Community Questions (Sorry it took so long to get these up, I lost the file)

What is community? : A community is a group of people that have certain things in common, inclusively as well as inclusively. People can be part of the same community if they live in the same town, share the same hobbies, speak the same language, etc…These communities often depend on one another to strive, and often share certain interests. People are usually a part of multiple communities at once. Also, though one can choose to leave a community but cutting all ties with those of the group, some communities cannot be chosen, nor relinquished. (Example: Racial communities, Birthplace communities…) Putting all that aside however, I suppose the primary purpose of a community is for people who share something can help each other for the greater good.

                          

-What does it mean to be part of a community? : To be a part of a community is to cooperate with those that are also a part of the community to achieve a goal, to help one another mutually, or to simply support each other mutually. Although, I’d have to say it would be necessary for people to feel truly accepted by the community to be able to do all this of their own free will.

-What is citizenship? : Citizenship means being a part of a town, a province, a country, or even a continent. In a way, it is comparable to being a part of a community, but when a citizen, one is bound by laws and rights rather than by the morals and virtues of a community. And while citizenship tends to objectify men and women alike (at least, in my opinion), a community views all those who are linked together as legitimate human beings.

-What are the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of citizenship? : Citizenship allows (or rather should allow) all men and women to be treated equally, regardless of race or status, under the banner of law, human rights and – more importantly – that of human decency. However, a citizen is obliged to respect these same rules, or be punished by them. Not only that, but a citizen is responsible for supporting himself and, if possible, his or her country as well. In other words, someone who possesses citizenship must work for the stability of one’s patria and for oneself.

Mini Essay Trial (Career choice info)

According to a research conducted by Wikipedia, an internationally acclaimed online encyclopaedia, there are over a million published writers across the globe, only 15% of them can earn a decent living, and, amazingly, less than a thousand of them – dead or alive – are bestselling authors which means, total book sales exceed one hundred million copies (for example: William Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Leo Tolstoy...). Regardless, I’m going to try my luck at the writing game, attempt to become a published author, and – hey, might as well aim as high as possible while I’m at it, right? – become the planet’s most read writer of all time. However, until that day comes, I’d believe it would be interesting to share with you some obscure, yet enthralling facts from the world of words...(Please pardon me if that came off as pompous or cheesy)

            First and foremost, an unusual piece of information that some people tend to completely ignore, is that there are no educational prerequisites to become a published author. In fact, the world’s youngest author published is Jason Gaes, an eight year-old boy who wrote a 200-page novel called My Book For Kids With Cansur [sic]. This said, in addition to the lack of age prerequisites, there are no education level restrictions either. For example, J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, was a high school dropout living a bit of a difficult life, surviving on low-income welfare checks…However, this is before she began writing and publishing her impressively popular novels, aimed at a rather youthful teenage audience. Although, even after shedding light on such rare situations, education and experience within the domain of literature and writing in general can do nothing but good when it comes to creating a book.

Not only that, but, although there are countless published authors across the globe today (be it from free press publishing or paid editing and publishing done by a specialized company), about 65% of these writers have not published more than one book: be it a play, a novel, a short story collection or a play; most of them abandon after their shot at success has been flung off the intended mark. This can also mean that one can publish over three-hundred novels in a single lifespan, yet still earn little to virtually no readers, even after death. On the other hand, an author with less than a dozen books published can still earn international recognition in a very little time span, from sheer sales, as well as critical praise. A good example would be Tolkien, creator of the Lord of the Rings trilogy: many only know him for his grand fantasy epic of The Fellowship of the Ring, The two Towers and The Return of the King, as well as the prelude to these adventures, The Hobbit.  However, he has actually published over twenty volumes of fiction based in middle-earth (the world in which Lord of the Rings takes place), prior and future to the trilogy’s publishing, including the Silmarillion, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and The Children of Hùrin. All things considered, success in the literary field can be attributed to luck, as well as skill and effort.

