ANNOUNCING JEWISH EDMONTON STORIES ONLINE PROJECT

I am happy to announce that I will be working on the following project in collaboration with #YEGFilm and the cooperation of several community organizations. 

JEWISH EDMONTON STORIES ONLINE PROJECT SEEKS PARTICIPANTS

Jewish Edmonton Stories Online, a project for Jewish and non-Jewish Edmontonians alike to learn and connect with the stories and places of our community’s past, will launch in the fall of 2021. We are seeking remarkable stories and memories from interested members of Edmonton’s Jewish community that connect to a particular place in the City. Stories do not have to be submitted in a complete format. At this point, we're looking for story ideas and summaries. We will follow up with you once the stories are selected for sharing on our coming interactive storytelling website. Stories will be recorded via audio, video, and/or written transcription via an interview process.

We intend for the stories to represent diversity within the Jewish community, including, but not limited to elders, Sephardim and Mizrahim, women, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities. All recording will be carried out safely with COVID-19 protocols in place. The storyteller will be paid a small honorarium. At this time when we are physically isolated due to COVID-19, it’s important to reach out in as many ways possible to connect and share our community’s knowledge, history, and experiences.

This project is being made possible with the support of the Edmonton Heritage Council, JAHSENA, WordsPicturesMusic.com, #YEGFilm, and the Jewish Federation of Edmonton. To share your story, or for more information, feel free to connect with us at stories@jewishedmontonstories.ca. Deadline for stories: March 1, 2021.

Article on Women and Activism

At the end of March, an article I wrote about the challenges of being a woman involved in activism was published by FLURT, a website for and by young women. Confessions of a Female Activist was part autobiographical and part inspired by my female comrades in the struggle.

Write the Power: Writing Workshop

I led a writing workshop on May 20 as part of the "Writing Quarters" series organized by E4C called "Write the Power: Words on Activism." Below are my notes, as well as the work I created during the writing exercises.

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Writing Quarters
“Write the Power:” Words on Activism

I. Introduction (10 minutes) a. Introduce myself: Community/alternative journalist; activist; led a workshop last year on community journalism
b. Go around table and ask for introductions; why are you here?

II. Writing Prompts (10 minutes writing time each; sharing optional: 10-15 minutes each)
a. Slogan/Chant: Pick a social cause and write a 1-2 line slogan or chant.
(Examples: The people united will never be defeated.
Whose street? Our streets. Who decides? We decide.)

b. Poem/Song: Pick a social cause and write a verse or two of a poem (any style) that could be done as spoken word at a protest.

My example, inspired by protests against Bill C-51:

The clock is ticking
Human rights fading
Government taking
Our freedoms, our voices
Leaving us no choices

This is why we're fighting
To keep the fire igniting
Stand up and be counted
Take the power back

c. Meditation on “The Ideal World:” Activism is ultimately about making the world a better place, regardless of the cause. Describe the “ideal world” in verse or prose.

My example:

John Lennon's famous words "You might say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" really resonated with me from the first time I ever heard the song "Imagine." I like to think of myself as a dreamer and my dream involved a world without war, hunger, or homelessness. Where people treat each other with respect and are not afraid to love. Changing the world means changing the world around us. It starts with the people in our daily lives and then hopefully creates a ripple effect. That is my dream, a dream of universal love leading to a more loving universe.

d. Open prompt: Take any of the three pieces created during the workshop thus far, and build on it. (write more slogans; a few more verses of the poem; expand the “Ideal World” theme.

I expanded the spoken word poem I wrote on Bill C-51:

Take the Power Back

The clock is ticking
Human rights fading
Government taking
Our freedoms, our voices
Leaving us no choices

This is why we're fighting
To keep the fire igniting
Stand up and be counted
Take the power back

There can't be justice
When all of those amongst us
Are hit with a label
Called terrorists, unstable
Can't gather without suspicion

Don't let them have that ammunition
Stand up and say no
Chart the direction we will go
Take the power back

Once our rights are lost they're gone
Don't let them think that they have won
We've got to stand up,
Stand and be strong
Make a right out of this wrong
And take the power back.

III. Conclusion
a. Encourage participants to stay in touch; share work on my blog.

Community Journalism: Workshop Notes

I recently gave a workshop on community journalism for a writing group in the McCauley neighbourhood. I thought I would share my notes here to try to encourage people to take part in community journalism and to inspire creative thoughts.

