Media.Knet.Ca

August 19 & 20, 2005

$10,000.00 in prizes

Registration fee $75.00 by August 12, 2005

$100.00 after August 12, 2005

On this special day everyone needs to be finding creative ways to support the efforts of Sir Bob Geldof to reduce the debt burden of impoverished African nations through Live8 (www.live8live.com).

Just some examples of the power we place in the hands of the G8 leaders (http://www.live8live.com/whatsitabout/index.shtml)...

• Smallpox was wiped out by just over US$100m worth of targeted aid. Polio is also close to being eliminated.
• Mozambique's economy grew at an astonishing 12 per cent in the 1990s when aid constituted 50 per cent of its income.
• In Tanzania, debt relief enabled the government to abolish primary school fees, leading to a whopping 66 per cent increase in attendance. As a result, 1.6 million more children now attend school.
• Debt relief helped kick-start Mozambique's impressive recovery from civil war and terrible floods and enabled its government to vaccinate 500,000 additional children.

NOW IS THE TIME, THIS IS THE YEAR - OUR LEADERS HAVE THE POWER TO END POVERTY - BUT WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THEM USE IT!

In Canada, everyone interested in seeing what they can do about this effort is invited to visit the MAKE POVERTY HISTORY website at  http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/home.php. Sign the petition to Prime Minister Martin and your MP so they can be a part of doing something about poverty at the upcoming G8 meetings this coming week.

From the CBC.ca news story ... "former South African president Nelson Mandela drew even more applause than the musicians performing.

"I formerly announced my retirement from public life and should really not be here. However, as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can truly rest," Mandela said. "While poverty exists, there is no true freedom."

"History and the generations to come will judge our leaders by the decisions they make in the coming weeks. I say to all those leaders, do not look the other way. Do not hesitate," he continued. "It is easy to make promises but never go to action. We ask those leaders to demonstrate their commitment and not engage with hollow promises. We want action."

Mandela, who was frequently forced to stop because of cheering from the audience, added a message for those watching the Live 8 concerts worldwide.

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that generation," he said, urging people to help end poverty. "Let your greatness blossom."

On July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2005 Pastor Bobby Linklater will be hosting a gospel jamboree in Thunder Bay.  Three nights of the word of God, singing and testimonies. Sevices will begin at 7:30 each night. 

The Ontario Human Rights Commission released a new human rights policy to modernize the struggle against racism in Ontario  from their Toronto office yesterday.

“It is time organizations and institutions acknowledge the reality of racism and be prepared to act against subtle and sometimes subconscious prejudices and stereotypes that too often result in discrimination”, said Keith Norton, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission today as he announced the release of the Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination.

The backgrounder for the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination contains the information about the process used to develop this new policy guideline. The entire table of contents for the new policy guidelines provides a wealth of information for everyone.

• Part I - Setting the Context: Understanding Race, Racism and Racial Discrimination
• Part II - the Policy Framework
• Part III - Guidelines for Implementation: Monitoring and Combatting Racism and Racial Discrimination
• Appendix - Workplace Policies, Practices and Decision-making Processes & Systemic Discrimination

Some of the papers used in helping to formulate its policy on racial discrimination and race are very relevant in this region. They include:

• Systemic barriers to racially representative law enforcement agencies
• Stereotyping and its consequence for racial minority youth
• Racial Discrimination and Mental Health: Racialized and Aboriginal Communities
• Racial Inequality in Access to Health Care Services

On July 12, the Chiefs of Nishnawbe Aski Nation will gather in Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the signing of Treaty Number 9. Here is the agenda for this full day of activities that will webcast on-line for all to see. For those who are able to attend this historic event in person, see the map below the agenda ...

National Chief Phil Fontaine presented a list of First Nation priorities to the Federal government at the May 31 Cabinet Retreat. This gathering was the follow up to the roundtable discussions hosted over the past winter. At the meeting, Chief Fontaine highlighted the need for "enabling broadband connections and access in all communities". Click here to read the entire AFN press release.

