Since I haven’t been around BT much since I first signed up in March, there are many BTers that I haven’t met. The Welcome Wagon diaries will help me catch up on all of you. In the meantime, I’d like to expand our knowledge of each other by asking about your main political interests.
more…
I’ll begin. In a nutshell, my main concern is injustice, specifically human rights issues and more narrowly – poverty. In fact, I’ve had a book about poverty on the back burner for quite some time now, but will soon be launching a blog where I’ll be asking for some help in gathering information. I will also post a series of diaries here at BT to share my ideas and ask for input. The book will have two sections: the first will deal with personal coping strategies and the second will deal with the practical.
My life background is the catalyst for my interest in poverty. As a single parent of one child, who is now 27, I ran into many roadblocks along the way. I also worked in the addictions field as a supervisor and addictions counselor in a homeless shelter/non-medical detox facility. I’ve lobbied my provincial government and the media many times and managed to win a human rights complaint a few years ago that caused a change to a policy that was blatantly discriminatory towards the poor. (The government had been deducting $5/day from welfare cheques for those in the hospital, claiming it was a recovery of the cost of food. Health care is free here in Canada, so this was clearly a violation of human rights).
As a result of my advocacy and personal interest, I’ve gathered a wealth of knowledge about the system and the resources available. According to North American financial standards, I am currently poor since I live on a paltry government disability pension and am not able to work due to my illnesses. Through the years, I have learned how to cope, mentally, emotionally and in a practical sense, through the help of therapy, personal support, reading, learning, and my new found Buddhist beliefs. I don’t, however, have any sort of religious agenda in writing my book. It will focus on principles such as compassion, humility, living in each moment and so on – common sense values that everyone can understand.
One more thing, my book isn’t about making money. I’ll give it away if I have to and I’ll propose that agencies perhaps pay a certain amount for bulk orders. I haven’t worked out all of the details yet. The most important thing is to get it done. Once I’m feeling a bit better, I’ll be devoting a lot of time to the project.
Now, I would include a poll here to find out what your interests are, but I’ve found that many people have several areas of concern and activism and that poll choices are quite limiting. I look forward to knowing more about where you are all coming from and learning about your passions.
Have at it!