Since Hello Cool World's non-virtual office is in Vancouver we find ourselves in the midst of a pretty big street party! In the coming days, our video team will report from the streets on what is going on in our 'hood. Check out our first video blog-cast from the Opening day "alternative" - the convergence protest the afternoon of February 12, a largely celebratory gathering of thousands of people who wanted their voice heard over the corporate-speak of the official games. Earlier in the day, more peaceful protests disrupted the route of the Olympic Flame relay.
On February 14, Chinese New Year, Valentine's day, and our own company's birthday, we attended the 19th annual Women's Memorial March through the Downtown Eastside. This even is in memory of the missing and murdered women in our neighborhood. We'll be posting our videos from this soon.
This march is significant to us for several reasons, first it is our neighborhood. Second, we work with many organizations around the issue of violence against women (check out our SafeVibe campaign created with WAVAW, and third, we work on sovereignty and justice issues for Canada's First Nations people. For many reasons, including colonization too many Aboriginal women have gone missing and have been murdered. We want to speak up loud and clear that they must be remembered, and that systemic violence, against First Nations people must not be tolerated.
When it comes to the Olympics we find ourselves with friends inside the opening ceremonies, where for the first time four First Nations Chiefs, representing the Four Host Nations, were heralded as part of the 'official' ceremonies. And we find ourselves with friends in the resistance.
So from our viewpoint in the middle of it all (literally) we will be reporting! With our pals from Rabble.ca and thetyee.ca we'll be hanging out at W2 Culture+Media House making the most of media.
But for now I'm getting ready to head off to see Pivot Legal Society's Red Tent Campaign unfurl a massive banner off the Cambie street bridge. Watch for that footage too. It starts at 8 am PST.
On February 23, 2010 at 06:09 AM Marian wrote:
Excellent video. Great to get an alternate perspective on the goings on in Vancouver as I watch from the Caribbean online. Marian
Katherine Dodds AKA "Kat" is the founder of Good Company Communications and HelloCoolWorld.com. Trained in renegade advertising & branding through her work with Adbusters in the '90s, Kat's early induction into the possibilities of the web-world was inspired by the term hypertext, which she immediately found comforting. She is dedicated to cause-related communication and to the development and use of tools that promote democratic processes.
Katherine Dodds AKA "Kat" is the founder of Good Company Communications and HelloCoolWorld.com. Trained in renegade advertising & branding through her work with Adbusters in the '90s, Kat's early induction into the possibilities of the web-world was inspired by the term hypertext, which she immediately found comforting. She is dedicated to cause-related communication and to the development and use of tools that promote democratic processes.
