JOB: BBC World Service Trust - Country Director, Nepal

Opportunity Details

http://www.comminit.com/en/node/300321

The BBC World Service Trust is looking for a Country Director to run its
operation in Nepal. The successful candidate will have experience in both
media and international development. You will need to demonstrate a good
understanding of the specific issues facing Nepal, particularly with
reference to governance and health - the two themes in which the Trust is
currently working in the country.

The Trust is the international charity of the BBC. Our record in Nepal is
one of innovation. You will have the skills to lead an award-winning
local team to build on successes in creating programmes with impact for
the people of Nepal.

Giving Voice: A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony Projects

Giving Voice: A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony
Projects
by Olivia Bennett
Published in 1999, this manual from Panos is meant for those implementing
community-based oral testimony projects in the development context.
Drawing on several years' fieldwork with grassroots and community-based
organisations, it covers all aspects of such projects - from the initial
planning to reviewing and evaluating the process and the products.
Designed to help those with little or no previous experience of such work,
it also contains ideas for running a training workshop. Throughout the
manual there are checklists, summaries of key points, and ideas for
discussion which have been designed to be used or adapted as handouts for
interviewers, and/or during a training workshop.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/177094

Outside the Indigenous Lens: Zapatistas and Autonomous Video-Making

In this article and book chapter on the use of video among the Zapatista
communities of Southern Chiapas, Mexico, the author states that over the
past ten years, CMP/Promedios has trained over 200 indigenous men and
women in basic video production; built and equipped four Regional Media
Centers in Zapatista territory with digital video production,
post-production, audio, and satellite internet access; enabled the
production of 24 videos (as of 2008) for international distribution; and
provided the means for hundreds of videos utilised internally by the
indigenous communities in Chiapas. All of these productions, whether made
for community use or for international distribution, go through some type
of community consensus about topics and content.

http://www.comminit.com/en/node/296049/307

POLL: How central to democracy are newspapers?

Please VOTE in our POLL:

How central to democracy are newspapers - some of which are being lost to
budget cuts and other changes - as opposed to blogs, YouTube, emails, text
messaging, twittering, and the like?

* Pivotal - informed public debate is impossible without this kind of
quality platform and trained journalistic practice.
* Of some importance - we need both traditional newspapers and new media
voices/venues to sustain conversations conducive to transparency.
* Unimportant - the internet and other technologies have enabled
participation on the part of both citizens and journalists by trade,
making open journalistic debate both possible and popular. This is the
essence of democracy.

VOTE and COMMENT at
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/288615/348

~

RESULTS thus far (August 14):

46%: Pivotal - informed public debate is impossible without this kind of
quality platform and trained journalistic practice.

41%: Of some importance - we need both traditional newspapers and new
media voices/venues to sustain conversations conducive to transparency.

14%: Unimportant - the internet and other technologies have enabled
participation on the part of both citizens and journalists by trade,
making open journalistic debate both possible and popular. This is the
essence of democracy.

Commentary: How insurance firms drive debate

Editor's note: Wendell Potter has served since May 2009 as senior fellow
on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy, a nonprofit
organization that says it seeks to expose "corporate spin and government
propaganda." After a 20-year career as a corporate public relations
executive, Potter left his job last year as head of communications for one
of the nation's largest health insurers, CIGNA Corporation.

http://us.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/17/potter.health.insurance/index.html?iref=topnews

"Le photographe George Lessard dénonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d’auteur."

Arts et culture : Qui veut s'approprier les droits des artistes du Nord?

http://aquilon.nt.ca/Article/Qui-veut-s-approprier-les-droits-des-artistes-du-Nord-200908132229/default.aspx#article

Écrit par Batiste W. Foisy 
Paru le 13 août 2009
0 Commentaire(s)

Le photographe George Lessard en pleine action, lors d'un voyage d'échange en Russie, ce printemps. (Photo: Yudin Andrey Nikolaevich)

Le photographe George Lessard dénonce les pratiques douteuses du gouvernement des TNO en matière de respect du droit d'auteur.

