In-Sight Publishing

2022-03-12

An Interview with Dr. Danielle Martin, MD CCFP FCFP MPP of Medical Affairs & Health System Solutions

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/20

You are a family doctor, with unique insights into the Canadian health care system. Your new book, Better Now: Six Big Ideas to Improve Health Care for All Canadians, poses, as per the title, six big ideas to improve the Canadian health care system. What inspired you to write this book?

Each chapter in the book was named after a patient in my practice who I was inspired by and this is a book about their stories. I think that when people pick up a copy of Better Now, they will see themselves in the stories, or a friend or a family member. Many of us have had similar experiences in the doctor’s office, or we know of someone who has. As a family doctor, I see the challenges my patients face because of problems in the system. These problems often feel outside the control of both individual patients and providers. But as someone who studies health system issues, I know that a lot of those problems can be fixed, and importantly we can fix them in ways that build on the value of fairness that is so important to Canadians. I felt a book was a good way to give voice to these issues and to try to get people like my patients and your readers more engaged in pushing for improvements.

Big idea 1 is the return to relationships. What does this mean for Canadian health care?

We know that around 85% of Canadians have a family doctor, so that’s a great place to start. But having a good relationship with your doctor comes next. This relationship should be one where there is open communication, so that we as doctors have the chance to really understand what patients need when they come in to see us. In my book, I say that the notion of being seen by “someone who knows you” is central to primary care. The best place to integrate all your health needs is a place where, like the bar in Cheers, everybody knows your name. So, for example, if you come in to see me for a cold, I would help you with that, but while you were there, we might also sit and talk about other concerns you may be having, discuss your family history with a disease, talk about screening and what we need to better manage your health. This relationship can also help to guard against overtreatment or over-doctoring. For example, in my book, I talk about my patient Abida and how we’ve worked to reduce the number of medications she takes and the specialists she meets with over the years, to her benefit. We’ve also tried to limit the number of times she goes in to the emergency room by making sure that she sees me more often, vs. other healthcare providers who many not know about as much about her health history.

Big idea 2 is a nation with a drug problem. What is our drug problem in Canada? What is the remedy or the solution for it?

We know that one in five Canadian households report that someone in that household is not taking their medicine out of concerns about costs. We need a public drug plan that covers all Canadians and does not have high co-payments so that patients can afford to take their life saving medications. A strong national pharmacare program would solve our access problems and save Canadians billions of dollars. If done right, a pharmacare program could also help to reduce overmedication and inappropriate prescribing – problems that affect too many Canadians, especially seniors. Canadians believe in the principle that access to health care should be based on need, not ability to pay. That principle needs to be extended beyond doctors and hospitals to include universal access to a publicly-funded formulary of essential medicines.

Big idea 5 is a basic income for basic health. That is important to BIEN. It is, specifically, a basic income guarantee. What is the specific definition of a basic income guarantee in big idea 5? How would this impact the Canadian health care system?

A basic income guarantee means that if your income falls below a certain level, you would be topped up to a level sufficient to meet your basic needs. It’s a departure from our current social assistance program in two ways:

A basic income would ensure that everyone in Canada has income above the “poverty line.”

It would work through the tax system and be easier to administer with the only eligibility requirement being a person’s income. Who you live with or whether you were searching for work or attending a training program wouldn’t be factored into whether you are eligible to receive support.

Medicine isn’t the only thing that makes us healthy. If you can’t afford good food, your rent or safe housing, it’s harder to be healthy, so we need a basic income for basic health. By ensuring that everyone has access to a basic income, we can improve health and decrease costs in the health care system by reducing or eliminating poverty. For example, in Manitoba in the 1970s, a small income top-up for people in poverty reduced hospitalizations by 8.5%. If we could find a drug as effective as that, we would put it in the water supply!

About the Author Danielle Martin is a family physician in Toronto and Vice President, Medical Affairs and Health System Solutions at Women’s College Hospital. Her book, Better Now: Six Big Ideas to Improve Health Care for All Canadians, was released by Penguin Random House in January 2017. For more information on her current book tour watch here and follow @docdanielle on Twitter.

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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.in-sightjournal.com.

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© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and may disseminate for their independent purposes.

2022-03-12

Robin Clunie: “How to use Scotland’s land to create a brand new people’s welfare”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/14

Robin Clunie, an architect, outlined in a recent article the way Scotland can take control of its land to provide for all of its citizens. With an amendment to land ownership laws, this could be done, according to Clunie.

Clunie said, “All land except that immediately attached to a residence is taken into the people’s ownership in perpetuity.” It would be a “community buy out.” Everyone in the community would have a ‘vote’ in the ways that the land is used.

Rents would be at a basic social wage for those age 16 and up, along with allowances for children up to the age of 15. Clunie argues for it as non-nationalisation and “democratisation of the ownership” of the non-domestic land.

More information at:

Robin Clunie, “Robin Clunie: How to use Scotland’s land to create a brand new people’s welfare“. CommonSpace, December 2nd, 2016

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2022-03-12

Anthony Painter, “A universal basic income: the answer to poverty, insecurity, and health inequality?”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/12

Anthony Painter, Director of the Action and Research Center at the RSA, in an editorial article described an experiment in the middle of the 1970s in the small town of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. As Painter describes, there were “statistically significant benefits” to the physical and mental health of the participants in the experiment, which was in the British Medical Journal.

The experiment involved the provision of “a basic income—a regular, unconditional payment made to each and every citizen” of Dauphin. A complete statistical analysis was not provided for several decades because of a loss of political interest.

Painter claims inequality and poor health outcomes is a well-established finding with the mechanism is less known.

Read the full article here: Anthony Painter, “A universal basic income: the answer to poverty, insecurity, and health inequality?“, The British Medical Journal, December 12th, 2016

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2022-03-12

“A Brief History of the Idea That Everyone Should Get Free Cash for Life” (Mother Jones)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/05

Delphine d’Amora from Mother Jones has offered a brief history of the idea of basic income, tracking its development from the 18th century to its current resurgence with prominent modern advocates, such as Belgian philosophy professor Philippe van Parijs, and various basic income experiments ongoing in a number of countries.

“After decades of obscurity, the idea is suddenly in fashion,” d’Amora notes, “Politicians around the world are interested and a handful of governments, such as Finland and the Canadian province of Ontario, are planning or considering basic-income pilot projects.”

The article is an in-depth, chronological history of basic income, starting with the 18th century, and including various manifestations of the idea, including negative income tax as described by American economist Milton Friedman in an embedded video.

Read the full article here: Delphine d’Amora, “A Brief History of the Idea That Everyone Should Get Free Cash for Life“, Mother Jones, December 26th 2016

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2022-03-12

December 2016 Sam Altman interview in Business Insider

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/31

According to Chris Weller from Business Insider, Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator (the largest startup accelerator in Silicon Valley), recently voiced some of his doubts regarding people replacing their current work with other meaningful work or activities if given a basic income.

Weller reports Altman puts faith in the provision of free money to make people both healthier and happier, but isn’t betting everything on it.

According to Weller, Altman, and other Y Combinator researchers, will implement an experiment in 2017, located in Oakland, California. It will give 100 families $2,000 per month. It is to test whether free, regular money helps “people escape poverty and live healthier lives,” Weller explains.

According to Weller, experiments, in Kenya and Honduras, show this; both are underdeveloped countries. Some see work for work’s sake as an intrinsic value. Well suggests separation of work from income might not sit well with those people, but might if presented as freedom from hated work.

“Citizens could finally do the work that matters most to them rather than the work that pays the best.” Weller argued.

Read the full article here: Chris Weller, “One of the biggest VCs in Silicon Valley explains how basic income could fail in America“, Business Insider, December 18th, 2016.

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2022-03-12

FRANCE: Thomas Piketty, “Basic income or fair wage?”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/04

Thomas Piketty, Professor in the Paris School of Economics and author of Capital in the 21st Century, in his blog (in Le Monde) reports “there is a degree of consensus in France” on the provision of a minimum income. French citizens are for it.

For the minimum income, Piketty says disagreements exist around the amount. The consensus for the provision of a basic income is seen in “numerous other European countries,” Picketty claims. Piketty notes the problem with discussions about basic income is the “real issues” are not explored and can represent “social justice on the cheap.”

“The question of justice is not simply a matter of 530 Euros or 800 Euros a month,” Picketty said, “If we wish to live in a fair and just society we have to formulate more ambitious objectives.”

Piketty said, “The debate on basic income has at least one virtue, namely that of reminding us that there is a degree of consensus in France on the fact that everyone should have a minimum income.”

In a previous interview, Piketty supported some arguments for a basic income (financing access to basic goods) and remained skeptical about other arguments (substitute for basic goods) for a basic income.

Read the full article here: Thomas Piketty, “Basic income or fair wage?“, Le Monde, December 13th, 2016

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2022-03-12

INDIA: Ajit Ranade,“From NREGA to universal basic income”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/30

Anjit Ranade, senior economist based in Mumbai, writes in The Free Press Journal that a direct universal cash benefit “can replace ill-targeted subsidies on cooking gas, fertiliser and food grain,” under India’s current welfare system.

4.2% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is spent on subsidies: electricity, fertilizer, food, oil, rail, and water. Many of the subsidies do not make their way to the purported beneficiaries because they are untargeted. Ranade reports, targeted subsidies can use the subsidies better.

Vijay Roshi, Reader in Economics at Oxford University, is an early supporter of UBI for India. With all considered, Roshi sees UBI as a possibility with 3.5% of India’s GDP. Ranada said, “UBI is based on a Gandhian principle: societal welfare is determined by how we treat our worst off.”

Read the full article here:

Ajit Ranade, “From NREGA to universal basic income“, The Free Press Journal, December 12th, 2016

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2022-03-12

Gigi Foster, “Universal basic income: the dangerous idea of 2016”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/22

Universal basic income (UBI) has gain traction in the developed world. Some citizens in Australia support it. Gigi Foster, Associate Professor in the School of Economics at University of New South Wales, said, “…while good in theory, it’s no panacea for the challenges of our modern economy.”

That is, UBI is gaining traction in the developed world, but, according to Foster, is not a cure-all for the Australian economy. Foster notes this would replace some social security and welfare programs. “In the developed world, Canada is trialling a UBI scheme,” she said, “Finland also just rolled out a UBI trial, involving about 10,000 recipients for two years.” In short, there are UBI experiments.

“The present Australian welfare system (excluding the Medicare bill of A$25 billion) costs around A$170 billion per annum,” Foster said, “Our GDP is around A$1.7 trillion per year, so this welfare bill is about 10% of annual GDP.”

Read the full article here:

Gigi Foster, “Universal basic income: the dangerous idea of 2016“, The Conversation (Australia), December 26th, 2016

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2022-03-12

Seoul National University Economy professor Lee Keun says South Korea needs BI

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/21

According to business writer Kwack Jung-soo, South Korea will need to make fundamental changes to its operations due to the nation’s prolonged low growth and lack of new growth engines.

In a new book entitled 2017 Grand Forecast for the South Korean Economy, 43 economics experts provide analyses and possible solutions to the economic crisis in South Korea.

One contributor, Professor Lee Keun of Seoul National University, believes that the present situation is a “crisis of South Korean capitalism” rooted in income inequality. He maintains that part of the solution is a “basic income system” in which “sufficient livelihood benefits would be paid to all citizens to keep them out of poverty, regardless of assets, income, or working status” (in the words of reporter Jung-soo).

Read the full article here:

Kwack Jung-soo, “Economists saynin 2017 will enter “long-term low growth conditions“, The Hankyoreh, November 23, 2016.

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2022-03-12

Øyvind Steensen, “Den norske modellen versjon 2.0” (BI as continuation of Norwegian Model)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/17

Øyvind Steensen describes the Norwegian model, which involves two citizen salary schemes – family allowances and minimum pension, and possible improvements to it. The change to the current welfare system would be the provision of a basic income.

Steensen describes basic income as “a basic citizen wages granted without means testing for all adults residing in the country.”

According to Steensen, however, it should not be too high. If too high, it might disincentivize work.

Read the original article here (in Norwegian):

Øyvind Steensen, “Den norske modellen versjon 2.0“. Gjesteblogg, November 15th, 2016

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2022-03-12

“Changing employment trends and universal basic income” (The Saturday Paper)”

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/17

Mike Seccombe, National Correspondent for The Saturday Paper, reported on the recent championing of a universal basic income (UBI) by those interested in the cause and concerned about “wage inequality at record highs and technology plundering jobs.” In particular, the article focuses on the support for UBI shown by Elon Musk.

Musk is heavily invested and involved in the technology world: he founded Tesla, an electric car company, and SpaceX, a private rocket engine and spacecraft builder. He has a net worth reported at $11.5 billion.

There is “a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation,” Musk said.

The article goes on to talk about interest in UBI in general in Silicon Valley, the impact of automation on the labor market, and recent changes in education and job creation.

Read the full article here:

Mike Seccombe, “Changing employment trends and universal basic income”, The Saturday Paper, Dec 17, 2016. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy/2016/12/17/changing-employment-trends and-universal-basic-income/14818932004100.

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2022-03-12

Jorge Valero (Bruselas), “Gana fuerza el debate sobre la renta básica universal en Bruselas” (Winning debate on universal basic income in Brussels)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/14

Jorge Valero (Bruselas) reports that digitization is a “recurring theme in Brussels.” He points to the need to adapt the welfare states.

Bruselas says this is part of a public debate around “collaborative economics, advanced robotization, artificial intelligence or the so-called internet of things,” which was previously avoided as a topic in the public. He notes the new public debate is part of a “rethinking of social protection systems” with universal basic income as part of the “most ambitious proposals.”

As the article reports, Marianne Thyssen, employment commissioner of the EU, said, “It is crucial to pay close attention to these changes [in the world of work] and ask ourselves how we can strengthen labor laws, social protection and labor market institutions to withstand the test of the digital economy and support people to seize the best opportunities.”

If you want to read (Spanish) more, here:

Jorge Valero Bruselas. Gana fuerza el debate sobre la renta básica universal en Bruselas. El Economista. November 13, 2016.

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2022-03-12

An Interview with Tim Dunlop (Part Two)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/12

*Conducted via email with minor edits.*

The economy has shifted into high gear for knowledge and ability, the currently labeled Knowledge Economy concomitant with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How has this affected inequality based on standard metrics of knowledge and ability, such as credentials from post-secondary institutions in relevant disciplines?

It has pretty much always been the case that an education will help you get a better job, with better pay and conditions. This is still basically true, though we are seeing even amongst the highly educated longer periods of unemployment, a failure to get “good” jobs, and increasing insecurity in the work that they do get. Why? Because we just don’t need the same number of people employed in order to make the economy work. By all means, get a great education, but look at it as much as an investment in developing yourself so that you will have a meaningful life as in getting a good job. Because maybe there is no job to be got.

You have argued for some form of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as fundamental to the “progressive civic” and “economic reinvention.” What are other terms or phrases for ideas associated with, but not the same as, UBI? What characterizes them?

There are a number forms of basic income, not all of them universal. A common one is the idea of a negative income tax. So instead of paying tax, you are paid an allowance, but as you move back into work, get a job, the amount you are paid tapers, until finally you are back to paying tax. The real difference between this and a UBI is that it tries to integrate the allowance with the labor market whereas UBI tries to establish an income independent of it.

What makes the UBI plan of action unique?

I guess at heart it is the way it has the potential to break the nexus between remuneration and a job. It recognizes that many of the things we do as citizens and individuals fall outside the normal parameters of paid work but that nonetheless those things we do — from caring for children to volunteering with community organizations or political parties or sports groups — are valuable to society and so it makes sense to recognize that contribution. It also empowers workers to be able to say no to crap jobs offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.

What are the most common success stories of UBI or similar programs? Any failures?

Every trial of UBI I know of has been successful in that it has dispelled one of the biggest myths about giving people a no-strings-attached income, namely, that people become lazy and do nothing. Every trial shows almost the exact opposite. One of the most comprehensive trials is the one I talk about in my book, run by UNICEF in India. But similar positive results have been shown in other trials, including the one in New Jersey run by the Nixon Administration.

What city seems the most progressive and forward-thinking in its implementation of UBI?

Hard to say. A number of cities, including Utrecht in the Netherlands, are running trials, as are a couple of cities in Canada and Finland. I think this is great. It builds momentum and adds to the data supporting implementation on a larger scale.

What country seems the most progressive and forward-thinking in its implementation of UBI?

I guess Finland, but I think there are some issues with the route they have decided to take. They have chosen to test a partial rather than a full version. Still, it is good to see a national government move in this direction, however tentatively.

Any advice for would-be policymakers or activists about strategies for the implementation of UBI?

Gather data through trials. With trials, implement them with populations that will receive conservative support. In Australia, that might include rural communities, including farmers. Don’t pitch it as “free money” because it isn’t. Don’t let that description stand. Educate people about the notion of universality and why, in a democracy, it is important that everyone is entitled to certain benefits. Reach out across ideological divides, right and left. Involve business in discussions. Lobby for corporations to set aside a percentage of stock to be held by the government as part of the common wealth. It’s going to be a hard sell, so the sooner you start, the better!

And this raises the major piece of advice I would give: don’t oversell the idea of Universal Basic Income. As important a tool as it is likely to be for dealing with technological unemployment, it will not by itself solve the various social and economic problems that beset us and we should be careful not to suggest that it will.

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2022-03-12

An Interview with Tim Dunlop (Part One)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/01/10

*Conducted via email with minor edits.*

You write on the future of work. What is the future of work? Where will humans find meaningful and fulfilling lives with or without work?

The future of work will see continued technological pressure on the paying jobs that humans do. This will change the nature of work, it will eliminate many jobs, and create some new ones. Humans will continue to do the things that only humans can do well — being creative, imaginative, empathetic, playful and social — and do less of the things that machines can do better than us. That will include everything from building things, digging things, and driving things, to researching and data crunching.

People are already involved in much meaningful work, and that meaningful work is not always their job. Sometimes it is, however, and the loss of such jobs — and therefore meaning — from people’s lives will be difficult to deal with. What we have to ensure is that people are financially supported even if they don’t have a job so that they can continue not just to exist but to engage in work that is meaningful to them. We have to destroy this notion that you are only a good citizen if you have a job: before it destroys us. I have enormous faith in our ability to find meaning even in a world where technology does a lot of the jobs we do now.

Your new book, Why the Future is Workless, describes a workless future. One powerful collective force (aside from potential nuclear catastrophe and climate change) looms into the immediate future: the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Your book is about technology, and the social and political effects of such technology in a world after work. What probable outcomes will emerge from the Fourth Industrial Revolution by 2025 and 2045?

We’ll see not just a change in the nature of work but in social relations. Services will replace products, something that has already happened with movies and music. This will likely happen with cars too, amongst other things. People will look to have experiences rather than to own things. Many everyday things will become cheaper, almost to the point of being free: zero marginal cost, as the economists say. Technology will get smarter and we will move from dealing with the web via direct questions typed into a search engine to talking with the tech on an ongoing basis, as we are seeing with services like Amazon Echo and Google Home. Whether this will all be a boon or a burden for people will depend on how we deal with these changes politically. We have to make choices to create a fair world: it won’t just happen.

What is happening now, especially with things like Amazon Go?

We are seeing the start of a lot of this stuff already, as with Amazon Go. So we are right at the bottom of the change curve, entering a change of era, not merely an era of change. The real change will happen when powerful, cheap processors are embedded in things — fridges, sidewalks — and they are all networked. It will be a different world. Again, though, it’s important to stress: this might be heaven or hell, depending on how we handle the politics.

How can automation and machines release human beings from the drudgery of hard labour, whether physical (open to the elements) or mental (repetitive, simple tasks)?

They will make things cheaper and more ubiquitous. We will move from scarcity to plenty. Technology will turn products into services. It will create enormous wealth. The question becomes: how do we distribute that wealth, especially if a lot of paying jobs disappear.

How do you propose to deal with growing inequality in the world?

Via a reinvention of distribution. We will need taxes on global financial flows and the implementation of systems that require corporations to stop freeloading off the social wealth created by governments and citizens (this is an idea put forward by Yanis Varoufakis). Corporations will be required to provide a percentage of their capital value as a kind of common stock, revenue from which is then distributed to all of us, probably in the form of some sort of basic income. We will also need shorter working hours, without loss of pay or conditions.

Neoliberal economists assume the creation of new jobs as a given, but you disagree. That is, some neoliberal economists assert ‘if jobs go, they will come back’ – while you think this is not necessarily so. Why?

The nature of the economy is changing. We are shifting from scarcity to plenty, from industrial to knowledge, and from long working hours to short. In such an economy, we simply don’t need as many people doing things — jobs — as we did in the past in order to create the stuff we need. Sure, there will be new jobs, they just won’t need many people to do them. We already have huge populations surplus to the requirements of the economy (as the economists say) and they are refugees, prisoners, the unemployed, the under-employed, and the 800 million people subsisting in the slums on the edges of some of our great cities. Paid employment is already becoming a really bad way of distributing wealth and we should stop pretending that the jobs will “come back” and make everything all right again. We have to come up with a better idea than “jobs”.

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2022-03-12

UBI – real solution in perfect storm of debt

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/25

A new report from the investment service Wealthify reveals that many Scottish people are unable to save for the future because of “zero hour contracts, insecure work and low pay.” Moreover, according to the report, Scottish women save less than half of the money of men, and 10 times less than some areas of England.

Campaigners have proposed a universal basic income (UBI) in response to this–such as Kirstein Rummery, Professor of Social Policy at the University of Stirling, whom Nathanael Williams interviewed in a Commonspace article about the Wealthify report.

Rummery said, “The only real policy solution would be Universal Basic Income – which would not only mitigate against income insecurity but tackle poverty effectively and lead to a huge economic stimulus.”

She continued, “It is clear that several factors are coming together to make the financial situation particularly precarious for groups of Scots.”

Rummery believes that a UBI might also serve to offset the gender imbalance. Zero hour contracts and pay freezes affect low-paid workers the most, who are mostly women in the public sector. The same for the withdrawal of benefits for the disabled and social care services because of funding constraints. The rise in housing costs exacerbates the situation.

If you want to read more, please see here:

Nathanael Williams. Universal Basic Income can be “real solution” as women and low paid face “perfect storm” of debt. (CommonSpace).

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2022-03-12

Jeff Opdyke – Basic Income Will Kill the Economy

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/21

While sitting in his favorite hotel lobby in Bucharest, Romania, Opdyke was looking at his phone for the news for the day, while waiting around for none other than his girlfriend. He found a (supposedly) “non-partisan” article, written by an economist funded by the Economic Policy Institute. In the article, the economist claimed “higher wages are the solutions to America’s expanding reliance on payday lending.” Later, he found another article entitled “This robot powered restaurant could put fast-food workers out of a job.”

By Opdyke’s estimation, these “two theses are mutually exclusive. They cannot coexist…I can promise, it’s not the position held by the economist.” Opdyke said, “I can also promise that you and I will ultimately feel the repercussions in our paychecks and in our wallets…”

With machines able to create “perfect burgers,” the argument for a $15/hr minimum makes little sense to Opdyke. Human labour value for fast food will become obsolete in the near future. He considers the possible solution of paying a basic income to all adults (which he defines as a “minimum monthly income on which people can pay for their lives”), but he dismisses the idea as too expensive, at least without a drastic increase in taxes (which he does not seem to favor).

If you want to read more, please see here: Jeff D. Opdyke (August 24, 2016) “Basic Income Will Kill the Economy“

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2022-03-12

An Interview with Dr. Kate McFarland (Part Two)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/22

Earlier in the year, Basic Income News reporter Scott Jacobsen spoke to Basic Income News reporter Kate McFarland about her background and influences. This is a continuation of Part One.

You mentioned valuing clarity of writing, for readers to have correct inferences. Any advice for BI writers? That is, those that want clear writing and to avoid the statistical probability of readers making wrong inferences.

That’s a good question. I feel like this is something I do based on instincts from my training in analytic philosophy, especially philosophy of language. It’s hard to codify that—those instincts—right off the bat.

I do want to stress that one thing that’s special about Basic Income News—sorta in our mission statement, as it were—is that we are clear to make the distinction between straightforward factual reporting and opinion pieces. If you just want the facts, you read one of our news reports, and you don’t have to wade through a bunch of the writer’s own analysis and commentary to get to them. You’ll see a lot of writing that conflates opinion and persuasive writing with reporting the facts, in a way not always conducive to the reader being able to figure out exactly what’s going on. Too often the factual reporting seems like an afterthought.

As much as I can, and as much as BI News can, we try to give people the bare facts. We don’t want to gloss them over with a bunch of fluff about what we think about basic income. It is not our job in news reporting. Our job is to disseminate the latest information about the basic income movement. It is not to make every one piece a persuasive one. It is not to write exciting stories, fluff, and propaganda.

I would also urge other writers to stick with primary sources whenever possible. When you use quotes, be sensitive to the context. When you talk about data from experiments or surveys, be sensitive to the design of the study and what you can actually infer from it.

Never, ever selectively misquote or misrepresent information by presenting it out of context! Some people do that, which is why I say always stick with primary sources—the original research reports, the full transcripts, and so forth.

Otherwise, my advice is to learn a lot, do you research from the primary sources, but also read some of the fluffy, superficial, often misleading stories on BI in mainstream media. Pay attention to the awful clickbait headlines. Read the comments sometimes even; notice how people are confused. Let it irritate you. You’ll develop instincts, I think, to write in a way that strives to avoid that. I think it helped me, anyhow.

Some things you said suggest mainstream news sources on BI want to persuade one way or another. Does this seem to be the case? It would be in contradiction to journalistic virtues of objectivity and neutrality insofar as they can be achieved.

Well, I see a lot—I see a lot that’s not necessarily to persuade, but where there might be, I think there are, values that conflict with just straightforward objective reporting. It might not be to persuade people on whether to support BI. It might be just to excite people, hook people, or write a catchier piece… As I say, I’m a philosopher, not a journalist; the ideals I have for prose come from there. Maybe journalists want to engage the reader at the expense of laying out the facts in a clear and complete manner. We’re just trying to concisely summarize the facts and make everything as clear as possible.

So, for example, if you read a journalistic report on a sample survey—this has just happened recently—you almost never get the details you want to know in order to really know what conclusions to draw. The sample size, sampling frame, selection method, response rate—you don’t often get all that. I would want to know that. And I don’t really care what a survey says about people’s attitudes on basic income if you don’t give me the details of the questionnaire design. What exactly is being asked? How it is phrased? I want to know all that before I make conclusions; I think you should make that info available to the reader if you’re gonna bother to report on an opinion survey at all. ‘Course, I should say I was a statistician before I became a philosopher.

Another thing is quoting out of context. There was an example that comes to mind—I won’t name names—of a famous basic income advocate being asked his opinion on when BI would actually happen. The gist of what he said was that we can’t predict, but in saying it, he said something like “It could as soon as 5 or 10 years, but it could be much longer.” It was clearly just this fragment of a larger point about how we just can’t know. But then the journalist just quotes him as saying that BI could happen as soon as 5 or 10 years! Just that! Entirely misleading. Entirely misrepresented his point.

A related phenomenon—a sub-phenomenon, maybe—is jumping on any use of the phrase “basic income” and then quoting the speaker as making a point about what you and I and BIEN call “basic income”. But that’s really too hasty. There was a recent case of a famous businessman who allegedly came out in support of UBI—he said he supported “basic income” (or “Grundeinkommen”, being German)—and people in the media just assumed he meant the unconditional thing. Later, he tweets that he didn’t mean the unconditional thing, but by then, the damage is done, as it were.

Sometimes this is [a] tough one, I have to be honest. Maybe, that’s another thing for the advice: If you’re not 100 percent positive someone means basic income when they say “basic income”, then leave what they say in quotes. Say “They said these words…” But don’t necessarily disquote if you’re not sure what they mean. I mean, equivocation on the phrase “basic income” is a whole other issue—it’s becoming a real big thing, I think, with the Canada movement versus US commentators—but maybe we’ll get back to that.

Another example with the reporting, I guess, is just being misleading through superficiality or vague weasel words. Like, to make basic income seem exciting, maybe a journalist will give a long list of countries that are “pursuing” BI or “considering” BI or something—but what does that even mean? Or maybe they’ll talk about a long list of people who “endorse” or “support” it

just because they said something vaguely favourable at one time.

Then you see things—I’ve been seeing this a lot lately—like “Finland, Ontario, and Kenya are beginning pilots.” The problem there a little subtler, but you see it? That suggests, I think, that the governments of Finland, Ontario, and Kenya are all planning pilots. Kenya? They must be thinking of GiveDirectly, a private charity based in New York that happens to be operating in Kenya. I think it’s important to keep those private efforts distinct from the government-sponsored ones. That’s an important distinction. It’s one sort of thing you often see just casually elided.

I could go on—those are just some examples off the top of my head—but I hope you get the idea. I think that, with most journalism on BI, it’s about saying the bare minimum to be interesting and provocative—don’t bore readers with too many facts and details and distinctions, maybe—at the expensive of saying enough, and saying things clearly enough, to really give a good and accurate sense, knowledge, of what’s going on in the world.

Your background in philosophy at the graduate and doctoral level seems relevant to me. It obviously helps with your clarity, rigour, and simplicity to the point it needs to be to present ideas. For BI, it can come along with different terms and phrases, for different ideas associated with, but not the same as, BI.

Yeah, that’s definitely—that’s a whole ‘nother thing. I try to point to it when it’s relevant. And I try to be consistent in my own terms, and of course to keep my uses consistent with the official definition agreed upon by BIEN—a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement.

The US BIG site actually has a pretty good primer on some of the different terms, and I tend to follow its usage for BI and UBI versus BIG and so on. But sometimes it’s tricky, especially with the BIG versus BI distinction, which you see conflated a lot these days.

“BI” and “UBI” are both often used to refer only to policies where everybody gets a check of the same amounts—no clawbacks with additional earnings—but sometimes people use them more generally to include policies that include what you might otherwise hear called “guaranteed minimum income” or a “guaranteed annual income” or a “negative income tax”; these are policies where everyone’s assured a minimal income floor, unconditionally, but the amount you receive is clawed back as you earn more and more on top of this floor. That’s what Ontario’s almost certainly gonna pilot next. It won’t be everyone in the pilot getting money. It’ll be that everyone’s guaranteed money if their income drops low enough—but, assuming Hugh Segal’s advice is followed, it won’t be the rich people in the sample also getting the check.

But sometimes you’ll see things like “Ontario plans to give all its residents an income boost”— because people hear “basic income”, and elsewhere they hear “basic income” to mean “checks to everybody, even then rich”, and they put two and two together, incorrectly. Sometimes all these policies together are referred to as a “basic income guarantee”, a “BIG”, with the GAI/GMI/NIT and the UBI (or “demogrant” as it’s sometimes called) being different types.

I can see this becoming a real problem—confusing these types of “BIGs”, equivocating on the term “basic income”—for people’s understanding and interpreting past and present pilots, and understanding how they revolve around the current debate, and I do hope to write a full-length article about it in the new year, if it keeps being problematic.

I’m realizing that what I’m talking about is not so much too many phrases for BI—but the term “basic income” being used to mean too many things. That might actually be the bigger problem, in fact, especially in the States. In addition to this equivocation with “does it entail giving money to the rich”, there’s this issue with some people, it seems, thinking that anything called “basic income” by definition replaces the whole rest of the welfare state. But that’s not true. But writers sometimes talk that way, and it leads to confusion and misconceptions.

And there’s also an issue about whether a “basic income” is, by definition, enough to live on. I think writers occasionally go in both ways. They probably sometimes equivocate, which would be bad… There’s been some controversy in BIEN caused by precisely this last concern, in fact. I think you can read about it some in Toru’s report on the controversy about the definition at the last BIEN Congress.

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2022-03-12

Daniel Häni: Basic income is an initiative against laziness

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/22

In a recent interview, Swiss entrepreneur and activist Daniel Häni contends that “the unconditional basic income is an initiative against laziness.”

Häni is well known in the basic income as the co-founder the co-founder of Switzerland’s popular initiative for an unconditional basic income (UBI), which launched the campaign for a referendum to establish a national basic income.

In the interview, he talks about new conceptualizations of work in modern society, the value of time, and implied social changes from a UBI. Häni argues that man is not by nature lazy. He notes that, in contrast, much opposition to UBI comes from the opposite–and false–view that man is by nature lazy. Häni also describes the importance of automation (robots) in terms of its relationship to work and humans.

“We have invented the machines and now the robots. We no longer need to be diligent and obedient,” Häni said. “This can make the machines and robots much better. They work around the clock and actually do what we program.” In other words, robots can diligently and obediently perform work programmed into them by humans. By implication, the “unpredictable” (or “human”) work can be done by people, not robots, and the predictable can be done by robots.

Häni cautions against the funneling of the purpose of work that prevails in modern society.

“The narrowing of work on work is outdated and harmful,” he notes. “Labor and income will be separated, at least as far as existence is concerned, or we will suffocate in abundance and starve in abundance. The signs are already there.”

If you want to read the interview (in German), see:

Daniel Häni: „Das bedingungslose Grundeinkommen ist eine Initiative gegen Faulheit.“ (Pressenza).

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2022-03-11

An Interview with André Coelho

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/10/18

What made you become an activist for basic income, and devote so much time to it?

A revolution is taking place here and now, and each person has a choice: to be an active part in that revolution (to work for it to succeed), to be a passive part in it (to let it happen, if it must), or to fight against it. For me, the latter is just plain nonsensical. To be passive does not quite go along with my character, so I guess I could only go with the first one.

I identify with this revolutionary course – the implementation of basic income – because it’s about recognizing the humanity in us all, of our birth right to a decent living, and enough freedom to actually pursue happiness in this life.

What are other terms or phrases for ideas associated with, but not the same as, Basic Income (BI)? What characterizes them?

In most welfare states there are social benefits in place, paid in cash or in the form of tax credits. However, all of them are conditional, usually on income and/or willingness to take up a job. In Portugal, for instance, there is a minimum insertion income (RSI), which is only given to people who clearly show they have no other source of income.

There are also, for example, child benefits, disability benefits, income assistance…a whole set of income redistribution schemes, which always entail some conditionality. The only exceptions I know of, other than basic income pilot projects, are the Alaska and the Macau dividends. The latter two dividends, although unconditional, are not basic (not enough to cover basic expenses).

What makes the BI plan of action unique?

If I can put my finger on one main feature, I would say it is its unconditional nature. That’s what makes people roll their eyes around. What? Now we’re giving all this money to people, even if they don’t work? That’s just plain unfair.

Well, of course this is a short sighted opinion at best, and a plain lie at worst. It’s a limited view on our humanity. Usually people view themselves as active and willing to contribute with their work, but then are suspicious that their neighbours will do the same.

Of course that if everyone thinks this way we’ll arrive at an impossible proposition: that everyone is active and willing, while not being active nor willing, at the same time. But apart from our personal sensibilities, results from basic income pilot projects show that people contribute as much or more to society with their work, while receiving a basic income.

And even when slight decreases are observed, these are coupled with investments in education.

What are the most common success stories of BI or similar programs? Any failures?

The basic income pilot projects I usually cite are the Namibian, Indian and Canadian experiences. The first two were experiments in very poor, rural contexts, while the Canadian one was both urban and rural, involving the entire local population.

In all these cases, people receiving the basic income did not stop working (clearly the opposite in the Namibian and Indian cases), health conditions improved, as well as education indicators. There were also other benefits, such as reduced crime rates (in Namibia and India).

I think that, in the context of basic income experimentations, there cannot be ‘failures’. If done properly, these experiments aim to widen our knowledge, while temporarily helping the populations in question.

Of course that, as it was the case in the United States experiments, the results can be “spun” in different ways for political purposes. But that is always a risk attached to any experiment, especially those related with social behaviour.

What country seems the most progressive and forward thinking in implementation of BI?

According to news information around these days, Finland seems to be the part of the world most willing to formally take up the idea of trying basic income. Finnish officials and partners are developing an experiment, which is setup to start in 2017.

However, I would not say that translates necessarily into greater progressiveness than other regions of the world. The Finish experiment is already plagued by several shortcomings, even before it has started (although I still think it’s worth it).

The Canadian central and regional governments, and particularly the latter, are also seriously considering experimenting with the basic income. As well as regional Dutch officials, who are already developing their own basic income experiments (similar to Finland’s experiment).

Let’s also not forget the Swiss case, that recently held a national referendum on the subject. And also Spain, particularly in the Basque region. However, the interest in basic income is growing quickly around the world, so who knows who will implement it first?

Activist networks for basic income are also spreading. At this moment, BIEN already has 30 national and regional affiliates, and this is expected to rise in the next few years.

What is your work on BI?

At Basic Income News, I do writing, editing, training and coordinating. I also represent BIEN, on occasions, as an advocate for basic income in international meetings (up until now, related to the CO-ACTE project).

Locally, I also participate in some actions for our activist network in Portugal, by writing articles, speaking at venues and organizing events.

Any advice for would-be policy makers or activists about strategies for the implementation of BI?

I guess that if I could choose one piece of advice it would be not to consider basic income as a ‘miraculous’ cure for all social problems. Basic income is a helpful tool, even a crucial one, but cannot replace a “systems approach” thinking about society, a holistic view.

Also I would recommend to self-analyse and make clear why each of us is defending basic income, and how we think it should be implemented. Because the devil is in the details, and basic income can get “dirty” when analysed in its implementation depth.

I have been, more than once, challenged by the possibility of a “right-wing” basic income, which would come as a replacement of all other social benefits and welfare state public systems, including health and education.

This approach to basic income is common among the “right-wing” side of the political spectrum. It is dangerous and a real possibility which all activists should be aware of if they really care about the wellbeing of present and future society.

Thank you for your time, André.

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2022-03-11

An Interview with Dr. Kate McFarland (Part One)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/10/13

*Transcribed from informal Skype chat, content not quoted in full.*

How’d you get an interest, and how’d you get involved, in basic income?

There were two phases. My initial interest came from early on, when I was in my late teens. My involvement started one year ago.

As a teenager, I was interested in Ayn Rand and Libertarianism. I believed in freedom, free markets, no restrictions on the pursuit of self-interest –but I noticed a tension between this view and other things, as a teenager, such as underground music.

I was into certain bands at that time. If bands went to make money in the marketplace, it wasn’t something for them to do without becoming ‘sellouts’. If you want music artists to pursue their own interest, you expect them to not really ‘give a rat’s ass’ and to make great music. This conflicts with selling to the public.

In this one area, I was concerned about it [Libertarianism]. I could see places for people to not make a profit. These ideas conflicted with the Libertarian ideals –this free-market framework.

For a while, I had cognitive dissonance and unresolved tension. That is, a conflict between a ‘morally correct economy’ and my deeply held conviction of people pursuing art and knowledge for its own sake. They shouldn’t have to worry about profit.

At some point, in a random Libertarian publication, I learned about the basic income experiment in Manitoba –the Mincome experiments. This didn’t seem like a bad idea: give people enough money for their basic needs, and with these met, people have the freedom to pursue whatever they want to pursue.

I stuck with this for a while. This fulfilled the need for believing in something morally decent to me. It wasn’t relevant to college or graduate work. I wasn’t politically active at all during my 20s. However, I had this shoved away in the back of my head.

My involvement came about a year ago. The circumstances of this were finishing my PhD in early 2015. I became involved in late 2015. One thing that influenced me was not having a basic income. For the first time in my life, I did not have economic security.

All through college and graduate school, I was paid through stipends from scholarships and fellowships, and graduate assistant positions. There were either no work requirements or the connections to jobs (like teaching and grading) were at best rather nebulously defined.

All of a sudden, without ever thinking of education as job training or working a normal job, I was left on my own post-graduation. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. I very much did not want to look for a standard job. Obviously, a basic income would have helped me.

At the same time, we have the rise of the Bernie Sanders movement. Many friends were followers and part of the Fight for ’15 Movement. I didn’t understand how a living wage would help someone like me.

That is, I work on things that interest me; it seems like a good idea. [But] a $15/hr minimum wage does not help if you’re not in a waged position. There is plenty of good work that needs to get done which is not necessarily suitable for wage labour.

I began thinking again about basic income. It accomplishes the basic goal of eliminating poverty. So, I started mentioning it to people. And it turned out I had friends who had heard of it. I started researching what had been written on it. As it turns out, there were some articles being written, and groups and individuals working on it.

I started subscribing and following these articles and people, respectively. Later in the year, I started following Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) on Facebook. They started putting out calls for reviewers. I reviewed for them and then began writing for them.

From this work from PhD to basic income, it is a passion for you. It takes a lot of time. What is the main passion in this initiative for you to become an activist and devote a tremendous amount time to it? I can look at the number of publications alone.

(Laugh)

There are a few motivations. So, one thing is I enjoy the type of work. It’s challenging. I’ve done work writing for newsletters before. I am continuing to do this. I am doing an annual newsletter for my academic department.

What I do with BIEN is so much more challenging. I learned a couple different software platforms. In addition, I have to keep up on the day-to-day research. I have to do a lot of investigation. I have to find a lead about some topic, new announcement, or new study.

I am coming into this as a non-expert by any means. However, I want to present the information in an accurate way. There is a demand to do research and figure out things that I’m learning for the first time.

Also, I want to represent information without leading readers astray.

(Laugh)

I do not want them to have false inferences or beliefs. I want them to have true beliefs via true information.

I [also] really like the fact that this work is something I can do on my own time in my own place. I don’t have to go into an office. I don’t have bosses looking over my shoulders, at least directly. If I were to have a job, this is embodying my own ideal. I can sit and write. It is variety and a challenge. It is for a good cause. I deeply believe in this. I work with cool people.

I do not work in an office. I interact via Skype and email. I am totally independent. I can work from my apartment, a coffee shop, and at the bar, whatever. It’s like the perfect job, even though it doesn’t pay.

I have multiple aspects of work that align with my values, personality, and work preferences. It seems like the perfect fit. If I can continue to afford doing this without relying on a job, and if I keep doing this for the sake of the movement and myself, and if I stick with this, I want to see where this goes. I’ll at least do something that I tremendously enjoy that is a fit for a while. This interview is continued in Part Two, where McFarland discusses her values in news reporting.

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2022-03-11

EUROPE: UBI-Europe now crowdfunding its activities

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/10/09

Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE), a regional affiliate of BIEN, has begun to raise funds through the crowdfunding platform Open Collective.

UBIE works to secure the implementation of unconditional basic income across Europe.

The organization formed in 2014 after the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) for Basic Income had, in the previous year, brought together people from 25 countries and collected 300,000 signatures in support of the idea.

Since then, UBIE has worked with regional basic income groups to organise public events in Brussels, Athens, Maribor, Budapest, Maastricht and Hamburg. Its members are currently looking forward to their next meeting in Madrid, 14-16 October which will feature a public roundtable with Spanish, French, Swiss and Scandinavian activists and BIEN co-chair Karl Widerquist. The event concludes, fittingly, on the eve of the UN’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17 October).

In addition to supporting and exchanging information with regional groups, UBIE is actively engaged in lobbying and research projects. At the moment, UBIE members are writing a response to the EU’s Social Pillar proposals, developing ways to practically implement the Eurodividend first proposed by Philippe van Parijs, gathering interested localities into an EU wide pilot project, researching the potential impact of basic income on local food systems, and organising to make sure another EU-wide ECI for basic income gains even more support than the last.

Despite having existed for only two years, UBIE was mentioned in a recent report by a research group for the European Parliament as one of the ‘key civil society organisations’ working on basic income in Europe.

So far, UBIE has been run entirely by volunteers working in their spare time. In order to fulfill its ambitions and expand its reach, however, the alliance wants to professionalise some aspects of its work. Money is needed to maintain the ‘back office’ aspects of the alliance, to help activists travel to meetings, to hire interpreters and, eventually, to staff a small office in Brussels.

Open Collective provides a transparent funding platform where contributors can make regular donations and follow how their money is being spent, while organisations can crowdsource a regular and reliable funding stream.

If you would like to support UBIE’s work, please follow this link: https://opencollective.com/ubie

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2022-03-11

An Interview with Tyler Prochazka

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Basic Income Earth Network

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/10/06

How’d you get an interest in Basic Income (BI)?

My interest in BI started back around 2013 after reading a Reason article. It described how a BI would provide a much more efficient social safety net. It intrigued me at the time and over the next couple of years I periodically would seek out the latest research on BI. I was hooked by a documentary on the basic income featuring Guy Standing.

Standing’s discussion of the “precariat” and the need to counter the challenges of automization convinced me of the BI’s approach. The day after watching the documentary, I reached out to Standing to see how I could get involved with BIEN. He put me in touch with Karl Widerquist and André Coelho. André was my trainer and his patience and encouragement is what kept me on with the team initially.

What makes the BI plan of action unique?

That is a difficult question because there are many ways to implement the BI. I think what unites the BI movement, though, is that we want to fundamentally alter people’s relationship with the market and the government. We do not have to have a job in the traditional sense to contribute to ourselves and society. The basic income liberates us to take on the projects or activities that we are truly passionate about, instead of being forced into a certain line of employment.

There are a host of reasons I think this is good for sustainable economic development. But more importantly, this would be a positive development for human happiness. A basic income would also reorient our relationship with the government. Instead of ceding individual choice to government bureaucrats, a basic income provides freedom of choice to everyone. Centralization of power and resources swallows our humanity, and basic income is an enormous step in bringing that power back to the people.

What are the most common success stories of BI or similar programs?

What has been overlooked in the mainstream press (and what I first tell people skeptical of BI) is the recent release of a meta-analysis of 15 years of cash transfer research across 165 studies. It looks at the best research available and determines there is a consistent reduction in poverty from these cash transfers. It also determined there is no real evidence of lowered work hours while showing some evidence that cash transfers may increase work hours and intensity. For BI advocates, I think it is important to get familiar with this meta-analysis.

In the United States, the most famous example of an actual BI-like program is the Alaskan Permanent Fund. This program is funded by Alaska’s oil reserves and is provided to nearly every Alaskan resident. The experience in Alaska, and most BI programs, is that the policy rarely creates negative unintended consequences and has a much greater potential to create a positive ripple effect throughout society.

What is your work on BI?

I am the features editor for BI News. I will personally write opinion, interview and news-based articles. I have the privilege of working with and seeking out some amazing writers and thinkers,

helping to edit and post their features articles. When the need arises, I help to train newcomers to BI News, including contributors and editors. I am currently in Taiwan completing a Master’s degree where I am working with the Taiwanese Basic Income organization. For the future, I have some ideas to promote basic income in Taiwan that will be forthcoming.

What are the main lessons for about BI that should be out in the public domain more?

Everyday around the world there are billions of interactions, transactions and events that would be made simpler by the establishment of the basic income. It helps to take these billions of events and simplify it to one individual to better understand the depth of change this policy would have on everyday life. Among those close to me, I can think of a clear instance where a basic income would dramatically improve a family’s circumstances, much more so than traditional welfare.

Think of how a basic income would help the person with a sick mother, the person whose car gets totaled, the person who wants to take more time to raise their child, the person who wants to find a better suited job…All of these situations would be more easily managed with a basic income, especially for those who are of modest means. Perhaps more significant are the new and unpredictable opportunities created by basic income that would otherwise never occur.

Who are the people to watch – the major BI players?

Here are a couple that come to mind:

Matt Zwolinski is my favorite libertarian scholar, primarily because of his work on the basic income. He has done a lot to bring on the libertarian side of the political spectrum to consider the basic income. The next generation will have significantly more libertarians than the current generation, so I think the philosophical marriage on this issue with libertarians will be increasingly important as we pursue the basic income’s implementation.

Kate McFarland is one of my favorite writers at BI News and a great person to work with. I think she will be a big figure in the BI movement in the coming years because of her non-stop dedication to the cause.

Any advice for would-be policy makers or activists about strategies for the implementation of BI?

During this stage, I think it is important that we maintain healthy disagreement in the movement. There are a lot of different motivations behind the BI which manifests in an array of different implementation methods. Despite this, I hope that we can retain this amazing civility that has united people from such diverse philosophical and personal backgrounds thus far.

On the long-term policymaking level, my hope is that in those areas we think must be earmarked (particularly healthcare and education). We will still utilize the basic income framework. For example, universal education savings accounts and health savings accounts (which there is evidence that these two programs are already effective where they are used). The basic income has the potential to really revolutionize the way we think about government services. The government is really efficient at issuing checks to everyone, but it is not great with creating innovative programs. That is why a basic income framework creates an ideal social safety net, as it brings the security of government distribution and the innovation of the market.

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2022-03-11

Singularities, What is Inside a Black Hole and Behind the Big Bang?

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Science, Technology, and Philosophy (Medium)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/01

Sunday Express reported on the possibility for research in standard Big Bang cosmology into areas before not empirically researched. That point being before the singularity at the moment of creation or the Big Bang as it is sometimes called.

It has been notoriously thought as something outside of the realm of empirical physics and only left to theoretical physicists to speculate and compare with moments of the universe after T=0, when time began — literally came into existence.

One international team of researchers is proposing a different picture of a before of creation, of a time before the Big Bang. Apparently, the singularity of black holes is akin to the Big Bang because the laws of physics appear to break down.

With some complex math and quantum strangeness, the international team of researchers claim the origins of the universe and the center of a black hole can be explained, comprehended, and not seen as a sort of known unknown.

Professor Mir Faizal at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada and the University of British Columbia, Okanagan in British Columbia, Canada explained, “It is known that general relativity predicts that the universe started with a big bang singularity and the laws are physics cannot be meaningfully applied to a singularity.”

Faizal co-authored the paper with Salwa Alsaleh, Lina Alasfar, and Ahmed Farag Ali. Faizal said that the current theories show the singularities, in black holes and at the Big Bang, are built into the interpretations of the math to make the theories. They follow from the math.

However, if they include quantum effects to remove the singularities, then the standard theories based on work by Roger Penrose, Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, and Stephen Hawking, Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge, can be modified.

Those changes to remove the singularities imply new models. Those old models without the quantum effects to the remove the singularities relied on specific models with problems. One model includes string theory, which, as noted, has its own problems.

Only “very general considerations” rather than a specific model is needed to ‘prove’ the proposal in the paper by Faizal and others. The paper concludes that the centers of black holes do not amount to singularities, but, rather, to empirically testable areas of future research.

“The absence of singularity means the absence of inconsistency in the laws of nature describing our universe, that shows a particular importance in studying black holes and cosmology,” the paper said.

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2022-03-11

The Meaning of Life: Research Suggests Shift Towards Secular Values

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Atheist Alliance of America

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/05/10

Research by PEW would seem to suggest that fewer Americans are deriving their sense of meaning in life from religion or spirituality.

In late 2017, Pew Research Center conducted two separate surveys. One posed an open-ended question to gauge what Americans feel gives meaning or fulfilment to their lives. Another asked more specific questions about meaning, offering options that ranged form careers, faith and family, to hobbies, pets, and travel. The most important sources of meaning to Americans in the first survey were Family (69%), Career (34%), and Money (23%).

In both of the surveys, family occupied the top position as the most important source of meaning. Interestingly, religion is not the most important source of meaning for many in the United States. In fact, a mere 20% attributed their source of meaning and fulfilment to religion in the open- ended questions.

Americans would seem to derive meaning in life from non-religious sources, implying a further shift in a secular direction.

“One-third bring up their career or job, nearly a quarter mention finances or money, and one-in- five cite their religious faith, friendships, or various hobbies and activities,” Pew Research stated. “Additional topics that are commonly mentioned include being in good health, living in a nice place, creative activities and learning or education. Many other topics also arose in the open- ended question, such as doing good and belonging to a group or community, but these were not as common.”

It would appear that communal, familial, and social activities provide more meaning for Americans than religion. Intriguingly, within the subgroup who identified with religion as a source of meaning for them, over 50% stated that this is the single most important source of meaning in their entire life.

Aside from family as the main source of meaning, and religion as the most important thing to those who identify religion as a source of meaning, the wealthier and more educated sectors of American society claim “friendship, good health, stability and travel” as important sources of fulfilment for them.

