4 - OASIS OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOM

1) Rights and freedom.

This may be hard to explain or write about but what I want to bring out in this article is that all persons no matter how able they are need to feel and be able to be free to do what they wish like be able to go out when they wish without having to depend on Para Transit that they need to reserve at least 24 hours ahead. Also, any person whatever the so-called social status he or she has needs to have freedom. As of this time, many groups of persons seek to be able to live a decent life without the fear of big governments and big corporations hindering that freedom. It happens that this day, December 10 marks the international day of human rights and will be celebrated by actions everywhere. One thing important to know is that we need to take actions every day to ensure that our freedom and rights are guaranteed and protected by not just by government agencies but also by ourselves as well. As the text in Occupy Ottawa says “The global revolutionary movements of today are the masses returning to culture of direct experience. We’re taking our lives back from the institutions and individuals who’ve been making decisions on our behalf, without our consent.” Obviously to me this means something. All my life I have struggled to safeguard my rights and freedom. Using a wheelchair since birth it’s not so easy but not impossible. Social structures need to be created to safeguard our rights and freedom. Being surrounded by right persons helps a lot, believe me. And this is the case for me. All my life right persons have surrounded me… Right now emotions are coming out. Good emotions…

“We’re taking our lives back from the institutions and individuals who’ve been making decisions on our behalf, without our consent.” That we must take back: our lives. Institutions including governments and individuals don’t owe us nor do they decide on our behalf what’s right or wrong for us. Most of us know what’s right and wrong for ourselves. We are masters of ourselves not others. We are community, civilisation for ourselves. We think for ourselves yes, but we also live in community with individual rights and freedom. Defending our rights and freedom is way up on my list.

Our purpose is to live in harmony with ourselves but also with nature. It is our duty not to take away what has already been given at our birth. We should not take are away nor give back rights and freedom as if we never had them but to let others keep them since their birth. From Occupy Ottawa website: “The day of human rights is to appreciate the fundamental rights meant to be enjoyed by all people. We call on all (who attend Full Moon Masquerade) to embody the spirit of the great centaur, to move out of old comfort zones and into a new sense of strength, purpose and adventure.” As I’m reminded by Sweetheart not to be afraid to express what I’m feeling or need help for some things. I have the right to express my feelings and ask for help. For me my strength, purpose and adventure is keeping and safeguarding my rights and freedom. Also, my strength, purpose and adventure is knowing she and others are there for me but that I’m there for them as well to defend them in safeguarding their rights and freedom.

2) Recognised as persons and not as numbers.

As we were talking about my texts, Sweetheart mentioned numbers referring to numbers of the texts I posted in my blog. I thought she meant persons considered as numbers. She gave me the idea to include something on this issue that is important to talk about in this chapter because we are not numbers but persons. I didn’t even memorise my SIN (as if it was a sin). I told her I didn’t memorise it because I’m not a number nor is she. She isn’t 123 456 789 but Sweetheart, a human person. I memorise persons’ names and phone numbers but not my SIN. The right to be a person and not a number or even several numbers is also fundamental. It is impersonal and to be frank inhuman to be a number. Imagine saying “Hey, 123 456 789 come here.” It doesn’t quite sound right to me. It’s dehumanising a person. I would understand if it were a date of birth with a person’s name but only a number? No. We don’t go around calling people by numbers and I don’t want to write long on the subject. I just want to say that persons should be called by their names in a dignified manner giving them dignity.

3 - OASIS OF UNCONSUMERISM

I was suggested that I write about Christmas for my next article. I have to be honest with you that at this very moment I don’t have the “Christmas” spirit but that can change. However, what I have in mind to write about is what I call OASIS OF UNCONSUMERISM. I may not have the “Christmas Spirit” but I do have a sense of social spirit where I think more about being with my friends without being religious. Besides, being with friends, good friends, is far more significant than to consume materialistically. I often see people running around in shopping malls as if it’s the end of the world. Not talking about 2012 either. I’m talking about the thought that material presents and partying are more important than being with someone to share something special like friendship.

For me, I long for being with friends and sharing ones heart in the sense of being there not just physically but with heart. It’s unfortunate that most of us spend money on things that don’t even last rather than putting money where it would be more useful like building homes, schools, giving real health services not just medication that masks illnesses that were created by the side effects of those so called medications; building greener cities and helping the Earth, Gaia to replenish herself for our future. Yes, replenish our future as a healthy civilisation. That is the spirit I have right now.

