If you had just a minute to breathe
and they granted you one final wish
would you ask for something, like another chance.
Or something similar as this
don't worry too much, it'll happen to you
as sure as your sorrows are joys.
And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound
of the low spark of high-heeled boys.
The percentage you're paying is too high priced
while you're living beyond all your means
and the man in the suit has just bought a new car
from the profit he's made on your dreams
But today you just swear that the man was shot dead
by a gun that didn't make any noise
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest
was the low spark of high-heeled boys....high-heeled boys.
If I gave you everything that I own
and asked for nothing in return
Would you do the same for me, as I would for you?
Or take me for a ride
and strip me of everything, including my pride
But spirit is something that no one destroys
And the sound that I'm hearing is only the sound
of the low spark of high-heeled boys.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Activist Post: This Spanish Spring is the Real Thing
Activist Post: This Spanish Spring is the Real Thing
THE FLASH MOB MOVES NORTH:
Thousands are now camped out in central Madrid along with 60 other sites nationwide, creating temporary cities of the dispossessed. The mainstream media in Britain and the West have chosen to largely ignore this phenomenon, perhaps because they fear that “it could happen here”.This century, Spaniards have moved to the forefront of alternative culture, the shackles of convention and Catholicism that governed their parents and grandparents lives permanently binned. They seem to realise more than any other western nation that the dog and pony show of replacing the “left” party with the ‘right” endlessly is little more than a hypnotic charade. They have taken the “Arab Spring” a step further by rejecting the periodic plebiscites that the West clings to as its claim to democracy, instead starting to demand real change – to economic structures, to political representation and even to the way we treat each other.
At the camp in the “Puerta del Sol” in Madrid, free food is handed out. What’s being demanded is a new society, not just papering over the cracks of the old one. The movement itself has no single leader or figurehead; all decisions are made by consensus at general assemblies, held twice daily. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, attend the meetings, with no decision taken until every single person is in agreement. This is real synarchy in action, the genus of genuine political change and it should be applauded. It represents a major challenge to the old order of “representative democracy” focused on personality and privilege and is arguably
THE FLASH MOB MOVES NORTH:
Thousands are now camped out in central Madrid along with 60 other sites nationwide, creating temporary cities of the dispossessed. The mainstream media in Britain and the West have chosen to largely ignore this phenomenon, perhaps because they fear that “it could happen here”.This century, Spaniards have moved to the forefront of alternative culture, the shackles of convention and Catholicism that governed their parents and grandparents lives permanently binned. They seem to realise more than any other western nation that the dog and pony show of replacing the “left” party with the ‘right” endlessly is little more than a hypnotic charade. They have taken the “Arab Spring” a step further by rejecting the periodic plebiscites that the West clings to as its claim to democracy, instead starting to demand real change – to economic structures, to political representation and even to the way we treat each other.
At the camp in the “Puerta del Sol” in Madrid, free food is handed out. What’s being demanded is a new society, not just papering over the cracks of the old one. The movement itself has no single leader or figurehead; all decisions are made by consensus at general assemblies, held twice daily. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, attend the meetings, with no decision taken until every single person is in agreement. This is real synarchy in action, the genus of genuine political change and it should be applauded. It represents a major challenge to the old order of “representative democracy” focused on personality and privilege and is arguably
Thursday, June 9th, 2011 10:30 am
E-China
In collaboration with the Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation du Québec (MDEIE) and the Ministère des Relations internationales du Québec (MRI)
10 : 30 AM Room Mont-Royal
With the introduction of new digital technologies, China has become the leading
Internet consumer society. The country is home to 450 million users and from now
to 2012, an estimated 20% of the Chinese population will be making purchases
online. How do media and e-commerce platforms currently operate in the Chinese
business sphere? How are the Chinese middle class and business sector developing
new communication tools and research for maximizing global consumption? To what
extent can North American enterprises best adopt these tools to ensure strong
growth and performance in the global market?
