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and costumes at the park), and ifyou're a fieaky street punk, hang out with Jesse the Giant Punk Puppet at the [IS scene. Or, just reinvent yourself as any magical, fantastic or historic character tiom the I>owntown t'astside.

Then Come Join the Parade! The "Heart of the City" Parade celebrating C'arnegie's 100th Anniversary

Sunday, April 27th @ 12 Noon Victory Square to Main & Ilastings

A huge street parade starts at 12 noon from Victory Square, marching to Centre Stage (Main & tiastings) for opening ceremonies (speeches, cake, ribbon-cutting) at 1 :00 p.m. The parade will have an amazing variety o f giant puppets, floats, stiltwalkers, historical vehicles & pageantry (like the Real I,ive Mummy from the original Museum), wacky wheelchairs & bicycles, even fireworks! Marching bands will include native l and Sapancsc drummers and the ( ' ~ m i v u Bund. IJvcnthe Mayor will be on hand to proclairn "('arnegie [)ay" and help bury a 'l'lML3 CAPSULE out on the patio. Your colnmunity group is invited 10 create a I'IX)Arr or costumes to march in the parade! Groups so far include the [,earning Centre, WIS11, Oppenheimer Park, Cultural Sharing and more. March with the <:arnegie Float as one o f Carnegie's 'Founding Fathers & Mothers' (dress in period style: stovepipe hats, waistcoats, big gold watch tobs, funny moustaches or glasses - the 'mothers' could be pregnantly wise?); Kitchm volunteers can march i n aprons & chefhats, stirring a giant cauldron or wielding (prop) meat cleavers.

BANNER MAKING in residences and hotel lobbies - hang streamers, pennants and decorations out of your windows and decorate the whole street. Decorated Hotel! Awards for the E&t

Parade Day, SUNDAY, APRIL 27th: Workshops start at Victory Square at I0 am., together with a pancake breakfast and musical acts, so come on down - make a parade flag, hat, or costume right on the spot! There'll also be a live graftiti wall with DJs, and Bikeworks (at United We Can) is hosting a decorating workshop for bikes, carts, wheelchairs and anything that rolls. To get involved in the parade as a performer or maker, call Dan Vie, at (604) 444-6873, or the ofice at (604) 84 1-3454. Or, to help out with the whole day's festivities, . call Sharon at (604)

Carnegie Centre's

1OdhAnniversary with

DJ MIX & Friends Prizes, Snacks Sunday, April 27, 7-10pm in the Theatre

Dancihg Your Edge On the edge? Events of the day got you feelin overwhelmed, outraged, anxious, jittery? Come dance it out on Saturday, April 26 at 1lam in the Carnegie gym!

hrrcing Your Edg4 is a workshop, a journey. an opportunity to express your inner being. It may come as a surprise, a new perspective, a release. The goal is to achieve balance within ourselves and h s e n up. Wear loose clothing. Be on time. See you there. Il~luyne

CONGRATUIATIONS!! to Brian and Debbie Gosclin on the b~rthof thwr daughter Kristen Grace. Our newest and youngest member probably came into the world belting o u t a song. Spring is a wonderful time to he horn a\ everything comes to life alter a deep \lccp. Irene SCIIIIIICI~ Doc Livingstone, a tenant in the apartment building where I live, told me that the late actor Red I3uttor1s commented on Michael Jackson: "Only in America can a pmr black boy grow up to be a rich. wllile woman." Anita Stevens PPPPR I live in urt unimc~l,fuir. 7711.h i d ct; twc.v 'r Itere. The old raccoon, pluyiw u h~moorr,cornhs tlrr tbiry's Itc~ir. Lovc lo the 1).E

[)ear Mayor Campbell and Councillors, We are an association o f more than 3,000 members who participate in the running o f the Carnegie Community Centre, and i n the concerns o f our conimunity at large. As you know, Carncgic is located at the crossroads o f the I h w n t o w n Eastside and in the middle of Vancouver's op11drug street scene. For us, this scenc is part of our daily lives. I:or more than ten years, we have been involved in attempts to reduce the harmful eKects o f the drug trade, while ministering to the real needs o f all conccrncd. With financial help from the City, our Association and city staff initiated a street program to hririg services and a point o f contact to pcople on our corncr. Similarly, we lobbied For and maintain a year-round program at Oppcnheimer Park to make the park safcr fhr Families and seniors. 'l'hc Oppenhcirner program, tlie only one o f its kind i n a neighbourhood park in Vancouver, is filridcd by the City. 'l'lic issue oftlic strcet scene is a dillicult one Ibr us. Wc are committed to sol'cguiirding i t secure cnvironmen1 for the majority of our community who arc not involved in street activities. Ilcnce, (hrncgic Security stafl'call o n thc Vancouver I'olice I)epartnicnt when necessary to ensure safety in and around the (kntre. We acquiesced when the V1W mounted hlitz on our corncr last f i l l to clear access to ('arnegie (on the uritlerstanding that the users would riot be further harassed). As well, we maintain a strict no-drugs-noalcohol policy in Carncgic that has drawn criticisni from groups representing drug users. Wc arc trying to balance that commitment with another obligation -- to support cfi'cctive and Iiuniane ways to reduce thc harm o f the street scene. We strongly support the Four Pillars approach and we were one ofthe main voices in the community, outside o f t h c drug user support groups, that campaigned for the llealth Contact Centre and the other lhcilitics to bring services to the street population. That's why we have concerns about the new police initiative to "clean up" Ilastirigs Street, begitinirig sometime this month. We see a definite danger o f displacement the drug scene simply moving to other streets nearby. Sometimes the effects o f such campaigns arc unintended. Wc l ~ a v ealready seen this effect in Oppcnhcimer from the blitz in front o f Carnegie; part o f the scene has moved to the park. ('The rest just moved down the street.)

We understand that residents i n adjoining areas are being told to expect an increase i n drug activity on their streets, but that police w i l l be there to deal with it. Are there enough police to patrol every street in Vancouver? As well, we are concerned with the eff'ect this initiative w i l l have on people on the street. We understand the police are planning an "arrest-andrelease" stratem - basically a dragnet to inconvenience everyone caught on the street. The police intend to arrest people, strip them o f their belongings (including drugs and paraphernalia), transport them outside tlie area, and turn them loose. This type o f enforcement won't deter addicts from using drugs, hut it w i l l raise the cost o f buying and using drugs, and increase their desperation. Ilaving apparently lost faith i n the judicial system, illld social services, the police want to take the initialive themselves. 'l'hcy are telling residents that a large majority o f people on the street are outsiders, 1,asing this on their arrest statistics. O n the contrary. two separate studies conducted by the Carnegie street program indicate that at least half of the people actually on the street, and not jllst those the police chose to arrest, live i n the Downtown Eastside, arid the large majority arc from the City of Vancouver, especially the east end. (Even the police statistics indicate that only a small fraction of those arrested are from outside Vancouver.) We are concerned with the cflbct this blit/ will have on a safe-fixing site planned for the 100-block of East Hastings, and the already-functioning ~ e a l t h (:ontact C'Cntre across the latlcom Carrlcgic Studies indicate that addicts won't travel more than three blocks to access such hcilities. 11needs to be located where the users arc. [ly driving tile ~isersOK thi3t it w i l l llnder~nillethe purpose oftlie safefixing site and the 1 4 ~ ~ ' .

