Media.Knet.Ca

Last night on the National on CBC, Governor General Jean confronted the issue of suicide in Winnipeg in front of First Nation students, staff and parents at Children of the Earth high school.

From CBC.CA news on-line...

Governor General takes message to inner city youth
Last Updated Thu, 20 Oct 2005 21:59:51 EDT
CBC News

Students at Children of the Earth high school in Winnipeg's North End say they won't soon forget the visitor they welcomed on Thursday Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

The Queen's representative had an important message for the students in one of the country's poorest neighbourhoods. "Life is worth living. Your contribution is an important one," she told them.

The visit began with dancers, drummers and an honour song. But after being welcomed, Jean moved quickly from ceremony to serious business.

She's been paying attention to the news, she told the teens.

"I was very shocked to hear that a week ago, I think, a young girl, 11 years old, committed suicide. Kathleen, is that her name? This shouldn't happen. This should not happen. I think life is worth living. Your contribution is an important one."

It was not a boring visit from a boring dignitary.

"There are things that a black woman understands profoundly when we talk about prejudices, when we talk about feeling left out, feeling abandoned. There are things in my experience that are probably very similar to yours," she told the students.

It was a speech Jean felt her audience needed to hear from her.

Winnipeg's North End is a troubled neighbourhood. In February, just two blocks away from where the Governor General was speaking, police gunned down a teenager wielding a weapon. The shots were clearly heard at the school and triggered a lockdown to keep the students safe.

Robert Brass Belanger, a Grade 12 student at Children of the Earth, says the area is filled with crack houses. One night there was a murder next door to his family's apartment.

"Any given week you can see ... someone coming around the corner all bloody," he said.

The students at Children of the Earth couldn't believe the Queen's representative chose them as her first school visit. But the students know Jean was a refugee from Haiti and grew up poor, just like them.

"It's a real honour to meet her," said Belanger, "she's had a similar life like us."

But Jean chose her school for a reason. She wanted to show she understood and cared. "I think the best that I can do is maybe acknowledge their efforts."

Jean says she will speak to Prime Minister Paul Martin about Canada's inner city troubles and may even suggest solutions. "This position is great for that. Some people say that it is useless, but it's not. It's not. You have your say."

The students say they won't forget the visit.

"You don't have to have a lot of money. You don't have to come from a rich family or you don't have to come from anything and you can become something big. She made us aware of that, too," said Grade 12 student Chassidy Stevenson.

It was the kind of visit that Jean says Canadians should expect more of as she travels across the country.

I'm very pleased to invite you to participate in a webcast event this Friday featuring RICTA member Ricardo Ramirez.

Ricardo will be speaking about: "Broadband in rural and remote communities: Options for impact assessment" at the National Research Council of Canada in Fredericton. His talk will be webcast live at 13h EDT / 14h ADT on Friday, October 21, 2005. Dr. Ramirez' abstract and biography can be viewed at:
http://iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/colloq/0506/05-10-21_e.html

During and after the talk, remote viewers will be able to participate via webcast. If you would like to view or participate in this event, please check out the webcast site soon to make sure your computer is configured compatibly with our Sametime webcast software.

To check compatibility, go to: http://webconf-en.iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.ca/  and then "Attend a meeting" and "test meeting." Note that full functionality for this software is only available under Windows. For the smoothest  collaborative environment, we recommend the following: Windows XP/2000/2003, Internet Explorer 6, Java 1.5 (must have Java installed for the webcast software to work). We recommend you check out your compatibility at least one-half hour before the event itself. Sometimes the test meeting will not work on first try and you will have to quit the browser and restart the test. Once you've had a successful "test meeting" future meetings are usually very smooth. We expect that most interaction between remote participants and those in Fredericton will be through the chat mode on the webcast software. However it will be possible to have audio exchange. In this case, remote participants must use a headset with mic (mic without headset causes feedback).

Come back to the webcast site on Friday, Oct. 21 at 14h ADT for the event:
http://webconf-en.iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.ca/stconf.nsf/vwCalendar?Openview

The meeting password is: broadband

You can also invite your friends!

