ANNOUNCING ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH LEADERS IN CANADA

Hello One of the most extraordinary youth programs in the world will embark on another fantastic journey with 242 youth leaders from around the globe. Through the generosity of the Government of Japan, 12 Canadian youth (11 participants and one National Leader) will be selected to participate in the 2017 sailing of the Japanese ship, the Fuji Maru, for the once-in-a-lifetime experience known as The Next Generation Global Leaders Program “The Ship for World Youth Leaders” (previously known as The Ship for World Youth). The Next Generation Global Leaders Program “The Ship for World Youth Leaders” serves as a unique cross-cultural exchange program that aims to provide participating youth with the opportunity to enhance the leadership and management skills necessary to excel in an increasingly globalized world. Onboard, delegates will be engaging in a series of expert-led seminars, participant-led workshops and cultural activities. This unique cross-cultural program will travel by cruise ship from Japan to Fiji and New Zealand, and takes place from January to March, 2017. Participating countries for SWY 2017 are: Federative Republic of Brazil, Canada, Republic of Costa Rica, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Fiji, India, Japan, Republic of Kenya, New Zealand, Kingdom of Tonga, Ukraine The Canadian Ship for World Youth Alumni Association is organizing the recruitment. Please note that English is the working language of the program. Applicants must be between the ages of: 18 and 30 for Participating youth (as of April 1st, 2016) (Deadline 1 September, 2016) 30 and 39* for National Leader (Deadline 15 August, 2016) INFORMATION SESSION in TORONTO - JULY 31st TIME: 12-1:30pm, July 31st, 2016 LOCATION: CSI Regent Park - 585 Dundas St East, Toronto - 3rd Floor - Meeting Room 1 FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1744146349131664/ INFO SESSION CONTACT: SUN 647-262-5836 - sun@therealsun.com INFORMATION SESSION in OTTAWA - AUGUST 5th TIME: 5:30-6:30pm, August 5th, 2016 LOCATION:Information and Culture Centre, Embassy of Japan in Canada - 255 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 9E6 FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/662335263914179/ INFO SESSION CONTACT: MIKE 905-730-0422 - michaellafleur1@gmail.com *** For security purposes at Embassy, those interested in Hamilton Session are asked to register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ship-for-world-youth-information-session-tickets-26594447709 These information sessions are open to potential candidates interested in applying to the Next Generation Global Leaders Progam, "The Ship for World Youth Leaders" (SWY). Alumni from previous batches of SWY will be hosting the information session, providing background, sharing their experiences of being on the ship, and other information you will need to know to about about applying to the program, and to answer any questions you may have about the program to help better prepare you for your application! Application forms, deadlines, Info Sessions and other pertinent information are available by visiting: http://www.swycanada.org https://www.facebook.com/SWYCAN/ https://twitter.com/swycanada For further information, please contact: Sarah Pinchevsky – SWYAA Canada President Email: info@swycanada.org Tel.: +1-5145022355

A Eulogy for a Man I did not Know

The passing of Crad Kilodney gave me pause to recall Toronto in the mid 1980s. He was a regular on Yonge Street when I worked at Charles and Bloor in Mr. Gameways Ark. I'd often pass by him while he smoked his pipe and carried a sign around his neck with some strange and interesting epithet on it. This was a time in my life where I desperately wanted to be "normal" (whatever that means). I grew up in some relatively challenging circumstances. Of course millions of people have it much worse than I did, but it did feel different than other youth in my immediate vicinity; and I didn't understand where many people were coming from. I had no concept of home ownership. I didn't really grasp the experiences of other people who had family members around them to support them (I just had my mum, who though very supportive, had a full plate). I always felt uncertain in the world. Of course many many 15-year-olds feel that way; but looking back on it, I'd still argue that being a mixed race kid in Toronto in the 80s, raised by a single immigrant mother living in subsidized apartment buildings wasn't the usual for Toronto, and especially not downtown Toronto. I think it was made odder by the fact that my mother had a university education and always expected—not demanded, but expected—me to go to university also. Perhaps in the more contemporary, postmodern, world we now inhabit this isn't at all strange. Nevertheless, I rarely felt anything other than an oddball growing up and I think this led to my overwhelming desire to have a life that more closely echoed the apparent lives of my peers. Now that I'm very firmly in middle age I sometimes wonder how my life would have been different if I'd had the courage to embrace my difference and do something completely original. The courage to be an outsider. I think this is the life that Crad chose. I never really knew the man, but it strikes me as a heroic decision to sell your own self-published writing to people on the street like a literary busker. In a way, he was the original blogger—except unlike a lot of the music, photography, and text today which is infinitely and perfectly duplicable, his work was finite and tangible. Rare items are now a rarity. Wikipedia says that material he created is now quite difficult to find. Kind of refreshing don't you think?