A. What is Community Journalism?

It is hyper-local as opposed to just local

Geographically limited in scope (such as a neighbourhood newspaper)

Often produced by non-professional writers/photographers (citizen media)

Can go into depths of community events/news/opinions overlooked by other media

Gives a voice to the marginalized

Media can include newspapers, blogs, social media

Value of substance over style, because it is mostly being produced by non-professionals

B. Why Community Journalism?

Cover topics/events ignored by mainstream, larger media

To give community members a voice

With regards to community newspapers, to present the reality of life in a specific neighbourhood (for example, in the inner city, the good is often overlooked by other media)

A good place to start building a portfolio because it is easier to get published; less competitive

C. News Versus Opinion

One of the most misunderstood aspects of journalism

News: non-personal, fact-based, written in the third person. An article or column.

Opinion: Personal, feelings-based, written in the first person. Editorial or letter to the editor.

D. Assignments

Five minutes each; share afterwards:

1) List a choice of themes, and ask participants to write something on that theme.
2) Write a short news piece on something going on in your community.
3) Write an opinion on something in the community, such as a social issue or recent happening.

A Novel Triumph

For the second year in a row, I took part in National Novel Writing Month - better known by its acronym NaNoWriMo.

With the philosophy that inside everyone is at least one novel, the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days during the month of November. That is an average of around 1667 words per day. Results are entirely self-reported. There is no outside verification. What one writes does not have to make sense, or even be any good. A suggestion often repeated is if you get stuck, add ninjas.

The daily word count may not seem like a lot, but when you are sitting there trying to think something up, it can be daunting. I am someone with a lot of flexibility in my schedule - I have no idea how someone with a typical job can do this.

I wasn't even going to do it this year. Last year, I have personal reasons for taking part. I had a few things I needed to work out of my system, and I chose to do it through writing. This year, I was blank. Blank, until I woke up in the wee hours of November 1 with an idea. An idea that was too good to let go of. So far, this has been the biggest advantage of morning insomnia.

In general, I have mixed feelings about NaNoWriMo. The sheer speed with which the novel has to be produced probably results in a lot of unreadable manuscripts forever to be hidden on a hard drive. Does encouraging people to write page after page of crap accomplish anything? I think so, ultimately. Writing for the sake of writing is wonderful, and if it gets people thinking creatively, then it's all good.

How much did I write? The final word count came in at 50,456 completed on November 28. The most I wrote in one day was around 4000 words. The least I wrote was around 300. On average, I wrote around 2000 words, which was my goal.

As someone who writes and edits for a living, I wanted to write something that actually flowed and made sense. While it is going to require some extensive editing, I feel I have accomplished that. I know you're probably wondering what I wrote. It's an erotic novel that goes places 50 Shades of Grey doesn't, in several regards (I am talking about both the storyline itself and, ahem, "activities"). In addition to many scenes of a sexual nature, there is actually a strong storyline that delves into issues of life, love, and identity. If you are a literary agent who would like to have a look, please contact me.

I hope everyone taking part in NaNoWriMo this year had a meaningful experience!

Raise My Voice Becomes Radical Citizen Media

In September of 2005 I attended a peace march. I brought a camera and took pictures. I posted those pictures online. This behaviour became a habit.

People looked at the photos. They looked a lot. So much, in fact, that the server I posted them on, crashed.

As a result, I purchased a domain and hosting plan. The website was called RaiseMyVoice.com and became a portal to the photos and videos I shot at rallies and events concerning human rights, social justice, the environment, women's issues, poverty, and a host of other topics, mostly from progressive and left of centre viewpoints.

After a while, the website became one of the largest historical archives of citizen engagement in Edmonton at such events. RaiseMyVoice.com needed to be updated more and more frequently, and required more categories, better organization, and a cleaner look.

This week, RaiseMyVoice.com got the overhaul it needed. It was such an overhaul that I decided to change the website entirely.

With the new look comes a new name: Radical Citizen Media.

There are more events organized by subject matter than ever. More categories. The videos are easier to find. Photo sets lost and broken have been found and fixed. The design is cleaner, navigation is easier, and updates now include embedded photos and videos.

I have been called Edmonton's Indymedia because of my commitment to documenting progressive and left-wing citizen engagement in Edmonton. That commitment is going to be met even better moving forward. Radical Citizen Media is now both a serious part of Edmonton's media scene and valuable historical archive.

