the same. The message was for Canada but we as individuals are Canada and can make a difference.

Jack

Canada mourns the death of a man who during his life touched the imagination of everyone because he gave a glimmer of hope that politicians could be true to their words. Jack as he was known to the public for his life style and convictions walked the walk. My oldest daughter told me years ago when she was a student at Ryerson that there was a professor who rode to work every day on his bicycle. She said he was a green activist and was a person who wanted to make a difference in the way politics worked.

He acted the same in public life as he did in private and became beloved by the people who connected with him. His love for Toronto was shown when he was elected to city council and gave straight solutions for the problems facing Canada's largest city. He spoke his mind often but without anger or malice and sought compromise to bring people together.

He lived in an area of Toronto which had a very diverse ethnic matrix and loved to walk the streets of his district and talk to the people who gravitated to his personal touch and friendly demeanor. He became the face of the common people and carried the torch for those people who lacked a voice and championed ideas and causes that were important to those who cared about the quality of life in the big city.

There are words spoken now about this man who passed away so quickly after he became the beacon of hope for his political party and a shinning example of how to conduct yourself  in public life. Hours before his death he met with his close staff and wrote a letter to the people to express his wish for the future of Canada. He will be remembered for his achievements but his greatest legacy will be the manner in which he achieved these goals. Jack was a person whose life might  influence  people who wish to make their mark in public life and to do so with grace and conviction. Jack Layton was a reminder that there are good people out there who really care about their fellow man and Canada and were prepared to do something about it.

Turkey Dinner For The Family

Turkey dinner is more than a feast of good food and drink. It is the mix of people with similar heritage but divergent souls. As I watched the interaction among the second and third generation people in our family I could see a striking difference. Fresher interests, a more social conscience and a bravery to show their true feelings.

Everything from politics, religion and world view on our responsibility to mother earth is expressed with a certainty. So many of our grandchildren have taken a stand on women's issues, world hunger and the need for education as a means to solving the problems of mother earth. I can hardly express a new idea anymore as the youth have a benchmark way above mine.

Our table is not the place to tell a prejudice joke without expecting the wrath from the kids. Times have changed. Our youth have taken stands on issues that we at their age were not even known. It is a kinder and more gentile culture with a sharing attitude and a belief that things will be different if we do something. They express confident they make a difference, each one.

Recently there was a get together of 20,000 youth who sang, spoke and dedicated themselves to Free the Children. The Rogers Center in Toronto rocked all day and showed the world that everyone counts. This movement was started by a young Canadian and his brother and it has swept the country with literally hundreds of thousands involved in programs to make life better for under served people around the world.

Their leadership comes from within their heart and pours out in countless ways to build schools, feed the hungry and give the needy a face. Yes I feel great about our youth but this comes as no surprise as I always tried to give youth a voice when I saw them as the fresh new wave coming forth to lead us to a better way of doing things.

Terry Fox

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For many years I had a large photo of Terry Fox in my Principal's office and in the hallway next to the picture of the Queen. He was my personal hero and I used his success as a role model for my students.His physical feat of running nearly 40 miles a day for weeks on end on one leg while battling cancer which caused him to lose his other leg was incredible.

With my luck I was president of the local cancer society and chairman of fundraising. Our allocation for the previous was somewhere near $35,000. The year of Terry Fox's run we raised over $200,000. He was such an inspirational person. I was at the Toronto Convention Centre when he came to speak after walking 40 miles in the rain and as he hobbled across the stage making that thump, thump noise from his artificial leg and foot you could hear a pin drop.

He was tired and out of sorts because his schedule was changed and the promoters asked him to do too much.He began to speak saying how much he was encouraged about the fundraising he created since he crossed the Ontario border that he knew his goal would be met. He spoke softly as he expressed to all of us his cause. He wanted to raise enough money to get a cure for cancer. Tears streamed from his tired eyes as he spoke and every person there cried openly as well. He said he did not want much from anyone only a dollar from every Canadian. That would have been about $25,000,000. His runs during and since have raised much, much more than that.

Terry did not complete his walk across Canada, he stopped the run on top of a hill near Thunder Bay. His cancer returned. When he made that announcement from the side of his small van on that cold evening he was so tired he could not complete his interview. He did say that he would be back...he never completed that promise as he died shortly after. What he did do was raise the awareness of the need for research and begin a yearly run that raises tens of millions of dollars .

On the spot where he had to stop his run now stands a statue of Terry and a plaque telling his story of courage and endurance. He was and is a true Canadian Hero. I have stopped at that place and cannot look at his monument without shedding a tear and remembering how he so changed our concept of what constitutes a hero. We need more young people like Terry Fox.

You may want to read the letter Terry Fox wrote to the cancer society to get support for his vision ...

I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. But I believe in miracles. I have to.

Terry Fox, October 1979