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SUNERA THOBANI'S OBAMA WISH LIST | HOMELESS AT 40 BELOW | MARGARET CHO ON A WORLD WITHOUT RAPE WOMEN’S NEWS & FEMINIST VIEWS Winter 2009 Vol. 22 No. 3 Made in Canada SERENASERENA RYDERRYDER RIDING HIGH ON A WAVE OF SUCCESS GREENGREEN PARTYPARTY LEADERLEADER ELIZABETHELIZABETH MAYMAY WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? JUDY WASYLYCIA-LEIS A WOMAN’SWOMAN'S PLACEPLACE ISIS ININ THETHE HOUSEHOUSE $6.95 Canada/US Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008866; PAP Registration No. 07944 Return Undeliverable Addresses to: PO Box 128, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2G1 Canada Display until March 21,2009 WINTER 2009 / VOLUME 22 NO. 3 news 6 GLOBAL REPORT ON WOMEN’S EQUALITY 9 CAMPAIGN UPDATES WILD OVER SALMON: NO PLACE FOR FISH FARMS 12 by Janet Nicol FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S ART EXHIBIT IN KABUL 13 by Lauryn Oates 41: Tanya Tagaq features A WOMAN’S PLACE IS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 16 When you cross the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge into Winnipeg’s North End, the first thing you’ll pass is a sign that reads: “People before Profits.” Those words also summarize the ideology of the area’s Member of Parliament, Judy Wasylycia-Leis. by Kaj Hasselriis 20: Homeless at 40 Below HOMELESS AT 40 BELOW 20 by Misha Warbanski YES MEANS YES 26 by Margaret Cho RIDING HIGH 28 With a voice that’s been likened to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, songwriting skills far beyond her years, and a three-octave range, Serena Ryder’s riding high on the Canadian music scene. by Cindy Filipenko WHAT NEXT FOR CANADA’S GREEN PARTY? 32 While the Green Party pulled in an impressive 6.8 percent of the popular vote in the last federal election, Elizabeth May’s party did not win a single seat in the House of Commons. Herizons caught up with the leader of the Green Party shortly after the Canadian and U.S. elections. by Penni Mitchell I AM HO, REAR ME ROAR. 35 by Renée Bondy 32: Elizabeth May HERIZONS WINTER 2009 1 VOLUME 22 NO. 3 MAGAZINE INK MANAGING EDITOR: Penni Mitchell FULFILLMENT AND OFFICE MANAGER: Phil Koch ACCOUNTANT: Sharon Pchajek BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Ghislaine Alleyne, Phil Koch, Penni Mitchell, Kemlin Nembhard, Valerie Regehr EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Ghislaine Alleyne, Gio Guzzi, Penni Mitchell, Kemlin Nembhand ADVERTISING SALES: Penni Mitchell (204) 774-6225 DESIGN: inkubator.ca WEB MISTRESS: Rachel Thompson/BlueMuse RETAIL INQUIRIES: Disticor (905) 619-6565 51: Christine Welsh PROOFREADER: Phil Koch COVER PHOTO: Mary Rozzi arts & ideas MUSIC MUST-HAVES HERIZONS is published four times per year by HERIZONS Inc. in Tanya Tagaq, Lalah Hathaway, Lindsay May, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. One-year subscription price: $27.50 40 (includes GST) in Canada. Two-year subscription $45.99 in Canada. Wendy McNeill, Emiliána Torrini, Vancougar Subscriptions to U.S. add $6.00. International subscriptions add $9.00. Cheques or money orders are payable to: WINTER READING HERIZONS, PO Box 128, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA R3C 2G1. 42 The Given by Daphne Marlatt, Girl from Mars Ph (204) 774-6225. by Tamara Bach, The Flying Troutmans by SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: [email protected] Miriam Toews, Maternal Theory: Essential EDITORIAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] Readings edited by Andrea O’Reilly, Embryo ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: [email protected] Culture by Beth Kohl, Marathon Woman by WEBSITE: www.herizons.ca Kathrine Switzer, We Don’t Need Another Wave HERIZONS is indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index. edited by Melody Berger, Reconciliation: Islam, GST #R131089187. ISSN 0711-7485. Democracy and the West by Benazir Bhutto. The purpose of HERIZONS is to empower women; to inspire hope and foster a state of wellness that enriches women’s lives; to build FILM awareness of issues as they affect women; to promote the 51 Finding Dawn reviewed by Jennifer O’Connor, strength, wisdom and creativity of women; to broaden the 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days reviewed by boundaries of feminism to include building coalitions and support Maureen Medved. among other marginalized people; to foster peace and ecological awareness; and to expand the influence of feminist principles in the world. HERIZONS aims to reflect a feminist philosophy that is diverse, understandable and relevant to women’s daily lives. columns Views expressed in HERIZONS are those of the writers and do not PENNI MITCHELL necessarily reflect HERIZONS’ editorial policy. No material may be reprinted without permission. Due to limited resources, HERIZONS Women Matter More 5 does not accept poetry or fiction submissions. SUNERA THOBANI HERIZONS acknowledges the financial support of the 15 Barack Obama Wish List Government of Canada through the Publication Assistance Program (PAP) and the Canada Magazine MARIKO TAMAKI Fund toward our mailing and editorial costs. 