In addition, there exist authors who are considered downright revolutionary when it comes to their creative genius and enthralling imagination, yet only possess local acclaim for their work. For example, Gaston Miron is perhaps one of the most important poets in the province of Quebec’s history, earning the title of one of Quebec’s most important and crucial political supporters through his poetry alone, earning such a glorious title thanks to a single publication, a collection of poetry entitled L’homme Rapaillé (roughly translates to The reassembled man). However, his publications have only been partly translated into other languages, and sales or recognition from other countries has been minimal, even absent, with the sole possible exception of France. Another example, and possibly the best one to illustrate my point, is that of Mao Zhedong’s (The dictator of China) Little Red Book. It’s the number one best-seller in China…But it is solely sold in china, written in an older style of Mandarin. This of course can be seen as a sign that, no matter how good you are, sometimes, your name won’t fly as graciously when far from home.

In conclusion, though the world of writing and publishing is much less glamorous (and sometimes even a bit fickle) compared to one’s common expectations, and clearly indicate that, while important, sometimes talent just won’t cut it…Pft. Like I’m going to let that stop me. Keep an eye out for my name on a shelf if any of you ever go to a bookstore, you got that? I need a lot of fans!

Questions about immigrant communities

Are there lessons we can learn from Sophia (the speaker’s) experience?: Absolutely: although her arrival and “integration” into the country of Canada has been easier than that of some, her efforts still prove that immigrants from faraway countries, whom share various cultural and ethnical beliefs, can still live in a different country, and furthermore, be accepted and respected, without going through intolerable hardships. Of course, it isn’t all simple, and there will be difficulties, regardless of one’s first language or experience (these people are entering a brand new CONTINENT sometimes, of course it will hard to get used to at first) but there are undeniable facts that even though people will be restricted by knowledge, language or other “barriers” in some way, they can still manage to survive the passage to another land without having to completely relinquish the memories of their country or family that has been left behind. Also, it proves that, though the government will not always accept diplomas or masteries hailing from other countries, it is still possible for people to obtain scholarships to facilitate their “re-education” process, and that, even though obtaining work can be somewhat of a trial for immigrants, they can still manage to overcome that tiresome hurdle. And while things aren’t perfect in Quebec or Canada when it comes to accommodating immigrant communities, it is still possible for people to cherish a new cultural identity, while maintaining a certain loyalty to their past roots and their homeland’s beliefs.

How can we participate in our community to help immigrants and refugees integrate and help them avoid poverty: Sometimes, there is nothing we can do: people, regardless of what action we take, will remain in denial, or even fixated on preserving their own culture, even if it means living in poverty, or in solitude. However, there are ways everyday people can help: make donations, volunteer, even help people move in or find a home if possible. We can always petition or manifest so that the government takes further action in assisting immigrant communities in their arrival and integration, but knowing our old, portly buddy Harper, that won’t be happening anytime soon. (Yeah, I hate my prime minister. So do you! Don’t deny it. He’s by far not the brightest fellow to sit in the political leader’s chair, nor the kindest. Then again, I’m “a rebellious, greedy, separatist – oh heavens – French Canadian from Quebec…what do I know, right? *wink-wink* I digress…I’m straying off topic here.) Of course, if this were the case, the government would be able to instil specialized language classes for immigrants with no experience in French or English, as well as superior financial support programs for the less fortunate of immigrants. Also, and perhaps the notion of most crucial importance, is that we should be willing to accept diplomas or masteries from abroad: not only would that help with job shortages, but it would encourage people to move to our fair country as well. However, we would need to be assured that, say a doctorate in medicine from Kazakhstan is equivalent to one hailing from Quebec, which would take time to research…but it would still be possible.