Please proceed very cautiously with changes to policing on llastings Street. There is justification for targeting non-addicted drug dealers on the street, but a wholesale sweep o f everyone w i l l only worsen the problem and lead to more misery. We appreciate the dificult situation the police are in, trying to satisfy demands from various sectors o f society. Council is on the right track with the approach it is taking: suppc)rting all Four Pillars, and not just one. llopefi~lly,this w i l l be cornrnunicated to all city departments. Yours truly, M u g s Sigurgeirson Vice-President, CC'C'A

Subject: Letters to Mayor and Council-Important! Hello all, As you may be aware, the Vancouver Police Department has appeared before Mayor and Council to request funding for additional officers in the Downtown Eastside. There appears to be reluctance on the part of Ihe cihr to provide the There have been requests from some residents for letters from agencies and service-providers supporting the VPD request. The Neighbourhood Safety Office is trying to facilitate this. If you haven't written a letter, could you please consider doing so? To quote Ray-Cam's Board of Directors letter: "Community residents regulady express frustration at being held hostage by unchecked illegal, violent and predatory activity that saturates this community." Letters should be addressed to Mayor & Council, City of Vancouver.

Dear editor. tlardcore drug - use has been a part of who I an, all o f my adult life. making i t very challenging to l i t with society's mainstream. Now. thank\ to police chiefJamie Graham's grossly exagerated gesture of force in my community, my problems are solved. As 1 watched two keen officers puzzle over a piece ofbroken umbrella handle on the sidewalk the other Jay. I was comhrted with the thought that the surge of.nrw hr-profit faces dealing dope that typically follows a grandstand police operation would perfectly justifj, adding another hundred officers to this beat. Scrutiny by a dozen or so oficers at all time\ would simply he more o f a g x d thing, a veritable deluge of concern and acceptance. I'rtwfthat !loging a dead horse vigorously enough will cause it to spring to life and win the derby. Ironically enough, for years now there has been serious spculation within several circles in the Downtowl?l k t s i d e as to the viability o f a d~ugl,r,ut franchise on llastings St. Talk about revitaliution! Shawn Millar

Thank you, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Kate Hodgson Program Assistant Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Safety Office 47 Cordova Street West, Vancouver BC, V6B 1C8 ph 604-687-1772 fax 604-687-1776 email: dtesnsom-telus.net

ATTENTION: Injection Drug Users 327 Carrall St is open nightly 10pm to 2am Drop-In to use washroom, get dry and stay safe. [For more information call 604-71 9 - 9 1 31

What Kind of World Do We Want to Live In? At present we have a neighbourhotd that is crawling with police officers. They are making sure that people do not linger on Ilastings Street from the 100-block east to the 100-block west. It really feels more like an assault on the community than a lawand-order action. This is supposed to last until the end o f June unless City Council comes up with $2.3 million to extend this action. 'l'hen will it become a regular part ofour community'? In these first few days the street drug trade has been temporarily scattered and there is more movement in all directions, including back alleys. The outstanding question that I don't hear addressed is what will happen when this ends'? Are we supposed to be so grateful that we lobby city council for a continuation ()fa mini police state in our neighbourhtxd'? I f w e don't we all know that the street scene

will just drift back into the cleared streets. If we do, and the police get their huge increase, what other services does this city give up so the Downtown Eastside can be a permanent police state? This unilateral action by the police just ignores and dismisses all the work this community has done to develop a four-pillar plan and our attempts to implement any services that will address this problem. By putting money, resources into policing and ignoring the balance required for equal amount in prevention, treatment and harm reduction needs, what we end up with is an atmosphere o f armed enforcement. Chasing everyone off the Hastings street strip where the contact centre for street drug users is and the new tixing site i s being built, is counterproductive. It will make sure that these services cannot succeed. as the people they are designed for are just chased away. If the police really were interested in working to solve the street scene they would be working with health and the city to lobby the government to get these services on the road in a really productive manner. Instead, the police have actually hampered and interfered with the development o f street services every inch ofthe way. 1 remember their outrage when Carnegie first put the street program out in front ofour centre; how they were (at times) reluctant to respond to our front door staff calls about weapons on an angry person on the street. I'm sure most people reading this could add some other bad experiences with the police. The massive open drug trade we presently have in our neighbourhood is a result of police policies that started i n 1986, during Expo, when police drove the street Scene Out of Mount Pleasant and sent it down to [lastings Street. They forced the drug trade off Granville for the redevelopment ofthat area and it ended up in Victory Square, stretclli~lgback to Pigeon Park. The bottom line is that A1)1>1CT10N is a major problem here. We got into this mess with police action and we aren't going to get out of i t with just police action. What we need to happen is more like what is in Europe - a cooperative plan with health. government, police, social services and the business community. An armed crew o f uniformed people on the street is not the answer. 13y MUGS Sigurgeirson

4 Katie I must go down to the woods at night 2 4age 4 what they may leave I'liey'll leave their g o d s then they'll leave th w c d s 2 4age 4 what they may need.

Rock 'n Roll Dance "DJ MIX"

The rabbits came The hiries rained their tears 4 what they had lost. LI must come over to V I land 2 C 4 yourself. LJ must.

Prizes, Refreshments Volunteer Recopnition Week

Wed. April 16,7-10 pm In the Carnegie's Theatre

'They'll burn IJ left, 'fhey'll burn I!right, If ll4age 4 what they may leave. IJ must come over 2 V I land If not U'II never believe. Anita Stevens

join in making u Community Play about the Donontorcrn Eastside as part ofCarnegiefs ZOOth Annizrersary celebrations. SHARE Y O U R STORIES, ACT, SING, DANCE, BUII.11 S E T S , MAKE COSTUMES!

What's on Now?: Right now, the Community I'lay is in an organizing phase. Several people have been hired to help coordinate outreach to the community, to explore script possibilities and rough out a working script, to find a venue, to fundraise, and to begin preparations for costun1es, music, publicity, and documcmting the whole project. Members of the community have b t w coming forward with all kinds of stories, remtmbtwd characters, and plots to help the writers. The next things are to help with nldking costumes, banners and props. Keep an eye on this space in the newsletter for announcements of workshops and evt3nt\, opportunities to participate, information about writers, musicians and o u t r c x h workers, and how YOU can join in.

