Welcome to the transforming power web site. Below is Judy Rebick's blog, which also appears on rabble.ca. I write mostly about social movements which today means a focus on Occupy. My newest book is an e book Occupy This!
You can buy it on Kindle, Kobo and iBooks or you can find it in Google books and go from there. You can also try downloading it from Penguin.ca. It only costs $3.99
Below is an excerpt that appeared in rabble.ca
by Judy Rebick and Velcrow Ripper
We have been great friends for the last ten years. Judy comes from a history of left and feminist activism, Velcrow is an activist film maker who has focused on environmental and spiritual activism. Over these ten years, we have learned a lot from each other, leading to collaboration on each of our projects.
As an aging feminist I am often asked to speak about the progress we have made as feminists and how much is left to do. It gets depressing sometimes because of the persistence of violence against women and economic inequality. I am despairing of the deep gendered divide in children's toys and the heavy load placed upon young women expected to be beautiful, thin, successful, a great mom and too often chief cook and bottle washer at home. Not to mention daily viewing the old Reform party anti-feminists running the country.
Judy Rebick was the spokesperson for the Morgentaler Clinic when it first opened in Toronto and later a key spokesperson for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics
Monday, January 28 is the anniversary of the deepest and most important victory the women's movement in Canada has ever had. After almost 20 years of struggle, beginning with the Abortion Caravan in 1970, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the abortion law in a landmark decision citing women's right to privacy -- in effect women's rights to control their own bodies.
I haven’t written about Idle No More yet because I am inspired by the plethora of Indigenous voices that we are finally hearing across the country, including of late in the mainstream media. If I learned anything from the women’s movement it is that we have to speak for ourselves not be represented by others, however well meaning and supportive. Instead I have devoted my support for the movement to sharing the many brilliant and informative articles, the announcements and reports of events and the beautiful graphics and photos from Idle No More to my rather large soc
I think we will look back at 2012 as the year that everything changed. The year began with what became a powerful strike of Quebec students against an intransigent government and ended with an historic movement of Indigenous peoples across the country declaring they will be Idle No More.
I haven't written a blog in a long time but the recent attack on Gaza has moved me to write. During the last attack in 2009, I was angry, furious at the slaughter of hundreds of people of Gaza trapped in a tiny slip of land without any protection. So I participated in an occupation of Jewish women of the Israeli consulate. As you will see from the video I was furious and ready for action. This time my feeling is more sadness.
I am sitting in a cafe in Calgary crying while I watch another joyous and beautiful video of the pots and pans marches in Quebec - "The Sound Your Life Makes." I don't know if it is the inspiring music of ordinary people coming into the streets to defy an unjust law; the awesome courage and determination of the Quebec students; or the shifting sands of the global youth uprising, but for the first time in my lifetime there is a solidarity movement growing in
Most of the mainstream media, with the help of the Mulcair and Topp campaigns, constructed the leadership battle at the NDP convention as a battle between those who wanted to move to the centre to win government and those who wanted to win maintaining the “traditional” social democratic values of the NDP.
Click the Book to Buy!
Please support your local independent book store
Outside Canada?
Click here to order.
Please create an account and login to comment on any posts. Contact us at transformingpower@gmail.com
Click here to download current and archived "Reel Women" podcasts.
To invite Judy to speak click here.
Drupal theme designed by Blamcast.
Recent comments
1 year 8 weeks ago
1 year 8 weeks ago
1 year 8 weeks ago
1 year 8 weeks ago
1 year 38 weeks ago
1 year 38 weeks ago
1 year 38 weeks ago
1 year 38 weeks ago
1 year 39 weeks ago
1 year 39 weeks ago