[View my other page of R4R photos]

Here are a few more photos from our amazing day out at Gull Lake for the first ever Alberta Ride for Refuge.

Aren’t we a handsome team?  Look at those thighs of thunder (cousin Luke).  The Koomen team pictured, in part, below are Marg K, Luke S, Cait S, Andrew K, Travis Y, Todd N, and Nick K.

The open road.  Alberta is beautiful in all seasons.

Luke and Nick on the long road.

Post-Ride chats.

[View my other page of R4R photos]

Have you ever felt so deeply about something you don’t know what to say?  You know something in your guts, and yet you can’t shape the knowing into a word. It’s often how I feel about the big questions – about life and what it means, the things of faith, and big words so easily thrown around like “justice.”

In 2008 I helped to start a society called Raise Their Voice.  It’s a launch pad, really, for myself and some like minded-others to grapple with some of the most important issues of our times and to help others in small ways and big, find ways to say those things we have to say.

That might sound abstract.  In a way I can’t fully say what it means – perhaps I’m grappling even now with the essence of my opening question.   The reason, however,  for this post, was to encourage you to raise your voice by raising theirs.  Who are they?  Anyone.  Everyone whose voice needs to be heard.  Your voice.  The voice of the marginalized.  The voice that goes unheard.

I’m part of helping to plan an event in April, and its purpose is to help people whose hearts are stirred up by the human story of trafficking.  I was hesitant to write that sentence, only because I am mindful of the meaning I want to convey.  “Human trafficking” is being thrown around a lot these days, as a slogan, as a cause, as an issue that, like a bandwagon, many seem to be jumping on to without knowing who is on the wagon, or where it’s going.  People are even writing plays about it (bless their hearts).   I’m not saying that we shouldn’t jump, but I am aware that those two words are loaded with meaning and I want us to know what we mean and to mean what we say.

Those two words  could tell a hundred thousand stories.

I know what the words mean and I don’t know what the words mean.  I want to know what the words mean and I don’t want to know what the words mean.  I want others to want the same and to consider meanings.

Yes.  I’m getting away from myself.  But I’m getting closer to meaning this: Sometimes we have things that we need to say and the more we learn, the more questions we ask, the more we engage the better prepared we are to raise our voices.  And when we raise our voices we can actually raise their voices, and create new stories that change things for real.

And that’s what this event is about.

If you’ve followed this rabbit trail this far, then we’re onto something here.  And I hope you’ll consider learning from, listening to, questioning, engaging with, and conversing with others like you who recognize they have a voice and  use it too.  People who will say those two words all the while finding ways to make a world where those words need not be said.

We’ve been getting great coverage in the press in Alberta and across Canada!  Here’s some write ups and reviews:

Reviews

Louis B. Hobson, “Calgary’s She Has A Name a heart-wrenching hit” Calgary Sun, February 24 2011

Bob Clark, “Play explores the horror of human trafficking” Calgary Herald, February 24 2011

Articles + Interviews

Jim Brown, Interview with playwright Andrew Kooman Calgary EyeOpener, CBC February 24 2011

Lana Michelin, “Play personalizes an industry that strips away identity” Red Deer Advocate, February 25 2011

Bob Clark, “She Has A Name puts face on human tragedy” Calgary Herald, February 23 2011

(Also printed in the Ottawa Citizen, Regina Leader Post , Windsor Star)

Kathleen Renne, Arts Alive Radio Interview with playwright Andrew Kooman, CKUA February 22 2011

Sara Wilson, “Local church hosts world-class rehearsals” Strathmore Standard February 22 2o11

Louis B. Hobson, “Darker Side of Society” Calgary Sun, February 20 2011

Krista Sylvester, “They all have a name” FFWD Weekly |Theater, February 17 2011

Jamie Ross, “Making a name for themselves” Calgary Herald February, 17 2011

James Wilt, “Human trafficking portrayed through local theatre project” Calgary Journal, February 4, 2011

Darcie Nolan, “5 minutes with a playwright” EyeSee Media, January 18, 2011

Lani Ledingham, “Captivated chats with Andrew Kooman” (VIDEO) January 8, 2011

Sarah Wilson, “Local director shines light on global crisis” The Strathmore Standard, January 12, 2011

Aaron Krogman as JASON with Denise Wong as NUMBER 18 in She Has A Name, a play by Andrew Kooman; photograph by Kelsey Krogman

At the beginning of December 2010 I spent an evening out on the streets of Red Deer  shadowing workers with the NightReach program. This part 2 one of a two-part series. You can read Part 1 here.

