Canadian Syrian Refugee Plan By Chantal (Atropos) Canada's Liberal Government launched a Syrian refugee plan to bring in 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) Syrian refugees in November 2015 and reached the total goal of 25,000 on February 27th 2016 in Montreal, Quebec. Canadian's welcome 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) Syrian refugees who are fleeing from a civil war, and have lost everything. It is announced that the Liberal Government will be opening its doors to 280,000...

Caitlyn Jenner's journey by Cassie (Calico.) and Dez (*~Sparkly Queer~* ) The term transgender refers to people whose gender identity is not equivalent to the biological sex they were assigned at birth. People often expect someone to conform to the societal norms of a male or female, when the person may feel differently inside. Children with gender dysphoria generally feel that they need to hide part of who they are because societal norms say that they must do male or female things, ...

Feminism Basics By Oliver ( *~Shimmery Queer~* ) Feminism has become a trending topic, but many people still do not fully understand what the movement's aims and ideals are. Feminism began in Western culture in the late 19th century. While it has gained women more rights than they initially had, feminists still believe there is more work to be done in order to achieve equal rights. What is feminism? Feminism is defined as the movement for social, political, and economic equality of...

The Scottish independence referendum By Adam (Adam the Fish) On 18th September 2014, Scotland’s citizens voted decisively to reject a split from the three-hundred-year-old union it shared with England in the United Kingdom. With a record turnout and passionate campaigns prior to the referendum on independence from both the “Yes” and “No” (“Better Together”) sides of the argument, the decision was a historic one. Circumstances leading to the referendum Whilst independence is something...

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November By Louise (LlamaLlamaDuck) In most parts of the world, November 5th is no different from any other day. In the UK, however, it is a night celebrated with parties, bonfires, and fireworks. It is much like the 4th of July in America but on a smaller scale. Known as Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, it is commemorated across the UK every year. It all began courtesy to the man known as Guy Fawkes. Originally from York in England,...

The Troubles in Northern Ireland By Gareth (Catharsis.) Northern Ireland has endured a history of political and social instability. As a disputed constituent country of the United Kingdom, ordinary residents of Ulster have long lived in everyday fear. The worst stretch of violence that ever occurred in Ulster is known as "The Troubles". Two factions decided that enough was enough, and took to violent measures to profess their loyalty to either the Crown, or the Irish freedom fight. Widely...

The Armenian Genocide By Jenna (.:BreakingBeautifully:.) In April of 1915 the Ottoman Empire launched a methodical attack on its Armenian population which resulted in the death of a million and a half Armenians. These persecutions would continue with varying levels of intensity until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire came to an end and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by Turks who practiced Islam; the Armenians were Christian which made them a minority. Due to...

Through distorted lenses By Casey (Casey.) Stereotypes. We all hold some form of them in our minds. Everyone stereotypes others, even those who claim they do not. Sometimes these stereotypes influence how we see the world and how we react to things that do not fit these stereotypes. Recently, in the news, there was a child whose parents refuse to tell anyone whether the child was a boy or a girl. They decided to let the child grow without being forced into the molds of gender roles and...

The disaster in Japan By Casey (Casey.) On March 11th 2011 a massive earthquake struck Japan. The 8.9 magnitude was the largest earthquake to hit Japan in over 140 years. It caused multiple aftershocks and tsunami waves that struck several parts of Japan and the tsunami waves hit parts of Hawaii and other pacific islands too. The earthquake caused massive damage and the tsunami destroyed hundreds of homes, taking many lives with them. The disaster in Japan was escalated by unstable...

Know Your World: Iran By Casey (Casey.) Most of us learn about our own nations in school, but usually there is little time or energy placed into knowing the world around us. The world is a magnificent place, with almost two hundred nations. We hear about some of these nations on the news every day, especially right now with the turmoil in the Middle East,but what do we actually know about these countries and the people who live there? The Islamic Republic of Iran, or simply Iran, is a...

Be the Change by Casey (Casey.) Clean water. It's not something we often think about as we brush our teeth and take showers. Often, we don't even consider our luck as we drink a glass or bottle of it. We take these luxuries for granted, and many of us do not realize how blessed we really are. After all, we have food, shelter, and clean, safe drinking water. Unfortunately, many are not so lucky. Over a billion people go without these basics everyday. Even clean drinking water is a commodity...

Copiapó Mining Accident By Casey (Casey.) You're trapped underground with little food or water. The world believes that you are dead. It sounds like a nightmare, but for thirty-three miners in Chile, it was reality when the San José copper-gold mine collapsed on August 5th 2010 near Copiapó in northern Chile. Chile worked for weeks to reach the trapped men below, not knowing for two weeks if they were dead or alive. But on August 22nd the drill, which had reached the men in their...

Terrorism by Casey (Casey.) Terrorism. It's a term we hear often, and many of us associate it with a specific event, such as the London train bombings or the collapse of the Twin Towers. Some associate terrorism with a certain group of people or religion, but terrorism isn't really a religious thing. Recently, it made the news world-wide, when a pastor in Florida declared that he was going to burn the Qur’an, because, besides the fact that he found Islam to be evil and full of lies, to him...

The argument for vaccinations By Traci (Coffee.) Vaccinations are considered one of the 20th century’s biggest medical success stories. Childhood illnesses that once were a common reason for mortality, such as polio, small pox, and mumps are seen as problems of the past in developed nations. Recently, skepticism about the effectiveness and safety of vaccinations has become a common concern. Because of this, fewer parents are having their children vaccinated, causing outbreaks of now rare...

Life on Mars By Chess (Syzygy.) When people hear the term ‘Martian,’ they likely picture the type of image put forward in science fiction films and popular culture. They are often seen as ‘little green men,’ humanoid, or something so totally bizarre that their very existence could be questionable even if they were standing right in front of you. However, the idea of life on Mars may not be as far-fetched as it sounds, and it is an area of intense study and debate at the present time. ...