Evangelicals and atheists are split in their sources of fulfillment, with the former tending to find meaning in faith and the latter in activities and finances. On a related finding, politically conservative Americans find meaning in religion, while liberal-inclined individuals find meaning in causes and creative activities.

In general, the less educated, more religious, and more conservative find meaning in religion and the more educated, less religious, and more wealthy find meaning in activities, creativity, and travel. It is of comfort to note that people on both ends of the spectrum continue to find meaning in family.

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© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012–2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and may disseminate for their independent purposes.

2022-03-11

Breaking Identity Barriers for a More Diverse Atheism

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Atheist Alliance of America

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/05/10

Claire Klingenberg, President of the European Council of Skeptic Organizations, has a background in law and psychology, and is currently working on her degree in Religious Studies. She has been involved in the skeptic movement since 2013 as co-organizer of the Czech Paranormal Challenge. Since then, she has consulted on various projects, where woo & belief meet science. Claire has spoken at multiple science and skepticism conferences and events. She also organized the European Skeptics Congress 2017, and both years of the Czech March for Science.

Her current activities include chairing the European Council of Skeptical Organisations, running the “Don’t Be Fooled” project (which provides free critical thinking seminars to interested high schools), contributing to the Czech Religious Studies journal Dingir, as well as to their online news in religion website. In her free time, Claire visits various religious movements to better understand what draws people to certain beliefs.

Claire lives in Prague, Czech Republic, with her partner and dog.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: When it comes to a demographic analysis of, and a discussion of identity in the New Atheist movement, I’ve noticed that the movement seems to be dominated by white men. In your opinion, what is the reason behind the disproportionate amount of white men and men in general in the atheist and New Atheist movements?

Claire Klingenberg: I think it stems from history. Men, white men, were prevalent in the sciences, in high positions, in professorial positions, in everything. This is simply a continuation of that. There is, however, an increasing number of women engaged in these issues.

Change takes time, as does activism. Having the time necessary to engage in activism that advocates for change of the bigger picture, and does not precisely deal with the here and now, is a luxury. Both the atheist and skeptic movements do deal with the here and now, but in a much broader sense, which makes them a luxury item. Unfortunately, as we see the demographics in the US, people of color are not always in a socioeconomic position to be able to afford this kind of luxury.

So, we have to work on making our movement more accessible to various socioeconomic demographics.

Jacobsen: Other than socio-economic status, what other variables seem to play into this split in the community, where there are far more men than women?

Klingenberg: Historically, the skeptic movement was initiated by older white men. I can imagine some people would not feel welcome when they do not see some of their own within that group.

Fortunately, within the Czech Republic, one of the founders was a woman. She opened the door for us. I can understand why some might feel out of place or misunderstood.

Jacobsen: On the flip side, other communities in the States are heavily dominated by minority groups. An example that immediately comes to mind are the Episcopal or Baptist denominations, which are largely represented by African-Americans.

It seems that fluidity between different communities could be challenge, as community is closely tied with identity, which, in many cases, can mean skin tone.

Klingenberg: Skin tone is a reality which does define the circumstances in which you live and which influence you and your identity. Because of that, you may feel, “How can these people understand what I am going through?”, and especially the feeling “How can these people have the same goals as I do?” This logic or thinking could be another barrier to identity diversity within the atheist community.

Jacobsen: There is also an assumption that people should act according to the group they belong to; when they deviate, they are ridiculed. A relatively benign example might be the archetypal white guy breakdancing. A less comical example might be that of the African- American woman who must be religious, must be Baptist, must be heavily involved in that community.

Neil deGrasse Tyson relates how, although he was passionate about astrophysics and astronomy, he was often expected to be more involved in sports activities. Even good will and good intentions can exacerbate divisions along belief lines.

Klingenberg: Last month, I was at a talk by Anna Grodzka. She is a Polish trans woman. She founded a supporting organization for trans people in Poland. She said, “We live in a world haunted by stereotypes, which often do not reflect reality but are, rather, imposed upon us.”

I think that is a beautiful way to summarize all of this. People have these stereotypes in their heads regarding identity, which many times do not come even close to reflecting reality. However, we are forced to live and fight with them on a daily basis. It is unfortunate, but we must encourage independent thought, regardless of identity, for precisely this reason.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Claire.

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2022-03-11

Navy Strikes Down Application for Atheist Chaplain

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Atheist Alliance of America

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/05/10

“If the U.S. Navy appointed its first atheist chaplain…what could his duties as a chaplain be? Perhaps he could tell a sailor seeking spiritual solace in the face of death not to worry, he has no soul, anyway,” writes the nameless author. The navy has rejected the application of Jason Heap, a doctor in theological history, who had applied for the position of atheist chaplain, The Washington Times reports.

The author of the article, conspicuously anonymous, indulges in a ‘witticism’ on the apparently paradoxical nature of the position: “If the U.S. Navy appointed its first atheist chaplain, as the organized atheists demanded (twice), what could his duties as a chaplain be? Perhaps he could

tell a sailor seeking spiritual solace in the face of death not to worry, he has no soul, anyway.” Heap sued in 2014 and again in 2018, losing both times. The Navy nearly permitted the appointment, but then the Chaplain Appointment and Retention Eligibility Advisory Group made a recommendation that went to the chief of naval operations, who decides who can and cannot be a chaplain.

22 senators, 45 congressmen, and 67 members of Congress told the Navy not to make the appointment. So they did not. The lawmakers explained their case, “Without a belief in the transcendent, and with avowed opposition to religion itself… an individual cannot fulfill the mission and duties of a chaplain.”

“Without a belief in the transcendent, and with avowed opposition to religion itself… an individual cannot fulfill the mission and duties of a chaplain.”

On which our clever author elaborates: “This would seem to be self-evident, but nothing is self-evident any longer in America, with a man now enabled to take another man as his bride, and with a woman enabled to lead men in an assault on an enemy position and men, women and children free to use a latrine together.”

Does the marriage officiant declare “I now pronounce you husband and wife” at a gay wedding, or might our pearl clutching friend be the slightest bit misled on the ‘perils’ of progress?

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi was the leader of the opposition. He is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The 22 senators, in their letter, noted that the U.S. Navy holds authority to create programs for humanists and atheists, but the Chaplain Corps should not be the place.

“The Navy’s leadership has done the right thing,” Sen. Wicker stated. “The appointment of an atheist to a religious position is fundamentally incompatible with atheism’s secularism.”

Wicker views chaplaincy as a recourse for religious people and not for the non-religious. Rep. Douglas Lamborn (R) from Colorado agreed with Wicker, arguing that the appointment would have gone against what he sees as the original role of the chaplaincy.

“The appointment of an atheist to a historically religious role would have gone against everything the chaplaincy was created to do. It would open the door to a host of so-called chaplains who represent [a] philosophical worldview and not the distinctly religious role of the Chaplain Corps.”

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2022-03-11

Atheist Refugees Doubly Vulnerable

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Atheist Alliance of America

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/05/10

Atheist asylum seekers fleeing persecution for their lack of belief in the dominant religion of their culture are at high risk of danger As reported by DW, “Mahmudul Haque Munshi’s name was on a hit list in Bangladesh. After five of his friends and associates were murdered, the authorities warned the blogger: ‘There’s nothing more we can do for you.’ Munshi had to leave the country in 2015.”

Often, atheist refugees or asylum seekers will have to travel through several nations simply to find a safehaven. Some have seen what is labelled, purportedly, a “Global Hit List” of nonbelievers or those who left their faith who must be killed.

Many atheist refugees fear being killed by other refugees or those who feel personal resentment for individuals who leave religion. Especially at risk are those who publicly speak out against religion, becoming the targets of reactionary violence.

One refugee organization devoted to the plight of the non-religious is the Atheist Refugee Relief organization. It has helped 37 nonreligious refugees since November 2017 and continues to do important work for them.

Dittmar Steiner of Atheist Refugee Relief stated, “We are actually dealing with assaults, exclusion, threats and violence.”

31-one-year-old Worood Zuhair, a biologist from Karbala, Iraq, stated that she is under police protection and continues to receive death threats because of the lack of personal religious belief.

“When your own father gives your soul to Azrael, the angel of death, that is enormously painful,” Zuhair told DW. “He did it so often. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Zuhair speaks about the abuse of women refugees, not simply as refugees but in virtue of their criticism of religion and their work for the rights of women within standard human rights frameworks.

Mahmudul Haque Munshi, founder of the Shahbag movement in his home country in 2013, became a target of Islamists as his movement called for war criminals to be held accountable for their crimes during the Bangladeshi war for independence.

With a prominent blog and network, Munshi garnered about half of a million followers. There were mass protests in the streets with subsequent death threats directed at him.

Atheists are not the majority of refugees and are not the majority of the world’s population, but atheists are a struggling minority within the global and refugee population. They suffer from fear and ignorance-based stigma held against them by the religious.

According to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), ‘Origin from a particular country or a particular reason for fleeing, such as religious affiliation or atheism, does not automatically lead to a protection status.’

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2022-03-11

Atheism on the Rise in Turkey

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Atheist Alliance of America

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/05/10

Despite Erdogan’s measures to push Islam, a growing number of people in Turkey are non-religious.

There has been a continuous growth in the number of non-religious people in the Turkey, a dramatic development in the theocratic state known for working to keep evolution out of the classrooms.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to push theocratic politics, but the rise in atheism would call into question the effectiveness of the measures he has been imposing.

As reported, “According to a recent survey by the pollster Konda, a growing number of Turks identify as atheists. Konda reports that the number of nonbelievers tripled in the past 10 years. It also found that the share of Turks who say they adhere to Islam dropped from 55 percent to 51 percent.”

The official directorate of religious affairs in Turkey, Diyanet, declared in 2014 that 99% of the Turkish public identifies as Muslim. However, in light of the recent survey data from Konda, this has sparked debated within the country.

Ahmet Balyemez, a 36-year-old computer scientist, states, “There is religious coercion in Turkey… People ask themselves: Is this the true Islam? … When we look at the politics of our decision-makers, we can see they are trying to emulate the first era of Islam. So, what we are seeing right now is primordial Islam… Fasting and praying were the most normal things for me.”

Cemil Kilic, a theologian, considers both statistics correct: 99% of Turks may identify as Muslim, but only do so from a cultural or sociological perspective.

He states, “The majority of Muslims in Turkey are like the Umayyads, who ruled in the seventh century… The prayers contained in the Koran reject injustice. But the Umayyads regarded daily prayer as a form of showing deference towards the sultan, the state and the powers that be… Regular prayers have become a way to signal obedience toward the political leadership… And prayers in mosques increasingly reflect the political worldview of those in power.”

President Erdogan has been in power for almost 16 years, as prime minister until 2014 and then as president onwards. Ateizm Dernegi, the central organization for atheists in Turkey, has, through its leader, Selin Ozhoken, stated that the desire by Erdogan to produce devout Muslims has, in fact, failed in a number of ways.

Dernegi explains, “Religious sects and communities have discredited themselves… We have always said that the state should not be ruled by religious communities, as this leads to people questioning their faith and becoming humanist atheists.”

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2022-03-11

Interview with Ajomuzu Collette Bekaku – Founder and Executive Director of CAPEC

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Develop Africa

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/08/25

Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC) is one of Develop Africa’s Partner in Cameroon. Below is an interview with Ajomuzu Collette Bekaku — Founder and Executive Director of CAPEC

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was the original interest in the protection and education of children?

I grew up in a community where child labour was perceived as “normal”. It was a time in Africa, especially in Cameroon, when it was normal for children to help parents at home with little household chores like sweeping the compound, selling fruits to raise income for the family, etc., just to name a few. However, it was also a time when it was normal for children to work on
banana and rubber plantations. It was also normal for them to carry very heavy loads on their heads (which impairs their health and growth), and it was normal for them to work under hazardous conditions full of dangerous chemicals and insecticides (which also impairs their education, health and growth). As a result of seeing this situation in my community i.e. child labour, I became motivated and pushed myself to become an advocate for children’s protection and education.

I personally believe that children should be educated, offered opportunities for their development and not used as labourers.

What was the inspiration for the foundation of the Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC)?

I grew up with a single parent (my mum), in Mambanda Village, who was a primary school teacher. The majority of people leaving in this village were peasant farmers who were working in Banana and Rubber plantations for the Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC), who were paid according to their daily productivity. In order for them to increase productivity and make
more money at the end of the month, parents were obliged to use their children as labourers in the plantations. Children worked under hazardous conditions. As a 10-year-old girl, I went through this hardship and pain like other children in my situation. During this phase of my life, I organised storytelling events among fellow children aiming to focus our respective visions on life. This enabled me to understand that children, even while poor and living in hard conditions, all had so much potential and vision. This motivated me to promote the rights of children in poor, rural communities like where I grew up. This story and history lives in me, and my actions are still guided by my passion for a community where child rights are promoted and respected.

Immediately I graduated from university, and in conjunction with my work within various communities, I thought of formalising and sustaining the response to challenges faced by children by creating CAPEC, which is a growing, reputable and non-profit organisation. I started CAPEC in order to protect and educate underprivileged children living in various communities
across Cameroon.

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2022-03-10

How to Balance Ethics and Efficiency in the Fashion Industry

Author(s): Heiðrún Ósk Sigfúsdóttir and Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dimmblá

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/24

Fashion brands are constantly bringing new fashion, new design and new ideas quickly to the market, with a focus on accessibility and affordability. Many consumers appreciate a new look that can be worn for the moment and view clothes as a temporary treasure. So can brands really stay ethical, efficient and affordable at the same time?

We asked Scott Jacobsen, writer and interviewer at Trusted Clothes, for his personal opinion. Trusted clothes is an organization linking people, organizations and brands that are ethical, environmentally friendly and health conscious.

Scott wants to contribute to the ethical and sustainable fashion, and he has parallel concerns for human, women’s, and children’s rights.

ETHICAL AND LOW-COST ISN’T EQUIVALENT

Scott suspects the biggest problem in the fashion industry is the relation between the buyer, seller and manufacturer.

The buyer wants ethical and sustainable products at low cost. To be able to provide low-cost products efficiently the seller needs to produce at low cost and is competing with mainstream fashion products. So the manufacturer often has to compromise and pay low salaries and increase overtime. So apparently not all requirements can be met between sellers, manufacturers and buyers.

If work conditions for producers require ethical standards, then this reduces ’efficiency’. As a consequence many companies choose efficiency above ethics. Where the emphasis is on affordable fast fashion to fulfill consumer needs.

Scott thinks it seems like ethics have lost to efficiency.

But is ‘fast fashion necessities’ a worldview (beliefs and biases) created by the fashion industry to influence consumers to believe a story of what they need? Fortunately different people have different worldviews and people can make totally different decisions. So while some people view clothes as temporary treasure others are more conscious consumers and choose a brand that is social responsible and clothes that last.

INEQUALITY = IMBALANCE

We believe it’s possible to change this and be dedicated to both environmental and ethical practices throughout the production processes. It’s all about equality and balance. Where there is inequality there is imbalance.

According to Scott Jacobsen the landscape will change over time, and with an emphasis on the international rights of women, children, workers, and indigenous peoples.

Increases in democracy and living standards will enable this transition. Where there is equality and power is invested in people and exercised by them in the developing countries. This will take time and effort.

Scott says that if consumers aren’t conscious about the source of the purchased product, then the workers – in poor labor conditions, without rights, in poverty, with low pay, and deprived of rights – will continue to live in their present conditions

WHO MADE YOUR CLOTHES?

To become conscious consumers you should always consider “Who made my clothes?”’, Scott says.
And yes, we can all contribute and change the industry to the better. The question however remains how we find out who made our clothes and how we can trust a brand.

At Dimmblá we value transparency in the supply chain. We post photos from the factory on social media and we share information on our website. We care for the people that make our clothes as well as the environment, and we want our customer’s purchase to make a difference. Still we think we can do more. In our three years plan we want to monitor our ecological footprint compared to conventional fabric manufacturing and publish online the results. Imagine if you knew how big a footprint the clothes you buy leave

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2022-03-10

September Executive Blog

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): AUSU Executive Blog (Athabasca University Students’ Union)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/09

September is here, and so with it the Fall. At AU, there is 12 months of intake, so this is not necessarily a new time for all of you. But these are the ending times of the year, and time for celebration if you’re finishing your course(s) or starting one.

There has been a lot going on in the month of August, and most likely for September. For my own schedule, I have been busy with meetings for AU and for AUSU. But I even managed to sign up for some courses too, so if you’re in courses this round, then I am with you (and feel your excitement!).

At AUSU, there’s been a lot ongoing. The big thing happening for AUSU has been our proposed bylaw revisions and the consultations involved in those. If you look at the revisions, the main changes include an increase from 9 to 13 councillors, revisions to the sections on the membership fees and The Voice Magazine, an addition outlining the responsibilities of the executive director, signing authority regulations, and the addition of a strategic plan of AUSU.

These are all vital component for the creation of a thriving students’ union at Athabasca University. You can read more about the bylaw changes online here.

It is important to note that we have had one public consultation for the Bylaws Revision Consultation on September 6. We will be having another on September 19 at 6:00 pm MT. The teleconference instructions are available online here. I hope to see you there! You can also comment on the bylaw forum here.

It is important to take part in the activities with the AU students’ union, because I feel as though the distance nature of the institution can leave us all feeling a bit disparate at times, even alone.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s not some law of nature. As I think about the upcoming month and the courses, I am reminded of the resources that AUSU offers and our great community. It’s all there, and simply a matter of coming to the plate with a bat.

We have The Voice Magazine for topics of interest for AU students. If you’re ever having a difficult time in terms of stress and wellness, we have the Student LifeLine. If you want to talk to other students and gain access to other services, you can download the AU student mobile app. It is a great resource to connect and comment with other students. Be mobile!

Other services offered by AUSU can help you make the most of your AU experience, such as our awards and bursaries, eyewear discounts, online learning opportunities though lynda.com, and resources for career development. We’re here to help you because we represent you. Part of that
is finding out what matters most to you as an AUSU member and AU student.

September is the time of fall, but it is also a period of starting anew in courses. It is a time to refresh and to reload — plus, we’ll all have lots more inside time to study as the weather gets less
sunny.

And, of course, I’ll be right there studying alongside, and working for, you.

Scott Jacobsen

VP Finance and Administration

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2022-03-10

June Executive Blog

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): AUSU Executive Blog (Athabasca University Students’ Union)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06

My first post for the AUSU Executive Blog, for June 2017 — what topic? Community & gratitude. Okay, that’s two topics, but a worthwhile combined topic to me. When I reflect on the nature of AU, and listening to the continual concerns of the AU community, one of the large ones is community.

AU comes from the newer tradition of distance and online education and holds the title of a “Global Pioneer” in open, online, and distance education. I feel honored to serve students, as their needs arise. In reflection on a proper topic to write for the Executive Blog, I looked at previous posts.

I wanted to gauge the reported concerns and hopes for the community from the view of AUSU executives, past and present. Some of the topics included, in one word, waiting, advocacy, representation, AU, cheating, surveys, requirements, vacation, and affordability– more or less.¹ Shawna Wasylyshyn, Kim Newsome, Julian Teterenko, and Brandon Simmons, wrote those
months’ Executive Blog posts. Happily, I have worked with each of them on council, and executive. To make a community, perhaps, a face and personality to the names may help the membership.

Since I was elected as VP Finance and Administration (VPFA), and before it, Shawna has been invaluable. I found her active, an engaged listener, knowledgeable of the organization and the needs of students, and unafraid to speak her mind and express concerns in a thorough way on behalf of students.

I also express gratitude to Kim Newsome (prior VPFA) for advice, calls, run-through’s, and
general training for the VPFA position. She has been patient, and a valuable mentor. Julian is the Vice President External Affairs (VPEX). We came into AUSU at the same time. He has a real strength in being direct, being quick on the response, and taking a firm stance on issues. He is a real asset to AUSU, and to the membership, as well. He is a part of the Ukrainian Scouts and the Canadian Forces Primary Reserves.

In fact, Julian and I worked intensively together in late May. We went on a business trip from May 22nd to the 27th for the Canadian Alliance of Students’ Associations (CASA) Foundations 2017 conference to learn about CASA, of which AUSU is a part. We worked together in a national venue, in Ottawa, with 20 or more university student unions represented by executives
too. It was an extraordinary experience — humbling too — and an honor to represent everyone there. I am sure Julian would agree with the sentiment.

We got to know each other more. I saw sides of Julian, which I never saw before — and this made the experience of working and knowing one another even better. I am grateful for the experience and being able to work with Julian.

Brandon Simmons was the previous VP External and Student Affairs. I have known him as a highly devoted family man, who makes sacrifices on behalf of familial ties. It is honorable. Now, he, and Andrew Gray, Amanda Lipinski, Robin Bleich, and Kim Newsome, are the non-executive part of council.

All of this gratitude, and sentiment, amount to reflections on community. Even though executive remains small relative to the council, and to the student body or to the AUSU membership, we build a small community within and with council.

It took time, effort, and an openness to see parts of one another — at least for me — we never saw before. However small executive is, or even council, relative to the size of the AUSU membership, it is a reflection of the AU community.

I also think about the staff making things run behind the proverbial curtain, including Donette Kingyens, Karl Low, Jamie Mulder, and the newly hired Jodi Campbell. I am eternally grateful for their help bringing the community together, because we’re in this…together.

Everyone asks, “How can we make more of a community feeling at AU — with everyone so disparate, so apart, and feeling so alone in their educational progress?” I do not like clichés. They feel banal. At the same time, they reflect, at times, some deeper truths. One such truth is that community takes time, effort, an openness to different avenues of building community, and — the big one — it is a two-way street. It rings true to me. Perhaps it will for you, too.

I am grateful for the community within council, and of AUSU students. I trust, with time and effort, we can make that community stronger, together.

Scott Jacobsen

VP Finance and Administration

¹ The rest included being on council, the Fort McMurray fire, sustainability of the university, the Bylaws of AUSU, prizes, CASA and AUSU, the “service standards,” the federal election, AU’s task force on sustainability, the stuff AUSU does for students, running for the By-Election, various AUSU work projects, AUSU and The Voice Magazine, decreasing oil prices and the situation with Interim President MacKinnon, the AUSU planner, app, and health and dental, changeover of the AUSU team, the “Call Centre” and the “Tutor” models, and the introduction of the AUSU Executive Blog.

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2022-03-10

Einstein’s Pantheity: The Mind of God in Structure, Form, and Mathematics, Not in Superstition, Revelation, and Narrative

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/25

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

*Full letter at the bottom.*[1]

Einstein’s recent letter to hit some of the popular press headlines references “God” in addition to the Bible (BBC News, 2018a). At the age of 74, Einstein wrote a 1.5 page “note” or letter to Eric Gutkind, a German philosopher of the time (Ibid.).

Often, it is titled the “God Letter” (Barron, 2018). At times, Einstein identified with the term “agnostic” while rejecting atheism (Rense, 2018). Some interpret this as an open rejection of religion as a whole by Einstein, not necessarily true (Osborne, 2018).

Indeed, flat wrong, Einstein, two months after the letter to Gutkind, stated the personal sensibility of a deeply religious non-believer (Christie’s, 2018). In youth, though, Einstein “manifested… a sudden but passionate zeal for Judaism, a short but memorable phase that reached its conclusion with Einstein’s exposure to science at around the age of 10” (Ibid.).

Einstein, as written years later, through the reading of popular science textbooks and upon reflection of the contents of the texts comprising the Bible, stated the “impression that youth is intentionally being deceived by the state through lies; it was a crushing impression” (Ibid.).

The letter, in a New York-based auction, acquired a worth of 2.9-million-pound-sterling (or GBP), equivalent to about $4 million Canadian dollars (CAD) (Sherwood, 2018). The common interpretation of the letter, given the clarity of time and new generations, remains a rejection of traditional conceptualizations of a God and the standard interpretations – literal and metaphorical – of the Bible (Willingham, 2018).

Einstein did not adhere to an atheistic viewpoint of the universe, as many of you know. Interestingly, the letter was written in response to a book written by Gutkind entitled Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt (Johnson, 2018).

Letters from other individuals from Einstein garner similar renowned and monetary valuation, not including one to a young female scientist while, certainly, another to the late Theodore Roosevelt with the one to Roosevelt’s worth estimated between $1.2 to $0.8 million (USD), approximately $1.63 to $1.09 million (CAD) (BBC News, 2018b; Christie’s, 2002).

To claim Einstein as a traditional religious individual would disserve Einstein’s intellectual legacy, even cheapen the worldview, some labelled the Einsteinian, rather direct, stance expressed in the letter a “diatribe” (Robinson, 2018).

Peter Klarnet, senior specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie’s auction house, argued, “…one of the definitive statements in the Religion vs. Science debate” (Willingham, 2018). A note from the auction house stated, “This remarkably candid, private letter was written a year before Einstein’s death and remains the most fully articulated expression of his religious and philosophical views” (BBC News, 2018a).

Important to note, since the letter was written one year prior to Einstein’s death, this may, indeed, reflect the antiquated cosmologist’s advanced age religious and theological views as stone tablet (Willingham, 2018). That is to say, Christie’s, though seemingly bold in the declaration, seems correct in the assessment.

One dissenting voice was noted by Gillespie (2018) on the definitude of the religious and theological views of Einstein, which was the biographer of Einstein, Walter Isaacson – who is prominent and respected.

Richard Dawkins stated, “This letter was about something very important to Einstein, I suspect” (Sherwood, 2018). Something of which Einstein thought about in a critical manner since the age of 13, saying he had “abandoned his uncritical religious fervour, feeling he had been deceived into believing lies” (Ibid.).

Atheists and theists alike partake of name-dropping in history to bolster positions for themselves. Willingham (2018) touched on the vein here. The notion of an authority figure of world renowned representative, in some frame, of one’s own views and, therefore, the famous smart person reflective of a similar level of intelligence or respectability of oneself.

The more accurate view about Einstein’s worldview reflected the mathematical harmony and apparent beauty in the simplicity of the principles of nature, of its logical parsimony and precision. One found in Baruch de Spinoza, a Jewish-Dutch 17^th-century philosopher, known for a pantheistic view of the universe without magic or miracles.

Some characterize the non-interventionist God of Einstein as either a Deity or a Pantheity. Simply Nature or the laws thereof, God does not care about individual human beings’ lives in this idea of God. Such an important question, thinker, and answer, to so many, the auction went for 4-minutes (Gillespie, 2018). Intriguingly, but, perhaps, not surprisingly, the Gutkind family owned the letter until 2008 prior to a former auction of the letter in a Bloomsbury Auctions in London (Ibid.; CTV News, 2018).

Einstein, born in Germany and with Jewish heritage, went straight to the point in the letter, as elderly men have things to do and things to think about, e.g., a Theory of Everything. He did not have time to read the full book by Gutkind, though he read most of it (Letters of Note, 2009). Gutkind disagreed with Einstein on free will and the role of God in an individual’s life (Mejia, 2018).

Because Einstein’s famous metaphorical words about God not playing dice with the universe represented an image of absolute truth in the world glued to determinism without an intervening God and, therefore, no movement for freedom of the will or a role of God in the life of each person for all time (The Week, 2018; Christie’s, 2018).

Einstein in the letter reflects on the lack of “ego-oriented desires” as an “un-American attitude” aligning the sentiments of Gutkind and Einstein, i.e., Einstein started on a non-confrontational point of view after reading “a great deal” of Gutkind’s text (Letters of Note, 2009).

Alas, Einstein set the word “God” as a derivation of human frailties and the Bibleas “a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish,” where no interpretation can alter this conception and “the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstition” (Ibid.).

In the latter case, narratives and superstitions intended for children; in the former case, not hostile inasmuch as descriptive of the limited organisms, in time and in space, grasping at what little light the rules of nature will permit of themselves, principles of existence glimpsed through an evolved and bounded mind with proportional limits in ability to know the cosmos.

Taking on the stance of humanity writ species, Einstein understood the Jewish peoples as simply another group, rather than “chosen,” and no better than the others and, in fact, “are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power” and not some divine decree or selection (Ibid.). Although, other early life written sources represent more racist views (Roos, 2018). He may have recanted personal opinions over time.

In the concluding half of the letter, Einstein leaves the boxing gloves at home to gather chalk dust flaking off the equation-filled board and then offers an olive branch. At first, he states:

In general I find it painful that you claim a privileged position and try to defend it by two walls of pride, an external one as a man and an internal one as a Jew. As a man you claim, so to speak, a dispensation from causality otherwise accepted, as a Jew the privilege of monotheism. But a limited causality is no longer a causality at all, as our wonderful Spinoza recognized with all incision, probably as the first one. And the animistic interpretations of the religions of nature are in principle not annulled by monopolization. With such walls we can only attain a certain self-deception, but our moral efforts are not furthered by them. On the contrary. (Letters of Note, 2009)

In this reference to Spinoza as a solution to the faux superiority posited by Gutkind, we find echoes to a consistent view of the universe as a mathematical harmony without a wink lost over human affairs and parochial belief systems, or claims to racial superiority. He then stated:

Now that I have quite openly stated our differences in intellectual convictions it is still clear to me that we are quite close to each other in essential things, i.e; in our evaluations of human behavior. What separates us are only intellectual “props” and “rationalization” in Freud’s language. Therefore I think that we would understand each other quite well if we talked about concrete things. (Ibid.)

In this, we can see a distinct split between the intellectual and emotional common sentiment.

On a rather thoughtful, though not entirely unbiased but probably mostly true, note, Christian thinktank Theos senior fellow, Nick Spencer, stated, “Einstein offers scant consolation to either party in this debate. His cosmic religion and distant deistic God fits neither the agenda of religious believers or that of tribal atheists… As so often during his life, he refused and disturbed the accepted categories. We do the great physicist a disservice when we go to him to legitimise our belief in God, or in his absence” (Sherwood, 2018).

References

Barron, J. (2018, December 2). Einstein’s ‘God Letter,’ a Viral Missive From 1954. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/02/nyregion/einstein-god-letter-auction.html.

BBC News. (2018a, December 4). Albert Einstein’s ‘God letter’ sells for $2.9m. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46438116.

BBC News. (2018b, March 6). Albert Einstein note to young female scientist sells at auction. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43308400.

BBC News. (2018c, June 14). Einstein’s travel diaries reveal racist stereotypes. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44472277.

Christie’s. (2018, December 12). ‘The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weakness’. Retrieved from https://www.christies.com/features/Albert-Einstein-God-Letter-9457-3.aspx.

Christie’s. (2002, March 27). Sale 1032. Retrieved from https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/einstein-albert-typed-letter-signed-to-3886884-details.aspx.

CTV News. (2018, December 5). Einstein’s ‘God letter’ fetches $2.9M at auction. Retrieved from https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/einstein-s-god-letter-fetches-2-9m-at-auction-1.4206380.

Gillespie, E. (2018, December 6). After a Tense 4-Minute-Long Auction, Einstein’s ‘God Letter’ Sells for Nearly $3 Million at Christie’s. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2018/12/06/einstein-god-letter-sold-price-christies-auction/.

Johnson, B. (n.d.). Albert Einstein’s “God Letter” Taken in Context. Retrieved from http://www.deism.com/einsteingodletter.htm.

Mejia, Z. (2018, December 5). Einstein’s famous ‘God letter’ sold for a record-breaking $2.9 million — here’s why. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/05/einsteins-god-letter-sold-at-auction-for-2point9-million–heres-why.html.

Osborne, S. (2018, December 5). Albert Einstein’s ‘God letter’ in which physicist rejected religion auctioned for $3m. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/albert-einstein-god-letter-auction-sale-religion-science-atheism-new-york-eric-gutkind-a8668216.html.

Rense, S. (2018, December 6). Albert Einstein’s Letter Calling God a ‘Human Weakness’ Netted $2.9 Million at Auction. Retrieved from https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/money/a25422404/einstein-god-letter-sells-auction/.

Roos, D. (2018, June 14). Albert Einstein’s Travel Diaries Reveal Racist Comments. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/albertin-einstein-racist-xenophobic-views-travel-journal.

Robinson, M. (2018, December 5). Einstein’s ‘God letter’ breaks record and sells for $2.9M at auction. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/05/us/einstein-god-letter-christies-auction-scli-intl/index.html.

Sherwood, H. (2018, December 4). Albert Einstein’s ‘God letter’ reflecting on religion auctioned for $3m. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/dec/04/physicist-albert-einstein-god-letter-reflecting-on-religion-up-for-auction-christies.

The Week. (2018, December 4). What’s in Albert Einstein’s ‘God letter’?. Retrieved from https://www.theweek.co.uk/98254/what-s-in-albert-einstein-s-god-letter.

Willingham, A.J. (2018, December 4). Einstein’s famous ‘God Letter’ is expected to fetch $1 million at auction. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/04/us/einstein-god-letter-auction-trnd/index.html.

Endnote

[1] The word God is a product of human weakness (2009) in full states:

Dear Mr Gutkind,

Inspired by Brouwer’s repeated suggestion, I read a great deal in your book, and thank you very much for lending it to me. What struck me was this: with regard to the factual attitude to life and to the human community we have a great deal in common. Your personal ideal with its striving for freedom from ego-oriented desires, for making life beautiful and noble, with an emphasis on the purely human element. This unites us as having an “unAmerican attitude.”

Still, without Brouwer’s suggestion I would never have gotten myself to engage intensively with your book because it is written in a language inaccessible to me. The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can change this for me. For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstition. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and whose thinking I have a deep affinity for, have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything “chosen” about them.

With friendly thanks and best wishes,

Yours,

A. Einstein

Letters of Note. (2009, September). The word God is a product of human weakness. Retrieved from http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/10/word-god-is-product-of-human-weakness.html.

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2022-03-10

Q & A on the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology: Session 4

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/06

Dr. Sven van de Wetering is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada. His research interests are in “Conservation Psychology, lay conceptions of evil, relationships between personality variables and political attitudes.” In a 4-part interview series, we explore the philosophical foundations of psychology.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You have an interest in ecological validity and critical thinking from a psychological perspective. Psychology requires a Swiss army approach to problem-solving, as you have noted in other conversations with me, which is exemplified in the number of disciplines and sub-disciplines within the field. The external validity amounts to the extent that one can extrapolate and generalise the findings of psychology. Ecological validity is one aspect of the extrapolation and generalisation. It looks at the extensions into the real world. From a psychological perspective, how can the apparent simplicity of a research finding become troublesome when taken into the real world?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: I think your phrasing captures the problem: “simplicity of a good solid psychological research finding” is a delightful phrase because it captures so succinctly what is wrong with the way many research psychologists (including me in my less reflective moments) think of their research findings. Findings in physics are often satisfyingly simple and reliable. Think of Newton shining light through a prism, Galileo dropping stuff off of towers, or Robert Boyle goofing around with a vacuum pump. In this model of science, you find a result, you assume that the physical reality underlying the result is fairly simple. Furthermore, you assume that that physical reality will not change over time, and you feel free to draw sweeping generalisations based on the simple experiment (though it turns out Boyle was pretty cautious about doing that, an example we could probably learn from). That approach has gotten us far in physics, presumably because the assumptions of simplicity and changelessness correspond fairly well to the physical reality. A similar approach seems to be less useful in psychology, and I would argue that that is because the subject matter of psychology, human behaviour, is neither changeless nor straightforward.

To take a straightforward example, any good social psychology textbook, and most bad ones as well will talk about the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE), which is also called correspondence bias, a term which I much prefer.

In its simplest form, FAE (correspondence bias) is the tendency for people to assume that other people’s actions tell us a lot about their inner traits, beliefs, and values while ignoring the fact that many of the influences on people’s actions are situational in nature. The thing that irritates me about the name “Fundamental Attribution Error” is the word “fundamental” which seems to imply that the error is anchored in a core aspect of human psychological functioning, one that is universal across individuals, cultures, and situations.

When this assumption is examined, it is found that the tendency fails to occur in some situations, that there are individual differences in the degree to which people fall prey to this bias, and that members of individualist cultures are much more susceptible to the bias than members of collectivist cultures. In short, many investigators of the FAE (correspondence bias) seem to assume that people’s behaviour in a small number of fairly contrived situations tells us something important about the way they behave all the time. To maybe highlight the illogic of this, it almost looks like many of these investigators engaged in more egregious examples of FAE than the people in their experiments. If I were more psycho-dynamically inclined, I might even accuse these researchers of projection.

As I said above, I am probably as vulnerable to this tendency as anyone else. I wonder if part of the problem is linguistic. Research psychologists often formulate their hypotheses as universal generalisations, something like “People do X.” It is certainly true that some people, some of the time, under some circumstances, do X; if they didn’t, the results of the experiment wouldn’t have come out the way they did. Researchers are aware that universalism is an assumption, but it’s not problematized as much as it probably should be. Usually, if the phenomenon is replicated with a few slight procedural variations and a couple of different populations, the assumption of universality is considered provisionally acceptable. I don’t really want to be too critical of this; the time, energy, and money necessary to really thoroughly explore the limits of the phenomena studied by psychologists are often not available. Psychologists do what they can, and perhaps are too busy and harried to really take a long, hard look at the intellectual baggage that psychology has picked up that leads to those assumptions of universality.

SJ: What research findings seem to show robust findings — highly reliable and valid — in the ‘laboratory’ but fail to produce real-world results? Those bigger research findings one may find in an introductory psychology textbook.

Dr Sven van de Wetering: I’m certainly not in a position to give a comprehensive list, but here’s one I find a little ironic. One of the cornerstones of the critical thinking course you cited above was confirmation bias, which is a cluster of biases centred around the tendency to selectively test one’s hypotheses in a way that makes it relatively easy to confirm the hypothesis one already has in mind but difficult to disconfirm that same hypothesis. Some of my best students started to look into the literature and found that the whole intellectual edifice of confirmation bias was based on only a small number of experimental paradigms. Snyder and Swann developed one of the research paradigms in question in 1976. They asked people to prepare to interview another person. Their job in that interview was to find out whether the person in question was an introvert or an extrovert. It found that people often used what is called a positive test strategy; that is, if the interviewer was trying to find out if the person was an extravert, they chose a lot of questions that an extravert would tend to answer “yes” to. This has been taken to indicate confirmation bias on the part of the research participants.

What doesn’t get emphasised when most textbooks cite the above study is that the research participants did not create their interview questions from scratch. Instead, they were asked to choose some from a list. My students wondered if research participants would do the same thing if they could make up questions. We ran a small study on this question, and we did weakly replicate the original study; that is, people asked to find out if someone was an introvert were slightly more likely to ask questions that an introvert would say “yes” to, and people asked to find out if someone was an extravert had a non-significant tendency to ask more questions that an extravert would answer yes to. What we found striking, though, was that a substantial majority of the questions our participants came up with were not yes-no questions at all, but rather open-ended ones that at least had the potential to be informative regardless of whether the hypothesis was true or false. Thus, confirmation bias was, at best, a minor undercurrent in the test strategies used by most of our participants.

Jacobsen: How can those former examples become the basis for critical thinking and a better comprehension of ecological validity?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: One thing I take from these examples is that human behaviour is highly context-dependent. The issue in these examples is not that people have made a false universal generalization about human behaviour that needs to be replaced with a true universal generalization. The issue is that universal generalizations may not be the way to go in order to explain most facets of human psychological functioning. Nor do I think that we can see people as passive recipients of cultural influences or some other form of learning. Any given person does have neural hardware, an evolutionary history, a history of learning experiences, a social milieu, a set of goals, of likes, of dislikes, of behavioral predispositions, and so on. Most psychologists recognize that this is so, but their hypothesis-testing methods tend to be designed with the assumption that all these different factors operate independently of each other, without interacting. This is probably not a useful assumption to make. I also don’t know what to replace it with, because I’m not mathematician enough to know how to cope with the sort of complexity one gets if every factor interacts with every other factor. I know that some people advocate for a turn from a hypothetico-deductive psychology toward a more interpretive one, but no one has yet shown me a version of this that is disciplined enough to give investigators a fighting chance of overcoming their own biases. So I’m kind of stuck in a methodological cul-de-sac. My own tendency is to more or less stick with existing methodological precepts, but to try to be a little bit skeptical and aware that things may go badly awry. Situations matter, and should be in the forefront of the investigator’s mind even when there is no way of actually accounting for their influence.

Jacobsen: Let us take a controversial example with the pendulum swings within the educational philosophies. Some are fads, while others are substantiated. In either case, the attempt is to make a relatively controlled setting, e.g. a single school’s educational environment in one community or standardized tests, extrapolate into improved school performance on some identifiable markers such as those found on the PISA tests, university English preparedness or — ahem — university preparedness, or even training for citizenship in one of the more amorphous claims, and so on. What educational paradigms, within this temporal and cultural quicksand, stand the test of time for general predictive success on a variety of metrics, i.e. have high general ecological validity for education and even life success?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: I confess I find this a thorny issue. Once again, culture matters. In the US, asking children to work on problems they have chosen themselves is very much more motivating than asking them to work on problems chosen by their mothers. In some collectivist cultures (maybe most or even all, this hasn’t been tested a lot) the reverse is the case. This sort of thing makes me wonder how important something like child-centred education is.
One fad we probably shouldn’t get too excited about is the idea that all important learning is procedural, and that it is, therefore, unimportant to learn about content. In the area of critical thinking, it turns out that the most important single tool (if you can call it that) is lots and lots of domain-specific knowledge. Once a person has that, procedures may increase that person’s ability to use that knowledge effectively, but without the knowledge, all the procedures in the world don’t seem to do any good. Reading an article from Wikipedia doesn’t cut it; those bullshit detectors that are so important to critical thinking only develop as a result of fairly deep engagement with a body of material. That said, procedural knowledge is tremendously important; my issue is with the assumption that because knowing how is important knowing what is unimportant.

Probably the number one most important factor in education is an attitudinal one. If we think of educating our children and young adults as a sacred mission, we have a reasonable chance of success. This goes along with reasonably high social status for educators, though not necessarily money. If we think of education as something we do because it keeps kids off of the streets until they are 18 or because it enhances people’s “human capital” for the sake of the job market, then we may be trouble. Then you risk having educators going through the motions; if your educators are not passionate about what they are doing, it is pretty much guaranteed that your students won’t be, either, and then you’ve got a real problem.

SJ: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Sven.

Dr Sven van de Wetering: Thank you, Scott. As always, a thought-provoking exercise.

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2022-03-10

Q & A on the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology: Session 3

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/05

Dr. Sven van de Wetering is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada. His research interests are in “Conservation Psychology, lay conceptions of evil, relationships between personality variables and political attitudes.” In a 4-part interview series, we explore the philosophical foundations of psychology.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is the epistemology underlying statistics in psychology? Where does psychology begin to find its statistical limits?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: I think the more or less explicit epistemological assumption underlying the use of statistics in psychology comes right out of Skinner and his notion that the human organism can be thought of as a locus of variables. In other words, human cognitive, emotional, and behavioural propensities can be meaningfully studied as dimensions that can be expressed numerically, as can environmental events likely to influence those propensities. Furthermore, the task of psychology is conceived of as being to figure out ways of measuring those underlying variables and of inferring how they influence one another. We depart from Skinner, though, in rejecting his absurd claim that one can explain all variability, that the concept of error variance is meaningless. Because error variance is a fundamental feature of the complexity of human organisms, and the even more complex environment in which they operate, inferential statistics then become an important tool to separate incorrect hypotheses from correct ones. Also important in all this is the assumption that human beings are very good at finding patterns in any sort of data, including pure noise, and that safeguards are needed to prevent us from inferring patterns where none exist. Human beings are seen as very fallible creatures, and inferential statistics are seen as safeguards against that fallibility.

SJ: What are some of the most embarrassing examples of statistical over-extension in psychology studies ?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: I’m not sure, I routinely get embarrassed by over- or misapplication of statistics, but I do sometimes think people don’t know what inferential statistics means. Two patterns frequently bother me, though I can’t think of particular examples off the top of my head. One is people who conduct a study with a small sample size, fail to find a statistically reliable difference between treatment groups, and then blithely proclaim that the null hypothesis is true, as if the study’s lack of statistical power is some sort of virtue. The second pattern is almost the opposite of the first: people who conduct studies with enormous sample sizes, find a statistically reliable difference between groups, and then trumpet the finding as an important one.

They don’t bother to report effect sizes, probably because to do so would be to acknowledge that the effect they have found, though statistically reliable, is too small to have a lot of real-world significance.

SJ: We did some preliminary work in an interesting area, environmental psychology. You have an expertise in political psychology. How can statistical knowledge about political psychology influence knowledge around issues of environmental psychology, e.g. climate change denial — as opposed to scepticism?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: Many people who are very concerned about anthropogenic climate change are baffled by the large numbers of people who deny that human actions are having an appreciable effect on the Earth’s climate. The scientific evidence appears to be so overwhelming to those who accept it (not that most of them have read much of it) that the only explanation that they can fathom for climate change denial-ism is that it is rooted in sheer ignorance of the scientific facts. Statistically, though, scientific ignorance does not appear to be a major factor in climate change denial-ism, given that the correlation between belief in anthropogenic climate change and general scientific literacy is close to zero. Instead, we find an extremely strong correlation between belief in anthropogenic climate change and measures of ideology. In the US, people who strongly identify with the Republican Party or who self-identify as very right-wing are very likely to deny that human actions are responsible for changes in climate, regardless of how much they know about science in general or climate science in particular.

SJ: The statistical approaches often come in conjunction with “folk psychology.” So, some Folk psychological explanations for a phenomenon exist, then they either become supported or not through scientific studies. Why is this the basis of lots of research? How is it weak? How is it robust?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: We use folk psychology as a heuristic because we don’t really have standardised procedures for hypothesis generation. If we don’t have a formal theory that acts as a source of research hypotheses, then informal theories (i.e. folk psychology) are the next best thing. The primary strength and primary weakness of folk psychological theories are the same, namely that they are fairly easy for us to understand with our limited cognitive apparatuses. This is a strength because theory is always under-determined by data, so if multiple theories are possible, we might as well go with the ones that are easy to understand. This is a weakness because there is no a priori reason to believe that true theories of human psychological functioning are easily comprehensible. An example of this is connectionist modelling of human cognition. Connectionism has some pretty substantial explanatory successes to its credit, but has not caught on as well as might be expected just because it is so absurdly non-intuitive that nobody really has a good gut sense of what connectionist models are actually asserting.

Jacobsen: Thank you for your time, Sven — pleasure as always.

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2022-03-10

Q & A on the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology: Session 2

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/04

Dr. Sven van de Wetering is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada. His research interests are in “Conservation Psychology, lay conceptions of evil, relationships between personality variables and political attitudes.” In a 4-part interview series, we explore the philosophical foundations of psychology.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What philosophy best represents the opinion of most psychologists regarding the means by which human beings think, feel, and act?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: I think we are still very far from a consensus on this issue. My personal take would be to still use the metaphor of the human as a computer. The gross outlines of the computer’s programming have been laid down by the process of evolution by natural selection, and the fine tuning done by various forms of learning. Feelings are part of the overall system, not some sort of exogenous factor.

These ideas are all at least several decades old, and to my mind, they work well together, but each component of the triad of information processing, evolution, and learning is rejected by some psychologists. Some psychologists find that thinking of cognition as information processing is unhelpful, others believe in information processing, but consider the human information processor so general in its functioning that evolutionary psychology has no heuristic value, and some are happy with the concept of the mind as an evolved computer, but think that learning processes only do some very minor tweaking around the edges, and are not really worth worrying about.

I guess what I am trying to say is that psychology is a fundamentally pluralistic enterprise. No single theory answers your question because the human mind is a very complex device that can be fruitfully described at many different levels and from many different points of view. Pluralism is an uncomfortable and cognitively demanding stance that is not for everyone, even among people with PhDs in psychology. Furthermore, even pluralists get things wrong (a lot), so one sometimes wonders what the payoff is. Other than psychology being fun, of course.

SJ: What is the worldview, and statistical outlook, that you try to inculcate in students?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: As with several other aspects of psychology, I find that it has to be taught in two ways. One is at the level of the community standards of academic psychology. Certain statistical procedures need to be taught because academic psychologists expect one to know them, and one therefore needs to know them because it is expected, regardless of the intellectual merits of doing so.

The other is to do whatever it takes to find out what the data actually means. This often entails doing more descriptive work than what you see in many journal articles. In some really egregious examples, I have seen published articles where authors claimed their hypothesis was supported because some test said p<.05, but when I actually looked at the group means, the difference between them was in the opposite direction from the one predicted.

This is an extreme example, but something I see much more commonly is people writing things such as “Variable y induces people to produce behaviour x.” But when I look at the actual data, I find that both groups actually tended to avoid engaging in behaviour x, but members of the experimental group were slightly less likely to avoid behaviour x than members of the control group, and therefore people actually engaging in behaviour x made up a fairly small proportion of the overall sample.

Still more frequently and less egregiously, people will write about a difference in means as if everyone in every group was behaving in the exact way that the group mean indicates they are behaving. There is often little or no acknowledgment of variability in responses, even though the reported standard deviations indicate that this variability is substantial.

If I can summarize this paragraph, let me say that p values are given too much attention at the expense of descriptive statistics, and descriptive statistics are often being treated as if they describe everything, rather than being highly aggregated summaries that throw a lot of information away. It is of course right to summarize and to ignore individual cases in our research reports (because to do otherwise would invite cognitive overload), but we should try to avoid conventions in writing that make it seem like the individual cases don’t even exist or that the summary statistics contain all the information of interest.

We of course go into research with hypotheses in mind, but if we don’t spend many hours playing with the raw data, we don’t get to find out what the data are actually telling us. It’s always exciting when p<.05, but that’s always only a small part of the story. Playing around with the raw data, graphing them, noticing anomalies, etc. helps keep us alert to the complex messiness of human behaviour, and helps steer us away from unjustified formulations such as “variable x causes this change in variable y” when really all we know is that in one study, on average, variable x was associated with that change in variable y, and there is seldom evidence that variable x had that effect on variable y for every single person in the study, or even for a majority of people.

SJ: Between rigour and relevance, where has there been the most fruitful growth of real data about people?

Dr Sven van de Wetering: I am very hesitant to pronounce on this, because I am more attuned to developments on the side that emphasises rigour. That being said, I think developments have not been entirely positive on my end of the playing field, given the replication crisis and all. It may be that things are even worse among those who emphasise social relevance, but my personal opinion is that no branch of psychology is in a great place right now.

SJ: Thank you for your time, Sven — always a pleasure.

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Q & A on the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology: Session 1

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/03

Dr. Sven van de Wetering is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada. His research interests are in “Conservation Psychology, lay conceptions of evil, relationships between personality variables and political attitudes.” In a 4-part interview series, we explore the philosophical foundations of psychology.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Dr. Sven van de Wetering, I would like to dig deeper into our conversation about the philosophical foundations of psychology. So let us start with what is psychology?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: Psychology is the attempt to apply the same high epistemological criteria that have made the natural sciences such a success to a set of questions that preoccupy almost everyone, namely, why our fellow humans think, feel, and act the way they do. Because psychology asks an enormous range of questions, its various subfields have relatively little in common with each other, aside from striving for epistemological rigour.

SJ: Psychology seems to create epistemological issues, which, in turn, make for ontological issues. Could you please further discuss the place of epistemology in psychology. And what are some of the more hotly debated issues surrounding it?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: Every undergraduate programme in psychology that I know of teaches two lower-level courses that deal almost entirely with epistemology. One of these is a course in statistics, and the second is a course in research methods. Between them, these courses introduce the fundamentals of methodology in psychology.

These courses are difficult to teach. Perhaps because so many psychology students are terrified of math. A frequent response of students being forced to take their first course in psychological statistics is to get very focused on the details of conducting the statistical analyses, and lose sight of the worldview on which those psychological statistics are based. Essentially, the idea is that the human world is a very complex place, and that the common western intuition that single causes give rise to single effects is not helpful in trying to figure out what is going on. Instead, a human being is subject to many influences at any given time, some internal, some external, and some with their roots in the individual’s distant past. Many of these influences are practically invisible, and even if we went to the trouble of attempting to make ourselves aware of every single one of those influences, we still would not know how all those different factors interact. To cope with the uncertainty induced by this overwhelming complexity, we create the simplifying fiction of random variation.