Le photographe indépendant George Lessard n'a pas l'intention de s'enregistrer sur le répertoire en ligne des artistes des TNO (www.nwtarts.ca). Il n'est pas contre l'idée de diffuser son talent en ligne – loin de là! – mais il trouve que le prix à payer pour être listé sur ce site Web du gouvernement des TNO est plutôt salé.

« Quand vous voulez devenir membre de ce site-là, explique-t-il, on vous demande des images de votre œuvre et on demande aussi une licence pour l'utilisation de ces images, de la part du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Une licence qui les autorise à l'utiliser de n'importe quelle façon que ce soit. Je pense que ce n'est pas juste. Ils devraient plutôt demander une licence restreinte à l'utilisation de l'image sur ce site spécifique. »

Si vous souhaitez vous enregistrer sur ce répertoire, vous devrez remplir et signer un formulaire dont l'une des clauses spécifie que le gouvernement retient les droits de reproduction de l'image cédée « pour tout usage dont notamment, mais non limité à, l'illustration, la publicité, le marketing ou la publication sur tout support électronique ou imprimé ». C'est ce passage qui irrite Lessard, qui relève au passage que le formulaire n'est disponible qu'en anglais. Selon lui, le gouvernement retire le pain de la bouche à ceux qu'il prétend défendre.

« Le gouvernement des TNO dit qu'il veut encourager les artistes, mais dans ce cas-ci, il n'y a pas de possibilité pour les artistes de générer un revenu avec ces images-là », dit-il. Selon lui, le GTNO aiderait davantage les créateurs en leur achetant les droits restreints de reproduction des images qu'en leur demandant de les céder intégralement et sans compensation.

Celui qui est membre du Collectif pour les droits d'auteur du Front des artistes canadiens a écrit au ministre de l'industrie du tourisme et de l'investissement, Bob McLeod, afin de lui faire entendre son mécontentement. Le ministre n'a pas tardé à lui répondre pour lui dire que l'intention n'a jamais été d'usurper les droits d'auteurs des artistes du Nord.

Dans sa lettre, le ministre affirme que seules les reproductions à des fins de promotion et de communications internes des photos soumises sur le site nwtarts.com sont envisagées par le gouvernement. « Cette base de données est un programme promotionnel dont l'adhésion repose sur une base volontaire par les artistes, écrit le ministre. Plus de 200 artistes ont souscrit à ce programme pour être exposé sur le site Web et dans des publications afférentes telles que Artist Newsline, une lettre d'information du GTNO destinée à la communauté artistique des TNO. Ce n'est que ce genre de promotion du travail des artistes qui est envisagée et permise par le formulaire de cessation de droits tel que rédigé. »

Mais George Lessard n'en démord pas. « Quand même, n'importe quel ministère du gouvernement peut faire n'importe quoi avec les images qu'on soumet », dit-il.

D'après lui, les artistes des TNO auraient avantage à mieux connaître les ramifications du droit d'auteur. « J'espère que le ministère de l'Industrie aidera un jour les artistes du Nord à mieux connaître leurs droits, dit-il.C'est important. »

 
---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/
Sent from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Omeka 1.0 - Serious Web Publishing

Omeka 1.0
http://omeka.org/

If you're looking to start your own online exhibit, you'll want to give
Omeka 1.0 a test run. This web-based publishing platform was created by
staff members at the Center for History and New Media at George Mason
University, and it allows users "to focus on content and interpretation
rather than programming". First-time users may wish to look at some of the
online exhibits that have been created so far with Omeka, and then dive
right in. The site also has complete documentation, along with discussion
forums and an RSS feed. This version of Omeka is compatible with computers
running Linux. [KMG]

Omeka is a free and open source collections based web-based publishing
platform for scholars, librarians, archivists, museum professionals,
educators, and cultural enthusiasts. Its "five-minute setup" makes
launching an online exhibition as easy as launching a blog. Omeka is
designed with non-IT specialists in mind, allowing users to focus on
content and interpretation rather than programming. It brings Web 2.0
technologies and approaches to academic and cultural websites to foster
user interaction and participation. It makes top-shelf design easy with a
simple and flexible templating system. Its robust open-source developer
and user communities underwrite Omeka's stability and sustainability.