35 The Sting HERIZONS gratefully acknowledges the support of the Manitoba Arts Council. SUSAN G. COLE Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008866, PAP Registration No. 55 The Pain of Palin 07944. Return Undeliverable Addresses to: PO Box 128, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 2G1, Email: [email protected] LYNN COCKBURN Herizons is proudly printed on Forest Stewardship Council- 56 Palin by Comparison certified paper that is 50% recycled, including 25% post- consumer, acid-free and chlorine-free. 2 WINTER 2009 HERIZONS letters TERMINOLOGY QUESTIONED strap a few bombs on their bodies, walk into hotel dining rooms and I am a subscriber to blow up families who are trying to enjoy a peaceful Passover meal, as Herizons and just want to happened many times over the last few years. send a quick note Further, Cipilinski refers to the Palestinians as the “native people concerning the article in under occupation.” Is she inferring that Jews are not native people as the Fall 2008 issue, well? Jews have had a continual presence in the Middle East and in “Coming Out as an Anti- Israel for 6,000 years as I hope she knows. Zionist Jew.” Although As for the “occupation,” until the Palestinians are able to show a there were some valid sustained willingness to live in peace, and to recognize the state of points made in the article, I Israel, the need for security will continue, which leads me to the writer’s found the term “anti-Zionist” quite strong for someone who is comments about the “Apartheid Wall.” I believe she is referring to a disagreeing with the way people are treated in Israel. massive 790km security fence (of which only approximately 13 percent is One can disagree with and be against a government for treating concrete) that has had to be built as a fundamental right of self-defence. people in an unacceptable way, but to not want a country for Jewish The fence has been built at Israel’s expense of over $2 billion US separating Palestinian territories from Israel as a result of the countless people to exist, especially after World War II, is saying something else, terrorist attacks inspired by Yasser Arafat and carried on after his death. and sending a different message. I’m sure Israel would far rather have spent those funds on its many JOANNA JACKSON KELLY universities and colleges, or on health care for its 5.5 million Jewish Ottawa, ON citizens and 1.4 million Arab citizens (who live together peacefully, SEEING RED OVER SENATOR respecting one another’s religion and human rights). Unfortunately, given repeated terrorist attacks Israel simply had to do something to I just finished reading the article “The Senator is Out” and I am protect its citizens from a population unwilling to negotiate peacefully surprised by the unquestioning nature of the article in regards to and most keen to use the most barbaric means possible to terrorize a Senator Ruth’s comments that there is not enough money for national population. As a tiny country that is a mere 15kms wide at its most child care and national housing programs. The government is spending populated area, security is essential to Israel’s very survival. over $12 billion for the war in Afghanistan, has spent millions of dollars From September 2000 until the construction of the first continuous on an unneeded election, and has given untold amounts of money in tax segment of the security fence at the end of July 2003, terrorists carried cuts to the rich. The money is available; it is the political will of Senator out 73 attacks in which 293 Israelis were killed and 1,950 wounded. Ruth and the others in Ottawa that is the barrier. Between the erection of the first segment in August 2003 and the end Senator Ruth says that women’s and childcare advocacy groups are of June 2004, only three attacks were successful and all three took not providing concrete solutions. This is not correct. Organizations place in the first half of 2003. Since construction of the fence began, such as Code Blue for Child Care and the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women’s the number of attacks has declined by more than 90 percent. The Equality have provided clear and detailed suggestions. number of Israelis murdered and wounded has decreased by more than I think it is great to have a lesbian senator. I am not too happy with 70 percent and 85 percent, respectively, after erection of the fence. having another Conservative senator. While it may be sad, for the family Cipilinski refers to, to have their MARION POLLACK, home surrounded by the security fence, I would suggest again that that Ottawa, ON inconvenience is far less tragic than the inconvenience of having one’s family killed in one of the many terrorism attacks that have now been DEFENDING ISRAEL stopped. It would be nice not to have to develop these kinds of security I am writing to express my disappointment at Aviva Cipilinski’s measures, but that is up to the Palestinians, not the Israelis.