http://nikisha.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/20796
Check out www.cwy-jcm.org for details and an application form.]]> Wed, 24 Nov 2004 23:05:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/20796 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/16326 Fri, 07 May 2004 11:43:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/16326 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/8298 Wed, 26 Mar 2003 13:27:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/8298 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/7930 Mon, 03 Mar 2003 13:58:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/7930 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/7736
by US Senator Robert Byrd

Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003

To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war.

Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing.

We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this particular war.

And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world.

This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our hit list. High level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests of many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11.

Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.

This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.

In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous borders.

In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come.

Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on.

The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.

Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace?

And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife.

Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation's oil for the foreseeable future?

To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein?

Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel?

Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal?

Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?

Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide recession?

Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income?

In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years.

One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution. But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous. There is no other word.

Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate.

We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings.

To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions of our country". This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time. ]]> Sun, 16 Feb 2003 10:40:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/7736 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/6926
Nas has this song called "One Mic" (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nas/onemic.html), which basically talks about engagement and expression. All he needs in one mic to change the world.

Does Eminem, or anyone really influential have the "right" to not use their power for good? Can you justify only talking about fighting, gaybashing and sex? Do you have a social responsibility to try to make the world a better place?]]> Fri, 06 Dec 2002 08:49:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/6926 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/6505
Is it possible to govern without propoganda? Are our only democratic moments in the voting booth? Why are we so eagre to send our children to become murderers? How are we so readily able to remove ourself from the connectedness of humanity and earth? Questions, questions...



An Open Letter to the President of the United States of America

Mr. Bush:

Good morning sir. Like you, I am a father and an American. Like you, I
consider myself a patriot. Like you, I was horrified by the events of this
past year, concerned for my family and my country. However, I do not believe
in a simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil. I believe this is a big world full of men, women and children who struggle to eat, to love, to work, to protect their families, their beliefs and their dreams. My father,
like yours, was decorated for service in World War II. He raised me with a deep belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as they should apply to all Americans who would sacrifice to maintain them and to all human beings as a matter of principle.

Many of your actions to date and those proposed seem to violate every defining principle of this country over which you preside; intolerance of debate ("with us or against us"), marginalization of your critics, the promoting of fear through unsubstantiated rhetoric, manipulation of the quick comfort media, and the position of your administration's deconstruction of civil liberties all contradict the very core of the patriotism you claim. You lead, it seems, trough a blood-lined sense of entitlement. Take a close look at your most vehement media supporters. See
the fear in their eye as their loud voices of support ring out with that
historically disastrous undercurrent of rage masked as "straight tough
talk". How far have we come from understanding what it is to kill one man,
one woman, or one child, much less the "collateral damage" of many hundreds
of thousands. Your use of the words "this is a new kind of war" is often
accompanied by an odd smile. It concerns me that what you are asking of us
is to abandon all previous lessons of history in favor of following you
blindly into the future. It worries me because with all your best
intentions, an enormous economic surplus has been squandered. Your
administration has virtually dismissed the most fundamental environmental
concerns and therefore, by implication, one gets the message that you seem
to be willing to sacrifice the children of the world, would you also be
willing to sacrifice ours. I know this be your aim so, I beg you Mr.
President, listen to Gershwin, read chapters of Stegner, of Saroyan, the
speeches of Martin Luther King. Remind yourself of America. Remember the
Iraqi children, our children and your own.

There can be no justification for the actions of Al Qaeda. Ever. Nor
acceptance of the criminal viciousness of the tyrant, Saddam Hussein. Yet,
that bombing is answered by bombing, mutilation by mutilation, killing by
killing, is a pattern that only a great country like ours can stop. However,
principles cannot be recklessly or greedily abandoned in d1e guise of
preserving them.

Avoiding war while accomplishing national security is no simple task.
But you will recall that we Americans had a little missile problem down in
Cuba once. Mr. Kennedy's restraint (and that of the nuclear submarine
captain Arkhipov) is to be aspired to. Weapons of mass destruction are
clearly a threat to the entire world in any hands. But as Americans, we
must ask ourselves, since the potential for Mr. Hussein to possess them
threatens not only our country, (and in fact, his technology to launch is
likely not yet at that high a level of sophistication) therefore, many in
his own region would have the greatest cause for concern. Why then, is the
United States, as led by your administration, in the small minority of the
world nations predisposed toward a preemptive military assault on Iraq?