Education Day will be Friday, November 25th, 2005 during the Canadian Aboriginal Festival at the SkyDome in Toronto. Click here for more information about this event.

Canada is a richly diverse country. Embracing our diversity and learning about the cultures that make up our great country helps us to appreciate and understand others.

Education Day is designed to give students a positive Aboriginal Experience and to instill in them a desire to learn more about Canada's first peoples.

Many Teachers have returned year after year as they value how important this experience is for their students. The Ontario Teachers' Federation recognizes the educational value that this outing holds for students.

"Understanding different cultures and their values are an important part of antiracist education. The Education Day offers an invaluable experience for students as they learn in an informal and interactive environment."

The Ontario Teachers' Federation, the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario, Indian and Northern Affairs, the Historica Foundation and the Bank of Montreal all support and sponsor Education Day as they see the project as an instrumental and invaluable experience for students.

Education day is dedicated to teaching students about Canada's Aboriginal peoples. Students will learn about many aspects of First Nations, the Inuit and Metis in an intimate hands-on experience. Students will visit at least six teaching stations on a rotating basis around the SkyDome. A total of 40 stations will be mounted to accommodate all students.

Numbers will be restricted in 2005 and will be based on a first come, first serve basis. All fees must be paid to ensure your class is registered for this important educational experience.

Click here to download the 2005 Education Day registration form

For more information please contact Catherine Cornelius at: (519) 751-0040

SANDY LAKE 1ST ANNUAL DEREK KAKEGAMIC MEMORIAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

NOVEMBER 16 TO 19, 2005

The K-Net Story is scheduled to be presented at the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) National Conference being held this week in Sault Ste Marie. Click here for more information about the conference.

Click here for a PDF handout of the K-Net Story presentation

THE STOCKHOLM CHALLENGE AWARD 2006 invites excellent ICT projects from all over the world to compete for the prestigious Challenge trophies. The Challenge is searching for the best initiatives that accelerate the use of information technology for the social and economic benefit of citizens and communities. The objective is to help local entrepreneurs, who work to close the digital divide, by bringing in research communities, development organisations and strong corporate initiatives. Click here for more information.

THE AWARDS WILL BE HANDED OUT IN SIX CATEGORIES in the City Hall - on May 11, 2006. Special focus will be on projects in countries and regions with the greatest needs. There will also be an international Challenge conference in Stockholm on issues related to the role of ICTs in global development work.

THE AWARD IS OPEN FOR ENTRIES until December 31st 2005. The application form is easily accessible on the home page.

The Stockholm Challenge is headquartered at the IT University - a joint initiative by KTH  (The Royal Institute of Technology) and Stockholm University. It is managed by a consortium that also includes the City of Stockholm, Ericsson and Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

For more information, please contact:
Project Manager
Ulla Skidén
ulla.skiden@stockholmchallenge.se
Telephone: + 46 8 7904469
Cell: +46 70 678 72 82
http://www.stockholmchallenge.se  

Click here for the rules for participation in the Stockholm Challenge Award  2006

These are the basic rules for the participation in the Stockholm Challenge Award. All competing projects must:

1. Include ICT - Illustrate how ICT is used to create new or better traditional services and/or products, which are beneficial for human and social development.
2. Be implemented - All competing projects must be up and running. They should be implemented/piloted since no less than three months. The Stockholm Challenge Award does not accept drafted concepts and ideas only. The jury will only evaluate and compare projects that can show measurable outcomes and impact.
3. Be linked to and/or supported by an established private or public organisation.
4. Be verifiable, i.e. able to present credible references.
5. Be free from religious, political or other personal beliefs.

To be noted: Projects that have won one of the Challenge categories in previous years cannot enter the competition again.