Instead of seeing causes and effects as being tightly coupled in human affairs, we see influences that increase or decrease the probability of certain human behaviours within that allegedly random matrix of behavioural possibility. Thus, we partition this blooming, buzzing confusion of human behaviour into two components: a portion that we think we can attribute to a small group of influences we are currently examining, and another portion that we attribute to the much larger group of influences we are not currently studying, and that we thus dismiss as error variance. Statistics is therefore used to separate the signal from the noise in this framework, and research methods are a set of techniques we use to amplify the signal so that the statistical techniques can be picked out more easily.

One thing that has always bemused me about psychological research is the extent to which we can typically only explain a few percent of the variances for any given phenomenon. This is due to nothing more than the fact that picking up the signal is hard. This is nothing to be ashamed of, but the focus on the signal is so intense that I think we often lose sight of the fact that the noise is also human behaviour. I would love to see psychological discourse focus a little more on the variances we cannot explain, not so much as a lesson in humility, but just as a way of cultivating an awareness of what incredibly complicated creatures human beings are.

SJ: What was the first tacit epistemology in psychological research? In other words, who can be considered the first psychologist? And what was their approach to psychology?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: At the risk of sounding very boring and conventional, I am going to say Wilhelm Wundt. He called his approach “physiological” (what we now call experimental). What he meant by this is that he would attempt to present people with highly controlled stimuli in order to evoke a tightly circumscribed set of responses. This actually does not make him that much different from some people that came before him, such as Fechner. His really big innovation however was to create a group of researchers (i.e. graduate students). Wundt recognized that science is a fundamentally social enterprise, and that the proverbial mad scientist in the tower in the thunderstorm is an object of suspicion and derision not because he is mad, but because he is socially isolated.

Communicating one’s findings with other scientists (Wundt also created the first psychology journal) and training other young scientists in one’s techniques is not a peripheral enterprise. The essence of science is that it is self-correcting, but for various psychological reasons, individuals are not very good at correcting themselves. It is only by subjecting their work to the scrutiny of other scientists that any given scientist can obtain the benefits of this self-correcting aspect of the scientific method. It is for this reason that I consider the hype surrounding Wilhelm Wundt completely justified.

SJ: What are some of the major sub-fields, and their fundamental philosophical disagreements, of the discipline?

Dr. Sven van de Wetering: The number of subfields in psychology is very large, but I would have to say that the major tension within psychology is between people who emphasize the epistemological rigour discussed above and the people who focus on real-world relevance. Few psychologists want to discard either rigour or relevance, but there is sometimes a bit of a trade-off between the two.

Experiments that allow researchers to establish tight linkages between causes and effects often make use of highly controlled laboratory tasks that are quite unlike the sort of situations most people face in their day-to-day lives. Real-world relevance, on the other hand, may come when we try to conduct therapy on someone with real psychological problems. Because the client is often in the midst of a highly complex life situation, strict experimental control is likely to be difficult or impossible to implement, and opportunities for rigour are greatly diminished.

As I said, most of us want both rigour and relevance, but we often have to trade them off against each other. Some people are willing to give up relatively little rigour in the name of relevance, and stay in their laboratories. Others prize relevance above all else, and will sacrifice a great deal of rigour for the sake of having a fighting chance of being useful to people in need.

I think part of the reason this creates so much tension is exactly because psychologists value both rigour and relevance. The ones who, to many outside observers, seem pretty irrelevant, tend to justify themselves by claiming to be more relevant than most other people think they are. Similarly, the relevant practitioners often think they are more epistemologically rigorous than they really are. Thus, much of the tension comes not from differences in opinion about what to give up for the sake of what, but rather anger at the other group for disputing their self-perceptions as both rigorous and relevant.

SJ: Thank you for your time, Dr. Sven van de Wetering. It is always a pleasure talking to you.

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2022-03-10

From Nuns to None: #MeToo & #ChurchToo

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): News Intervention

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/11/30

The number of nuns continues its precipitous decline in overall numbers. Also, they have begun to come out, calling out sexual abuse within the church.

Looking at the overall numbers of the nuns in the province of Quebec in Canada, we can monitor decline in the numbers of the faithful women in the monasteries decline over decades from its height.

The history, apparently, runs back about 400 years ago in the history of Quebec. But now, the most devout women in the Roman Catholic world are beginning to decline in numbers and age – as a reflection of religion in general in North America – and wither into the dark. The number of Roman Catholic nuns in Quebec province of Canada, in total or raw numbers, touched a high of 47,000 in 1961. Now, the number has decreased to fewer than 6,000 with the mean age above 80. This portends poorly for the Christian faith’s largest sect or tradition in Quebec.

It amounts to an augury for the future of Canada with respect to much religious faith. Something akin to a hollowing out of the faiths; if not in raw numbers, then in the seriousness with which individual believers take their religious faith.

I feel for the sisters in the loss of long-term culture. Not fun for anyone to lose a sense of place and purpose. However, other issues may dwarf this as the sexual misconduct claims continue to pour out of the religious institutions and organizations throughout the country and the world. By implication, many more remain unreported.

The continued decline of the faithful has not been helped by the continual deluge of sexual abuse case settlements. One, recently, amounted to tens of millions of dollars. One nun stopped attendance at a regular confession because of a priest forcing himself on her. The rape happened when she was “recounting her sins to him in a university classroom nearly 20 years ago.” Apparently, this sister was silenced due to the vows of obedience to the hierarchs of the Roman Catholic Church and its attendant orthodoxy in addition to the shame and guilt coming from the rape.

By the reportage, she appeared to remain stuck in one of the first stages of trauma: denial. Ignore it, it did not happen, then everything will be better. It will go away.

Now, more have begun to come forward to tell their own narratives of abuse and secrecy from within the Roman Catholic Church, where the abusers are bishops and priests.

The cases continue to emerge not in isolated incidents, countries, or even regions; they exist in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. The queries may emerge, as they do for me, about the hierarchical structure itself.

The unquestioned power of men who hold the levers, whether in traditional-conservative structures seen in much of the Roman Catholic Church or in liberal-progressive institutions observed in much of the culture of Hollywood.

In terms of sexual violence, the core perpetrators tend to be men in both institutions; women tend to be the main victims. Within the increasing prominence of the anti-sexual violence and justice movements in social media and elsewhere, the church is having a moment and nuns account for a portion of it.

The sexual violence perpetrated, for example, by the Vatican in the 1990s in Africa was not dealt with or handled – euphemisms in both cases – sufficiently, or at all. One of the most prominent individuals who has been charged with sexual misconduct is the sexual abuse and harassment of seminarians by the American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

A leading expert of the church sexual abuse and abuse of power history, Karlijn Demasure, stated, “I am so sad that it took so long for this to come into the open, because there were reports long ago… I hope that now actions will be taken to take care of the victims and put an end to this kind of abuse.”

Demasure continued, “They (the priests) can always say ‘she wanted it’… It is also difficult to get rid of the opinion that it is always the woman who seduces the man, and not vice versa.”

The references provide rather extensive coverage on the issues of both a decline in the number of Quebecois nuns, so provincial, and then the sexual abuse #MeToo moment, so international.

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A Life in Comedy 6 – Now (Part 5)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Again, since Trump has been elected. The amount of working out I have been doing has been increasing crazily from maybe 60 sets per day to 100 little sets a day. I’ll go to one gym and do 24 sets. I’ll go to another and do 70 sets until I’ve worked through 5 gyms, even though I have no aerobic or I am aerobically messed up. I can still sit on weight machines and do a bunch of sets there.

I come home and do more tweeting based on a Hollywood show called Hashtag Wars. They give you a topic and then you tweet jokes to fit the topic. The whole idea is a dumb thing to do. Everything I do is doing comedy pushups. That is, writing jokes for the writing of jokes sake. Nobody is paying me to do it. This will drive eyes to my social media stuff.

Right now, I have been averaging 60,000 to 70,000 views of my tweets per day, which I think is pretty good. But I don’t know if that will convince a publisher that I have a built-in public. That is my day. It is somewhat ridiculous. I hope to someday get paid for words again.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-10

A Life in Comedy 5 – Now (Part 4)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Now, I am 40% anemic or fully anemic. I only have 60% of the red blood cells I should have. My being a snowflake about Trump is literally killing me, not that I fall down. But I have to catch my breath. I get up. I tweet often about Trump. I check my numbers of followers. I respond to people who have written me messages. Though I am a terrible responder to stuff.

I take a lot of time and miss a lot of stuff. I am not the best replier to DMs or emails. Some days, several days a week, you and I get together and you ask me questions, and I answer questions that way I do now. You turn that in to more material to put online, which is awesome. I am best at writing 20 words at a time. I am best at writing jokes. The longer-form stuff takes me longer.

So this way of doing things is fantastically helpful. I can talk my way through stuff. Given that I am unemployed, I can help around the house, though I do not help as much as I should. In the afternoon, I tweet some more. I think that I really should work some more on the proposal for How to be a Fucked Up Genius. Lately, I have been taking a nap and eating a lot of cheese.

Cheese is one of the things that doesn’t wreck my stomach. Then my wife comes home. We have dinner. I go out to 5 gyms. I have got super OCD about going to the gym.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-10

A Life in Comedy 4 – Now (Part 3)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Also, a friend and I have a YouTube series were we discuss politics while he paints my portrait. All od this is to get a bunch of social media views to help make my pitch more persuasive to a publisher. I switched away from the book about the 10 years in high school and want to do a book about how to be a fucked up genius because genius is a pretty hot topic right now.

I think becuase the world is so vast and confusing. I think people turn to the idea of genius to figure things out. Also, people want to feel smart in a world that can make you feel dumb. So my day is I get up and check what is going on on the news. And then I crank out a couple of tweets about it. Often, usually, lately, for the past 6 months, it has been about Trump.

Most of the joke tweets have been about Trump. Even as Trump is literally killing me, I go in tomorrow to see if I have internal bleeding someplace. My hemoglobin numbers are down 40% from what a healthy guy should have, which means I am leaking someplace and the leaking started the whole – the IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome – stres pooping started when Trump was elected.

[End of recorded material]

Authors[1]

Rick Rosner

American Television Writer

RickRosner@Hotmail.Com

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Editor-in-Chief, In-Sight Publishing

Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.Com

In-Sight Publishing

Endnotes

[1] Four format points for the session article:

Bold text following “Scott Douglas Jacobsen:” or “Jacobsen:” is Scott Douglas Jacobsen & non-bold text following “Rick Rosner:” or “Rosner:” is Rick Rosner.
Session article conducted, transcribed, edited, formatted, and published by Scott.
Footnotes & in-text citations in the interview & references after the interview.
This session article has been edited for clarity and readability.
For further information on the formatting guidelines incorporated into this document, please see the following documents:

American Psychological Association. (2010). Citation Guide: APA. Retrieved from http://www.lib.sfu.ca/system/files/28281/APA6CitationGuideSFUv3.pdf.
Humble, A. (n.d.). Guide to Transcribing. Retrieved from http://www.msvu.ca/site/media/msvu/Transcription%20Guide.pdf.
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A Life in Comedy 3 – Now (Part 2)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/15

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is going on in your life now?

Rick Rosner: So my plan was to sell a book. A memoir about the 10 years I spent in high school. I got an agent based on a couple of appearances on a couple of podcasts, like Bill Simmons’ podcast. I got a co-author because I like partnering up on stuff. We wrote a 60 page book proposal. It went out. I got a deal for a half of a second.

An editor from Riverhead said they wanted a deal, then called back 4 days later, but she could not persuade her bossesw to make a deal. My plan has been, over the past 3 years, if do nothing else, at least increase my social media presence to the point where I am – not quite famous bcause it is not famous – having at least enough of a social media following to make some publisher think giving me a deal is a good move.

So I’ve been building up my following on Twitter. With your help, we have been expanding my socila media presence into all sorts of areas: blogging, WordPress. A bunch of different sites.

[End of recorded material]

Authors[1]

Rick Rosner

American Television Writer

RickRosner@Hotmail.Com

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Editor-in-Chief, In-Sight Publishing

Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.Com

In-Sight Publishing

Endnotes

[1] Four format points for the session article:

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2022-03-10

A Life in Comedy 2 – Now (Part 1)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is going on in your life now?

Rick Rosner: If you’re a TV or a movie writer, even if you’re successful, you’ll have some periods of unemployment. At any given time, only about half of the members of the Writers’ Guild are employed. I had a really long run. Where I consistently employed for 14 years, then I lost my late night writing job about 3 years ago.

And quickly learned, I was screwed for getting more employment in that area. In that, there are only about 100 late night writers employed at any given time. There is not a lot of turnover. I don’t have or didn’t have a reputation for being a unique voice, even though I pretty much am, that is a gem who will be an asset to any late night staff.

I talked to an agent who said he would only represent me if I came up with a half-hour comedy spec. script, which struck me as not super difficult, but pretty hard to do an excellent at. So since my experience is not in that area, I could write a spec. script and I could try my hardest. And it would end up being one of a 100 scripts in a pile of submissions.

Out of those 100 people who have submitted. Only 1 or 2 get hired. It seemed like not the best way to proceed to try to make myself one of the top 1 or 2 out of a 100 experienced writers with representation. That I could suddenly jump in and write best one of the best spec. scripts with zero experience. It seemed unlikely.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-10

A Life in Comedy 1 – Brainstorming

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Life in Comedy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: When it comes to writing process or brainstorming for comedy, what is it for you?

Rick Rosner: Well, most of my experience is writing topically. So the first thing to do is to sit down and see what’s happened over night, and what’s going on in the world. Since I am unemployed, and since I am deludedly trying to build a media brand via Twitter, I usually get my news from Twitter. I see what everyone is going crazy about. The day before yesterday, it was covfefe, which was Trump’s spasm of misspelling in a tweet.

The last close to a year has been mostly Trump. I am sick of it. Everybody else is sick of it, of having to make Trump jokes. Of course, everybody else is sick of why we have to make Trump jokes, which is that he is running the country. So anyway, first to Twitter to see what everybody is going crazy about, and to see hat jokes have already been hit, and to see if there are some other angles to come up with.

Some people when writing jokes will not let themselves read Twitter because it will close out too many joke angles. Once you see somebody else do it, you don’t want to do it. Once I see everybody go crazy on Twitter, I will try to look up some of the articles. I will try to get more information about the topics to see if there are any jokes to be had using extra information. I don’t know. Maybe, a third of the time you find some extra facts, which give you the opportunity to present the joked about situation that is even more absurd.

That’s for topical. There are also evergreen jokes, which, for me, is usually pulling stuff out of my everyday experience or life experience. It can include dumb stuff I’ve done in my life. Extra points if you can tie it into dumb stuff going on right now.

Jacobsen: Some closing statements.

Rosner: To sum up: check the goofy news, search for additional information, and consider your own life from personal angles. That’s a good three starting steps.

[End of recorded material]

Authors[1]

Rick Rosner

American Television Writer

RickRosner@Hotmail.Com

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Editor-in-Chief, In-Sight Publishing

Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.Com

In-Sight Publishing

Endnotes

[1] Four format points for the session article:

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2022-03-10

An Interview with Gareth Crawford

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Karmik

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/30

In brief, how did you become involved with Karmik?

It is an interesting story. So, I was added on Facebook because I am an event promoter. I was promoting events for a couple of years. My friend moved into town. She asked if they could come to events, provide free condoms and drug supplies.

I thought, “This is a good idea.” In the community, there are many people using substances. No one else was doing it.

Karmik is based in the west coast.

My friend moved here. She moved from Montreal. She joined forces with others early in the operation. Three people started Karmik.

It is based on aspects of the harm reduction philosophy. It is a strategy and practice through Karmik. What are some examples of this, e.g. in youth party activities.

So, we do not condone or condemn. Evidence-based drug policy is advocated by us. If harm reduction philosophy is not going to be implemented, we will as renegades. We want people to be safe. We meet people where they are at. Mostly, they are at parties.

Many people do not know what they’re getting into sometimes. From being in the music community, I have seen drugs have positive effects, and negative effects as well. Overall, knowledge is power.

It is important to teach people. We get to talk to the younger generation and educate them. It is about knowledge and safety.

How can younger generations become involved in Karmik? How can older generations contribute too?

As the communications director, I have the experience of connecting the Karmik message to younger people. For young people, early on, Inner City Beats was one of the first collaborators.

What would you consider the main message to get out about drugs to the public, especially the youth, to correct a larger misconception?

People should know what they’re getting into. They can talk to someone older. We want to be bigger brothers and sisters to them. They can talk to us about things that they wouldn’t discuss with their parents.

We tell them to learn more, give back, help people, and be safe. There are tons of things you can do. Even if you are going to use, there are things to do to prevent harms, e.g. having a friend around, having safe supplies, and so on. We are not there to encourage it. However, we are aware of the reality. Brushing it under the rug is no longer acceptable, it has to be addressed.

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An Interview with Munroe Ro, Founder and Outreach Director of Karmik

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Karmik

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/30

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity, readability, and concision. What was the inspiration for Karmik?

I love when people ask us this; inspiration comes from many places. Karmik was started through collaborative ideas and recognition of an identified need in the community. It did not come from just one person.

I grew up in places like Toronto, Prairies, and Central America; I am not from Vancouver originally. In Toronto, we had a similar harm reduction organization called the TRIP! Project. It is run and funded through the public health system. For me, one of the first raves I went to was where the TRIP! Project in Toronto was present. They seemed to be very supportive and at the same time, realistic – they didn’t seem to pressure people and were just so warm and inviting, their vibes. I thought, “Wow! What is this?”

They have similar supports to Karmik at youth events through Toronto and some of the festivals around Ontario. Many harm reduction organizations working in nightlife and community settings will have similar setups. Karmik keeps in line with things that work, and we all share similar structures that have success in supporting our target demographic. Also, since we have the same structures, it allows us to create projects and collect data municipally and federally.

I was impacted by my experience with TRIP! Project. After that point, I wanted to make sure something existed. I grew up in the arts and music scene. I want to see the supports there. I have been around a bit. When I came to Vancouver, I moved here for professional life. I work in addictions, mental health, and social work as well. It is my day career.

When I moved out here, I was integrating into the communities more. I did not see many other projects like TRIP! Project. I started to ask questions. I started to figure out if that existed in Vancouver. A program to fill the identified gaps of public health in certain communities.

When I found none, I started to think about where I could place some skills there. From that point, I was active in online forums. I met Alex Betsos, who is the volunteer coordinator. He is another co-founder of Karmik.

Also, I met Margaret Yu there too. She is another co-founder. She stepped back in her duties (recently). We recognized the same gap in public health. We have a similar background in electronic music and festivals.

We did not see active support for people in harm reduction. The inspiration came from that. There were few historically active harm reduction groups; Mind Body Love and a Vancouver DanceSafe chapter were two of the identified previous supports. in Vancouver, BC.

What tasks and responsibilities come with Karmik?

I own the business and am one of three co founders. I am also the outreach director and on staff Naloxone trainer. I am definitely the annoying person bugging somebody about an event, having harm reduction at their space or festival, and pressing them to talk about it and explore the new concept with me.

Also, I do back-end work with Karmik; this is variable from engagement to advocacy to engagement and research projects. Everyone in the organization will meet once a week together to then focus further on different tasks.

I facilitate naloxone training bi weekly for people under 30 years of age. I do naloxone trainings with different community groups, bar and event staff, citizens in general. I also facilitate Karmik volunteers in their Naloxone training for every cohort; Naloxone is an essential aspect of training for prospective volunteers.

I do live event support as well; during this role, we are called coordinators. When on site for an event, I am one of these coordinators. Coordinators are also different people (than our back end staff) employed to Karmik to be the team leads. They manage, support, and interact with the event staff, patrons, as well as managing the peers on shift during these events.

With the scope of Karmik, you mentioned harm reduction for the organization. What is harm reduction? Why is it the preferred strategy for Karmik?

Harm reduction can be applicable and accessible for many different people. It depends on our perception. Harm reduction is any practice that reduces harm for an individual. No matter the category or stipulation that falls into.

It is a practice with yourself. It will reduce harms of any associated behaviours for you. We can think of how harm reduction is basic. When you cross the road, will you look left and right? That is harm reduction.

You are making a safer choice and decision based on education and information. It is about making informed decisions. You looked left and right to cross the road. How did you know to look left and right? How does that factor into your choice?

A big part is increasing honest education for people, which is a key component of harm reduction. It will empower individuals to make better choices for themselves in any situation, which is inherently leading to harm reduction behaviours in all situations. If we dig deeper into this, why is that a good choice? Think a moment.

My scholastic achievements include a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a Major in Addictions as well as a Substance Use Counsellor diploma. Usually, I work as an addiction counsellor for youth with concurrent disorders, heavy opiate use and mental health. When we look at how people make decisions and care about their lives, it is about being empowered by the choices made by them.

We have an emphasis on their choices. Everyone can think back on times when people said, “You need to do this.” We reply, “Why do we need to do that?” Then somebody doesn’t give a great answer connected to our reality. It does not feel great for us to do something which is not true or genuine. We do not feel connected to our reality when we make choices for other people.

We do not feel that we are engaging in our reality to create our own lives to lead. When we are actively engaged in our lives with genuine connection and passion, we will make better decisions for ourselves. We want to continue that in life and have a personal measure of success.

Firstly, harm reduction is a great way of increasing accessibility to honest education. We want to give people the right education and tools to make the right choices.

Secondly, it increases people’s empowerment and engagement with their own lives. It increases people’s want and desire to control their own lives. It creates a healthier life. It increases the confidence and ambition to take control and create our own lives.

Individuals take control in a way considered the route of least resistance, typically. It’s a concept of self-autonomy. We do not resist decisions or actions that we want to inherently want to do ourselves, that are genuine and connected to our true sense of self. When those choices are made in a healthier way, harm reduction is a relative concept.

We have to look at oppression, traumatized societies, peoples, and communities. The choices forced on us historically as well as currently, are not necessarily the choices we want to make. Harm reduction has to do with supporting people from oppressed, traumatized communities; individuals and communities that have been subjected to stigmatization or stereotyping.

Everyone has been a victim to some aspect in their lives; we can all be empathetic and compassionate when we take a look deeper inside ourselves, to those experiences or times. In regards to positive progression in public health we want to see; increased accessibility to honest education about substances and substance use, as well as increasing engagement strategies with peer to peer resources.

This is primarily so people can feel heard and share the education learned with their communities. This inevitably leads to people making the right choices for themselves and their communities.

It is a no-brainer. Harm reduction works because it works. I appreciate the humor… I used to roll my eyes when I heard that slang. Just kidding; I never did because I always cared about harm reduction. Harm reduction can be as simple a concept, as we allow it.

It is a strategy of, by, and for the people. It has the people’s best interests at heart. In BC, the funds allocated for treatment and harm reduction are put towards incarceration and halfway strategies. Without addressing the root causes of any challenges, how can we hope to find or create pragmatic solutions?

Media attention has focused on looking at treatment programs and substance use support. Specifically, it looks at the reasons for them working and not working. Typically, the ones that do not work come from an oppressive mentality. Additionally, media has focused around the traditional, conservative question of philosophy concerning substance use: just say no? Personally, I spend the majority of my interviews combating Nancy Reagan and her archaic attacks on our personal autonomy.

Harm reduction is another means to increase openness for people that want to connect and for people that want to engage with self care practices. Harm reduction asks that you engage with your experience as who you are; to be present, raw and honest with yourself about what your needs are, and how significant a space they hold in your life. Harm reduction and self care are consistent commitments to yourself and your lifestyle, to stay safer in all aspects.

Looking into the present and into the future, what is the current scale of Karmik in terms of helping out youth activities and youth involved in them? And what are the plans for expanding operations?

I always want to expand and am always looking to expand further globally. We are passionate about how we want to move forward and this influences our ability to move forward quickly. It is a fantastic pace currently, for better or worse. Why? Because in this moment: we could choose to accept the newfound accessibility to modern harm reduction policies through our current health crisis with fentanyl. Although it might feel grim, we [harm reduction groups] can use the available supports in this situation, to push for justice and progressive drug policies. We have a higher likelihood of being heard, given our current health epidemic. I am sure other people have noticed this also; harm reduction is becoming a media hot topic and is very present in our public health discourse.

People are having a voice; people are being heard. We have a lot on the horizon. Karmik facilitates harm reduction through live support at music festivals, events and community spaces globally. We train peer-to-peer support groups to travel to all of our live events/festivals to support any type of “sanctuary” or “chill” space. The sanctuary is designed to provide a safe space for festival attendees to calm down and seek support in all kinds of challenging situations. Staffed by Karmik coordinators and trained (peer support) volunteers, we strive to provide meaningful connections for those struggling with adverse effects of drugs and alcohol, as well as those who cannot find their friends, or those who simply need someone sober to talk to. In order to create an inviting space, we set up themed decorations and therapeutic activities such as Lego and art stations. The sanctuary also helps to deal with strain on the capacity of the medical team. Sanctuary staff monitor individuals who do not require professional medical treatment and the medical team is able to act more efficiently in cases where their attention is desperately needed. Additionally, when attendees no longer need medical attention they are moved to our sanctuary space by the medical staff, allowing medics to continue addressing more serious concerns effectively.

Often we might travel for more than one to attend events; our routine is to be on tour through the North American festival season (late spring/summer); we staff local, municipal, and exterior events in BC. Additionally, we support harm reduction at international festivals (such as Bamboo Bass Festival annually in Jaco, Costa Rica). Recently, we were hired for a municipal event in Kamloops, BC through our festival connections with Electric Love Music Festival (held in Agassiz, BC). Karmik is not in Vancouver alone, although this is our home base. We run training programs for our volunteers year round, in order to provide opportunities for different levels of engagement for our volunteers/peer support workers with Karmik. At present, our training sessions are run x3 per year; spring, summer and winter session; x2 weekly for 3 hours, local to Vancouver, BC. They are extensive and year-round opportunities for new volunteers and supporters to connect with our larger network. All prospective, live event peer support workers go through our rigorous training program. Prospective volunteers must complete the full training program before being able to volunteer as peer support workers with Karmik for live events/festivals. That being said, Karmik volunteers come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Our volunteer roster includes interested parties from: public health, academia, government officials, non profit partners, djs, musicians, models, artists, media/film contacts, authors, frontline social workers), family, friends, loved ones and more; those who have been affected by the war on drugs find compassion and empathy in our spaces.

These training workshops are done partially by Karmik coordinators including: Alex Betsos (Drugs 101), Cameron Schwartz (Live Event Support) and myself (Peer Counselling 101 & Naloxone training), and rotating Karmik staff/practicum students for our Self Care workshop.

Some of Karnik’s peer support training workshops are facilitated by other members of our harm reduction community who are local Vancouver, BC and engage with our demographic. Karmik seeks to engage and empower our collective community strength, aware that we are not (and should not), be the only source of positive influence, empathy and knowledge. Karmik is aware of the possible intersections across different disciplines in these communities of knowledge and support. For example, we have a local organization called The Consent Crew, which runs a one evening workshop on consent; Kaschelle Thiessen with Vancouver Pride Society, who facilitates our anti oppression workshop; Mitchell Cummings who is a paramedic in Vancouver, BC, who facilitates our Live Events workshop; John Woods who facilitates our Sexual Harm Reduction 101 from OPT Sexual Health; and many more!

We attend drug policy conferences, both internationally and nationally. For example, I was at the Reform Conference in Washington 2016 in Washington, DC with Alex Betsos; we are often funded through scholarships and our working groups who have an academic interest in Karmik succeeding globally as an advocate for harm reduction. For conferences, we attend as Karmik, our independent harm reduction organization. At other times, we attend as part of other harm reduction communities on panels for collaborative pieces. There is the International Harm Reduction Conference happening in May 2017 in Montreal where both Betsos (as part of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy) and myself (Karmik) have been accepted to present posters/harm reduction material. Additionally, we may attend the Reform 2017 and Club Health conference in Dublin, Ireland. My participation at the IHRC focuses on the accessibility to knowledge and support created through harm reduction and nightlife networks globally. Our participants are: Lori from TRIP (Toronto, CAD), Julie Soleil from GRIP (Montreal, CAD) and Chloe from Ankors (Kootenays, CAD). These global harm reduction networks are significant and essential to the academia and our active front line support. These allow us to create projects, facilitate shared research data collection goals, attend conferences and place positive pressure on legislative bodies for shared harm reduction goals.

Karmik works with different bodies of harm reduction organizations, nationally and internationally. We are part of lots of different projects at different levels. Some of our projects and ongoing working groups/meetings include: drug checking/testing; drug policies globally; municipal, federal and provincial task force groups focused on fentanyl and opiate ODs, mental health, addiction. A significant piece of our international networking projects includes, but is not limited, to: nightlife and networking in the Americas, which international supports for harm reduction with aligned harm reduction goals: The Loops (UK), ACEID (Costa Rica), ESPOLEA (Mexico), Regeneration (EUR), DanceSafe (USA), Stay Safe Seattle (USA), Safer Raving (USA), Amend the Rave Act! (USA), MAPS (INTL), Drug Policy Alliance (USA), Open Society Foundations (USA), CSSDP (INT’L), Healthy Nightlife (USA), Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CAD), AIDS Committee of Ottawa (CAD), TRIP! Project (CAD), GRIP (CAD), Canadian Centre on Substance Use (CAD), and more.

We are in all possible and present spaces. In our off festival time, we are participating in all of these groups to move harm reduction projects forward on a greater scale and with more influence. For conferences, we attend as Karmik. Other times, we attend as part of other harm reduction communities on panels.

We work in different ways with others for social awareness and acceptance around harm reduction year round. I am working to expand Karmik into different chapters and communities in BC.

In Vancouver, we have public health primarily provided through Vancouver Coastal Health. Throughout BC, we can see the following public health authorities: Fraser Health, Providence Health, Interior Health, etc. Karmik is well-connected with all of these health authorities. Why? Because we are all working together to support each other. We have a great working relationship with everyone involved that is non judgemental, empathetic, compassionate, raw, genuine, loyal and progressive. Also as of 2016, we are listed on the Healthlink BC website; another example of how we work together to support communities.

For example, if I get an event request for Kamloops, I would love to say, “Hey Karmik chapter in Kamloops, let’s do this!” and provide accessible opportunities for people wanting to volunteer at events who aren’t based in Vancouver, BC. Also, the health authority in Kamloops is different, and we [as] Karmik want to engage with like minded communities, whether that is our Karmik volunteer pool or professional public health collaborations. We also want to see harm reduction supports increasingly accessible in remote communities of BC; we have fielded requests from community members to start Karmik chapters in their communities because they perceive Karmik as a strong conduit to affect their municipal networks and eventual policies.

Karmik does not have to, nor does it need to, support all of the harm reduction requests throughout BC. I would love to see others be able to step up and use our collective powers to create some real changes in our society, starting with communal success as opposed to individual success based on monetary values. Karmik’s intention of expansion is to create the same power of accessibility for all communities. That is some of our work for the future.

We recently hired some new people for our larger Karmik organization; we have different levels of engagement with Karmik, from paid positions to extended volunteer engagement. Recently, we have hired two new live event coordinators; they are responsible for managing onshift at events for Karmik presence, as well as responsible for our coordinator and managing our peer support volunteers on shifts at events/festivals. Also, for someone as part of the full organization, we hired one individual; we call these positions back end Karmik. We are always looking to expand and bring on inspired, passionate and revolutionary individuals as part of Karmik! Watch our Facebook group for job postings and volunteer training announcements! There is so much interest in what we’re doing and we are so happy to involve others who similarly, feel compelled by harm reduction philosophies.

However, we want to give due diligence by admitting that we need more people on board with Karmik. That is why we do our hiring. It is based out of needs and the understanding that we’re growing rapidly and that we want people want to grow with us.

In the future, we are always trying to run national and international drug testing projects. We are always on the tip of what is coming up, how to come together for Canada particularly, and so on.

I manage harm reduction for Bamboo Bass Festival in Jaco, Costa Rica in February annually, which is great. I bring down our Karmik volunteers and coordinators who are able to make the commitment; we always have an exciting and eclectic group of all kinds of volunteers. Some of our volunteers for BBF are coming back for their second year with Karmik and are performers, DJS, musicians, etc. at BBF who feel a need to give back to their communities as well. It is going to be exciting this year because it is our first year connecting with local organizations for Central America and South America to support BBF harm reduction! Although we had the same plans last year (2016), it didn’t work out.

This year in 2017, there is: ACEID which is a NGO (non governmental organization) in San José, CR run by my friend, Ernesto Cortes. Also we have Brun Gonsalez, from ESPOLEA in Mexico. They will be bringing their expertise as well as peer support volunteers to BBF. We will all be working together for the harm reduction for the Bamboo Bass Festival in Costa Rica, which is one of the first actions from our working group Harm Reduction in the Americas. We all met last year at the Reform 2016 conference, and spent our time making plans together.

Karmik is always extending internationally to move the harm reduction philosophy forward to help with parties in different regions. In Costa Rica, there is no data and no collection on research on harm reduction philosophy that is accepted into legislative bodies that create changes in policy. Karmik is extremely excited to work with these organizations from Central and South America at BBF because we will be supporting Costa Rica to create their own network of accessible, acceptable harm reduction support.

To be able to start moving those forward with any pragmatism, we need to collect the data, which is always what Karmik is doing. At every event/festival, we are collecting generalized data that is later used in the area of Festival Health & Safety, an emerging health and safety field that Karmik collaborates with. Also, we are always looking for funding; we are currently funded only through private donations (on our website) as well as contracts fulfilled year round. However, we are always looking for external funding; these can be one offs or subject to project completion as well.

We will see what comes next! We will have some more media coming out in 2017, even some documentaries – keep an eye on us to be in the know!

Thank you for your time, Munroe.

Yeah, totally!

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2022-03-10

An Interview with Cameron Schwartz, Administrative Coordinator of Karmik

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Karmik

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/30

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity, readability, and concision.

How did you become involved in Karmik?

It was a couple years ago. A friend was asked to lead one of the workshops from the volunteer training. I heard about Karmik through them, and decided to attend. I was eager to become involved with it.

You are the administrative coordinator of Karmik. What tasks and responsibilities come with the position?

I do a lot of the back-end work. I organize and manage behind the scenes.

What is the vision of Karmik?

As a harm reduction organization, we say, “We meet people where they are at.” We acknowledge their rights to make their own decisions, and that they will do what they think is best for them. We are there to support them to make the decisions in the safest way.

What are targeted objectives of Karmik?

We try to help people through difficult situations, especially when doing live events. We do peer counselling work. We talk to people. We help them sort out issues. Sometimes, at music festivals or events, their friends might not be there or they might need other sources of support.

We also distribute supplies to reduce transmission of STIs. We hand out party packs with condoms, lube, and straws. Overall, we aim to educate the public as well as advocate for sensible government policies surrounding harm reduction.

With the peer counselling work, what are some of the topics people want to discuss?

It depends on the event. If a music festival is not held in a city, there are fewer supports for mental health, e.g. professional mental health support. People might not have anyone to turn to, and many will not leave the festival to seek mental health support or for addictions.

On an informal, peer to peer basis, we help people talk through these issues. Sometimes, altered states play into this as well. It is not super emotionally involved all of the time, though. For example, they might need a ride home, and we might suggest calling friends or a cab.

There are stigmas in substance use and in mental illness. For those finding the privacy and comfort to discuss these things within the safe context, what tactics can be used to help those having a bad trip or might be predisposed to have bad ones?

If it is the result of a substance, it depends on the substance and its effects. Sometimes it comes down to just having a peer.

Many people will not feel comfortable approaching the RCMP or a security guard to talk about these issues for a variety of reasons. For tactics, I am surprised by the effect from being there, hanging out with them.

These peer counselling skills can be taught, but much of it comes from skills everyone has. Of course, other support systems are required in some cases, and we do our best to work with them and refer people when appropriate.

Karmik is a harm reduction organization. It tends to involve treatment, prevention, harm reduction, and enforcement. Some organizations will use all of those. Others will use some of those. What ones does Karmik use in assistance for youth activities?

In the context of the Four Pillars drug strategy, we are a harm reduction organization. It is important to recognize that is not the solution to everyone’s problems. However, it is the solution to some issues.

We will refer people to local services and other organizations to help them when necessary, but we operate from a harm reduction standpoint.

What are some of Karmik’s main activities for BC youth?

We do outreach work including going to parties, raves, and music festivals. Beyond that, we work on policy. We are involved in various community meetings, for example the DOAP, Drug Overdose Alert Partnership.

We have the fentanyl crisis. Typically, it is associated with heroin now. Many have recommended naloxone kits to prevent death by overdose. How are things for youth regarding the crisis? Other substances of potential harm too.

The reality is that it is not one group or locality. The fentanyl epidemic has been affecting recreational users of many substances from all demographics, including youth.

It is an incredibly complex issue. One thing we advocate for is freely available access to drug testing. In terms of substances laced with adulterants, this would require lab quality testing to assess dosages in micrograms, which, in the case of fentanyl, can be active and fatal.

What are the short-term initiatives for Karmik? Those that are not online at the moment.

We are advocating for easier access to fentanyl testing strips. It is a band aid to a larger problem, though. It is something immediate and available, and we want to increase accessibility for those services.

While it is not necessarily something new, we try to train community members to distribute naloxone. We have been doing this in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health. We will try to have more autonomy with our own trainings to be the team to provide naloxone training to our community.

How would you like the organization to grow? What impacts would you like to see?

One long-term project is the development of informational resources. I want to see Karmik continue to approach substance use and other harm reduction related issues based on evidence and research.

I want to see Karmik’s or other organizations’ services provided at more local events in addition to bigger events and productions. That would go a long way.

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 7 – Decency’s Vacay

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/26

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So perhaps one of the funny things that turns sad is the slow, whimpering death of decency in American political culture.

Rick Rosner: Well, I mean, yea, because it means we’re losing—decency is among the American values. Humane behaviour to each other and the world is an American value. That we stand up for what is right. We defend the downtrodden. And part of the death of decency—not the death, the temporary absence of decency is the ‘F- You!’ to the downtrodden.

SDJ: Such as the Meals on Wheels.

RR: And to kids with the Head Start program and sesame Street and public television, and the National Arts Foundation or the National Endowment for the Arts. If you’re looking for grant to put metal shapes in a park, these are programs that have been squeezed down already to tiny, tiny fractions of a percent of the federal budget. We’re talking .002% of the federal budget. That they’re squeezed to nothing so the Republicans can make a political point.

A dumb counterproductive one too.

SDJ: So I see two trends—well, I see a lot of trends. I see one partial analysis with the reduction in decency, where it takes a vacay. Another one is increase in militaristic culture – it’s on overtime, which implies a reduction in civil culture.

RR: There’s another sad making thing. It seems that people who aren’t dumb are bummed out by dumb people being in power. I had or was—I had a tweet go super viral a few days ago.

SDJ: Yes.

RR: After 24,000 tweets, I finally had one hit, which is awesome.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: In day one, I got a lot of positive messages. It was an anti-Trump tweet. I got a lot of positive support. Day two, the pro-Trump people found out about it, but I got a lot of dissing messages.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: But dumb ones. But it was disheartening because a lot of the positive ones were pretty clever. Obviously from people who weren’t mentally handicapped, but a lot of the pro-Trump ones were just from dumb people.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: It was attempts at jokes that were terrible or senseless.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: Like in my tweet, I mentioned that Angela Merkel had a PhD in quantum chemistry. Then some Trump person tweets back to me, ‘Even Snoop Dogg would get a PhD in quantum chemistry because everyone gets a trophy now.’

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: Which is such a non—which is such a terrible attempt at a joke [Laughing]. The idea is that under Liberalism everyone gets a trophy. So to use a quantum chemistry PhD to make a point – I looked it up, 120 PhDs are given every year in physical chemistry in the US, which is 1 PhD in that subject for every 2.75 million Americans. So no, not everybody gets a PhD in quantum chemistry. So no!

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: You picked a terrible subject! [Laughing] I had one say, “You make no since.” I know that’s probably a combination of a guy whose vision is not so good, and who’s relying on autocorrect. Day one was people agreeing with me. Day two was dumb people disagreeing with me. Not that I’m the king of things to agree or disagree with, but the pro-Trump tweets obviously came from way dumber people.

Along with those came the pornbots.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: Who took a couple three days to find out about the tweet.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: Then I got tweets from them saying, “Come push your penis into me. Click here!”

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: It is depressing that there are so many, proudly dumb, belligerently dumb people, and we have a belligerently dumb president who is empowered by tens of millions of belligerently dumb Americans. Just statistically, you know they’re out there because half of all Americans are dumber than average, and half of those people are dumber than the average dumber than average American.

SDJ: [Laughing]

RR: And that’s 80 million people, but they’ve been so empowered. And means they’ve never been so encouraged to think that they’re okay and they’re right. It’s come up again and again throughout the whole election and post, which is the Dunning-Kruger Effect. If you want to have a dumb person in a movie and not a villain, and want them to be charming, you give them some insight into themselves so they know they’re not the smartest person in the world and that way they have some natural wisdom.

They’re like magic dumb people in the way Forrest Gump has some, if not deep insights then, some humanity to Forrest Gump. Even though, he is someone who is borderline retarded. He’s a sweet caring guy. A good husband, a good father; he’s a magical dumb person. Dunning-Kruger Effect says that’s not the way dumb people are. Dumb people often lack insight into their dumbness, and they think they’re super awesome and are too dumb to realize that they’re dumb.

So we’ve got a president elected by the Dunning-Kruger effect, which has been amplified by a media that caters to dumb, angry lunatics. So yea, it is another source of sadness there. That seems like an intractable problem. That may continue to affect politics for many, many election cycles.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 6 – Decency and Honest Politics

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/25

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So do you think it’s a removal of two principles? One, decency; two, pursuit of honest politics, an orientation towards those.

Rick Rosner: There’s just too much at risk. He and his people seem so dangerous and dumb that we don’t know what they’re going to do and how much damage it’s going to do. Where North Korea is being super noisy about the nukes they’re developing, the rockets they’re developing, and the rocket engines they’re developing, that would be scary under a normal president, and it is super scary under Trump.

Trump, I mean, with regard to the North Korean situation, that’s uncertainty. If North Korea were doing it under any president, it would be scary. That’s not related to Trump for the most part. It’s just that Trump might do anything in terms of—he might provoke some kind of war to boost his approval, which is kind of what Bush did at various points. He manipulated military action from foreign enemies to good his approval ratings enough to get re-elected.

With regard to trump and North Korea, you have to wonder whether crazy person versus crazy person is the best thing. I had a conversation with a conservative buddy recently.

SDJ: Lance Richlin?

RR: Yea, Lance Richlin, Lance and I had North Korea come up in conversation. He likes the idea of a military buildup president, which is what Trump is trying to be. He will cut all sorts of social program funding for military. So that, according to Lance, we can ring North Korea with ships on the water and along the border of South Korea a bunch of missile stations.

So that if North Korea does anything super aggressive, we can just rain fire down on them, which also requires threatening China because China has a weird alliance with North Korea. They share a border. China doesn’t want a bunch of refugees flowing into its borders if North Korea completely falls apart. So China feels obligated to keep North Korea stable, which it isn’t because it is run by a crazy person.

Of all the arguments you can make for Trump, the crazy person versus crazy person is one of the least non-persuasive argument. It is one where I could almost say, “Alright, maybe.”

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 5 – Stone, Parker, and Chappelle

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/24

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: I feel as though there’s some Freudian reason for all of this. I don’t what. How about Trump changing the nature of comedy at the moment?

Rick Rosner: That’s a simple idea, and I think somebody else has pointed it out. I think it is hard to get mad at the Kardashians for joke purposes, when what is happening in politics is so brutal.

SDJ: Three of the top comedy people – two cartoonists and another standup – have talked about that. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, they said he is self-parody. So there’s no real point in doing it more. Chappelle said he’s kind of bad for comedy.

RR: There’s that. Trying to exaggerate his characteristics for comedic effect is not a winning game because he’s already so exaggerated that there’s not much farther that you can go. Plus, at some point, people who are in the public eye for screwing up go from being funny to being sad. Any time somebody dies. That automatically puts a lid on them being funny for a few years, if not in perpetuity. It was great to joke about Michael Jackson.

Until Michael Jackson was dead. Now it seems sad and a waste. Though you can probably still sneak in a Michael Jackson child molesting joke in if you were trying to be edgy. But it is part of the overall landscape of sadness around Jackson. Lindsay Lohan was great for a long time for making jokes about. Then she went from being funny to being sad because her screwing up got more consistent and pathetic. Same with Britney Spears. She shaved her head and attacked somebody. Probably a paparazzo, that crossed the line from funny to sad. Mischa Barton. Trump is—there are jokes to be made, but there is a bunch of anxiety behind the jokes.

SDJ: Where does that line cross in the political sphere?

RR: Hold on—well, there’s anxiety of two types with regard to jokes about Trump. One is, anxiety about how much he will screw up the country and how dangerous he is. Two is, anxiety about whether we’re overreacting and he is just one guy. We still have normal political processes, and everyone running around saying, “1930s Germany,” is a snowflake who is freaking out too much. There are two types of anxiety and uncertainty. It makes it tough to joke about Trump or make it hard to joke about Trump. Also, there’s just too much. We’ve been joking about Trump for two years now. Ever since he announced he would be running and riding down the escalator in trump Tower; plus, he was a kind of jokey figure before that. So there’s Trump fatigue. But you had a question. You go ahead. You were asking a question.

SDJ: I have another. So with regard to the political comedy fault lines, on the one hand, there are the funny parts of it, whether the people or the situation. On the other hand, there’s that anxiety you were talking about. Where some things can possibly go very much against the better interests of people that would be more politically Left oriented, so there’s a certain sadness there.

RR: Yea.

SDJ: But when does funny become sad? So, for instance, when Trump talks about or talks big about some reproductive health rights issue, not in those terms – usually in an epithet form, in a phrase or a single word while taking down an individual, it becomes defunding or a bill is proposed. One defunding maneuver that comes to mind the “Global Gag Rule” that happened. Does that make it not funny but sad? Is that when that transition happens?

RR: Alright, so, all of the examples I gave of going from funny to sad. There’s something about going beyond the pale – being not subject to normal human limitations perhaps. Where Trump goes from funny to sad when—well, he is different from Michael Jackson or Britney or Lindsay Lohan. In that, he’s dangerous to millions of people. The idea, not the idea—that he wants to cancel Meals on Wheels, which is a program that provides home visits and meals for homebound seniors.

Seniors who can’t get out of their homes to get groceries to get something to eat, and disabled people. They serve. Meals on Wheels serves over 210 meals per year to over 2.4 million people. They provide human contact and food, and also checking in on people to make sure they’re okay. The federal government only supplies like 3.3% of their budget. But it is important money because it is guaranteed funding that allows to solicit donations.

Somehow with government money in place, it makes gathering donations easier because it makes it a solid, reputable program. It only costs a few million per year. Basically, the cost of one of Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago. It goes from funny to sad. In that, it is so mean, so greedy, and also so dumb. Where Mick Mulvaney, the president’s budget guy comes out and says Meals on Wheels just isn’t a successful program and should probably go away.

What is not successful about providing millions of meals to seniors for so little money? It has such bad optics. It shows such contempt and ineptitude that it is very worrisome, and it makes the jokes more loaded with pathos and ominousness. The Lindsay Lohan jokes became too loaded with ominousness because you were afraid she’d die. She was getting in car wrecks and getting caught puking in the gutter outside clubs. Ditto with Britney.

You thought she might go completely insane. She might have to be sent away. She’s back, but she’s kind of not the Britney of before. She’s in her 30s now. She can’t be the Britney in the short schoolgirl skirt. And Michael Jackson did go ahead and die. I assume people were telling jokes about Elvis in the early to middle 70s about how fat he was getting and then he went ahead and did, which is terrible for comedy and for the subject of the jokes. I

It is similar in our case, but certain liberties or political traditions of decency might die, and so we’re sad.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 4 – Norms

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/20

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You were saying that some of the reaction to disappoint and disenchantment about Obama, if I understand you correctly…

Rick Rosner: …the election, I mean the election – about how the election played out.

SDJ: Yea, maybe how the eventualities of the Obama administration played out, so that then it was a reaction to vote for Trump, even though, as you noted, Trump was saying things about everybody. It was vote for Trump, and damn all of the consequences, campaign trail.

RR: When you look at Obama’s approval rating, they reflect the current highly divided nature of the country. Where Obama was a pretty clean president, no scandals, except for made up ones, 3 out of 4 – I don’t know how far you’d have to go to get a president with as few scandals as Obama—Bush had the war. Clinton had sex. I guess, Bush I was a pretty clean guy with not—well, you had Iran-Contra, but that was mostly hung on Reagan.

I don’t know how much Bush I had to do with that. One of the things that got him kicked out of office after only one term was raising taxes after saying he wouldn’t. But that’s not scandalous. That’s just breaking a political promise. Reagan had Iran-Contra. So 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 previous presidents had huge scandals. Obama did not. Yet Obama spent about half of his presidency with under 50% approval.

He had a W-shaped approval curve. Where it started reasonably high, fairly quickly dropped into the 40s and 50s, popped up above 50, just long enough for re-election, dropped into the 40s and in the last year of his presidency people saw a slate of unpalatable candidates. Hi approval started climbing again due to pretty much nostalgia for his presidency, even though he was president.

The approval he had in the 40s for so many years of his presidency, even though he was largely governing as a centrist and was largely scandal free shows that Republicans and Democrats hate each other right now, and will not give each other the benefit of the doubt. The defiance of norms and good behavior shows up in Trump’s election.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 3 – Disagreements

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: So that means that Trump has something like 9% support among Democrats. 35% among Independent. 88% support among Republicans. There’s high levels of disagreement. I think Trump came in at tied at 46% approval and 46% disapproval. The average president loses roughly 24 percentage points of approval during his first year, which, if that happened to trump, that would bring him down to 22% approval.

Although, that seems less likely because he is starting 30 or 40 points below most presidents. So he has less far to fall. He has already fallen 9 percentage points. It’s not unreasonable to think he could fall another 8 or 10 points into the 20s. Once you drop below 30 in approval, no president has recovered from that. Every president who has dropped—4 presidents have dropped to the 20s in approval. All of those presidents were gone within a year-and-a-half.

Once Nixon dropped into the 20s, he was gone within a year. Truman gone within a year-and-a-half. George W. Bush gone within a year or two. Again, Trump has the protection of having 46 months to go in his term. He could hang on, or the disapproval could make him crazier. The lack of approval. He could do more tweet storms to the point where the Republicans think it might be safer for themselves and the country to have a reliable and steady Republican as president with Pence.

Or Trump could just quit or could cite health reasons. Not that Trump had a lot of credibility with the people who don’t like him anyway, we had the hearings with the intelligence agencies – Comey and other intelligence agency heads – before the house. They were saying trump basically made up that he had been wiretapped and had no credibility on that. People want credibility. We’re in new territory because we’ve never had a president who is considered this untrustworthy this soon in office.

A president wo is so willing to use social media in an uncareful way. The math looks super unfavorable to him. But we’ve never had a president like this. So the math doesn’t rule everything. That’s pretty much what I’ve got.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 2 – Trump, Summers, and Palin

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/21

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: If Trump and the House, the House or the Senate—I don’t know—if Trump and Congress were of opposite political parties, it would be much more likely that somebody would try to—that Congress would try to impeach Trump. We’re still waiting to see how some of the stuff Trump has done shakes out to see if it rises to an impeachable offense. Things that might be that nature include is that he colluded with Russia for the release of damaging information against the Democrats.

But that’s not news. We can talk about approval or disapproval. There are levels of approval and disapproval. That once you hit them, it seems extremely unlikely based on other presidents that you can recover.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is not only disapproval that’s unprecedented. It’s a significantly unprecedented level of disapproval.