Until now, scholars and cultural heritage professionals looking to publish
collections-based research and online exhibitions required either
extensive technical skills or considerable funding for outside vendors. By
making standards based, serious online publishing easy, Omeka puts the
power and reach of the web in the hands of academics and cultural
professionals themselves.

Top journalists give tips on YouTube

In a pair of recent initiatives, YouTube has taken this effort to raise
its profile even further by reaching out to journalists, both professional
and amateur. The first initiative revolves around the opening of a partner
program to all news organisations already accepted into Google News. The
second involves a new Reporters Center at which professional journalists
give advice to working citizen newsgatherers.

The goal of these initiatives is to gear YouTube toward a more
professional audience, making it a resource for hosting journalistic works
and educating budding news reporters about the best methods for
information gathering.
The question is whether news organisations will accept YouTube as a partner.

[...]

How To: Craft an important story

YouTube's other journalistic initiative is the launch of its new
Reporter's Center, which posts videos and guides from top American
journalists.

Some of the current videos in the new channel include CBS News' Katie
Couric explaining how to conduct a good interview, NPR's Scott Simon on
how to tell a good story and The Associated Press Washington bureau chief
Ron Fournier on how to do "watchdog" journalism.

The videos tend to be short, simple guides in laypman's language about how
to report on the news. The videos are no substitute for actual journalism
school, but they provide helpful hints and tricks on how to do reporting.

The videos also include tutorials about how to prepare captured footage
for use on YouTube and upload it to the site. As for the videos in the
Reporter's Center itself, they originally came from the accounts of the
various organisations and journalists that they are linked to, making the
Center more of a centralised location for this information. What's unique,
according to the initial announcement, is that this Center is not just for
one-way communication, that the reporters involved will be accepting and
responding to comments from the public.

More at
http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/top_journalists_give_tips_on_youtube/

Firefox Plug-In Frees US Court Records, Threatens Judiciary Profits

Firefox Plug-In Frees Court Records, Threatens Judiciary Profits

Better Access to Public Court Records

RECAP
https://www.recapthelaw.org/
is a free extension for Firefox that improves the experience of using
PACER, the electronic public access system for the U.S. Federal District
and Bankruptcy Courts. It:

* Helps you give back: Contributes to a public archive hosted by the
Internet Archive
* Saves you money: Shows you when free documents are available
* Keeps you organized: Gives you better filenames, enables useful headers

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/firefox-plug-in-frees-court-records-threatens-judiciary-profits/

[excerpt]

Access to the nation's federal law proceedings just got a public interest
hack, thanks to programmers from Princeton, Harvard and the Internet
Archive, who released a Firefox plug-in designed to make millions of pages
of legal documents free.

Free as in beer and free as in speech.

The Problem: Federal courts use an archaic, document-tracking system known
as PACER as their official repository for complaints, court motions, case
scheduling and decisions. The system design resembles a DMV computer
system, circa 1988 — and lacks even the most basic functionality, such as
notifications when a case gets a new filing. But what's worse is that
PACER charges 8 cents per page (capped at $2.40 per doc) and even charges
for searches — an embarrassing limitation on public access to information,
especially when the documents are copyright-free.

The Solution: RECAP https://www.recapthelaw.org/ , a Firefox-only plugin,
that rides along as one usually uses PACER — but it automatically checks
if the document you want is already in its own database. The plug-in's
tagline, 'Turning PACER around,' alludes to the fact that its name comes
from spelling PACER backwards. RECAP's database is being seeded with
millions of bankruptcy and Federal District Court documents, which have
been donated, bought or gotten for free by open-government advocate Carl
Malamud and fellow travelers such as Justia.