All applications must be in English

Evaluation criteria  - Innovation, creativity and the convergence of ICT with many different disciplines are some of the qualities that are looked for in the competing projects. The jury, a group of international senior experts, base their evaluation on the following criteria, most of which all Challenge projects should meet:

• Innovation - Competing projects should illustrate new and innovative ways of using ICT to improve the living and economical conditions especially of those with great needs.
• Convergence - The addition of ICT as a tool to traditional development work can improve and widen the scope of the project impact. Projects should show successful convergences of different disciplines and sectors.
• Inclusion - It is favourable for the competing projects to show that they bring individuals, groups and local organisations into larger communities - national and global - such as medical, government, educational and cultural networks, as well business environments.
• Equal Opportunity - It is important that the initiatives counteract inequality related to the likes of gender, origin, age, physical and/or mental disabilities.
• Sustainability - An important factor is sustainability. Not only economic sustainability, i.e. how long the project will last and bring benefits to its users. Sustainability also includes the contribution of the project to a sustainable society and environment at large.

Opportunities  - To enter a project in the Stockholm Challenge Award is not only to participate in a prestigious international ICT competition - it is also a way to join networks of some of the best ICT entrepreneurs and pioneers in the world. Testimonials from many of the projects, which have competed in their respective categories over the years, say that it is the inspiration, the new ideas, contacts and partners that are the greatest rewards for a Challenger.

The Stockholm Challenge represents excellent marketing through the exposure to media, and to private and public organizations that are involved in ICT work and implementations. It gives promotional opportunities for entrepreneurs, universities, cities, cities and regions. The Stockholm Challenge Final Events include a Best Practice Exhibition and a Conference. It is a meeting place for some the world's most successful IT entrepreneurs.

Winners and finalists of the Stockholm Challenge are global role models for cities, companies, organisations, schools and others who are involved in adapting and spreading the use of ICT.

KO Telehealth is pleased to make the Interim Report available to partners and stakeholders. Key messages from the Interim Report are summarized in the areas of Access, Acceptability, Integration, Quality and Financial Impact.

“Our lives have been completely changed by the services we now receive over the network. Having telehealth care and also having secondary education services available in our communities is making us stronger as a people.”

- Geordi Kakepetum, Executive Director

• Interim Report
• Appendix 1- Evaluation Framework
• Appendix 2- Evaluation Manual 
• Appendix 3- Economic Model
• Appendix 4- Figures and Tables
• Appendix 5- Focus Group Integration

Main Messages

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth/NORTH Network Expansion Project began with 5 First Nations communities and has since expanded to 22 First Nations communities located in the Sioux Lookout Health Zone. Geographically isolated and culturally distinct communities such as these have lower access rates to health services and lower health status relative to the rest of Ontario. The Expansion Project used  telecommunications technology compared to travel to span geographic distance. This evaluation represented a comprehensive effort to measure short-term changes in access and sets the stage to measure the potential long-term health effects.

Access: KOTH usage varied from 66 to 224 telehealth sessions/month (average=122/month). First Nations communities averaged 12 sessions/month. Clinical consultations comprised 42% of the 2926 sessions, followed by training (19%), education (17%), meetings (13%) and demonstrations/tests/family visits (8%). The number of medical specialties, educational events and health programs offered via telehealth also increased. The stories and the statistics suggest that telehealth has "virtually" decreased the geographic distances that have, in the past, restricted access to health information and health services.

Acceptability: Over 90% of the 73 patients said that they found the telehealth session helpful, 96% would repeat the same appointment by telehealth and 89% would recommend telehealth to another person. These sentiments were echoed by many health providers. A frequent qualification was that flying patients or providers in and out of a community was still needed as a viable, workable option, should it be required by the situation.

Integration: Many stakeholders recognized the potential and need for telehealth to integrate the programs and the people involved in health education, prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up (e.g., diabetes). The benefits of improved continuity of care and greater family involvement were also emphasized.

Quality: Many physicians felt comfortable with using telehealth for most follow-up and also for initial consultations provided that face-to-face was available should it be required by the situation. Many stakeholders concluded independently that the role of locally recruited, fulltime Community Telehealth Coordinators (CTCs) was of paramount importance to telehealth success and had implications not only for quality of service, but for access, acceptability and integration. Stakeholders advocated for ongoing efforts to educate and retain qualified personnel.