RR: Yea! He came in with approval numbers—something like, at least, 10 points lower on average. More than 30 points lower than the average incoming president.

SDJ: You know the economist Larry Summers? He was in the Obama White House as well. He was the President of Harvard University. He made a statement about Trump and the economy as being akin to a “sugar high.” I remember watching an interview a little while ago with him. I think that the approval rating for people that were really gung-ho about Trump being in the White House might be akin to another kind of a sugar high.

Super popular, but then a massive drop, a ‘sugar crash’ – so to speak.

RR: Trump fits that characterization with regard to the stock market, but not with regard to the—American’s statistically are not giving him the benefit of the doubt that they are giving every other president. There’s been no honeymoon period for Trump. In fact, that honeymoon period and benefit of the doubt has been declining from president to president for at least a half-dozen presidents.

There was some euphoria over Obama, but, for the most part, you see increasing levels of political division with lower overall approval ratings for presidents.

SDJ: That’s a good point. I want to revise what I said then. The “sugar high,” politically, that around what Sarah Palin called the “Hopey-Changey Stuff” of Obama. The “crash” could probably be considered a little bit delayed, but the Trump phenomena could be considered that. People disappointed and disenchanted and go for a demagogue because of that – because a lot of people, apparently, that voted for Obama voted for Trump.

RR: When you look at the circumstances of his election, losing popular vote by 2.8 million, saying horrible things about everybody, obviously benefitting from Comey’s interference and from Russia releasing all of the emails, many people feel it is an unfair outcome. Also, the boisterous glee of rabid Trump supporters that, in some ways, tends to not be sporting or not feel entirely American because it is ungenerous and kind of racist, and just not—just kind of saying, “F- you,” to everybody.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-03-09

People, Personas, and Politics 1 – Unprecedented Disapproval

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): People, Personas, and Politics

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/03/20

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: I wanted to start another one people, personas, and politics. The American big – people, the American small – personas, and American politics – big and small, so we talked – off tape – about the unprecedented disapproval of Trump.

Rick Rosner: On day 58 of Trump’s presidency, Gallup takes daily polls. His disapproval reached 58% and his approval dropped to 37%. His all-time highs and lows for those numbers. Gallup has been polling since FDR. So include Trump, that’s 14 presidents. Of those 14, 8 never reached that level of disapproval including Clinton and Obama. And the quickest besides Trump, who took less than 2 months, to reach 58% disapproval was Carter, who took 2.4 years.

Truman took 5.5 years. Nixon and George W. Bush took 4.5 years to reach those levels of disapproval. Of people who reached those levels of disapproval, Nixon was gone in 13 months. Carter was out of office in about 19 months and George W. Bush managed to hold on for 3.5 years after reaching that level of disapproval. Most presidents either never hit that disapproval or were gone within 13 months after hitting that level of disapproval.

But that, at least partially, depends where in the election cycle presidents hit that cycle. Trump still has 46 months to go in his term, and he could hang on. As George W. Bush did for years, but it is hard to say because, right now, we don’t know if Trump has really done anything impeachable enough for the Republicans to act on it, Bill Clinton got impeached for lying about saying he never had sex when he had a blow job or two. I don’t know how many in the Oval Office. He was not impeached for the blow job, but for lying and saying that he didn’t have sex. He survived the impeachment and went on to have a couple more years as president with high popularity.

[End of recorded material]

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Ask Pardes 10: Trump-Trudeau

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/12/02

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How does the dichotomy between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau look to you?

Pardes Seleh: I don’t know a lot about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The interesting this about President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is that they agree on a lot of things. The only difference is the personalities are different. Donald Trump is more flamboyant and says all of these offensive things.

Trudeau is more palatable to a lot of crowds. He seems more concerned with his image, though he may agree with Donald Trump on a lot of things. One thing was immigration. Trudeau for open borders and criticized Trump for the open borders, but eventually when you’re having issues with refugees.

He put out the tweet about enforcing laws and not having people in illegally. Ultimately, he agrees with Trump, but Trump is demonized. The way he says it. I am totally generalizing on this one example.

That is the general sense I get from the way they are the things they agree with. On the flip side, Donald Trump supports gay marriage the way Justin Trudeau supports gay marriage, but somehow Donald Trump is this homophobe because of his tone, his personality.

Not because he fundamentally disagrees with Justin Trudeau on the topic of marriage.

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Ask Pardes 8: Era of Multiparty Coalitions

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/12/02

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Why are we in the era of multiparty coalitions in the US?

Pardes Seleh: We are in the era of multiparty coalitions because our two party system is a label and nothing more than that.

There is nothing holding the Democratic Party together more than their love of government. There is nothing holding the Republican party together more than the distrust of government. I think those values are important, but they are not everything. Which is why on so many issues, there are so many crossovers, where the Republican and Democratic parties will agree with one another – factions of them.

There are so many things going on. Basically, everything is just a label. They don’t reflect actual ideologies. Conservatives, for example—there are so many things that can make someone a small government conservative.

Now, you are a Right-wing nationalist who likes government putting in regulations for certain things that are nationalist or protectionist or whatever. You can be labeled a conservative if you despise Planned Parenthood, which is a small government conservative thing and a social conservative thing.

You can call yourself completely liberal, but you just don’t like socialism. There’s basically a bunch of things that can make you conservative. It is all labels and relative to how you think. Everyone to the right is conservative and everyone to the left of you is liberal, but none of those words have any intrinsic meaning.

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Ask Pardes 7c: Good Man in Secular Culture

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/03

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What makes a good man in secular culture?

Pardes Seleh: A good man in secular culture, or the one we’re used to right now – which is liberalism, a good man is a feminist. he will understand and recognize that females are victims of a patriarchal system that oppresses daily and has been oppressing them for years, and will never stop oppressing them.

A good man will, in his heart, understand that he is the oppressor and will be conscious of his role as a feminist, according to this ideology. He will give special attention to that matter in that way that he treats women.

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Ask Pardes 7b: Good Man in Orthodox Judaism

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/03

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What makes a good man in Hasidic Ultra-Orthodox Judaism?

Pardes Seleh: According to Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, the purpose of a man is to study the Torah as much as possible in the living hours that aren’t sleeping, eating, and fulfilling basic survival needs.

It is not the toiling in Torah study. It is not that that’s a means to apply it to your life or becoming more of a Torah-inspired person, but that is the goal. The toiling itself is the goal. That is what makes you e better, stronger, virtuous person.

Someone that earns the highest regard in the world to come. A good man in Orthodox Judaism is someone who toils in the Torah.

It is expected that is will come with the application and the good deeds. Somebody in the scripture will be knowledgeable of things.

But the purpose of a woman is to help her husband in the Torah. She will help him raise the kids and will have a job, usually, that’s the case. It becomes their full-time thing. The wife will often get a job and work.

If she can’t work, for whatever reason, they usually get support from other people. It’s the family member or the community, where the man toils in the Torah. There is a central bank that distributes money.

It was a system to help with the arrangement of the man toiling in scripture all day and his woman helping him. His duties to his marriage and wife are to treat her kindly and respect the marriage.

Basically, it is to treat her well and study Torah. It is pretty simplistic and similar to how every other culture of how a man should treat a woman, but his primary goal in this Earth is toiling in the Torah.

The things he does in practice are to protect his Torah study. He won’t watch pornography. He won’t look at naked women. He won’t look at things in the street, signs in the street, billboards, won’t listen to secular music.

All to keep himself holy in order to study Torah.

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Ask Pardes 7a: What best makes a good man to you?

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/03

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What best makes a good man to you?

Pardes Seleh: A good man is someone who neither oppresses his woman for being a woman with domestic duties, nor treats as if she is a victim that needs special treatment. A good man is simply a good person.

He is one who has good intentions and good morals, regardless of whether he is interacting with a woman or a man. He treats his female partner the way that he’d want to be treated.

The good man doesn’t have to be a feminist. Feminism is a facade. I think feminist men often like to think women are victims so that they can be saviors. It is understandable. It is a natural thing for a man to want.

But it can be dangerous because painting all women as victims is not helpful for women or for men. As a man, you’re always going to be demonized no matter what you do. Under third-wave feminist rules, you are likely to be written off and demonized for things that are not even malicious, just because you’re a man.

For women, this mentality is not good or helpful. It is not helpful to put someone always in the position of receiving and not giving in a relationship. You’re basically ensuring that the receiver will always remain weak.

This mentality relies on women always being victims. That is not helpful. It is very damaging. Men don’t always think about it that way, because it feels good to be called a feminist. A good man will be good regardless of what he calls himself.

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Ask Pardes 6: Donald Trump, Racism, and Bigotry

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/27

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What do you think about claims being racist and bigoted?

Pardes Seleh: So, I don’t there is such a thing as racism and bigotry the way we know it. I think there is such a thing as being an asshole. I don’t think it is limited to race. People afraid of other people because of their race. It is simply stereotyping.

Often, it is an ignorant assumption, but I don’t think that’s more malicious than that. A regular guy who seems very weak can be preyed on because he seems weak. But he might be strong enough to fight back.

A stereotype is an assumption. People may prey on this guy because he seems weak, even though he is really not. It is really the same thing. By running away from a guy passing by you in the market because he’s black, you’re assuming that since he looks a certain way then he will act a certain way.

We do this in every aspect of our lives. It’s dumb. It is not a malicious thing. Racism and bigotry are made-up concepts. It is not real. It is not, “I hate people because of their race.” It is a way we judge things based on our limited judgement.

It is bad judgment. By calling it racism or bigoted, you are politicizing basic human nature. I think it is wrong because it is so selective. It makes things worse. No one’s judgment is perfect; we are not walking psychologists or brainiacs. Sometimes, stereotyping is necessary.

Having an ideology behind it, like David Duke or Richard Spencer, that is a totally different thing, saying, “I want a systematic government form of regulation.” That is not racism. That is fascism.

Jacobsen: How does this tie into President Donald Trump?

Seleh: Charges for Donald Trump being “racist” or “bigoted”… he does not espouse any of those ideological views regarding white nationalism and so on. He is simply being honest. He thinks the things everybody else thinks. We do think them.

You have to wonder when a Muslim guy is walking through a security checkpoint and in the height of a radical Islamic crisis because your life is at stake. Other people’s lives are at stake. You can’t ignore them, and nobody does.

Some will be honest about it. Some won’t. I am profiled each day because of how I look. Some older people say stuff like, “Oh! I thought you were a terrorist.” I have never been told that by someone I didn’t like. The ones who told me tended to be honest older people, hicktowners. It is often endearing. I am not insulted. I simply fit a profile. It is just how the world is. Just like anything else, you could be walking around with a backpack that could have a bomb and if someone said, that you were holding a bomb, you would not be insulted because you are innocent. You’d say, “Here, it’s not a bomb, want to check it?”

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Ask Pardes 5: Cannabis/Marijuana Legalization

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/25

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You had some thoughts on marijuana/cannabis legalization. What are your thoughts marijuana/cannabis legalization?

Pardes Seleh: I think it’s only a matter of time before it becomes legal in America the way alcohol is. It is only a social stigma that makes it so marijuana isn’t legal where alcohol is legal and, in fact, more damaging and a worse potential addiction than cannabis is.

The only reason cannabis is stigmatized more is that there has been less research done on cannabis. People know less about it. If it were fully legalized, more research could be done. More could be known about it. Just as the symptoms are not as crazy as the symptoms of alcoholism, I am confident that it will be as the research coming out will confirm that it is not as harmful as alcohol.

With legalization, it will not be a fringe substance used by people on the street like crack addicts. It can be used as a natural alternative to harmful chemicals. There are benefits.

The substance itself will not be the thing to improve society, but legalizing it can help. Bringing it out of the black market will be great for capitalism. It is, right now, something often only drug lords have access too. It is associated with crime and manipulating trade with other human beings.

In places where it is legal, only a handful of growers are licensed to sell. It makes it so that they have a monopoly over other people. It is damaging to the industry. There is a cap for which it can help boost the economy.

I think when you legalize it, a few things will happen:

It will be taken out of the black market.

It can be used as an alternative to harmful substances. One with fewer catastrophic effects. It can help boost the economy.

As an aside, not as a reason for legalization, but as an aside, it can shift the culture and the way things are seen. Instead of going to bars and drinking alcohol, people will smoke weed. It sounds outlandish. It sounds crazy. Think about it, we only think about street thugs smoking weed. But it is not a violence-inducing substance like alcohol is. What better way to reduce bar fights and nightlife, especially in DC? Every other night someone is getting hurt, going to the hospital. What, instead of a bar fight and drinking people, is better than just smoking weed?

Obviously, everything in excess is bad. But when you allow all of the options to be there, the better ones can shift to the front.

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Ask Pardes 4: Cardi B, Spirit Animal

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/17

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Who is Cardi B? Why is she your new spirit animal?

Pardes Seleh: She raps. I think she is Dominican. Her style is very street artisty. It is confident. I think she embodies what a lot of people are craving. That is this unapologetic confidence, regardless of gender.

It looks like she doesn’t care about social justice. She is herself. She’s not speaking for anybody else, but I think the reason she is so popular is that she represents this growing wave of people want to distance themselves from identity politics and victim narratives.

It is this universal sense of confidence that can be applied to anybody. She did this video about what to do “if your man cheats,” in which she said she’d pull a prank on her guy and get him to sleep with a “tranny” while he’s drunk. It’s pretty funny.

The messages in her songs and tweets are from a position of power and not weakness.

The quality of her music itself kind of sucks and she uses crass language. She is also typically not the best dressed, in my opinion, in terms of fashion. But her personality – the main driving factor behind what made her music great and what got her so many fans in such a short amount of time- is why i like her so much.

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Ask Pardes 3: Climate Change

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/17

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you believe in climate change?

Pardes Seleh: Yes, I mean obviously I believe the climate is changing. Do I believe it is predominantly changing because of man? I don’t know. I find it very idealistic to think that man controls everything.

I don’t think you can say that. Contributing, okay yeah, but enough that it is a role that can be reversed? Not, in my view.

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Ask Pardes 2: The Wall and Immigration

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/17

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What do you think about the wall?

Pardes Seleh: I think there should be a wall in the way Israel has a wall, perhaps. A wall that does the job, which enforces the law or those boundaries. Otherwise, there is no reason for it being there.

Jacobsen: What about immigration?

Seleh: I think that once there is a wall and a way to enforce and regulate the amount of the flow of legal versus illegal immigrants across the border. There shouldn’t be a problem of anchor babies because you wouldn’t be having people using illegal methods.

People would have to use legal methods to get into the country. Ideally, a wall eliminates the problem of anchor babies. What about those who have overstayed and had babies?

Deporting illegal persons whose entire family is here, who has been here for years, is much tougher than doing that to someone who has overstayed their visa, it would have been done anyway.

Once there is the defined border, this solves a lot of those issues. I think there should be a transition period, where some are given priority and then granted visas because not to reward the disregard of the law but to compensate for our failure to enforce the law.

For a time, until the wall is established, to have some priority granting visas for people who have been here for a time and anyone who comes after has to follow the newly established rules, those will be stricter but not as harsh.

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Ask Pardes 1 – Bernie Sanders and the Women’s Convention

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): PardesSeleh.com

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/12

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Bernie Sanders is at a women’s convention. Why are people mad at him?

Pardes Seleh: People are angry that the person who is speaking at a women’s convention this year is an old white man who lost to a woman in the Democratic primaries last year.

They are saying it would be more appropriate for a woman to speak than a man. What is funny that is happening right now is progressives are the ones opposing his speaking, but conservatives are the ones rushing to his defense, that is being reported on CNN right now.

Jacobsen: What is your own view of Bernie Sanders and his politics?

Seleh: I think Bernie’s idea of a utopia if carried out is very scary. He is a socialist. His idea of vacations in Soviet Russia. He believes in government programs for everything. Government programs and solutions for everything. He believes in redistribution, which is an economic position that I oppose.

I think he is an idealist. So, he doesn’t get much support from the Democrats. I feel he is sincere about his ideas. As a person, I think he is a likable person, which is why he got a lot of the populist democratic vote last year.

Even though, he lost to Hillary last year.

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Drug Policy News in Brief (2016/12/04)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Lift Cannabis News (Submitted/Unpublished)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/04

Ireland opposition bill allowing cannabis for medical use passed

According to the Irish Examiner, in Ireland, a bill, which had “widespread support,” was passed on Thursday without a vote via the Dáil, or the lower house of the Irish legislature. A large number of Irish citizens gave “hopeful testimony.”

There were descriptions about the relief from chronic pain from cannabis in addition to the scientific evidence to bolster the claims, which have been around “for some time.” Apparently, one mother’s testimony stood above the others.

She walked from Cork to Dublin in support of the legalization. With cannabis-derived cannabidiol (CBD), the woman, Vera Twomey, said her daughter, Ava, aged 6 “might be dead” without the CBD provided to her. Ava suffered from seizures. A Barnes report from the UK “reviewed all the all the evidence and found a substantial body of clinical evidence to prove medical cannabis works.”

Drug users do not deserve death

Philippine Star reports that the war against drugs by the Philippine government “does not justify the reimposition of the death penalty” because there are less lethal means that can be used to combat the negative effects of drugs on society.

NoBox, a drug policy reform advocacy group, said, “Drug use alone should not be seen as a social evil or moral failing, as a huge majority of people involved with drugs do not have any associated drug use problems.”

President Rodrigo Duterte previously stated that the death penalty is a necessity because it would prevent the “drug menace from reaching the current alarming levels.” NoBox noted that some use drugs as coping mechanisms and do not harm society.

AMA considering value-based pricing

According to the American Medical Association, or AMA, (Blog), value-based pricing is being considered by American physicians, which “has the potential to reduce prescription drug spending in the U.S.”

The House of Delegate for the AMA, in some light of the increases in drug prices that affect patients, wants to address the price hikes through “new guiding principles to support value-based prescription drug pricing.”

AMA President, Andrew W. Gurman, M.D., said, “The new AMA policy acknowledges the carte blanche approach to drug…This transformation should support drug prices based on their clinical outcomes, and reductions in morbidity and mortality. We need to have the full picture to assess a drug’s true value to patients and the health care system.”

Drug Experts “implore DEA to keep opiate-like plant legal”

As well, the Washington Post reported on kratom, which “is a safer alternative to the powerful opiates that have fueled a nationwide addiction crisis.” Advocates for kratom and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are in a “fierce battle.”

Over 22,000 comments came into the federal proposition for a temporary ban on the natural drug. It has been known in Southeast Asia “as a stimulant and pain reliever,” for centuries in fact, but less known in the United States.

Many comments remarked on the positive benefits to personal life and functionality for users. However, the DEA considered kratom “an imminent hazard to the public safety.” That is, opinions differ on kratom’s status as a help or a hazard.

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Drug Policy News in Brief (2016/12/02)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Lift Cannabis News (Submitted/Unpublished)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/02

Drug users do not deserve death

AMA considering value-based pricing

Drug Experts “implore DEA to keep opiate-like plant legal”

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Mixing Substances – Alcohol and Cannabis

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Lift Cannabis News (Submitted/Unpublished)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/11

“The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom,” Aristotle said, which seems true to me. The notion of excess, even in the use commonly accepted substances, seems

foolhardy, especially when decided and acted on oneself and others. Sometimes, individual recreational substances can be beneficial, but in combination can be harmful. Or the individual recreational, even therapeutic in many cases, substances can be benign with no serious impacts to health whatsoever, leaving the utility in its recreational or therapeutic use something to celebrate in Canada. Take coffee, for example, it is beneficial in moderate amounts for the user, which provides a series of health benefits, but too much and then harm sets based on specific genetic precursors for the inability to break down caffeine. What about sets of substances, common ones?

One common set is alcohol and cannabis. Alcohol, in moderation, appears to improve health outcomes. According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate alcohol use in healthy adults means 1 drink for women in all age cohorts and up to 2 drinks for men age 65 and older, e.g. 12 fluid ounces of beer or 5 fluid ounces of wine. In fact, it’s potential benefits can be reduction in the risk of the development of heart disease (and “dying from heart disease”), a reduction in the risk of ischemic stroke or the narrowing or blacking of arteries to the brain, and the reduction in the chances for diabetes. Not bad.

Cannabis is not harmful in moderate amounts in the adult population. It has been shown to, even to those that do not use it, produce feelings of “relaxation or well-being.” It even has the potential to treat “chronic skin disorders, cancer-related weakness and weight loss, chronic pain, Huntington’s disease, sleep disorders, eye disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia.” Also, pretty good. What about the mix?

The Mayo Clinic notes that alcohol should used with caution, especially with the driving of automobiles. Cannabis can increase the probability of collision, the “risk of collision,” in combination with alcohol. Where the effects are on alertness and driving performance, the associated impact with driving can be inferred. Drivers need to be alert to avoid collisions. So, what’s the take-home message?

The moderate and judicious use of cannabis and alcohol individually can enhance specific health outcomes from heart disease and ischemic stroke for alcohol to general well-being, sleep disorders, and chronic skin disorders for cannabis. Recalling, of course, the main source of the information provided is from one of the leading medical centers in the world, the Mayo Clinic. If you’re going to use cannabis, alcohol, or coffee for that matter, solely, then the moderate use can be a benefit. But if you’re going to mix cannabis and alcohol, then the main concern will be mental acuity, especially as it pertains to driving motorized vehicles, which is an important thing to bear in mind when mixing cannabis and alcohol.

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2022-03-09

Market Research Intelligence on Orthopedic Trauma

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): iData Research Inc.

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/27

To gain a competitive edge in the medical business, one needs to learn from the past to project into the future. Those forecasts need robust, comprehensive, and accurate data. iData Research Inc. stands at the juncture between your competitive advantage in the medical devices field and the data to make the right decisions.

iData Research Inc. works with Fortune 500 companies, consulting companies, and medical firms. In order for them to have the competitive advantage in the market place, whether large or small enterprises, they know having accurate and comprehensive data is key to their success. iData Research Inc. is the go-to company for them.

I am a business development representative in the sales sector of iData Research Inc. with an emphasis on orthopedic trauma medical devices in the global series market. I am here to help: How? I listen and look for mutual benefit. I want your enterprise to flourish. I think we’ve got the data for you. Our recent 2017 orthopedic trauma report for the US has been published.

When there is a constant influx of newer technologies into the marketplace of orthopedic trauma medical devices, the largest segment, the plate and screw market, is changing with the introduction of new materials such as titanium, locking/hybrid systems, and anatomical plates.

Higher cost items replace the legacy counterparts and the market remains limited by purchasing entities and third-party insurers reducing the cost. How? They ignore differences between different types of plates and screws.

The orthopedic trauma market is a maturing market, which is important because of the significant niches within this market as a whole. The recent acquisitions of core products by major orthopedic trauma companies will likely unlock growth over the next seven years. On behalf of iData Research Inc., I am here to help you to target this maturing orthopedic trauma market.

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2022-03-09

Petition: One Secular Healthcare System for All

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Center for Inquiry – Canada

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/18

Internationally renowned healthcare, it is a privilege and right Canadian citizens take for granted in many instances. In the province of British Columbia, the government stands for a secular province.

The control of public health care facilities, and the funding for those facilities, are to be grounded in a secular foundation. Many public health care providers are religious at the root.

Based on beliefs systems coming from “holy scripture” and religious authorities, at times, the religious publicly funded health care providers will refuse provisions of reproductive, end of life, and some other medical services.

For example, in British Columbia, there are eight publicly funded hospitals administered by Roman Catholic Church bodies. About 1/3 of all hospitals in Ontario are administered by the Roman Catholic Church.

The morning after pill is not even available in Catholic hospitals as well as outright refusal for ectopic pregnancies in an emergency situation, which is typically an emergency. Registered nurses and medical doctors have to sign an agreement that they will follow the tenants of the faith or religion of the hospital, too.

This must stop.

A secular health care system for all will satisfy the need for safe and equitable access to healthcare services, where the secular can choose to access things such as the morning after pill and end-of-life services; and those that have religious tenets against them do not have to. This is the only fair basis for a secular healthcare system for all.

to sign this petition, please visit https://www.change.org/p/honourable-adrian-dix-secular health-care-in-bc

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2022-03-09

Petition: One Secular School System for All

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Center for Inquiry – Canada

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/18

The Government of British Colombia has worked to act according to the principle of “public money for public schools, private money for private schools” for the province. There is a petition in order to urge the British Colombia government to continue to enact this policy (Center for Inquiry Canada, 2017).

That is, the cessation of the provision of funding for independent schools in addition to an amendment to the Independent Schools Act (Government of British Columbia, 2017).

For separate and independent schools in a democratic society to exist, whether by class, socioeconomic status, or religion, these undermine the very principles upon which the province of British Columbia and the country of Canada stand with respect to democratic values.

This petition is a public call for the re-instantiation of the democratic values this country upholds. This recent policy undermines and harms the public school system. This petition is a call to change that.

To sign this petition, please visit https://www.change.org/p/honourable-rob-fleming-public money-for-public-schools-in-bc

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2022-03-09

Support Secularism in British Columbia

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Center for Inquiry – Canada

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/18

The Centre for Inquiry has a new branch in Victoria, BC. The members there have started two on-line petitions, calling for an end to special treatment for religion in the provincial school system and healthcare system.

Petition for a secular school system: https://www.change.org/p/honourable-rob-fleming-public money-for-public-schools-in-bc

Petition for secular healthcare: https://www.change.org/p/honourable-adrian-dix-secular-health care-in-bc

Everyone is invited to sign the petitions to show their support, whether or not they are residents of British Columbia.

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2022-03-09

Psychology Lab Instructors – An Introduction to Ivy and Rand

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012

1. What is your personal story?

Ivy: I grew up in Hong Kong and I moved here when I was in High School. I like Vancouver because of the weather, the people, and the freedom. By freedom, I mean political freedom. In Canada, every citizen can vote for parties they support. We have rights to protest and to express our political criticism through the media. In Hong Kong, after 1997, the political atmosphere is worse than ever. There is not enough transparency in policy making, and people are suffering from monopolization. There is little Hong Kong citizens can do to change the current situation.

Rand: I was born in Tunisia, spent my early childhood in Jordan and moved to Palestine, my parent’s homeland, at the age of six. I moved to Canada about five years ago to pursue my university education. Moving to a new country on my own was definitely challenging, but Vancouver has since become a second home to me. I gladly joined Kwantlen in July of 2011; an experience which has been positive and enriching so far!

2. Tell us about yourself, what kind of spare-time activities do you enjoy?

Ivy: I like snowboarding, scrapbooking, and listening to music. I used to practice music with a ‘peipa’ [pronounced: pee-pa], which is a four stringed lute – a little bit like a guitar. I volunteer at a youth group and a senior home, and I think it is important to get involved in the community.

Rand: I play the viola and I enjoy playing with orchestra and chamber music groups. I am a member of the Palestine Youth orchestra which meets annually and performs concert tours in different countries around the world. I also enjoy cooking, travelling, spending time in the sun, and good coffee. Other than psychology and neuroscience, some of my interests include world politics and human rights issues.

3. Where did you acquire your education and why did you choose Psychology?

Ivy: I acquired my education at Simon Fraser University, graduated with a BA in Psychology, and minored in education. I had a particular interest in curriculum design. Why did I choose Psychology? That is a good one. I like to understand the world from a micro-perspective by starting from understanding people. I consider the fundamental in any study is to understand our behavior, whether in subjects like political science, sociology, or criminology, which is why I chose to study Psychology. In my first year, I tried many different subjects in the social sciences. I believe that my beliefs come from not one subject alone but many.

Rand: After graduating from high school in the West Bank city of Ramallah, I was lucky to receive a full scholarship to study at the University of British Columbia. The biology underlying human behaviour and mental processes is fascinating to me, so I chose to peruse a bachelor of science in psychology. This is a truly interdisciplinary field that provided me with a perfect mixture of the sciences and social sciences, both of which interest me. Another reason for my choice is that a lot is still not understood about the brain and its functions; this means that there are many opportunities to discover something new, which is very exciting to me! In my third year at UBC, I started working on my Honours thesis which I completed in Dr. Catharine Rankin’s lab studying the genetics of memory in Caenorhabditis elegans (a microscopic round worm).

4. What are your responsibilities in your respective Psychology Labs?

Ivy: My responsibilities include primarily running lab tutorials and SPSS labs for first and second year students. I also coordinate the research pool and manage both Surrey and Richmond labs. I am motivated and almost feel obligated to nurture students and to provide a friendly learning environment for them.

Rand: As the lab Instructor for the BSc lab, I work with faculty members to develop lab activities for various introductory and upper level psychology courses. Besides running the labs, I am responsible for the general management of the lab including ordering materials and equipment, budgeting, and ensuring safety.

5. What projects are currently ongoing in the Psychology Labs?

Ivy: We are revising the research pool system to make it more user-friendly. I am also in the progress of developing new labs for research methods and first year statistics (2300). What is really new and exciting is that we are trying to open lab space at the Langley campus. I think it is important to have lab space in Langley to support the students and faculty there.

Rand: Since the BSc lab opened in fall 2011, several lab activities have been introduced. Some of the lab activities include: cow eye dissection, face perception using eye-tracking technology, an audition lab, a taste lab, and two different brain labs where students dissect sheep brains and examine real human brains.

6. What is your favorite part of working in the Psychology Lab?

Ivy: I enjoy the diversity of my work. I see and work with a lot of different people. Every situation allows me to learn and experience new things every day. I never get bored of my work! It keeps me in a learning mode all the time and I think that is one of the ways to better myself. I always joke around with my colleagues and students that I might be less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s because I am constantly learning new knowledge and ‘tricks’ and my head never stops thinking!

Rand: My favourite part of working in the lab is the time I spend interacting with students during lab activities. I enjoy the many interesting and thought provoking questions that they ask, their energetic attitudes, and the excitement they show toward hands-on lab activities.

7. Where do you hope to see the Psychology program, specifically the development of the laboratories, in the future?

Ivy: Like I said earlier, we would love to have new laboratory space in the Langley Campus and include lab activities as part of the regular curriculum. Many aspects of psychology can seem abstract and theoretical to students. Having lab activities and tutorials can give students hands-on experience to help them elaborate on and apply the conceptual knowledge they gain in class.

Rand: Since the BSc. Lab is still very new, I anticipate a lot of developments in the next few years. There is a lot of discussion in the department on ways to enrich current psychology courses with interactive lab activities. A few ideas include developing electrophysiology experiments to measure neural activity in invertebrates, neural histology experiments, and more. So… stay tuned!

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2022-03-09

Dr. Daniel Bernstein Speaks on Colleague Dr. Beth Loftus

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012

In anticipation of renowned memory researcher Dr. Elizabeth Loftus’s keynote address at Connecting Minds 2012, student correspondent Scott Jacobsen conducted a brief interview with our very own Dr. Daniel Bernstein, who has worked extensively with Beth Loftus over many years. Some insights to Dr. Loftus and her research are below……

(1) What is Dr. Loftus’s research style? Dr. Loftus tends to ask big questions that have the potential to make real-world contributions. She is very disciplined, working 9-5 six or seven days a week. Dr. Loftus writes almost daily and is extremely productive.

(2) When did you begin collaboration with Dr. Loftus? We started collaborating after I visited her at the University of Washington in December, 2000.

(3) What did you mainly collaborate on with Dr. Loftus? We worked on the consequences of false memory and the malleability of memory.

(4) What is the range of Dr. Loftus’ research? Dr. Loftus works on the malleability of memory. This topic in itself is broad, and Dr. Loftus’ work spans much of this breadth.

(5) Where does she apply her research? Dr. Loftus’ work contributes most directly to eyewitness testimony and law. Her work also applies to implantation of false memory in therapeutic settings.

(6) How did she apply her research to Law? Her seminal work on what is called the misinformation effect in the mid 1970s and subsequent publication of her book, Eyewitness Testimony in 1979, forever changed the way that eyewitness testimony is used in court.

(7) What are the implications of her research in the field of law? It’s simple really. Don’t convict someone based solely on eyewitness testimony!

(8) How did the Law community react to her research? I don’t really know, but I imagine that they were slow to warm to it. The Law community now embraces Dr. Loftus and her work. She regularly appears as an expert witness in court cases involving memory.

(9) What do you consider the most significant implication of her work? Memory is inherently fallible. Trust memory at your peril.

(10) Dr. Loftus recently received an award from the AAAS and gave an acceptance speech. In it she says, “We live in perilous times for science…and in order for scientists to preserve their freedoms they have a responsibility…to bring our science to the public arena and to speak out as forcefully as we can against even the most cherished beliefs that reflect unsubstantiated myths.” How important do you see criticizing “unsubstantiated myths” in “perilous times” for Science? I think that this is excellent advice. Science has a responsibility to “give back” to the communities and cultures that invest in it. Scientists can and should correct myths whenever the opportunity arises.

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2022-03-09

RA Insight – An Interview with Research Assistant Bertrand Sager

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012

1) What is your personal story? I was born in Europe and raised there and on the east coast (Montreal). I returned to school as a mature student shortly after moving to BC. It was a scary move, but I’m glad I did it. In my free time, I ride my motorcycle, paddle around in my kayak, or play computer games.

2) Where have you worked in the past? I have a background in computer science and worked as a software developer for too long. When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I became a driving instructor; I’ve been doing that for about ten years now.

3) How did this work interest you in Psychology? Did you have any prior interest in Psychology? I became curious about how we learn, how we learn under stress, and especially about why we crash the vehicles we drive. Psychology seems like it holds most of the answers, because vehicles rarely crash without human intervention.

4) What is your current role in the Psychology program at Kwantlen? How far are you in your education? I am involved with the Kwantlen Psychology Society, and I work as a research assistant (RA) in Dr. Bernstein’s la, as well as with a newly formed research team. I am currently in my third year of a BAA Psych program.

5) You acquired a grant for a new research team at Kwantlen. You work with Drs. Bernstein, Dastur, and Froc. What is the project? Did it spawn from your previous work experience? I work with a team that received an internal grant (Katalyst) for a two-year research project. Working with Drs. Bernstein, Dastur, and Froc is a lot of fun and I am learning a lot: How to write a grant proposal or REB application, how to design an experiment, and most importantly how to think critically about a research question. We are investigating a particular type of traffic collision where a car driver turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle that they did not see. This type of collision is quite common and obviously very serious for the motorcyclist. We are exploring possible mechanisms that causally contribute to this failure to perceive the motorcyclist. Dr. Froc and I are motorcyclists; everyone who has been riding for a while can recall at least one near-death experience involving a driver cutting them off. It is a very interesting project that brings together human factors, cognition, and neuroscience. You could say we’re really looking at the problem from every angle.

6) What do you hope to find from it? I’m hoping to find answers that lead to more interesting questions. Ultimately, I hope that results from this research can be used to make the roads a bit safer for motorcyclists, but we’ll have to wait and see what the data say before predicting what shape that increased safety might take.

7) What is your experience working as an RA? In Dr. Bernstein’s cognition lab, we have lab meetings regularly where we discuss the status of current projects and brainstorm about new research ideas. The rest of the time, I run research participants through various studies; I spend about a dozen hours a week doing that, but participants too often fail to show up, so I just end up hanging out in the psych lab a lot. The Katalyst lab is just getting started really, but we’ve already brought one other RA on board and we are co-writing a literature review at this time. We’re also involved in the design of some additional experiments.

8) What do you find is the most valuable experience gained from working as a Research Assistant? There are so many; I can’t just point to one thing and say “that is the most valuable”, so here are a few in no particular order: I am interested in research, and this experience confirms that I like working in a research lab. School suddenly got very interesting; I learn a lot more than I would by just going to class, and a lot of the course work actually became easier because of the better understanding of how research is conducted. The lab attends conferences regularly, and I really like that. One learns a lot by attending the right conference; experts in their field present their current research and it is very interesting. I hear that experience working as a research assistant is a nice thing to put on a resume and makes for a stronger graduate school application. The camaraderie with other RAs is really nice.

9) Lastly, what is your favourite part of doing research? I like asking questions, and research is all about asking questions. I’d like to one day dream up elegant and clever experiments; seeing how the experts do it and sometimes participating in the design is really cool. Watching the answers to a research question trickle in one datum at a time is pretty exciting too.

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2022-03-09

Research Interview with Dr. Arleigh Reichl

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012

1) Where did you acquire your education? I earned my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1982; my Master’s (1989) and PhD (1994) from the University of Iowa.

2) What was your original interest in Psychology? My interest in understanding the reasons for people’s behaviour goes back farther than I can remember, and when I took a course in social psychology as an undergraduate I was thrilled to discover there was a field of psychology devoted to my interests (such as attraction, behaviour in groups, prejudice, and attitudes).

3) What areas have you researched in Psychology? In graduate school I conducted research on attraction and impressions of others, as well as research on differences between liberals and conservatives. For my doctoral dissertation I used the minimal group paradigm to determine when members of low status groups favour the higher status outgroup and when they show ingroup favouritism despite their lower status.

4) In your current area of expertise, what do you research? What are your current projects? My current research focuses on the effects of subtle, unrecognized forms of sexism (i.e., latent sexism) in print advertisements. Together with my IMAGe lab, I am now working on three projects along these lines. The first is a research article I am preparing for publication, along with Kwantlen Psychology honours graduates Jordan Ali and Jamie Rich, reporting the effects of viewing ads depicting abuse/victimization of women and messages that women should remain silent. The second project will determine if the types of latent sexism identified by Goffman (1979) actually have the effects that he predicted. The third will determine if ads with latent sexism prime stereotypes of women. I am also working on two projects arising from ideas presented by members of the lab. We are completing data collection on a project originated by Jordan Ali to determine if sexist ads promote expressions of homophobia. (We will be presenting this research at the conference of the Western Psychological Association.) Jordan and I are also working with Nicole Weiss on her research into the effects of man-bashing jokes on women’s perceptions of men.

5) In your most recent research presentation watch your mouth young lady: The effects of latent silencing messages in print ads, what did you hypothesize? What did you conclude? Our purpose was to test the claim made by media critic Jean Kilbourne (of the Killing us Softly video series) that advertising images of women with their mouths covered have a silencing effect on women. We found that women reported less extreme attitudes than men after viewing silencing images (and overtly sexist images), however this was a result of men feeling more emboldened after viewing the images, rather than women becoming more reticent.

6) Provided your research on media and gender, what message is important for the public to realize? Our results suggest that the blatant sexism we recognize in ads may not be the only, or even the worst, sexist content in ads. The subtle, unrecognized sexist messages present in many ads may have even more insidious effects.

7) What research would you like to pursue in the future? I would like to continue with my current research by looking at the effects of other types of latent sexism (e.g., messages that sexualize young girls). My other interests for future research include the effects of language that has both feminine and negative connotations (e.g., “suck”, “boob”), and whether vampire stories, such as Twilight, promote unsafe sex with the message that if you are truly in love, you will take a risk with your partner.

8) If readers are interested in knowing more, where can they find more information about your research? For more information, check out our IMAGe lab website at reichllab.com, or email me at arleigh.reichl@kwantlen.ca

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2022-03-09

A Brief Interview with Previous KPS President Lecia Desjarlais

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Synapse

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2012

1) How did you become involved with the Kwantlen Psychology Society (KPS)? Back in 2009, I was approached by the KPS and asked if I wanted a position on their Executive Council. They were itching for new members. At the time, it was Amy McLellan, Hayley Leveque, and Kyle Latchford. I’ve been here ever since.

2) What is your current active role? President. I’m also Secretary and Treasurer because our club is so small. I plan meetings, take minutes, make posters, submit planning tools to the KSA, contact guest speakers, and submit expenses.

3) What do you envision for the current administration? We want to expand, expand, expand! We want a larger Executive Council, and more people on our mailing list and in our Facebook group. We need new people to fill the council next year, so I’m always keeping an eye out for keen students.

4) In 2011, what events did the KPS host or support? In September we had pub nights in Surrey and Richmond. We also an APA seminar presented by Dr. Cory Pedersen, which many first year students found very valuable. In October, Dr. Larry Walker came from UBC to talk about getting into the UBC graduate program. In December, we had a student vs. faculty bowling night, Dr. Grace Iarocci from SFU came to talk about getting into the SFU graduate program, and we held a pub night in Surrey.

5) In 2012, what events does the KPS plan to host or support? We plan to have more pub nights since they are well attended. We also hope to have more student vs. faculty sporting events. Perhaps we will also have a speaker come to talk about local education graduate programs (including Counselling, School Psychology, and Special Education). We’re also considering hosting another research “open house” where students present their research, and faculty-run research labs show off their work and recruit keen students.

6) What support does the Psychology faculty provide to the KPS? There seems to be a wealth of good intentions, but only a handful of faculty routinely show up to our events. We want to change that with open challenges to the faculty in the hopes of bringing them out. After all, they beat us in bowling!

7) What parts of the current KPS are different compared to the previous KPS? Last year, our Executive Council was quite large. Responsibilities were spread over more people and this required more planning and delegating. Most of us became close friends. Many KPS members moved on after April, so we are now down to 4 people. This has changed the tone of the KPS and our meetings are more about business than social gatherings.

8) Who are the major contributors in and out of the KPS? Financial contributors? Faculty contributors? Kyle Matsuba is our faculty liaison. He attends our meetings, keeps us focused, and comes up with great ideas. Outside of meetings, we try to be as self-sufficient as possible. As for financial contributors, we largely rely on the KSA for funding our events. I was a little nervous about getting reimbursed for purchases made in the fall when their executive council was ousted.

9) What is the KPS doing to become more involved with students? We hand out surveys at most pub nights and note what activities students say they want. We attend the September and January welcome weeks. One of the biggest challenges for student clubs in general is creating student interest and recruiting new people. It takes confidence, professionalism, and friendliness to reach out and engage with students — this is something we’re constantly learning and developing.

10) What can students do to become more involved with the KPS? Show up to events! Join our mailing list and Facebook group and learn about what events we are hosting. We recently decided that we will have open meetings on a regular basis. We’ll be advertising the date/time/location of all our meetings so that keen students have more than one opportunity to attend, instead of once a semester like our original format.

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2022-03-09

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: (Part Five)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Stacey Piercey Gender Consulting Blog

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/07/01

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal (Part Five)

An Interview with Stacey Piercey on True Self, Newfound Joy, and Daily and Dating Life (Part Five)

July 1, 2019

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 20.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Sixteen)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: July 1, 2019

Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2019

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 1,857

ISSN 2369–6885

Abstract

Stacey Piercey is the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights for CFUW FCFDU and Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada. She discusses true self; newfound joy; changes in daily life; things to do on a Friday evening, a Saturday afternoon, and a Sunday morning; dating life now — difficulties, novelties, and amusing stories; and enough money, time, and access for an ideal life.

Keywords: Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada, Ministry of Status of Women, Stacey Piercey, Vice-Chair.

Interview with Stacey Piercey on Community: Co-Chair — Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada (Part Five)[1],[2]

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let’s focus on the woman you are now. For those who have made a comfortable transition, what are the last parts of your true self to come forward and integrate with the new life?

Stacey Piercey: Well to truly understand where I am in life, you must realize in my mind, I am making up for the lost time. When I presented as a male, there were many opportunities that I could not pursue in the past. While I was on this road of discovery, I was learning for myself who I was again. I was not available in many ways. Then I started to rebuild my life as a woman. My career lagged, but I was fortunate to have travelled so all was not lost.

I believe, my life is starting to reflect who I am. I have gone through some significant changes in just a few short years. I have my doubts and wonder what the future may hold. I have friends, but I don’t have that special someone in my life. I am terrible at dating, and I’m busy as an entrepreneur. To be true to who I am, I am re-establishing a career and home life that I consider to be mine, as it would have been as if I was born a woman.

2. Jacobsen: For those reading this at the moment or at some future present, what is the newfound joy in being your real self?

Piercey: Within the last while, I moved to Newfoundland where I grew up. It is familiar, yet I am having a different experience than before. Most of the people I knew from my past are gone, and I have lost touch with many from my travels. At the same time, I am meeting all new people from Newfoundland as the woman I am now. It is an excellent time to be here as I am getting grounded in what is familiar. It is a much quieter life, and it suits me just fine.

I did some living these past twenty years. I understand that now as I have had time to reflect. I am putting everything together that I was, and that I did. I see it for myself, who I have become. Funny how you are always the last to know. That transgender girl, human rights advocate, board room executive, former Judge and political candidate, plus everything I was before my transition is coming together fast. That person lives in St. John’s, NL and she has been around the block. I can say that I like who I am and where I am going in this life again.

3. Jacobsen: This may be banal or trite. However, some may wonder: how does everyday life change when you’re finally able to have acceptance, in general, within the culture as your true gender?

Piercey: My life took off when I accepted who I was. It was never about what other people or society thinks. I have my journey to live. I remember a time when I was ashamed of being feminine, and I would hide that part of me. I find it liberating to be myself. I don’t have to worry about a secret or that someone might expose me. That followed me for years. Then I found my way as a woman. I am more comfortable with myself, and I do have my confidence back.

I know that I did struggle with survivors’ guilt. For a while, I felt like one of the lucky ones that made it. Then I realized I was a trailblazer, creating the way for others to follow. I changed when I decide to live for those who couldn’t. Then I was happy that I woke up every morning and I try to see the sunrise every day. I don’t think about my gender anymore, and I am glad that is behind me.

4. Jacobsen: What do you like to do on a Friday evening, a Saturday afternoon, and a Sunday morning?

Piercey: I appreciate it when I get to unplug. I like listening to the radio, going for walks, and finding art. I have adventures, where I go out and do my thing. I go with the flow, talk to the people, and drift impulsively. That is the Trans girl; her street nickname was ”Mary Poppins,” and that was me, popping into different worlds, expressing different sides of myself. Her free spirit will rule me forever. She has a different life than most, that is the executive having fun and using her powers for good. I am always learning and growing as an individual. It amazes me what I stumble into at times.

5. Jacobsen: How is dating life now — difficulties, novelties, and amusing stories?

Piercey: As with dating, I am terrible at expressing my sexuality. I worry more about being taken advantage of, and therefore I am guarded. I have talked to some men, and I have been on a few dates in the past years. I’m just getting to know myself. I do wonder how does a relationship fits into my life. I know that it is where I am going, as I was married before. I have been thinking about who Mr. Right is, and I can’t wait to meet him. It will take a while for me to find someone to spend my life with and I am okay with that.

As for exciting stories, I think I managed to talk to someone for two weeks. It was nice to have someone to look forward to chatting too. I have lots of people that ask me out, but not anybody serious about a relationship. I did have a spell where I was getting hit on and asked out so much that I felt like prey. I became shy from all the attention. I don’t see it myself. I even dress down now when I go out to avoid such silliness. I meet so many people, as I run around town. I am honest in saying, I can’t wait to see on my calendar “Coffee with Husband 3:00 pm and don’t be late this time, or he will ask questions.”

6. Jacobsen: If you could have enough money, time, and access in the future, what would be your ideal life? How would you go about building it?

Piercey: This Newfoundland version of me is that of a writer and business owner. It is the life that I always wanted. I am rather new at it, and I haven’t received the benefits as of yet. I feel as if I am so far behind compared to my peers in many ways. Mostly though, I am starting a new career after some life changes. I have been building my ideal life, and I have been busy too. I like it, I walk out on the streets, and I know everyone. I feel safe in my neighbourhood, and I feel safe online too with the friends I made away. I have street smarts, excellent credentials and great potential.

I know many people in my new town. I see familiar faces everywhere, and I have some social groups that I joined that I like. In this next year, I will be putting together my business, finding associates and I am extremely confident I will be successful in this endeavour. I hope to have a great life as well to go with that.

7. Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Stacey.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[1] Co-Chair — Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada; Mentor, Canadian Association for Business Economics.

[2] Individual Publication Date: July 1, 2019: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/piercey-five; Full Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

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2022-03-09

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: (Part Four)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Stacey Piercey Gender Consulting Blog

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/03/01

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal (Part Four)

Interview with Stacey Piercey on Fundamental Human Rights and the Transgender Community (Part Four)

March 1, 2019

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 19.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Fifteen)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2019

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 2,158

ISSN 2369–6885

Abstract

Stacey Piercey is the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights for CFUW FCFDU and Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada. She discusses fundamental rights and freedoms; implementation of fundamental rights and freedoms; the sources of violations of fundamental rights and freedoms; prominent transgender community individuals; real-life impacts of fundamental rights and freedoms denials; expediting the acknowledgment and instantiation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of trans individuals and the transgender community around the world; and the regions progressing and regressing.

Keywords: Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada, Ministry of Status of Women, Stacey Piercey, Vice-Chair.

Interview with Stacey Piercey on Fundamental Human Rights and the Transgender Community: Co-Chair — Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada (Part Three)[1],[2]

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: In terms of the rights arguments, what are the fundamental human rights and freedoms trans individuals and the transgender community deserve as human beings?

Stacey Piercey: I have heard all the reasons over the years as to why I should not have any special privileges as a transgender person. At the time when I began my transition, I didn’t want a handout; I needed a hand up to have equal access and opportunity. I suffered being on the outside of society. It was traumatic to know that I was no longer a human.

I did earn my right to be a woman and the respect that comes with my new gender. It is the law too. The courts can now decide on the concept of what is “gender identity and expression.” When I had to re-establish myself, it was difficult, especially when faced with outright discrimination. I heard the word “no” everywhere I went for years. Then the human rights movement started in Canada because there were many of us with similar problems. We were in a system that was unable to deal with a change in gender. It was a legal nightmare, and legislation was needed.

The government at the time wasn’t ready for me. I had complicated problems. I had issues in establishing my identity, and that held me back. I was in a situation where I was incredibly vulnerable, and people were able to take advantage of me. Today’s standards did not exist five years ago, let alone ten or twenty. I should have received help. Institutions that respect fundamental human rights should welcome us, correct past wrongs, and apologize. We all need to move on. I want to see transgender people in my community. My quality of life depends on the human rights that other people grant me as a transgender individual. I prefer to be equal.

2. Jacobsen: What does the implementation of these fundamental rights and freedoms imply for the wider global culture, especially in terms of their current treatment of trans individuals and the transgender community?

Piercey: When the government here introduced and implemented transgender human rights, it did send a message of hope to all those who live in fear due to gender identity and expression. They know in Canada, I am considered an equal citizen with protections under the law. The concept has created a ripple effect around the world and, it sure has inspired transgender people to strive for and obtain similar rights in other places.

I believe countries that pursue inclusion policies are acknowledging a problem in society and are attempting to fix it so that all citizens feel safe to live their lives. As more transgender people come out and establish themselves these communities will thrive. I am always discovering new terminologies, identities and concepts as of late. It will take time to see our contribution to society. I know that I do bring a different perspective to the conversation. I find that nations which are progressive can introduce transgender right with ease. Our constitution, here in Canada, allows for human rights protections of groups. We are people. It was a big deal to add those few words to a piece of paper. It was an easy legal step and a problematic political accomplishment at the same time.

3. Jacobsen: What seems like the central set of sources for the violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of trans individuals and the transgender community?

Piercey: I will speak from my experience. One violation that I deal with is sexism. It is so strange to watch it happening to me. I treat everyone the same. Then I get dismissed sometimes by men, and women do it too. It is never that I am transgender anymore as it is now a grotesquely overpriced bill, an excuse that doesn’t make sense or someone who pretends they don’t know me.

I get discrimination because I am LGBTQ. I see myself as a straight woman. I don’t get that one at all, yet it happens, and that makes me go to a pride parade. I do have great empathy towards others who are stigmatized or suffer to no fault of there own. To have a normal life and to think of retirement would be nice again.

Another form I see is fear of human rights violations, as it makes people nervous. This I when it isn’t about helping the individual solve a problem as it is more about not violating someone’s human rights. Professionals have no excuse as they are trained to do their job respectfully and cannot legally isolate you because they disagree with your gender identity or expression. It is usually an error in judgement, inadequate training and not malicious. I spotted this fight or flight reaction when I had to say, that the problem is, I am transgender.

4. Jacobsen: Who are some prominent trans individuals who truly set the framework of the modern discussion around trans rights and inclusion of the transgender community into the mainstream cultures?

