Thinking Corporate on International Women’s Day
( March 8 )

Event planner Lina Badih thinks there is still much work to be done for women to achieve corporate equality. A recent Forbes report states that while women constitute 50% of the workforce in America, they represented only 3% of the chief executives of the country’s 500 largest companies in 2009.

Lina, who won Canadian fashion designer Linda Lundstrom’s Authentic Woman Model Search contest in 2003, is looking to enroll in a mentoring program for women by women, without having to pay thousands of dollars upfront!

Balancing job creation and social services in the Ontario Budget

Investment expert Jerome Kisting states that proposals in the Ontario Budget to decrease corporate tax rates will not have the same kind of impact on future GDP as investing in infrastructure. Corporate tax cuts are a politically expedient tool which have a debatable effect on provincial competitiveness and long-term employment. An alternative approach to balancing job creation and social services could be the development of a provincial social enterprise fund – for profit businesses with a social mission, lessening the strain on government services and reducing the need for short-term employment initiatives.

Colour at the Oscars

For National Film Board of Canada producer Lea Marin, much work still needs to be done when it comes to issues of race in Hollywood. Recent stats for the Directors Guild of America list approximately 613 minority members from a membership list of about 13,750. However, she is inspired by the fact that “Precious”, a “little” independent film with an African-American cast and director, has achieved six Oscar nominations! She hopes that this reality will motivate and encourage other emerging writers, directors, producers, editors, and actors of colour to tell their own stories and reflect their own truths so they too will be seen and heard.

Credibility of approaching Ethiopian Election Questionable

Aklilu Wendaferew strongly believes that Canada should devise its own action plan with regards to the upcoming election in Ethiopia. Canada should be a leader not a follower in advocating for human and political rights in any part of the world, including Ethiopia. This opinion is in response to the U.S. – based Carter Centre’s announcement that it will not send election observers and the EU’s anticipated decision shortly in this regard.

Featured Voices Blog

Community organizer and Project Coordinator of the I Vote Toronto Campaign Desmond Cole is thinking of pulling all of his money out of the bank. Find out why.