January 5th, 2009
by Danielle
in
net neutrality, telecommunications policy |
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Do you have any good ideas that you think should be in the Federal budget? The government has set up a website with a survey asking you to rank their predetermined ideas, or to give your own (in 50 words or less!). This would be my suggestion:
Investing into broadband infrastructure: more broadband should alleviate the need for traffic shapping. ISPs use the excuse that there is limited bandwidth and therefore they need to manage the Internet. Net neutrality should come out a winner if more broadband becomes available (and, of course, if the CRTC or the government create legislation supporting net neutrality). More broadband should also address the digital divide that still exists in this country.
December 26th, 2008
by Danielle
in
budget cuts, media democracy |
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Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has revealed in an interview (see Dec. 26 audio file) that a document exists in both official languages at Conservative party headquarters in Ottawa which calls for a 200$ million dollar cut to the core parliamentary appropriation of the CBC (CBC’s Parliamentary grant). This document has been in existence prior to the October election. In the interview, it is said that this document flies in the face of a Canadian Heritage report that recommended an increase in CBC funding. From an email that Friend’s sent out, here is what could happen to the CBC:
A $200 million cut to CBC’s parliamentary grant would require amputating a number of broadcasting services on which Canadians depend. For example, in order to save $200 million it would be necessary to scrap most local programming on CBC Radio One and CBC Television throughout Canada, effectively turning CBC into a Toronto Broadcasting Corporation, as well as killing CBC Radio Two and CBC.ca, along with all their French language equivalent services.
December 17th, 2008
by Alexandra
in
other |
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Fabulous children’s author Lauren Child, creator of the impossibly endearing Charlie and Lola (I will never not ever eat a tomato! and others) has been recognised for her work with UNESCO’s Programme for the Education of Children in Need. Child spent the last 18 months visiting Unesco projects around the world, “from Mexico to Mongolia.” The result is the documentary, “My Life is A Story.”
December 4th, 2008
by Alexandra
in
literacy |
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From the Christian Science Monitor. An excerpt: “There are people who want to access books,” says the director of the cultural center, Pape Baba Ndiaye, but “sometimes they don’t have money for the transportation. Sometimes they don’t have time.” Furthermore, “there isn’t any funding, and there aren’t enough books. ‘We need the infrastructure: a building, the management system, personnel,’ he adds. ‘We’ll do it, little by little.’”
December 1st, 2008
by Alexandra
in
literacy |
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The annual CNN heroes were announced Saturday night, and Librarian Activist is thrilled to congratulate children’s librarian Yohannes Gebregeorgis, who was among the ten finalists (each of whom receives $25K). Gebregeorgis was recognized for his program, Ethiopia Reads, which has set up numerous libraries in his home country. Yohannes was also the receipient of one of the first ALA Presidential Citations on Innovation in International Librarianship in 2008.
November 21st, 2008
by Alexandra
in
advocacy, censorship, media democracy |
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There has been some speculation online (from credible sources like The Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, or, closest to home, Kate Heartfield’s excellent blog for the Ottawa Citizen) that Hossein Derakhshan, a Canadian citizen, has been arrested in Iran (for spying for Israel, purportedly), and might face the death penalty.
November 19th, 2008
by Danielle
in
censorship, freedom of expression, indie publishing |
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At a talk given by Howard Zinn tonight at UQAM, I was reminded of this piece of news that I saw a while back (because the proceeds of the talk were being given to help fight this case). The Québec publisher Écosociété is being sued for libel by two Canadian mining companies for publishing a book about abuses in Africa by mining companies. This website gives more information:
Noir Canada. Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique brings together and analyses national and international documents already available to the public (reports, books, documentaries…), concerning various abuses from several Canadian companies working in Africa, in particular in the mining and oil areas. It also deals with the supports these corporations benefit on behalf of the Canadian government. The debate the book wishes to make public is all the more legitimate given that Canadians’ assets (retirement funds, RRSP, public funds) are often indirectly invested in these corporations through the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Following the publication of Noir Canada, Barrick Gold, the world’s largest gold producer is suing the small non-profit Quebec publisher and the authors of Noir Canada for $5 millions in damages, as well as one million on account of exemplary damages, a sum that represents 25 times Écosociété’s annual revenue.
They also give several ways to help the authors and the publisher, including signing a petition for an anti-SLAPP law (Strategic lawsuit against public participation).
November 19th, 2008
by Danielle
in
net neutrality |
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On Thursday November 20, the CRTC will finally give its ruling on the Bell throttling case. (Last spring, Bell started throttling internet service to its wholesale customers, after having done it since October 2007 to its Sympatico customers). Although the ruling will only look at whether this throttling of wholesale customers violates the Telecommunications Act, it will no doubt bring about much larger discussions on Net Neutrality in general. The CBC has a good article describing the issue. Bell has also recently put up a page describing its throttling practices.
November 17th, 2008
by Danielle
in
elections, environment libraries |
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In October, Obama sent out letters to a few US Agencies addressing concerns and issues that the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (John Cage) had inquired about. Concerning the letter to the EPA, Obama states:
I strongly oppose attempts by the Bush Administration to thwart publication of EPA researchers’ scientific findings, as well as the attempt to eliminate the agency’s library system. In an Obama Administration, the principle of scientific integrity will be an absolute, and I will never sanction any attempt to subvert the work of scientists.
November 6th, 2008
by Danielle
in
net neutrality |
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According to this article in CNN Money, “Industry observers believe Obama will push for net neutrality in small steps” and “Under the Obama administration, “net neutrality will begin to be expressed in more definitive terms,” predicted Douglas Jarrett, an FCC attorney with the law firm Keller and Heckman.” Hopefully, this will influence policy north of the border!