CARP Debate Ontario 2014

Non-profit Organization CARP advocates on aging society needs. Thinking about the future for all of us.

www.carp.ca/2014/06/carp-debate-ontario-votes-2014-goldhawk-fights-back-2/

The Global Poverty Project

Launch of a global project to end poverty worldwide by Hugh Evans

http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/30-under-30/30-under-30_social.html

Child Poverty in Canada & Ontario

In November of 2014 the Ontario Association of Social Workers signed a petition in the House of Commons to eliminate Child Poverty across the country. This was pushed by the New Democratic Party which shows that they truly exemplify their image of civil rights and actions.



http://www.oasw.org/homepagenews/social-action/child-poverty-in-canada-ontario.aspx

Unite to Unlock 2015: Nafisa Adams - Opening Keynote EWB National Conference 2015

This post is not a scheduled post, but equally important for you to know. Since I'm working on the planned post, and I'm planning to merge this post in it. But, while I'm working on it, here's the keynote speech that made some of us in the conference cry, and some of us uneasy towards our heart.

This is Nafisa Adams-one of the first speakers at the National Conference 2015. She is the social entrepreneur from Rural Ghana and founder of Beads of Hope. She shares her story of her harsh life, and despite it being so harsh, she did not stop studying hard, working hard, inspiring everyone on the way, and inspiring everyone in the conference.

Cheers!

A thirst for world development: Students test their water strategy

http://legacy.ewb.ca/en/articles/081105_mcmaster_spectator.html

Unite to Unlock 2015: Metamorphosis, Grave sickness, Greatest Satisfaction-Who had thought first three bar nights would change my vision forever???

What's up EWBers!!! 

Alright. Last time, I mentioned why I considered going to the National Conference 2015. Today's story will cover three main things I earned DURING the conference. And I know exactly where to start. Or actually, I don't. So, may be, 

I'll go with the f l o w,

cuz that flow is gonna b l o w   y o u r   m i n d !

On Tuesday, January 13, I and my mother were arguing of what I should take and what I should not. I was planning to were a super-formal dress especially cuz I knew I would meet some higher officials during the conference. But, my mom as well as my friends apparently convinced me that I shouldn't. Well, they were right in their own way. This conference is all about how to change. And, as formal I always used to be, it was time I tried something new. The conference was not all about attending it. In fact, it was nothing about attendance at all. It was about changing who I was initially. "And I gotta say boy!!! The experience was A W E S O M E!!!"

First night, that was my first night in a bar. Well, crazy things happened that day, in a good way as well as in a bad day. Can you believe the bar just closed when we reached there after walking for like 20 minutes right after dropping our luggage in the hotel? Well, you better believe it. But fortunately, it had a supplementary underground bar, and it was open until morning, so we went there. However, for a dozen hungry fellows, not all of us were ready to drink esp. in an empty stomach. And, the late night bar only offered drinks. So, whoever were hungry instantly, we went to buy food for ourselves. And the stupid me, bought a soft drink from somewhere else cuz I don't drink alcohol, cuz, well,... Anyways, I had to buy something from there too, and so, double drinks, super-pack food, and, yeah, my stomach just did things privately.

But the good thing about that night was that, I loved the flute player and the singer. I, very hardly, controlled myself from dancing cuz I had to finish eating and everyone was waiting for me. That was unfortunate. Walking back home with them, I forgot that whoever stayed to drink, were hungry too. But, I never had a habit of staying out late night. And so, I returned back with a friend from Waterloo who had joined us that night.

Truthfully, I didn't feel a thing that day. I tried helping them how I felt right. But, really, it have to admit, it was a good night, and a bad night. Good night because we all super-enjoyed it. Bad night because, since I was the quietest person in the whole group, and almost dragged the reputation of Ryerson comparatively down, I felt lonely. I felt like I do not deserve to be the part of the team, and I would resign from my post at the end of the year. (Don't worry! Story gets better as we go.)

The conference started the next day. But, I'll tell about the conference in the next blog. Let me first complete the bar night stories.

Friday Night was the day when I really had to decide what was actually right for me. And I had to do so by neutralizing all my feelings, hopes, friendship, family wishes, basically, everything, including my self-identity. But, again, Saturday night is when I made the best decision of my life.

Like on Thursday night, I joined my friends to the bar on Friday night along with McGill gang. Watching serious stuffs on the TV right in front of me, my friends clearly noticed that I was not having enough fun. I am glad they were having fun.

The night was so loud, I was hardly controlling myself. When the music is that loud, I usually do one of the following three things: hit my head just like this fellow with orange spikes, or think about crazy stuffs (even I don't know what I am thinking about at those times), or sing or dance along with others. When my co-prez asked why I was so spaced out then, I told her about this. Well, she might have thought weird about me, but that was how I was. But what was I really thinking in that loud, smoky area?

