Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Photo essay: Toronto International Women's Day march


On March 3, women from across Toronto took to the streets for International Women's Day.



The march included labour and community groups, opposition from inside and outside Parliament/City Council, and people of all ages.


As the organizers explained, the austerity agenda is worsening the lives of women, who already face endemic problems of violence. "Over the past year, the 99 per cent has faced attacks on our rights as workers and the right to decent jobs, while austerity-driven political agendas have moved forward to slash public spending, targeting the very services upon which we rely during times of economic uncertainty. Women and other marginalized people are disproportionately affected by cuts to public services, which deepen socio-economic marginalization. Our services mitigate socio-economic inequity and are vital to an equitable society."


This year's theme -- Reclaim our city: Good jobs, services, dignity. Together we are stronger -- was built on the organizing of the past year.

Women have been at the heart of resistance movements, from the Egyptian revolution to anti-austerity fights in Toronto. Last year, IWD organizers were one of the first to confront Rob Ford over his cuts that threaten women's access to public services. Since then, a year of organizing has dented the Ford agenda -- stopping some budget cuts, stalling the sell-off of social housing and leading to a rebirth of the public transit debate. Ford is trying to get around the opposition by attacking the jobs on which public services depend, like contracting out cleaners. The march connected the fight for public services with the defence of the jobs that provide them, and included cleaners and library workers at the front of the march -- who are campaigning to save jobs and public services.

Slogans also make links to broader issues, like "childcare not warfare." While Harper is wasting billions on fighter jets, battle ships and wars from Afghanistan to Libya, there are also threats against Syria and Iran -- and he still refuses to fund a national, publicly-funded child care program.

The march passed by City Hall, where people left messages in chalk connecting local with global, from "save transit city," to "status for all," to "free Palestinian female prisoners" (for more information, come to Israeli Apartheid Week.)

By uniting women and men from across the city in defence of good jobs, public services and dignity, IWD left a strong message for Ford, Harper and the rest of the one per cent: expect resistance.

Original Article
Source: rabble.ca
Author: Jesse McLaren

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