Moderator:
• The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Partner, Gowlings Speakers:
• Mike Chao, Principal, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
• Shih-Chi Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Newegg Corporation North America
• Amy Cao, Associate Director, Financial Advisory Services, Deloitte & Touche
In collaboration with the Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation du Québec (MDEIE) and the Ministère des Relations internationales du Québec (MRI)
10 : 30 AM Room Mont-Royal
With the introduction of new digital technologies, China has become the leading
Internet consumer society. The country is home to 450 million users and from now
to 2012, an estimated 20% of the Chinese population will be making purchases
online. How do media and e-commerce platforms currently operate in the Chinese
business sphere? How are the Chinese middle class and business sector developing
new communication tools and research for maximizing global consumption? To what
extent can North American enterprises best adopt these tools to ensure strong
growth and performance in the global market?
Moderator:
• The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Partner, Gowlings Speakers:
• Mike Chao, Principal, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
• Shih-Chi Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Newegg Corporation North America
• Amy Cao, Associate Director, Financial Advisory Services, Deloitte & Touche
Conference of Montreal
2075, rue University, bureau 1217Montréal, QC H3A 2L1Telephone: 1 866 865-2225Fax: 1 888 671-2226info@conferencedemontreal.com
http://www.conferencedemontreal.com/
2075, rue University, bureau 1217Montréal, QC H3A 2L1Telephone: 1 866 865-2225Fax: 1 888 671-2226info@conferencedemontreal.com
http://www.conferencedemontreal.com/
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Natural Resources
9:00 am Tuesday June 7th,2011
Prices for natural resources have spiralled due to increased demand from emerging
countries, like India and China, benefiting producing countries but also posing
a serious risk to the global recovery. In what conditions is the exploitation of natural
resources an effective engine of sustainable development? How can the exploitation
of natural resources be reconciled with public-private partnerships? Is state
intervention warranted with regard to the exploitation of natural resource, or should
the free market prevail?
Chair:
• Ron Denom, President, SNC-Lavalin International
Special Address:
• Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea
Introduced by:
• Pierre Arcand, Minister, Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement
et des Parcs du Québec (MDDEP)
Speakers:
• Tooryalai Wesa, Governor of the Province of Kandahar (Afghanistan)
• Jean Koulidiati, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development (Burkina Faso)
• Alexandre Barro Chambrier, Minister of Mining, Oil and Hydrocarbons (Gabon)
• Kelvin Dushnisky, Executive Vice President, Corporate & Legal Affairs, Barrick Gold
Concluding Remarks:
• Warren Jestin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Scotiabank
Prices for natural resources have spiralled due to increased demand from emerging
countries, like India and China, benefiting producing countries but also posing
a serious risk to the global recovery. In what conditions is the exploitation of natural
resources an effective engine of sustainable development? How can the exploitation
of natural resources be reconciled with public-private partnerships? Is state
intervention warranted with regard to the exploitation of natural resource, or should
the free market prevail?
Chair:
• Ron Denom, President, SNC-Lavalin International
Special Address:
• Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea
Introduced by:
• Pierre Arcand, Minister, Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement
et des Parcs du Québec (MDDEP)
Speakers:
• Tooryalai Wesa, Governor of the Province of Kandahar (Afghanistan)
• Jean Koulidiati, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development (Burkina Faso)
• Alexandre Barro Chambrier, Minister of Mining, Oil and Hydrocarbons (Gabon)
• Kelvin Dushnisky, Executive Vice President, Corporate & Legal Affairs, Barrick Gold
Concluding Remarks:
• Warren Jestin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Scotiabank
Economic Forum of the Americas
2011 Conference of Montreal
A Changing Economic Order: New Realities, New Models
Economic and political decision-makers from around the world
to gather in Montreal to set out new paths for growth
Montreal, April 26, 2011 – The 17th annual Conference of Montreal will be held June 6–9, 2011, organized by the International Economic Forum of the Americas. Leaders of governments, international organizations and major companies, along with members of civil society, will come from all over the world to meet for four days at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, where they will discuss the new economic order that is being established, as well as its new realities and the new models that are emerging.
More than 3,000 participants will hear analyses from nearly 150 speakers who hold key governance responsibilities in the economic, business, political, social and cultural fields. (A list of confirmed speakers is appended.)
Outside its many luncheon speeches, forums and plenary sessions, the Conference of Montreal will enable the various economic and political players gathering from around the world on this occasion to strengthen their relationships and develop new business opportunities.
The continuously updated program of the 2011 Conference of Montreal is available at www.conferencedemontreal.com.