Freedom to Read is Freedom to Live

Books - glorious books. We often take for granted our ability to walk into a book store or library and acquire pretty much any title we wish. At various points in history, and in other parts of the world, others have not been as fortunate. If we live in a society of censorship and inability to access resources we want and need, this affects our quality of life. It affects our freedom not only to read, but our freedom to be full, functioning citizens.

Freedom to Read Week recently concluded. As a closing speaker, the Edmonton Public Library brought in David Barsamian, host of Alternative Radio to speak on March 3. Barsamian spoke about the importance of language when trying to discuss and influence the political scene.

Barsamian began his talk about speaking a bit about the robocall scandal that has come to light in recent weeks. He followed that up by pointing out that people tend to know more about what is going on in the world of sports rather than politics.It reminded me of an in-joke between myself and a few friends. "How was the game?" we would ask each other, with sarcasm, whenever we pretended to imitate what we considered to be a citizen oblivious of current events.

David then spent some time talking about what libraries mean to him. He claims that they literally saved his life, as he described his parents as "country bumpkins" who were ignorant of literature and history. He found his own learning endeavours more fruitful than from formal education, describing schools as "holding pens" and "daycare centre" (especially the younger grades).

Taking a fair amount of time discussing books that influenced him, Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm were quoted numerous times. He also spoke about language and memory, citing the state control of learning through what he called "inverted language." As an example, he used an editorial from the Calgary Herald referring to the Alberta tarsands with the much sanitized term "oilsands. This manipulation of language can also be described as "greenwashing" and "astroturfing." He emphasized the need for the correct terms to be used (like "capitalism" instead of "free market," and "imperialism" instead of "foreign policy" as other examples). Referring to the U.S. as the "United States of Amnesia," Barsamian warned against the use of the passive voice because it avoids responsibility. For example, "Bombs were launched" - but by who? He recommended that all writers read Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" and referred to many journalists as simply "agents of mass distraction" and "lapdogs with laptops."

Another warning was the citizens are vulnerable if they cannot break down terms of propaganda and see through "coded language." "We have neighbourhoods - we have strongholds," for example. He also explained how "stupidity is constructed" through such means as getting people to believe things through constant repetition. Barsamian also explained the history and definition of propaganda, discussing the father of the term, Edward Bernays, before talking more about censorship.

David Barsamian's talk reinforced my belief in citizens educating themselves by seeking out alternative forms of news and communications rather than mainstream media, and to really think about the messages that bombard us during day to day life. It was also a reminder to head to your local library and read as much as you can on topics that are important. Other than sports, that is.

To view all of the videos of David Barsamian's talk that I filmed, click here.

November Firsts: NaNoWriMo, Movember, and Maisie's

November has come and gone, and with it. I like to think of myself as somewhat adventurous (being "somewhat adventurous" meaning something similar to one who likes to take "calculated risks" but that is a topic for another time) and decided to try a couple of new ventures during the month.

The month of November has two special designations. First, it is National Novel Writing Month (or, NaNoWriMo for short). Participants in NaNoWriMo have the goal of writing 50,000 words of fiction in the month. You can have an outline, but cannot have already started on the draft. It is literally literary madness. The theory behind NaNoWriMo is that everybody has a book inside of them - I don't doubt that, although I think 50,000 in 30 days is a lofty goal. More like insane. There is no time for revisions - you just keep writing for the sake of writing.

I did try this a few years ago, and didn't get very far. I did not have a clear enough idea of the novel I wanted to write, and I just could not think up enough original material on the spot under such pressure.

Perhaps I was under the influence of some kind of mania, but this time I did it. And, I was finished by mid-month. I had a very detailed outline and much of the research done beforehand. I will indeed spend some time revising it - December is supposed to be the month designated to that - but I may prefer some more hindsight before I attempt to work my way through the pages.

November is also "Movember," when men grow moustaches to raise funds for men's health, in particular prostate cancer. The guys who take part are called "Mobros" and us women are left wondering, when we see a man with a moustache, if it is for real or if it is temporary just for Movember.

Women can take part too. We're called "Mosistas." Obviously, we don't grow moustaches (although I am sure there are some gals out there who can rock the facial hair - except I don't think many would quit plucking and waxing, even for a good cause, so a friend of mine recruited me for her team - Chicks Without Nicks. We are four women who committed not to shave our legs for the entire month of November. Our team raised a total of $88 with me being the leader at a whopping $68. We didn't do as well as we had hoped, but a lot of people take part in Movember so there was a lot of competition. And hey - the more, the better. That's $88 to men's cancer that would not have been donated otherwise.