How can I participate in the next two weeks? 1) You can make flags, and "baby" phoenix props at cornmunlty workshops

2) You can carry the phoenix puppets, banners and flags in the Ann~versary"Ileart of the Clty" I'drdcle April 27111.1 here will be workshops to learn bdslc choreography (puppet moves, ett )

contact Leith Harris (604)682-7381 for details about- -either! -

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INI'ROI)UCIN(; CARNEGIE COMMUNITY PLAY ORGANIZERS: Savannah Walling and Terry Hunter: Writers, Artistic Director and Producer: Vancouver Moving Theatre savannah Walling and 'ferry tiunter began living in the IMXS in 1975 when they moved into the 2"" floor ofa warehouse across the street from the B.C. Sugar Refinery. From there they moved to the 2"d tloor of the Lim Sai tlor Kow Mock Association building on C'arrall Street, near Pender, and created their home and performance studio. 'I'hey started going to the Carnegie Library, eating at Only Seafcds, Halo Halo and the Newtown bakery ']'hey created characters like Drum Mother who wore a mask, had drums built into her enormous red skirt and danced, spinned and played her drums all at the same time. Savannah says "We created her for events where people gather in a spirit of hope fbr the fi~ture.'I'he first time she ever appeared in public was in the Chinese New Year's Parade. Drum Mother has since attended Peace Marches, the Vancouver Children's Festival and shows across H.C., Canada, Europe and Asia. AAer t ; x p '86 Savannah and 'l'erry found the whole mood of the neighbourhood changed. They lost a friend, an artist tioward t3IOomfie~d,whose suicide was triggered--at least in part- by his depression around Expo's impact on the ncighbourhood. After tixpo they moved to the Mau-I>an coop where they still live. 'Their son. Montana Blu was born there and their roots in the community became deeper. They have a plot in the community gardens, they son plays at Crab Beach, Oppenheimer Park, Mclxan Park. tie plays chess at Carnegie, dances at the IJkrainian t lall and does Karate at Strathcona Community Centre. Terry teaches percussion classes for kids with the Strathcona Kids Dragon tland, and marimba fbr adults with the Strathcona Community marimba. Savannah sings at the Ukrainian t lall. Savannah and 'l'erry started the Strathcona Artists at Work Festival, that has been running for the last 5 years, to celebrate artists and the history ofthe neighbourhood. They've done outdoor theatre at McLean Park and at Oppenheimer Park. Right now they have a show at Science World, and they helped out with "I Love The Downtown Eastside" show last year. Savannah says: "We've stayed in the DTES. We like the way that people down here look after each other-at least if they still have a heart. We like the friendliness and honesty of most ofthc people we meet. We like the human scale. We like all the colour and vibrancy. We like the good food from all over the world. We like all the parks, the libraries and community centres and cultural events. We like taking care ofour needs on foot. We like learning about the history ofthe D'I'ES. It's like opening a treasure box full ofexciting, tragic and comic events, full of struggles for human rights and quiet heroes and artists fiom every tradition--and so many men and women to admire."

Writer: Renae Morriseau

Women: Politics", a series pilot through IJTV i n Vancouver. This program was broadcast nationally and 9 throughout New Zealand. In 1993 Renae won the Native American Journalists Association Awards for l k \ t ~ o c ~ r m e n t aand r y Hest Cultural Material. At the Anierican lridian t:ilm Festival in 2000 Kenae won the f k 5 t Actress Award for her role as Ella Lee in the Shirley Cheechoo's film, B~,un+alkc,r. Renae is a member of the l,eaky tleaven Circus, a Theatre Company that provides ('hristmas and Spring perfixmances in Vancouver. She teaches and facilitates popular theatre tbr Aboriginal communities across C'anada and is working on a short film on an Okanagan Creation Story. Renae is deeply committed to Aboriginal youth and uses her skills in theatre to begin a series ofyouth gatherings to promote concerns nd issues that impact on them

Writer: Adrienne Wong Adrienne studied theatre at Simon Fraser University. She has lived and worked in f:ast Vancouver fiir 8 year\. She says, "When I moved to Vancouver from Calgary, I was attracted to the Downtown t-astside, and especially Strathcona. because my grandmother grew up here. M y Dad has told me stories about walking along Ilasting\ Street and sitting on the roof ofthe Dominion Building, where one o f his relatives worked, to watch the fireworks. I like walking the streets ofchinatown and imagining that I'm walking in the timtstups of'rny rand mother, who died before I was born. I work i n Theatre i n different ways. Sometimes I act in plays at the I- irehall Arts ('entre, the Arts ('tub or1 Granville and even i n school gymnasiums with companies like Vancouver Moving Iheatre, Green I'humb Theatre for Young People and Carousel Theatre. Sometimes I work as a director, in fact. I directed Wendy Chew's play The Ked Dress Girl at the Firehall as part o f the Kure Eurrh Ariu.\ I also work in the theatre a\ a writer. I've written two plays tbr CBC Radio and two play\ that were produced at the tirehall Arts ( entre A < , you can tell. I work at the Firehall Arts Centre a lot! In fact, this year I'm the artist-in-residence."

7hc Ibko Ono f'rc!jrc,r (t'irehall Ans Some o f Adrienne's other accomplishments include: P'fbrmance cr&: Cente) , TuIe.s.fiomthe Rumuyunu (Vancouver Moving Theatre), hreigri Bodies (Tangled Iongues f'er1Ormance Writinqcredits: Other Women (Rumble Productions); two radio plays Another ('up of 7i.u. ctrwritten with her sister, and Kute ',v Dreum (CBC Radio). As a dramaturg Adrienne has worked with Savannah Walling, tleidi Taylor, Noah Drew, Jacob %immer arid John Graham Ixe. She has collaborated as a director with I)onrra S p w c er (h Enemy (!f'rhePeople), Norman Armour (Three in thc Buck. T>rvin the Ileud and Wur thu M'orlcAl and i n the paper theatre with Andreas Kahre (x,v: A Soldier '.s l'ul~.).Adrienne has a HFA from Simon Fraser Ilniversity's School for the Contemporary Arts, is an Associate Artist o f Rumble Prtductions and ctrArti\tic Director of Tangled Tongues Performances.

Next issue of Carnegie Newsletter: Introducing Jimmy Tait, Director; and Outreuch W o r k m .

MEMORIAL DISRUPTED Two Vancouver activists with the Inter. national Solidarity Movement, Gordon Murray and Carel Moiseiwitsch, have accused the Israeli Occupation Forces of disrupting a memorial for Rachel Corrie. a 23-year-old American woman killed near the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Corrie, a resldent of Olympia. Washington, was crushed t o death on March 16 while trying t o prevent an Israeli bulldozer ftom demolishing the

home of Palestln~anDr. Samir Masri. I n a March 18 news release sent from the town of Rafah, Murray and Moiseiwitsch claimed that an I O F tank drrived dunng the memorial and charged toward the mourners. They stated that a large group of rned~a. Palestinians, and internatlonal visitors forced the tank t o retreat, and the group began plantlrlg flowers.

Actordlng t o the rlews reledse, t h o ISM d r t w ~ s t sthen stdrted tov?rlng the tank w t h flowers drld plctures of (orrlr Later, the tank tonrmarlder threw tedr gas and sound bombs dt the mourner\ Murray also ddlmed I n the news relrdsr that the tdnk wds loined by an drrnourrd personnel cdrner, dnvther tdrlk d rrllll tary rodd grader, dnd the sdme drmour~d bulldozer thdt had kllled (orrie

He moved, enchanted, delighted by Menopositive! The Musical, a homegrown Vancouver hvourite, that olkrs a chance to celebrate an olt Ibrgottcn segment ofsocicty, and to appreciate their incredible energy, beauty and lest fi)r l i ti.!

t lere at the I:irehall Arts ('cntrc, we are committed to make theatre accessible to those who live in tlic neigtibourhtmd, and t1iercfi)re ofkr 'pay wlyt y q i ~ cijr! Wednesday matinees o n the 1i)llowingdates:

April 16th, and 23rd 2003. 'l'he cast ol' Menopositive! The Musical are women from a generation of feminists, dreamers, movers arid shakers, who have shi fled from the days of burning their bras, and Saturday Night Fever, to the frustrations ofaging, from hot flashes to mood swings and rnernory loss. 'l'tie symptoms ofaging, nienopausc and health are presented in a dynamic and hurnorous way, retaining a balance between the benefits and losses associated with getting older. Menopositive! The Musical dispels some of the stigmas associated wilh aging, and honours li)ur women who have survived daily life's varied travails. Menopositive! the Musical's characters depict a range of experiences from horne~naker, to hard-edged business woman.

