For weeks, I’ve been puzzled by the early June EU elections. What’s going on in Europe? Capitalism is in its biggest crisis for decades and what do the Europeans do? Vote the right-wing in. Aren’t these folks and their ideologies largely to blame for the current mess? What am I missing here? Don’t Europeans want a change and alternatives to crony capitalism at all? Americans wanted change and got their Obama. One would’ve expected at least some kind of Obama effect on the other side of the Atlantic. What do Europeans want?
(more…)
How to make sense of the EU elections? The right is the new left? June 23, 2009
Summer solstice in Norway and Ireland parks June 21, 2009
Now that staycations are all the rage, we took a couple of small steps in getting to know our city better and ventured to the waterfront and found two little parks next to one another.
Sámiid guoktilaš seaŋgaguoibmi? Statoil fearánat nuppebeal ábi June 4, 2009
Sámit eai leamaš seamma gergosat árvvoštallat oljofitnodagaid dego máŋggat eará eamiálbmogat, vaikko oljofitnodagat leat beakkán eamiálbmogiid eatnamiid billisteaddjit ja olmmošvuoigatvuođaid dulbmejeaddjit birra máilmmi. Sámit baicce leamaš geargosat ovttasbargat fitnodagain dego Statoiliin jearakeahttá maid dat bargá eará guovlluin máilmmis, eandalitge eará eamiálbmotguovlluin. Muhtin sámi ásahusat leat vuolláičállán ovttasbargošiehtadušaid Statoiliin, mii galgá ruhtadit earret eará oahpuid ja dutkamuša Sámis.
medicalizing motherhood, paying for war? May 26, 2009
It’s been a while since I posted on my blog – but there are times in life when you have to and also want to prioritize other things. When I started my blog my biggest worry was that it at some point becomes just another thing on my to-do list, another thing to stress about. After some agonizing, I promised to myself that I can’t simply allow that happen. The most amazing thing is that it has worked – weeks and weeks have gone by and no anxiety attacks, no raising blood pressure for the fear of – not even sure of what. Definitely not of the end of the world. I’ve also realized that I should and want to write only when I’m compelled to write.
Sápmelaččat ja genadutkan, oassi 2 March 21, 2009
Diibmá miessemánus lei sáhka máilmmeviidosaš genadutkanprošeavtta Genographic Project áigumušain čoaggigoahtit maiddái sámiid genaid kártet olmmošgotti historjjá ja čielggadit gos iešguđet álbmogat bohtet (geahča Genadutkan, sámit ja eará eamiálbmogat.) Dál Norggas Røros vuovdeeaiggádiid searvi lea addán cealkámuša lullisápmelaččaid vuoigatvuođaid birra, mas sii maiddái dadje ahte muhtin lullisápmelaš bearraša genaid galgá iskat ja čielggadit leatgo sii oppanassiige sápmelaččat (gč. omd. Ávvir 10.3.09). Dákkár čuoččuhusaide lea álki čáibmat iige váldit daid duođas. Muhto dego Ávvira oaivečálus deattuha, dákkár ovdagáttuid ferte váldit duođas ja digaštallat daid almmolaččat.
Why Filipina caregivers leave overseas? March 21, 2009
The recent investigative series in The Toronto Star sheds light to the often illegal practices of hiring and exploitative working conditions of foreign ‘nannies’ in Canada. Part 1 details how nannies are lured into and trapped in bogus jobs or forced to work illegally while living and working in unacceptable conditions. According to the Star, “the popular federal Live-In Caregiver Program has become a nanny trap.” One Filipina caregiver recounts how her passport was taken away by a Toronto recruiter and how she ended up with 16 other unemployed Filipina caregivers sleeping on the floor of the recruiter’s basement “in custody, detention, imprisonment and incarceration, without proper food … harassed, frightened, scared.” Part 2 reveals how federal agencies fail to protect foreign caregivers. It seems there are serious gaps and sloppy practices in the two federal departments who are supposed to be overseeing the Live-in Caregiver Program. The Star notes that ” federal offices have made questionable approvals of applications from nanny recruitment agencies.” What the two-part series doesn’t discuss are the reasons why Filipina women are compelled to leave their homes, families and country behind.
Nissoniid guhkes bálggis… muhto gosa? March 8, 2009
Otne lea riikkaidgaskasaš nissoniid beaivi. Dáppe Torontos lágiduvvui ikte miellačájahus masa sullii beannot duhát olbmo oassálaste (ieš in beassan searvat go ledjen Eamiálbmotnissoniid symposiumis Trent universitehtas Peterborough’is). Dán jagi temán lei stáhta geatnegasvuohta sihkkarastit buriid bargosajiid ja olmmošárvvu buohkaide. Vaikko dan birra ii leat olus sáhka dieđihangaskaomiin, otná ekonomalaš kriissa vearrámus gillájeaddjit leat dábálaččat nissonolbmot; sin dorvvolašvuohta, dearvvašvuohta ja eandalitge buresbirgejupmi gillájit go ekonomalaččat manná funet. Sii leat dábálaččat vuosttažin massimin barggu – sii barget eahpeformála surggiin dahje oasseáigásaččat almma mangelágan bargodorvvu. Nissonat maiddái gillájit go mánáidgárdesajit geahppánit, dearvvášvuođabálválusat čuhppojuvvojit, ássandoarjagat nohket ja dorvoruovttut heaitihuvvojit. Bargiin geat dinejit dušše minimumbálkká ja geat barget oasseáigásaččat leat eanaš nissonolbmot ja dávjá riikkain dego Kanadas eai deavdde bargguhisvuođaruđa gáibádusaid.
Ice forest March 1, 2009
Yesterday I had a chance to make a day trip to a small town of Udora, an hour north of Toronto where local Finns have a 'camp' - a park where only Finns are allowed to have cabins. Yesterday was a 'family day' and there was a ride from Toronto so I tagged along with my skis, hoping to do even a little cross-country skiing.
New website – ođđa neahttasiidu February 28, 2009
My mother recently had a birthday and we gave her a website as a birthday gift: www.kirstepaltto.org/eng/
Eatnis lei gieskat riegádanbeaivi ja mii ráhkadeimmet sutnje neahttasiidduid: www.kirstepaltto.org
Valentine’s Rally February 14, 2009
Valentine's day is a good time to remember our missing sisters - the murdered and missing Aboriginal women in Canada (over 500 in the past twenty years). Today was the fourth time an annual rally was organized in Toronto by a group called No More Silence.