Plus, it was a lot of fun trying to encourage my friends on Twitter and Facebook to donate. One of my Twitter friends and I even got into a "hairy legs contest," posting picture of our unshaven calves for all to see. To view my pics, check out my page at the Movember site here. Truth be told, it wasn't all that bad - I have probably gone just as long, if not longer, at this time of the year without shaving my legs without noticing. However, I was told that I had guts for posting those photos. I really didn't think so - some of the men out there cannot grow good moustaches, and some who do look like pervs or porn stars, and if they have the guts to walk around looking like that, then I can show some leg hair. It was a great cause, and I look forward to doing it again next year.

As November drew to a close, Christmas decorations and music started popping up all over the place. As a life-long resident of Edmonton, I have seen many, if not most, of the events and attractions the city has to offer. However, I have never seen this: Maisie's Magical Christmas House.

Located way in the north end at 9619 144 Avenue, the house is a veritable wonderland, full of decorations, multimedia presentations, and lights galore - including ones that flicker in time to music. I felt excited like a little child as I walked around the huge area - besides the house itself, there must be at least two extra lots. This is all the work of a family, the matriarch of whom passed away in 2007. It was Maisie's wish that people be happy - this house is her legacy.

No photos can do the house justice, but I tried here.

Also, here is a video tour of the house:

Tape Recorders (for Robert Kroetsch)

Robert Kroetsch and Paula, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I found out a few hours ago that legendary Alberta writer Robert Kroetsch was killed in a car accident at the age of 83. I have the privilege of interviewing Robert three times, corresponding with him via email, and occasionally seeing him at literary events. His wit, dry sense of humour, and profound way of looking at life are the things about him I will most remember - in addition to his literary works, of course. This poem came to me as I reflected upon our encounters and his life, which, while full, was taken too soon.

Tape Recorders (for Robert Kroetsch)

That day between classes in a café
where iced coffee sat between us as
you discussed poetry and hornbooks
as I transcribed conversation to paper
via a malfunctioning tape recorder only
springing to life through a booming voice
filled with history and humour.

My stories were many, or so you said;
there was a need for a good romance
or tales of the itinerant writer in the big city.
Encouragement for my short verse and to
extend the length of my thoughts were remembered,
but short is my style and long is your wisdom.

You saw the dark corners you said
upon which I shed light, although I
think at times the batteries were weaker than
they should have been, just like in that old tape
recorder that memorialized your stream of
post-modern wit and broke once and for all
a few years later.

The new one works in a similar fashion but
never met you in a coffee shop alongside
your talkative host from whom you feigned sleep
as she ferried you to your next engagement,
a full schedule requiring extra energy.

If those stories come to life which you suggested,
I can only hope they will have meaning,
but forgive the brevity of my verses;
they could never rise to the standards
of my aspirations.

(c) 2011 Paula E. Kirman

Boyle McCauley News Has a Website!

I spend a lot of time in the inner city. One of the major reasons is because I edit Boyle McCauley News, the community newspaper serving the neighbourhoods of Boyle Street and McCauley. The paper is an important source of news and information about the area, presenting many of the positive aspects of life there.

For the past five or so years, BMC News (as it is known for short) has had a presence on the website for the McCauley Community League. About a year's worth of papers were archived in PDF form, so visitors could download the paper to read.

2009 marked the 30th anniversary of the paper, and myself and my staff thought a good way to commemorate this milestone was to properly archive all of the past issues of the paper in microfiche. When we researched that option, we also saw that we could have all of the papers scanned and converted into PDFs that were searchable and could be incorporated into a project such as a website.

We reached the conclusion that a website that was stand-alone and featured an electronic version of current issues as well as a searchable archive was not only desireable, but necessary as a valuable resource not only for the community itself, but for anyone interested in the history of Edmonton's inner city.

After receiving a projects-based grant from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit's Community Initiatives Program, we embarked upon the task of putting the website together. Today, March 1, 2011, the site officially launched at www.bmcnews.org. The site does an incredible job of presenting the newspaper in a format that stays true to the print edition, but has its own unique aspects like the archive. It was developed as a group effort of myself, designer Vikki Wiercinski, programmer Derek Hogue, and the BMC News Board of Directors.

