otters_raft

Author

• Richard Sandbrook | Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Toronto

The invader cannot consolidate control if citizens and their institutions refuse to comply with its rule. The tactics involve a complete refusal to co-operate with the occupying force along with open defiance.

That means that governments at all levels in the invaded nation continue to supply only basic services: clean water, electricity and policing, for example. Governments resign and civil servants find ways to subvert every order issued by the invader.

Crowds fill urban squares in silent or derisory defiance of orders, making it apparent to all — the occupiers, the dictator’s audience back home, less committed citizens and global observers — who are the true purveyors of violence against non-violent people

Throughout the occupation, citizens and non-governmental organizations focus on subverting the loyalty and morale of the occupying troops and functionaries and rallying international support.

In Canada’s case, the long history of friendship with Americans would likely mean that the morale of the occupiers would be low. The aim is to encourage defections by soldiers and functionaries, and erode the support base of the dictator. This erosion of support could lead to the overthrow of the leader, or at least to his concoction of a compromise to cover a retreat.

Attracting international support to Canada’s cause would not be a challenge. Trump has already alienated most of humankind and foreign governments during his first weeks in office.

Obstacles

Non-violent resistance is most effective with nation-wide training, organization and leadership. The national government is best equipped to provide the facilities. Training of volunteers could include responding to natural disasters and emergencies, as well as implementing a civil defence strategy.

Yet partisan divides and apathy make such nationwide training difficult. It would likely be viewed with suspicion by right-wing populist forces in this era of conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Apathy might also be a problem.

These considerations suggest that top-down, apolitical training in civilian defence may not work. If so, training and organization should be the goal of as many existing civil society associations as possible: churches, synagogues, temples, civil rights groups, unions, Indigenous rights organizations, peace advocates and climate groups, for example.

The manual authored by Michael Beer, the longtime director of the Nonviolence International non-governmental organization, includes more than 300 tactics. Widespread training and organization can not only deter aggression but ensure countries remain free of tyrants.

Author:

• Brenda Vrkljan | Professor of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University

details from article:

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Kim’s son Zack was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme. It is a brain tumour that is very rare in children and is usually seen in adults over 45.

Zack had chemotherapy treatments but doctors said there was no hope of him ever recovering. He died at just six years old.

Years later, social media and community chatter made Kim start to think that her son was not an isolated case. Perhaps he was part of a bigger picture growing in their community surrounding Coldwater Creek.

In this part of the US, cancer fears have prompted locals to accuse officials of not doing enough to support those who may have been exposed to radiation due to the development of the atomic bomb in the 1940s.

A compensation programme that was designed to pay out to some Americans who contracted diseases after exposure to radiation expired last year - before it could be extended to the St Louis area.

Here is a small summary, there is additional context in the article

Jerusalem Shawarma is a top shawarma destination in Calgary. It currently operates 12 locations, and this new spot is its first in B.C.

“Our roots started in Palestine when our grandfather started this restaurant business in the middle of last century in a village in Palestine. With the great passion he had for food and its varieties, he developed unique recipes to ensure customer satisfaction,” said the restaurant on its website.

“By using the grandfather’s recipes, we are able to offer the exceptional taste to all our customers. Our generous members are ready to welcome you in and offer great food and warm hospitality for dine-in or serve you for either take-out or catering.”

About page: https://www.rawgraphs.io/about

Tutorials: https://www.rawgraphs.io/learning

Many visual models have been conceived and identified in the past several years, but their production is difficult for non-technical users and coding knowledge and a significant amount of time is still required to master the libraries and the tools that allow to create them.

What makes RAWGraphs different from other data visualization tools?

1. No fee and no registration required. RAWGraphs is open and free for everybody

[...]

2. RAWGraphs doesn’t store data.

Even though RAWGraphs is a web app, the data you insert will be processed only by the web browser. No server-side operations or storages are performed, no one will see, touch or copy your data.

3. Open outputs optimized for your design process.

RAWGraphs allows you to export your visualizations in .svg. [...]

I learned about it from this article: https://gijn.org/stories/four-free-cutting-edge-investigative-data-tools/

In particular, it was described as follows:

While excellent visualization tools such as DataWrapper and Flourish are frequently used in published investigations, reporters often need simple, fast graphical depictions of their data during the reporting process. In addition to guiding your understanding of complex data as you gather it, it’s often helpful to have a simple bar chart, matrix plot, or bubble chart to show your editor or a potential source.

Pooja Dantewadia, data journalist at Realtor.com and a former graphics reporter at The Los Angeles Times, said the open source RAWGraphs web app is not only ideal for briefings and brainstorms, but is also useful for rapid chart choices and published graphics on deadline.

RAWGraphs “is amazing in terms of quickly turning data into visuals,” Dantewadia noted. “It’s great if you want quick analysis of data, and to quickly see what kind of chart would be most appropriate, so your editor can quickly see what the data is showing. It’s great for brainstorming. And you don’t even have to sign up — that’s how quick it is.”

The app includes 30 chart models, from Sankey diagrams to heatmaps, and its Youtube channel offers helpful tutorials on how to build and export each one. According to the website, data you upload to the tool should be secure because “the data you insert will be processed only by your web browser.”

About page: https://www.rawgraphs.io/about

Tutorials: https://www.rawgraphs.io/learning

Many visual models have been conceived and identified in the past several years, but their production is difficult for non-technical users and coding knowledge and a significant amount of time is still required to master the libraries and the tools that allow to create them.

What makes RAWGraphs different from other data visualization tools?

1. No fee and no registration required. RAWGraphs is open and free for everybody

[...]

2. RAWGraphs doesn’t store data.

Even though RAWGraphs is a web app, the data you insert will be processed only by the web browser. No server-side operations or storages are performed, no one will see, touch or copy your data.

3. Open outputs optimized for your design process.

RAWGraphs allows you to export your visualizations in .svg. [...]

I learned about it from this article: https://gijn.org/stories/four-free-cutting-edge-investigative-data-tools/

In particular, it was described as follows:

While excellent visualization tools such as DataWrapper and Flourish are frequently used in published investigations, reporters often need simple, fast graphical depictions of their data during the reporting process. In addition to guiding your understanding of complex data as you gather it, it’s often helpful to have a simple bar chart, matrix plot, or bubble chart to show your editor or a potential source.

Pooja Dantewadia, data journalist at Realtor.com and a former graphics reporter at The Los Angeles Times, said the open source RAWGraphs web app is not only ideal for briefings and brainstorms, but is also useful for rapid chart choices and published graphics on deadline.

RAWGraphs “is amazing in terms of quickly turning data into visuals,” Dantewadia noted. “It’s great if you want quick analysis of data, and to quickly see what kind of chart would be most appropriate, so your editor can quickly see what the data is showing. It’s great for brainstorming. And you don’t even have to sign up — that’s how quick it is.”

The app includes 30 chart models, from Sankey diagrams to heatmaps, and its Youtube channel offers helpful tutorials on how to build and export each one. According to the website, data you upload to the tool should be secure because “the data you insert will be processed only by your web browser.”

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