Piercey: There are many prominent transgender individuals in all aspects of society. I refuse to name anybody. I have a soft spot for all those I met in person. I call them all my brothers and sisters and others. They are leaders in their fields and their communities too. They have all fought their own battles, I have gotten to know many of them well over the years, and they are like family to me.

Here in Canada, it was each one of us that contributed to this human rights fight. It wasn’t a heroic battle. It was about individuals standing up and saying this was wrong. Enough of being taking advantage of because we are transgender. I decided I couldn’t live in fear and I stepped out of the closet. My friends and I all supported each other, and I was never alone.

5. Jacobsen: What are the real-life impacts of the denial of fundamental rights and freedoms of trans individuals in countries around the world?

Piercey: It isn’t a difficult concept to have respect for others. Transgender people are easy targets because they are a vulnerable segment of the population. I wouldn’t travel to a place or work where people are not respected. I don’t believe I am alone in thinking this way. Nobody is comfortable supporting the oppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. Transgender people are the preverbal canary in the coal mine for human rights around the globe. That is where Canada has had an impact on other countries. We are sharing our message of human rights. They know our story about what has happened here. They are watching and learning this new way of saying yes and resolving issues. Transgender people are out and very proud to be Canadian. They are influencing change in society.

6. Jacobsen: At the level of the United Nations and human rights organizations, and international non-governmental organizations, what could be done to expedite the acknowledgment and instantiation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of trans individuals and the transgender community around the world?

Piercey: There are declarations by international organizations that call for fundamental human rights. Governments are changing the laws of their countries to accommodate these protections. Corporations are implementing policies, processes and procedures into everyday operations. I often see now medical advancements, legal victories and the establishment of social supports. Remember there was no infrastructure a few years ago, transgender people were in legal limbo, and nobody had to do a thing; as being neither male or female, could at any time, be used against you. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.

As a new group of recognized people, we are currently having a conversation about the problems we all had and are now trying to fix them. I have learned more being outside of the transgender community as of late, and I bring that back with me every time I drop back in. It is nice to be accepted so openly by other groups as well.

I think it is exciting times and can’t wait to see how this all unfolds. I do know that you will never solve every problem or grant everyone the same freedom that I currently enjoy. I believe education is vital. This world is getting smaller, and we are becoming one community. That is the future I plan to be a part of as a transgender person.

7. Jacobsen: In terms of fundamental rights and freedoms, what regions are progressing? Why? What nations are regressing? Why?

Piercey: I can say that some nations are receiving more media attention dues to legal battles, policy debates and integration issues because of their transgender citizens. I think Canada is a leading example in comparison to some conservative-minded governments. Those tend to struggle more with human rights, valuing social policy and understanding inequality.

I know the younger generation that I met have less of a problem with gender identity or expression than what I remember from growing up. I recently read that twenty percent of the population now identifies as LGBTQ. That is double from what I ever heard. It blew my mind for a few minutes. I expect a significant change in the years to come, and I am not worried about it. You can’t stop progress.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[2] Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2019: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/piercey-four; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

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2022-03-09

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: (Part Three)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Stacey Piercey Gender Consulting Blog

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/01/15

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal (Part Three)

An Interview with Stacey Piercey on the Transgender Canadian Citizens, the Media, and Health Concerns

January 15, 2019

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 19.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Fifteen)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: January 15, 2019

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 1,636

ISSN 2369–6885

Abstract

Stacey Piercey is the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights for CFUW FCFDU and Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada. She discusses opinions about the transgender citizens in Canada by some of the media and some movements; the impacts on transgender youth in Canada in hearing neutral and curiosity-driven news; the impact on transgender youth in Canada in hearing mean-spirited news; moving into 2020 for acceptance of the transgender community; help for transgender individuals moving into the 2020s; and transgender health issues being addressed and respected.

Keywords: Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada, Ministry of Status of Women, Stacey Piercey, Vice-Chair.

An Interview with Stacey Piercey on the Transgender Canadian Citizens, the Media, and Health Concerns: Co-Chair — Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada (Part Three)[1],[2]

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: In the public conversation now, we can observe a wide variety of reactionary, not movements but, outspoken individuals or small coalitions with platforms on the moderate fringe expressing opinions on the transgender community varying degrees of veracity. With or without mentioning individuals or small coalitions, what tend to be the modern expressed opinions coming from them?

Piercey: I see significantly less negativity in the media than I did years ago. Everyday life is pleasant for the most part. There have been changes for the better as of late. I do hear, and it is seldom, a message from those who have concerns, and from those who have an issue with transgender people. It is often one of fear of the unknown or a resistance to change.

They are seldom transgender or are affected by the fact someone transitioned genders. I think you should always be your best self, let alone be afraid to be yourself. I find most people are friendly and efforts are made to be accommodating. Many have gone through the transition process with the knowledge gained. I believe everyone heard about the problems that we encountered, from all the transgender advocates for the last several years. It is important to note. This is not a priority in most people’s lives. It was, for a time, in mine.

2. Jacobsen: What seems like the impact on the lives of the young in the transgender community who see or hear the more benign, inquiring, and curiosity-driven opinions expressed in the public sphere?

Piercey: The generation of younger transgender adults that I do encounter. Most have healthy lives; some are open about being transgender, some are not. It isn’t that big of a deal. People are not bound as much by gender roles as I was growing up in the seventies. I changed with the times. I honestly don’t think about gender that much.

I do see more positive media regarding transgender people. That was missing for me to have good role models when I started. There are shows, celebrities, and stories with happy endings now. It is not all doom and gloom. I see other transgender people when I am about town, not often, but you do notice when you get served by or pass each other on the street.

3. Jacobsen: What seems like the impact on the lives of the young in the transgender community who see or hear the more aggressive, judgmental, and denialist opinions expressed in the public sphere?

Piercey: It is terrible, I don’t understand why anyone would want to scare or hurt anybody. This kind of rhetoric does tremendous harm. Once you start believing another person’s opinion of you, you lost who you are, your identity or individuality. Imagine living with being judged all the time, discriminated against or harassed. That is not a life and shouldn’t be tolerated by anybody. There is no room for hate. There is no argument if transgender is real or acceptable. It is. Now it is time to help transgender people integrate into everyday society not fight with them.

4. Jacobsen: Moving forward into the 2020s, what would best help the public acceptance of the transgender community?

Piercey: Education is vital. It isn’t difficult to be kind to others. People are people. I never saw transgender people as different. For me, it would have helped to move through the system much quicker. I lost years in comparison back then. My problems are behind me now. I transitioned, and I have a normal life. I get to contribute back to society. The public accepts me. I can take care of myself. I am independent. That is what was important on my journey. I am now on to the next step. Life as a woman, problem solved. That is what the public needs to hear to help acceptance.

5. Jacobsen: Moving forward into the 2020s, what would best help the transition of the trans individuals within the transgender community in coordination with their medical provider?

Piercey: Supports should be in place. Your doctor is one aspect of your life, what about housing, employment, poverty and other issues faced. This is about productive lives and providing the help needed for these individuals to move forward. There are unique challenges that are to be addressed and can no longer be dismissed or misunderstood. Removing the need for advocacy will improve lives.

When opportunities are available for services provided such as surgeries, counselling or other requirements, then you will see less of urgency in the community. Transitioning at an older age may be rare in the future. It will be diagnosed and monitored earlier. Then like most health decisions, they are made by families or the individual. People may never know about a prolonged period of transitioning, dealing with a stigma or being outside of the system.

6. Jacobsen: What medical and other options are becoming better, more precise, safer, and so on, for the transgender community? Typically, as technology gets better and wider spread, it becomes cheaper and comes with fewer complications.

Piercey: Access to the current medical system will be profound. Forget about new technologies. Transgender health issues are now being addressed and respected. We are all going to learn from each other and over time improve the delivery of services. That is a start.

The excuses of the past about the costs and lack of adequate professionals available with expertise in transgender health will eventually be solved. Most transgender surgeries are the same procedures performed for other reasons. It is not necessary to label transgender health as different. With social acceptance, we can get back to helping people become healthy. If surgery can help you, and doctors do it all the time, why not help people. Transgender people shouldn’t have to wait five to ten years to get surgery that others can get in six months for a different reason in a government hospital.

In the past to have my gender change recognized I had to go through the government medical system, and I did. If you went out of the country or had it done by an uncertified medical profession your application to change gender could be rejected. Today, you can change your gender on your identification by filling out a form. The government shouldn’t make life harder for anybody. If someone is living as the opposite sex than they were born in, they get to have a valid id. It is undeniably essential to have proper identification. Changes like this are all relatively new and will help over time.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[2] Individual Publication Date: January 15, 2019: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/piercey-three; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

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2022-03-09

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: (Part Two)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Stacey Piercey Gender Consulting Blog

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/11/01

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal (Part Two)

November 1, 2018

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 18.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Fourteen)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: November 1, 2018

Issue Publication Date: January 1, 2019

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 3,938

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Stacey Piercey is the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights for CFUW FCFDU and Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada. She discusses paths of misunderstanding transgender individuals; misinformation and disinformation campaigns; best definition of a transgender individual; definitions and misunderstandings over time; what is the same in the life-arc of a trans woman from youth to elderhood in those who are trans women and who are not trans; what is different in the life-arc of a trans woman from youth to elderhood compared to someone who is not a trans woman; what are the disproportionately negative life outcomes for trans women in different domains of their lives; and the different paths and shades of those paths available to trans women in terms of making the transition in Canada.

Keywords: Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada, Ministry of Status of Women, Stacey Piercey, Vice-Chair.

An Interview with Stacey Piercey: Co-Chair – Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada (Part Two)[1],[2]

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: To set some more of the theoretical and empirical groundwork of the extended educational conversation over the coming weeks, I see two streams of misunderstanding about trans individuals. One is simple, relatively benign ignorance; another is deliberate misinformation and disinformation campaigns, through multiple media and social media channels, to scapegoat vulnerable members of society for cultural-political points. To the simple, relatively benign ignorance, what seems like the source of this? What are the individual and interpersonal consequences for trans-Canadians?

Stacey Piercey: You are right to say that there exist two streams of misunderstanding about transgender individuals. There is ignorance, and that is understandable to a degree, not everyone is aware of what it is like to be transgender. It is a unique experience to the transgender individual. I can relate to you some common themes that I have observed. I can share as much information as humanly possible. If it was easy to explain, I guess there wouldn’t be such a need for advocacy or education.

As you know, this is not something that everyone will encounter. There will always be a lack of knowledge and some ignorance. Just like how I don’t know everything about other groups in society. I do trust that their experience is real, and I can understand to a degree the issues that are faced in other communities by relating my experiences. We are talking about intersectionality, overcoming our differences and the knowledge gained from being able to connect with others. That requires empathy. I learned a while ago to relate to people by addressing common interests and not pointing out differences. I like to connect with others and learn from them. That is my style, to find common ground and solutions were ever possible. I see myself often having conversations about being transgender and answering questions asked of me. People do want to understand and want to help, especially since this has become a relevant social issue.

The other type of ignorance has hurt me, and that is the deliberate misinformation and disinformation campaign that seems to be ongoing. I don’t understand the motives, yet it does exist. Sometimes it is political, sometimes they are exclusionary and sometimes this is outright hate. You may say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but there is, what someone sees in media affects me. I find myself judged unfairly, asked to defend myself or explain myself. I sometimes struggle, as I am seen only as a transgender individual. It is hard when every day all you see are these negative stories. And I know the difference, so I can’t imagine the opinions being formed by others as they watch or read these stories. In Canada, we have moved further along in the conversation when it comes to transgender issues. Our policies are about inclusion and integration. It is no longer about our right to exist. That is happening in other countries, such as the USA and Great Britain right now, as they are having a national conversation. It is a big media machine that has overtaken our story to a degree. I feel like I when back in time watching this unfold, I even forget this is not relevant to me as a Canadian. But it is. You see stories that use outright fear, to pray on these individuals and to make life harder for transgender people in general. We are such a small portion of the population, we have never had privileges, steady jobs, housing or opportunities likes others, and transpeople suffer this incredible onslaught in the media that doesn’t make it easy to live a normal life. My only explanation is that there is money to be made hating transgender people, or there is joy in abusing and oppressing a small minority. It is all beyond me; I was raised to help people, not to hurt them. I honestly have to say I struggle to find good positive stories. And that is wrong.

2. Jacobsen: For the misinformation and disinformation campaigns, what seems like the source for this? What are the individual and interpersonal consequences for trans Canadians?

Piercey: If I was the venture a guess, it is political. For any change to occur for transgender people, we need the support of the media. Good and bad stories bring awareness to the issues. I don’t know if there is a dividing line among groups when it comes to transgender individuals. I have met so many people despite their background, and once they come to know I am transgender, they always say I have a friend, a relative that is transgender. It is a tough life they have, can you help or have any advice. My experience is everyone knows of someone who is transgender in a way. Therefore when it comes to transgender issues, you get every political background creating awareness, some views are extreme, over the top and sensationalized, but it is always someones else’s interpretation of transgender people. In Canada, during our campaign for human rights, we wanted them to come out of the closet, be seen and know it is okay to be transgender. It was time to step forward and say there is a problem that needed to be solved. There were no government statistics; there were no supports, and often these issues were not classified as transgender.

There is another side to this campaign against transgender people, and that is some are not ready for a change in society. They don’t help you; they want you to go away and keep you out of sight. Or worse as I found, I was used, I would work hard, and I ran into empire building. I would have these great ideas and solutions, and others would take credit. I was not respected. Thus not everyone is supportive. In this country, I have seen change occur very shortly through government and businesses. How I am received now is different than it was years ago. The thing is, as a community, we don’t have the population to instill change; we don’t have the experts, we don’t have the representation and are reliant on others to help. We are small in numbers; we are not in control of the conversation, often we are not included, and there is no consensus. I am into policy, and the problem I see, is that this is very expensive to put a gender-neutral washroom in every building, it is expensive to paint a rainbow crosswalk, and it is advanced law, and advanced medicine. Not everybody is ready to deal with this, it is complex, and it needs viable solutions. There is not enough research, legal precedents and medical history to adequately deal with the problems at hand.

3. Jacobsen: Now, those amount to not knowing/being unaware or having imbibed illusory knowledge. To the factual basis of being transgender or a trans person, what best defines a trans individual – or the type of trans individuals – within the modern context?

Piercey: When I grew up it was simple. It was very binary. You were either a man or a woman. You were born as one gender on the outside and felt like another on the inside. Then you went about the process of transitioning from one gender to another. You go through a transition phase where you are for me as an example, male, not male or female, then female. In my mind that was transgender, it was a term that defined people who transitioned, had their surgeries, did their paperwork and changed their lives from one gender to another.

It isn’t like that anymore; it has become non-binary. We have a third gender concept where people who are gender non conforming that fit into the terminology of transgender. I have heard over 50 classifications for gender. For many there is no desire to seek surgeries, they are okay with who they are, and I would say this new generation or new perspective is what you are seeing more of today. I met fewer people who have the same background or experience as I once did. They are out there, living opposite from the gender they are born in, you don’t notice them because they live stealth.

For me, that shared experience of transitioning, living a point in your life as neither gender, going through that process of change is what makes a transgender person different. It is not about, sexuality, it is about gender and questioning it and living with the knowledge that gender is a social construct. And at the same time, gender it is a big defining point for many individuals. When you remove gender from the individual, what is left but only the person? I see it now as a very open community, that is inclusionary to anyone questioning gender.

4. Jacobsen: How has the definition changed of “trans” or “transgender” over time into the present if at all? How have the misunderstandings changed over time if at all, too?

Piercey: I think in my life the definition of transgender has changed in that has gone from binary to a non-binary. That breaks down any traditional views of gender. I see transgender people as more gender fluid now whereas before it was about going from one gender to another. I am old school in a sense I live female, that is me. But I am floored by some on the new ideas that I have seen. I will be honest I find some of the new terminology and concepts difficult even for me to understand. I am okay with it; I think you should be yourself in this life. I can remember when this was simpler, it was discrete, and not political. That was before the internet and social media. We had support groups. Now it is all over the media; everyone has an opinion on gender. Everyone is sharing what they think. I believe we are watching a gender revolution. And transgender has changed just like society did with technology. I expect what it means to be transgender will continue to follow this evolution. I am all for new ideas, and I believe change is good.

Interestingly enough, the misunderstandings have not changed, for me. It is still the case where I am the representative of everything transgender. If someone sees a transgender story, they think I am like that too. How do you say, I am an individual and not some glorified stereotype.

5. Jacobsen: From your perspective and observations, as you relayed being identified as an elder – an elder trans woman, recently, what is the same in the life-arc of a trans woman from youth to elderhood in those who are trans women and who are not trans?

Piercey: I am an elder, and I understand it is a term of endearment and respect. It is something I have been called personally many times, it is not a cultural thing for the transgender community. For me, it is more about being a survivor. For them, I am a role model, a faux parent, someone who is there with experience and guidance. You see, there are not many people like myself who have transitioned in life and have lived a long time. I have 20 years of experience and stories. A problem that exists is that there is little-recorded history. Whereas I have watched this grow, and I have watched a whole new generation come into the scene. I was always involved with the public, and I am in the transgender community too. People know I am the transgender Liberal, if they got a problem with the government, I will hear it first. Now if you want to know what it was like years ago, you have to ask my friends or me. In that sense I am an elder, I have within me the culture, the history and I can see the changes that have occurred. Another reason is that I have been called an elder is that I have made friends over the years with two spirited people from the indigenous population. That has grounded me, as I know transgender has been around forever, not a mainstream part of society, but it has always been there. And in other cultures, it is very respected. In Newfoundland and the Indigenous community, there is an oral tradition, and I share in these ways. I have all the knowledge of how to navigate the system, as I helped create it and how to transition legally. I can offer great advice and have over the years to many transgender people. And if you want to know something about transgender rights in this world I have one of the better networks, there is to access information. I am a responsible adult, and I like the term elder, and I have taken it too.

6. Jacobsen: Within the same question background, what is different in the life-arc of a trans woman from youth to elderhood compared to someone who is not a trans woman?

Piercey: I am in my forties. Now I have forty plus years of life experience. But that is not what makes me an elder. You can be older than me it doesn’t mean you are an elder in the trans community. Let’s start with the years of transition. Day one, you are transgender, you are brand new to this world. You may know about life, but you don’t know anything about transitioning. These are trans years, I have 20 of those years, and it is that experience that counts. What you may know about life is irrelevant to a degree when you change genders. People have always come to me at this point needing my help. More so in the past, before services were available, I am an expert in the trans community.

The experience is relatively the same for everyone medically speaking. You want and need to be supervised by a doctor. You have to live full time integrating into society for a year. Then you start hormone. Then you go through a second puberty. Living full time is a real test, and taking hormones that is permanent. If you make it this far, following the doctor’s orders and have no complications with the introduction of hormones and no adverse effects to your body you are on your way to transitioning. Hormones scare away a lot of people, and some people can’t take them, especially the male testosterone. It is a weird time, in a transgender person life. It is when they are most vulnerable, and hormones are new, and everything they thought about the other gender is now real to them. It is a learning and growing phases. Eventually, you settle in and find your way. You may have surgery, which again is a significant change, most of my friends are post operation. Therefore, we can relate to each other. Then you wake up one morning and your body after years now matches the image in your mind. You adjust, and you move on with life, everything is normal, gender is not an issue anymore. All is good. Transgender doesn’t solve problems; it is not an escape from your life, it creates tonnes of difficulties. The whole process takes time; it took me probably ten years to regain my confidence and to be good with who I am. It is very similar to a non-transgender woman entering puberty, and the issues faced, it just happens to them when you are younger, and as with them it takes years being a teenager to come into your own.

7. Jacobsen: In terms of the social issues in the lives of trans women, what are the disproportionately negative life outcomes for trans women in different domains of their lives? How does each of these disproportionately negative outcomes play out in concrete terms?

Piercey: I can easily say, that if I was with hundred people who identify as transgender twenty years ago. Fifty would not be able to change their lives. This door is not open to them. I would say twenty of them would be murdered or commit suicide or incarcerated. It was a big deal to be passible for safety reasons alone. Now I would say of the thirty left, fifteen have entered prostitution for survival, ten are on income assistant, and I would say you have five who are working, transitioned and you will never know they transitioned. That was me, I was lucky, educated, in a relationship, and I knew how to take care of myself. I came out again later in life because I was tired of seeing what happened to the community and its fight for rights and it was overwhelming me trying to help others. I know there are not a lot of transgender people who live long lives after transitioning. I was given seven years by one professional, it was said to me this is a rough life ahead if I do this. Now, I have some friends who have transitioned as long as I have or longer and I know of some individuals older than me too. The truth is we are a science experiment. There aren’t that many people who have done this. I am one of those at the forefront.

8. Jacobsen: What is the process of making the transition? Also, this is a nuanced area. What are the different paths and shades of those paths available to trans women in terms of making the transition in Canada?

Piercey: For me, this was a very regulated medical process to transition. As well, legally it is a real pain in the neck to change all of my documentation. It was not fun; it was hard work. Back in the day, the government would only recognize gender change surgeries, if they occurred within the medical system. Without your surgery, you couldn’t change your identity. These rules do not apply as much anymore. It is good, and it is terrible too, I liked all the supervision and supported I received. I was monitored as if I was part of a military experiment. If anything was wrong with me, I knew right away. It was reassuring. I remember transitioning was the scariest time in my life, going from male to female was a stage that I wanted to go through as fast as I could. It takes times to transition. I wanted to travel, get a good job, or have access to credit, I needed everything to be in order. I thought coming out was hard; I found socializing difficult as I was relearning many skills, and it took me a while. What works for me as a man didn’t necessarily work for me as a woman. I was taken care of, supported and helped to transition completely through the medical system in Canada. I have the best doctors.

Today you can now transition, or be gender non-conforming or gender neutral. It is not so much about taking a pill as it is more about changing your identity to reflect who you are. The rules don’t apply anymore as they once did for me, you can start hormones, and you don’t have to transition fully, you don’t have to have your surgery. A lot of people live gender neutral or some other gender that is not traditional male or female. I can’t imagine how different it is now, there are so many supports, and people are safe to be themselves at a young age, and the social stigma is going away. Part of the transgender experience was in hiding, ashamed and coming out, living underground, and outside of the system. I had to develop social skills, political skills, to fight for my rights, I had to know the law, the medical system and government policy as it was all needed to get by in life. Now, if was 15 and felt like there was something wrong with me. I can tell my doctor, and my teacher and I can transition with help. Whereas for me it took years to find answers, and help and support. In a way, transgender, as I understand it will be extinct.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[1] Co-Chair – Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada; Mentor, Canadian Association for Business Economics.

[2] Individual Publication Date: November 1, 2018: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/piercey-two; Full Issue Publication Date: January 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

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2022-03-09

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: (Part One)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Stacey Piercey Gender Consulting Blog

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/10/01

An Interview with Stacey Piercey by In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal (Part One)

October 1, 2018

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 18.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Fourteen)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Issue Publication Date: January 1, 2019

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 3,677

ISSN 2369–6885

Abstract

Stacey Piercey is the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights for CFUW FCFDU and Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada. She discusses: personal and family background; early life and impact on experiences; professional experiences and professional certifications; being a former candidate member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the BC Liberal Party; running for politics in Victoria-Swan Lake, and politics as a trans or transgender person; being a mentor at the Canadian Association for Business Economics; being the Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada/Parti Libéral du Canada; being the Co-Chair for the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights at CFUW FCFDU (Canadian Federation of University Women); and hopes and fears, regarding Canadian culture and public discourse, in 2018/19.

Keywords: Co-Chair, Liberal Party of Canada, Ministry of Status of Women, Stacey Piercey, Vice-Chair.

An Interview with Stacey Piercey: Co-Chair — Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights, CFUW FCFDU; Vice-Chair National Women’s Liberal Commission at Liberal Party of Canada | Parti libéral du Canada (Part One)[1],[2]

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is family background regarding geography, culture, language, and religion or lack thereof

Stacey Piercey: My family and I are from the island of Newfoundland, for generations we have resided in Placentia Bay. It is somewhat rural, steeped in traditions, accompanied by a robust evangelical background from being a Salvation Army. We have developed a strong sense of independence and resourcefulness from this isolation, believing in self-reliance, community and compassion for others. We lived off the land, close to the sea and benefitted from what we were given to us by nature.

2. Jacobsen: What is personal early life for you? Did this familial background impact the perspective and experiences of the world?

Piercey: I grew up in a small town, working-class, with the primary industries being that of shipbuilding and fishing. I had a great childhood, I was in every activity imaginable, from the arts, sports and community groups. I prefer intellectual pursuits and technology. I had lots of friends and a rather large family. Later I was married, and my life was somewhat normal with the advantages and privileges of our time. I got to travel, and I think that helped me come into my own. I believe growing up where I did put me on the right path, with a passion for volunteering, community building and social skills, and confidence in myself and my abilities.

3. Jacobsen: What were the professional experiences and educational certifications before the current human rights work?

Piercey: I have a degree in economics and business administration from Memorial University and a college diploma in information technology with a focus on accounting, business, and computer applications. Also, certificates in investing from the Canadian Securities Institute. I moved away after school from my home in Newfoundland, due to the lack of professional opportunities. I worked in advertising in Toronto. I managed other businesses until I eventually started my own. My first venture was in educational resources, my second was in digital marketing, and now I am working at being a writer. I always have been very active socially and in volunteering my time with groups such as Toastmasters, political parties, women’s groups, public education, the church and executive boards. Even more so I have always better myself through painting, writing and music lessons. This list goes on and on. I am the type of person who is involved in something, I am a passionate reader and consider myself a life-long learner.

4. Jacobsen: You were a former candidate member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the BC Liberal Party. What inspired this move in professional life?

Piercey: I was not inspired to be a political candidate. I turned down the request several times. I consider myself to be an introvert; I was not where I wanted to be in life for this opportunity, I was coming into my own, after my transition and regaining my confidence. I didn’t think I was the personality type or someone who is out-going nor did I want the attention or was comfortable being in the media. I did attend political meetings and socialized within organizations my whole life. It is a safety thing for me, hanging out with politicians, lawyers, investors, and community leaders as they are well behaved, and it is a safe place for a respectable transgender woman. I know now; my friends get me in and out of trouble at times. I was very concerned as a transgender woman about the problems I would face. It took me a while to realize how much I have overcome with my transition. I learned to speak up for myself, ask my friends for help and to go right to the top to solve the issues that I had. I was always there doing this work behind the scenes. Eventually, I was in a situation where I became known to people beyond my social circle. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t realize how vital a transgender woman with the Liberal Party of Canada was around the world. I had a lot of amazing people that encouraged me to run, I realized it was my time, and I eventually said yes for the experience and to see if this was me. It is a great honour to put yourself forward and to run for public office. I did run into problems. I faced my fears, and I have become better because of the experience.

5. Jacobsen: Also, you have a first attached to running for politics in Victoria-Swan Lake. One of the firsts for the trans or transgender community as a result. It is not central to the quality of character or political party platforms-and-policies, but it is an important facet of the narrative of professional, and personal, life. What was the reaction or feedback from the public as a trans or transgender political candidate in Victoria-Swan Lake? Obviously, as we both know, the general public can be mixed on the trans or transgender community, for a variety of reasons.

Piercey: I honestly don’t know where to begin. Campaigns take on a life of there own. I started mine out on a tv spot saying “jobs, jobs, jobs, this election is about the economy.” But my campaign started years before that in retrospect. I was advocating for transgender human rights; I was someone on many executive boards, I was a business owner, I knew people from my neighbourhood, I had friends that wanted to help me, family support and I was in tune with the issues in Victoria-Swan Lake from all of my involvement in the community. What was strange, this experience was more like a public roast for all of the hard work that I did behind the scenes. The image created of me in the media was not me, I spent my time knocking on doors and talking to people. It was weird to read the paper and see what I said when I don’t even know how to think like the comments I saw, and at the same time having to explain it. Politics is local, but my campaign gained international attention once the word transgender came out. Despite all of the policies that I worked on, the studying I did to prepare, and the training that I did receive, it was difficult to focus my campaign on the issues because for many I was the first transgender person they met. I had moments where it was more about me justifying my existence and my right to be a candidate. I felt like a teacher and, was distracted at times, I was pigeoned-holed or considered a gimmick and dismissed because I was a transgender woman. I think I received extra criticism because I was transgender, and I was harassed beyond belief online. And I saw some things that made me sick. I was the image and the face of transgender people. I understood, what I was doing was ground-breaking. That was the campaign that I saw from my seat watching the public.

What I was doing the whole time, I was meeting my riding. My riding was great to me in person and as an individual. I got to meet my neighbours, make friends, and speak to groups. I wish I had more time to get to know them all; I felt safe; I was welcomed into homes, I sat at kitchen tables, shared in a coffee, rode the bus, walked trails, and I even walked someone dog. I became my riding, I learn to speak with one voice for their concerns, and I have tremendous respect for the BC Liberal Party that took a chance on me. I don’t think they nor I knew what I was going to go through. I have been told, that I was fearless to do what I did, but I always did this. I impressed myself, I did the work necessary, I ran a good campaign, people enjoyed meeting with me and talking to me too, and I grew as a person beyond my wildest dreams. I recommend this experience to everybody. It is too bad some dismissed my accomplishments because I was transgender and that hurt, I think it made everything harder for me, and I am so proud of what I accomplished. I was studying to be a Citizen Judge at the time, so I held myself to a high standard, and that did help. Now I help others get elected, and I have watched since then other transgender friends run for office. I would have received more votes and probably could have gotten elected with any other party, but I wanted the training, the friendships and to do this with a government that was in power for 16 years. My background confirmed to me of the choices available. I am a BC Liberal. I still didn’t know what they think; I do feel like I crashed the party. I didn’t realize I would be kicked out of the LGBTQ community because I ran with a party that was a coalition of Liberals and Conservatives. I was considered entitled and evil by my friends at the time. In their minds, I cross the floor and join the enemy. I think others were scared for me and tried to protect me too or worse educate me. It was all so strange, and I never had so much fun before either. Afterwards, with all the parties having transgender candidates in BC, transgender human rights were established nationally in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was all worth it. Because I know what my life was like before I transitioned, I lost so much that the average person takes for granted and I will never get all of that back again. Now I have equality under the law, and I can rebuild my life.

6. Jacobsen: How did you mentor at the Canadian Association for Business Economics? How do you mentor? What are the basic, and then advanced, dos and don’ts of mentorship?

Piercey: I have been with the Canadian Association of Business Economist for a while. It is an excellent organization for an economist in Canada. We get to practice our presentations within the group. I am privileged to know, meet and be a part of this collection of economists from the public and private sector. I also get to share in the information, through webinars and in-person meetings and presentations. I was a coach in sports, I am an executive advisor and have been in the mentor role on many occasions with other groups. I was encouraged to be a mentor, to help other individuals in banking or government that were economists starting their career, as I could be of great assistance. I was a mentee first, for a year to get to know the program. Now I am a mentor to others. It is about being an economist. It is where despite our background we share a perspective, exchange knowledge and ideas with others.

The mentoring program involves activities such as information sharing, informal teaching, general career advice and coaching. It is part of an overall strategy to encourage members to reach their career potential, enhance career development, offer supports, increase networks, and open lines of communication with other members. I act as a guide, adviser and sounding board. This program enriches the work-life experience, discusses options without judgment and provides feedback. We establish an atmosphere of trust, explore choices and possibilities, providing information and instruction, and I, act as a role model to assist the mentee. My styles have been to go for coffee and chat, create a safe environment, with an understanding of helping. I learn as much in this setting too because we share experiences and support each other. I may be older, or the mentor, but we are equal, as economists.

7. Jacobsen: As the Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Liberal Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada/Parti Libéral du Canada, how did you earn this station? What tasks and responsibilities come with it? How do you maintain moral excellence in professional conduct while in a high-level national position?

Piercey: I am a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, I have taken on many roles over the years and have received lots of training. I was a director and was on a few committees; then I was asked to join the BC Women’s Commission as the riding association representative. It seemed simple enough to speak up for the woman on the riding association as an executive member. Then very quickly I became Direct for Vancouver Island to Director with the province of BC. Then when I moved back to Newfoundland, I was voted Chair for Newfoundland Labrador Women’s Commission, and I speak for this province on our national board and lead our commission here too. I am also on the provincial executive for the party with our seven federal Members of Parliament. I am on the policy committee provincially, and the policy committee with the Women’s Commission too. I became and was voted Vice Chair for the National Commission after our President left to run for the leadership of a provincial party. I connect the ridings in Atlantic Canada as Vice-President. Also, I am part of the Women caucus with all of our women Member of Parliament; we work with government ministries, especially the Ministry for the Status of Women. The commission promotes gender equality, encourage participation in politics and gender policies in this country. What I like most is the friendship from having a representative from each province and territory in Canada, and that support network, I can not say enough how great it is when we have our meetings and to check in with the country through these ladies. I don’t think about maintaining moral excellence; I am more concerned about staying on top of things, to be honest. I do trust all of my experience, and knowledge gained has created the person I am today. I have learned when to speak up, I might not be the smartest or most knowledgeable on any subject, but I do lead and give others the confidence to try to voice their opinions or stand up against injustice. I am still learning. It is a prestigious title, and I often forget. I am just me, and I enjoy this role, and it doesn’t feel like it is work either. Then someone will ask me about it, and I share some stories, and I get a hug or asked for my autograph, then it hits home, this is important. I have learned much from the women with the Liberal Party of Canada on this commission, we are an incredible team, and we have our way of doing things. They are my strength, and my motivation to make this a better world. I realized I am in this role because of all of the work I have done, all the boards and campaigns that I have been a part of and I am so proud of this title and the policies we have created.

8. Jacobsen: As the Co-Chair for the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights at CFUW FCFDU (Canadian Federation of University Women), what tasks and responsibilities come with this position? What are the main difficulties and subject matter covered through the federation

Piercey: I have been a member of the Canadian Federation of University Women for a while, I have been on the executive with my local chapter, with the education trust fund and I enjoy our social groups. These ladies are great, and we do so much in the community. What the CFUW is, it is a national organization working to ensure that all girls and women have equal opportunities and equal access to quality education within a peaceful and secure environment where their human rights are respected. We work to reduce poverty and eliminate discrimination. We create equal opportunities for leadership, employment, income, education, careers and the ability to maximize potential. We strive to promote equality, social justice, fellowship and life-long learning for women. This role as the Co-Chair for the Ministry of Status of Women Sub-Committee of Human Rights is somewhat new for me. Besides chairing this committee, I am on the CFUW Standing Committee on Advocacy. Both groups have two major reports that we are presenting. The advocacy committee reflects on all of the work that the CFUW does in communities with other organizations. We are connected to and support many groups through our affiliated clubs across the country. With the Status of Women Human Rights Subcommittee, we are now working on a major report, a National Initiative of Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls. There is a focus is on Sexual Assault Policies in Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada. It is a big deal because the CFUW holds special consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) and belongs to the Education Committee of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. We send delegations to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. It is a real privilege to be on this committee, and we do fantastic work.

9. Jacobsen: What are hopes and fears, regarding Canadian culture and public discourse, in 2018/19 for you?

Piercey: I will be honest with you; I am a little concerned about Canadian culture and public discourse right now. There is a new attitude in politics around the world that I believe currently to be unhealthy. There is the empowerment of intolerance, excuses to hate others and methods to discriminate that doesn’t look the same as it once did. I noticed the world is a little more hostile in tone and the line that I consider to be decent has been pushed a little further than what I am comfortable in seeing. I am not worried, this is temporary, it will pass, and it will get better over time. I think we are watching a social backlash as there is a changing of the guard from generation to generation around the world. In Canada, we are privileged to lead the way for the next generation. I see that with the election of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister. He is the first world leader that was my age, with the technology of my generation and the values I am familiar with growing up. We will probably see more change as the world comes together in the next 30 years than we have in the last 300. So I have some fears, they are short-term, and I have great hope, in the long run. I do believe the future will only be better.

10. Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Stacey.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[2] Individual Publication Date: October 1, 2018: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/piercey; Full Issue Publication Date: January 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

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2022-03-08

Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 29.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (24)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com

Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 2,594

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Scott Durgin is a Member of the Giga Society. He discusses: growing up; a sense of an extended self; the family background; the experience with peers and schoolmates; some professional certifications; the purpose of intelligence tests; high intelligence discovered; the extreme reactions to and treatment of geniuses; the greatest geniuses in history; a genius from a profoundly intelligent person; profound intelligence necessary for genius; work experiences and jobs; particular job path; the gifted and geniuses; God; science; the tests taken and scores earned (with standard deviations); the range of the scores; ethical philosophy; social philosophy; economic philosophy; political philosophy; metaphysics; philosophical system; meaning in life; meaning externally derived, or internally generated; an afterlife; the mystery and transience of life; and love.

Keywords: Giga Society, life, Scott Durgin, views, work.

Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)

*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: When you were growing up, what were some of the prominent family stories being told over time?

Scott Durgin[1],[2]*: Grandma telling of her ancestors being Hugenots. Her son, my father being born late and during a flood, my mother being thrown from a car days before Kennedy was shot, my ancestors active in the revolutionary war, my mother’s father emigrating from Ireland, he could play the fiddle by ear; my dad’s musical inclination and woodworking skills, marksman in the army, ranger in the forest, a few others I can’t recall.

Jacobsen: Have these stories helped provide a sense of an extended self or a sense of the family legacy?

Durgin: Somewhat. Later in life I was able to track my family history through William Brewster and two other pilgrims. Later still, I was able to trace it back further to Fulk V of Jerusalem. Self extension is a critical notion I’m glad you brought that up, as it has great potential for growth, there are many applications of it. A sense of history is important for future conceptualizations and decision making, so my adult life has been dedicated to satisfying a voracious appetite for studying history.

Jacobsen: What was the family background, e.g., geography, culture, language, and religion or lack thereof?

Durgin: European blend, all English speaking by the 18th century, all Christian (and anti-authoritarian so not many Catholics). Mostly settled in New England by late 1600s. Originated from U.K., France and Germany.

Jacobsen: How was the experience with peers and schoolmates as a child and an adolescent?

Durgin: I was observant but largely socially inept until high school, except for sports. Lots of exploration, digging, sports, outdoor activities, music; voracious appetite for reading started in 7th grade, mostly science fiction Ray Bradbury, Arthur Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein. One or two close friends every few years or so, then drifted away.

Jacobsen: What have been some professional certifications, qualifications, and trainings earned by you?

Durgin: IEEE, SBE, ASME, Pi-Mu-Epsilon, AA in General Studies, BS in Engineering Physics.

Jacobsen: What is the purpose of intelligence tests to you?

Durgin: Enjoyment in solving problems. Life is a puzzle, so it’s practice too.

Jacobsen: When was high intelligence discovered for you?

Durgin: It was a slow work in progress. By the time I was 25 to 30 years old I began seeking out extraordinarily difficult puzzles because I had been doing so without help for decades prior: Rubiks cube, “The square root”, which is a sliding wooden pieces type of puzzle, mazes, optical illusions, creating my own labyrinths, mastering chess, stratego and other board games. I appear to be the only one I knew (among maybe 2 dozen others or so) who actually solved the Rubiks cube and rubiks revenge without the book. Same thing with the square root. Later on I put together the jigsaw puzzle known as Devils Dilemma which has identical images on both sides but one side is rotated 90° relative to the other, and the puzzle pieces are actually “double died” so you can’t tell by flatness which way the pieces should go. Insane exercise looking back. When I was in my late teens I invented a variation of chess that involved two moves for each person (with certain exceptions of course; certain new rules had to be invented to keep everything sane). It was a great mental exercise but it also hurt my brain. Probably the first time I realized I had an abnormal intelligence started in fourth or fifth grade when I was fairly adept in math and could also recite the alphabet backwards could read upside down, find the Dalmatian among the chaos of black and white spots, things like that. – Finding the pattern within the sea of randomness was important to me early. It was only after a decade or so after that I began to use rational thinking and scientific methods to check whether those patterns were meaningful. Painful process actually.

Jacobsen: When you think of the ways in which the geniuses of the past have either been mocked, vilified, and condemned if not killed, or praised, flattered, platformed, and revered, what seems like the reason for the extreme reactions to and treatment of geniuses? Many alive today seem camera shy – many, not all.

Durgin: Discomfort is the answer. It seems that most geniuses or exceptionally creative people tend to be (at least partially) introverted, meaning they do not require others, or interaction with others but are rather comfortable with solitude. I believe this grates against the weaknesses of the extroverts because they do require human interaction every day, which means they manipulate others into getting energy from them. Introverts do not intrude. Introverts retrieve energy from within. They do not require recognition. People who are comfortable with solitude do not require acceptance in a group and this makes weak people nervous and uncomfortable. One who is comfortable with darkness and solitude can navigate the greatest fears and overcome them.

Jacobsen: Who seems like the greatest geniuses in history to you?

Durgin: Plato, Euclid, Vitruvius, Confucius, Hypatia, Proclus, Roger Bacon, Al-Hazen, Dante, Those who composed the Zohar, those who composed the Hermetic philosophy, John Dee, Leonardo, Mozart, Newton, Maxwell, Goethe, Gödel, Einstein, Emmy Noether, Dirac, Feynman. My favorites in there are probably Vitruvius, Al-Hazen, Mozart, Maxwell, Feynman and daVinci.

Jacobsen: What differentiates a genius from a profoundly intelligent person?

Durgin: Humor, no question. Music too. Film art like South Park, Archer, Veep, Patriot. Those are genius. Watch all the Batman films in order then watch LEGO Batman. That is genius.

Jacobsen: Is profound intelligence necessary for genius?

Durgin: No.

Jacobsen: What have been some work experiences and jobs held by you?

Durgin: Grave digger, Bank proof operator, Security guard, RF Engineer, Physics Teacher, Marketing & Sales Manager, Engineering Manager, Business Manager, Engineering Consultant, Founder and President.

Jacobsen: Why pursue this particular job path?

Durgin: I like a challenge, because puzzle solving is enjoyable and I want to enjoy life, career included. Engineering is by definition problem-solving at the real world level. I eventually settled on RF & Microwave Engineering because it is THE challenging and multidisciplinary activity, especially when one works with high power (multi-kilowatts) and further advances beyond Engineering to Design Engineering. One must be expert as a Thermal Engineer, Mechanical Engineer and Electrical Engineer (a fusion of all three) to accomplish this and solve real world problems in Communications. To top off the “discipline tower”, one must additionally master the physics of waves, which most EEs do not, because the difficult mathematics of waves involves partial differential equations in space and time. Hello Maxwell. Physics supplies the ultimate backdrop. Optics a good subset. Ph.D. highly recommended. Negotiating contracts, working with and managing others and communicating critical information through language barriers also requires an education in the liberal arts.

Jacobsen: What are some of the more important aspects of the idea of the gifted and geniuses? Those myths that pervade the cultures of the world. What are those myths? What truths dispel them?

Durgin: The good and long lasting myths are deep because they are masking truths otherwise not understandable without knowing physics and mathematics. So myths and symbols are extraordinarily important to carry on knowledge even if that knowledge is not understood by the great majority of people. Even if all civilization is destroyed except for a few (where those few are most likely to be uneducated), if the myths are remembered then eventually an intelligent individual will be able to decode the symbols and unpack the physics buried within them.—–Regarding genius, I don’t know. But two words come to mind besides Humor: Polymath and Paradox. Some of the more profound mysteries of the world have been solved by thoroughly investigating a paradox. But I do know that genius is not necessary if you work every part of your brain as much as you work the rest of your body. Take care of your brain. The brain needs a workout just like the body does. Things that harm the brain or suppress brain development are not good: drugs alcohol etc. Sex is also good for the brain. Ecstasy, Exhilaration and Enthusiasm all beneficial.

Jacobsen: Any thoughts on the God concept or gods idea and philosophy, theology, and religion?

Durgin: Mankind creates God, indubitably. Our perception of God’s perfection, capabilities and other attributes/aspects improve with our own improvement in knowledge, until eventually God is irrelevant or gone. Excellent symbol for God is the all seeing eye within a triangle, which is normally shown elevated above an unfinished pyramid. There are very profound reasons for this arrangement. But I will only focus on one: Insight requires a great amount of prior physical and mental activity, then a period of rest like Helmholtz described. The reason the triangle is above the pyramid (itself symbolizing a great labor) is the insight appears to come from nowhere, when in fact it does not. It comes from the brain – but only after rest. In this way, self generated insight can serve as a symbol for an improved version of yourself, or your future self, or your perfect self or God.

Jacobsen: How much does science play into the worldview for you?

Durgin: Science is the true and final method of finding things out; finding THE truth. What seems to be a great way to start that process is exploration and wild speculation, but coupled with and grounded by an education in Science (the hard ones). This also means entertaining and following imaginative leaps, flights of fancy that appear at first to go nowhere, but actually do open the door (or lead down blind alleyways where a hidden door may be) to answers from a sideways path. Balancing the irrational with rational thoughts, feelings and notions seems like the best scientific path, for it is only after subduing the irrational that it truly can be categorized as irrational. In Art, One must explore all paths first to eventually know how to place the ground where it belongs and the figure where it belongs. It’s the same with science; slow but sure. And – most critical is learning to distinguish between evidence and other information; between something physiological and something psychological. Science is EVIDENCE based, or nothing.

Jacobsen: What have been some of the tests taken and scores earned (with standard deviations) for you?

Durgin: I don’t keep very good track of that but most of my IQ scores on tests taken in the late 90s and 2000s range between 140 to 170 with an SD of 15. The tests I truly enjoyed were those by Cooijmans and Hoeflin and a few others but I can’t remember. Two memorable occasions I can think of now are an IQ test and an entry-test to University. Both of these tests were 20 questions. The university test was taken by a few hundred others over a few years to see whether candidates would be suitable for a five-six year very intensive dual degree program in engineering and physics; so one would receive a BS in both. Apparently only two received a perfect score, I was one of them, so I entered the Program.

Jacobsen: What ethical philosophy makes some sense, even the most workable sense to you?

Durgin: FREEDOM, period. The only freedoms forbidden are those that remove freedoms from others; so again, balance.

Jacobsen: What social philosophy makes some sense, even the most workable sense to you?

Durgin: See last question.

Jacobsen: What political philosophy makes some sense, even the most workable sense to you?

Durgin: See last question, although I would add that a people-owned government is the ideal, with the rules of engagement duly constituted in a document which serves as the law, with a strict separation of church and state, meaning any and all government bodies are perforce religiously neutral. Three reasons for these: 1. A constitution cannot be assassinated, replaced or overturned without great effort and time, so authoritarian regimes are illegitimate. Who is president does not matter because the president’s first job is to protect the Constitution. 2. When the government, sworn FIRST AND FOREMOST to protect the constitution, is owned by the people (ALL the people not just some), then freedom has the best chance AND 3. When institutions like Science, Health, Education etc are owned by the entire public, those institutions are NOT subject to religious influence. How? Because of church-state separation. Allowing religion to be individually based and private is the only way to protect it. So a summary: Freedom is mandatory for individuals but not government. And no royalty, no bloodlines, no authoritarians. Those things have become stupefyingly nonsensical and irrelevant in today’s world. And there is no such thing as religious authority. Nope, Never again. Lincoln was right: By the people, Of the people, For the people (BOF). We all need to be BOF-ed.

Jacobsen: What metaphysics makes some sense to you, even the most workable sense to you?

Durgin: The mystical tradition of Kabbala is actually the most workable, because it is not mystical at its bottom. It’s psychological. A great deal of study reveals this, especially the geometry of it. Knowledge of Hebrew required. Knowledge of Ancient Egyptian required. Buddhism and ancient Druidism are also favorites. Study of Carl Jung helps: Mysterium Coniunctionis, Psychology and Alchemy two excellent examples.

Jacobsen: What worldview-encompassing philosophical system makes some sense, even the most workable sense to you?

Durgin: Physics. Physics covers many planes or correspondence: vibration, polarity, rhythm cause-and-effect and gender. The Universe is ONE THING. All other things follow from this, the most obvious being that all entities are related to one another, like all spokes are connected to a central hub. The simple wisdom expounded in The Kybalion, though dated, is apt here. If the concept of God seems comforting to people then I would maintain that FIELD comes as close as possible to fulfilling that concept. Einstein stated it tersely: “There is no space empty of field”, which is consistent with Descartes. That does not mean that empty space is summarily filled with field, but rather the field….is….space. There is no such thing as empty space. Ever. If all the fields were removed there would be no space left. A rigorous and long term study of General Relativity will convince those who seek to understand this fully. Gravitation Electrodynamics, Light etc. That means 5-6 mathematical steps above calculus are necessary: partial differentials and 2nd rank tensors and higher. Expect despair, pain and mental contortions.

Jacobsen: What provides meaning in life for you?

Durgin: Purpose and growth. Growth Cleaves Stone.

Jacobsen: Is meaning externally derived, internally generated, both, or something else?

Durgin: Subjective.

Jacobsen: Do you believe in an afterlife? If so, why, and what form? If not, why not?

Durgin: Based on evidence so far, a physical afterlife (albeit transformed) seems obvious, but not a mental or psychological one. Will power has no power or life without a brain. You can’t even think about it without your brain. Memory is possibly transferred as a record could otherwise be, but this must be partial at best.

Jacobsen: What do you make of the mystery and transience of life?

Durgin: Life is wonderful. Enantiodromia provides a great path to transformation. My probable future has unfolded many times due to my own efforts. Resonance is possible at every level if one makes the effort. Every breathing second is meant to be purposeful, enjoyed and explored. This I do.

Jacobsen: What is love to you?

Durgin: Passion, Purpose, Obsession, Balance and Generosity.

Footnotes

[1] Member, Giga Society.

[2] Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022: https://in-sightpublishing.com/insight-issues/.

*High range testing (HRT) should be taken with honest skepticism grounded in the limited empirical development of the field at present, even in spite of honest and sincere efforts. If a higher general intelligence score, then the greater the variability in, and margin of error in, the general intelligence scores because of the greater rarity in the population.

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)[Online]. March 2022; 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

American Psychological Association (APA, 6th Edition, 2010): Jacobsen, S.D. (2022, March 8). Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1). Retrieved from http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A, March. 2022. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1>.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2022. “Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

Chicago/Turabian, Humanities (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott “Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A (March 2022). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A. Available from: <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1>.

Harvard, Australian: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A., http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 7th Edition, 2009): Scott D. Jacobsen. “Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 29.A (2022): March. 2022. Web. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1>.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Jacobsen S. Conversation with Scott Durgin on Life, Work, and Views: Member, Giga Society (1)[Internet]. (2022, March 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/durgin-1.

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2022-03-08

Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 29.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (24)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com

Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 3,126

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Paul Cooijmans is an Independent Psychometitor and Administrator of the Glia Society, and Administrator of the Giga Society. He discusses: “Glia Society tenth anniversary lecture”; the interaction and reaction of the people present at the tenth anniversary; writing articles and placing advertisements in magazines; founding a high-I.Q. society and learning; the apathetic to the pessimistic; members failing to see the immense opportunities available before them; virtuous individuals; other traits; creative output; e creation of work for the high I.Q. society by members; an important ethical consideration of the lives of individual members outside of the high-I.Q. society; “first test design activities”; 1994; the problems much too difficult for most of the volunteers; September, 1997; the highest scorers; the 3 highest legitimate scores on a Cooijmans test by testees; using the most up-to-date norms on tests; the website and the e-mail forum; communication on the e-mail fora; some distinctions between the new and old logos; the inspirations for the old logo and the new logo; particular difficulties; the total number of high-I.Q. societies; the standard policy changes to high-I.Q. societies; reformation of a society; and changes of the Glia Society between 2007 and 2021; and other changes.

Keywords: Glia Society, I.Q., I.Q. tests, intelligence, Paul Cooijmans, tenth anniversary.

Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)

*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: “Glia Society tenth anniversary lecture” (n.d.) is a lecture given on October 6, 2007, in Brussels. How many people were present at this tenth anniversary?

