Earth Hour 2012

Support the largest environmental event in history on Saturday, March 31^st!

Tomorrow, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. millions of people worldwide will unite to switch off their lights for Earth Hour, an annual movement that provides an opportunity for communities to join forces in sending out a powerful call to action on issues related to climate change. This initiative serves as a demonstration of global solidarity in protecting this beautiful planet that we all share.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s largest independent conservation organizations, the Earth Hour movement was founded in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and grew to include a multitude of nations across the globe. In 2011, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide participated in turning their lights off.

As Josh Laughren, WWF’s Climate and Energy Director says, “Canadians need to take a stand against climate change, and joining Team Earth Hour is a great place to start. Earth Hour started five years ago as a global movement with one goal in mind – creating a greener and cleaner world. We’re striving to achieve a world where everyone has access to fresh air, clean drinking water and natural resources, no matter where they live.”

See Earth Hour’s Get Involved page for ways to spread the word about Earth Hour and climate change, from innovative social media initiatives to the creative ‘I Will If You Will’ video challenge. You can go Beyond the Hour by pledging to join Team Earth Hour in making further lasting change for a sustainable planet.

The success of Earth Hour proves that we each have the power to make a difference in the world we live in, and that force becomes even stronger when we come together for a common cause!

(Cross-posted from ENGAGE)

Dream. Balance. Love. Gratitude. Create.

On March 10th, YWiB SFU hosted the 2012 International Women's Day Conference, a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in our everyday lives as well as women around the globe. This year's theme of "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures" encourages women to start making a difference by sharing their own stories and visions for the future with other like-minded and motivated women as a stepping stone towards overcoming the adversity and achieving their dreams.

Among the roster of speakers was the ambitious Anna Rice, whose great list of accomplishments include being a two-time Olympic athlete for the Canadian National Badminton Team, an ambassador for Right to Play, and a coordinator for Choose Again. During her keynote presentation on tapping into your strengths and unleashing the true and unique essence of who you are, she shared her five steps to 'Connecting with your Inner Olympian':

• Direct your DREAM. Remember that YOU are the one with the power to design your dreams and to drive towards your ultimate destination. When you get lost in what you're doing (as if you're 'in the zone' and time doesn't exist), you have discovered your passion. Investing yourself in what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
• Find your BALANCE. Work and life should not be separate, but synergized! Maximize your happiness and potential by ensuring that you are enjoying what you are doing and are able to draw inspiration from all areas of work and life.
• LOVE yourself. Treat yourself as if you already are the person you strive to be. In tough times, recognize what others would want you to do. That is the true meaning of selflessness.
• Have GRATITUDE. Appreciate the opportunities you are presented with. Every situation is a gift. Whether good or bad, you will always take away an important lesson out of any experience. Be aware of the energy you attract by focusing on the positive.
• CREATE! Do not be intimidated to present your unique essence with others. When you share, you will grow personally and leave an imprint on those around you. Write your own HERstory!

8: The Fight for Marriage Equality

Written by screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (J. Edgar, Milk) and directed by actor and director Rob Reiner, 8 is a stage adaptation of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the landmark federal trial that overturned Proposition 8 - the constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Framed around the trial's closing arguments in June 2010, this powerful account of the case filed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) uses actual court transcripts and first-hand interviews to provide an intimate look at what unfolded in the U.S. District Court. The personal stories of the plaintiffs, witnesses, and their families' struggles of living as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender person in America add an emotional, honest quality to the play, which propels the all-important message of equality.

On Saturday, March 3, an all-star cast featuring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Kevin Bacon, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, Jessica Tyler Ferguson, John C. Reilly, and others, joined together for a one-night-only benefit reading of "8" in support of AFER at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in L.A.

You can replay the live stream of the production by screening the YouTube video above.


"We put fear and prejudice on trial, and fear and prejudice lost."

Freedom To Read Week

Can you picture a world where we didn’t know who Atticus Finch, Holden Caulfield, and Harry Potter were? These iconic characters may have never entered into our imaginations had literary censorship prevailed in all of its contested cases.

Organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council, Freedom to Read Week promotes the importance of intellectual freedom and raises awareness around issues of literary censorship. From February 26^th to March 3^rd , Canadians are encouraged to reflect upon and reaffirm their commitment to this concept, which is a right guaranteed to citizens under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that is too often taken for granted in our society.

Even in a democratic nation like Canada, schools, libraries, and bookstores are frequently asked to remove books, magazines, and other publications with controversial content from their shelves. Literary censorship infringes upon Canadians’ fundamental freedom of “thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication” as outlined in the Charter. By limiting public access to certain reading material, great consequences can occur, such as compromising the stream of information, ideas, and opinions which results from devouring thought-provoking literature. It’s time to take a stand against literary censorship by vocalizing our concerns over this smothering of creativity and free thought.

Freedom to Read Week advocates for the protection of our fundamental freedom of choice and expression. Throughout the week, several public events will take place in libraries, schools, and cultural venues across Canada. A complete calendar of events and a list of ways to support Freedom to Read-related initiatives are available on their website.

Release challenged and banned books in your communities and around the world through Book Crossing, a fun and innovative way for Canadians to help spread the word about literary censorship. For ideas on which book titles you can set free, refer to Freedom to Read’s list of challenged literature over the past decades.

For the latest updates on the week-long campaign, follow Freedom to Read Week on Twitter and Facebook.