These people in the line look so W o r n , Sonw are looking sickly, People Some arc ghastly white, Some arc ruby red in appcar;lnce. Sonic are binncrs, Somc arc poor, Sonic arc niiddle-class. 1311'1'. where arc the rich of'this world? 'l'liey arc not living o n the eastside, They arc living in mansions on a tiillside, l:ar tiom the poor and middle-class people ol'tlic 1)owntown lkitside. 'l'hey arc eating New York Sirloin Steak While we are in line to cat soup and bread, They have maids. butlers. gardeners and cooks to answer their whims at a flick of finger or bell, We, the poor and working middle-class, must rely o n our own resources. Wlicre is the sanity in this world today? Wlierc do tlic ('an~pbclllackeys think tlicy lead us'? I t sure isn't by our shirttails or noses, We, the I'coplc ofthe Dow~itownlhtside, will overcome these ('a~npbelllackeys And win the rights to he counted in his n ~ ~ ~ i i b e r s .

M E N O P O S I ' I ' I V E ! T H E M U S I C A I , Vancouver I'erformances April 9'h- 26Ih 2003:

Pay-What-You-('an Matinees Wednesdays at I pm 'l'uesday - Saltrrday at 8 prn, Salurday arid Sunday Matinees at 2 pm Special group rates ( I0 or niore people) ol'$16 per person I'erfbrrnance I'rices $20/$18 available at the Firehall Arts Centre Ilox Ollice 604.6t(9.0926 or online at MIU').l' ~~~L'/~~J/IUI.I.\('L'~III'L' L'U

IPlease note that a $ I service charge per ticket applies when booking i n advance! 1

X'uH Vor Your Life running club members participating in the Vrrrrcou~~er S11tr R m 2003 send special thanks to the individuals that sponsored them. Thanks Blair Ilarvey ( V A C ) , George Jung ( I C ) and David 1,ePage (E'I'E) for your financial support.

DERA DAZE? It Ain't Necessarily So The baseball legend Casey Stengel once said, "..only half the lies they tell about me are true." It's always difticult to refute rumours and published lies by saying this and that isn't so without sounding defensive and thereby giving them credence they don't deserve, so let me say fbr the record what the case over recent staff and board changes at I>ERA. Terry tianley did not resign over issues involving thc Metropole; Frank Gilbert was not fired. I'll say no more than that as they can respond themselves ifand when they see fit to do so. I resigned, not (as The ('olrricr stated) over my involvement in The Metro )le Project, but, as this year happens to be the 10t year I've served on the Dera Board, I not only think this is the right time for change for the organkation but the right time for me personally. It was not a 10-year cakewalk by any means. While there have been plenty of rewarding experiences and damn fine people to work with, mostly there was strugle, chaos and turmoil - both internal and external. 'This takes its toll. I believe one should be vigilant enough to recognize the signs o f burnout before rather than after it consumes you and realize it's time to pick up your kit and ramble. lfthere is anyone out there who has the impression that I am somehow resigning in disgrace. or have anything to apologize for. forget it. The time I put in was entirely voluntary and any 'payola' I got for it came in the h r m o f a sandwich and a can o f pop at meetings twice a month. In fact I was nominated again at the A.G.M. in March and could have been elected had I chosen to run again rather than decline. ( I may run next year after some time o f f - who knows?) As regards the so-called "conflict o f interest" allegat ions over my involvement as a director o f a company managing the Metropole: Can someone explain to me how I profited from something I never got a penny fiom, didn't invest in (except time) and didn't benefit fiom'? The only "interest" I had was in keeping that hotel fiom being gentrified t r t d in getting it turned into self-contained units that local residents could afrord urlJ ensuring that it stayed under community control. There is a story here that is complex and trag 'IC, one that would f i l l a couple o f newsletters cover to cover, involving how the private companies were tbrmed and why; involving our rnaiority financing

partner who disappeared once the final draw was made on the CMliC payments; involving less than I I tepid support from either the llousing (:entre stafl'at the City and HC Ilousing when we met with them to explain what we were trying to do. (It was particular ly galling because, at the time. the City was bending over backwards to offer generous enducements fi)r the purchase of two SRO's elsewhere in the neighbourhtxxi.) This is not a rant or a whine & cheesedoff notice-;just an offering by way o f explanalion Very little of what I)t*RA has accomplished over the last 30 years has been done without government support or risk. We knew that the Metropole project was a risk going in but. as the old saying gcx\. "Ya can't do business sitting on yer ass!" DEKA reduced its stafling tiom 17 t o 12 primarily because o f cuts to funding and programs. Many other agencies in the Ihwntown fiastside that aren't in receipt of llealth Authority dollars tcwk a similar hit. Our bigest loss was the Mt 1U-funded gant. which cost us and the community in a big way We trained multi-barriered people from the community in intake advocacy. and in a building maintenance program. Many ofthe graduates found employment in this area. We also lost fbnding f i r our community outreach worker and a "know your rights" welfare outreach worker. We also had relocation assistance that was absorbed by the ('ity some time ago. As for the comments allegedly attributed to Kim Kerr and Jamie I x e tiamilton (the one-time member o f DEUA who submitted her resignation befitre more than 80% o f the membership at a termination meeting voted to take it away the same meeting that Ms. Ihmilton could not find the time to attend to give her side o f the story.. . ) - I should perhaps wisely withhold comment. As for the apoloa she i\ waiting to graciously accept, perhaps I'll withhold that t w for consideration at another time say after F'urious George W. wins the Nobel Peace P r i ~ e . I remain an enthusiastic supporter of'I>f.KA and I will continue to take an active part in community affairs. The new I3oard has a gcnd rnix of new lace\ and old hands; I congratulate them all and wish them well in their future endeavours. I have been asked to continue to represent them on a number o f cornmittees I was working with betbre and I'm glad to do i o . Thanks to everyone I worked with over the years; it's been a rewarding time. See you all around.