Additional information will be released over the next several weeks on the major topics at the four-day Conference and on the speakers who will be discussing them.
Conference of Montreal partners
The Conference of Montreal thanks its partners: Power Corporation of Canada, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), RBC Capital Markets, Rio Tinto Alcan, Cisco, Sanofi Aventis, Bell, GDF Suez, McKinsey & Company, SNC-Lavalin, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Hydro-Québec, Investissement Québec, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), BNP Paribas Canada, Total, Garda, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC), Export Development Canada (EDC), Aecon, Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche, Tourisme Montréal, the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec, HEC Montréal, Montréal International, CBC News, the Financial Post and La Presse.
A Changing Economic Order: New Realities, New Models
Economic and political decision-makers from around the world
to gather in Montreal to set out new paths for growth
Montreal, April 26, 2011 – The 17th annual Conference of Montreal will be held June 6–9, 2011, organized by the International Economic Forum of the Americas. Leaders of governments, international organizations and major companies, along with members of civil society, will come from all over the world to meet for four days at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, where they will discuss the new economic order that is being established, as well as its new realities and the new models that are emerging.
More than 3,000 participants will hear analyses from nearly 150 speakers who hold key governance responsibilities in the economic, business, political, social and cultural fields. (A list of confirmed speakers is appended.)
Outside its many luncheon speeches, forums and plenary sessions, the Conference of Montreal will enable the various economic and political players gathering from around the world on this occasion to strengthen their relationships and develop new business opportunities.
The continuously updated program of the 2011 Conference of Montreal is available at www.conferencedemontreal.com.
Additional information will be released over the next several weeks on the major topics at the four-day Conference and on the speakers who will be discussing them.
Conference of Montreal partners
The Conference of Montreal thanks its partners: Power Corporation of Canada, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), RBC Capital Markets, Rio Tinto Alcan, Cisco, Sanofi Aventis, Bell, GDF Suez, McKinsey & Company, SNC-Lavalin, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Hydro-Québec, Investissement Québec, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), BNP Paribas Canada, Total, Garda, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC), Export Development Canada (EDC), Aecon, Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche, Tourisme Montréal, the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec, HEC Montréal, Montréal International, CBC News, the Financial Post and La Presse.
Straight Goods - Marc Emery: serving time in the US prison system
Straight Goods - Marc Emery: serving time in the US prison system
All Americans are housed in BOP facilities under policy and procedure established by the Department of Justice. All foreigners are housed in for-profit, private prisons (usually Corrections Corp. of America and Geo Group) that do not have to adhere to BOP policy and procedure.Until 2009, Canadians were often sent to mixed nationality BOP facilities. Due to overcrowding, BOP facilities are now exclusively housing American inmates, while all Mexican, Canadian, Latin American, Caribbean, European, Asian, and African nationals are placed in the expanding gulag of "deportable alien" federal prisons run by GEO or CCA.GEO Group received 2,500,000,000 dollars (yes two and a half billion dollars) of US taxpayer money to run state, county and federal prisons in 2010 alone! GEO received $52,400,000 for one year to run D Ray James. That's $1,008,000 a week!Americans incarcerated in the Canadian federal prison system are treated no differently nor are they segregated within the Canadian system. That is absolutely not the case here. Canadians are housed in a vastly lower standard than Americans sentenced for the identical offense.When Canadians are extradited to the US, the natural but erroneous assumption is that he or she will be afforded the same conditions as any American sentenced in a US court.The Department of Justice Statement of Principles says that no discrimination based on National Origin takes place within the Bureau of Prisons:
All Americans are housed in BOP facilities under policy and procedure established by the Department of Justice. All foreigners are housed in for-profit, private prisons (usually Corrections Corp. of America and Geo Group) that do not have to adhere to BOP policy and procedure.Until 2009, Canadians were often sent to mixed nationality BOP facilities. Due to overcrowding, BOP facilities are now exclusively housing American inmates, while all Mexican, Canadian, Latin American, Caribbean, European, Asian, and African nationals are placed in the expanding gulag of "deportable alien" federal prisons run by GEO or CCA.GEO Group received 2,500,000,000 dollars (yes two and a half billion dollars) of US taxpayer money to run state, county and federal prisons in 2010 alone! GEO received $52,400,000 for one year to run D Ray James. That's $1,008,000 a week!Americans incarcerated in the Canadian federal prison system are treated no differently nor are they segregated within the Canadian system. That is absolutely not the case here. Canadians are housed in a vastly lower standard than Americans sentenced for the identical offense.When Canadians are extradited to the US, the natural but erroneous assumption is that he or she will be afforded the same conditions as any American sentenced in a US court.The Department of Justice Statement of Principles says that no discrimination based on National Origin takes place within the Bureau of Prisons:
Registration includes participation in plenary sessions, forums, luncheons, breaks and receptions as well as documentation.