Bringing Edmonton's oldest community newspaper online is something which I have been involved with for a while. I developed and maintain BMC News' presence on Twitter and Facebook. This new website brings the paper completely into the modern age. I am looking forward to the community's feedback as we expand the profile of Edmonton's inner city.

Boyle McCauley News: Dec.-Jan. 2010/2011

The December-January 2010/2011 issue of Boyle McCauley News is now online. This is our annual "Holidays" issue. Here is a look at what's inside:

* Church Street Awarded Plaque
* Twenty Years of Artspace Housing Co-op
* Christmas Cooking
* Grand Manor: Five Years of Support
* Homefest: About Music AND a Message
* Chanukah: Let There Be Light
* An “Enlightening” Holiday Gift!
* Cop’s Corner: ‘Tis the Season for Crime Prevention Tips
* Around the Rink
* McCauley Revitalization Update
* Letters To The Editor
* Community League Updates

Download the entire issue as a PDF here.

Social Media and Language

The growth of the use of social media has changed the way some people speak and write. In some cases, new words have been entirely invented to reflect the use of a particular service, like Twitter. When I post to Twitter, I am "tweeting" and my post is a "tweet." Facebooking can refer to anything from updating one's status to adding friends.

Which leads to the next category of existing words that have been changed in meaning or usage. "Friend" can now be used as a verb ("I friended so-and-so on Facebook"). "Followers" may not mean there are creepy people following us around, but how many people are reading our tweets and blog posts.

Then there are abbreviations to add the illusion of laughter like the ubiquitous "LOL" and "ROTFL" (and countless variations) in addition to emoticons that are constructed by punctuation in the shape of a smiling or frowning face (again, with many variations to account for facial hair, glasses, and other emotions).

While some perhaps shudder at these inventions, one should not label such changes as disintegration necessarily. Change can be just that - reflections of the times. As society changes, so does its language. We don't speak Victorian English anymore, and there are numerous words that have changed meanings or connotations over time. For example, although it is technically correct, few people still use the term "gay" to mean "happy."

However, where there needs to be concern is related to the actual time and place of usage. It is appropriate to use these words when discussing and using social media (or other electronic forms of communication like texting and e-mail). If someone actually starts referring to making friends in real life as "friending" people, maybe he or she isn't really spending enough time away from the computer. As well, when people start saying things like "LOL" and "smiley face" during in-person (or telephone) speech, then there is potentially a problem when someone cannot express him or herself properly without the use of such enhancements.

Which begs the question of whether this is just laziness on the speaker's part or representative of an erosion of language. As someone with a wide social network both online and offline, I don't think such situations as described in the above paragraph are widespread yet. Verbal skills already vary from person to person based on culture (is English their first language?), level of education, and cognitive ability (which includes everything from general intelligence to whether or not a person has a developmental disability or brain damage).

How someone uses the language of social media will depend on how much time a person spends with social media and how important social media is to that person. Someone who is only a casual user of social media will of course not be speaking of tweets and friending the way someone who uses it for hours every day will. Also, younger people growing up in a culture of social media, who have not known a world without it (or at least were too young to remember) could potentially be more likely to do the verbal LOL-ing.

Another consideration apart from speech is written language. So far, I have not seen too many smilies or LOLs work their way into newspapers or magazines. I also don't think many teachers or professors would accept such things in a term paper. Unless, of course, the paper is about social media. :-) (Sorry, I could not resist.)

Still, we likely won't know how social media ultimately affects language on a long-term basis because it is so relatively new. Like MySpace (which is now mostly used by bands), Twitter and Facebook may eventually go out of vogue to be replaced by other services with their own vocabularies. In the meantime, I don't think the English language is suffering too much.

Boyle McCauley News: September 2010

The September issue of Boyle McCauley News is now online. Here is a look at what's inside:

* Peas Be With You Garden is Now With Us
* BMHC Celebrates 30 Years
* Farewell to Berezans
* Fab Flowers
* Front Yard Finalist in McCauley
* Adult Learners to Lose Valuable Tool
* Our Reunion: A Learning Experience
* Cop’s Corner: Theft From Vehicles
* McCauley Revitalization Update
* Letters To The Editor
* Community League Updates
* Dining Out

To download the issue in PDF format, click here.