Should we participate in helping immigrant communities move in, or leave it up to professionals: Of course, there are some things only professionals will be able to fully take care of, but there are some important things only WE can do (aside volunteering, providing personal assistance when possible, or lending a helping hand to the professionals themselves that is), and it is possibly the most important part to play of all. We need to properly welcome these people, so that they can instantly feel like they belong. Being greeted and welcomed by the government is one thing, but being greeted and welcomed by the nation truly feels like one is at home. Honestly, if we constantly shun people that have different beliefs or cultures than our own, how the hell are we supposed to share the same roof, let alone the same province? No, what we must do is accept the differences in culture that immigrating communities possess, while teaching them to adhere to our own, without being too strict or forceful, while remaining exigent. That is where Quebec will find its greatest strength in accepting newcomers to the land, both economically and culturally. Of course, this can be hard, and people will maybe even protest, but it is necessary for both parties to discard something for this (perhaps naïve and half-baked) ideal can be realized. Canada must discard lingering racism and contempt towards immigrating communities, while striving to protect their own identity. Immigrating communities must discard their beliefs that they will be able to live exactly the same way they did in their home country, while cherishing their newfound culture…this doesn’t mean they have to forget their old religion, lifestyle, etc. altogether! Oh no! They simply need to accept the fact that they are in a new country, and must learn to live with this new country’s culture. Rejecting it is the same as shunning themselves: they need to come to an understanding that some sacrifice will be necessary if they truly want to LIVE here and not just BE here.

BLOG QUESTIONS - Poverty

What is poverty?: Poverty is a state in which one can no longer afford, or is stripped of basic human needs, such as water, food, shelter, clothing, safety, education, or healthcare. A person can also be considered poor if they are not in possession of a certain quantity of currency, and/or of material needs. Poverty also depends on one’s entourage or the lifestyle of the surrounding communities in general. For example, a woman whose monthly income is inferior to that of the “poverty line” (the limit which determines at what point a citizen should be classed as impoverished) in Canada vastly differs from that of a man living in Kenya. This also means that certain needs are not considered “basic” in some countries, or that the comfort and security of certain lifestyles can be quite skewered when compared to those of countries with greater economic stability. There also exist certain kinds of “metaphorical” poverties if you will…For example, someone who is denied honour, respect, love, etc…However, these do not apply to the standard definition, so just ignore them for now.

What creates poverty?: Poverty is, from a basic point of view, caused by a lack of money, be it at a personal or national (governmental) level. Although, from a more concise point of view, poverty is also caused by a lack of education, which leads to fewer men and women able to take up the demanding mantle of crucial tasks, such as providing healthcare, shelter, or even, in a vicious circle, education. Thus, due to a lack of education, people are forced to find a job (if they can, that is) which has very little prerequisites, and thus, most likely, sub-par working conditions which produce questionable revenue. This furthers the theory of a vicious circle, since those with little income can not afford to properly educate their children. And even though I don’t want to sound like a bit of an extremist, the rich or powerful whom extort or abuse of the poor, instead of helping them, continue this vicious cycle.

How to help people escape poverty: There exists no predefined route to escape poverty. However, by providing free, widespread, quality education for all citizens, more and more equitable jobs will be created, and, thus, basic needs like nutrition, health care and shelter will be easier to come by, thus counteracting the vicious circle theory I mentioned earlier. This may seem all well and good, but the government must be willing and capable to pay for nation-wide education, taxpayers must be in measure to continue to fund such a project, and students must be willing to study. Next, while government aid programs (such as when people are offered politically funded financial support) do not solve poverty by any means, they do allow people to live a somewhat more respectable lifestyle.

The effects of poverty: I’ve basically already answered this, but I’ll recap anyways. Once poverty is instilled, less and less people can take up important jobs, such as those related to the field of medicine or nutrition. This causes people to have a very strenuous – if any – access to basic human needs. Not only that, but since less and less people have an acceptable revenue, less and less people can afford to educate their children, thus resulting in a continuation of aforementioned events. This vicious circle then slowly cripples the country, assuring a steady decline, until the nation eventually collapses, unable to support itself…unless, of course, if something is done to remedy to the situation as soon and efficiently as possible.