Paul Cooijmans[1],[2]*: Six.

Jacobsen: In recollection, what was the interaction and reaction of the people present at the tenth anniversary?

Cooijmans: Early on, there was some discussion around negative topics like test fraud and unqualified idiots in I.Q. societies, but I managed to end that by playing guitar. I gave the lecture twice, and the first time was filmed. The guitar was a handmade steel-string guitar I had bought just one week before, so I was not used to it yet. Two of those present (at least) have died meanwhile.

Jacobsen: You describe writing articles and placing advertisements in magazines (Ibid.). What was the trend in the early responses to the articles and the advertisements?

Cooijmans: People were mostly very enthusiastic and interested, especially from abroad. Responses from my own country, the Netherlands, were relatively often negative. In particular I remember one response saying, “If you want genius, go to the asylum”.

Jacobsen: You remarked on founding a high-I.Q. society and learning “not everyone benefits from membership like I have benefited from it” (Ibid.). Some members “remain passive, consumptive, negative or complaining… are disappointed after joining” (Ibid.). How are these unproductive stances of members of a high-I.Q. society?

Cooijmans: I do not understand the formulation of this question well, but I suppose I could answer like this: These members may be either entirely inactive, or they may complain there is not enough to do, or they may complain that “everything is cast in stone” and they have no influence on what goes on. They may also participate in initiatives of other members, which is good of course.

Jacobsen: How are these particular members from the apathetic to the pessimistic contributing to these problems?

Cooijmans: People with negative, complaining attitudes scare off new members, and do not add to the positive activities going on in the society. A problem with completely inactive members is also that they remain on the member list as long as they do not explicitly resign (which I would rather have them do), thus creating the impression of a larger membership than there effectively is. This is a result of there being no membership fee. With a fee, you could remove members who failed to pay. For information, the member list contains around 500, the active members are probably 100 to 200.

Jacobsen: Also, how are these particular members failing to see the immense opportunities available before them?

Cooijmans: I think the essence is that the opportunities I see in the high-I.Q. community require initiative and an inner drive, while these people expect something more organized or ready-made presented to them. Another factor, with regard to negative and complaining attitudes, is that people in general complain about problems they can not solve; they complain so that others will solve those problems for them. So, people with a high problem-solving ability will complain less than those with lower levels of that ability.

Jacobsen: How is selection by I.Q. scores, even very high I.Q. scores, insufficient to gather virtuous individuals into a society based on I.Q.?

Cooijmans: While intelligence does correlate positively with being virtuous, this correlation is not perfect. The combination of high I.Q. scores and lack of virtues may occur in cases of test fraud, or in people belonging to a caste or bloodline wherein high intelligence has coagulated genetically with evil as mentioned by me before. So even with selection by I.Q. scores, you have to stay alert to unethical behaviour and act against it.

Jacobsen: What other traits “must be taken into account” in the creation and growth of a high-I.Q. society (Ibid.)?

Cooijmans: Being ethical, and conscientious in general. Associative horizon, sense of humour. Combined with intelligence, these will result in creativity.

Jacobsen: Why is creative output another important aspect of people in creating or developing a high-I.Q. society?

Cooijmans: The fact that someone is creative, and produces work, reveals the possession of a combination of intelligence, conscientiousness, and a wide associative horizon, and these people tend to be good members. They are self-directed and inner-driven.

Jacobsen: You remark on the non-necessity of the creation of work for the high I.Q. society by members, as this can sap energy and time of a member who functions in other capacities in the world outside of the high-I.Q. society. Why do some high-I.Q. societies, potentially, not consider the lives of members outside of the high-I.Q. society?

Cooijmans: If such societies still exist, I believe they require such work to make certain that all members are actively involved in the society in a positive way. An example was Ludomind, where it was required to design a certain number of puzzles every year or something like that. I would not commit myself to that, I want to decide for myself where I put my time and energy.

Jacobsen: Why is this an important ethical consideration of the lives of individual members outside of the high-I.Q. society?

Cooijmans: Because the real-world work of a creative person is more important than one’s activities in an I.Q. society.

Jacobsen: You stated:

My first test design activities were not with intelligence tests but with a guitar playing ability inventory called the Graduator. This psychometric instrument could express a guitarist’s advancedness on a scale from 0 to 300. I scored over a hundred guitarists on it; the all-time top score is 237.

Here is the certificate to go with that.

In addition, the Graduator was an artificial composer who created a musical composition to each possible score profile out of 2 to the 300th. The algorithm consisted in pencil on paper and had to be executed by hand for each score profile; this was so much work that I only managed to complete it for one score profile: my own. A recording thereof is available on my web site. The title of the piece is For who loves truth, the garrote called ‘life’ is daily tightened a turn. (Ibid.)

Even though, your “first test design activities” began with the Graduator. What personal proclivities and interests preceded even the construction of the Graduator, the psychometric instrument?

Cooijmans: Composing, music theory, guitar playing, writing, running, reading about science, trying to understand things like awareness and the universe, cycling, chemistry experiments, explosives, fireworks, mopeds, hypnosis, building model aircraft, listening to music, photography.

Do notice that possible proclivities and interests that came after the Graduator are not listed here.

Jacobsen: The pivotal year, perhaps, was 1994 with work on the Graduator for guitarists leading into “intelligence test problems” (Ibid.). You experimented with volunteers. You found the problems “were much too difficult for almost all who tried them…” (Ibid.) Was the transition from the Graduator to intelligence test problems easy, natural?

Cooijmans: Yes, I could even use partly the same volunteers for the early intelligence test experiments, like guitar students.

Jacobsen: Why were the problems much too difficult for most of the volunteers?

Cooijmans: This must be the phenomenon of projection; the problems seemed easy enough to me, so I assumed, involuntarily and unawares, that they would be easy enough for others too. This kind of projection is important, and I have come across it in the fields of guitar playing and music theory too. Teaching and psychometrics are two activities that confront you with this: What is easy, natural, or obvious to me, is not necessarily so to others. What I know is not necessarily known by others. What I am capable of does not always lie within others’ capabilities. To make things understandable and doable to or for others, I have to go many levels below what I initially believe to be the appropriate level of difficulty.

Jacobsen: What made September, 1997, a sufficient year, since beginning with intelligence test problems in 1994, to found the Glia Society?

Cooijmans: I was in contact with a number of people who were willing to join a new society, and I had some ideas about how to run the society, based on what I had seen in other societies meanwhile.

Jacobsen: Who have been the highest scorers consistently on the alternative tests constructed by you? Those who have taken many tests by you and scored high on them.

Cooijmans: I can not say that because it would violate their privacy.

Jacobsen: What have been the 3 highest legitimate scores on a Cooijmans test by testees to date while using the most up-to-date norms on tests? If I may ask, who were these individuals?

Cooijmans: First, I want to say that this is not an easy question. There are many thousands of scores in the database, and they are raw scores. To compare them, they have to be converted to protonorms. This would not be doable by hand in any reasonable amount of time and effort. To our good fortune, over the course of two decades I have painstakingly written programming code and created a protonorm database so as to dynamically link the raw scores to their current norms, and, for instance, put out a list of scores that exceed a certain level, with the name of the test and candidate if desired. This is the largest and most complex informatics project I have undertaken, and I think it is also the most difficult thing I have ever done, intellectually.

Of course, any good programmer should be able to do this. Still, I must say I never see test statistics by others that even remotely have the quality of my reports, so it seems that not many combine their programming skill with statistics. I set the controls such that only the top three scores remained, and they are 76 raw on the Cooijmans Intelligence Test – Form 3E, and 27 and 28 raw on the Cooijmans Intelligence Test 5. The I.Q.’s are 190, 186, and 190, respectively. I can not give the names as that would violate the privacy of the candidates.

Of course, the norms in that range are still uncertain, and there may be a number of scores right under these that, after renorming, turn out to be equal to or higher than these.

Jacobsen: Why make the website and the e-mail forum for the Glia Society in February, 2001, rather than earlier or later?

Cooijmans: I did not have an Internet connection before that time, and had bought a computer in January. The day I got Internet, I had the web location online by midnight. The electronic mail forum was started by another member on 7 March 2001; I did not even know what it was at the time.

Jacobsen: You stated:

Communication on the e-mail fora — there are two now — is different from that in the journal. Because of the easy nature of e-mail, those who could never write a journal article through of lack of ability are now able to rise to the surface and become prominent. Before the e-mail era, such members would have remained invisible. Now, they become conspicuous billboards for the society, signalling to every new member: stupidity rules here. This is a destructive phenomenon that has yet to be exterminated. (Ibid.)

Any sign of extermination?

Cooijmans: Yes, lately I have not seen any such behaviour. This may also be because most communication is now taking place on other than electronic mail fora, and I have not personally kept up with everything.

Jacobsen: Outside of the sex club or the pornographic web site reference regarding the new logo – at the time, what were some distinctions between the new and old logos pointed out by members, even non-members?

Cooijmans: Some found the old logo more beautiful, and it was also noted that the old logo was actually pictorial while the new one consists of styled letters, so is text-based. I have kept the new logo on the web location because I think it looks better on the whole there. For the journal Thoth, I have, in some periods, regressed to the old logo that graced the cover of early issues, but not recently because that logo takes up a whole page, so that the contents table has to be placed on the second page (or on the back, when Thoth was still in paper form). Somehow, that version of the old logo only works if it has the whole page for itself.

Jacobsen: What were the inspirations for the old logo and the new logo, at the time?

Cooijmans: For the old logo, that is meant to represent a brain cell. For the new logo, I do not know as it was designed by someone else. It contains the letters “Glia Society”, perhaps that might serve as a subtle hint as to its inspiration.

Jacobsen: You stated, “Finally a few words about possible improvements to the Glia Society, or I.Q. societies in general. The quality of communication and activity in a society depends mostly on the quality of that society’s membership, which in turn depends on the admission policy.” (Ibid.) How is this more easily stated than practiced? What particular difficulties have occurred with the Glia Society for you, e.g., finding wolves in sheep’s clothing, having to expel frauds, removing rude people from fora, and so on and so forth?

Cooijmans: The easiest part is the fine-tuning of the admission policy. Difficulties have occurred when dealing with undesired behaviour, but most of that has already been mentioned I think. One person who was expelled objected to his expulsion, and then died while his case was being considered. People have been annoyed when (temporarily) removed from a forum and resigned as members, but subsequently tried to stay present on another forum. People have purposely misbehaved to provoke their removal, and then acted as if they were victims and unjustly punished. People who leaked information to non-members could not be identified.

Jacobsen: You continued:

As said before, selecting by I.Q. alone is not enough; additional assessment of personality and creative output or productivity is needed. So for improvement, either the admission policy of an existing society has to change, or a new society has to be formed with a better policy.

The latter is constantly being done, especially since the advent of the Internet which made it easy for every Tom, Dick, or Harry to start its own super-high-I.Q. club, so that there is now an endless proliferation of societies that each think they have invented the wheel. (Ibid.)

Any estimate as to the total number of high-I.Q. societies, or at least claimed high-I.Q. societies, that have been founded since the formation of the first high-I.Q-society?

Cooijmans: I have not counted them, but probably in the order of a hundred or more.

Jacobsen: What have been the standard policy changes to high-I.Q. societies to improve these longstanding issues regarding admission and membership quality?

Cooijmans: There are no such standard policy changes, most societies are all too happy with a defective admission policy and low membership quality. They would not want it any other way. In fact, those responsible for defective policies would not be in their respective societies with a stricter admission policy in the first place.

Jacobsen: Your preference has been reformation of a society. Although, “Reforming an existing society is difficult though, because you have to deal with the current membership which is partly incompatible with the possible new admission policy.” (Ibid.) Has this been an issue since 2007 with the Glia Society? What were the policy changes to the Glia Society between 1997 and 2007?

Cooijmans: These are two questions. I will take the first as “Has this been an issue with the Glia Society since the most significant admission policy changes took place?” There are two issues; the first is that of returning members who qualified under the old policy but no longer have qualifying scores. It has been decided to re-admit those without requiring new proof of qualification. So effectively, past membership counts as qualifying. This decision is based on considerations of humaneness, and concerns a limited number of people.

The second issue is that of existing members who no longer qualify by the current policy. Also for reasons of humaneness (and for consistency with re-admitting returning members with outdated qualifying scores) these are allowed to remain.

The policy changes were to no longer accept homogeneous (one-sided) tests on their own but only in combination with another homogeneous test of different contents type, and to no longer accept tests that proved unsuitable for some reason, for instance invalid in the range where the pass level lies. These were a number of regular psychological tests, but also the later versions of educational tests like S.A.T. and G.R.E.

Jacobsen: What have been the changes of the Glia Society between 2007 and 2021?

Cooijmans: It is not clear if meant here are changes to the admission policy, or changes in general. I think the admission policy has not changed lately, only tests have been added and removed to the list of accepted tests as needed. A general change is that the paper version of the journal has ended. This saved an enormous amount of work, and also the postage rates in the Netherlands had been rising such that I was almost ashamed to ask a fee that would cover the cost. In the end it cost close to 4 euros to produce and mail the booklet. This had almost doubled in ten years time. If you bought stamps, a few months later they were outdated and you had to add extra postage. At some point they stopped putting the amount on the stamp, so that they could raise the price of it without needing to print new stamps. That is privatization of public services for you.

Jacobsen: You stated:

One of the changes I might make in the future is to keep my tests, or most of them, exclusively for Glia Society members, and use for admission other people’s tests and maybe just one or two of my own, in addition to assessment of personality features besides intelligence and assessment of creative output.

Apart from improving the admission policy in several ways, this will have the advantages of protecting my tests better from the general public, and of protecting myself better from the general public. I will probably have to charge a fee then when members take my tests. (Ibid.)

How extensively were these changes pursued?

Cooijmans: Not at all yet, but some of it might occur one day. An alternative scenario is that wherein I become so rich that I do not need test fees any more; I might keep scoring tests then, but restrict them to a select group like Glia Society members and GliaWebNews subscribers, something like that.

References

Cooijmans, P. (n.d.). Glia Society tenth anniversary lecture. Retrieved from https://gliasociety.org/lecture.html.

Footnotes

[1] Administrator, Giga Society; Administrator, Glia Society.

[2] Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022: https://in-sightpublishing.com/insight-issues/.

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)[Online]. March 2022; 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

American Psychological Association (APA, 6th Edition, 2010): Jacobsen, S.D. (2022, March 8). Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8). Retrieved from http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A, March. 2022. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8>.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2022. “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

Chicago/Turabian, Humanities (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A (March 2022). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A. Available from: <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8>.

Harvard, Australian: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A., http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 7th Edition, 2009): Scott D. Jacobsen. “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 29.A (2022): March. 2022. Web. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8>.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Jacobsen S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on the Tenth Anniversary of the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (8)[Internet]. (2022, March 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-8.

License

In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Based on a work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.

Copyright

© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012–2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links March be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, and In-Sight Publishing and In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and can disseminate for their independent purposes.

2022-03-08

Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 29.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (24)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com

Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 1,073

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Richard May (“May-Tzu”/“MayTzu”/“Mayzi”) is a Member of the Mega Society based on a qualifying score on the Mega Test (before 1995) prior to the compromise of the Mega Test and Co-Editor of Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society. In self-description, May states: “Not even forgotten in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), I’m an Amish yuppie, born near the rarified regions of Laputa, then and often, above suburban Boston. I’ve done occasional consulting and frequent Sisyphean shlepping. Kafka and Munch have been my therapists and allies. Occasionally I’ve strived to descend from the mists to attain the mythic orientation known as having one’s feet upon the Earth. An ailurophile and a cerebrotonic ectomorph, I write for beings which do not, and never will, exist — writings for no one. I’ve been awarded an M.A. degree, mirabile dictu, in the humanities/philosophy, and U.S. patent for a board game of possible interest to extraterrestrials. I’m a member of the Mega Society, the Omega Society and formerly of Mensa. I’m the founder of the Exa Society, the transfinite Aleph-3 Society and of the renowned Laputans Manqué. I’m a biographee in Who’s Who in the Brane World. My interests include the realization of the idea of humans as incomplete beings with the capacity to complete their own evolution by effecting a change in their being and consciousness. In a moment of presence to myself in inner silence, when I see Richard May’s non-being, ‘I’ am. You can meet me if you go to an empty room.” Some other resources include Stains Upon the Silence: something for no one, McGinnis Genealogy of Crown Point, New York: Hiram Porter McGinnis, Swines List, Solipsist Soliloquies, Board Game, Lulu blog, Memoir of a Non-Irish Non-Jew, and May-Tzu’s posterous. He discusses: “No Mirrors”; and “Sunrise.”

Keywords: Buddhas, Capgras, Finnegan’s Wake, G. I. Gurdjieff, Goethe, I Ching, indeterminacy, James Joyce, Jiddu Krishnamurti Man of Tao, May-Tzu, mirrors, Noesis, recursion, Richard May.

Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)

*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: “No Mirrors” – ahem – reflects the same pattern as before in this comedic philosophical work. Are there no mirrors, or are there no people to be reflected by the mirrors, or nothing to be reflected and nothing to reflect at all? I ask on behalf of nobody.

Richard May: There are no mirrors that work, i.e., allow one to actually see oneself and there are no individuals to be reflected by the mirrors, only fictional narratives in our brains from which we construct our identities, always playing our favorite character in fiction. See Valentines Moment: https://megasociety.org/noesis/176#29 “ … two opposing mirrors each reflected, and even mirrored, each other with perfect, but depthless, fidelity; empty mirrors looking into each other eternally, or until someone turned off the lights.” and Dr. Capgras Before the Mirrors. “Am ‘I’ actually strobing moment to moment among the shadows of shadows . . . of shadows of uncountable Buddhas in a quantized stream of time or recurring endlessly in some fragmented eternity? Will these replacements of myself happen in the past or have they already happened in the future?” “But who or what is the observer, here before the mirrors, and who or what is the observed?” (Noesis The Journal of the Mega Society Issue #200, January 2016, page 44) https://megasociety.org/noesis/200.pdf Nobody, the Man of Tao, will see what I mean.

Jacobsen: The opening two lines state: Sitting in a room observing myself, sitting in a room observing myself, I ask the prior question within that context. As the point of view of no one is in itself paradoxically formulated when ‘confronted’ with a mirror, it’s the recursion of the system, which continually strikes me in the head like an Acme Co. anvil. So, as if a recursive crash test dummy, why is recursion or a cyclical quality sopopular with you?

May: It a recursion and an indeterminate nested regress. Observing myself — observing myself — observing myself —

Jacobsen: At 16 or some such age, maybe younger actually, I read Finnegan’s Wake,

May: I should be interviewing you or you should be interviewing yourself! \

Jacobsen: painfully. I should have read the preface,

May: I would probably have read only the preface.

Jacobsen: which stipulated, more or less, in the first sentence, ‘The first thing to understand about this text is that it is essentially unreadable.’ (Thanks.)

May: That may also be the 2nd and 3rd thing to understand about the text.

Jacobsen: Yet, I see a similar cyclical quality in this work and in the works of James Joyce. The themes are presented as jokes,

May: “Some subjects are so serious that one can only joke about them.” — Niels Bohr

Jacobsen: as in a Wittgenstein quote. It, definitely, is a philosophical work; it is, certainly, a comedic work; and, it’s, obviously, recursive in character. Did you ever read any Joyce?

May: Any? Oh, yes, the titles of a few of his works, maybe a few pages here and there, the philosophically important parts. I recall one of his characters was fascinated by the farting of his girl friend, undoubtedly as contributing to Gynecogenic Global Warming versus the issue of the suppression of women’s flatus by the Patriarchy, and perhaps another character was very interested in the stains on women’s panties. Divination by panty stains may be an Irish form of divination, perhaps equivalent in subtlety to the I Ching. I go for the quintessence when I read, because of a tendency to subvocalize, attention deficit disorder and a bit of OCD. (Will this be on the ‘test’?)

Jacobsen: The line, “slumped, chin in hand,” brings to immediate mind the posing philosopher stance, the famous sculpture stance of a thinker. A stance supporting a “concatenation of jokes in a black cap…”

May: “a concatenation of jokes in a black cap” is a bit of self mockery.

with “no Buddhas,” which goes to some prior points about there being nobody home to show ‘The Way’ or some such master-slave relation.

May: Eh? Truth is a pathless land. — Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Yet, at the same time, it’s even worse than that… there’s no one home in the stance! This is a headache to think about(!), but for no one. The part seeming ambiguous to me: “black cap.” What is “a black cap” referencing? Do you wear black hats, too? And how so?

May: A cap is a form of headgear or clothing that you wear on your head. I would have thought that some Canadians would have seen caps. Black is the absence of light. Sometimes I have worn black hats or other colors, mostly on my head. “Alles Vergaengliche ist nur ein Gleichnis.” — Goethe. Everything transitory is only an allegory or metaphor (of the eternal). So I suppose that a hat is not actually a hat. But I thought it was a hat.

I used to dwell in what I generously referred to as the Nigerian sewer system, a city often mistakenly thought to be in New York State. It was cold during the winter, which was eternal. Hence, I often wore a hat, even indoors.

Jacobsen: The lines about stealing truth, in some manner, have been explained before. Then, back to recursive text, the closing lines remark on observing yourself sitting in a room. In this manner, the process of thought creates a ‘you’ or a little i. How do you cross the ts and dot the ‘i’s on the “little i,” as in awaken?

May: G. I. Gurdjieff taught a certain process of self-observation. One could observe oneself in various “centers” or minds, somewhat analogous to the Hindu chakras or the centers in Taoist alchemical philosophy. One could strive to be present to oneself in the moment, simultaneously aware of the sensations of the body, the solar plexus or the emotions and the ordinary intellectual mind.

Slumped simply refers to my bad posture.

Jacobsen: “Sunrise” is more of a synesthetic reading experience. We see “no one” referenced who is “listening,” or not, with the “taste of Braille shadows.” I am reminded of the “taste of vagueness,” etc., referenced in other works within the text. You’re a poet, No One, not a politician. You lure others into a world rather than lead them there with a gun.

How was the meal by the way, the “Braille shadows”?

“Sunrise

No one

— listening

— the taste of Braille shadows”

May-Tzu

May: Braille shadows taste somewhat like koans. — Umami Mama, it’s all Dada!

Footnotes

[1] Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society.”

[2] Individual Publication Date: March 8, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)[Online]. March 2022; 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

American Psychological Association (APA, 6th Edition, 2010): Jacobsen, S.D. (2022, March 8). Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8). Retrieved from http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A, March. 2022. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8>.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2022. “Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

Chicago/Turabian, Humanities (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott “Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.A (March 2022). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A. Available from: <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8>.

Harvard, Australian: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.A., http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 7th Edition, 2009): Scott D. Jacobsen. “Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 29.A (2022): March. 2022. Web. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8>.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Jacobsen S. Conversation with Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”) on “No Mirrors” and “Sunrise”: Co-Editor, “Noesis: The Journal of the Mega Society” (8)[Internet]. (2022, March 29(A). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/may-8.

License

In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Based on a work at www.in-sightjournal.com.

Copyright

© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012–2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links March be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, and In-Sight Publishing and In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and can disseminate for their independent purposes.

2022-03-04

Life and the Possibility of Absolute Finality

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Pink Triangle Trust

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/01/30

SCOTT DOUGLAS JACOBSEN speaks to TERRY SANDERSON, President of the UK’s National Secular Society, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

TERRY Sanderson is the President of the National Secular Society – a British campaigning organization that promotes secularism and separation of Church and State. He has cancer. Here we talk about atheism in the 21st century, the meaning of life, the possibility of death, absolute finality, and more.

SDJ: What does being an atheist in the 21st century mean to you?

TS: It means nothing more to me than a lack of belief in anything supernatural. There is no such thing as “the supernatural”. Anything that occurs is, by definition, natural. There is nothing outside those bounds, no ghosts, no gods, no miracles. That is all atheism means to me – add other things – humanism, secularism – and it becomes something else.

SDJ: You have cancer. You are about to enter major surgery. What does this make you think about the meaning of life?
Sanderson: Life has no meaning beyond itself. People who cling to religion are appalled by such thinking and regard it as sad. But trying to ponder the supposed “Big Questions” – things like “Why are we here?” “What comes after”, “What is the meaning of life?” is a complete waste of time. These questions have no answers so why ask them? Or as Gertrude Stein put it, “The answer is: there is no answer.”
Why torment yourself with such stuff? Get on with life, enjoy your senses – have good food, good wine, good sex. Our senses are all that we have to tell us we are alive. Make the most of them.

SDJ: How do you feel about the possibility of death?

TS: Death is not a possibility, it is an inevitability – for everyone, no exceptions. The fact that my own end may be arriving sooner than I had anticipated is disappointing only in the sense that life is good and I want more of it.

I have had seventy years of perfect health, which I have taken for granted. Such good fortune can give one a misguided sense of immortality – nasty things happen to other people, not to me. But when the reality of life’s conclusion suddenly presents itself, you start to think – sometimes resentfully – about the things you will miss by going too soon.

My mother lived until she was 97 and by that stage, with rapidly fading senses and physical decline, she longed for death and welcomed it when it came. I watched her take her last breath and she struggled to cling on, but she was under the influence of morphine so it might just have been her body’s natural instinct to survive. If she had survived, she would have cursed the doctors for reviving her. So death is not always the terrible enemy, sometimes it is a welcome friend.

One wise philosopher once said, “The living are just the dead taking a vacation” and I find that comforting. The eternity of non-existence before I was born was a state of complete unawareness for me. That is the state I expect to return to when I am dead. No need to fear non-existence (although for some Christians non-existence is the very definition of hell, a denial of the time they had expected to spend with their god).

SDJ: How important does the potential for the reality of death, of absolute finality, make friends and family and their love for you?

TS: Love is a wonderful thing. It is life’s grandest experience. Naturally, we want our loved ones to stay with us, not to die, and we mourn when they are gone. But the pain of loss is what we must endure in order to experience love.

There is no escape. I don’t want my partner to hurt when I am gone, but he will. We have spent half a lifetime together and when that comes to an end it will be hard. Bereavement seems unendurable, but it can be endured. I hope that those who have loved me will remember me with affection. That’s the best I can hope for.

SDJ: If you could advise youth on making the most of life, and fighting for the rights of others in the livelihood of others, what would you recommend for them? Even though they may not know the most about the world, this might help some who are reading this find some guidance from an elder.

TS: I hesitate to give advice because life as a young person is very different to life in later years. When I think back to my own youth, it is like looking at another person. What I thought then has changed several times. And we are all molded by our genes and our upbringing, so there is no formula that fits everyone.

I was lucky to have a childhood filled with love and I have always wanted to be like my mother, who was gentle, tolerant, forgiving, understanding and affectionate.

I want people to be happy and to accept them as they are in all their irritating variety. I try not to make sweeping statements about groups and to judge everyone on their individual qualities. If you can learn to do that, you will have a happy life filled with people who love you because you love them for who they are, not for any perceived racial or religious identity or ideological label that they put on themselves or have put on them by others. Life is about fun, too. Fun is not trivial, never think that. It is about being happy. As the great American atheist Robert Ingersoll said, “Happiness is the only good, the time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here and the way to be happy is to make others so.”

So, have fun, be silly if you feel like it (I love being silly) and don’t make cruel or humiliating jokes about other people, however much you think they deserve it.

SDJ: The United Kingdom is much more secular and atheistic then Canada. What is one thing about the United Kingdom that Canadians should know but potentially don’t with regards to lack of faith?

TS: Our histories are very different and despite the long centuries of religious dominance, I have a feeling that the British have never really been very religious, not in their hearts.

If you read some Victorian novelists – like Anthony Trollope – you will see that even in those days, when the Church was very powerful in politics and society, there was still a lot of skepticism.

The Church has been cruel and greedy all along the way, and people know that, but until they got organized there was no way for ordinary folk to resist. Gradually the Church’s powers have been reduced until now it is regarded by most people as a complete irrelevance.

I don’t think there is much that secular or atheist groups can do to persuade people out of religion. I’m not sure that we should even try. For some people it is comforting and it brings the community into their lives. Such people will have to find their own way out of it.

The churches seem to be doing a good job of bringing themselves into disrepute by being so completely irrational and out of step with modern life. They take themselves so seriously and some religious people actually believe all the self-important bilge that they spout. Fervent religionists will have great difficulty seeing how fatuous their beliefs are. They have devoted their lives to nonsense and admitting it is next to impossible. That’s their problem.

It is when they demand that we all respect faith that I get annoyed. I don’t respect it. I never have. Why would anyone respect something so crazy? In some parts of the world, though, people are forced to respect religion or risk death. Blasphemy laws illustrate just how weak religion really is at its foundations. When respect has to be enforced by threats and menaces, you know that it isn’t deserved.

We should just keep on encouraging religious leaders to make stupid statements. We should continue pointing out how dangerous religious identities can be. It’s a gradual process, but it is gaining momentum every day.

SDJ: In the latter part of life, you have experienced quite a lot. You’ve experienced a lot of abuse. But you have come out an important voice. How do you persevere in light of all of the pain inflicted on you simply for being different and speaking your mind for the rights of others?

TS: I have never really been affected by abuse and only on a few occasions have I been threatened with physical violence.
I have love all around me from my friends and family, and I know that I can always retire to the safety of my home where warm hearts are waiting. Surround yourself with supportive friends and no amount of abuse will then penetrate.

If you see a glaring injustice (as I did with the treatment of my fellow LGBT people back in the 1970s and 80s) and you want to challenge it, then there is no easy way to do it. You just have to do your best, campaign as hard as you can and keep on going in the face of setbacks.

There may be people telling you that what you are doing is wrong, that you don’t understand the issues, but don’t take notice of that. If your conscience tells you that you are doing the right thing, something that will improve the lot of others and harm no-one, then press on despite opposition.

SDJ: What have been the bigger changes away from religion in the UK?

TS: Gods are no longer the most powerful influence in this country, as they have been in the past. People will claim to believe in “something greater than themselves” but pressed about what precisely they mean, it is soon apparent they don’t believe any religious claims.

Most religion-inspired legislation has been repealed – abortion is no longer illegal, homosexuality has been decriminalized, family planning is easily available. The churches have had to adjust to all these changes, but each one of them reduces their influence a bit more. Every reform secularises the nation further. Education and easy communication have also weakened the grip of superstitious thinking.

Religion is dying in the West. In Islamic countries, though, its baleful influence continues to grow. People in poverty often turn to religion as their only comfort and solace.

It’s understandable. But one day they, too, may achieve the affluence enjoyed by the West and be educated without indoctrination. Then that they will have the luxury of being able to reject the religious props that seem so important when they have nothing else. They will, as in the West, abandon beliefs that ultimately bring them so much misery. It is then that religion will collapse once and for all.

SDJ: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Terry, I wish you the best in recovery and good health.

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2022-03-04

Dear Rick 15 – The Next 4 Years, Conservatives and Bernie Bros

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/22

Scott: What else?

Rick: Be prepared to be mobilized, at first in wimpy ways, such as social media, signing surveys, writing your congressperson or senator, and if things become direr then in less wimpy ways such as going on marches – eventually boycotts.

Scott: How effective would these minor acts of citizen revolt be, necessarily? (Laugh)

Rick: You aren’t going to change many minds with the country as polarized as it is now. There has been some progression with the election being so garbagy, except the biggest assholes on the conservative side.

Maybe, I don’t know if they empathize. Maybe, people can understand. Most conservatives can understand liberals being pissed off even if they make fun of liberals being pissed off and not liking the results of the election.

Respect for Russia and Putin has gone way up among conservatives since he’s a friend of Trump and so America, which is crazy but survey results bear that out. The proportions of people who are deplorable level conservative a-holes, and those who are Bernie Bros. You have about 250 million voting age people in America.

You’ve got 136 million that voted. That’s pretty decent turnout. It’s in the mid-50s. 250 million American adults: figure 80 million stay apathetic and uninformed and may be too old or too dumb (or too whatever), 63 million who voted for Trump. Of those that voted Trump, 20% voted reluctantly for Trump.

So, out of 63 million, it is reasonable to think 20-30 million are pretty happy that he’s president. Optimistic and loving that people who don’t like him feel bad. 20-30 million Americans with a fairly extreme conservative agenda.

Another 20-30 million Americans are leaning conservatively, not including those who don’t give a crap. 66 million voted for Clinton. Clinton’s agenda is less extreme. It is reasonable to think a higher proportion of Clinton voters actually support the standard middle-to-liberal agenda, which could be 40 million people.

Another 30-40 million weakly support him. Then you’ve got another 8 million who voted for the flaky, fringe candidates. Out of all that, you’ve got decent plurality of people who don’t support the current political leadership.

Say 80 million to 90 million people are sad with the results of the election, 70 million people who are pretty happy about the results of the election and 80 to 90 million people who don’t care sufficiently. The last time we had this wide of a landscape was during the Vietnam war – a divided landscape.

It is hard to draw analogies between the people who weren’t so connected. You couldn’t as easily find connections among millions of like-minded people. Also, people had a more personal stake in the outcome because the US had a draft. People’s friends and relatives were fighting and dying and at risk of going to Vietnam.

Risk of military casualties was higher because of the draft and it was a bigger war. We still have people in the Mid-East because the Afghan War is ongoing. Those people are more people who chose to become a part of this.

They volunteered for the national guard. They volunteered for the military. In the 60s and the early 70s, protests over the Vietnam War did effect some political change. LBJ decided not to run for president in ’68 mostly because he was miserable about the Vietnam thing. Nixon ran on having a secret plan to end the Vietnam War.

Liberals and hippies and largescale protests, even though they weirded out the silent majority of conservative American, did effect some change. Even though, and probably were the minority, now we have, just considering the people interested in what’s going on, a not too small majority of people who don’t agree with current political leadership, but current leadership has shown themselves to not care so much about public opinion as long as manipulate stuff in their favor.

You’ve got this thing in North Carolina, where the Republican governor narrowly loses his reelection race and screws over the Democratic governor by passing a bunch of legislation in the waning weeks of his administration limiting the power of the governor.

Even though, this is wildly unpopular with most of the people in North Carolina, and just think he’s an asshole. The Republican legislators who are pulling this crap think the same, but don’t give a crap as long as they have the majority in their state house and senate.

It remains to be seen whether whatever political action and agitation the disgruntled majority take against the minority government because minority government has been taught that it can get away with a bunch of crap.

I’m sure there’s still plenty of good Republican politicians, but there’s a higher proportion of craven assholes in the Republican party than, during our lifetimes, probably a long time before that.

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2022-03-04

Dear Rick 14 – The Next 4 Years, Staying Informed

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/20

Scott: With fake news, with the Comey thing, with Trump, with Trumpism, and ethnic nationalism on the rise in America and elsewhere, how can we get through the next 4 years?

Rick: I live in California, which voted for Clinton 2 to 1. But many people that I talk to are thinking he may not make it through the full 4 years Just looking at comments, people think he will get the full 8 years.

So far, even though I hate hat is going on, he is good for our savings because the stock market is going crazy. I have one friend who listens to conservative news 24 hours a day.

Where said friend doesn’t believe in global warming, doesn’t want to let any Muslims into the country, he has the full hyper-conservative agenda.

Trump has given a lot of signs of being really, really bad, but it is hard to sort out what really, really bad will mean – or even hard to discern how conservative he is. He has shown a lot of signs of being inconsistent about his beliefs and policies, but he has put out a lot of conservative and anti-government elements with his appointments like Rick Perry.

It is still too early to tell what the effects will be, like telling whether the Democrats will be able to fight. Republicans have a monopoly on leadership. They own the Senate, the House, the Presidency, and pretty soon the Supreme Court.

So, the Democrats will have to fight from a position of weakness, but it is hard. How to get through the next 4 years? The word that keeps coming up both in private conversations and in news is vigilance, staying informed and understanding what’s going on.

You mentioned fake news. This election was at least in part due to the people believing the outcome was bullshit. A large segment of the population, more conservatives than liberals, will continue to embrace bullshit.

The truest believe on the conservative side, even investigative and fact-based reporting, is itself fake news. They will support anything that supports their side. Recently, 52% of Republicans believe that Trump won the popular because he said that he won the popular vote, even though Clinton won the popular vote by 2.84 million.

Step one is staying informed via actual news and trying to understand what that means and if we’re lucky and things don’t turn out to be that bad, and Trump is starting to backtrack on building the immigrant wall and putting Hillary Clinton on trial for the emails, so even if he did put her on trial I do not know how that would affect us personally or politically, except that the most qualified candidate is getting reamed over pretty trivial bullshit.

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2022-03-04

Dear Rick 13 – The Future of Brain or Body Augmentation

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/18

Scott: What about the future of brain or body augmentation?

Rick: We’re right on the cusp of it being cool to not want to die. There’s only one celebrity who says he’s going to be frozen to be resurrected later. And that’s Simon Cowell, and he’s well-known for being an asshole.

That’s no endorsement at all. It’s a creepy thing endorsed by an asshole. It is going to be clear in the next 5-10 years that on the medical horizon there are whole bunch of things that will help people live decades and decades longer.

It will become okay and not creepy for people to start embracing that. There are already groups that are small, and really fringe people, who do whatever they can including caloric restriction, where you eat as much as 40% of the normal American because it slows down aging so that you can live for an extra who knows how long.

But that’s starving yourself. It’s a horrible way to live. A lot of these people can’t sit on a wooden chair because their asses hurt because there’s no padding.

In the near-near future, people are going to start figuring out or are going to believe, at least, that they can take some control over their aging. It may be in combination with things like fitness bracelets that right now tell you what your heart rate and your BP are and how many calories you supposedly expended during a day.

In the future, it will take on more monitoring functions and allow people who are super conscientious about their health to track more things and to take more care.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 12 -The Future of Business Cycles 4

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/16

Scott: What about a middle ground?

Rick: You’ll have the sitcom future people. They will do normal stuff by giving their loved ones and those close to them the best life possible by making middle of the road possibilities.

To us, it will look like crazy ass choices, but they will be based on the crazy ass conditions of the future. Those people at some point will be augmented. Right now, about 1% of the US population is augmented.

They have a pacemaker, cochlear implant, insulin pump, but mostly pacemakers. That’s the standard set of well-accepted technology right now.

Eventually, the accepted technology adopted by mainstream people by the tens of millions will be brain boosters. It turns out that if you put on a cap that runs a low-grade electric current through your head then you think better for a half an hour.

You can imagine somebody getting ambitious and saying, “Hey, if you want your kid to do better in school, then implant this little brain booster dealy thing.”

Whether it’s a thinking cap or a hunk of bio-circuitry that revs your brain clock a little bit when you need it or all the time because you want to be slightly smarter all of the time, then people will start doing that.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 11 -The Future of Business Cycles 3

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/14

Scott: Any relationships with other areas?

Rick: It makes me think of height. You won’t see someone below 5 feet often or over 6’6″, tight range. All of the sudden we’re going to enter a world of business and other forms of human behaviour where the range is going to grow drastically.

You’re going to see people be 35 feet tall. In terms of human ability, once we start augmenting our ability, we’re going to see people with the brain equivalent of 5′ tall or those with 150 or 1,050 feet tall.

You’ll also see communities of people that take on technical augmentation or don’t, but you’ll have entire communities that work at traditional human speeds. The future technical Amish who are trying to ‘keep it real’ and keep it together.

They are going to die, have normal lifespans, and not have a bunch of bio-circuitry in their heads. You’ll have communities wired together and think thoughts 5,000 times faster than the technical Amish.

Their change in their communities will be wildly faster than those who segregate themselves from being overly teched up.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 10 – The Future of Business Cycles 2

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/12

Scott: With regard to business cycles, this will imply a spreading out of human behaviour. What do you mean? What does that imply?

Rick: There are companies and commodities that will continue to have slow, or no, business cycles. They’ll continue to have regular or normal business cycles like real estate.

As stuff gets pricey, and then less pricey depending on what’s going on in the rest of the world and some weird intangibles, oil has cycles. It’s not like oil gets super hot and everybody’s totally into oil and need to go crazy and everybody needs to get into oil.

Oil is steady like real estate and old school things like gold. All of those things are subject to business cycles. Things that are based on the new intangibles like electronic stuff have crazy fast business cycles.

We are going to enter a world in which some stuff cycles really fast. Some stuff cycles old school. Although, it will erode over a long period of time. If you live in a world like 100 years from now, more and more people will decide to live virtually, 200 years from now, people aren’t going to give as much of a crap about real estate.

If you’re living online, you don’t have to give a crap about real estate, and ditto for oil. There’s going to be a spread in the behaviour of businesses, which will be somewhat new. I’m sure there have been spreads before.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 9 – The Future of Business Cycles 1

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/10

Scott: Business runs in cycles, plural. What about the future of business cycles?

Rick: There are a bunch of different cycles in economics. There are the major stock market cycles, bull markets and corrections. Generally, more bull markets eventually, which played out over a course of years.

Right now, we’re headed towards what people suspect is the tail end of an 8-year bull market because after the crash of 2007 and 2008 the market had no place to go but back up.

There are the cycles of individual businesses, where if you want to pick a stupid clichéd example then you’d go with buggy whips. They were a successful business for many, many generations until cars replaced horses.

You didn’t need to hit your horse on the ass. There are lots of companies that follow some kind of cycle. A cycle of creation, growth, and then obsolescence. Gonzo, typewriters, some companies have managed to hang around for a long time.

GE is the oldest company or the original company on the DOW industrial. It’s 10 years old. It was started by Thomas Edison, who was a prick. JP Morgan had to take the company away from him because he was bankrupting it or messing it up.

We saw George Westinghouse that made the light bulb. I just read a book about this. The boom-and-bust cycle of some companies are super fast – so fast that probably normal approaches to securitization, to selling it or an IPO.

That stuff, especially software and internet companies – apps, all that stuff, a company can get hot and then cold faster than people can make it into a publicly traded company and get their investment traded back. You can imagine stuff will continue to accelerate.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 8 – Laughter, Election, Mechanization

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/08

Scott: Long before the election, we were talking about joke writing.

Rick: I and another person think laughter is a reaction to getting information at a discount. The setup of a joke takes a certain amount of mental real estate. It can be complicated, but the punchline solves it simply and people can get a simple chunk of information rather than a complicated one.

Our general orientation is to be avid consumers of information that has personal relevance to us. That is the human model for survival, where more than any other species, I assume – unless dolphins or octopuses have some thing going on; we seek out information relevant to us and try to exploit it.

And there are lots of reasons why Trump got elected, but among them, I believe, are a couple things that reflect the fact that we’re in the era of big information. One thing, I don’t think this election could have happened without social media.

Social media, one of its most important functions is to be a personal information feed. People who are really into it, which is tens of millions of Americans, spend a great deal of time glued to various devices hit you moment-by-moment with personal information.

Information that is relevant you. It is empowering. It exalts you. It raises your self-esteem. In some way, it makes your personal information feed viewable by thousands of people a day if you’re part of the big social networks. You feel important.

I believe this goes along with some social trends that reinforce individuality versus collective action. Hillary’s slogan is “stronger together,” but based on the elections results. Tens of millions of people were like “F- that!” I am interested in blatant self-interest like Trump who is a reality star.

I call it “lottery culture” or “lottery thinking.” People have wondered for years why so many people have voted Republican against their economic interests. In that, Democrats are known for being wealth redistributors. The states that vote Republican are states that are net receivers of tax money. Certain states send more in taxes to the federal government than they receive like California.

Other states receive more in tax revenue from government programs than they send to the federal government in taxes. Those are generally the less rich, generally Southern states, but those states generally are politically conservative and Republican. So, it seems weird that people who vote for the party that it is against government handouts actually receive more from the government than the states whose citizens generally vote for the party who is in favour of government programs that give people money.

Among the explanations, what I might think be the reason, is that people who feel empowered and feel like they’re on the verge of success don’t want to vote against being penalized for that success, whether or not they have that success or not. So over the last 20 years, you’ve seen the coming of reality shows, where any kind of yahoo can get on TV and become rich and famous.

You have the empowering nature of a personal information feed that is reinforced every few minutes throughout the day. One of the reasons people would vote for a self-interested individualist like Trump is their individualism has been pumped up via the celebration and the constant treats of social media.

Besides that, there are a zillion other reasons including weird electoral college stuff. FBI Director James Comey saying Hillary was suspicious 11 days before the election. The bad strategic moves on the Clinton campaign and not hitting states like Pennsylvania and states they thought that they had.

Beyond that, I think it was the first AI election. People were voting on the consequences of increased mechanization taking away work functions. I just read an article that says that based on current technology 40% of things people do at work can be mechanized. It doesn’t mean 40% of jobs will go to robots immediately, but it does mean work can be hollowed out and thinned out by mechanization, and that this will increasingly cost jobs, which candidates only talk about tangentially. Nobody really makes it a huge issue.

There are basic things that don’t get talked about politically because nobody can offer a solution to it. For instance, we’ve been arguing over Obamacare for 8 years. He got into office and made it a priority. Before that, we have been arguing over the cost of medical treatments since Bill Clinton was in office before that. Everybody talks about eliminating waste and coming up with better ways to not cost people money for insurance.

But nobody ever makes a point that medicine is much better now than it was 50 years ago. To some extent, good medicine costs a bunch of money. So, nobody ever talks about how to pay for something that is inherently expensive and people haven’t even really looked much at medicine to see what parts of it – it is so tangled – need to be looked at to see what expenses are legitimate expenses and how much costs are due to our shitty system, which means that the debate is like the debate with jobs.

People talk about job training on the Left. They talk about educational subsidies to prepare people better to take the new jobs of tomorrow, but the Right talks about getting rid of regulations and taxes that make it hard for employers to bring jobs to America. Both of these arguments don’t do much to address the deal that many, many types of jobs are being shrunken or going away entirely.

100 years ago, or over 150 years ago, well over 90% of Americans worked in Agriculture. We were a farming nation. It took a bunch of people to farm. Now, the percent of Americans in agriculture is under 5%. I want to say 2%, but that sounds crazily low. But it’s not. Farming jobs have evaporated, but that’s because farming became mechanized, and also corporatized. Regardless of the exact flavour of the structure of farming, farming jobs went away because machines do most of the things people used to do 100 years ago. Nobody is talking about bringing back farming job. That is walking behind a mule with a plough. Nobody wants to do that because that’s ridiculous.

Only a few fringy people, and only politicians very occasionally, talk about what to do when more, and more, work gets turned over to machines. It is a source of job loss. It is also a source of income inequality. Karl Marx was an interesting theoretician because he thought he could lay out the course of the future exactly via the way people are and the way work is. He said that workers would eventually get sufficiently pissed off that they would take over the means of production. That is communism.

But what he didn’t imagine was a world in which you didn’t need are freakin’ workers. The movie that has been the theme of the election is Idiocracy. It is a Mike Judge movie from ten years ago. It is set 500 years in the future. Everyone is dumb. They watch crap TV. They eat crap food. The country is about to collapse because nobody knows how to grow plants anymore because everyone is an idiot.

But certain aspects of the world make sense and align with the world we live in, which is, we’re living in a world in which workers are more superfluous and how do you build a world that addresses that. You could come up with hundreds of millions of new high-tech jobs that would make use of everybody, but that’s not how high-tech works. High-tech isn’t about job creation.

It is about people making money trying to figure out apps that make life easier for people. That leads to systems that make Americans crazy like Guaranteed Minimum Income like some Nordic countries are experimenting with.

Scott: Some experimentation with Universal Basic Income ongoing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada now. It is similar to the Mincome experiments in Manitoba.

Rick: That doesn’t sound horrible, but it sounds socialist. Many Americans would go crazy about that. Another thing, as mechanization takes over, things cost less. Things are cheaper. Relative to average income, food and clothing cost a quarter of what they did a 100 years ago because it is easier to make food and clothing thanks to food and clothing. An ‘Idiocratic’ future wouldn’t cost that much for a decent living, but it is socialist.

And American doesn’t like socialism.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 7 – Joke Writing

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/06

Scott: How do you write a joke?

Rick: In my opinion, and the opinion of George Saunders, laughter is an expression of joy at information received at a discount. As humans, our model for dealing with reality is to accumulate information. We’re generalists or omnivores of information compared to other animals that are looking for specific information in the environment.

We don’t have to spend as much getting the information and also cheaply acquire it if the information fits compactly into our brains if it doesn’t use all of our mental resources in dealing with the information. To capture the delight of a joke, you set up a complicated situation and resolve it quickly.

People laugh, “Hahaha, that whole complicated situation that took up a big chunk of my simulation space has been exposed as bullshit. I don’t have to worry about it at all. Hahaha!” Practical jokes work like that even more directly. It’s April Fools. Somebody forgets it’s April Fools.

Somebody that’s bad at practical jokes says that Chicago has been hit by a dirty bomb. They are evacuating. Suddenly, this occupies your entire awareness except positional awareness. Now, you’re worried. An American city has been hit by a terrorist attack of the type never been perpetrated before.

You don’t know what it means for you or your loved ones or Chicago. You’re completely focused on this and the asshole says, “Hahaha, April Fools!” “Fucker!” You don’t laugh. You’re pissed at the guy. (Laughs) They may laugh about the situation being resolved. A complicated situation requiring lots of thought has been solved cheaply.

It turns out to be BS. You don’t worry about it. I’ve chosen a horrible subject because it’s not a laughing matter. That’s how I think jokes work. You set up a complicated situation and resolve it with a simple punchline and people laugh at cheaply gained information.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 6 – Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/04

Scott: What vitamins, minerals, supplements should people be taking? I have skepticism here.

Rick: Some stuff gets debunked, like Vitamin E is currently not popular because some studies have debunked its efficacy. Besides vitamins or supplements at all, I’d say floss your teeth to lower the probability of getting heart disease. But still, dude, don’t have a bunch of crap caught in your teeth to create a bunch of bacteria that very time you swallow it goes into your thorax area and maybe add to inflammation, which can add to coronary artery disease.

My favourite one is Metformin, which is the most popular diabetes drug in America. It lowers blood sugar. Take a baby aspirin, it has heart protective action. Turmeric or circumin, it is an orange powder used in India. When you use it in your food, but you’re not going to get it in your food, it may get some cancer and inflammation preventative effects.

It seems pretty effective. I like SODzyme. There’s anecdotal evidence. You can’t go too wrong with a bunch of anti-oxidants or a lot of the other specialized drugs. They tend to function as antioxidants. With anecdotal evidence that it slows down the graying of hair, I think it does.

I take a lot of it. It may create euphoria. I am a lot happier than I should be because I have been unemployed for a couple years. You can take fish oil, which may or may not help. It’s just fish oil. If you eat bad food, you want to counteract the effects of bad food by taking carb or fat blockers.

You’re going to pay the price in uncomfortable intestinal distress. You’re going to fart and have exploding poo. It may teach you to not eat so many carbs and fatty food. You’ll strain less in the bathroom, not absorb as many calories and will serve to replace the dieting discipline you might have otherwise.

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2022-03-03

Dear Rick 5 – High School Girlfriend 2

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/12/02

Scott: What else – on getting a girlfriend?

Rick: There’s a semi-creepy or fully creepy pickup artist movement. Guys work with each other to try to develop techniques for picking up girls. There’s a lot that’s creepy about that. It is manipulative. It objectifies girls. It has girls as targets that often don’t acknowledge women as complete people, but as people as targets to have sex with.

The less creepy and more responsible aspects of that whole thing have a couple reasonable principles. One is be somebody worthy of having a girlfriend, ‘become your own best self’ to put it in Oprah terms. If you’re gross, if you’re angry, you’re probably turning off people and instead you might want to put some effort into improving yourself.

You might want to put effort into being a person that people might like being with. Another aspect is to think or try to understand women as complete people. Understand that every person has his or her own objectives and feelings and see if there’s a way that you can come across as a person who has consideration for those feelings and wants.

Those are feelings and wants on the part of other people. Part of having a long-term partner or even a medium term partner is fitting your needs together with their needs. It takes a while. Most people in high school are more sophisticated and less isolated now thanks to everything than they used to be.