• 4 days > $ 1 404,43 taxes included: $ 1 600,00 • 3 days > $ 1 184,99 taxes included: $ 1 350,00 • 2 days > $ 877,77 taxes included: $ 1 000,00 • 1 day > $ 526,66 taxes included: $ 600,00 • 1/2 day > $ 351,11 taxes included: $ 400,00
You save up to 33% of the daily fee when subscribing to the whole conference. Prices shown here are subject to change.
Executive Club Fees
1 day > $ 1 009,44 taxes included: $ 1 150,00 4 days > $ 2 501,65 taxes included: $ 2 850,00
Notes
Special rates are available on demand for students, faculty and NGO’s
The conference is an activity eligible under the terms of the Québec Law favouring the development of manpower training (Certificate no. 10-06-0089)
Any cancellation must be in writing and is subject to the following conditions:
Modifications made to the programme do not justify reimbursement in whole or in part
up until April 30, 2011: reimbursement of 50%
after April 30, 2011: no reimbursements
• 4 days > $ 1 404,43 taxes included: $ 1 600,00 • 3 days > $ 1 184,99 taxes included: $ 1 350,00 • 2 days > $ 877,77 taxes included: $ 1 000,00 • 1 day > $ 526,66 taxes included: $ 600,00 • 1/2 day > $ 351,11 taxes included: $ 400,00
You save up to 33% of the daily fee when subscribing to the whole conference. Prices shown here are subject to change.
Executive Club Fees
1 day > $ 1 009,44 taxes included: $ 1 150,00 4 days > $ 2 501,65 taxes included: $ 2 850,00
Notes
Special rates are available on demand for students, faculty and NGO’s
The conference is an activity eligible under the terms of the Québec Law favouring the development of manpower training (Certificate no. 10-06-0089)
Any cancellation must be in writing and is subject to the following conditions:
Modifications made to the programme do not justify reimbursement in whole or in part
up until April 30, 2011: reimbursement of 50%
after April 30, 2011: no reimbursements
If I registered...
By Phone:
Phone: 514 288-5759 Toll Free phone: 1 866 865-2225
By Mail/Fax:
To register by mail, please send the coupon to the following address:
Conference of Montreal
2075 UniversitySuite 1217Montréal, Québec, H3A 2L1CANADA
Phone: 514 871-2225Toll-free phone : 1 866 865-2225
By Fax:
Fax: 514 871-2226Fax toll-free: 1 888 671-2226
Phone: 514 288-5759 Toll Free phone: 1 866 865-2225
By Mail/Fax:
To register by mail, please send the coupon to the following address:
Conference of Montreal
2075 UniversitySuite 1217Montréal, Québec, H3A 2L1CANADA
Phone: 514 871-2225Toll-free phone : 1 866 865-2225
By Fax:
Fax: 514 871-2226Fax toll-free: 1 888 671-2226
The debate of migration
Professional Mobility and Migrants’ Integration: Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges
In collaboration with the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles du Québec (MICC)
10 : 30
Room Fontaines D et E
Globalization has made the ability of states to attract foreign workers a major
consideration in economic development. How can professional mobility between
post-industrialized societies be facilitated? How can migrants become integrated
within companies and corporations?
Moderator:
• Monique Grégoire, Freelance Journalist
Introduction:
•
In collaboration with the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles du Québec (MICC)
10 : 30
Room Fontaines D et E
Globalization has made the ability of states to attract foreign workers a major
consideration in economic development. How can professional mobility between
post-industrialized societies be facilitated? How can migrants become integrated
within companies and corporations?
Moderator:
• Monique Grégoire, Freelance Journalist
Introduction:
•
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)