A Bone fiom Rafah

Ry Starhawk

A week ago Rachel C'orrie was crushed to death by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent it from demolishing Palestinian homes. The accounts of her tiiends and the activists who were with her and saw the murder leave no doubt that the soldier who drove the bulldozer saw her and chose to kill her. Rachel has become a shuhid, a Palestinian martyr. She is, in fact, one of over a thousand shuhids from this inliflJo. Their posters adorn walls all over Palestine. They are the fighters who are killed in battle and the children shot on their way to school. They are the suicide bombers and the boys who throw stones at tanks in a gesture of defiance, and the collateral damage1 every time the Israelis blow up a political leader in a crowded tenement with missiles. And now they include Rachel, with her allAmerican blond beauty. On one poster: she looks as earnest and sweet as any gaduating student ina liigh School yearbook. In another, she is giving a speech, hair tied back, mouth open, her whole face ablaze with passion. I'm listening to her fiiends describe her death and holding their hands as they cry. Rachel's death would have gone un-remarked had shc been Palestinian. You didn't hear, I imagine, about the death of Ahmed, a fiAy year old street cleaner from Rafah, who heard about Rachel's death and stepped outside t o smoke a cigarette. tie was gunned down on his doorstep, fbr n o particular reason anyone can fathom I Ie has his own Sfxihid poster, which is up on the wall next to Rachel's, and we mourn him, ttw. The Palestinians have traditions about ShuhiA; the poster is one. 'I'he Shuhid's body is not touched with water: the blood on the body is sacred, and bloody the body is laid into the grave. These traditions are ofsome comfort to the Palestinians but are difficult for her friends who cannot escape her face and their loss anywhere in this city, and who struggle to remember her not as a saint but as the real woman that she was: sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes loving, sometimes irritable, funny, annoying. angry - all the things human beings are. Rachel was a courageous woman but no more so, really, than any ofthese others who have come here on their school breaks or in the midst ol'their lifi: changes to stand in front of tanks

and walk kids to school and sleep in a different. threatened house each night. They are all remarkable, courageous,which doesn't mean noble and saintly but just that at some point in their lives they decided not to let fear stop them fiom doing something they hope will make some slight positive impact on an unendurable situation. What is remarkable about them is that they are not so remarkable, not really so different than anyone else. A laid-offdot commer, a football player, a website designer, a student, a sweet young man who drives a horse and carriage in the park: some are deeply political, involved in actions for many years. Some just somehow found themselves drawn to come here. I am drinking coffee with Chris, who was Rachel's friend and encouraged her to come to Gaza, and Mohammed, who has lived his whole live in the Gaza strip and works with a human rights agency. 1 Mohammed is telling us how he felt on his trip to Japan when he took the train horn Tokyo to Osaka. "I had never befbre been such a long way without a single checkpoint, without having to show a passport or an ID card, without seeing a soldier," he says. "That was when I knew what fieedom was." Chris suggests that Rachel died because the soldier didn't see her. Not that he didn't see her physically, for it is only too clear that he did, but that in some larger sense he didn't See her, see her as a human being, see her as a precious life to be valued. That Unseeing is the root ofmy own people's relationship to the Palestinians. I was never taught to hate them -only to discount them. When they taught me the story of Israel's founding in Hebrew School, the Palestinians were brushed aside, either not mentioned or dismissed as somehow not mattering. 1 can understand how, to my grandmother raised in abject poverty in a Russian shrefl and living in slightly-less-abject poverty in Duluth, the Palestinians could disappear I can comprehend how Jews fiom the concentration camps and refugees fleeing Nazi Europe could long for a state of their own, and how fiom Hitlerls Germany Palestinians weren't much of a visible presence in the consciousness of terrified people needing a refirge. ~

But those who were actually there on the land, creating the facts on the ground1 of their time, must have noticed and deliberately chosen to un-see that there was another people standing in the way, doing their best not to be bulldozed into oblivion. As Sharon and Bush and all their supporters and all who stand by silently and justify the current murders don't see. There's a Bible story haunting me that seems tangled up with this. It's one they never focused on in f lebrew School - the story of the Levite and the Concubine. It goes like this: A Levite was travelling with his concubine and is given shelter for the night by an old man in the town of Gideon in the territory of the tribe of Beniamin. During the night a pack of men demand to have sex with him. Instead, the host and the Levite send out the concubine, who is gang-raped and left for dead on the doorstep. When the traveller reaches home, he cuts up her body into twelve pieces and sends one to each tribe, to call them to war. The war is bloody and involves several rounds of smiting and killing sixteen thousand here, twenty thousand there, in a frenzy almost as senseless as our current assault on Iraq, until Benjamin is defeated and all the other tribes swear not to give their daughters to wife with Benjamin. Whereupon they realize they have committed genocide, wiped out a tribe of their own. Repenting of this ethnic cleansing they tind some innocent town which has not participated in this oath and simply kill all the men and all the women who have known men, and give all the virgins to Benjamin. I am thinking about this as I try to fathom what has been done to the mind of the bulldozer operator to make him capable of deliberately crushing a beautiful young woman under his machine, and trying to comprehend the hatemail and diatribes her death has evoked along with the paeons of praise and the martyr posters. And I conclude that the soldier was only doing what colonization makes necessary. To be a colonizer, we cannot afford to see the colonized as fully human. So when you tell me, "The Palestinians are taught to hatec Barak offered them everything but they don't want peace--they don't love their children they are animalscthere is no one to talk to" I say, "That is what colonization requires you to believe."

It diminishes you, as the driver of that bulldozer is diminished by his act far. far more than the crushing of Rachel's body can ever diminish her. And if l could, I would send you a bone. Not to call you to war, but away from it. Something you cannot avoid seeing, touching. Something to make the blood on our hands visible, unmistakable. A limb, a shoulder. a hunk of flesh dripping real blood. from the rubble beneath the bulldozer, the doorstep, from the child shot dead in the gunfight or buried under the house, from the bomb shelters of Baghdad and from the bloody busses of Tel Aviv. A bone red with blood to say: ?l'his is what colonization requires: bl(nK1 soaked sand, holy earth defiled with death, human sacrifice.

N O WAK

I How Tragedy and Success Seem to come hand in hand There are the pieces to pick up And rearrange in a ditkrent way Finding some puzzle that works If education were made more fun Then more people would learn And I got barred from the library Some tune in a shopping mall Playing that takes the mind away Is it some impending doom or I lope of some future glory? Most of the time it is better to End a year in gtxd shape in the mind. body, and invisible soul No-one's lost and ntrone's won A spark of freedom still within

The invasion o f lraq, led by the American Empire, is illegal. In a letter written before the invasion, 13 British professors and one French professor of international law said, "'fhere is no justification under international law for the use o f military force against Iraq. Neither security council resolution 144 1, nor any prior resolution, authorizes the proposed use o f force in the present circumstances." ( I ) Thirty-one o f Canada's professors o f international law signed an open letter condemning the invasion. l'hcy said it violates the Ilnited Nations Charter, which forbids countries to wage war excepl in self-deltnce. (2) The organization 1,awyers Against the War (1,AW). has argued strongly that the invasion o f lraq is illegal, and that it seriously undermines the international rule o f law. A report put out by L A W on the use o f Ibrcc against lraq stated, "A war agdinst lraq would constitute a war ofagression, 'the supreme international crime' according to the judgment o f the Nuremberg 'I'ribunal." (3) f3ecause the invasion o f lraq is illegal. George 13ush is a criminal. Someday he will have to answer to the American people and the peoples o f the world fbr engaging in "the supreme international crime". The invasion o f lraq is not a just war. Many religious leaders have spoken against this invasion, including the I'ope and 13ishop Michael lngham o f Vancouver. 'Ihere are 4 traditional tests for a just war:

