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Category Archives: community
Embracing the ‘opposition’
A conference I’m attending in May* that revolves around the increasing urbanization of the world and related issues, asks the question “How can citizens most effectively be involved in this massive re-shaping of the urban environment?” As it happens, this … Continue reading
Posted in change, communication, community, NIMBY, urban planning, urbanism
Tagged communication, community, NIMBY, social change, urban planning
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Condos, condos everywhere…. or, Suburbia?
Well, here we are once again reacting to another condo proposition in Roncesvalles Village. Our city councillor (Gord Perks) hosted a neighbourhood meeting the other night, the purpose of which was to provide the developers (Mattamy Homes) with feedback from … Continue reading
Posted in community, condos, conformity, creative class, fear, gentrification, ghetto, myths, politics, reflections, Richard Florida, suburban, urban, values
Tagged affordability, community, condos, feelings, gentrification, suburbia, trends
2 Comments
Different drummer
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. It is not important that he should … Continue reading
Posted in causes, community, consciousness, history, Inclusion, Insight, love, marijuana, personal growth, personal power, reflections, social change, social justice, values, volunteering
Tagged community, consciousness, openness, personal growth, political philosophy, reflections, social change, values
9 Comments
‘Stigma-free’ — or Care?
If I were living in a “stigma-free zone”, what might that look like? For starters, I presume it would mean that people with mental illness would not experience stigma, or discrimination. By some miracle? It would mean ‘human rights’ principles … Continue reading
Posted in awareness, community, compassion, gay, Inclusion, mental illness, social justice, stigma, values
Tagged community, compassion, human-rights, inclusion, mental illness, social commentary, society, values
1 Comment
Attack of stigma…
I have asked what changes we might be willing to make, as neighbours, as friends, as relatives, as a society, that would contribute to eliminating stigma*. I didn’t ask the question because I had an answer, but because I wanted … Continue reading
Posted in community, compassion, consciousness, Feelings, ignorance, psychology, reflections
Tagged communication, community, consciousness, personal growth, psychology, relationships
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Fear of so-called schizophrenia
Partly because of my friend “A”, and partly because of Mad Pride Week, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of the label “schizophrenia”. There’s been so much discussion about it in recent years, and people are only just … Continue reading
Posted in causes, community, compassion, consciousness, education, fear, ignorance, Inclusion, personal growth, psychology, reflections, schizophrenia, values
Tagged community, consciousness, ignorance, psychology, schizophrenia
2 Comments
A moment, for mental illness…
Yesterday a friend emailed me a beautiful Powerpoint presentation about long-suffering women and how essential and precious their struggles are, everywhere and always. It was one of those things we’re asked to send on, and It would have been perfect … Continue reading
Posted in community, compassion, consciousness, fear, Feelings, Inclusion, personal growth, psychology, Reflection, reflections, schizophrenia, values, volunteer
Tagged community, compassion, mental illness, mental-health, opinion, psychology, schizophrenia, values
6 Comments
Community vs ‘Ghettoization’
Community is the single most important social group in our lives. It can take us a lifetime to figure that out, because we are diverted and distracted by other social groups: clubs, religious organizations, political groupings, schools, gangs and so … Continue reading
Posted in community, consciousness, Inclusion, modern life, psychology, reflections, values
Tagged community, consciousness, inclusion, social commentary, values
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The sins of our “fathers”…
There we sat, in the café, a lot of Canadian history between us. Her ancestors indigenous Canadian and holocaust survivors, mine ‘Scottish Presbyterian’ and English settlers who imposed themselves on land that may never have belonged to them. If my … Continue reading
Posted in causes, community, consciousness, consequences, education, heritage, history, ignorance, Inclusion, indigenous, Reflection, values
Tagged aboriginal, community, fathers, heritage, history, honesty, indigenous, political philosophy, reflections, social commentary, values
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Thinking and Dreaming 
A little democracy….
One of the things I love about Alternative Grounds (the café where I spend most mornings), is the egalitarian, democratic attitude of the patrons. I just enjoyed a discussion with one of the city’s maintenance workers about Iceland and how … Continue reading →