Financial Impact: The Pilot Project provided proof of concept as the telehealth service was rolled-out to 22 First Nations communities and provided cost and utilization data that were used to model a fully operational and sustainable telehealth program. Different estimates and monetary values were assigned to telehealth sessions that averted travel versus those that were in addition to travel ("new" telehealth). Costs for the Sustainable Program were estimated at $2.81M/year. Estimated savings were $4.16M/year for averted travel and $6.09M/year if “new” telehealth was assigned a dollar value. Estimates were based on 1346 averted trips for 4810 telehealth sessions/year. The breakeven point occurred when there were 915 averted trips for 3271 telehealth sessions/year.

Conclusions: The preliminary findings of the evaluation suggest that the KOTH/NORTH Network Expansion Project has increased utilization. The Sustainable Program has the ability to become a financial success in the near future. Feedback from stakeholders in the communities and in support centres testified to emerging benefits and significant potential for the future.

The Assembly of First Nations is organizing a Special Chiefs Assembly on The First Ministers Meeting for October 31-November 2, 2005 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Click here for more information about this gathering.

The meeting will give chiefs a chance to provide the AFN with direction on issues important to them. For Keewaytinook Okimakanak and partner First Nations, ensuring that telehealth services and broadband connections receive adequate funding support is a priority.

Press Release from http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2005/17/c2015.html

Deep concern at the First Nations Education Council

WENDAKE, Oct. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - Media sources are reporting that Prime Minister Martin is to announce, on November 25, 2005, that his government intends spending at least a billion dollars on improving the quality of life of Aboriginal peoples.

Part of this spending is supposed to be earmarked for education, especially for training elementary school teachers on reserves and keeping them in place.

While we recognize that this investment in education is indeed of the utmost urgency, the FNEC authorities are deeply concerned that these sums of money should be used to modify teaching programs to bring them in line with provincial norms, with the full collaboration of provincial authorities.

We feel it is important to reiterate that the federal government itself is currently responsible for developing First Nations education policy. Rather than finally allowing First Nations themselves to develop those policies that directly concern them, the federal government seems to have decided to transfer this responsibility to the provinces. For the FNEC, this is a serious infringement of the inherent right of First Nations to exercise full control over their education.

According to those media sources quoted above, Tanis Fiss, the spokesperson for the Canadian Taxpayers' Association, has stated: "Money isn't the issue. On a per-pupil basis, the federal government is spending more on native education than provinces are spending on public education..."

Statements like this are based on a purely superficial analysis of the situation and do not take into account the communities' political and sociological contexts. The structures that support First Nations school systems are completely different from provincial structures.

According to Mr Ghislain Picard, Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, if an agreement were indeed to take place and be confirmed between the Canadian and the Quebec governments, resulting in a federal-provincial transfer of funding intended for First Nations, this would be tantamount to an unloading operation by the federal government in favour of the provincial governments. It would, therefore, leave the door wide open for provincial mismanagement in Aboriginal matters.

According to Ms. Lise Bastien, FNEC director, such an operation would mean that all funds earmarked for First Nations institutions and communities' educational services would be swallowed up in the provincial educational apparatus, with absolutely no guarantee of a fair redistribution for First Nations communities' services and schools.

In addition, Ms. Bastien stated that more than thirty years after Indian Control Over Education, First Nations had every right to denounce the fact that the conditions set out have yet to be achieved and First Nations are still not able to develop their own education systems. Such a transfer would represent yet another obstacle to First Nations organizations and communities in developing and setting up their own systems. It would also demonstrate a profound disregard and total lack of recognition for all the work carried out by First Nations in education.

Ms. Bastien and Mr. Picard report that First Nations communities and their representative organizations are absolutely determined to oppose federal-provincial transfers in First Nations education, inasmuch as we are not involved in the whole procedure on which this approach is based.

The AFNQL and the FNEC agree that changes need to be made to the current system, imposed by the federal government. It is undoubtedly the case, however, that the whole system needs to be completely overhauled and this must be done by First Nations themselves, in accordance with their fundamental rights.

For further information: Alain Garon, Information and Communications Officer, Secretariat of the Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, (418) 842-5020; Barbara Gravel, Education Counsellor, First Nations Education Council, (418) 842-7672