The invasion o f lraq fails every one o f these tests. It is an unjust war, and in religious terms that makes George Dush a heavy-duty sinner. Someday he will have to answer to the Arnerican people, and the peoples o f the world, tor violating all the principles of-a just war. George Bush has lied to the American people and the peoples of the world. Ile said. over and over again, that lraq had weapons o f mass destruction. when in fact he had no proof that such weapons existed. t le said lraq was a threat to the Unrted States when in h c t 80 percent o f Iraq's military capacity was destroyed in 199 1, and 90 percent o f materials and equipment required to build weapons o f mass destruction was destroyed by U.N. inspectors afier the 199 1 war. Bush said there was a connection between lraq and A1 Qaeda when there is no connection. t le said the Iraqi people would welcome American invaders when every intelligent commentator knew that the people o f lraq would fight for their homeland. tle has terrorized the American people with false stories o f the military power o f lraq when, in fact, the country has been devastated by twelve years o f war and sanctions. What is happening i n lraq now is not a war. It is a massacre. A humanitarian crisis o f enormous proportions involving h x l shortages, polluted water and lack o f medical supplies is starting to emerge. Someday George Bush will have to answer to the American people, and the peoples o f the world, tbr the lies he has told them. Millions of Americans are protesting the murderous imperial policies o f George Bush. The entire population o f Canada is far smaller than the number o f Americans who are against the invasion o f lraq. 'fhese Americans, in solidarity with the peoples o f the world, are working for peace, and exposing the ugly face o f Empire. The day will come when the American people will get rid o f George Bush and his Administration, and the world will be a safer place. By SANDY CAMERON

(1 ) t lave all means other than war been exhausted? (2) Is the war being carried out by lawful authority? (3) Is the violence o f the war equal in measure to the threat posed'? (Iraq posed no threat to the Ilnited States) (4) Will the war avoid innocent civilian casualties?

( I) "lraq war would be illegal," (;lrurdl~lnllkch/y,

Mar.13-19, 2003. (2) "Is the current war in lraq legal in international law?" by E. Oziewicl (ilohr & Alurl, March 25, 2003. (3) "lhe l f s e Of Force By The llnited States Against Iraq:

I,egal Issues," by 1,awyers Against The War, Sept. 30, 2002. See: ~w~.law~ersa~ainstthewar.org

At some unexpected moment in your life, the unthinkable will habpen to you. It i s the cleub; pprson who turns this catastrophe to advantage. In a social situation, you can garner more sympathy and

attention than most misfortunes will afford. Above all: Do be gracious.

'l'lic bait i s the means to get the fish uhere you uant it: catch the tish and you ti)rget the bait. The snare is the means to get the rahbit where you want it: catcl~thc rabbit and you IOrget t l ~ e\rliirc. Words are the Ineans to get the idea here c o u \cant it: catch onto the idea and you fixget about t t ~ e

words.

STOP THE WAR ON IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES ORGANIZE TO FIGHT BACK Tuesday, April 29''' 7:OOpm -

Collingwood Community Centre (near Joyce Skytrain Station)

Whcrc shall I find a Inan wlio fixget5 ahout word>.

and have a word with him? ('ll1l;lllg 'I

[LI

LETTER T O A YOUNG ACTIVIST I)UHIN<; T R O U B L E D T I M E S

Ilo not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard fiom so many recently who arc deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about th state ofaflhirs in our world right now. Abject disregard of what th soul finds most precious and ireplaceable, and the corruption of principled ideals have become th new normal, the grotesquerie ofthe week. Ours is a time of almost daily jaw-dropping astonishment and ofen righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matter most to civilized, visionary people. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these diflicult tirnes. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is, we were made fbr these times. Yes. [:or years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exactly plain of engagement. I cannot tell you ofien enough that we are definitely the leaders we have been waiting fhr, and that we have been raiscd since childhtmd for this time precisely. I grew up o n th (ireat I ,akes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there havc never been more able cralts in the watcrs than there are right now across the world. And they arc Iully provisioned and able to signal one another as never befbre in th history ofhumankind.

I would like to be able to take your hands for a moment and assure you that you are built well for these times. Look out over the prow, there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. In your deepest bones, you have always known this is so. Even though your veneers may shiver fiom every wave in this storm, I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come fiom a greater forest. 'I'hat longgrained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless. We have been in traing for a dark time such as this, since the day we assented to come to Earth. For many decades, worldwide, souls just like us have been felled and lefi fbr dead, brought down by naivetd, by lack of love, by suddenly realizing one deadly thing or another, by not realizing something else soon enough, by being ambushed and assaulted by various personal and cultural shocks in the extreme. We have a history of being gutted. and yet remember this especially, we have also, of necessity, perfected the knack of resurrection. Over and over again we have been the living proof that that which has been exiled, lost, can be restored to life again. Our risibility supports us to laugh in the face of cynics who say " t i t chance" and "management before mercy" and other evidences of complete absence of soul sense. I'his, and our having been to 1 lell and back on at least one momentous occasion, makes us seasoned vessels for certain. Even if you do not feel that you are, you are. Even if your puny little ego wants to contest the enormity of your soul, that smaller self can never tbr long subordinate the larger SelC Believe th evidence of any one of your past testings and trials. Are you still standing? The answer is, Yes! (And no adverbs like "barely" are allowed here). If you are still standing, ragged flags or no, you are able. You are seaworthy. We are needed, that is all we can know. And though we meet resistance, we more so will meet great souls who will hail us, love us and guide us, and we will know them when they appcar. Ilidn't you say you were a believer'? Didn't you say you pledged to listen to a voice greater? Ilidn't you ask for grace? I)on't you remember that to be in grace means to submit to the voice greater? You have all the resource you need to ride any wave.

If you study the physics of a waterspout, you will see that the outer vortex whirls far more quickly than the inner one. To calm th storm means to quiet the outer layer. to cause it, by whatever countervailing means, to swirl much less, to more evenly match the velocity of the inner, far less volatile core till whatever has been lifted into such a vicious funnel falls back to Earth, lays down, is peaceable again. One of the most important steps you can take to help calm the storm is to not allow yourselfto be taken in a flurry of overwrought emotion or despair, thereby accidentally contributing to the swirl. Ours is not the task offixingth entire world all at once, but of

in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires. Strugling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. lfyou would help to calm the tumult, this is one of th strongest things you can do. There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many time5 in my life, but I do not keep a chair fhr it; I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate. In my uttermost bones I know something. as do you. It is that there can be no despair when you remember why you came to Earth, who you serve, and who sent you here. The good words we say and g w d deeds we do are not ours: they are the words and deed ofthe One who brought us here. In that spirit, I hope you will write this on your wall: When a great ship is in harbour and moored, it is safe, there can he no doubt. Rut.. .that is not what great ships are built for.

