Change Everything

As millions of people are on the move, displaced by climate change and conflict, we share our own families’ stories of migration to Canada. Shaken by the act of terror perpetrated against Muslims by a white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand, we examine how racism, xenophobia and anti-migrant hate have been normalized in Canadian political discourse and abroad.

We speak with Harjeet Singh in Delhi India [@harjeet11], Global Lead on Climate Change for Action Aid, who explains what it means to be displaced by climate and makes the case that solidarity requires we all be more human. And we consider that wisdom back in Toronto, as former care-worker and current organizer Kara Manso [@karamanso_] of the Caregivers’ Action Center explains why giving people status on arrival is the best way to stop the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers.

Why do personal emergencies feel more urgent than collective ones? How can we activate our collective emergency response systems to address the crises of climate, racism and inequality we face? For inspiration, we talk to Varshini Prakash (@VarshPrakash), co-founder and Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement about the bold idea known as the Green New Deal.  The GND is a vision for radically transforming the country’s systems–from energy to infrastructure, housing, food and transportation–in order to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, avoid catastrophic global warming, and create millions of good jobs in the process. And if insurgent Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) and the Sunrise Movement have their way, it’s going to be a major campaign issue leading up to the U.S. election in 2020. But is there anything intrinsically American about a Green New Deal? As Canada heads into a federal election year, we explore the opportunities and challenges of bringing the GND frame here.