Boyle McCauley News: July/August 2010

The Summer issue of Boyle McCauley News is now online! Here is a look at just some of what is inside:

* New Mural Unveiled in McCauley
* U10s Fought the Law - And Won!
* In Memoriam: Frank Roccia
* A Skateboard Park in McCauley!
* McCauley Church Celebrates 100 Years
* BRAC II Report Accepted by Council
* ICYDA Withdraws From Boyle Renaissance
* Heart of the City Music Festival 2010
* Cans of Hope
* McCauley Revitalization: A cultural experience
* Letters To The Editor
* Community League Updates
* Dining Out

To download the entire issue in PDF format, point your browser to this link.

Boyle McCauley News: June 2010

The June 2010 issue of Boyle McCauley News is online! Here is a look at what you can find on the pages:

* Premier Primavera a Blooming Success
* Community Action Dash 2010
* Downtown Arena Thoughts
* Heart of the City Lineup
* Revitalization Update
* Soccer Update
* Creating Balance
* Is your garage easy pickings for thieves?
* Letters To The Editor
* Community League Updates
* Dining Out

To download the paper in PDF, click here.

A Weekend of Giving: Shine Youth Clinic & Homeless Connect

I had another busy weekend. On Saturday, I gave two hours of my time performing with Music is a Weapon as part of the organization's Busk for a Cause. The cause this time around was the Shine Youth Clinic. The clinic operates on Saturdays out of the Boyle McCauley Health Centre and provides services free of charge to underserved youth up to the age of 25. On the corner of 104 street and Whyte Avenue I belted out some songs and even did a little bit of juggling. This was my first time busking and I have a lot more respect now for people who do this for a living. Over $1000 was raised for the clinic! Since I was busy performing, I was not able to take photos. Good thing that @sirthinks showed up and took some shots.

The first ever Edmonton Media Camp was also held on Saturday. It was an "un-conference" bringing together people from the worlds of traditional and new media, including journalists, PR people, and bloggers/social media folks. I was only able to make it to the last few discussion sessions, but it was great seeing some old friends and finally meeting a few people in person from Twitter and Facebook. Here are a few pictures I managed to grab.

Sunday was Mother's Day, but it was also Edmonton's fourth Homeless Connect event. Homeless Connect is held at the Shaw Conference Centre and brings free services, support, and supplies to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. A lot of volunteer power goes into making the event happen, and although I was not able to volunteer on the day of, I did help with some preparations beforehand like sorting coats and supplies for the care packages given to all of the guests who attended. More than 1200 guests visited the event and I was able to come down to the Shaw for a while to take some pictures. There is going to be another Homeless Connect event this October - please consider volunteering.

Boyle McCauley News - May 2010

The May 2010 issue of Boyle McCauley News is now online. You can download a copy of the paper in PDF format here. In the meantime, here is a sneek peak at what's inside:

* McCauley Says Enough is Enough!
* McCauley School to Close
* Being a Good Witness
* Shop Talk
* A Dog Park in McCauley?
* McCauley Clean Up
* Call of the Wild
* Letters To The Editor
* Community League Updates
* Dining Out

Boyle McCauley News: April 2010

The April 2010 issue of Boyle McCauley News is now online - here is a look at some of the contents:

* Future of McCauley School In Jeopardy
* Historic Gem Demolished
* How Safe is Our Neighbourhood?
* Gardening as a Family
* Letters To The Editor
* Guitar Donation
* Ghana Adventure
* Third Eco Station Open
* Community League Updates
* Dining Out

Download the entire issue in PDF format here.

Access to Mental Health Care in Crisis

Although this first appeared in the October 2005 issue of Our Voice (a street newspaper in Edmonton), it is every bit as relevant five years later, especially as closure of beds at Alberta Hospital are on the horizon and have been widely protested. The cost to see a psychologist mentioned in this article has been adjusted to reflect current rates.

---

It was a Sunday afternoon, and my friend ran out of his medication he uses for clinical depression. Although he has a full-time job, he was lacking the funds to purchase more, and too proud to tell anyone. Thus, he went about his business until Tuesday morning, when he felt a psychotic episode coming on. He headed to his doctor’s office, where after explaining his situation (with the hope that his doctor could give him some samples to tide him through), he was told he would have to return for an appointment in the afternoon.

With what was left of his good senses, my friend knew he did not have until the afternoon to wait, and went to the Emergency room of the nearest hospital. After explaining himself to yet another front desk person, he was informed it would be up to two hours before he would be able to see a doctor.

That was the final straw. A combination of frustration and deprivation of his meds led my friend to lay himself down on a grassy area outside of the hospital, and do some funky things to his wrists with a pocket knife. Ultimately, he was found by police, who, in essence, temporarily committed him by depositing him back inside the same emergency room -- probably saving his life. He was treated for his wounds, physically and mentally, and later released. The knife was confiscated.