To Carnegie Newsletter: I have been thinking about the attempt to have a two week long big party tbr the world here in Vancouver by hosting the 20 10 Olympics. In my opinion, this is akin to going out and buying a lot o f decorations, beverages and party h o d to throw a bash for a bunch ot'rich strangers. A l l tlie while having my children homeless, hungry, sick and unable to afford an education. I S you have any sense o f responsibility towards those i n your f i m i l y you are to be caring for you just don't even think o f doing such a thing. N o w compare this with the ('ampbell govern~nent their actions. I'tiey are on one hand spending lots ofmoney for the big party and giving b i g business tax breaks, they then tell us there is no money Ibr health care, schtwh, housing or knK1 fi)r our poor. At the same time they also give out rich incentive packages; I,ike tlie l i t t k pcrfbrniancc incentives they gave to deputy human resources minister Robin (:iceri, who was to get $1 5,400 bonus i f she reduced the growth rate i n disability assistance by two p r c e n t (as well as cut the number o f welfare by t w o percent) during her lirst year. '1'0 c ~the t numbers ol'peoplc regardless ol'where they live, eligibility, their age or the economy. (7'his was done, with 123,000 fewer people on assistance last [ k c . I than when the 1,iberals took office according to an article by Kuss f:rancis, a Victoria reporter). This was all illustrated nicely on a poster I b u n d outside the ('arncgic this week showing (iordo shoveling money into the Olympic torch. Ii e was taking it out of a pile of money held back from the people o f this province in the above examples. 'l'he caption reads, something like; "I don't care, it's not my money I'm burning." l ' l i c Olympics w i l l be a nicc party lor the 1i.w rich ofthe world who can atTord to attend, arid a few rich here w i l l gel b i g contracts to build b i g play centers. But the majority ofthc world w i l l not be able to attend this party.. not even the pcwr who live here. The argument I have heard lor this party is jobs. Well money put into housing. feeding, education :rnd medical care all provides long term jobs for people who keep there money here i n our economy, making it even stronger. This is where the mclney should be going, not to a big two week party - with one hell of a hangover 10 li)llow in the lbrm ofI'rovincial [)ebt

that all w i l l have to si1tti.r from long alter the party is over. 13y ('olleen Carol

News From The Library Austerlitz by W.G.Sebald Call #823 SER W.<;.Sebald, who died last year, is just now being recognized i n the IJS and Canada for the remarkable writer he was. t le pc)sthumously won the 2002 National I3ook Critics Award fhr this title. Ilis reputation is quickly growing and many critics considcred him a strong candidate fbr a Nobel I'rize i n literature. t lis writing captures the mcdcrn sense ot'exile and suppression o f memory, the destruction o f preWorld War II t h r o p m n history and (ierman silence about that war. Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda Call #861 NER 'l'his bilingual edition makes available a good selection o f Neruda's work. both i n the original Spanish and i n 1:nglish. A wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with this famous Inan who is arguably one ol'thc greatest poets i n the Spanish world. 1,ost Classics edited by Michael Ondaatje et al Call# 028.9 ON11 l'his book, which was a (;lobe & M a i l 13est Hook of2001, is a wide-ranging collection of short stories which are no longer available; stories which are 'loved and lost, under-read, unavailable, stolen. cstincl or otherwise out o f co~n~iiission.'

Paperboys Winter by Tim Bowling Call #813.5 Growing up i n a little fishing village on a b i g river is vividly remembered in this engrossing new novel about a boy, his newspaper route and a mysterious old denizen o f t h e docks. Ant1 wlicn the village is I.adncr and the river is tlie I:rascr ill the middle ol' (ireater Vancouver's vast urban sprawl o f the 1970's, then it's even more intriguing for I t x a l readers. Ilighly recommended --- M u g s and t3ob. Also, from the Acting I)ircctor of Vancouver I'ublic 1,ibrary: "VI'I. Iias received all cstr;l $1 53.000 in its operating budget to allow it to stay open all year round." Yippee! N o August closures! Keassuring news, thr the cynics amongst us, that there r r w politicians who keep their election promises.

Libraries: Building Communities In light o f Carnegie's centennial, the Vancouver Public I,ibrary Board is presenting its Annual Report at Carnegie on Wednesday, April 23, at 7pm. Mike tlarcourt, former HC Premier and Vancouver Mayor, will be the guest speaker. Everyone's invited to come and celebrate Carnegie's 1 0 0 ' Anniversary ~ with Margaret Prevost, President, and Michael Clague, director. You can also, if you want, meet the chairperson and members o f the VPI, Board and hear their plans for the future of public libraries. It'll be in the theatre and refreshments are free!

Commenls? Concerns? Conlact Jmng

N b i C'h ing Kwon, ht1.A

Writer's block.. . .

.....should not 1 would not 1 could not affect the opinions that froth fbrth from the fingers o f PUT, but it's been almost 3 issues i n a row that gentle readers have been deprived (relieved) by not having cynical sobriquets to slather sensitive psyches. Gordon Campbell i s a write-oft'and. like any fool rushing head-long forward with a diseased view of the world as doomed without their individual vision being ground zero, he'll not see the cliff until he's about 3 steps past it - not unlike the hapless coyote always trying to eat the nimble Roadrunner. Cynicism keeps trying to turn into nihilism- "don't do anything because it's useless to even try.. ." We get conditioned into wanting attention but it's hollow without the work to back it up. l f y o u don't have enough roo111to move within yourself. even the Inost Occasional or accidental attention can ql~ichly degenerate into notoriety or infamy and destroy you. The most obvious example o f this locally is the distaste people have for being filmed or grouped in with "everyone else" as part o f the street scene, a f(md line. welfare line, homeless or just brokelpoor. We each know we arc infinitely more than what

'others' will define us as. but Ilwe have the harde\t time detaching fiorn the edited version of'the past Memory patterns are strongly influenced by the repetitive tapes that play for decades in our head\, and the simple advice to "forget the past" i s dissed by the same tapes - "but what (or where) doe\ that leave me'!" Telling myself'l am who I am because ofwhat I've done' is only a tenth-truth (not even a half-truth or a quarter-truth). Ideation i s what telling my\elf is. and the best ideation is "I am That." I f l say ..I'm experiencing a writer's block because..." it'll go on ad nauseum. Saying "I am a writer" then it's easier to take the next step and say "well fucking WRI It.'"

Neighbourhood News * I X Y A S is moving soon, aner over a decade on Main. New digs are on Cordova. but Inure In June *Portland Hotel Society i s work~ngcon\tantly to keep the prior~tyfocus of government on turnlng old or possible building5 into housing (~txK1work *Kudos to the Lore Krill Co-op'\ mover\&shaker\ fbr getting really decent houvng up and runnrng. and fa~r trying innovative approaches to make th~nes ~. u *The Co-op Radio operation seems vibrant in their 'new' space, with the cafe a decent place. * I m a l businesses needing and deserving your energy (money) include the Pot1,uck C'afi at 40+ W. Hastings. Call 'n Post at 16 W.1iastings. Ilnited We Can Bicycles at 49 or 5 1 t<.tlasting,s, Radio ('afe at 10 1 EHastings, The Store at 170 f;. t lastings. and of course C'arnegie's kitchedconcession at 40 1 Main. *Ut.;RA is going through good changes. *tlMfItlKS i s now putting out a newsletter. *The Neighbourhtxxl Safety O f f i c e i s gatefi~lly relocated onto Cordova (47 W ) and hoping fi)r a more permanent (usable) home. *The Women's C'entre is seeking support and funding in light ofCampbell's gender genocide. *CARNI<(ill: IS 100 YI:ARS 01 I). Mary An11 brought info that the first branch of'the New York Public 1,ibrary is also celebrating it's centennial by honouring Andrew Carnegie's gin ($5.2M) and serving Scottish Scotch to its party-gwrs. *tielp in the 1)owntown f:astside needs about %5K to continue. Larry ('ampbell needs reminding.. ..