TEAMWORK- Jessica Kvisle, right and Ashley Fleming check off supplies during their shift with NightReach, a program that provides supplies and helps keep people on the streets safe. PHOTO: Tiffany Sigurdson/Red Deer Express

After making their stop at the People’s Place and handing out harm reduction supplies, Jessica Kvisle and Ashley Fleming, staff with the NightReach program that is run by the Central Alberta Aids Network (CAANS), stomp through the snow and walk over the old train bridge that spans the Red Deer River. Kvisle pulls out the flashlight and steps under the bridge.

When she finds no one, they keep walking along the paths just south of the ice-covered river up to 55 St.

Kvisle has a practical nursing exam the following day and laughs that she’ll get ready for it in the morning. She sends text messages on her flashy new smart phone as the two walk in the cold and wait for a light to turn green.

What started as the pursuit of a medical degree has shifted into an aspiration to be a street nurse, a medical professional who has direct contact with the marginalized and vulnerable. Encountering people who battle addiction is “real life,” not clinical, and especially meaningful work to her.

“What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhino?” the next man the women meet asks when he stops them; his two friends recognized the red backpacks. The group laughs at the punch line.

After some small talk, the jokester’s friend timidly asks for an inhalation stem. With some market value, NightReach has a policy of handing one stem per person per night. The stems can be used perpetually, but disappear, are sold, or broken by users emphatic that they’ll never smoke crack again.

Fleming knew virtually nothing about drugs until her work with NightReach.

The mouthpiece they hand out with the inhalation stems, she explains, keep drug users from burning their lips when they smoke crack. Exposed skin from a burn means the possibility of blood residue left on the stem. If shared, the residue could transmit Hepatitis C.

Both women have wondered at different times if they merely enable addicts by handing out drug paraphernalia, but always circle back to the program’s mandate of harm reduction.

They start to walk to Rotary Park and talk at length about the public perceptions of addicts and sex workers who are especially at risk to HIV and other diseases.

“I can see myself making the same decisions these people have made if I was in their position,” Fleming says without a second thought. She explains that her job isn’t to judge or even ask what at-risk individuals are doing but to better protect them from further harm.

“Everyone has a story.” The words hang in the air like the white clouds of breath the women exhale in the cold Alberta night.

“I think there’s someone there,” Kvisle says, under the shelter at Rotary Park.

The women confidently walk up to a man sitting at a picnic table in the cold and dark. They introduce themselves and explain who they are and what they do.

The man, Fred, has come from out of town to be with his mother, in a coma at the nearby hospital. Her life, they learn, hangs in the balance.

“I came here to get away and think,” Fred confesses. “Do you mind if we talk?” He asks if he can walk with them to the downtown. As cars rush by, Kvisle and Fleming banter with him.

The happenstance of their encounter with Fred informs their gait which seems lighter in their heavy boots.

They part ways at the Buffalo, the former hotel converted into a housing solution to get people off the streets. It’s is a place where, no matter their background, people can get housing first, even if they have no credit or struggle with addictions or mental health issues.

A woman in a winter coat and toque snores peacefully with her head on a table. Kvisle and a man covered with tattoos start to talk.

Fleming hands out some items and when Kvisle’s conversation winds down, they decide to make their way back to CAANS. It’s been a slower night than usual.

Gord, a staff member at the Buffalo, pronounces a blessing over the women as they walk back out into the cold.

When they return to the office, young men in wide brimmed ball caps, hoodies, and over-sized skate shoes step out of a large truck and walk into the exotic dance club next door. A young woman in impossibly high stiletto heels hunches in a long overcoat. She laughs loudly with a man outside the club.