China - Life of a Chinese journalist Part 2: My life in prison by Jiang Weiping

RWB - Reporters Without Borders

http://www.rsf.org/Life-of-a-Chinese-journalist-Part.html
08/17/2009

China - Life of a Chinese journalist:

Part 2: My life in prison by Jiang Weiping

Reporters Without Borders is presenting a series of four articles by
Chinese journalist Jiang Weiping recounting his career as an investigative
reporter from the time he started out as a journalist in the 1980s to his
arrest in 2000 and his departure for exile in Canada this year.

"Jiang is a courageous and exemplary journalist who did not think twice
about the dangers he was running when he denounced corruption at the
highest levels in the Communist Party of China," Reporters Without Borders
said. "It is thanks to committed journalism like his that the Chinese
public can learn about the all-powerful party's abuses and press freedom
will be able to evolve in China."

Jiang achieved recognition in the course of his long career, which he
began by working for the state news agency Xinhua. In the early 1990s, he
became northeast China bureau chief for the Hong Kong-based newspaper Wen
Wei Po (香港文匯報). He wrote a series of
articles on corruption in the party for the Hong Kong-based magazine
Frontline (前哨). Around this time he also started working for
Hong Kong magazine.

He was arrested in the northeastern province of Dalian in December 2000
and was sentenced in May 2001 to eight years in prison on charges of
endangering state security and divulging state secrets. He was finally
released in 2006 after serving six years of his sentence.

In February 2009, he obtained political asylum in Canada, where he now
lives with his wife in Toronto and continues working as a freelance
journalist and calligraphist.

------------------------

RSF - Reporters sans frontieres

http://www.rsf.org/Vie-d-un-journaliste-chinois.html
17/08/2009

Chine - Vie d'un journaliste chinois:

2ème partie: Ma vie en prison par Jiang Weiping

Reporters sans frontières présente une série de quatre articles du
journaliste d'investigation Jiang Weiping, dans lesquels il raconte sa vie
de journaliste : de ses débuts dans le journalisme dans les années 1980,
en passant par son arrestation en 2000, jusqu'à son exil au Canada en
2009.

« Jiang Weiping est un journaliste exemplaire et courageux. Il n'a pas
hésité à se mettre en danger pour dénoncer la corruption dans les plus
hautes sphères du Pari communiste chinois. C'est grâce à un journalisme
engagé que la population chinoise prend connaissance des dérives du Parti
'tout puissant' et grâce au travail de journalistes engagés tels que Jiang
Weiping que la liberté de la presse pourra évoluer en Chine », a déclaré
l'organisation.

Jiang Weiping est un journaliste expérimenté et reconnu. Il a commencé sa
carrière dans les années 1980, en travaillant pour l'agence Xinhua. Puis,
au début des années 1990, il est devenu chef du bureau de la Chine du
Nord-Est pour le journal hongkongais Wen Wei Po
(香港文匯報). En 1999, il a écrit une série
d'articles sur la corruption du PCC pour le magazine hongkongais Frontline
(前哨). A partir de 2001, il a travaillé pour le Hong Kong
magazine.

En décembre 2000, il est arrêté par les autorités provinciales de Dalian
(Nord-Est). En mai 2001, il est condamné à huit ans de prison pour « mise
en danger de la sécurité de l'Etat » et « diffusion de secrets d'Etat ».
Il est finalement libéré en 2006, après avoir purgé six années de prison.

En février 2009, il obtient l'asile politique au Canada. Il vit à Toronto
avec sa femme et continue de travailler en tant que journaliste
indépendant et calligraphe.

Vincent Brossel
Asia-Pacific Desk
Reporters Without Borders
33 1 44 83 84 70
asia@rsf.org

Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources are all about sharing.