Oscars 2012 Red Carpet Favourites

At the Academy Awards, what the attendees wear creates just as much buzz as whether or not they take home a golden trophy. Here are my picks for the Best Dressed at the 2012 Oscars.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

Penelope Cruz in Armani Privé

Oscars 2012: The Moments

The cast and crew of The Artist.

As I have expressed in my previous posts on the Golden Globes, 2011 was one of my favourite years for film. On this Oscar Sunday, the 84th Annual Academy Awards brought this incredible 2012 awards season to a close, giving Hollywood one last chance to recognize the great cinematic achievements of the past year.

These were some of my favourite moments from tonight's ceremony...

• The Artist winning the biggest award of the evening, Best Picture, along with Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), and Best Original Score (and Best Animal for Uggie... what do you mean that category doesn't exist? Give a dog a bone, won't ya?). As my friend Tania says, "to carry a story solely through expression and direction is art."
• Martin Scorsese's Hugo scoring the most trophies in five art and technical categories: Cinematography, Art Direction, Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. The magic of Hugo is in the captivating cinematic experience it offers its audience.
• Woody Allen winning Best Original Screenplay for Midnight in Paris. Tres bien!
• The Muppets winning Best Original Song for "Man or Muppet", which is one of the funniest musical numbers I have ever seen!
• Octavia Spencer winning an Oscar for her Supporting Actress role in The Help and accepting her well-deserved award with tremendous emotion.
• Meryl Streep receiving her third Oscar for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. While I was convinced that Viola Davis would win for her performance in The Help, it was a tough roll between all of the magnificent women nominated in this category. Meryl's gracious and graceful acceptance speech reminded us of why she is one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses.
• Christopher Plummer finally getting his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Beginners. He makes history as the oldest actor to receive an Academy Award at the age of 82. Yay, Captain Von Trapp!
• Always a bittersweet favourite is the In Memoriam segment of the show. Esperanza Spalding delivered a stunning rendition of What a Wonderful World as the photo montage played. It was surreal seeing Whitney Houston among the list of great talents who have left us. Has it really been a year since Elizabeth Taylor passed away? 
• Presenters like Robert Downey Jr, Gwenyth Paltrow, Emma Stone, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (can they please host next year's Oscars?), and the cast of Bridesmaids conjuring up some laughs to entertain the audience members and viewers at home.

"You're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?"
- Christopher Plummer

The Pursuit of Happiness

What do you value? What do you want to give to the world?

Those were the questions that circulated in my mind during YWiB SFU's The Pursuit of Happiness workshop. The panel consisted of three driven women from various industries - non-profit, photography, and fashion and health - who shared their invigorating and inspiring insights on finding satisfaction in one's career with an engaged audience of young professionals.

Loretta Cella from The Passion Foundation opened the session with her definition of the word 'passion', which is an inner spark that tells you that you have to do something, and that the refusal to act upon this calling would be cheating yourself. This concept of authenticity and being true to who you are as a individual was a common theme among the discussions raised by all three of the panelists, who each presented a proactive challenge to the workshop participants.


Loretta advocates acknowledging your fears by trying new things, as every new situation provides one with a valuable learning opportunity. Even if the experience does not go as well as you had hoped, consider the positive aspects and continue to create and surround yourself with optimistic energy. For me, one of my greatest fears is motor-vehicle driving (and I just conquered my other fear of embarrassment by admitting this to everyone who is reading this blog). I have been postponing getting my driver's license for far too long now because of this fear of mine. As a New Year's resolution, I have been pushing myself to take more lessons and get more practice on the road, which will get me much closer to finally booking my road test in the Spring. Pass or fail, I acknowledge that I will only become a better driver with constant practice.

Photographer Gina Chong from Butter Studios has left pieces of her heart in many cities across the globe, and she encourages the act of exploration through traveling... alone! By venturing to an unfamiliar environment on your own, you will be forced to go outside of your comfort zone, follow your instincts, and find out more about yourself in the process. With new surroundings comes new perspectives and opportunities that you never even knew exists! I am a solitary person by nature. I am comfortable with going out alone - shopping, strolling downtown, seeing concerts, etc. Just recently, I have started going to the movies by myself. So why not venture out even more by dining alone and *gasp* driving to a new city alone? I think this is certainly a challenge to consider.

Blogger Monika Hibbs from Doctor's Closet is a supporter of the philosophy that if you do what you love, the doors of opportunity will open for you. If you are not doing what you love, well then, it's time to reevaluate the path you are on. Even if you are very skilled and knowledgeable in an area that you are not able to feel passionate and driven about, you will not be able to reach happiness and fulfillment in your life. Directional changes are nerve-wracking to make, but it is worth the risk if you consider the alternative - being stuck in a career that pays, but is a pain. I am fortunate to have always known that writing is my true passion in life, but I am also open to picking up new interests along the way - be it fashion, music, non-profit, human rights, and the list goes on...

I hope to incorporate these new ideologies presented by Loretta, Gina, and Monika into my decision making processes. As Loretta said, "Happiness isn't something that is gained or lost in a few hours." The pursuit of happiness is a life-long journey, which you can make worthwhile by approaching life's opportunities with a winning combination of vulnerability, confidence, and positivity.

Listen. Ask. Explore. Repeat.


YWiB SFU is hosting an International Women's Day Conference at SFU Woodwards on March 10. To find out more about this event, see this post.