But it still takes a while for people, for teenagers, to get a good handle on what it might entail to be in a relationship, or even adults. My wife and I have been in couples counselling for well over fifteen years. It’s not like we go in there every week to yell at each other.

We go in every 3 or 4 weeks to discuss stuff that might be better discussed in a refereed environment. A big part of couple’s work is adjusting expectations. People can change to some extent, but what also has to change are if people have unreasonable expectations for their partners.

Couples counselling is a good way to diplomatically get gripes like that out without everything necessarily turning into a fight.

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2022-03-02

Dear Rick 4 – High School Girlfriend

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/11/30

Scott: For high school students, how do they get a girlfriend?

Rick: When I was in high school, nerds had a hard time getting girlfriends. You can find people to get you through the awful high school years. That’s one way of getting a girlfriend, be patient. Most people who want a relationship will have one before they die.

My friends and I were desperate. My buddy Joe and I would walk our dogs together for hours and be all freaked out about no girlfriends and talk about who might like us and what we could do to get girls to like us. A part of it is waiting for things to happen in the course of time.

A lot of people in high school aren’t ready for intimate relationships. When I went to high school, getting laid was a mark of social success, but for girls, sometimes, especially at that age being sexually active is a bad move. Plus, I wasn’t anybody that girls would want to have sex with at the time.

I wasn’t anybody’s idea of a good potential boyfriend. If they put up with me in my nerdy years, they might have gotten a shot living with a guy who has been successful for a while, or who was successful for a while, in Hollywood.

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2022-03-02

Dear Rick 3 – High School Advice

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/11/28

Scott: What is some good advice for high school students?

Rick: Pick who you’d want to be to see if you can get what you want out of high school. That was one way for me. I wanted a girlfriend, but was nerdy. I kept trying to change to be less nerdy and more jock-ish, but because everyone knew me in the little town I grew up and started late to have success in sports, it didn’t work at all.

Everybody knew that I was a nerd that was getting restless as a nerd and it didn’t make me anymore popular back in a time when popularity was more of a thing. The general principle is still applicable. It took me a while to realize that because girls fall in love with nerds in movies does not mean that they do it in real life.

I was going to have to decide if I wanted to change myself and learn better social skills to get what I want. That’s something best done in the first year of high school or before to decide what you want to get out of high school and see if what you’re doing will help you with that.

I didn’t have much of a problem getting good grades much of the time until I kept getting sad not being popular and then fucking up. Maybe, social success isn’t what you want out of high school and academic success is – see if you’re well positioned for academic success.

Do you have good study habits? Do you have good reading skills? At some point, instead of drifting through high school and letting stuff happen to you, early on, you should decide what you want out of high school and see if you can make it more likely that you can get what you want out of high school.

Everybody is frustrated and miserable to some extent in high school. But that’s preferable to real life or adult misery because everybody is clear on why they are miserable. It makes it a little less horrible understanding your situation.

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2022-03-01

Dear Rick 2 – A Day in the Life

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/11/26

Scott: What does your average day look like?

Rick: Sometimes, I’ll wake up when my wife wakes up. She gets around a quarter to five. The dog is used to getting up when she is up by waking her up. Even when my wife does not want to wake up at that time, she gets up at that time. When she does it on purpose, it is to get on the freeway by 6:20/6:30 because driving to Santa Monica on the 405 is impossible.

It’s impossible if you leave after 7:00am. The 405 is a ten- or eleven-lane freeway from the San Fernando Valley to the West Side of LA, close to the beach. They keep adding lanes. It doesn’t help. It is gridlocked. You go along 18 miles an hour. There are probably 8 hours a day when it is that bad.

So if I get up with her, I read the paper, eat my morning pills, maybe do some work, see what’s happening in social media. Lately, I’ve been ignoring Facebook and LinkedIn because it is too much, especially with Twitter. Even though, Twitter has a reputation for not being a cutting edge social media anymore because the number of followers don’t grow with Twitter.

Twitter had 310 million monthly active users a year ago. Now, they’re only up to 313 million this year. Other things like Snapchat, Instagram, are on to being more less your Grandma’s social media. Although, my family doesn’t want me to use them to not embarrass them as much.

I’ll tweet for a while, read the paper, watch the TV news, get up and sit around, and we’ll have this work format where we’ll have this format where you transcribe sessions and then I edit them eventually. We put them on Amazon with the eventual goal of having legitimate books put out by a legitimate publisher.

We may meet at 7:30 in the morning. I’ll back to bed. I’ll get up again around 10:00am. Maybe, I’ll beat off. It feels good and is good for prostate health. My prostate isn’t that large yet, but regular orgasms are good for prostate hygiene, especially for men. Men have less prostate cancer statistically that have orgasms.

I’ll get on the stock market and see as it gets closer to closing time. The markets close at 1:00PM West Coast time. Lately, I’ve been selling stuff because the market has been going on since the crash of 2008. It has been an 8-year gold market, which means it’s pretty old.

It might be in the season at records highs. It might be good to get out of securities to some extent because there’s going to be a correction eventually. Maybe, when the fed starts raising interest rates because the economy or when it is good, there’s writing later in the day.

My wife gets home generally around 1:00. Often, we have lunch together. After that point, I continue tweeting and doing the things that I should be doing: editing and writing (generally unpaid). Although, I do have an article running for Reader’s Digest, paid, from a year ago.

I hope this is stuff lead to enough recognition that we get legitimate book deals. At dinner, around 6/6:30, it’s pretty early. However, my wife waking up at 4:45 in the morning wants to eat to get into bed by 9:30. After dinner, I’ll go to the library sometimes, but usually to a series of five gyms more often than not in a big ten-mile loop.

I’ll go LA Fitness, Coldwater, LA Fitness North Hollywood, Gold’s Gym on Laurel Canyon, the Y, the Tahunga, LA Fitness on Ventura, and then back home to a total of 80-110 sets. TV is watched, usually Netflix. I’ll get some writing work done. Usually, I’m too tired. I have been able to watch an hour of TV and then am rested enough to do some editing from midnight to 1 or 2 in the morning.

I’ll go to bed and then up at 5 in the morning and start again.

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2022-03-01

Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 29.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (24)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 1,057

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Paul Cooijmans is an Independent Psychometitor and Administrator of the Glia Society, and Administrator of the Giga Society. He discusses: registration to the Glia Society; rationale for free membership; the need to submit the registration form if giving a qualifying score; members returning to the Glia Society if they have left; members expelled of the Glia Society; the importance of having the information entered in the registration form available to members of the Glia Society; the optional registration form information; prevent the sharing of members’ information to non-members; and the main ethic guiding the structure of the Glia Society.

Keywords: Glia Society, I.Q., I.Q. tests, intelligence, Paul Cooijmans, registration.

Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)

*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: “Registration: The Glia Society” (n.d.a) is the main page for consideration for registration to the Glia Society. Membership is free. Other high-I.Q. societies aren’t free. What is the typical rationale for charging membership fees among some high-I.Q. societies?

Paul Cooijmans[1],[2]*: In the past, the Glia Society had a fee for subscribing to the journal, which was sent by regular mail, and the fee just covered the cost of producing and mailing the booklet. Since the journal became digital-only, there has not been a fee any more. Other societies may have a fee for the same reason, or to cover costs of online infrastructure. In some cases, the fee serves also as a source of income for the person leading the society; this has never been the case with the Glia Society, or any of my societies.

Jacobsen: What is the rationale for free membership to the Glia Society?

Cooijmans: The cost of conducting the Glia Society is not so high that it warrants a fee. The cost of the society’s web location is technically born by my business I.Q. Tests for the High Range, which is appropriate since it is money from test fees.

Jacobsen: For new members, you emphasize the need to submit the registration form if giving a qualifying score or scores when, or around the time when, submitting it. How often is this instruction misunderstood or missed?

Cooijmans: As good as never any more, but in the past it happened that people submitted the registration form without providing a qualifying score, and then I had all that unusable form data, and had to contact people to tell them they needed to show proof of test scores, which they often failed to do. That is why I added that instruction to the form, and it works well.

A similar situation occurred with the test registration form on my tests web location; in the past, it could be reached via hyper references on the web location itself, and people were constantly submitting it without subsequently taking any tests, so that the database got polluted with useless data. So I removed the hyper references and only referred to the form from within the test files, and that works much better.

Jacobsen: How often are members returning to the Glia Society if they have left?

Cooijmans: That happens regularly, maybe a few times per year, but I am not keeping count of that specific event. In fact, it is because of returning members that I stopped reusing member numbers long ago. In the early years, I reused the member numbers of people who had left, because I am a frugal person and did not want those numbers to go down the drain. But I learnt that returning members sometimes like to have their old number back.

Jacobsen: Also, how often are members expelled of the Glia Society? What are the main reasons for the expulsion?

Cooijmans: Three times so far, in twenty-five years. Once for harassing other members, once for publishing a test item from an admission test with proposed solution and explanation, and once for fraudulently and without permission using the name “Giga Society”.

There are some latent expulsions too; people who leaked out members-only information but have not been identified yet, and people who committed fraud with tests for which I do not have hard proof yet.

Jacobsen: What is the importance of having the information entered in the registration form available to members of the Glia Society?

Cooijmans: Well, members can know who the other members are. Anonymous membership is expressly not allowed, so it is possible for any member to know who all of the others are. Thus it is also possible for any member to verify that those present on the society’s communication fora are indeed members, and report it to the Administrator if not so. And that is an everlasting battle; if you neglect this aspect, the fora get infested with non-members before you know it.

Jacobsen: What part of the optional registration form information do applicants tend to fill out the least?

Cooijmans: The web location uniform resource locator. Not too many people have personal web locations any more. I have the impression that the advent of social media, as well as the omnipresent contents management systems, have killed personal web locations, which had their heyday in the late 1990s and early 2000s when people were still able to write hypertext markup language by hand. It is even so that when people today see a genuine handmade web location, they may be observed making remarks like, “That looks like it has not been updated since the 1990s”. One wonders if they ever look at the source of a page (Ctrl-u) and see the difference between clean hypertext markup language and spaghetti code. One wonders if they appreciate that a proper web page is rendered in a tiny fraction of a second, while a contents management system takes several seconds to load a page because its contents has to be pulled from a database and produced by server-sided programming. One wonders if they realize that all that server activity and sending rubbish code from server to browser use extra energy and cause extra exhaust of harmful gasses into the plagued atmosphere of our planet.

Jacobsen: To prevent the sharing of members’ information to non-members, you state, “By submitting this form you agree to respect this state of affairs; that is, you certify you will not leak out information shared between members to non-members.” (Ibid.) What happens to members who break this social contract?

Cooijmans: They will be expelled when it becomes known who they are. So far, no such moles have been identified though.

Jacobsen: What is the main ethic guiding the structure of the Glia Society, the rules for the interactions between members, and the administrative duties of the Glia Society?

Cooijmans: These matters serve to have and keep a group truly selected at the stated intelligence level, to protect the privacy of members, and to prevent any perversion of these goals by a hostile takeover, such as via “democratic” procedures. I have seen these things go wrong in other societies and try to do better. As said before, I see parallels between the hostile undermining of I.Q. societies and that of societal institutions and industries at large.

References

Cooijmans, P. (n.d.a). Registration: The Glia Society. Retrieved from https://gliasociety.org/reg.html.

Footnotes

[1] Administrator, Giga Society; Administrator, Glia Society.

[2] Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022: https://in-sightpublishing.com/insight-issues/.

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)[Online]. March 2022; 29(D). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

American Psychological Association (APA, 6th Edition, 2010): Jacobsen, S.D. (2022, March 1). Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7). Retrieved from http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D, March. 2022. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7>.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2022. “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

Chicago/Turabian, Humanities (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D (March 2022). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.D. Available from: <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7>.

Harvard, Australian: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.D., http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 7th Edition, 2009): Scott D. Jacobsen. “Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 29.D (2022): March. 2022. Web. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7>.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Jacobsen S. Conversation with Paul Cooijmans on Registration to the Glia Society: Administrator, Glia Society (7)[Internet]. (2022, March 29(D). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/cooijmans-7.

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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Based on a work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.

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© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012–2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links March be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, and In-Sight Publishing and In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and can disseminate for their independent purposes.

2022-03-01

Dear Rick 1 – Being Rick Rosner

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Dear Rick

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/11/24

Scott: What’s it like being Rick Rosner?

Rick: Right now, the Olympics are happening. It’s the very best people in the world at sports. In a way, I’m the world’s silver medalist in IQ. I want to ask NBC where my human interest feature is with Bob Costas. He shows me tending to my sheep, when I’m not working on IQ tests.

Or working at Home Depot, neither of which I do, but which are generally involved in human interest pieces. Anyway, in my everyday dumbness and life, I am like everybody else, except with an obsession to go to the gym. Where I have a circuit, I go to five different gyms because this is LA. There are gyms every half-mile or so.

Every three years or so, I have been poking at this IQ test, which is hard enough that it offers the possible score that could move me up in the rankings. However, it’s so hard. It has taken years to come close to completing it. I used to have an awesome and semi-crushing job writing jokes and bits for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where I was for about 12 years.

As far as things defining you, that job probably defined me. It was all-consuming while I had it. I haven’t had that job in 2 years. There’s a lot of me sitting at home in a towel because it’s hot, tweeting, and trying to get famous enough to sell my memoir of going back to high school several times.

Right now, you and I are trying to sell a book to a mainstream publisher that may be called How to be a Fucked Up Genius. I feel little bit of desperation because I am 56 now. My time to be recognized as an authority on anything is getting shorter and shorter.

I don’t feel 56, but there are a lot of people that feel that way. I take 70-80 supplements a day. I exercise for 2 hours per day. So, maybe, that’s a more legitimate claim in my case. Sometimes, I think about stuff that’s not non-sense. Usually, I am thinking about non-sense.

We have been working for over two years. You encourage me to think about subjects that aren’t garbage: physics particularly cosmology, consciousness, the ethical implications of what we think about physics and consciousness, what the future will be like given what we think about physics, ethics, and consciousness.

My wife and I are empty nesters for the most part. Our kid is going to be a senior in college. She has an internship. So, she’ll only be here for a week this summer. Although, the nest doesn’t feel entirely empty because we have a dog that pisses and poops when and where she pleases, often.

It is a problem in behavioural engineering, which we haven’t figured out yet. That’s about it.

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2022-03-01

Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Numbering: Issue 29.D, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (24)

Place of Publication: Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Title: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022

Name of Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Frequency: Three Times Per Year

Words: 4,550

ISSN 2369-6885

Abstract

Erik Haereid is an Actuarial Scientist and Statistician. Eivind Olsen is the Chair of Mensa Norway. Tor Arne Jørgensen is the 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe. They discuss: Nordic cultures; Norway’s birth rate; ‘White’ or Euro-North American racists; racists from across the pond; these same individuals within the borders of Norway; the typical view within the high-IQ circles; an Indigenous high-IQ group; people with higher IQs tend to have fewer kids; the Flynn Effect; smart women tend to have fewer children or none; and other directions.

Keywords: Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, IQ, Mensa, Mensa Norway, Norway, Tor Arne Jørgensen.

Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)

*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What words best describe Nordic cultures?

Eivind Olsen[1]: Generally speaking, the Nordic culture(s) are somewhat egalitarian — where most people are considered to be equal, unless they’re not. Royalty is one area where that’s not the case (in Norway, Denmark and Sweden).

Erik Haereid[2]*: Hard working. Independent. Naïve. Trustful. Egalitarian and excessive bureaucratic political systems spiced with a dash of double standards and hidden xenophobia. A combination of pietistic order and romanticized nationalism draped in a suit of provincial stubbornness and pride. And beneath these dichotomic layers of infantile behavior and mature responsibility, there is an intrinsic naïve belief in the goodness of mankind.

Tor Arne Jørgensen[3],[4]: Different, neutral, and innovative according to statistical poles. A healthy exterior characterized by an insufficient wish aimed at self-development ensured further by a steadfast and rock-hard economy and efficient institutions aimed at technological innovations. Furthermore, the Nordic Permian position is probably explanatory through its geographical imprint. Not only a barren and frozen landscape but housing a hardy people who sadly sit on their own personal mountaintops and share their interests by and for their own conceivable pleasure.

A historical population within its real-life monopoly state, whereby covered and insured through acquisitions furthered by philanthropic eccentricities fueled in the futile hope of saving an already lost existence by common front to stop global deforestation and beyond with their democratizing intensities, a part where joy, despair and boredom go hand in hand. The Nordic embrace that is postulated only to covers the rest of the world washed over by its cool exterior and shady appearance.

Jacobsen: In spite of the social and health indexes of a healthy society, Norway’s birth rate, as with many developed countries, is below 2.1 or the theoretical replacement level. Its most recent tallied level is 1.53. It’s not Japan bad, but it’s not great. What is the national conversation about this? Countries simply cannot make up the deaths with more immigration indefinitely. It can be a threat to social stability with destructive movements looking to capitalize on demonizing immigrants and to social welfare programs dependent on a productive younger population, especially ages 25 to 54 — more in the actuarial realm and expertise of Erik.

Olsen: There are probably multiple reasons for the low birth rate. I’m guessing that economics play a part (raising multiple children has a cost). People might want to wait until later in life before they have children — and might eventually realise that they have waited too long. We’ve also received sex education, and have good access to prophylactics, which probably leads to fewer “accidental” pregnancies. A society does need a certain amount of productive (as well as
reproductive) citizens. If we look back in time, people needed to have more children since not all of them could be expected to grow up. We also didn’t have the same social security we do today, so people needed to have kids so someone could take care of them when they grew old.

Haereid: “Make more children!”, our prime minister said a couple of years ago. I don’t expect it to have effect in the long run.

It’s an unfortunate combination having an aversion against too many immigrants and an aversion against getting and raising children; it’s a cataclysmic consequence of developing welfare states. Such attitudes are built on romantic beliefs in development; technology and eternal life. It’s like “the only person I am not in conflict with is me”, and this becomes the social benchmark. “To what do I need other people?”; a social dystopia and a narcissistic utopia.

It’s a substantial increase in the population for people older than 45 years, from 1990 to 2021, compared to the increase among those younger than 45. The population growth in the group 45–79 is about 57% from 1990 to 2021! The growth is only 12% in the group 0–44, and 35% for those older than 80 years. The population distribution between age groups is approximately 56% (0–44), 39% (45–79) and 5% (older than 80).

There are some net immigrations and some birth surplus, and there are not expected a lot more net birth nor immigration in the next couple of decades, and the growth in population are expected in the older group. There are about 18–19% immigrants in Norway today, and 20% of these are born in Norway with immigrant parents.

The xenophobia factor will always be apparent in societies with mixed populations, like in most western countries today. Statistics will of course prevent and reduce some of the irrational critics, but the harsh group of haters give a damn in statistics. I think the most important task is to provide statistics and information about ongoing changes to the people. If some exploits the system, independent if they are immigrants or ethnic Norwegians, the society has to deal with that and contribute to get everyone into activities. Assimilation is not about making everyone similar, but allowing everyone to be different together. The genetic similarity between humans is about 99,9%, and that should be an inspiration to nurture and respect our differences.

Jørgensen: Our former Prime Minister Erna Solberg went on national television and tried to influence the people to produce more citizens. We were and are still not able to maintain a positive development according to the birth rate of 2.1

It’s been a few years now, but a noticeable change is yet to be discovered. As immigration goes it cannot replace the growth necessary for the positive development of the population output. If this were to be the case, it would undoubtedly have been, and as one sees in Sweden that ethnic-related conflicts have escalated to conditions that are unfortunate to ensure a stable democratic development. According to what is presented in the media, the government in Norway will not allowed for that to happen here I am sure, as we have strict regulations on who receives a residence permit on the right basis, insofar as family reunification is concerned and more… If we are to maintain a healthy welfare system and at the same time hope for a prosperous economic future, whereby we the citizens can all benefit strongly, a strict regulation must be advisable at all levels- of social structure.

Jacobsen: ‘White’ or Euro-North American racists, typically, stoke fear and prejudice, and territoriality, about Western Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and America, being taken over by non-‘whites’ or non-European heritage peoples with the implicit claim of very low melanin levels in skin, generally speaking, associated with historical-territorial claims to post-colonial settlement nation-states — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, America(, and South Africa) — and Western European nation-states. These are, as usual, falsified racist lies, not simply for the basis on the non-scientific pseudo-taxonomical term ‘race’ and concept of ‘races.’ It’s not a term validated in scientific literature, by and large, and more reflects the sociological — so artificial — categories of the individual purporting to speak for their ‘actualization’ or reification. Anyhow, insofar as has been documented, the only known Indigenous group in Western Europe is the Saami (previously Laplanders). They live in currently drawn-out parts of Norway and other Nordic territorial boundaries too. They can be traced back to 6,000 years ago, which matches some of the longest-lived extant Indigenous civilizations today. Indigenous Europeans go back along time. What is the treatment and general knowledge about the Saami?

Olsen: Disclaimer: I’m do not, as far as I know, have a Saami background myself, so my reply here is based on my perspective and understanding. It won’t necessarily be universally valid. I think Norwegians in general know that Saami exist, but often just think of the reindeer herders in the northern part of Norway and forget that most Saami are not reindeer herders. The Saami are a diverse group, with multiple different Saami languages (from 3 to 11, I believe, depending on who you ask and how you count). Since the 18th century (at least, possibly longer), the church were campaigning to convert the “heathen” Saami to Christianity, and in that process did their
“best” to eradicate Saami culture and language — a process which was continued by the Norwegian state/government, and which to some extent has continued up until more recent times.

Haereid: The knowledge about the Saami people is poor but growing. The main TV-channel in Norway marked the Saami’s national day 6. February, and I think this is the first time they have done so into this extent. That’s an improvement.

In general, I think the Nordic people respect the Saami more than ever, based on knowledge about their culture. But it’s a long way to go.

Jørgensen: As far as the Sami people are concerned, the knowledge is consequently set up. We in Norway are well acquainted with the origins of the Sami people and the injustice that has been inflicted on them during the course of centuries. This dates back to the early 13th century and onwards well into the 16th century with reference to the persecutions as a result of the rumors of sorcery, shamanism, witchcraft, whereby the result is a witch hunt as recognized on a global scale, these persecutions were set forth by both the official ecclesiastical and the official Norwegian government, all the way to more recent times, now by failed assimilation policies imposed on the northernmost counties and there indigenous population.

The Alta uprising in 1981 that we who have lived a little remember all too well from the national news reports. The recognition of the Sami Parliament’s origins in a newer sense in 1989, the Sami National Day on 6th February and so on. The road to acceptance and recognition of the Sami people has been a tortuous path to walk, a sad testimony and national stain inflicted upon the real Norwegian origin, and not just a steel acquisition, whereby murder, oppression and deportation generally accepted procedure set forth by the Norwegian state. Recently decorated with a vague public apology from government officials far too little, far too late for such a wonderful and proud people.

Jacobsen: How do Norwegians tend to view the, rather loud, racists from across the pond in North America?

Olsen: We shake our heads in disbelief when we hear about blatant racism in the USA. Not that we necessarily understand or interpret the situation in the right way.

Haereid: Norwegians became angry after the George Floyd killing. Most people can’t believe that such an event can happen in a modern, civilized democracy. There is racism in Norway, obviously, and most verbal and subtle. But the violence in the Floyd-case, and some other cases where the American authorities have expressed irrational destructive behavior, is disturbing; it’s a tendency. One mad man; that happens. But when the incarnation of the Law treats people like that, and this is not one case, it is distressing.

Talking about the American racists in general, it depends on who you ask. Some get angry and emotional, and a few agree with them. Most are indifferent. I think some look at it as a part of a movement growing in USA, not at least in the wake of president Donald Trump. He pushed a hidden North-American button. There is something wrong with the distribution of goods.

Jørgensen: Land grabbing of tribe property, the oppressive condition put in place by the early settlers. The near extinction of the total Native American tribe community, furthermore the acquisition of forced labor through the triangle trade, as regards to the African American community, etc… are hereby far too much to deal with at this point. Briefly referring to Donald Trump and his movement, attempt to disabling of the entire democratic foundation by inspiring to attack the U.S. Capital building, nothing more is needed, furthermore the refusal of students to go to school during the decades from the early 20th century onwards.

Police assault and lots more, this for me must be a separate isolated topic, as this is one of my special fields, so one must categorize these events regards to both national and global spectrum for a later interview…

Jacobsen: Although, every country has them. What is the view of these same individuals within the borders of Norway?

Olsen: In general, we like to believe that we’re not racists ourselves. In reality, we as a society have our fair share of racists, somewhat-racists (“I’m not racist, but…”), and people being tarred
with the same brush as racists (“He votes for that political party, so he must be racist”). We have Trump-supporters, and we have “woke BLM-supporters”, and we have many people who are neither. My personal opinion? Racism (and other discrimination) is a tricky subject, and
not everyone agrees on what it is and what it isn’t. For example, some people will claim that racism is a one-way street — that it can only go in one direction (“only whites can be racists, and only towards blacks” — sorry for the choice of words, btw.), but that is a definition I do *not* agree with.

Haereid: Unfortunately, I think many Norwegians are quite indifferent to such people, including own racists. The internal pond is made of mountains, woods, miles and self-centered minds. I think this is one of the negative features with respect to prosperity; the rich don’t care unless they have to pay tax. The racists are usually not in their garden. I think there were a lot of empathy after 22/7 2011 (the ABB-killings). But after some months it disappeared.

Jørgensen: It is perceived as sad as it is, that people should treat each other in this way whereby the difference in skin color or otherwise should judge a person to status of less valuable, how on earth have we not come any further than that, look at what history has displayed with regards to the injustice toward peoples of different skin color. If certain elements of society are to keep up this mind-bending madness, nothing will ever change. Yes, we have this problem in Norway as well, and this is being cracked down on hard by both the general public and the police, hate crime is thus being judged extra harshly in this country and rightfully so.

The terror attack of 22nd of July 2011 on the innocent political youth at Utøya is a grim memory of this white supremacy movement. Populist riots in such a state must be eradicated any way possible. We the Norwegians in a big way as far as history goes been a big part of the disgraced also with regards to the slave trade also called the triangular trade during the 16th and 17th century, a historical record not to be proud of.

Jacobsen: Indeed, the high-IQ communities have them, even well-known ones. What is the typical view within the high-IQ circles?

Olsen: I have the impression that the typical view is pretty similar
to the rest of society.

Haereid: I don’t know the typical, current view among high-IQ people. I am hibernating at the moment.

Jørgensen: It is probably from what I mean and believe, that certain utterances are allowed, but where set outer boundaries are broken, the relevant elements are excluded. The freedom to express oneself as one wishes does not come without restrictions and fortunately one gets to say, when direct violations that move outside the direct events in question and whereby the focus is directed towards one’s ethnic origin are by that fact misplaced. What is in these unreasonable borderlands should be removed to ensure that everyone is accepted regardless of their heritage roots.

Jacobsen: Is anyone aware of an Indigenous high-IQ group or even individuals? I would love to interview them.

Olsen: I haven’t heard of any such high-IQ groups. Mensa is open to all who qualify, regardless of “race”, creed or religion, and I think most (all?) other groups also have similar principles. I know we have members with various ethnic backgrounds, but it’s not something we keep track of.

Haereid: I am not aware of any.

Jørgensen: I do not know, I’m sorry, but maybe Eivind or Erik have some more information to hand out here.

Jacobsen: Why do people with higher IQs tend to have fewer kids?

Olsen: I’m guessing it’s caused by many of the same reasons we have
low birth rates in society. The same factors probably apply to an even
greater extent.

Haereid: The short answer is: Because they (we) are emotionally immature, and/or want to spend their (our) time on pure cognitive, intelligent practices more than developing advanced social skills. This doesn’t mean that people with children are emotionally and otherwise mature, or that people without children are necessarily immature.

Jørgensen: The basis for having fewer children of those with higher IQ than the average is based on higher education in anticipation of better paid jobs. Moreover, career seeking whereby the intense desire to secure their own need for an opportunity into the history books has become for me in some degree an absolute. If one can spend time on self-sustaining activities, where disruptive elements can affect one’s outcome on success, then it becomes decisive for the possible conditions one undertakes.

This is summed up by the fact that the importance of one’s own success overshadows the need for happiness through the acquisition of one’s and for one’s own offspring.

Jacobsen: With the Flynn Effect in a modest stagnancy and decline, though with decades of increase over time before, is there a potential relationship between better nutrition, wider educational access, and improved equality for all — e.g., men and women, for higher average IQs and lower birth rates? Some have attempted preliminary research into test scores and GDP, for example.

Olsen: I wouldn’t be surprised.

Haereid: Yes, I believe so. Humankind is in a peak of its cognitive potential, and achievements are culturally prioritized. In this individual and collective struggle, we easily forget that we are mentally and physically limited as species. Our minds allow us to create ideas about who we are and what we can do, without any prior humbleness that make us get frequently in contact with whom we are; we tend to think we can achieve something we can’t within the timeframe we draw. We will profit on striving for a more balanced development. An example is the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is increased when we experience success, which we feel when we achieve something. It’s like getting a reward. In lack of alcohol or heroin, which obviously destroy our bodies, we use sex, prosperity, titles, chocolate, creating heroes, run and so on to attain the level of dopamine we feel we need. But that level normalizes on an increasing higher level. The problem with dopamine is the lack of it, and that level depends of how much “normal” has become, which is a function of how much pleasure we expose ourselves to. The abstinence factor, the pain, will appear immediately after we stop achieving and celebrating, and endure until the body accepts the lower level of achievements as sufficient. Raising children is more pain than pleasure, I have heard. And this alternating activity between ups and downs competes with the abundance of opportunities the modern unlimited world provides and will provide almost everyone.

Jørgensen: I have personally too little information on the subject, but I think that an improved and healthier lifestyle, less disruption from outside forces and to some extent negative stress, will affect most of us in a positive way according to mentioned better general physical condition and mental health. It seems obvious to me that this should be the norm, but in an age of widespread use of brain-dead mental stimuli, acquired through watching people eat food on YouTube, bloggers talking solely about mental exhaustion through loneliness and boredom, whereby their personal feelings are being exposed on social media in the hope of huge financial gain makes itself very prevalent.

The creative and or intellectual measuring bar that could be characterized by maintaining a previous high standard has now become so low that one simply stumbles across it on flat ground. What personally irritates me the most is that now the more brain-dead material that is presented, the greater the financial earnings, further fueled by a tsunami of “likes” and words of praise for its impressive and innovative content. I find myself torn between the following facts, whether in total belief as to positive social structure input, or in total despair of the foolish ingenuity on a global scale.

Jacobsen: Particularly smart women tend to have fewer children or none, there seems to be multiple factors playing into this. For one, as stated by many smart heterosexual or bisexual women, heterosexual or bisexual men don’t like smart women for long-term partnering as much on average, though only pluralistically anecdotal and women speaking about men rather than asking the men, too. For two, they’re busy with cognitively demanding jobs or educations, which take time and effort away from potential family formation or even supersede any interest in children with or without a partner. For three, there are many women who simply reject the stereotype of women’s innate natalist inclinations; some have absolutely zero desire: Deal with it. Do some of these analyses seem fair and reasonable? What other factors might be at play here? I realize the irony of four guys talking about this. What about smart men? What has been the experience for the three of you, e.g., Tor is a parent of two?

Olsen: Previously, society expected women to limit their ambitions to “breed” and “stay at home”. That is no longer the case. Not every woman has “produce offspring” on top of their bucket list.. I keep hearing how men supposedly only want “dumber” women, but that’s as you
mention anecdotal, and coming from women. I can’t remember having heard *any* man say that they want to find a “dumb” woman — but I can’t say that it never happens at all. Personally, Since we’re sharing anecdotes: I’m a heterosexual male, father of two. I’ve really only been attracted to women with at least half a brain — ideally a fully functioning one at that. My exes, and my current partner, have all been on the right side of the Bell curve (i.e. I’m convinced that
they’ve all had an IQ of 120 or higher (with standard deviation 15), and I know my partner is “Mensa-material” (she’s a member). No, I don’t know the exact numbers, and the numbers aren’t important. What matters is that the person has a brain and can use it, and that we feel like we’re living on the same planet (so to speak).

Haereid: Women want emotionally mature, charming, confident, masculine and strong men, optimized relative to their own self-esteem and social and sexual value. Traditionally, women think of their future children’s welfare, when looking for a lifelong partner. Exaggerated but to a certain degree true: Men look for sexual satisfaction when they choose women; women are traditionally pickier choosing men than men are when they choose women.

It’s something about men feeling unsecure when women beat them intellectually. This is linked to archetypical features. Men do not only provide food and security, but also inventions and technical solutions.

Raising children takes much of women’s time during their “best” years. I think smart women are more selfish in a more modern way, and want to achieve something, using their intellectual capacity. Getting and raising children are not only time-consuming, but also a risk; you depend upon the other half’s genes. You can predict something, but maybe only 10–20% of all the hidden genetic stuff. What if you get a child, you are not happy with? Then the moral issues take place, and invade a brain that you instead could use on evolving yourself.

I think the unconditional love “concept” is real in all of us, also in intelligent women. If you get close to another person, and especially your own flesh and blood, you can’t escape feeling strong love for that person independent of what or who this organic creature is. You can repress it, ignore it, but never get rid of it.

Before you choose to have children or not, you don’t have any; you are not in the condition of feeling unconditional love to your child, only having ideas about it. And our rational behavior doesn’t take such irrational emotions into account. Especially when your brain is filled with intellectual opportunities.

I have been in one fairly long (ten years) adult relationship with a woman, but are not in any now. Maybe I am too selfish, and probably introvert.

Jørgensen: Strong women tend to intimidate men with their intellectual superiority, their regulations governing the household with an iron grip. I easily see that their interests in self-realization can easily be a hindrance for family life, whereby a weaker male partner may have to give into their premises in favor of the strong female partner with reference to stereotypical career woman. For my part, I have now been so lucky that 22 years ago I found the most beautiful woman in the world, and who incredibly has endured me and all my extremities all this time.

I am eternally grateful for this.

My two boys or my two prides are knowingly set to this world of pure love as the desire for self-enrichment through the search for ever new knowledge, has been occasionally pushed aside and created space for emotional based care and parental feelings. The influence that my lady has had on me as an egocentric logic seeker has enriched me in more ways than I care to mention… The best in my life has sought me out and together with my close ones it is again time to seek towards new horizons in the quest for new and possible undiscovered knowledge just waiting to be plucked like ripe fruit from the tree of knowledge itself.

Jacobsen: What other directions are of interest to you? I think we can expand the conversation grounds to more Norwegians now.

Olsen: Other topics? I really like talking about Amiga computers, or why The Last Ninja was the best game ever on the Commodore 64. 🙂

Haereid: Why is little Norway the dominant nation in winter Olympics? And generally, in sport? What about more cognitive activities like art and science?

Libido and drives versus control and cognition. What is unconditional love? Is it possible to learn to like people? Is this necessary to establish civilized peace? Do we try to be civilized when it’s impossible to be? If so, why can’t we just be savage? Is UN and such institutions based on some powerful dictatorship that profit on creating illusions about humans being civilized? Or is the human idea about world peace sincere; embracing everyone?

What is convincement?

What are thoughts? What are perceptions, and how do they appear? What are emotions, and what kind of role do they play? Which social role do emotions like guilt, shame, anxiety, anger, happiness and interest, to mention some, have?

Jørgensen: I have previous mentioned in this interview of topics to be debated forward according to themes about North America and settler mentalities, Native American wars, African American exploitation, and segregation policies with regards to the 21st century. Also, looking forward to getting more people to share thoughts and opinions with.

Footnotes

[1] Eivind Olsen is the current chair of Mensa Norway. He has scored “135 or higher” (SD15) on the test used by Mensa Norway. He has also previously been tested with WISC-R and Raven’s. He recently took the MOCA test and aced it. When he’s not busy herding cats, he works in IT. He sometimes spends time with family and friends.

Eivind Olsen is a member of Mensa Norway since 2014, having filled various roles since then (chair of Mensa Bergen regional group, national test coordinator, deputy board member, and now chair).

He was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1976, but has lived in a few other places in Norway, including military service in the far north of the country.

Since he got bored at school and didn’t have any real idea what he wanted to do, he took vocational school where he studied electronics repair. He has worked in a different field ever since (IT operations).

He is currently residing in Bergen, Norway, with his significant other, 2+2 offspring, 2 cats and a turtle.

[2] Erik Haereid has been a member of Mensa since 2013, and is among the top scorers on several of the most credible IQ-tests in the unstandardized HRT-environment. He is listed in the World Genius Directory. He is also a member of several other high IQ Societies.

Erik, born in 1963, grew up in Oslo, Norway, in a middle class home at Grefsen nearby the forest, and started early running and cross country skiing. After finishing schools he studied mathematics, statistics and actuarial science at the University of Oslo. One of his first glimpses of math-skills appeared after he got a perfect score as the only student on a five hour math exam in high school.

He did his military duty in His Majesty The King’s Guard (Drilltroppen)).

Impatient as he is, he couldn’t sit still and only studying, so among many things he worked as a freelance journalist in a small news agency. In that period, he did some environmental volunteerism with Norges Naturvernforbund (Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature), where he was an activist, freelance journalist and arranged ‘Sykkeldagen i Oslo’ twice (1989 and 1990) as well as environmental issues lectures. He also wrote some crime short stories in A-Magasinet (Aftenposten (one of the main newspapers in Norway), the same paper where he earned his runner up (second place) in a nationwide writing contest in 1985. He also wrote several articles in different newspapers, magazines and so on in the 1980s and early 1990s.

He earned an M.Sc. degree in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences in 1991, and worked as an actuary novice/actuary from 1987 to 1995 in several Norwegian Insurance companies. He was the Academic Director (1998-2000) of insurance at the BI Norwegian Business School (1998-2000), Manager (1997-1998) of business insurance, life insurance, and pensions and formerly Actuary (1996-1997) at Nordea in Oslo Area, Norway, a self-employed Actuary Consultant (1996-1997), an Insurance Broker (1995-1996) at Assurance Centeret, Actuary (1991-1995) at Alfa Livsforsikring, novice Actuary (1987-1990) at UNI Forsikring.

In 1989 he worked in a project in Dallas with a Texas computer company for a month incorporating a Norwegian pension product into a data system. Erik is specialized in life insurance and pensions, both private and business insurances. From 1991 to 1995 he was a main part of developing new life insurance saving products adapted to bank business (Sparebanken NOR), and he developed the mathematics behind the premiums and premium reserves.

He has industry experience in accounting, insurance, and insurance as a broker. He writes in his IQ-blog the online newspaper Nettavisen. He has personal interests among other things in history, philosophy and social psychology.

In 1995, he moved to Aalborg in Denmark because of a Danish girl he met. He worked as an insurance broker for one year, and took advantage of this experience later when he developed his own consultant company.

In Aalborg, he taught himself some programming (Visual Basic), and developed an insurance calculation software program which he sold to a Norwegian Insurance Company. After moving to Oslo with his girlfriend, he was hired as consultant by the same company to a project that lasted one year.

After this, he became the Manager of business insurance in the insurance company Norske Liv. At that time he had developed and nurtured his idea of establishing an actuarial consulting company, and he did this after some years on a full-time basis with his actuarial colleague. In the beginning, the company was small. He had to gain money, and worked for almost two years as an Academic Director of insurance at the BI Norwegian Business School.

Then the consultant company started to grow, and he quitted BI and used his full time in NIA (Nordic Insurance Administration). This was in 1998/99, and he has been there since.

NIA provides actuarial consulting services within the pension and life insurance area, especially towards the business market. They was one of the leading actuarial consulting companies in Norway through many years when Defined Benefit Pension Plans were on its peak and companies needed evaluations and calculations concerning their pension schemes and accountings. With the less complex, and cheaper, Defined Contribution Pension Plans entering Norway the last 10-15 years, the need of actuaries is less concerning business pension schemes.

Erik’s book from 2011, Benektelse og Verdighet, contains some thoughts about our superficial, often discriminating societies, where the virtue seems to be egocentrism without thoughts about the whole. Empathy is lacking, and existential division into “us” and “them” is a mental challenge with major consequences. One of the obstacles is when people with power – mind, scientific, money, political, popularity – defend this kind of mind as “necessary” and “survival of the fittest” without understanding that such thoughts make the democracies much more volatile and threatened. When people do not understand the genesis of extreme violence like school killings, suicide or sociopathy, asking “how can this happen?” repeatedly, one can wonder how smart man really is. The responsibility is not limited to let’s say the parents. The responsibility is everyone’s. The day we can survive, mentally, being honest about our lives and existence, we will take huge leaps into the future of mankind.

[3] Tor Arne Jørgensen is a member of 50+ high IQ societies, including World Genius Directory, NOUS High IQ Society, 6N High IQ Society just to name a few. He has several IQ scores above 160+ sd15 among high range tests like Gift/Gene Verbal, Gift/Gene Numerical of Iakovos Koukas and Lexiq of Soulios.

Tor Arne was also in 2019, nominated for the World Genius Directory 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe. He is the only Norwegian to ever have achieved this honor. He has also been a contributor to the Genius Journal Logicon, in addition to being the creater of toriqtests.com, where he is the designer of now eleven HR-tests of both verbal/numerical varient.

His further interests are related to intelligence, creativity, education developing regarding gifted students. Tor Arne has an bachelor`s degree in history and a degree in Practical education, he works as a teacher within the following subjects: History, Religion, and Social Studies.

[4] Individual Publication Date: March 1, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5; Full Issue Publication Date: May 1, 2022: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA): Jacobsen S. Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)[Online]. March 2022; 29(D). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

American Psychological Association (APA, 6th Edition, 2010): Jacobsen, S.D. (2022, March 1). Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5). Retrieved from http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D, March. 2022. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5>.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2022. “Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D. http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

Chicago/Turabian, Humanities (16th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott “Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. 29.D (March 2022). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.D. Available from: <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5>.

Harvard, Australian: Jacobsen, S. 2022, ‘Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 29.D., http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 7th Edition, 2009): Scott D. Jacobsen. “Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 29.D (2022): March. 2022. Web. <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5>.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Jacobsen S. Norwegians of the High-Range Discussion with Erik Haereid, Eivind Olsen, and Tor Arne Jørgensen: Statistician & Actuarial Scientist; Chair, Mensa Norway; 2019 Genius of the Year – Europe, World Genius Directory (5)[Internet]. (2022, March 29(D). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/norway-5.

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2022-02-28

Humanist Canada calls for release of Nigerian Humanist President

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Humanist Alliance Philippines International (HAPI)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/05

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – May 5, 2020 – PRLog — Canadian Humanists are supporting calls from Humanists International to have Mubarak Bala released from a Nigerian jail. Bala, who is president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested by Nigerian police April 28 following a complaint the had insulted the prophet Mohammed in a social media post. Bala, who is a former Muslim, has been arrested without formal charges. Bala’s lawyer has not been allowed access to his client.

“The right to be charged within 24 hours of arrest and the right to legal counsel are enshrined in Nigerian law. In addition, we would request: if Mr. Bala is charged with a crime, then the charge is, or those charges are, heard in a secular as opposed to a Islamic court, as he is a humanist, atheist, and former Muslim,” said Scott Jacobsen, international rights spokesman for Humanist Canada. Humanist Canada Vice-President, Lloyd Robertson, said Canadians can support Mr Bala’s defence campaign organized by Humanists International by visiting:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-mubarak-bala

He added that international support is important for the protection of minorities.

For more information contact:

Scott Jacobsen (778) 988-8070

Lloyd Robertson (306) 425-9872

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2022-02-28

Wider, Broader, Deeper, and Longer: The Banality of Moving the Goal Posts

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Humanist Alliance Philippines International (HAPI)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/01/05

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Andrew Sullivan, prominent and long-time essayist, declared every person has a religion. By implication, this would include atheists, as most see themselves, likely, as a-religious within the referent frame of a-theism. This seems more wrong than right, and also appears to miss the basic nature of religion: handed down answers, or, rather, assertions bequeathed with dogma; where with a-religiosity, values become discovered, obviously confined within the cognitive-emotional bounds of living as a human being. Thus, the first-answer as to why everyone leans towards common values and the Golden Rule, within constraints.

He has written and published hundreds of articles in a variety of publications. In the view of Sullivan, the modern atheists take on the garb of a quasi-religion through their “attenuated form of religion,” as this is a “practice not a theory” view of religion (Sullivan, 2018).

He views the denial of God as absolute as others’ faith in God, but, in fact, he contradicts himself with the denial of God as views while the religions of those who believe in God amount to actions. This retains the similar tactical flavor of prominent evangelists of everything becoming referred back, in some manner or other, to Christianity or God.

He points to the values individuals live by in the world, including daily rituals, meditation, and prayer. He even points to secular people with Buddhist practices as part of their view of the world. Atheism does not imply Buddhism or Buddhist practices; it implies a non-belief in God. That’s it.

Sullivan stated, “In his highly entertaining book, The Seven Types of Atheism, released in October in the U.S., philosopher John Gray puts it this way: ‘Religion is an attempt to find meaning in events, not a theory that tries to explain the universe’” (Sullivan, 2018).

Religion becomes Confirmation Bias writ worldview. Sullivan argues for this as part of a self-knowledge of every individual member of the human species of their own individual demise, of absolute finality.

Thus, the reconciliation with the world comes in the form of the assertion of “meaning in events” and not as an attempt to “explain the universe” (Sullivan, 2018). He, quoting Gray, in essence argues for a why rather than a functional-how of the universe, of which religion provides the explanatory filler and, presumably, the evolved necessity of a search for meaning gives the cognitive filter.

He asserts, “This is why science cannot replace it. Science does not tell you how to live, or what life is about; it can provide hypotheses and tentative explanations, but no ultimate meaning” (Sullivan, 2018). Take the temporality of the claims of science, this, to him, likely implies lack of ultimate meaning in time; take the spatial limits of the human body, this implicates a void in ultimate meaning in space; examine the limitations in mentation of all human beings, this derives eventual emptiness to meaning from the self and imaginary inventiveness of human beings.

The gap between the infinite, absolute, or ultimate meaning and any finite temporal or spatial meaning leads to a conclusion that religion gives ultimate meaning. However, when we look closer on the assertion of science not being capable of replacing religion, we can see the finite explanations of religion, in its practices – as Sullivan argues religion is actions.

Meaning does not exist as a constituent element of the universe, but, rather, in the relation of consciousnesses to the universe. Meaning remains derived rather than fundamental in this sense and, ultimately, constructed and finite, as this comes from the fundamental substructure of a mind’s transactional relationship with the cosmos (and other minds).

But even in the theories propounded by some sects of religions as natural world truths, they contradict the knowledge of the natural world provided via science, which remains the largest reliable set of epistemologies to derive better functional explanations of the cosmos. In this, religion becomes non-ultimate too; indeed, its assertions of the ultimate in meaning amount to assertions, of which non-religious people make commitments.

But back to the how of the universe, science works on the level of engineering to a significant extent, to the hows of the universe, but not on the whys. Art, literature, music, and religion comprise – not always practice – but sets of expression of the internal landscape of consciousness and perception in such a way as to have others see the world and feel about the world as the artist or writer sees and feels reality. None of this seems ultimate, including religion and its by-products.

The claims to the ultimate often are wrong as well. An ultimate meaning to the universe with the resurrection of the dead following the forgiveness of sins starting with the Fall in the Garden of Eden and the virgin birth of the Son of God, and then the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as the Saviour of Humankind.

To this assertion of ultimate meaning in avoidance of an extrapolated heat death of the universe in an immensely deep time into the future, or the ultimate meaning in the transcendence of death via atonement of Original Sin to this, we can ask a question, “What direct empirical evidence for the Garden of Eden?” (Sullivan, 2018) Answer: none. Whence Original Sin?

Outside of literary import, akin to Shakespeare or European folktales and legends, e.g., King Arthur and Merlin and so on, the purported ultimate meaning provided within the, for example, Roman Catholic Christian Church tradition of Sullivan becomes non-evidenced and, thus, probabilistic, at best, and, by implication, non-ultimate, i.e., no ultimate meaning in it.

The sensibility of the transcendent and ultimate in meaning becomes a placeholder for chauvinism in specific religions and particular theological assertions within the faith: “Our faith, our religion, harbors ultimate meaning in theology, in practices, in scriptures, and in community living, unlike the non-religious or, even especially, the irreligious” (Sullivan, 2018).

It simply amounts to arrogance and chauvinism cloaked in another guise of the religious, in this case, Sullivan. Temporal and spatial, and cognitive, limits bound the nature of the discussions, discourses, and dialogues possible for human beings, and then claims to ultimate and transcendent simply tend to mean parochial religious assertions and limits of understanding, and reaffirmations of traditional religious practice.

Characteristic of the fearmongering of equality for others while still the dominant faith demographic by a long shot in much of the West, especially where Sullivan is housed in America. A slight loss in prominence breeds a reactionary tone in addition to the regular unfolding of epithets.

Sullivan states, “Seduced by scientism, distracted by materialism, insulated, like no humans before us, from the vicissitudes of sickness and the ubiquity of early death, the post-Christian West believes instead in something we have called progress — a gradual ascent of mankind toward reason, peace, and prosperity — as a substitute in many ways for our previous monotheism” (Sullivan, 2018).

Secularism becomes post-Christian, which implies theocratic-leaning as more Christian or the reduction in the reliance on faith-based initiatives for health and secular means by which to achieve better material and wellness conditions becomes post-Christian, even with most of the nation adherent to a Christian narrative, as in America.

Even besides these concerns, Catholics may want to work less on demonizing others as a distraction of the horrific sexual scandals and abuses of nuns, of children, and others, and more on the asking of forgiveness of their victims, the national potentials they’ve destroyed through denial of contraceptives and family planning, the women who they have denied livelihoods in their opposition to safe, legal, and equitable abortion – as the Guttmacher Institute shows legalization lowers the rates of abortions (true pro-life, thus, should become pro-choice), imposition of theocratic rule in constitutions, and illegitimate abuse of religious privilege in societies to maintain political power, und so weiter (Guttmacher Institute, 2018).

Non-religion becomes “scientism” and “materialism.” On “scientism,” this term is a covert epithet of the non-religious and started with Friedrich von Hayek in 1943. Materialism relates to the outcomes of public relations and the industry devoted to the fabrication of wants, where I agree with him.

The campaigns to get kids to nag parents for unnecessary junk or to get pregnant women to smoke are evils, and a result of deliberate materialistic advertising and marketing campaigns to delude the public – and vulnerable sectors to boot.

As Sullivan correctly notes, “We have leveraged science for our own health and comfort” (Sullivan, 2018). Indeed, one big impediment to the reproductive health rights and technology of women has been the Roman Catholic Christian Church. Rather than focus on his own backyard, Sullivan, instead, aims at prominent writers and then criticizes abstracts including “reason.”

As has been said by others, perhaps, we need pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will, but we should remain wary or chary of the obvious moral goods being ignored in the real manifestations of their consequences in the directly implicated deaths and injuries of millions of women through simple rejection of contraceptives, abortifacients, family planning and associated educational provisions, safe and legal abortion, sexual education including consent, and so on.

Sullivan argues humans are religious creatures. This seems, in part, true, but, probably, more reliant on superstition and ignorance and myths as we remain an evolved and cognitively flawed species. He also argues humans seek meaning as part of our nature. This, once more, seems to identify a bug in what we may view as a benefit or a plus.

It depends on the orientation of the meaning sought by the individual or the group. As well, he draws attention to some non-religious individuals with too much emphasis on reason. This begs the question as to what reliance on emotionalism can derive for the truths about the world outside of the social relations.

In fact, this Vulcanization of the opposition – the non-religious – seems like another stereotype and asserted with thin evidence, except within the general derogatory statements about and odd opposition to the fundamental premises of rationalism with “reason.”

But this leads back into the notion of religion as actions or practice, mainly; however, Gray and Sullivan seem flat wrong here. Religion, in most contexts, amounts to beliefs plus suggested practices, where core a priori beliefs necessitate the faith and suggested practices can be adhered to varying degrees of seriousness: Jesus rose from the dead (core belief) and can perform miracles with enough serious and sincere prayer (suggested practice). Muhammed is the last Prophet of the one true God, Allah, (core belief) and the Hajj is an incredibly important Pillar of Islam to partake in the life of a sincere Muslim believer (suggested practice).