My Concerns with Bell's Mental Health Campaign

This was written as a "concise" Facebook post. It's just long enough to be considered rambling but too short to be considered comprehensive. It was also written with practically no editing or re-writing. For all its faults, I'm happy to share it.

So I find it difficult to concisely express my concerns but I'll try. One, is all the issues that you've all already expressed. It's goodwill marketing and Bell gets credit for it. The other, more important, critique is that the campaign is really about reducing the stigma of mental "illness" which is constructed as a biological impairment. With regards to stigma, it's so much less threatening to say it like that then to say discrimination, which is what it really is and is defined as such in the Ontario Human Rights Code. As for "biological impairment" it does not recognize that a) there is a great deal of neuro-diversity and not everyone agrees that there is a problem that needs to be fixed. It's possible for people to be proud that they are different—often troublesome and weird, but not necessarily in need of fixing. b) it fails to acknowledge the social conditions create mental distress. Poor or inadequate housing. Low income. Lack of supports for children and seniors. Fixing all these social ills would make a huge difference in many people's mental statuses. c) finally, it doesn't complicate the social construction of "illness". Mental illness is, in particular, subject to the vagaries of social norms. Not that long ago, being lesbian or gay was diagnosable. There are still sex acts that are part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Drapetomania was never in the DSM but was a diagnosis of the uncontrollable desire of slaves to escape their masters; and of course, the psychiatric imprisonments of political dissidents in the USSR, are well known. So so much of diagnosis has to do with social control of some kind. Sometimes, it's very overt like the USSR example, and sometimes it's more under the radar as in the case of diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder, which is often code for troublemaker and stigmatizes things like female promiscuity (men of course can't be promiscuous). Whew. I could keep going but lets leave it at that for now.

Looking for Partners

Hello,

I am the course instructor for Foundations of Social Work Research (SOWK 3070) this coming Fall at York University.

Part of the course involves connecting with community agencies and carrying out research projects that would be useful to them. In the past, agencies have asked for program evaluations, needs assessments, or the answers to other questions that furthered the agency's mission. Projects usually involve some literature search and the collection of some data. I am writing to ask you if you would be interested in participating.

You would need to have a question/problem that a group of 6-8 social work students could work on over a semester. You would also need to commit to attending the first class, to discuss your project, and last class (for presentations) as well as meeting with the students separately at least once and answering questions, as they come up, by email. You may even have two different questions/problems that you'd like a pair of student groups to work on and that certainly can be accommodated.

The classes begin on Sept 7 and are held in the evenings from 7-10pm. The final class is on Nov 30.

If you are interested, please let me know asap and I'd be happy to discuss it further. Alternatively, if you know of any social service/social justice agencies that might be interested, please pass this message along to them.

Or maybe that's their point

OK. Fair enough.

Ford at the Cottage

I kind of roll my eyes at the constant references to how far out of their way some politicians came to show up for pride. Ford's absence has nothing to do with distance.

Research Measurement

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Research Designs

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The Research Process

The Research Process
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Teaching Plans
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