.....maybe it's this new anti-depressant ... :' I'R I

White Ghost 'I'here are so many endless excuses I ' m sick of thern all. I'm sick o f tighting the rnonsters. 'I'he faces in li-ont ot'nie that denies. lies, destroys my soul, my fieedom. wants to turn me into one ofthcrn.

I am enraged. I'm starved f i r love & peace This world that turns against itself Kills the beauty kills the spirit kills its children And then [he writers, the feminist women ofcolour, tcll me it's the whiteness in me, my skin i s not right. 'l'heir resistance l ' n i sick ol'it all!

their reverse racism

I want to stick a gun to my temporal lobe, blow it right 011: Spray my red blood all over this land.

I can just see i t now my white ghost standing there exposed 1,cwking up crying, its hands opcn out to the side Ked bl(wd dripping. -

Mari (iun

Eroded Counsel Shiny stones upon sunrise beach contain a unique soul each and could they separately speak out to our static kind, one by special one, what would they say? Would they tcll us to slow down and think spend less time polluting all just to stink') Would they llirity scream to watch less 'I'V screen and stroll more upon thern? O r would they soA whisper that in due tectonic time wc shall all bccornc them? john alan I)ouglas

Save Amina L o w a l The Nigerian supreme court has upheld the death sentence for Amina, condemned for the crime of adultery, to be buried up to her neck and stoned to death. Iler death has b w n postponed for a month so that she can continue to nurse her baby. Amina's case is being handled b y the Spanish branch of Amnesty International, which is attempting to put together enough signatures t o niahe the Nigerian government rescind the death sentence. A similar enbrt saved another Nigerian woman, Satiya, condemned i n similar circumstances. The petition has so far (as of M a r c h 4th) amassed over 2 600 000 signatures. I t w i l l take you only two minutes to sign Amnesty's online petition. (io lo the web page www.amnistiaporsafiya.org and enter your first name (in the space marked "nombre"),last name ("apellidos"), province ("provinciaV),and country. {IJK is Keino I l n i d o ] Then click on "Seguir" and go t o the second page. 'l'here you have the option o f entering your email address ifyou wish to receive follow-up info. I n any case, be sure then to click on "aceptar" to have your name addtd to the petitionllist.

Moraga ( 1983)

Gun (2003) : Response

"This world's on fire" again, smearing neocolonialism to the ends o f the earth. I am oh s o changed, so enlightened. I appeal to the masses to open their eyes, not shut but wide open. to sec the writing on thc wall. I'he white supremacist hscist Bush and his lot, with camoullaged licarts and blank faces, honing i n on their corporate greed ofliering us nothing o n tlieir t;lrnished silver platters We have all changed so ~ n u c h We have changed into cha~ncleonsjust to survive N o w the system that never changes from the top on down must be changed! N o w the systcrii that never changes must be changed radically! I hunger t o abolish it and rctider i t lifeless.

DOWN'I'~WN EASTSIIW NEEI)LE lX('IIAN(;E - 221 Main: 8 : 3 h 1 1- Xprn every day Y O ~ J I' ~ I NEEIIIX II:X('IIAN(;IS V A N - 3 Routes:

2003 DONATIONS Libby D.-$60 Barry for Sam It.-$50 Eve E.-$ I8 Nancy H.$30 Margaret D.-$25 Hulda K.-$5 Val A318 Wm B-$20 Mary C-$50 Paula M I 5 Rolf A.-$55 Bruce J.-$50 BCTF-$10 Wes K.-$15 Charley B-$5 RayCam-$25 G r a m -$I00 Paddy -$50 Sarah E.-$10 Charles F.-$5 Rosemary 2.-$20 Jonnna N.-$20 Jim G.-$150 Glen B.475 John S.-$100 Penny G.-$20 Liz S.$5 Jenny K.-$18 Celeste W.$30 Sandy C.$20 Ellen W.-$150 Nancy C.-$25 Rocking Guys 4 2 5 Joanne H.-$20 The Edge Community Liaison Ctt -$200 Anonymous -$4.02

Submissiorr Deadline for next iss~re: Monday, 28 April

Welfare problerns; Landlord disputes; H o i ~ s i n gproblems; Unsafe living condrl~ons, ome to the Dera office at 12 E. Hast~ngsStreet or lorw ils at 682 - 0931 ERA h a s bee^^ serving the Downtown Easts~de

for 29 years!!!

- ;.\

-- 2--* -

Journey To the Downtown Eastside "('an't you see that something's wrong?" I l i l l said, as he crawled liom under the branches of'thc pine tree hotel in I l igh I'ark, 'l'oronto. "('an't you see that something's wrong?" I le knew he wasn't the person they said he was, and he fel t as empty iis a night on the town. l'imc to get going or hc would be screaming at the trafic at the buildings at the people walking by as though he were invisible.

Unemployed men marching along Hastings Street in the 1930's, and singing, "We meet today in freedom's cause and raise our voices high." Chinatown and Japantown at first people lived in these communities because they weren't allowed to live anywhere else, but as the years went by, Chinatown and Japantown became centres of resistance against injustice, and they shaped their history with courage and endurance.

I Ie drifted west, ~ h highway c went that way, arid when he hit the sea he stopped and stayed. Vanco~~ver is home to many restless ones who don't swim well enough to reach Japan.

So it goes in the Downtown Eastside the struggle for human rights. The seven years' fight, led by DERA, to win the Carnegie Community Centre for the residents of the neighbourhood. The inspiring fight for Crab Park, and the making of Strathcona Gardens which empowered the community through the creative act of planting seeds. Today, residents of the Downtown Eastside fight for decent, affordable housing. 'The Latin American community fights for respect, and the right to participate fully in Canadian life.

'I'hc Downtown fiastside gave Hill shelter as it has done for thousands seeking their own voice, singing thcir own song. N o questions asked. n o judgments. "(kt out of the wind and listen to the stories we have lived," an old tinier said to Bill. Hill heard thc voices in the suffering streels. "Kesist, resist," they said. 1:irst Nations people and a just land claims.

VANDlJ fights for harm reduction programs that save lives. Women on the street tight for dignity and safety, and the families of those murdered fight for justice. "Resist, resist," Bill said.

Bill thought with astonishment "From the margins we can see into the empty heart of wealth and power, and we dream ofwhat ought to be, knowing full well that suffering is overcotne, not by leaving pain behind, but by bearing pain with others."

Freedom is belonging somewhere to a community that cares, a living community where people work together to make things better. "We need each other."

Sundy ( 'umrron

MOLLY KRUSCHEF By G a r y Gust

I say, Madam, what do you think you a r e doing down there?

Uh, don't mind me Comrade, I've j u s t moved

name i s Molly

The devil you say1 If you do not pick up your tent and remove yourself

into the ndghborhood

1 Ah, humm, yes, I forgot

You can't call the cops. The City's got 'em all Hed up in their annual

[c]2003

that City HaN is doing its perfunctory clean up campaign. In that case ~ o i & , name is Mr. Arthur Deco , and you

Well, that's swell, Art. I'm always real quiet, but if some robbers come by your place I'll raise a real ruckus. I'll be your alarm till the Cops get back again.