Welcome to the land of universal health care. Mental health is part of this, yet appears to be far less universal. I guess the people he dealt with did not understand that a mentally ill person without his meds is a ticking time bomb. He did the responsible thing by seeking help, but it was only when he became a clear danger to himself that anyone took him seriously.

If my friend had gone to emergency with a broken leg or in the process of a heart attack, he probably would have received swift and immediate attention. But because he was not in obviously physical pain, nor going to immediately expire in front of everyone, he would have to wait his turn, along with people who come to emergency with trivial matters that can be dealt with as well at a walk-in medial clinic.

Access to mental health services can be difficult, not only for the low-income person, but just about anyone in need of affordable services. Although covered by Alberta Health, it can take up to three months to see a psychiatrist, like just about any medical specialist these days, especially for an initial appointment. Psychologists are easier to access physically, but financially out of the budget for all but the wealthy – the standard rate for an individual is $150 per 50-minute session ($160 for couples), according to the Psychologist’s Association of Alberta. Even those who operate using a sliding scale do not slide far enough down for low-income clients, especially those who require services on an ongoing basis.

Then there are services like The Support Network that offer walk-in help, but only for short-term intervention. Crisis lines are excellent places for people to vent, as long as they are not put on hold, which can happen due to high numbers of callers and low numbers of volunteers. Have you ever heard the joke about the person who calls the suicide hotline and is put on hold? It’s really not funny, and it happens in real life.

Mental health consumers need to be taken seriously when they turn up at hospital emergency rooms, let alone in their own doctor’s offices. Often, they are breakdowns waiting to happen, and there is nowhere else for them to turn. My friend, despite the cuts on his wrist, was lucky. How many aren’t?

Pens Give Power to the People

A friend of mine online was having an argument with a very politically conservative American woman. When told she was not getting the full extent of the stories behind issues such as the war in Iraq, she gave a response that sent us both into hysterical fits of laughter. “Of course I get more than one perspective,” she said, totally serious. “I watch CNN and Fox!”

It’s a sad state of affairs when people think they actually have a choice, when that choice consists of essentially the same political and cultural view. Corporate media, or mainstream media as it is sometimes called, is part of our everyday way of life as we are inundated with major daily newspaper, television stations owned by media gurus, and radio that plays either top hits or the same tired songs over and over.

Community and alternative media provides another voice in society – often that of the people themselves. As the editor of a community newspaper, I encourage people to tell their own stories and report on local news and issues that are important to them. This is called ‘citizen journalism,’ and it puts the media into the hands of the people. By becoming the media, so to speak, individuals can offer a first-hand perspective and both express themselves creatively, while informing others.

'Community media' is not just a form of communication; it is a form of activism. When mainstream media covers activist events, for example – if they even show up, that is – often the reporters come early, leave early, and then report that there was hardly anyone in the crowd. When media is owned by corporations, or people intrinsically tied to corporations, there is only one perspective that can be told – that which is in the best interest of advertisers or the people pulling the purse strings. So when community media springs up in the form of blogs, zines, alternative newspapers, and even street magazines like the one you are holding right now, it automatically has an air of ‘subversive’ about it.

There are many ways in which people can become the media. Writing letters to the editors of local newspapers is a start, but often they will not print ones that provide a radically different viewpoint to the dominant one supported by the publication. Find a community newspaper in your area, and offer to contribute – for instance, we here at Our Voice are always looking for submissions.

Get online and start a blog, and comment about the issues that compel you. Take pictures, shoot video – the Internet provides inexpensive and easy ways to publish your work. When I saw the lack of coverage progressive and activist events were getting in terms of airtime, I started RaiseMyVoice.com, an independent, local media resource documenting these events in photographs and video.

Make a zine – a small, independent publication. It can be about politics, a poetry collection, or anything you can think of. Some zines are as simple as a few photocopied pages, stapled together. Others use desktop publishing software and are professionally printed. This is a great project where one can team up with others to share skills. You’ll be limited only by your creativity – and your budget.

While it may seem intimidating at first to get involved in community media, you don’t have to be a professional writer or photographer – besides, skills develop when they are used. So pick up a pen, and give yourself power. Become the media.

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Originally published in the August/September 2007 issue of Our Voice, a street newspaper in Edmonton.