At the June 14 - 16, Chiefs of Ontario gathering in Eagle Lake First Nation, the new Regional Chief Angus Toulouse spoke about the need for broadband connections for all the First Nations across Ontario. On the last day of this gathering National Chief Phil Fontaine shared the AFN priorities with the Chiefs in Assembly and once again emphasized the need to deliver broadband connections in all First Nations across the country.

Now the challenge will be to ensure First Nations receive the support required to meet the MINIMUM broadband requirement of two-way symmetrical bandwidth of T1 (1.5M) capacity that will support interactive two-way video conferencing that is necessary for telehealth applications. This definition of broadband was established by the National Broadband Task Force in 2001. Unfortunately various internet-only service providers are advertising their connectivity solutions as broadband when in fact these connections will not deliver two way symmetrical bandwidth. 

As a result of our June 21 roundtable (click here to Knews story about this meeting), The Star is launching a public on-line discussion of aboriginal education. I'll be writing a story about it in the next few days, but you all get a sneak peak. It's up and running, and I'd encourage anyone who is interested to post a comment. There is a section for thoughts on the broader issue, and another for requests for specific items and services - and offers of the same, under "help wanted/help offered." Here's the link. http://thestar.blogs.com/nativeforum 

We also have launched a native education page with articles dealing with the issue. http://www.thestar.com/native. This link also provides a link to the Fort Severn story shared with the group on June 21 by grade 8 student Florence Thomas (click here to read her story).

If you have copies of remarks you made that day, feel free to post them on the forum, or, if they're really long, email them to me and we can post them on the web page. Feel free to suggest a link for the native education page. 

We're also talking with Ryerson University about the best way to privately continue the discussion that began at our roundtable. We'll keep you posted on that in the days to come.

Louise Brown
Education Reporter
Toronto Star

Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager and Jeannie Carpenter, K-Net's Operations Manager met with officials from the United Nations via video conference on June 9. They shared a presentation about how KO is using ICTs in the support of health services in remote First Nations during an afternoon forum  that was being held at the United Nations. The title of session hosted by "Promoting An Enabling Environment: Music, Technology, Culture and Healthcare".

From the United Nations Webcast portal (at http://www.un.org/webcast/2005.html)

International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC) in collaboration with the United Nations ICT-Task Force, Programme on Ageing, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Global Music Healing Institute ; NGOs and the private sector.
[Webcast: Archived Video - Part 1: 2 hours 17 minutes]
[Webcast: Archived Video - Part 2: 1 hour 56 minutes]
[Link to Programme]

The session was organized by Professor Dianne Davis, Founding President of the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC). This unique interrelated event is part of a series organized by the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC) in collaboration with the United Nations ICT-Task Force, Programme on Ageing, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Global Music Healing Institute; NGOs and the private sector. The Conference will address applications related to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in terms of creating partnerships and improving health of citizens worldwide.
 
Music and its effects on the individual have been recognized and practiced for centuries. But what is new is that now, for the first time, we can now prove through technology what happens plus enhance lives more rapidly using ICT as an enabling tool.

Conference addresses: 

• ICT as an enabling tool for rural and urban delivery of health care services
• Emerging technologies in music and medicine
• Power of music in creating a dialogue among children 
• New understanding of the impact of musical rhythms and its utilization as a  “Medical Tool”

International Council For Caring Communities (ICCC)
24 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel: 212 688-4321  fax: 212  759-5893  
E-mail: icccworld@earthlink.net   
www.international-iccc.org

Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator for Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet visited three First Nation schools in the Union of Ontario Indians territory on June 6 and 7. The schools in Nipissing, Dokis and Wasauksing First Nations were visited on this trip. A short meeting with the Union's Education Director also provided some important insights into the efforts of this region to address the educational needs of the students. Click here to view the pictures from these visits.