2 - OASIS OF GOVERNANCE

Again, governments, or anyone for that matter, who enslave or humiliate their fellow citizens have no right to govern. The real governors or governments are the people, by the people, for the people. That is the fundamentals of true government. Government is not about who one votes for or once in Parliament who votes for this agenda or that. It is about representing your fellow citizens, giving them a voice. That is government. It is certainly not about dictatorship whatever the form or manner, subtle or outright in you face. Let us outline the different levels of “governance or government” with three types of governments or parliamentary systems: consensus, vote and dictatorship starting with the family.

When you have a family let’s say of 5 members, parents and children. On that level it’s fairly easy to have consensus. The problem arises when you have other members joining. Consensus is possible but voting may be more easily achieved. The worst scenario is dictatorship. The same could happen on a local, provincial, national and international levels. Again, the problem is what to do when there are no agreements on the simplest objective: healthcare for all. This should be simple. We humans tend to complicate things when we shouldn’t.

On the international level, government or parliament would function in the voting mode as we can say. Consensus mode would be more difficult if not impossible. Dictatorship would be possible but we firmly believe that is not the mode we would want to have. “Occupy International” is fighting against dictatorship on all levels and domains: political, social, financial, etc. We are also “fighting” against exclusion. We are fighting for a more just world where our government hears and listens to us who voted them into power and if they don’t hear and listen to us we can and should surely vote them out. OASIS of governance must be just that: an OASIS where elected officials and electors come together to discuss their mutual present and future needs in order to live in harmony not just with themselves and each other but with Earth.
Younes told me this: When he was younger in his late twenties he worked with a Japanese engineer who asked him: “why you’re fighting with Israel? If you had a company and needed a Jew would you hire him?” Younes replied: “yes I would. It’s not my problem if he’s a Jew. It’s his. I’m a Muslim, it’s my problem not his. Ordinary people don’t want war, only leaders. If I need a worker I would hire him.”
Then, Younes told me: when a whale is frustrated with small creatures cleaning and at one point hurting him he shakes to get rid of the scavengers. We are like a huge whale with scavengers (our supposed leaders) on our backs who we follow in many cases blindly telling us war is good to claim more resources from others be it petrol, water, etc. Now, if we are this huge whale shouldn’t we give our leaders a good shake and shake them off our backs? (Come to think of it: being a whale ourselves, leaders who are scavengers follow us where we swim in which case we are the leaders not them.) This is the problem we have: we follow not good leaders but I dare to say fake or false leaders. A good leader would never lead his or her people to war just because. He or she would defend his or her people only if attacked but not provoke war. What a wonderful example. I mean, our world would be better off if ordinary people took charge, no, responsibility of their own lives and look after each other no matter what origin they be or social status. Besides, we shouldn’t have categories. We should exercise our leadership and responsibility. We do need good leaders; it’s not a perfect society. But those leaders give and share responsibility not take away. This is the second OASIS, an OASIS of good governance. If we are going to have a global government, it better be that we are the whale and they follow our lead.

1 - Oasis of Social Justice

There is a buzzword that has many if not most on our toes. Globalisation. Let me say that at first I wasn’t that concerned because I believed and still do that a united world under one flag would be good. Now, few things come to mind. We wouldn’t be better off if we had a world dictatorship as noted by people who watch world developments such as the centralisation of power be it political or monetary. I’m also concerned about social issues. What will happen to people who, according to some, are not in the norm? People such as persons with ‘disabilities’, young persons or adults who don’t follow society, but are not revolutionists or anarchists, the poor, etc? Personally, as I told a close friend of mine and one of my daughters in heart, I don’t want to follow the norm or be standardised into one category. I’m already categorised using a wheelchair and don’t ‘fit the norm’ anyway. Just being different society already categorises. What about our basic human rights? Will they be protected by all this transformation? If we have a global government will we be protected from abuses? How will we be represented in a global parliament? Will we have democratic elections? How will local decisions be made? These questions and others must be answered and resolved. In essence all this comes down to social justice. Here's an excerpt from my close friend Taylor from Occupy Ottawa.