Simply put, sir, let us re-introduce inspection teams, inhibiting
offensive capability. We buy time, maintain our principles here and abroad
and demand of ourselves the ingenuity to be the strongest diplomatic muscle
on the planet, perhaps in the history of the planet. The answers will come.
You are a man of faith, but your saber is rattling the faith of many
Americans in you.

I do understand what a tremendously daunting task it must be to stand in
your shoes at this moment. As a father of two young children who will live
their lives in the world as it will be affected by critical choices today, I
have no choice but to believe that you can ultimately stand as a great
president. History has offered you such destiny. So again, sir, I beg you,
help save American before yours is a legacy of shame and horror. Don't
destroy our children's future. We will support you. You must support us,
your fellow Americans, and, indeed, mankind.

Defend us from fundamentalism abroad but don't turn a blind eye to the
fundamentalism of the diminished citizenry through loss of civil liberties,
of dangerously heightened presidential autonomy through act of Congress, and
of this country's mistaken and pervasive belief that its 'manifest destiny'
is to police the world. We know that Americans are frightened and angry.
However, sacrificing American soldiers or innocent civilians in an
unprecedented preemptive attack on a separate sovereign nation, may well
prove itself a most temporary medicine. On the other hand, should you mine
and have faith in the best of this country to support your leadership in
representing a strong, thoughtful, and educated United States, you may well
triumph for the long haul. Lead us there, Mr. President, and we will stand
with you.

Sean Penn
San Francisco]]> Thu, 31 Oct 2002 11:20:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/6505 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/4084
I have to say - some of the best stuff I saw was from the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation). Jinnah: On Crime, Trudeau... these programs remind me of why i love public television, and why we have to hang on to it!

gotta go back to work... ]]> Mon, 13 May 2002 17:05:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/4084 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/3973
i've been so stressed, and on the verge of tears lately. you have NO IDEA how much work goes into a conference! Today, however, is ending on a high note.

Today, I got to give 2 post-grad film makers free tickets to the event. to me, a $250 entry fee is nothing, but to them it was huge. And yet, they wanted to go so badly. The people they'll meet -- VPs of programming with every major Canadian media outlet, funding agencies, commissioning editors... this is an opportunity that creators in Toronto haven't had before.

their joy overcame me. it's that hope that gets you -- they see these incredible opportunities and possibilities...]]> Wed, 08 May 2002 19:15:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/3973 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/2890 nikisha@innoversity.com]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2002 17:15:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/2890 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/2243
The other day the TV blathered in the background as I went through my
morning routine. The regular assortment of talking heads was droning on,
until a snippet of sentence grabbed my attention and caused me to instantly
catch my breath and stop what I was doing. The guest, Dennis Prager, simply
said: "It is our duty to be happy." ( www.dennisprager.com)

After all of the talk about recession, vengeance, vigilance and war, that
combination of the words "duty" and "happy" sent my thoughts reeling...

Of course! Happiness IS our duty. Happy people create a happy society. A
happy society does not wage war, it seeks peace. A happy society does not
punish, it lends a helping hand. A happy society does not disgrace the old,
sick or unfortunate, it extends a warm, supportive embrace. A happy society
does not whine about lack, it celebrates its generosity.

Daily newscasts broadcast the results of unhappy people. Whole news networks
are dedicated to broadcasting the "daily unhappiness" of the latest attacks,
revenge and suffering. It is fashionable to be unhappy and vengeful ("How
dare you be happy when so many people have died!") Even President Bush
declares 2002 to be a "war year" (oh happy days!).

The problem with this is that it reinforces our beliefs as a society that
"life is hard". We don't have enough role models for happiness... and boy do
we need them more than ever!

All the security checks and surveillance technologies in the world cannot
make us feel more happy. No "homeland security" can give us happiness. To
create the secure, happy future we really want, we need to up our "Happiness
Quotient".

Happiness comes from living a life on purpose. All too often, people live
life by default, instead of by design. There is no master plan, no general
direction, so they wander around aimlessly, making decisions on the spot,
with only a weak framework to guide their choices. No result is
satisfactory, because they don't really know what outcome they wanted in the
first place. So when they don't get what they want, they naturally blame
others (the government, high taxes, Osama bin Laden).

Happiness is simple. Happiness is inexpensive. Happiness is contagious.
Happiness originates from a sense of confidence in self. Which, in turn
comes from living a regret-free life.