I did not join EWB to have fun. I just wanted to feel engineering. I wanted to feel the need of engineers. But, with EWB, people were having more fun than that feeling. And there I was, trying to dub in the fun side of me. I even remember often questioning myself, I am dragging my chapter down, do I belong at all in EWB? After returning home, I could not stop thinking. In fact, I could not sleep properly. With so much stress on my head, I had to make a formal decision, either the right one, or the wrong one. But, it wasn't the right time cuz I was thinking more negative than positive. 

If there is one thing I have learnt from my past, never decide in vain. And, never decide for your satisfaction if other people are not going to be happy with it. I did not stop thinking even in the next morning. And afternoon. And evening. I even got so sick and stressed that my nose was bleeding super-bad while I was alone in my hotel room. It took me two whole days after returning back from Montreal to recover the loss of blood that day. But that was the last time I ever thought. Because, the last bar night in Montreal (Saturday) proved to be the night of enlightenment for me. What I'm happy about is that, this last piece of enlightenment did not come to me simply through meditation, but through action. And through implementation.

Wow. That was a bit emotional side of me. But, as much as I had hard time on Friday night, I had a lot of fun on Saturday night. I even forced myself to play foosball, snooker and dance in front of my friends. I usually used to be super-silent kind of guy in such parties, but, I was different that day. Obviously, the change did not happen at once. It took time. It took almost half of the party time. And most importantly, it took some crazy group of people to inspire me indirectly, but crazily. But, in the end, I felt the change. 

Since then, I feel so much of freedom within myself than ever before. I feel more committed. I feel more proud than ever. I am glad that I decided to do the interview for EWB. I am glad I joined them in the National Conference. I am glad that I joined them in almost all of their bar night parties. I am glad that I attempted to think about my connection with EWB. And finally, I am glad, in the end, I made the RIGHT DECISION...

To be continued...

Next time::: Unite to Unlock 2015: Lessons learnt-Feelings vs. Knowledge-The Actual Conference

Here's the challenge:::Everyone will have to write their experience during the conference however they wish to, but visible to the public. So, obviously, you don't have to put super-personal stuffs. Anything that were not private, something from things you learnt during the conference to fun during night parties, or your feelings about the Montreal. Whoever is interested in writing a new blog post are encouraged to do so. If you guys don't like writing, write a short note on the comments, which by the way, also requires sign in as for now.

Unite to Unlock 2015: My Introduction to EWB and the conference

In case you are wondering why am I not writing any blogs, it's not that I'm not committed anymore. Let me tell you cool story. Grab your headphones, cuz you are going to listen to a beautiful song from youtube. And why is it beautiful? It's cuz it's going to be the song you like from your site. Just kiddin'!

But seriously, I am going to tell you a cool story-the story of how we, Ryerson EWBers connected with the EWBers and EWB supporters from all around Canada, at only one place they could ever meet: The National Conference 2015 aka Unite to Unlock 2015. So sit tight, and get ready with you music in a speaker, or go to a quiet area, whichever you feel better!

Let the story begin!!!

So, it all began with an opportunity to go to the Summer Regional Retreat during the summer after I got appointed as the 2014-15 Academic Year VP of Advocacy. Till then, I tried reading all the documents Co-President Caroline gave me. And then, I received additional documents with list of duties I was asked to accomplish by Sasha Caldera, EWB Advocacy Campaign Strategist, and Sujin Chang, Advocacy Distributed Team Member who is responsible to literate Advocacy Rep of few institutes one of which is Ryerson University. But, even though I learnt few things, it proved to confuse me even more. 

Ontario Regional Retreat, Summer 2015, House Hart Farm Land

So, I decided to go to this Ontario Summer Retreat because I felt like it would teach me something. I won't talk about what I learnt, but the important thing is that I felt for EWB for the first time. I might have done some super-awkward things in there, but bro! I was illiterate about EWB because of two reasons, vision and mission statements in the EWB and EWB Ryerson websites along with the documents provided to me did not make any sense to me, and I never gave myself a separate time for EWB. So, what can I do?

The Summer Retreat gave me a vision of what EWB is and how it actually roles. I felt the EWB for the first time, however, I never realized it. But, it was the first real step to feeling the change within me personally, and as an EWBer, with the National Conference of 2015 aka Unite to Unlock.

To be continued...

Next time::: Unite to Unlock 2015: Metamorphosis, Grave sickness, Greatest Satisfaction 

Here's the challenge:::Everyone will have to write their experience during the conference however they wish to, but visible to the public. So, obviously, you don't have to put super-personal stuffs. Anything that were not private, something from things you learnt during the conference to fun during night parties, or your feelings about the Montreal. Whoever is interested in writing a new blog post are encouraged to do so. If you guys don't like writing, write a short note on the comments, which by the way, also requires sign in as for now.