It’s only 10:30 p.m., but the nightlife downtown is just starting to awaken. There are hundreds of other stories to play out tonight, some of which will determine whether or not CAANS and its staff will be busy in the morning.

Here’s the new trailer we filmed for the play, featuring Denise Wong as NUMBER 18 and Aaron Krogman as JASON.

We got the footage during the promotion shoot in Rosebud on the studio stage of Rosebud School of the Arts.

Published in the Red Deer Express

The word freedom has been on my mind lately. Perhaps it has to do with regular visits to McDonald’s over the last few weeks to take the franchise up on their no-strings-attached offer of free caffeine.

I wasn’t the only one. Many Central Albertans, unable to pass on a deal, flocked to the food chain. Line-ups for free coffee suddenly rivalled the health care system’s wait times, though no one seemed to complain.

There’s been intense media coverage lately on the public comments and subsequent sacking of former Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett. Putting a modern-day Albertan spin on Marie Antoinette’s historic statement, Duckett infamously talked about dessert when the public was starving to discuss something entirely different.

Health care professionals, politicians, and concerned citizens will continue to talk about the wrongs and rights of the health care system and should.

What strikes me about the incident is I look at it as the freedom we have as Albertans to engage in the discussion.

It is this individual’s right to speak, to raise our concerns and have our voice heard, that has especially stood out to me over the last few days. Look how quickly, for instance, the voices of people can influence government.

Duckett’s personal choice to answer reporters as he did illustrates that with the freedom to speak comes responsibility. Two impromptu minutes of free speech rightly or wrongly changed the former CEO’s career.

As the dust settles or continues to be raised over health care issues in Alberta, we might all do well to look to another place in the world where free speech is in rare supply.

The recent release of long-time political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma last month illustrates not only the power of freedom, but also the power of a voice used with sober measure.

Within hours of her release Ms. Suu Kyi vocally challenged the ruling military government responsible for her house arrest over the last seven years. Knowing full well her words might compromise her personal freedom again, Ms. Suu Kyi spoke with no hatred or flippancy.

Instead she called for national reconciliation and for all sides in Burma to talk reasonably with each other to create acceptable solutions for everyone. Reports indicated hundreds of Burmese flocked to get a glimpse of the woman and to hear her words as they resonated across that country and the world.

As I followed the story, I thought in particular of the Burmese refugees I met with last year in Malaysia. There to work on a publication about their plight, I heard refugees recount stories of punishment much worse than Aung San Suu Kyi’s.

At the hand of the same government, they spoke of their torture, imprisonment, and forced portering for the military. To experience freedom they had to flee their country and even now only experience freedom in a limited sense.

Knowing full well the brutality of the authorities to her people, Aung San Suu Kyi called for a non-violent revolution, saying, “If you want democracy you have got to be prepared to accept the responsibilities of democracy.” For her this includes reasonable and respectful words, no matter who the opponent may be.

Truly we should be sobered by what she said, and imagine ways to similarly engage in the public discourse, whatever the issue.

Let Duckett eat his cookie and let him swallow it whole. And let us all learn the lesson he learned the hard way: we can say what we want, but there are consequences for the words we use and how we use them.

Though she faces more than a health care crisis, it’s a lesson Aung San Suu Kyi knows full well. She uses her words wisely and we should too, not taking for granted our freedom.

For, when free speech is wielded so, it is a powerful thing that can thunder across the world.

Hockey Dad: A Play in 3 Periods is coming to Red Deer OCTOBER 27 – 30, 2010. It plays at the Scott Block in Red Deer.  Curtain is @ 7:30 PM

You can win 2 free tickets to the show by leaving a comment below.

All you have to do is tell me why you love HOCKEY or why you love one of the FATHER FIGURES in your life.

The top 3 answers will be given free tickets to the show of their choice.

** TWEET to win: mention @akooman and @burntthicket along with one reason you love hockey or a father figure and you’ll be entered to win.

Here’s a great article about the show in the Red Deer Express.

Synopsis:
“Born the moment of Paul Henderson’s goal—I was doomed…”

Daily drills on the backyard rink, bobskates before he could walk—Todd Williams has hockey in his blood. But he craves a transfusion. The painfully funny story of one man’s turbulent return to the game his father loved.