Every decision you make is a personal choice between happiness and regret.
Happiness comes from creating results around you that reinforce your sense
of who you really are.

How do you live regret-free? By becoming more conscious about what's
important to you. By knowing what you want. And by creating results in your
life that are in alignment with what you want.

The best way to start increasing your "Happiness Quotient" is by taking care
of yourself, first. In the process of making sure your own cup is full, you
can then give to others.

Being "self-full" (instead of "selfish") is a wonderful feeling. Self-full
acts are totally under your own control, so no-one can get in the way of
your success. That's why happiness is a personal duty.

I have seen the impact with my own eyes: a woman participant in a recent
course, juggling responsibilities of being wife and mother, taking care of
everyone else and having no time for herself, leaving her tired and unhappy.
By the simple act of carving out a time in her day to be self-full, she
greatly increased her own happiness, which more than compensated for the
reduced time she spent with her family. Her happiness was contagious, and
gave her children and marriage a new source of strength.

Start today with a simple baby step towards self-fullness: what can you do
today, for five to ten minutes, to take care of yourself first? Is it taking
a walk in the afternoon sun? Closing the office door for a few minutes of
snooze while listening to beautiful music? Treating yourself to flowers?

Self-fullness is a product of strong boundaries, high standards and clear
priorities. Self-fullness leads to a regret-free life, which increases your
Happiness Quotient.

And to create the peace our world desperately needs, your first duty is to
Be Happy.

What will you do today to fill your cup?

For more ideas on how to life a self-full life, check out the
High-Performance Living Checklist at
http://www.davender.com/articles/hpliving.htm]]> Mon, 07 Jan 2002 15:06:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/2243 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1817
You guys kick ass!]]> Thu, 29 Nov 2001 09:59:00 EST http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1817 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1347 Tue, 23 Oct 2001 20:24:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1347 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1299 Sat, 20 Oct 2001 18:33:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/1299 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/960 Mon, 17 Sep 2001 09:35:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/960 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/673
- how can we get more users to volunteer for postings?
- I'd like to create three postings: resource researcher (Ideafund), workshop assistant (once we get the YMCA deal worked out, with the ambition of getting them to eventually lead, or volunteer to be a "Lab Monitor") and content creator.
- I've lined up some IT professionals from non-IT backgrounds who are willing to be profiled on the site as a "career spotlight" or some such thing; I'd like to get some non-team members to interview them (everyone has such circuitous career paths, and IT is not just the realm of techies)
- I'd like to have a "futures" resource section that deals with ways of meeting your goals: jobs, co-ops, internships, training, professional org/assoc
- career profiles/featured mentors
- every profile should include Jarra's 3 questions (in text boxes), with a check box for "I'd like to be featured"; if they've got a picture, let's put them up there ]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2001 17:28:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/673 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/647 Sat, 18 Aug 2001 18:01:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/647 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/509
You must listen to her albums, Universe and Blue Parade. Universe was her first, and it sounded like Tori Amos. It was good, but her stuff's matured since then]]> Sun, 05 Aug 2001 15:54:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/509 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/508 just the name of my all-time favourite comic book character (The Sandman - pick up the compiled graphic novels); no longer happy with being just the name of one of the lead characters in one of the best movies ever made (The Matrix), now Morpheus has gone and done it again! Morpheus is the name of a peer-to-peer file sharing program that has picked up all of us ex-Napsters. It's awesome.]]> Sun, 05 Aug 2001 15:48:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/508 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/485 Fri, 03 Aug 2001 14:57:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/485 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/422 creative and diverse media creators together with producers and management, to tackle the issue of diversity in the media.

This is such a huge business opportunity, and so needed in this diverse, multi-cultural country.

What I realized today is that we are doing what TIG is doing - we're giving people a physical and virtual space to share ideas, collaborate, learn, teach, and do business. Just as TIG is a resource for our members, Innoversity will enable creativity and innovation through diversity.
]]> Fri, 27 Jul 2001 11:58:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/422 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/421 Fri, 27 Jul 2001 11:25:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/421 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/417 Thu, 26 Jul 2001 14:45:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/417 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/386 ]]> Tue, 24 Jul 2001 16:30:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/386 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667 http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/322 Sun, 15 Jul 2001 15:46:00 EDT http://nikisha.tigblog.org/post/322 43.6666667 -79.416666743.6666667-79.4166667