In the past few weeks, I have been donating all my extra time to a very important charity project. After years of sitting back and watching the event unfold, I have joined the World Partnership Walk organizing committee.
Those who have read my blog before already know about the cause. The Walk is an annual event in 9 cities across Canada to create awareness about global poverty and raise funds to find a solution to it. It's actually the largest international development fundraiser in the country, and 2009 marks its 25th anniversary!
Happy 25th, World Partnership Walk!
Of course, now comes the part where I reach out to you and ask you to contribute to the cause. You're probably expecting me to tell you some sob story about the extremely poor children in Afghanistan or Africa who live on less than $2 a day, some of the 3 billion people who do. Or maybe you think I'll try to convince you by telling you that the Walk can truly help transform the lives and livelihoods of some of the poorest countries in the world, giving them hope for the future.
Well, all that is true. But here's why you should support the World Partnership Walk:
Global poverty is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Even during these tough economic times, there are people poorer than you and I, more desolate and desperate. The recession is even tougher on them.
The truth is that fighting global poverty is a war, and one that we can all contribute to ending. Last year, 40,000 Canadians raised more than $5 million via the World Partnership Walk, and every cent of it went to AKFC - that's Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a non-denominational, not for profit organization - international development projects that help communities help themselves.
Every cent. There's 0 overhead.
The Walk is organized almost entirely by volunteers like myself who donate time and energy and sacrifice sleep (lots and lots of sleep) to help change the world and give hope to those less fortunate than ourselves.
This year, I know we're all strapped for cash. But we've shown in the past that being Canadian, being human, really, is being compassionate. Giving a little when we can't afford to give a lot, but hey, at least we're giving!
This year, I want you to WALK with me. I'll take your money, of course, because that's definitely an important step to eliminating global poverty. But I want you to join me on Mount Royal Park near Beaver Lake on Sunday, May 31st in Montreal (and most other Canadian cities), and walk the walk.
Why do I walk? Because I care. Because I can - and not because I have to for basic needs like food, water, education...
I walk because it's my little way of making a tangible impact.
Changing the world. Spreading hope. Being a hero.
Just like we always dreamed...
-----
To help me reach my $1,000 fundraising goal, click on my personalized World Partnership Walk page at: http://www.akfcnetcommunity.ca/netcommunity/njinnah
While you're there, maybe you can create your own page, and together, we can make the world a better place. And make sure to receive all the latest Montreal World Partnership Walk updates by following @WPWMtl on Twitter.
Showing posts with label request. Show all posts
Showing posts with label request. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Election Day
If you live in Canada and haven't noticed yet, we've got an election happening on this side of the border too. Sure, we don't have charismatic, groundbreaking candidates like Barack Obama or VP wannabees that light up screens and fire up debates like Sarah Palin, but it's an important event nonetheless.
Faced with choosing from the usual parties - Liberals, Conservatives - we're lucky to have strong contenders in the NDP this time around. And thanks to a poor political decision by the so-called main parties to dismiss Green leader Elizabeth May, our most environmentally conscious party is also attracting some attention - though they probably won't win any seats. And the Bloc, is, as always, present, but barely.
To me, this campaign has been a fight on several levels. Not only did Stephen Harper, Stephane Dion, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe and Elizabeth May have to battle each other on the silver screen and on the streets, they also had to fight for the attention of Canadian citizens. While this is always the case - Canadians do vote, but tend to have a defeatist attitude as to the importance of their choice - this campaign was especially tough due to the stiff competition south (and north west) of the border.
In fact, I'd say most Canadians are more concerned about the American elections than the Canadian ones. They care more about the issues, candidates and platforms in the US of A than those in their own backyards. Indeed, CBC did a fun piece asking students who they were voting for, and most said they would vote for Obama (or McCain, in rare occurrences). Most of them didn't even consider that a reporter from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation would be referring to the Canadian elections. A large portion of respondents couldn't name our country's Prime Minister, let alone the leaders of our main political parties. Not to mention that many weren't even aware that we were having elections of our own.
Now that's freaky! How can we trust others to elect the right leaders to promote the causes that matter to us as individuals and as a country when most of the population don't know these people exist... and couldn't care less?
Yes, I agree that what happens in the USA is important to Canada, and it is on many levels - political, economical, environmental, geographical, military-wise and trade-wise... But when a Canadian chooses to watch a debate between US Vice Presidential candidates over the one and only English-language Canadian leaders debate, how can you not be a little shell shocked?
I mean, sure, there are replays and extracts and loads of analysis - but you'll get the same for the less-relevant-to-you USA VP debate. Just tune in to CNN Headline News any time of day and you'll get your fix. Browse the Internet, watch the morning shows or daytime talk shows. Or late night comedy shows, for that matter. You'll be caught up in no time.