In a brave new world of learning, OER content is made free to use or
share, and in some cases, to change and share again, made possible through
licensing, so that both teachers and learners can share what they know.

Browse and search OER Commons to find curriculum, and tag, rate, and
review it for others.

http://www.oercommons.org/

Subject Areas
Arts (1637)
Business (678)
Humanities (4482)
Mathematics & Statistics (2873)
Science & Technology (13122)
Social Sciences (5035)

Grade Levels
Primary (5399)
Secondary (8075)
Post-secondary (16186)

The Last Messages Club

The Last Message Process Explained

What it can do
The Last Messages Club is a secure place for you to write and store
messages to be sent after you die.

What it can't do
The Last Messages Club cannot replace a properly drawn-up will. Documents
that you store with the Last Message Club have no legal authority.

What are the alternatives?
You could ask a lawyer to store these documents with your will or leave
them with a friend but neither of these options are really suitable. A
lawyer will normally only store documents with a Last Will and Testament
for a client they know very well and, even then, it will be inconvenient
and probably quite expensive to add, amend or delete your messages. If you
leave documents with a friend, there is always a risk that they will be
read (either deliberately or by accident) during your life. And after you
die they may simply be forgotten.

You can use The Last Messages Club to:
Let your family know where to find details of important documents, like
life insurance policies and bank account details.
Make life easier for those you leave behind.
Explain the reasons why you have divided your estate in the way you have
& the thinking behind your will.
Manage your on-line life with a digital will
Give somebody the passwords to your online accounts so that they can
close them down.

http://www.lastmessagesclub.co.uk/

Socialnomics Summary

Video compilation of Erik Qualman explaining his theory of Socialnomics(TM) along side relevant social media statistics. The book Socialnomics from Wiley Publishing will be in stores August 31, 2009... mind you... Erik has the personal appeal of a dork.

Resolution (The Torture Song)

A brand new, powerful music video from David Ippolito. (That Guitar Man from Central Park) Watch this video. Please leave your own comments. Be heard. Download this song for free at thatguitarman.

George Lessard celebrates a personal photographic milestone

GEORGE LESSARD 
is very pleased to announce
that his images on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/
have, as of
August 1st, 2009,
been seen
over 100,000 times.

Apologies for duplicate posts

---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

Good Time Delta Band # 02

The Old Time Dance - Jig 'Till You Can't Jig No More... with James Rogers and the Good Time Delta Band, Monday July 13, 2009 at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik Northwest Territories, Canada
For more on GNAF, please visit their website at http://www.gnaf.org/

Crack Spider's Bitch

Grea Northern Arts Festival

GNAF_2009
Originally uploaded by The MediaMentor

Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival

I will be in Inuvik from July 10th to 19th.... and will present the following workshop....

Introduction to Digital Imagery and the Internet with George Lessard (Yellowknife)
Saturday July 18 1:00PM

This 4-hour workshop is designed to introduce participants to digital photography and the use of digital photographs to increase their income and protect their intellectual property rights. Participants will learn how to choose the right digital camera to buy; basic photography skills; and how to show your work online for little or no money. In the end you will have the tools to be able to buy the right camera at the right price that will be a good investment and meet the your needs; understand how to edit images for use on the internet or for print use; and how to have a presence on the internet that you can maintain yourself. $65
Visit George's website at http://mediamentor.ca

