don't forget to vote!

me chatting with Brian Mason

For all you Albertans, don't forget that this coming Monday, April 23, is election day! 

I was lucky enough to get the chance to meet with one of the party leaders and ask a few questions about his party's policies on disability related issues. While we didn't have time for an in-depth conversation, Brian Mason told me that the NDP believes that Alberta's resources belong to everyone, including those of us with disabilities. I also asked him what he thought about things like making sure inclusive post-secondary education keeps its funding, and focusing on ways for more people with disabilities to get jobs and be active participants in the economy. He said he would definitely support that and seemed really interested in what I had to say.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to meet any other party leaders this election, but it was cool to be able to chat with Brian a little bit.

Make sure you take the time to find out more about the parties and the candidates in your riding, and get out to vote on Monday!

You can find out more about the election here, and where to go to vote here. According to Elections Alberta, all of their voting stations are wheelchair accessible and have some accomodations (templates, magnifiers) for people with visual impairments. If you need or want some assistance voting, you can bring a friend, relative, or assistant. You can also ask an elections officer to help you vote.

New Democratic Party

Wildrose Alliance

Liberal Party

Progressive Conservative Party

Alberta Party

Evergreen Party
Social Credit Party
Communist Party
Separation Party

things to do in edmonton this march

Here's a round-up of some upcoming events you might find interesting!

Theatre Yes is showing RACE, a play dealing with racism. It's running until this Sunday, and you can find more info here.

We Canada is hosting events all across Canada to talk about Canada's role in the global stage. They'll be in Edmonton on March 14. Check out the website to reserve a free ticket!

MacEwan is hosting a Career Fair on March 19 on their South Campus (7319-29 Avenue). Here's the website.

On March 22, Maude Barlow is presenting a talk on the Global Water Crisis. Tickets are $5, and the event is being held at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in the Students' Union Building. Bring something for the Campus Food Bank! Here is the website.

The Watoto Children's Choir will be performing in Edmonton on March 23 and March 25. Their event calendar can be found here.

Mental Health Awareness Week at the U of A is March 26-30. There are info sessions running at noon, and an information fair on March 29. The information fair will be on the second floor of the Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research. You can find more information on the events here.

The University of Alberta Music Department is presenting a series of world music concerts March 29-31. You can find more information on their events page here.

danielle's story

This is an inspiring story about not giving up when other people tell you you can't do something. Check it out!

http://www.humancentereddesign.org/neada/student_videos/danielle/videos/danielle_video.html

Thank You!

Just a quick follow-up. A couple of weeks ago, I asked people to contribute to Project 401 to support research on MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. As of today, we have raised $63,000 and need just $17,000 more by April 1st.

Thank you all for your help!

Heidi Janz Video

Yesterday I watched this show on TV about Heidi Janz, someone I know who has a lot to say about what it means to have a disability and what it means to be a human being. I did an interview with Heidi previously on this blog.

Helping Families on Valentine's Day

This year for Valentine's Day, I am trying to help others who have the same health challenges that I have (MECP2 Duplication Syndrome). Even though many of them have faced much tougher challenges than I have believe me, I know how tough it can be for them and their families, and I would really like to give them some hope. They are trying to raise some money for research that might help find a "cure" for this syndrome.

Please consider opening your heart in honor of Valentine's Day and supporting their efforts with a few dollars. You can donate using PayPal at my Project 401 Page. If you want to use a credit card or send a check, you can do that through a the MECP2 Duplication Syndrome Page at the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT). If you live in the US, RSRT can also issue a tax receipt if you want one. They needed $80,000 to get this research started and  they have raised about $30,000 so far, so they still have a long way to go. Families around the world are trying to do their part, I want to do my part, and I am hoping that you will help.

If you want to know more about this and why I think you should help, you can read about it on the MECP2 Duplication Syndrome Blog.

happy holidays!

photo: arquez

Happy holidays everyone! Have a great Christmas and I'll be back in January.

Dave

a letter to alison redford

I wrote this letter for one of my classes this semester and thought I'd share it.

Dear Ms. Redford,

My name is David Sobsey. I am 21 years old, and I am in my third year at Concordia University College of Alberta. One of the classes I am taking this semester is a Christian Ethics class. For the section on politics, one of our choices for an assignment was to write to you and tell you how to be a good Christian political leader. That is the assignment I chose, since I think it’s important to be an active citizen and try to make the world a better place.

I don’t know if you are Christian or not, but many Albertans are, and either way I think it’s important to think about what a good government does.

Throughout history, different Christian scholars have had different ideas and interpretations of what government should be. There are some common themes though.

St Thomas Aquinas thinks that the government’s job is to allow people the opportunity to lead rich, fulfilled lives. He argues that humans were created to be social (God created Eve because Adam shouldn’t be alone), and we need a social structure to reach our potential. A good government is one that tries to fill the role God had in the Garden of Eden, by making sure all citizens have a chance to have a good, social life. So for example, in order to flourish in society, people need education. We need to be alive, which means we need access to things like food, shelter and healthcare.

St Thomas Aquinas also thinks that people should have these opportunities no matter what their condition in life is (for example, health, class, or disability) and no matter what their calling is. So no matter what your job is, you should be able to afford things like food and shelter. You can’t live a flourishing life if you are worrying about not having any food, so the government’s job is to make sure that nobody starves.

Pope John the 23rd argues that the goal of the government should be to create goodness in society with truth, justice and respect. Truth means the government should be open and honest, and tell people the reasons for each law. Justice means that the government should be fair to its citizens and do what it says it will. Respect means that everyone is considered to be valuable and important, and so everyone should be considered equally when making decisions, not just the people who vote or have lots of money.

Here is one way to apply these ideas that is important to me. I have disabilities, and I attend college through an inclusive education program. I think an important part of what St Thomas Aquinas was saying would be making sure people with disabilities get a chance to go to university if they want to. So making sure inclusive post-secondary education continues to be funded would be a way to help all people access education. I definitely think that my experience in university has helped me grow as a person, just like Thomas Aquinas wanted.

I hope that you’ve found some interesting things to think about in my letter. If you would like to know more about me, you can look at my blog at dsobsey.blogspot.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say.

Sincerely,

David Sobsey