But in Canada, where coverage is not as extensive due to more limited resources - and lets not kid ourselves, limited interest - how can you not watch the debate live? The way the leaders interact, the tone of their voices, when they choose to get angry and when they choose to remain calm... That says a lot about them as people, as party leaders, as politicians, and as potential leaders of our country. Of YOUR country. How can YOU not take that seriously?
I bet that in most news-watching households in Canada, the US election is more prominently featured as dinner-time programming then our Canadian equivalent. I know this to be true in my area, at least. Sure, the Canadian election gets its air time as well... but as soon as we've got the latest update, it's time to click back to analysis of Obama, McCain, Biden or Palin's latest speech. Every day, 24/7.
Even today, on election day, most people are still thinking about whether or not they'll vote. I can't say I've decided who I'm going to vote for, but I'm most definitely going to get my lazy butt out of my pyjamas and walk to my polling station to mark my ballot. Because it's important for me to have a say, even if I don't think my voice will change anything. Especially in a riding like mine, which could be considered an automatic seat for one of the main parties. Still, if I don't vote, then I can't complain about the results, can I?
Did you know that political parties actually get cash for every vote in their favour? So whether or not you can change anything in the short run, you do have a direct impact on your favourite party's future influence and activities.
What if you can't put your faith in a certain leader? Then vote for the platform that seems most deserving to you (do your research thanks to this great tool, courtesy of CBC).
Even that option can be tough when you don't agree with a party's stance on all the issues, but as always, politics, and any kind of democratic system, really, is about picking the lesser of two evils. Think back to your class president elections in high school. It's the same deal, but on a bigger scale. And even if you didn't care who would lead your class to greatness back then, chances are you cast your vote anyway so you wouldn't feel left out. Just to go through the motions.
So why not here, why not now, when your voice is so much more important?
You might not concern yourself with the outcome of the elections, or maybe you really, truly believe that no one party or leader fits the bill. Then spoil your ballot. Spoil your ballot to make it count. Did you know that if enough people spoil their ballots - and in doing so declare that none of the choices are suitable - the results in that riding can be refused? We'd get another chance to have our say - and hopefully, our little rebellion would cause the parties to change their stance or offer better alternatives.
No matter how you see it, voting is not just a right. It's a responsibility. By not voting, you're letting down your neighbours and your riding, your fellow citizens across Canada, the populations in countries around the world that depend on Canada for food, aid, funding and development, the scientist and artists here at home who also need funding for research or to work... Or simply to survive...
By not voting, you're not only letting everyone else down, you're also letting yourself down.
And how, may I ask, can you live with that?
Please. Go vote today. It's your only chance to have a say, on a small or big scale. Embrace your Canadian citizenship. And don't forget... if you don't vote, you can't complain!
Find your polling station - and register to vote on location! - at www.electionscanada.ca.
Faced with choosing from the usual parties - Liberals, Conservatives - we're lucky to have strong contenders in the NDP this time around. And thanks to a poor political decision by the so-called main parties to dismiss Green leader Elizabeth May, our most environmentally conscious party is also attracting some attention - though they probably won't win any seats. And the Bloc, is, as always, present, but barely.
To me, this campaign has been a fight on several levels. Not only did Stephen Harper, Stephane Dion, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe and Elizabeth May have to battle each other on the silver screen and on the streets, they also had to fight for the attention of Canadian citizens. While this is always the case - Canadians do vote, but tend to have a defeatist attitude as to the importance of their choice - this campaign was especially tough due to the stiff competition south (and north west) of the border.
In fact, I'd say most Canadians are more concerned about the American elections than the Canadian ones. They care more about the issues, candidates and platforms in the US of A than those in their own backyards. Indeed, CBC did a fun piece asking students who they were voting for, and most said they would vote for Obama (or McCain, in rare occurrences). Most of them didn't even consider that a reporter from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation would be referring to the Canadian elections. A large portion of respondents couldn't name our country's Prime Minister, let alone the leaders of our main political parties. Not to mention that many weren't even aware that we were having elections of our own.
Now that's freaky! How can we trust others to elect the right leaders to promote the causes that matter to us as individuals and as a country when most of the population don't know these people exist... and couldn't care less?
Yes, I agree that what happens in the USA is important to Canada, and it is on many levels - political, economical, environmental, geographical, military-wise and trade-wise... But when a Canadian chooses to watch a debate between US Vice Presidential candidates over the one and only English-language Canadian leaders debate, how can you not be a little shell shocked?
I mean, sure, there are replays and extracts and loads of analysis - but you'll get the same for the less-relevant-to-you USA VP debate. Just tune in to CNN Headline News any time of day and you'll get your fix. Browse the Internet, watch the morning shows or daytime talk shows. Or late night comedy shows, for that matter. You'll be caught up in no time.
But in Canada, where coverage is not as extensive due to more limited resources - and lets not kid ourselves, limited interest - how can you not watch the debate live? The way the leaders interact, the tone of their voices, when they choose to get angry and when they choose to remain calm... That says a lot about them as people, as party leaders, as politicians, and as potential leaders of our country. Of YOUR country. How can YOU not take that seriously?