Watch for daily posting of images on my Flicker site

and videos on my YouTuble page

Canadain Newspaper "Letters" E-mail Addresses

AB Calgary Herald <letters@theherald.canwest.com>,

        AB Calgary Sun
<callet@calgarysun.com>,

        AB Edmonton
Sun <mailbag@edmsun.com>,

        AB Edmonton
Journal <letters@thejournal.canwest.com>,

        AB Grande
Prairie Herald-Tribune <letters@bowesnet.com>,

        AB Red-Deer
Advocate <editorial@reddeeradvocate.com>,

        BC Victoria
Times-Colonist <letters@tc.canwest.com>,

        BC Merrit
Herald <newsroom@merrittherald.com>,

        BC 100Mile
Free-Press <newsroom@100milefreepress.net>,

        BC Abbotsford
News <editor@abbynews.com>,

        BC Aldergrove
Star <newsroom@aldergrovestar.com>,

        BC Burnaby News
Leader <newsroom@burnabynewsleader.com>,

        BC Burnaby Now
<editorial@burnabynow.com>,

        BC Campell
River Mirror <editor@campbellrivermirror.com>,

        BC Castlegar
News <newsroom@castlegarnews.com>,

        BC Chilliwack
Progress <editor@theprogress.com>,

        BC Cloverdale
Reporter <crnews@shaw.ca>,

        BC Commox
Valley Record <editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com>,