Reviews:
“A touching, poignant script, filled with a great knowledge of the sport, humour and pathos. Popoff delivers an all-star performance. 4 and a half stars!” —Saskatoon Star Phoenix

“If you’re called up to stage, go. Popoff’s interaction with audience members is so natural it makes guest stars shine as well.” —CBC Winnipeg

Performed by James Popoff. Directed by Stephen Waldschmidt. A truly Canadian comedy for all ages (7+).

Tickets: $12 advance / $15 at door

Time: Saturday, October 16 · 8:30pm – 10:00pm
Location: CrossRoads Church (in the CHAPEL)
38105 Range Road 275
Red Deer, AB

ADMISSION IS FREE!
(we will be pre-selling tickets to the World Premiere; we’ll also have our Corporate Sponsor info + other ways to support the production – but there’s NO STRINGS attached!)

burnt thicket theatre and Raise Their Voice are hosting a partial reading of the play featuring some of the actors who will perform in the World Premiere (Feb/March 2011).

We’ll be previewing a new scene that I wrote for the play to test it with an audience.  We also want to introduce you to the story.  Come celebrate the arts and enter the conversation about social justice!

Learn more about the play at www.shehasaname.net

Audience Advisory: Not Suitable for Children

Campaign Website | Facebook

Andrew Kooman: If leadership is service, how do you intend to serve Red Deer if elected to council?

Gail Parks: As always, my style of service is to put our residents’ concerns and issues forward with a view to cutting that proverbial red tape on their behalf. Looking at local and regional partnerships is a great beginning. As part of this knowledge-based service, I offer a commitment to continue asking for a complete review of the total budget, not just the add-ons.

AK: If leadership is vision, what’s yours for the city of Red Deer?

GP: Some of the dreams and aspirations I have include clean water and a healthy river that provides free and fun recreation, transportation options, including bicycle lanes and high occupancy vehicle lanes, streets with no pot holes and completely barrier-free sidewalks, ramps and roadways. I know these are important to Red Deerians because I have already discovered that we share these feelings. As I talked and listened throughout the last term, the people have told me they would like to see continuous trails that connect the whole city. Right now, I am putting forward the concept of a new building code for flexible housing that will provide zero grade entrances, wider corridors and doorways that meets the need of young families, seniors and those who are physically challenged and who are socially isolated. Again, the consensus already is building and the collective vision is taking shape.

AK: If leadership is listening, what are Red Deerians saying?

GP: I hear the voices talking about lower taxes, lower water & waste water rates. Bike lanes, potholes and snow ploughing with actual snow removal are also on the public’s mind. I also hear how much our residents love this green city and about the many who came for a visit and have stayed for a lifetime. Now, it is time to covert listening into action. My challenge will be to take what I have heard and become the voice of the residents at city hall.

AK: Why are you perfectly suited, at this time, to represent Red Deer?

GP: I’m not sure that I qualify for “perfectly suited”, but I love my city and my greatest desire is to serve our residents in ways that make life better for them, to be their voice, to challenge the system to be better. I have experience, I have talents, but most of all I have the determination to serve.

AK: What do you think are the greatest challenges for the city of Red Deer at this point in the city’s history?

GP: Red Deer absolutely requires a sustainable and dependable source of funding that is not based simply on increasing property taxes. Finding new industry and businesses to locate here would be one obvious source of new revenues. The city needs a policy that spells out how we will replace our tangible assets and what money we need to have put aside – in advance – to re-build or restore what we own when it wears out or needs refurbishing. Borrowing to replace assets simply keeps the city and its taxpayers in perpetual debt while someone else collects interest on what we owe. Yes, tangible asset replacement would put an initial burden on taxpayers, but ultimately it is the real answer to fiscal sustainability.

I consider it a personal mission to work at keeping housing, taxes and all fees affordable, so that we do not lose our citizens and young future generations.

AK: What is your connection to the city? How did you end up here?

