Posts Tagged ‘reform’

Moms Vs. The Drug War

Monday, May 14th, 2012

“Mothers throughout history have come forward for the sake of their children. We’re coming forth saying that the drug war has been more damaging to our families than the drugs themselves.” – Gretchen Burns Bergman, executive director of PATH

Moms United is a growing movement to stop the violence, mass incarceration and overdose deaths that are the result of deeply flawed, punitive and discriminatory drug policies. (more…)

Ten Tips for Revolutionaries

Friday, February 17th, 2012

The Occupy movement is sailing over uncharted waters, mostly figuring out where to go with each new step. Helping guide us and inspire us, social futurist Sara Robinson offers 10 excellent tips to spark change:

  1. The world is different now. The rules have changed, and methods like petitions and mass demonstrations are proving themselves invaluable tools for reform. (more…)

Iceland Recognizes State of Palestine

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

When the global economy crashed in 2008 and their country went Bankrupt, the people of Iceland remained defiant, refusing to pay for the mistakes of a financial monopoly. They boldly rejected the European Union and IMF, with 93% of the population voting against repayment of the debt created by unregulated bankers.

Not content with just sticking it to the banks, Icelanders drafted a whole new constitution, one that would free the country from the exaggerated power of international finance and virtual money.

Now the Icelandic people have once again set the bar for the rest of the world to follow, becoming the first Western European nation to formally recognize the Palestinian State.

The mostly symbolic gesture by Icelandic parliament recognizes Palestine based on the 1967 borders and “urges Israelis and Palestinians to seek a peace agreement on the basis of international law and UN resolutions.”

At a time when nations like Canada are officially turning their backs on the Palestinian people, it’s nice to see we still have members of the international community who support justice and human rights for all and not just those who can afford it.

Fighting Against the World’s War on Drugs

Monday, April 4th, 2011

(That’s a pretty sweet logo, man, but have you ever looked at it… on weeeed?)

As a frequent reader of my blog, you must be an enlightened and educated mind who can tell when someone is blowing smoke. You’ll also know that, despite drug prohibition proving itself a complete failure, it remains institutionalized all the way up to the United Nations.

Hopefully this will soon change, thanks in part to awareness campaigns like the joint Global Initiative for Drug Policy Reform, which seeks to “promote health-oriented policies based upon scientific evidence and to reform the UN Drug Conventions.”

What a great initiative… go for the head of the war on drugs! Once the UN succumbs to rational thought, member nations won’t be mandated to enforce drug prohibition, and individual country’s can take sovereign actions once again.

It won’t be long until we finally condemn drug prohibition to a quirky part of human history, where future generations wonder ‘What the hell were they thinking?’.

Change the Media, Change the World

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

If you are in or around the Boston area, be sure to check out the National Conference for Media Reform’s 2011. Registration closes this Friday, for what is sure to be a stimulating event. Prominent speakers include Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, House Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Craiglists’ Craig Newmark.

An informed public is a crucial part of a functioning democracy. The mainstream media, as the predominant source for all of our new information, should be considered a vital resource for our well-being, and the integrity of this resource needs to be ensured.

Movement’s like those of the NCMR face an uphill battle against powerful corporations and influential lobbyists. But as awareness of the importance of a free press grows, so too will the support needed to reform the media.