        BC Cowichan
News Leader <nlpedit@vinewsgroup.com>,

        BC Creston
Valley Advance <advanceeditor@cyberlink.bc.ca>,

        BC Kamloops
Daily News <kamloopsnews@telus.net>,

        BC Kelowna
Capital News <edit@kelownacapnews.com>,

        BC
North-Thompson Star-Journal <news@starjournal.net>,

        BC Omineca
Free Press <newsroom@ominecaexpress.com>,

        BC Prince
George Free Press <editor@pgfreepress.com>,

        BC Quesnel
Observer <editor@quesnelobserver.com>,

        BC Salmon Arm
Observer <newsroom@saobserver.net>,

        BC Smithers
Interior News <editor@interior-news.com>,

        BC Squamish
Chief <sqchief@uniserve.com>,

        BC Terrace
Standard <newsroom@terracestandard.com>,

        BC Thompson
Times <newsroom@clearwatertimes.com>,

        BC Vancouver Province
<provletters@png.canwest.com>,

        BC Vancouver Sun <sunletters@png.canwest.com>,

        BC Vernon
Morning Star <letters@vernonmorningstar.com>,

        BC Williams
Lake Tribune <newsroom@wltribune.com>,

        Guelph Mercury
<editor@guelphmercury.com>,

        National Post
<letters@nationalpost.com>,

        NB Fredericton Daily Gleaner
<letters@dailygleaner.com>,

        NB Moncton
Times & Transcript <tteditor@timestranscript.com>,

        "NB
St.John Telegraph-Journal" <barry.ron@nbpub.com>,

        "NF
St.Johns Telegram" <letters@thetelegram.com>,

        NS Cape Breton Cape Breton Post
<letters@cbpost.com>,

        NS Halifax
Chronicle-Herald <letters@herald.ca>,

        NS Halifax
Daily-News <letterstoeditor@hfxnews.ca>,

        NWT The
Yellowknifer <editorial@nnsl.com>,

        ON Kingston
Whig-Standard <whiged@thewhig.com>,

        ON Ottawa
Citizen <letters@thecitizen.canwest.com>,

        ON Brockville
Recorder & Times <wb.raison@recorder.ca>,

        ON Toronto
Globe and Mail <letters@GlobeAndMail.ca>,

        ON Woodstock Sentinel-Review
<sentinelreview@bowesnet.com>,

        ON Ottawa
Metro <letters@metronews.ca>,

        ON Ottawa Dose
<Editorial@dose.ca>,

        ON Durham News
<newspaper@ocentral.com>,

        ON Flamborough
Review <editor@flamboroughreview.com>,

        ON Flamborough
Post <dford@haltonsearch.com>,

        ON Hamilton
Spectator <letters@thespec.com>,

        ON Hill Times
<news@hilltimes.com>,

        ON London
London FreePress <letters@lfpress.com>,

        ON Milton Canadian-Champion
<miltoned@haltonsearch.com>,

        ON Missisauga
News <thenews@mississauga.net>,

        ON
Niagara-Falls Review <editor@nfreview.com>,

        ON Oakville
Beaver <rjerred@haltonsearch.com>,

        ON Ottawa Sun
<ottsun.oped@sunmedia.ca>,

        ON
Peterborough Examiner <letters@peterboroughexaminer.com>,

        ON Sarnia
Observer <editorial@theobserver.ca>,

        ON Sault Star
<ssmstar@saultstar.com>,

        ON Sudbury
Star <editorial@thesudburystar.com>,

        ON Toronto Sun
<torsun.editor@sunmedia.ca>,

        ON Toronto Star
<lettertoed@thestar.ca>,

        ON Toronto
Guardian <etg@insidetoronto.com>,

        ON Windsor
Star <letters@thestar.canwest.com>,

        ON York
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Yellowknife Social Plan Discussion Paper

For Discussion

City
of Yellowknife Social Plan

What is the
Social Plan?

The
goal of the social plan is to enhance the welfare of Yellowknife
citizens. The social plan will define the City of Yellowknife’s
role in responding to social issues. The plan will:

• 
  Summarize
  key social issues and conditions.

  
  

• 
  Inventory
  services and programs by government and non-government agency
  responsibility.
  

  
  

• 
  Evaluate
  service gaps and concerns.
  

  
  

• 
  Recommend
  a process to build consensus for coordinated action to address gaps
  in social services and concerns.
  

  
  

At
minimum, the plan will consider:

-crime
and public safety -homelessness -substance abuse

-children
and youth -seniors -ethnic diversity

-process
-public education -organizational capacity

-access
to social programs/services

In
January, the City of Yellowknife contracted with Lutra Associates
Ltd., of Yellowknife, and the Social Planning and Research
Council of British Columbia to prepare the social plan.

Not Just Roads
and Sewers!

The
City of Yellowknife acknowledges that it has a responsibility for the
well-being of Yellowknifers. The City’s responsibility extends
beyond traditional services like safe water, sewage treatment, roads,
and recreation. City Hall already coordinates Yellowknife’s
Homelessness Coalition and distributes grants to community
organizations. Up until now, it has not had a social plan for
furthering community well-being.

What
role do you think the City can play to address social issues?

A
Preliminary Scan of Yellowknife’s Social
Issues.

Yellowknife
has significant housing concerns.

• 
  The
  Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition has made progress on transitional
  housing for adult men but there is a lack of emergency and
  transitional housing for women and youth.

  
  

• 
  Suitable,
  affordable housing challenges many city residents but the
  City is working on an Affordable Housing Strategy.

  
  

The
average personal income in Yellowknife is higher than the
Canadian average but,

• 
  The
  income disparities between the ‘have’ and ‘have
  nots’ are striking and food security and nutritional health
  are growing concerns.
  

  
  

Substance
abuse/addictions and the illegal drug trade
are related to other social problems.

• 
  The
  Yellowknife Wellness Coalition is tackling these issues. More active
  community policing and prevention programs
  help to curtail the drug trade and other criminal activity but these
  efforts need to be intensified and sustained. Treatment facilities
  and a day-time drop-in center for people on the street would also
  help.
  

  
  

Yellowknife
is a small city facing big city public safety issues.

• 
  Lack
  of public washrooms and public telephones, public drug and alcohol
  abuse, and poor lighting, litter, and lack of care of some public
  spaces are among the factors that create concerns about personal
  safety in public places.
  

  
  

About
one-quarter of Yellowknife’s population is Aboriginal and 10%
are members of visible minorities.

• 
  There
  are not a lot of ways to publicly celebrate and serve the needs of
  Yellowknife’s ethnically diverse population or ensure
  that all residents participate in, and contribute to the community.
  

  
  

Yellowknife
has always had a young population but the number of seniors
is growing.

• 
  There
  is no coordinated community response to the needs of children and
  youth.
  

  
  

• 
  New
  ways of operating are needed to better serve seniors.
  