"So, Occupy Ottawa has been here for eleven days and it has grown and expanded with the passing of each. There is now a tent city in Confederation Park, a central location in Ottawa that is within walking distance of the Department of National Defence, City Hall, University of Ottawa, the Rideau Centre and the Byward Market. I have been passing many a day and late night at my new digs in the company of fellow occupiers of all ages and all walks of life, those looking for some refuge from the cold streets, and thèse just wandering through the park itself. I have been engaging in discussion with those that are directly involved with Occupy as to why they are here, and those passerbys who know not who and what we are. Of course, I have my own personal take. Here is what I tell them:

“This is not a protest. The protests are the direct actions on the streets like demonstrations, meditation sit ins and solidarity marches with various unions in the city.”

This is a social experiment. To me, this movement is about reconnecting humans to their environment through the development of a more human-friendly social structure. I have identified my own role within this movement to be a mix of social work, outreach and simply being a patient, compassionate individual by having open eyes and ears to witness the various and coloured accounts of the human experience. I am attempting to create a space that will allow for the reconnecting of individuals by building trust on a fundamental human level. It is a simple yet affective strategy to awakening that inner humanitarian in all of us: by ensuring anyone and everyone coming to our little Tent City is comfortable by offering something hot to eat or drink, asking them where they are coming from and if they have a place to stay, or if they have come to check what we were all about, asking them what was it that piqued their curiosity. I am directly confronting the serious and ignored issues of society (poverty, mental health, homelessness, substance abuse) and learning so much from these amazing people who have come across my path.

This is just the beginning. The media has ridiculed this movement because it does not have a cohesive and easily understandable message. To that, I say we are in our first spring. We are witnessing the very first buds appear upon a young tree. We are growing and changing, expanding and learning, this is still very early days. We are also tackling a very big monster. The intricacies of this complex economic, financial, environment and social structure are not easy to understand and it will take time to figure out the best means of addressing specific concerns.

I hope this has been helpful and there will be more to come. I have lots and lots of amazing little stories to share.

Well, I have been at Occupy Ottawa and at first I have to admit I was looking for THE MESSAGE. I knew why they, we, are there in Confederation Park: The Occupy Ottawa came out of Occupy New York City and later became international in various cities around the world ‘protesting’, if I can use that term, against big banks and corporations not to forget governments. However, at first there I was on a fairly cool day with a friend of mine seeing why no action taken. What am I doing there? What am I doing there is simple to answer: I am there to give my support not just moral but physical support to a cause that is obvious to me: Social justice. I strongly believe in that. Me using a wheelchair, why would I not believe in social justice? As Sweetheart told me “you are more than your ‘disability’ Steve”. Other persons are more than just their limitations whether physical, mental, social, etc. I need to say this: Sweetheart is far more than what I see! I see a young person who has so much to give and share! Social justice. Those two words will come up often in this commentary; if not written, they will come up in your minds and hearts. Taylor keeps telling me I teach her to be patient among other things. Well, me too I’m learning. It’s not one way. Speaking of one way. It seems that governments, big corporations and banks have a one-way agenda: give me; give me without giving themselves to the people who elect them and do business with. Politicians promise this and that only to be elected and further their agenda and not what we really need. Again, those two wonderful words: social justice. We need an OASIS of social justice! We need an OASIS that will protect us from tyranny and false promises from politicians, governments, corporations and banks and also society!

Hi

Hello.

Just to introduce my blog: Oasis Nova Gaia. I named it after two documents. One is a book a series of stories and books and the second is a document entitled Nova Gaia: Foundation and OASIS. The book Nova Gaia: Foundation is the second book after Nova Gaia: Mysteries, about a detective who uses a wheelchair and his team, his five children and one close friend who  solve mysteries of all kinds. The second book is about the creation of a super Eco-village situated  in Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada and the characters' social lives. The document OASIS is a collaboration  between a friend and myself. She and I are creating a social commentary regarding big banks, corporations and governments who don't respect human rights and take advantage of their position and power and Occupy Ottawa (and International). It's not only about negative things but what we can do. Oasis Nova Gaia is about society.

I hope you like it.

Je vous présente mon blog Oasis Nova Gaia. Il est une combinaison de deux documents: Nova Gaia: Foundation et OASIS un commentaire sur le social et ce qui ce passe dans le monde avec Occupy Ottawa (et international). Nova Gaia: Foundation est le deuxième livre dans la série Nova Gaia.

Je vais essayer de publier mes textes dans les deux langues éventuellement.

Merci.

Steve Dolesch