I bet that in most news-watching households in Canada, the US election is more prominently featured as dinner-time programming then our Canadian equivalent. I know this to be true in my area, at least. Sure, the Canadian election gets its air time as well... but as soon as we've got the latest update, it's time to click back to analysis of Obama, McCain, Biden or Palin's latest speech. Every day, 24/7.
Even today, on election day, most people are still thinking about whether or not they'll vote. I can't say I've decided who I'm going to vote for, but I'm most definitely going to get my lazy butt out of my pyjamas and walk to my polling station to mark my ballot. Because it's important for me to have a say, even if I don't think my voice will change anything. Especially in a riding like mine, which could be considered an automatic seat for one of the main parties. Still, if I don't vote, then I can't complain about the results, can I?
Did you know that political parties actually get cash for every vote in their favour? So whether or not you can change anything in the short run, you do have a direct impact on your favourite party's future influence and activities.
What if you can't put your faith in a certain leader? Then vote for the platform that seems most deserving to you (do your research thanks to this great tool, courtesy of CBC).
Even that option can be tough when you don't agree with a party's stance on all the issues, but as always, politics, and any kind of democratic system, really, is about picking the lesser of two evils. Think back to your class president elections in high school. It's the same deal, but on a bigger scale. And even if you didn't care who would lead your class to greatness back then, chances are you cast your vote anyway so you wouldn't feel left out. Just to go through the motions.
So why not here, why not now, when your voice is so much more important?
You might not concern yourself with the outcome of the elections, or maybe you really, truly believe that no one party or leader fits the bill. Then spoil your ballot. Spoil your ballot to make it count. Did you know that if enough people spoil their ballots - and in doing so declare that none of the choices are suitable - the results in that riding can be refused? We'd get another chance to have our say - and hopefully, our little rebellion would cause the parties to change their stance or offer better alternatives.
No matter how you see it, voting is not just a right. It's a responsibility. By not voting, you're letting down your neighbours and your riding, your fellow citizens across Canada, the populations in countries around the world that depend on Canada for food, aid, funding and development, the scientist and artists here at home who also need funding for research or to work... Or simply to survive...
By not voting, you're not only letting everyone else down, you're also letting yourself down.
And how, may I ask, can you live with that?
Please. Go vote today. It's your only chance to have a say, on a small or big scale. Embrace your Canadian citizenship. And don't forget... if you don't vote, you can't complain!
Find your polling station - and register to vote on location! - at www.electionscanada.ca.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Please sponsor me for the World Partnership Walk (Montreal)
This year again, I'm walking in the World Partnership Walk (Montreal - Sunday, May 25, Beaver Lake on Mount Royal, 11am).
If you haven't heard me talk about it before, it's because I usually don't. I usually just put on some running shoes, maybe help out on the day of the walk, but mostly just show up and follow the pack.
When I was younger, I used to raise funds every year, by asking random adults in the community center to sponsor me. Now, it's YOUR turn to be the random adults.
But wait! What's this walk all about, you ask? Here's the official text (and yes, it's all true):
"World Partnership Walk raises funds to help improve the lives and livelihoods of families and communities in Africa and Asia through health, education and rural development programs as well as community-led initiatives. All of the funds raised go directly to programs supported by Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a private, non-denominational, Canadian development agency. Not a cent is spent on administration."
Thanks.
You can donate online through my secure website by clicking here;
Gimme a cash or cheque in person;
Or just show up on Sunday, May 25 at Mount Royal Park near Beaver Lake at 11am and walk with me.
If you haven't heard me talk about it before, it's because I usually don't. I usually just put on some running shoes, maybe help out on the day of the walk, but mostly just show up and follow the pack.
When I was younger, I used to raise funds every year, by asking random adults in the community center to sponsor me. Now, it's YOUR turn to be the random adults.
But wait! What's this walk all about, you ask? Here's the official text (and yes, it's all true):
"World Partnership Walk raises funds to help improve the lives and livelihoods of families and communities in Africa and Asia through health, education and rural development programs as well as community-led initiatives. All of the funds raised go directly to programs supported by Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a private, non-denominational, Canadian development agency. Not a cent is spent on administration."
Now, I haven't raised funds in a few years, but this time, I want to contribute to the global community. With everything that's going wrong in the world, all the negativity in the media, it's nice to know that posing a small gesture can help someone so much on the other side of the world.
Help bring all of us closer. And as the Walk's motto says so well, "You'll make a world of difference!"
PS: I'll walk either way, but your support would be appreciated.
Help bring all of us closer. And as the Walk's motto says so well, "You'll make a world of difference!"
PS: I'll walk either way, but your support would be appreciated.
Thanks.
You can donate online through my secure website by clicking here;
Gimme a cash or cheque in person;
Or just show up on Sunday, May 25 at Mount Royal Park near Beaver Lake at 11am and walk with me.
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