GP: Our connection is family. We moved here with great joy for a little brown-eyed, beautiful bundle, named Victoria, a replica of her mother, Susan. Since then we have welcomed our little giggle girl, Rachel, with her big blue eyes and sunny smile; she is the picture of her dad, Phil.

AK: What do you do for fun?

GP: We like to play cards, spend time with friends and family. We like to travel in our province, enjoying the beauty that is always present, wherever we go. We love to play bocce in our back yard — always fun and boisterous. We also enjoy movies with popcorn and the odd game of golf.

AK: What clubs, groups, or organizations are you a member of (or connected to) and why are you engaged with them?

GP: Both my husband and I are Branch members of the Royal Canadian Legion and I am a long-standing member of the Ladies Auxiliary, I am a member of Crime Stoppers. I canvass for Heart & Stroke and the Alberta Diabetes Association. I was raised to believe in community service as a way of life and I value the work done by all of the service organizations that make Red Deer a caring community.

AK: Who inspires you and who would you like to emulate?

GP: My mother has always been my inspiration. She was funny in the face of hardship and a tireless volunteer, who believed in sharing whatever she had with those less fortunate. She gave us music that was always sweet. She taught us to be caring and gave us values that will stand the test of time. Her laughter was legendary and a legacy for her children and grandchildren.

AK: If you could accomplish 1 thing as a City Councilor, what would it be?

GP: As a minimum, I would like to open the budget process for a complete review once every three years. If I use the example of the 2010 budget, council would look at and debate the entire $233 million dollar city budget, not just the $11.2 million dollars in add-ons, which took 15 days this year. If I could accomplish that for our taxpayers, I would be satisfied that I had done my duty to the public as an elected official.

##

For the How and Why of Andrew’s interview + links to interviews with Mayoral and other Red Deer City Council Candidates go here.

Campaign Website | email: jeffrey@electdawson.com

Andrew Kooman: If leadership is service, how do you intend to serve Red Deer if
elected to council?

Jeffrey Dawson: Listen to the public, investigate issues, and decisions with your
concerns in mind.

AK: If leadership is vision, what’s yours for the city of Red Deer?

JD:I see Red Deer as the best community in Alberta, I see Red Deer as
having quality of life, excellence in services and value.

AK: If leadership is listening, what are Red Deerians saying?

JD: Red Deerians want quality of life, great recreation and cultural
facilities and opportunities and they want an afford place to live.

AK: Why are you perfectly suited, at this time, to represent Red Deer?

JD: I am fiscally responsible and conservative. I am a quick study –
industrious and capable. My goal is to make our great city a better
place to live, work, and enjoy.

AK: What do you think are the greatest challenges for the city of Red Deer at this point in the city’s history?

JD:As we enter our hundred years as a city, Red Deer faces a debt level
without precedent at over $300 million. How we navigate through the
next 3 to 9 years will be of utmost importance to make sure this
community remains affordable.

AK: What is your connection to the city? How did you end up here?

JD: A resident of Red Deer since 1985, I came here for a visit and never
left! I was actually visiting a family member for two weeks and I
decided to stay … a decision I have never regretted.

AK: What do you do for fun?

JD: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing cribbage,
two-step and jive dancing, going for walks, traveling and amateur
photography.

AK: What clubs, groups, or organizations are you a member of (or connected to) and why are you engaged with them?

JD: I have been actively involved in dozens of organizations throughout
the community for years as well; currently involved in:
– Red Deer Downtown Rotary Club
– Red Deer City Citizens on Patrol Association
– Red Deer Public Library’s Adult Literacy
– Central Alberta Regional Assessment Review Board
– Calgary Folk Music Festival

I attend Crossroads Church for worship and fellowship.

AK: Who inspires you and who would you like to emulate?

JD: My father inspired me … he lived with integrity, worked hard and
rarely complained.

AK: If you could accomplish 1 thing as a City Councilor, what would it be?

JD: Find a solution to our budgetary system which is flawed in that
Council has no insight into the actual budgets of departments and
spend their entire time debating maybe 3 to 5% of the budget.

##

For the How and Why of Andrew’s interview + links to interviews with Mayoral and other Red Deer City Council Candidates go here.