  
  

Is this an accurate assessment of
social issues in Yellowknife? What perspectives or issues are
missing?

Who has
Responsibility for Social Issues?

Crime
and Public Safety

The
RCMP and the federal or territorial legal system have the main
legislative, financial, and implementation responsibilities for
addressing crime. Bylaws shape the City of Yellowknife’s
responsibilities for public safety.

Homelessness,
Social and Affordable Housing

Responsibilities
for homelessness and social and affordable housing are shared by
federal and territorial agencies. Non-government organizations (NGOs)
such as YWCA Yellowknife, the Centre for Northern Families, and the
Salvation Army, are contracted by governments to address various
housing needs. The City of Yellowknife has taken responsibility for
coordinating, supporting partnerships, and planning to address some
housing issues.

Substance
Abuse

The
GNWT through agreements with the federal government, the Yellowknife
Health and Social Services Authority, NGOs, and the Yellowknives Dene
First Nation respond to alcohol and drug counselling, prevention,
treatment, and awareness needs. The City of Yellowknife enforces
bylaws and may fund some NGOs to address substance abuse issues.

Well-being

The
main responsibility for income and food security rests with the GNWT.
Some NGOs rely on donations and fundraising to supply food,
clothing, furniture, and services to needy residents. The City of
Yellowknife through partnerships and bylaws supports residents’
well-being.

Children
and Youth

The
territorial government has the main responsibility for children and
youth in the home and school environments. No level of government has
clear responsibility for youth and children in the community. The
SideDoor Youth Centre is the only agency in the city dedicated to
serving youth and the City continues to work with the Center and
others to address youth issues.

Seniors

The
federal and territorial governments have financial, social, and
health responsibilities for seniors. The City of Yellowknife provides
grants and cost reductions. The Yellowknife Seniors’ Society is
a main source of social programming and advocacy.

Ethnic Diversity

It is federal policy to support
multiculturalism in Canada. The federal and territorial governments
provide funding to showcase multiculturalism or target services at
Aboriginal people or new Canadians. The City of Yellowknife may
assist groups through the community grant program.

What is the City’s
legislative, financial, and implementation responsibility for
addressing social issues?

Issues
Yellowknife’s Social Plan Could Consider.

Organizational
Capacity

1.
Many government agencies and NGOs lack staff and/or volunteers,
funds, and training and the demand for some services outstrips
supply.

Coordination

2.
Some planning and coordination of services happens through
coalitions. Where coalitions exist they are often challenged to
maintain momentum, leadership, and focus. Many agencies may also lack
the capacity to participate in coalitions.

Public Education

3.
Residents and newcomers have no ‘one-stop’ source for
information about social services.

Access
to Services

4.
Youth, seniors, and new Canadians may not be well served by social
programs and services designed for the general population.

Leadership

5.
There is no central ‘big picture’ social agency that
brings government, First Nations, and NGOs together to plan and
address social issues. Businesses may be an untapped source of
expertise and financial or in-kind help.

Are there
other gaps in services and concerns?

What could
the City’s role be in addressing these gaps?

Exercising
Social Responsibility.

There are many ways that the
City of Yellowknife’s bylaws, financial decisions, and policies
influence social conditions. For example, City bylaws can influence
where, how, and the type of housing that is available. Grants to
community groups can focus on particular social issues. The City can
and does appoint representatives to boards such as the Yellowknife
United Way, to influence social priorities and responses.

How can the
City best exercise its responsibility for improving social
conditions?

Participate in the City of Yellowknife Social
Plan.

Learn
more. Consider the questions in this newsletter. Tell us what you
think.

Here’s
how.

April 2, 2009 Key Agency Focus Group

City
Hall, Lower Boardroom 1:30 - 3:30pm

April 23, 2009 Community Social Plan Public
Forum

Northern
United Place 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Contact
a member of City Council or Dennis Marchiori, Director of Public
Safety at 920-5661or dmarchiori@yellowknife.ca.

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