As part of the First Nations SchoolNet program, Keewaytinook Okimakanak is the Ontario Regional Management Organization (RMO) supporting First Nation schools across Ontario in the use of ICTs. In completing this work, visits to different regions and schools is assisting the RMO team to determine needs and priorities with the First Nation schools across Ontario. Each school across the province is completing surveys highlighting their existing resources and developments along with their ICT requirements and priorities for the 2005-2006 school year.

On Friday, June 3 George Ferreira, Carl Seibel and Brian Beaton travelled to Ottawa to meet with representatives from different federal government departments and First Nation organizations to showcase the new video production, "Turning the Corner - Effective use of broadband in Canada's North". Representatives from the Assembly of First Nations, the Aboriginal Peoples Congress along with officials from Industry Canada (FedNor, Aboriginal Business Canada, First Nations SchoolNet, Computers for Schools, National Satellite Initiative, BRAND, etc), Heritage Canada, Human Resources Skills Development, Health Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs, Privy Council and Treasury Board gathered in Ottawa. Connected to the session via video conference were Regional Management Organization offices in La Ronge Saskatchewan, Sydney Nova Scotia and Thunder Bay and Balmertown in Ontario. Over forty people participated in the two sessions that were offered throughout the morning. FedNor's Minister of State Joe Comuzzi dropped by to meet everyone and endorse the work that Keewaytinook Okimakanak and his team are doing in northwestern Ontario.

Everyone view the video and discussed the use of broadband to affect the necessary changes required in programs and policy that are affecting and influencing the present situations and issues affecting remote and rural communities across Canada.

All the video material produced by Keewaytinook Okimakanak is available on-line for everyone's access. We can send over additional DVD copies of the various material that is posted on-line (much better quality) if we have your mailing address. The following list of on-line material might be of interest to everyone ...

1. DVD - video production “Turning the Corner – Using Broadband Effectively in Canada’s North”. The content of the DVD is available on-line at (May 2005) …http://streaming.knet.ca/turning_the_corner_high.wmv
2. Turning the Corner with First Nations Telehealth position paper - May, 2005 http://knet.ca/documents/KOTelehealth-Position-Paper-May2005.pdf
3. E-Community Concept paper (April 2005) - http://knet.ca/documents/EComm-concept-final.pdf
4. Community Aggregation Model (April 2005) - http://knet.ca/documents/community-aggregation.pdf
5. Report of Keewaytinook Okimakanak C-Band Public Benefit Initiative (March 2005) - http://research.knet.ca/images/upload/05-03-29-Summative-Overview-C-Band-Public-Benefit-KNet1[1].pdf
6. KIHS information video http://streaming.knet.ca/KiHS/KiHS_300k.wmv
7. Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth (KOTH) information video http://streaming.knet.ca/telehealth/TH-Evaluation_300k.wmv
8. DVD video entitled "The K-Net Story ... Weaving the Networked Economy in Kuhkenah First Nation Communities" … (Dec 2004)
   • Introduction 13:04 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/intro_300k.wmv
   • Economic Development 2:36 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/economic_300k.wmv
   • Partnerships 9:51 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/partnerships_300k.wmv
   • Building the Network 2:36 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/network_300k.wmv
   • Education 5:58 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/education_300k.wmv
   • Health 3:29 - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/health_300k.wmv
   • Visions for the Future - http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/future_visions_300k.wmv
9. The Case Studies produced for the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) entitled “Harnessing ICTs: A Canadian First Nations’ Experience” (December 2003) – http://smart.knet.ca/kuhkenah_flash.html (contains videos for each case study listed below)– contains the PDF files along with video footage for five case studies including:
   * Executive Summary – http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/summary.pdf
   * Introduction to K-Net – http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/introduction.pdf
   * K-Net Network Development - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/network.pdf
   * K-Net Case Study on Economic Development - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/economic.pdf
   * K-Net Case Study on Health - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/health.pdf
   * K-Net Case Study on Education - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/education.pdf
10. If you go to the K-Net news archives at http://knews.knet.ca and do a SEARCH (on the left hand column) for the word video ... you will get a list of the various video products that have been produced for distribution.