Someone without these, in either case, simply lacks traditional religion. Otherwise, what defines the boundaries of religions, exactly? If nothing, then religion simply becomes moot as a concept. But we tend to realize the distinctions and, intrinsically, understand religion as real phenomena and the contents of it, and practices from it. The common phrase or description of these actions is the moving of the goal posts.

One can see this angle from prominent pastors and theologians in North America who see the negative implications of the term “religion” and then work to distance their particular denomination from it: “That’s not Christianity. That’s religion.”

Giving the game away, of course, religion is seen as bad by the public more and more, based on well-documented evidence in history and evidence right into the present, and then garners a bad public persona. Christianity then, must, get separated from it. Same for other traditional religions.

Another methodology is simply to denude the term “religion” of context by moving the goal posts to such an extent as to leave anything with long-term adherence as a religion: materialistic pursuits, practicing meditation in a secular context even, or utilization of the tools of science and medicine for the improvement of human wellbeing defined in modern and secular terms.

Selectively quoting some prominent non-believers in history, Sullivan tries to mount the argument with appeals of various forms, including emotional. Without formal religious institutions or, in some modern lines of thought, old Disney films and European folk tales to give structure, order, and meaning, what will become of the world and the nature of being? Are these attacks on traditionalism? Are these assaults on the fundamental substructure of the world, of being itself?

The same as has happened in proportion to the reduction of religious fundamentalism, more freedom of thought and story-making, and meaning-making, and focus on secular notions of well-being: societies become better. Some may point to the United States of America as a high standard of living nation while also retaining high religiosity; we can simply extend the examination internal to the nation.

As it turns out, the most religious states in America have the worst health and wellness outcomes, in general, compared to the more secular ones. Thus, the benefits come with the secular offerings and technological advancements as applied to the standard secular concerns for human wellbeing, e.g., vaccinations, healthcare, better food, easier lives, cleaner working conditions, maternal and infant care, reproductive health technologies, and so on.

This comes, in fact, from a rejection of the non-answers or excuses for the problems of the real world before us, often provided in the form of religious orthodoxy. The argument cropping or popping up more and more is the notion of atheists or non-religious people generally practicing a Christian metaphysics in spite of their protestations to the contrary.

That is to say, from these chauvinists’ views, to behave in a decent and honorable manner, you must be acting in a way reflecting Christianity; therefore, you owe a debt of gratitude to Christianity for behaving well and, in fact, only behave well since you act in a purportedly Christian way.

This is simply a way of saying even ‘atheists’ aren’t atheists because they are Christians or ‘atheists’ who are truly Christians acting out a Christian metaphysics who claim that they aren’t Christian. Assumption: if you act in a good way, then you are Christian; if you act bad, then you are a non-believer. Even if you are a purported or self-proclaimed non-believer, you act as a non-believer with a Christian metaphysics. The chauvinism is “anything Christian good” – presumably, even that chauvinism, though “pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” – and “anything bad is not Christian” (The Bible: King James Version, 2018).

No one should play by the rules set out here because a) they’re false as our values predate the mythology of Christianity and b) it’s a simple dishonest Sophist tactic. Ethics is apart from religion. It can be incorporated into the moral systems, myths as guides, and stipulations of the faith, but hundreds of millions of people act well without religion and build better, more functional, and healthier societies with less religion as a heuristic – based on decades of evidence, thus not a hunch but not an axiom either.

There’s a joke among some Westerners with Indian heritage that their parents claim everything came from India. You point to some discovery in scientific or technological marvel, then the punchline is the parent claiming that this came from India.

One can also hear the notion, by analogy, that – quite astonishingly with a straight face said – separation of church and state came from Christianity, as a ‘miracle,’ seen in the statement, purportedly, by Jesus, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s,” which is from Matthew 22:21 (2018).

This one takes tremendous amounts of gumption and myopia on the part of the speaker, ignorance – if believed – on the part of the listener, and complicity in the gumption, myopia, and ignorance if journalists or others repeating it, at least uncritically.

Following the foundation of Christianity, we find one of the largest theocracies ever founded in the history of the world with the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity. The same idea can be seen in the analogy. The claim would be this is not true Christianity or real Christianity; that is to say in the former context, everyone behaving good acts in a Christian metaphysics.

Anyone not acting in such a way isn’t a Christian and, therefore, we come to the fallacy known as No True Scotsman. The sloppiness of the arguments is tiresome and the presentation of individuals making these arguments as our public intellectuals and best minds is both a travesty and a shame.

But even taking the issue of homosexuality, one which remains controversial for the hierarchs of the Roman Catholic Christian Church. Not in my words, the church’s own doctrine and positions, richly endowed statements on it, too.

As stated by the Vatican, the proper beliefs are “Sacred Scripture” placing homosexuality and homosexual acts as “acts of grave depravity,” “intrinsically disordered” or “objectively disordered,” “contrary to natural law,” “do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity,” where “homosexual persons are called to chastity” and “under no circumstances can they be approved” (The Vatican, n.d.).

Thus, the hard beliefs behind the firmly suggested practices are chaste sexual lives of homosexuals: men and women. Presumably, anyone engaging in this, within the tradition of Sullivan, become non-Christian; hence, sexually active homosexual (Roman Catholic) Christians becomes an impossibility, especially troublesome as the Good, to some, marks a Christian metaphysics – noted earlier.

Then Sullivan with the banal notions of religion as necessary for human beings states, “Liberalism is a set of procedures, with an empty center, not a manifestation of truth, let alone a reconciliation to mortality. But, critically, it has long been complemented and supported in America by a religion distinctly separate from politics, a tamed Christianity that rests, in Jesus’ formulation, on a distinction between God and Caesar. And this separation is vital for liberalism, because if your ultimate meaning is derived from religion, you have less need of deriving it from politics or ideology or trusting entirely in a single, secular leader. It’s only when your meaning has been secured that you can allow politics to be merely procedural” (Sullivan, 2018).

One need merely look, briefly, at the crypto-theocrats within the midst of the United States creating havoc and suffering in the lives of millions of women through blockades to fundamental human rights, as per a statement by Human Rights Watch, of equitable and safe access to abortion. Women get them anyway. However, in the rather desperate and clandestine process, women die and acquire varieties of injuries from unsafe abortions due to restrictions on the “equitable and safe access to abortion.”

To Sullivan’s (2018) question in his soliloquy, “So what happens when this religious rampart of the entire system is removed?” He asserts illiberal politics. In fact, the affirmation of fundamentalist Christianity has been an impediment to the liberal politics for a long time, straight into the current moment.

Christianity as illiberal in this interpretation, not in some abstracted and idealized notion but in the illiberal implementation of adherents since its foundation, whether now or with the majority of the German populace as Christian decades ago. That’s not “anchored in and tamed by Christianity”; that’s fanned flames of illiberalism by Christianity, from its origins (Sullivan, 2018).

Secular and humanistic frameworks have been the taming force on Christianity. The impotence of Christians’ love, rather than the simple love, has been a force by which the liberalism has flourished; whereas, when they could, Christians were burning people at the stake or imposing their religion as the state religion, including many who wish to impose Christianity as the state religion in the US and elsewhere – to save souls.

Christianity and Christian mythology formed an early cult in recorded history. Now, the more direct attacks on its supremacy are met with some spurious, but not all, arguments posited by Sullivan and others.

Some decent observations by Sullivan come from the idea of “tribalized… religion explicitly built by Jesus as anti-tribal. They have turned to idols — including their blasphemous belief in America as God’s chosen country” (Sullivan, 2018).

He seems correct here. Sullivan takes the stance of reduction in Christianity leading to the Trump Administration and others, or Christian truths. Then he uses this to equate or place on the same platform social justice activists, say a Martin Luther King, Jr., with President Trump.

Plentiful important moral work has been done by individual Christians and mass mobilizations by Christian ethical visionaries, but also in a secular social justice framework as well. The issue here is an ascendance not of social justice but, rather, of the obvious, of which the analogs are not many: Christian theocratic hopes tied to negative nationalism or populism. To link this to social justice activists, it amounts to poor journalism as a false equivalency characteristic of simply not seeing past the prejudices of the time.

One prior example of a Christian theocracy was mentioned, Constantinian Christianity is seen in the Roman Empire with the conversion of Emperor Constantine. Another can be seen in fundamentalist Evangelical Christians within the US.

The Bible is steeped in supernaturalism and with political acts and even concluding on a political execution. It is an ancient cult built over centuries. As a political tract and supernatural mythological, and quasi-historical, text, the orientation of Christianity has been political with the “kingdom of God” not necessarily as an other-worldly spatial location, but as a physical location and “kingdom” of the time as some kingdoms were around at the time, including the Roman.

Christianity never truly saw a split between politics and religion in this sense. Hence, the theocratic impulses seen throughout Christian history is the rule and not the exception.

He, once more, asserts, “It is Christianity that came to champion the individual conscience against the collective, which paved the way for individual rights. It is in Christianity that the seeds of Western religious toleration were first sown. Christianity is the only monotheism that seeks no sway over Caesar, that is content with the ultimate truth over the immediate satisfaction of power. It was Christianity that gave us successive social movements, which enabled more people to be included in the liberal project, thus renewing it” (Sullivan, 2018).

The liberal movements, such as the Enlightenment, were a reaction to the superstition and bigotry of Christianity. The liberalism is anti-Christian in this sense. Now, to the modern fundamental claim of the individual or the purported ‘divine’ individual, or the individual conscience, as bound to the Christian faith, this assertion tends to come from individuals spewing epithets and complaining about identity politics and virtue signaling.

But if we take a moment to reflect, we can note some of the original identity politics in religious identification and virtue signaling prayers and other religious practices. This seems ironic. The Christian identity is one of a group, of a collective in the Body of Christ.

The idea of the social and moral worth of the individual started, in part, with democratic norms and institutions, but, as one can glean from the ideals imagined in Kallipolis by Plato or in the opinions of women by Aristotle, only for a select group of people – most often men.

Plato would be considered progressive for the time; Aristotle would be seen in some of the worst sexist terms today. In Christianity, the focus isn’t on the individual as an idea, but on an individual, Christ, and the collective as an idea, the Body of Christ.

Then the response pivot to this may be a divine spark or soul in each person. But this also predates Christianity, including Egyptians and the Chinese with the conceptualization of a dual-soul and in Aristotle, once more, with a tripartite soul. Epicureans saw the soul as tied to the material body. Platonists saw the soul as an immaterial substance. Duly note, each predating or co-existing with Christianity and having a notion of ensoulment of each individual human being.

The fundamental distinction is in the selection of values and ideas: to the non-religious, they’re chosen; to the religious believer, they’re pre-selected by authority and then given in advance. Sullivan et al simply miss this, often to the detriment of modernity based on their primitivity.

References

Guttmacher Institute. (2018, March). Induced Abortion Worldwide. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide.

Sullivan, A. (2018, December 7). America’s New Religions. Retrieved from nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/andrew-sullivan-americas-new-religions.html.

The Bible: King James Version. (2018). Matthew: 22:21. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A21&version=KJV.

The Bible: King James Version. (2018). Proverbs: 16:18. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+16%3A18&version=KJV.

The Vatican. (n.d.). Catechism of the Catholic Church: Part Three, Life in Christ. Retrieved from www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm.

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2022-02-28

The Guardians of Pain

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Humanist Alliance Philippines International (HAPI)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/12/24

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

The Roman Catholic Christian Church Pope Francis – the guy who thinks he is the only Pope should look into the Discordians, adjacent to the Church of the SubGenius and its SubGenii – remarked on the problems with drug abuse or, less moralistically, substance misuse in the context of Duterte (Romero, 2018).

But this requires some context on Christian conceptualizations of suffering through time right into the present, which will, in due course, include commentary on Christian ideas of suffering, substance misuse, drugs, and the brain, and harm reduction in the Philippines and global context.

The image of pain, suffering, and misery sits at the Cross of the Roman Catholic Christians and other Christians, with the assumption of the redemptive work in a sacrifice of God made flesh, where the Salvifici Doloris states the meaning of suffering “illuminated by the Word of God” and reflected in the words of “Saint Paul” (John Paul II, 1984).

In this Christian context, of the largest sect and others, the meaning of suffering and pain, the purported mystery of suffering evokes “compassion,” “respect,” and intimidation and retains its plumbed linkages to a “need of the heart” and the “deep imperative of faith” (Ibid.).

Within this framework of the world, the alleviation of suffering is seen as only through Christ at the Cross and through no other, as this, simply put, is an emotional need and an imperative of religious faith and, therefore, an inexplicable and mandatory part of faith in Christ for a true Christianity.

Christianity, and its representatives in the largest sect and its highest offices to the supposed Vicar of Christ on Earth become guardians of this suffering, because without such sacrament of suffering and pain the redemptive power of Christ in a fallen world, so-called, would remain unneeded; the Roman Catholic Christian Church would become outmoded and irrelevant to the concerns of a mature and critical-minded, empirically informed, and logically coherent person of the future.

Intimations of this can be seen within the advanced industrial economies of the world which, historically speaking, were predominantly Christian and serious in their faith but, over time, they began to lose hold and slipped in their adherence to the faith, in degree and raw numbers. Throughout the 20^th century, we witnessed a historic rise of the non-religious, of the individuals without the need or even basic want for a traditional religious life.

In this, we also, at least in North America, developed the post-WWII Healing Revival Movement with a wide range of people preaching the Gospel with renewed vigor and proclamations of the end times and purification of the world for the benefit of the Good and Christian – synonyms within the framework propounded for centuries, hence the sociocultural assumption of nonbelievers as amoral if not, worse, inherently immoral – including Rev. Billy Graham, Oral Roberts – who some during the higher heights of faith in Sigmund Freud labeled “Anal Roberts,” William Marion Branham, Jack Coe, Jack Moore, A. A. Allen, T. L. Osborn, Gordon Lindsay, F. F. Bosworth, Ern Baxter, Paul Cain, Kenneth Hagin, and O.L. Jaggers (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018).

All lunatics, charlatans, or ignoramuses in their own rights. The fourth option, of course, is knowledgeable; however, these individuals did not know much about the world but had, as per the statement by Hawking, neither ignorance nor knowledge but the illusion of knowledge, which, in the end, analysis, is far viler and the enemy of real knowledge about the reality abounding around us. To quote the late cosmologist once more, religion is based on authority. Science is based on evidence. Approximately, one can apply the same categorization sweep in the analysis of prominent creationists in history including Ken Ham, Kent Hovind, Immanuel Velikovsky, Duane Gish, and others. A lesson in life, learn to detect pseudoscience and nonsense and then move on, which saves time.

Famously, even the within-the-faith beloved supposed Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta, also known as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, the writings of the late purported saint remain littered with commentary on suffering and the importance of pain and suffering, as this retains a sense of the redemption of Christ.

Bojaxhiu states, “Suffering, if it is accepted together, borne together, is joy. Remember that the Passion of Christ ends always in the joy of the Resurrection of Christ, so when you feel in your own heart the suffering of Christ, remember the Resurrection has to come—–the joy of Easter has to dawn. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Risen Christ” (Lau, n.d.).

Suffering shall be accepted as a joy; a joy as the “Risen Christ” (Ibid.). The nature of the framework represents an assumption of a resurrection from the dead, i.e., the death, burial, and three days later resurrection of Christ in so-called defiance of death.

The only crux, so to speak, of the issue of suffering from Christian theology, remains with the supposed resurrection and in the power of the sacrifice of a God-man, of God made flesh, on a Cross, through a form of Roman capital punishment.

Without veracity to these claims of a resurrection and to its panacea power for the supernatural moral blights of sin for all time – past, present, and future, the notion of Christian alleviation of suffering, or need for recognition of suffering as joy in realization of its reflection in Jesus’s or Yeshua Ben Yosef’s murder, becomes nothing.

It’s true, then, the Roman Catholic Christians did it: ex nihilo. They created something from nothing, more suffering than necessary through its enshrinement and as guardianship for access to the joy of Christ’s self-sacrifice at the Cross. Unnecessary suffering within a secular referent frame becomes immoral because of the tacit premise of a supernatural moral realm; whereas, to the Roman Catholic Christian Church, the secularly seen unnecessary suffering becomes necessary suffering via reflective qualities with the penultimate sacrifice of Christ for the so-called sins of humankind. That is to say, the well-being moral matrix of humanism stands opposed to the meta-physicalistic ethic of Christianity; although, if one takes the words of the Utilitarian ethicist and political philosopher John Stuart Mill seriously in Utilitarianism, the foundation of the ethics of wellbeing writ broad and deep with a eudaemonistic view of human life and their relations with one another becomes the moral nature of the Nazarene:

I must again repeat, what the assailants of utilitarianism seldom have the justice to acknowledge, that the happiness which forms the utilitarian standard of what is right in conduct, is not the agent’s own happiness, but that of all concerned. As between his own happiness and that of others, utilitarianism requires him to be as strictly impartial as a disinterested and benevolent spectator. In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility. To do as you would be done by, and to love your neighbour as yourself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality. As the means of making the nearest approach to this ideal, utility would enjoin, first, that laws and social arrangements should place the happiness, or (as speaking practically it may be called) the interest, of every individual, as nearly as possible in harmony with the interest of the whole; and secondly, that education and opinion, which have so vast a power over human character, should so use that power as to establish in the mind of every individual an indissoluble association between his own happiness and the good of the whole; especially between his own happiness and the practice of such modes of conduct, negative and positive, as regard for the universal happiness prescribes; so that not only he may be unable to conceive the possibility of happiness to himself, consistently with conduct opposed to the general good, but also that a direct impulse to promote the general good may be in every individual one of the habitual motives of action, and the sentiments connected therewith may fill a large and prominent place in every human being’s sentient existence. (Mill, 1863)

This could lead into commentary on the ongoing and overwhelming sexual abuse of children and nuns entering into the news cycle at a rapid pace; however, this will not be the focus of this article (Dancel, 2018; Gomes, 2018; Pierce, 2018; Regencia, 2018; Macdonald, 2018; Long, 2018). Mill took a naturalistic frame of the Nazarene reflective of the morals of Utilitarianism, where the Roman Catholic Christian Church holds fast to the notion of supernatural lessons and an ethical gradient within this meta-material world of grace to sin.

Of the many foci within the categorization of pain, misery, and suffering of the Roman Catholic Christian Church, we can, also, come to the realization of the ongoing and international problem with the pain and death created through the substance misuse crisis around the world (WHO, 2018a; WHO, 2018b).

If we look at the deaths associated with the drug epidemic around the world, we can find approximately 70,000 to 100,000 people dying from opioid-related overdoses, alone, per annum, and as many as 99,000 to 253,000 deaths from to illicit drug use, circa 2010 (UNODC/WHO, 2013).

The main deaths from these substances are men (NIH, 2018a; NIH, 2018b). These statistics from the National Institutes of Health in the United States replicate to other parts of the world. This does not seem like a spiritual problem, as in some spiritual-moral realm corrupted and influencing the men to become addicted in the short- and long-term. One which damages families and communities, and leaving men to die alone.

The basics of addiction, rather than a spiritual-moral framework in years past filled with theological arguments and references to revelation, comes from a functional comprehension of the architecture of the mind, of the brain as an organic sense input receiver and information processor, as we are evolved organisms with imperfectly coordinated but good enough consciousnesses; where these systems can be hijacked by the substances, the neural networks can be, without context, activated based on the ability of the addictive substances to cross the blood-brain barrier and remain active and suitable for locking into neurotransmitter sites at gap junctions. It is well-known as the “biology of addiction” (NIH News in Health, 2015). One common and among the most lethal substances, and which is legal in several nations around the world, remain alcohol, which makes for a good example.

Dr. George Koob, the Director of the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, stated, “A common misperception is that addiction is a choice or moral problem, and all you have to do is stop. But nothing could be further from the truth… The brain actually changes with addiction, and it takes a good deal of work to get it back to its normal state. The more drugs or alcohol you’ve taken, the more disruptive it is to the brain” (Ibid.).

The Director of the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow, notes the decreased activity in the frontal cortex in individuals who harbor addictive tendencies or outright addictions, whether to alcohol or other substances; they take the substance in spite of the costs of losing “custody of their children” or real threats of a potential rightful entrance into a penitentiary (Ibid.).

These experts in the functional neurological and behavioral aspects of addiction do not mention the spiritual world or spiritual problems, or alternate and inexplicable dimensions apart from the ordinary, but these medical professionals and research directors at the highest level in the world direct attention to organized matter, a brain, and its malfunctions, e.g., the poor functional capacity of the frontal lobes and, in particular, the frontal cortex of the unfortunates suffering with or through addiction.

As Professor Adele Diamond of The University of British Columbia explains with regards to the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, the poor functioning of the DPfC, in particular, or the PfC, in general, can impair function in most important areas of personal and professional life, and associated with many mental disorders, including attention and conduct disorders, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders, even schizophrenia, and can impact physical health with poor health habits in either exercise or diet, reading and writing achievement, dependability, violent and emotional outburst events and degrees of said moments, retaining of a job let alone a career, levels of productivity, and success and harmony in work or marital life, and so on (Diamond, 2012).

A material, physical, or natural structure with impairments expresses widespread life problems, i.e., not a spiritual-moral issue by necessity and, by the principle of parsimony or Occam’s Razor, far more probable as a neurological impairment issue. This leads to some implications in the legal and social, and law enforcement, aspects of substance misuse epidemics. There has been a wide range of calls for the decriminalization of drugs to deal with this international problem, as would be a humanistic orientation based on evidence of the reduction in harms to the general public at all levels. That is to say, compassion- and science-based solution to this international problem. [Ed. I have written on this before and reference common knowledge within the international community on this subject matter, as well as prior references from other articles.]

The calls have been from the UN General Assembly Session on the Approach to the World Drug Problem (UNGASS) in its 2016 unanimous conclusion, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, through drug policy and the Sustainable Development Goals, and others (UNODC, 2018; Yakupitiyage, 2017; UNODC, 2015; Sustainable Development Goals, n.d.).

The United Nations and the World Health Organization issued a joint statement calling for decriminalization of all drugs in 2017 (WHO, 2017). The Former Portuguese Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres called for the decriminalization of all drugs while the Prime Minister of Portugal; same while the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the prior Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon did the same (Secretariat to the Governing Bodies UNODC, 2018).

Some nations made continuous calls for decriminalization. They enacted the changes, including the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and Portugal, and other countries (Travis, 2014; Vastag, 2009). The questions about this issue of drugs or substances with deadly or addictive potentials around the world remains the ways in which the substances are dealt with via the criminal justice system, the system of jurisprudence, and the assumptions floating within the public consciousness influencing the conscience of the general populace of a nation, including the Philippines.

If we look at the situation with the nation for me, Canadian society, in other words, we can note the ways in which the punitive approach to substance misuse has been an utter failure, even worse in the nation south of our border, i.e., the United States of America.

The punishment of the misusers, in fact, based on the firm and robust evidence showing the increase of the use, the severity of the outcomes, and how this punishment methodology simply leaves more people without support and possibly addicted/deceased, and the prison population filled more than before within the nation-state, based on the implementation of policies set forth with a punitive approach.

Most often, the poor and minorities within a state are the majority of the victims here; thus, if poor, male, and a minority within a nation, then the greater the likelihood of falling victim to injury, addiction, or death via illicit substance intake, whether orally, anally, or injections (Fellner, 2009; NIH, 2018a; NIH, 2018b). In general, this is counter-complemented by an evidence-based methodology towards the issues of substance misuse: harm reduction, which amounts to both a philosophy and a methodology (Harm Reduction International, 2018).

Much akin to the humanistic approach, as noted, harm reduction provides a basis for the implementation in societies around the world with a reason, science, and compassion foundation in the management of substance misuse as a human issue and a social health problem primarily, and secondarily as an issue of law enforcement. For example, if decriminalized, the black market in this sector becomes nullified.

The alternative to mostly punishment is harm reduction (Harm Reduction International, 2018). One major aspect of compassion would be the implementation of decriminalization, as per the national and international calls, and compassion oriented policies, programmes, and initiatives in order to alleviate the suffering of those at the bottom of society.

These methodologies can be as simple as needle exchange programs or safe injections sites. Others, if the population of young postsecondary students, can be an emphasis on naloxone kits on campus, which blocks the opioid receptors of the body and stalls overdoses for time to return the young person to the hospital. These remain solutions bound to a realistic view of a free country, likely, harboring illicit substances or licit substances that will be misused, and then the role of the government should be to protect and help the public in the most evidence-based way possible, which means the harm reduction approaches, while also respecting the bodily autonomy and choices of the Filipino/Filipina.

More than 1,000 Canadian citizens died in the province of British Columbia alone, which prompted an emergency task force to examine the issue and the evidence. This led to the proposals for more extensive harm reduction approaches, not less, where this mirrors the situation with Portugal under Guterres.

Humanistic approaches do not imply for all time or inherent completeness of philosophical foundation, in a symmetry with the logical findings of Kurt Godel about the incompleteness of any standard mathematical system proclaiming consistency or the inconsistency of any mathematical system proclaiming completeness, because the fundamental basis in science – process, discoveries, and substantiated empirical theories – amounts to a philosophy of discovery about the natural world and, therefore, an ethic, by implication incorporating it, becomes one of a wondrous continual searching, probing, retaining, integrating, and refining of inherent compassionate sentiments of the human heart reflected in the Golden Rule to the advanced scientific and technological landscape of the world today.

This brings us back into the subject matter of suffering and the context of Christianity, the Pope, Duterte, and harm reduction. As the Roman Catholic Christian Church from the previous Pope to a saint noted on the Christian conceptualization of suffering, as they live in a worldview of the teleological bound within this notion of God as a Logos or the source of absolute truth without room for deviancy – the Logos way or the highway (to hell, even paved with good intentions, presumably), the suffering in the world must have some God-given purpose.

Suffering comes from a fallen world but is extant due to some ultimate teleological purpose with God’s divine plan, even while the standard position of the Roman Catholic Christian Church is acceptance of Theistic Evolution with, in many eyes, humanity as the crowning achievement of creation. From an evolutionary viewpoint without teleology, a naturalistic worldview, the pain, suffering, and misery remain products of evolution carved via natural selective processes from natural disasters to reciprocal altruism to mate selection to kin selection to punctuated equilibrium and so on, without teleology. Kropotkin noted the factor of mutual aid in evolution at any rate.

The pain and suffering are seen as necessary and, potentially, needing encouragement or even praise as reflective of the joy identified with the notion of a crucified Christ, i.e., the ultimate in suffering and sacrifice then victory over the death of the mortal coil.

However, lacking the evidence or firm evidentiary basis for the claims in the narratives of a Christ who died and rose from the dead a la Lazarus, or the biological evidence to show natural means by which death has ever been forestalled indefinitely and even reversed then or now, the teleological view of suffering becomes less cosmic, more parochial, and akin to the Evolution by Natural Selection posited by Darwin in 1859 (On the Origin of Species) without a teleological lens on the development, adaptation, and speciation of species.

Suffering becomes another unavoidable aspect of the evolved organisms of Earth useful for long-term species survival while also, given the aforementioned sentiments and inquiring ethical discovery linked to science, becoming something human beings can alleviate, not only in themselves but in others as per the Golden Rule.

Some individuals seem to have less of this. Duterte, in particular, admitted to extrajudicial killings, stated, “What is my sin? Did I steal even one peso? Did I prosecute somebody who I ordered jailed? My sin is extrajudicial killings” (Human Rights Watch, 2018a).

In the anti-drug fervor of the nation, of the Philippines, more than 12,000 people have been killed, including men, women, and children (Ibid.), based on conservative estimates from “the nongovernmental groups Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates and the International Drug Policy Consortium, as well as media outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald” (Ibid.).

There has been, also, the efforts to push an independent investigation via the UN into the killings associated with this so-called War on Drugs, which amounts to the punitive or punished oriented approach, in contradistinction to the harm reduction approach, mentioned before (Human Rights Watch, 2018b). This harsh tone and tough talk are not new from Duterte.

In a May 2015 election campaign rally, he, in a strong suggestion of a punitive approach to drugs, exclaimed, “If I became president, you [alleged criminals] should hide. I would kill all of you who make the lives of Filipinos miserable. I will definitely kill you. I do not want to commit this crime. But if by chance per chance God will place me there, stay on guard because that 1,000 [killed in Davao City] will become 100,000” (Rappler.com, 2015).

Golez quoted the Roman Catholic Christian Pope spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, stating, “This is precisely the rationale behind the President’s war on illegal drugs in the Philippines: to save the young and future generations of Filipinos from the drug scourge… Laudable developments have been achieved by the current administration in this regard, notwithstanding the noise coming from the loud minority composed of his detractors and critics here and abroad” (Golez, 2018; Romero, 2018).

In short, Duterte and the Pope speak in different tones but support the same social and law enforcement right-wing ideological perspective, which, in accordance with all evidence available to us, will not only maintain the terrible conditions but make them worse or exacerbate them for individuals and society.

As per the calls for decriminalization and the empirical robust support for harm reduction methodologies, the Pope and Duterte should take a complete about-face in their commitment, as they currently rely on an anti-science conservative agenda that harms the public and has resulted in, potentially 12,000 or more killings when a perfectly functional and evidence-based approach sits before them with support from the international community from the United Nations to the World Health Organization.

The implications of more suffering and then working to stamp this out does not sit apart from the work of mostly male world leaders working to maintain a tough-guy image and in the Christian conceptualization of human suffering as a derivation of a good reflective of the redemptive self-sacrifice of Christ at the Cross; but for God’s sake, the evidence and the naturalistic ethics bound to the sciences of the mind better suit the modern world and will, in fact, do what the purported holy figure and strongman want in their triumphal declarations: reduce the drug abuse or substance misuse problem – so, stop being the guardians of unnecessary suffering and death, and misery, and pain.

Then, maybe, we can thank heaven, literally or metaphorically.

References

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Golez, P. (2018, December 2). Pope’s drug remarks ‘relevant, timely’ in Philippines drug war: Palace. Retrieved from https://politics.com.ph/popes-drug-remarks-relevant-timely-in-philippines-drug-war-palace/.

Gomes, R. (2018, September 3). Philippine bishops vow to prevent clerical sexual and other abuse and cover-ups. Retrieved from https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2018-09/philippines-bishops-clerical-abuse-valles-cbcp.html.

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2022-02-28

An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on Theories of Intelligence, Sex Differences, and Issues of IQ Test Takers and Test Creators (Part Three) by Scott Jacobsen

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): USIA Research Journal (United Sigma Intelligence Association/USIA, formerly United Sigma Korea/USK, founded by HanKyung Lee, M.D. in 2007 as United Sigma Korea, published then removed without request after resignation)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/02

Abstract: Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin founded the Prometheus Society and the Mega Society, and created the Mega Test and the Titan Test. He discusses: faux and real genius; validity to Professor Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligence with practical intelligence, creative intelligence, and analytical intelligence; validity to Multiple Intelligences Theory of Professor Howard Gardner with musical-rhythmic, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential, and teaching-pedagogical intelligences; validity to general intelligence, or g, of the late Charles Spearman; the general opinion on the three main theories of intelligence; self-identification as a genius; personal opinions on the state of mainstream intelligence testing and alternative high-range intelligence testing; statistical rarity for apparent and, potentially, actual IQ scores of females who score at the extreme sigmas of 3, 4, and 5, or higher; reducing or eliminating social conflicts of interest in test creation; multiple test attempts; data on the Mega Test and the Titan Test; pseudonyms and test scores; and possible concerns of the test creators at the highest sigmas.

KEYWORDS: Charles Spearman, Francis Galton, Hereditary Genius, Howard Gardner, intelligence, IQ, Mega Society, Mega Test, Robert Sternberg, Ronald K. Hoeflin, The Encyclopedia of Categories, Titan Test.

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Before delving into the theories, so a surface analysis, what defines a faux genius? What defines a real genius to you? Or, perhaps, what different definitions sufficiently describe a fake and a true genius for non-experts or a lay member of the general public – to set the groundwork for Part Three?

Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin: I would say that genius requires high general intelligence combined with high creativity. How high? In his book Hereditary Genius, Francis Galton put the lowest grade of genius at a rarity of one in 4,000 and the highest grade at a rarity of one in a million. Scientists love to quantify in order to give their subject at least the appearance of precision. One in 4,000 would ensure one’s being noticed in a small city, while one in a million would ensure one’s being noticed in an entire nation of moderate size.

2. Jacobsen: By your estimation or analysis, any validity to Professor Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligence with practical intelligence, creative intelligence, and analytical intelligence?

Hoeflin: I like Sternberg’s attempt at analyzing intelligence, but clearly just three factors seems a bit skimpy for a really robust theory.

3.Jacobsen: Any validity to Multiple Intelligences Theory of Professor Howard Gardner with musical-rhythmic, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential, and teaching-pedagogical intelligences?

Hoeflin: Here we have a more robust set of factors, but Gardner fails to show how his factors cohere within a single theory.

4. Jacobsen: Any validity to general intelligence, or g, of the late Charles Spearman?

Hoeflin: General intelligence was based on the fact that apparently quite diverse forms of intelligence such as verbal, spatial, and numerical have positive correlations between each pair of factors, presumably based on some underlying general intelligence.

5. Jacobsen: Amongst the community of experts, what is the general opinion on the three main theories of intelligence listed before? What one holds the most weight? Why that one?

Hoeflin: These are three theories in search of an overarching theory of intelligence. My guess is that the so-called “experts” lack the intelligence so far to create a really satisfactory theory of intelligence, perhaps analogous to the problem with finding a coherent theory of superstrings.

6. Jacobsen: Do you identify as a genius? If so, why, and in what ways? If not, why not?

Hoeflin: I think my theory of categories shows genuine genius. It even amazes me, as if I were just a spectator as the theory does its work almost independently of my efforts.

7. Jacobsen: Any personal opinions on the state of mainstream intelligence testing and alternative high-range intelligence testing now?

Hoeflin: I’m not up on the current state of intelligence testing. I do feel that it has focused way too much on the average range of intelligence, say from 50 to 150 IQ, i.e., from the bottom one-tenth of one percent to the top one-tenth of one percent. Testing students in this range is where the money is in academia. It’s like music: all the money to be made is in creating pop music, which is typically of mediocre quality. Background music for movies is probably as close as music comes these days to being of high quality, presumably because there is money to be made from the movie studios in such music. I saw a movie recently called “Hangover Square,” which came out in 1945. The title is unappealing and the movie itself is a totally unsuspenseful melodrama about a homicidal maniac whose identity is revealed right from the start. The one amazing thing about the movie was that the composer, Bernard Herman, composed an entire piano concerto for the maniac to purportedly compose and perform, with appropriate homicidal traits in the music to reflect the deranged soul of the leading character, the maniac. One rarely sees such brilliant musical talent thrown at such a horrible film. So I guess genius can throw itself into things even when the audience it is aimed at is of extremely mediocre quality. Maybe intelligence tests, even when they are aimed at mediocre students, can show glints of genius. The fact that I could attain the 99th percentile on tests aimed at average high-school students despite my slow reading due to visual impairment suggests that some psychometrician (or group of psychometricians) must have been throwing their creativity and intelligence into their work in an inspired way that smacks of true genius!

8. Jacobsen: Do the statistical rarities at the extreme sigmas have higher variance between males and females? If so, why? If not, why not? Also, if so, how is this reflected in subtests rather than simple composite scores?

Hoeflin: By “variance between males and females,” I presume you are alluding to the fact that there tend to be more men at very high scores than women. This is especially obvious in spatial problems, as well as kindred math problems, presumably due to men running around hunting wild game in spatially complex situations while women sat by the fireside cooking whatever meat the men managed to procure. But it is also true that men outperform women on verbal tests. On the second Concept Mastery Test, a totally verbal test, of the 20 members of Terman’s gifted group who scored from 180 to 190, the ceiling to the test, 16 were men but only 4 were women. This is a puzzling phenomenon, given women’s propensity for verbalizing. Perhaps chasing game involves verbal communication, too, so that nature rewards the better verbalizers among men in life-or-death situations. Warfare as well as hunting for game probably has a significant role in weeding out the unfit verbalizers among men.

9. Jacobsen: Following from the last question, if so, what does this imply for the statistical rarity for apparent and, potentially, actual IQ scores of females who score at the extreme sigmas of 3, 4, and 5, or higher?

Hoeflin: It obviously would be possible to breed women eugenically to increase the percentage of them with very high IQ scores. Even now, there are more women graduating from law school than men in the United States, which suggests no deficit in verbal intelligence at the high end of the scale. Although, there may be other reasons why men of high verbal intelligence avoid law as a career compared to women. Maybe, they are drawn away by other lucrative careers, such as business or medicine.

10. Jacobsen: In the administration of alternative tests for the higher ranges of general intelligence, individuals may know the test creator, even on intimate terms as a close colleague and friend. They may take the test a second time, a third time, a fourth time, or more. The sample size of the test may be very small. There may be financial conflicts of interest for the test creator or test taker. There may be various manipulations to cheat on the test. There may be pseudonyms used for the test to appear as if a first attempt at the alternative test. There are other concerns. How do you reduce or eliminate social conflicts of interest?

Hoeflin: Some people have used pseudonyms to take my tests when they were afraid I would not give them a chance to try the test a second or third time. There is not much incentive to score very high on these tests, except perhaps the prestige of joining a very high-IQ society.

People cheat on standardized college admission tests, as we know from news reports, by getting other people to take the tests for them, for example. Considering how expensive colleges have become these days, my guess is that they will go the way of the dodo bird eventually, and people will get their education through computers rather than spending a fortune in a college. One guy cheated on my Mega Test by getting members of a think tank in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area to help him. He was pleased that I gave him a perfect score of 48 out of 48. He admitted cheating to Marilyn vos Savant, who informed me, so I disqualified his score. This was before my Mega Test appeared in Omni. Why he wanted credit for a perfect score that he did not deserve is beyond my understanding. I’d be more proud of a slightly lower score that I had actually earned. Another person has kept trying my tests, despite a fairly high scoring fee of $50 per attempt. I finally told him to stop taking the tests. His scores were not improving, so his persistence seemed bizarre.

11. Jacobsen: The highest score on the Mega Test on the first attempt by a single individual with a single name rather than a single individual with multiple names was Marilyn vos Savant at 46 out of 48. Similarly, with other test creators, and other tests, there were several attempts at the same test by others. Do the multiple test attempts and then the highest of those attempts asserted as the score for the test taker present an issue across the higher sigma ranges and societies?

Hoeflin: Some European guy did achieve a perfect score on the Mega Test eventually, about 20 years after the test first came out in 1985. The test is no longer used by any high-IQ societies that I know of due to the posting of mostly correct answers online by a malicious psychiatrist. He probably needed to see a psychiatrist to figure out what snapped in his poor head to do such a thing. I guess it’s a profession that attracts people with psychological problems that they are trying to understand and perhaps solve.

12. Jacobsen: What were the final sample sizes of the Mega Test and the Titan Test at the height of their prominence? How do these compare to other tests? What would be a reasonable sample size to tap into 4-sigma and higher ranges of intelligence with low margins of error and decent accuracy?

Hoeflin: A bit over 4,000 people tried the Mega Test within a couple of years of its appearance and about 500 people tried the Titan Test within a similar time period. Langdon’s LAIT test is said to have had 25,000 participants. His test was multiple choice, whereas mine were not. A multiple-choice test is easier to guess on than a non-multiple-choice test. My tests were normed by looking at the previous test scores that participants reported and then trying to create a distribution curve for my tests what would jibe with the distribution on previously-taken tests. So I did not need to test a million or more people to norm my tests up to fairly high levels of ability.

13. Jacobsen: What are the ways in which test-takers try to cheat on tests? I mean the full gamut. I intend this as a means by which prospective test takers and society creators can arm themselves and protect themselves from cheaters, charlatans, and frauds, or worse. Same for the general public in guarding against them, whenever someone might read this.

Hoeflin: If people’s wrong answers are too often identical with one another and out of sync with typical wrong answers, that is a clue that they are copying from one another or from some common source.

14. Jacobsen: Why do test takers use pseudonyms? How common is this practice among these types of test-takers? It seems as if a brazen and blatant attempt to take a test twice, or more, and then claim oneself as smart as the higher score rather than the composite of two, or more, scores, or even simply the lower score of the two, or more, if the scores are not identical.

Hoeflin: I know of a group of 5 M.I.T. students who collaborated and gave themselves the collective name of Tetazoo. There was also a professor at Caltech who tried the test but did not want his score publicized so he used the pseudonym Ron Lee. In both cases, the score just barely hit the one-in-a-million mark of 43 right out of 48. One person scored 42 right and wanted to try again so he used a pseudonym and managed to reach 47 right out of 48 on his second attempt.

15. Jacobsen: What have been and continue to be concerns for test creators at the highest sigmas such as yourself or others, whether active or retired? This is more of a timeline into the present question of the other suite of concerns.

Hoeflin: I do not know what are the main concerns of test designers, past or present, other than myself. I was fortunate to have Triple Nine members as guinea pigs to try out my trial tests, so I could weed out the less satisfactory problems. One could usually tell just by looking at a problem whether it would be a good one or not, but the inspiration to come up with good problems would involve steady effort over the course of a year or so, yielding for me on average about one good problem per week, plus about four not too good problems per week.

Original Source: Jacobsen, S.D. (2019, September 1). An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on Theories of Intelligence, Sex Differences, and Issues of IQ Test Takers and Test Creators (Part Three). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. Retrieved from http://www.in-sightjournal.com/hoeflin-three.

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2022-02-28

An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on High-IQ Societies’ Titles, Rarities, and Purposes, and Personal Judgment and Evaluations of Them (Part Two) by Scott Jacobsen

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/02

Abstract: Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin founded the Prometheus Society and the Mega Society, and created the Mega Test and the Titan Test. He discusses: inspiration for the Mega Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; inspiration for the Prometheus Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; inspiration for the Top One Percent Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; inspiration for the One-in-a-Thousand Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; inspiration for the Epimetheus Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; inspiration for the Omega Society – its title, rarity, and purpose; the developments of each society over time; communications of high-IQ societies, and harshest critiques of high-IQ societies; overall results of the intellectual community facilitated for the gifted; Prometheus Society and the Mega Society kept separate from the Lewis Terman Society, and Top One Percent Society, One-in-a-Thousand Society, Epimetheus Society, and Omega Society placed under the aegis of the “The Terman Society” or “The Hoeflin Society”; disillusionment with high-IQ societies; notable failures of the high-IQ societies; changing norms of the Mega Test and the Titan Test; the hypothetical Holy Grail of psychometric measurements; other test creators seem reliable in their production of high-IQ tests and societies with serious and legitimate intent respected by Dr. Hoeflin: Kevin Langdon and Christopher Harding; societies helpful as sounding boards for the Encyclopedia of Categories; librarian work helpful in the development of a skill set necessary for independent psychometric work and general intelligence test creation; demerits of the societies in personal opinion and others’ opinions; virtues and personalities as mostly innate or inborn, and dating and mating; and publications from the societies attempted to be published at a periodic rate.

KEYWORDS: Christopher Harding, Giftedness, intelligence, IQ, Kevin Langdon, Mega Society, Mega Test, Prometheus Society, Ronald K. Hoeflin, The Encyclopedia of Categories, Titan Test.

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Perhaps, we can run down the timeline of the six societies in this part with some subsequent questions: Prometheus Society (1982), Mega Society (1982), Top One Percent Society (1989), One-in-a-Thousand Society (1992), Epimetheus Society (2006), and Omega Society (2006). What was the inspiration for the Mega Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin: Kevin Langdon had a list of 600 or so people who had qualified for his Four Sigma Society from the 25,000 Omni readers who tried his LAIT (Langdon Adult Intelligence Test) that appeared in Omni in 1979. Four Sigma was given a cut-off of four standard deviations above the mean, which on a normal curve would be about one-in-30,000 in rarity or the 99.997 percentile. So approximately one-thirtieth of them should have been qualified for a one-in-a-million society. I suggested to him that he might ask the top 20 scorers if they’d like to form the nucleus of a one-in-a-million society, but he evidently thought this cut-off was too high to be practical. So when he let his Four Sigma Society languish, I decided to start Prometheus as a replacement for it, with the Mega Society as a follow-through on my suggestion to him about starting a one-in-a-million society, where “mega” means, of course, “million,” indicating how many people each member would be expected to exceed in intelligence. With slightly over 7 billion people, there would be a pool of about 7,000 potential Mega Society members, or slightly less if we exclude young children. I knew of a statistical method by which several very high scores from several tests could be combined to equal a one-in-a-million standard, as if the several tests constituted a single gigantic test. So I accepted members using this statistical method until my Mega Test appeared in Omni in April 1985. I put the cut-off at a raw score of 42 out of 48 initially, but then increased this to 43 after getting a larger sample. The test was eventually withdrawn from official use for admission to the Mega Society because some psychiatrist maliciously published a lot of answers online that others could search out and copy. At this time my other test, the Titan Test, is the only one that the Mega Society will accept, again at a raw score of 43 out of 48.

2. Jacobsen: What was the inspiration for the Prometheus Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Hoeflin: The Prometheus Society, as mentioned above, was intended as a replacement for the Four Sigma Society, which Langdon had allowed to languish. Prometheus was a figure in Greek mythology who was punished by the gods for giving fire to humans. I told Kevin, half in jest, that I was stealing his idea for the Four Sigma Society from him like Prometheus stealing fire from the gods! On my Mega and Titan Test, the qualifying score for Prometheus is a raw score of 36 out of 48, roughly equivalent to a rarity of one-in-30,000 or the 99.997 percentile, the same as Four Sigma’s cut-off, i.e., a minimum qualifying score.

3. Jacobsen: What was the inspiration for the Top One Percent Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Hoeflin: I wanted to make a living publishing journals for high-IQ societies. I initially was able to do so as the editor for the Triple Nine Society, for which I was paid just $1 per month per member for each monthly journal I put out. When I started as editor in late 1979, there were only about 50 members, but once Kevin’s test appeared in Omni the number of members swelled to about 750. With $750 per month, I could put out a journal and still have enough left over to live on, since my monthly rent was just $75 thanks to New York City’s rent laws. When Kevin heard that I was able to do this, he was not amused, since he thought the editorship should be an unpaid position. So I started the Top One Percent Society from people who had taken my Mega Test in Omni in April 1985 and my Titan Test in April 1990, thus removing myself from any disputes with Kevin or other members of the Triple Nine Society. I liked being self-employed rather than work as a librarian, which had been my profession from 1969 to 1985, because difficulties with higher-ups in the library field could crop up if there were personality conflicts.

4. Jacobsen: What was the inspiration for the One-in-a-Thousand Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Hoeflin: I started the One-in-a-Thousand Society when income from my Top One Percent Society started to seem insufficient, even when I put out two journals per month rather than one for the Top One Percent Society. The third journal per month was a bit more hectic, but within my capacity.

5. Jacobsen: What was the inspiration for the Epimetheus Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Hoeflin: In Greek mythology, Epimetheus was a brother to Prometheus. I’d let the Prometheus and Mega societies fall into the control of other people, so I decided to create new societies at their same cut-offs but with different names and under my control. I don’t recall the motivation for founding Epimetheus, since starting in 1997 I qualified for Social Security Disability payments due to my poor vision and low income, and that completely solved all my financial worries, even when my rent gradually crept up from $75 to $150 from 1997 to around 2003. It is now permanently frozen at $150 a month due to an agreement with an earlier landlord, who wanted the City to give him permission to install luxury apartments where I live, for which he could charge $2,000 to $4,000 a month due to the proximity to Times Square, which is just ten minutes’ walk away. I think that the Prometheus Society was restricting the tests it accepted to just a very small number of traditional supervised IQ tests, excluding unsupervised amateur-designed tests like mine. I wanted my tests to still serve a practical purpose at the Prometheus and Mega cut-offs.

6. Jacobsen: What was the inspiration for the Omega Society – its title, rarity, and purpose?

Hoeflin: Chris Harding of Australia was forever founding new high-IQ societies with new names but whose existence was largely known only to him and the people he awarded memberships to. He founded an Omega Society at the one-in-3,000,000 cut-off, but I assumed after several years of hearing nothing about it that it must be defunct, so I decided to call my new one-in-a-million society the Omega Society, since “Omega” seemed a nice twin word for “Mega” just as “Epimetheus” served as a twin word for “Prometheus.” Chris wrote to me about this appropriation of his society’s name and I explained my reason for adopting it. He offered no further complaint about it.

7. Jacobsen: What were the developments of each society over time?

Hoeflin: I decided to devote my full-time attention to a massive multi-volume opus titled “The Encyclopedia of Categories,” of which I’d published a couple of one-volume versions in 2004 and 2005. When I noticed that Samuel Johnson’s great unabridged dictionary of 1755 could now be bought for just $9.99 from Kindle, the computer-readable format that avoids paper printing, I decided I could make an affordable multi-volume treatment of my “Encyclopedia of Categories.” I’d also discovered that quotations from collections of quotations could be analyzed in terms of my theory of categories, giving me a virtually inexhaustible source of examples considering how many quotation books there are out there. So I sold the four societies that were still under my control to Hernan Chang, an MD physician living in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as all of my IQ tests. Although, he lets me score the latter for him and collect the fee, since he is too busy to handle that. I began my multi-volume opus in late 2013 and believe I can complete a 10-volume version by the end of this year, 2019. I was initially aiming at a 13-volume version, in harmony with the number of basic categial niches I employ, but it would take until early 2021 to complete the extra 3 volumes, so I’ll publish a 10-volume version in January of 2020. The year 2020 as a publication date appealed to me because of its irony, given that my visual acuity falls far short of 20/20, and the year 2020 rolls around only once in eternity, if we stick to the same calendar. I could still put out more volumes in later editions if I felt so inclined, but I let readers voice an opinion on the optimum number of volumes.

8. Jacobsen: What was the intellectual productivity and community of the societies based on self-reports of members? What have been the harshest critiques of high IQ societies from non-members, whether qualifying or not?

Hoeflin: I think the focus of the higher-IQ societies has been on communication with other members through the societies’ journals. I never tried to keep track of the members’ “intellectual productivity.” As for harsh critiques of the high-IQ societies, the only thing that comes to mind is Esquire magazine’s November 1999 so-called “Genius” issue. It focused on four high-IQ-society members, including myself. I never read the issue except for the page about myself, and it took me two weeks to get up enough nerve to read even that page. I was told by others that the entire issue was basically a put-down of high-IQ societies and their members, although people said the treatment of me was the mildest of the four. I did notice that they wanted a photo of me that looked unattractive, me using a magnifying glass to read. I suggested a more heroic picture, such as me with one of my cats, but they kept taking pictures of me peering through that magnifying glass in a rather unflattering pose, with zero interest in alternative poses. Kevin Langdon was sarcastic about our willingness to expose ourselves to such unflattering treatment. (He was not among the four that they covered in that issue.)

9. Jacobsen: What have been the overall results of the intended goals of the provision of an intellectual community of like-gifted people who, in theory, may associate more easily with one another? I remain aware of skepticism around this idea, which may exist in the realm of the naive.

Hoeflin: I had found that I could not interact with members of Mensa, who generally treated me as a nonentity. I was also very shy and unable to put myself forward socially in Mensa groups. At the higher-IQ levels, however, I had the prominent role of editor and even founder, which made it possible for others to approach me and break through that shyness of mine. So I did manage to meet and interact with quite a few people by virtue of my participation in the high-IQ societies, although the ultimate outcome seems to be that I will probably end my life in total isolation from personal friends except a few people who reach out to me by phone or email, as in the present question-and-answer email format. As for other people, they will have to tell you their own stories, since people are quite diverse, even at very high IQ levels.

10. Jacobsen: Why were the Prometheus Society and the Mega Society kept separate from the Lewis Terman Society? Why were the Top One Percent Society, One-in-a-Thousand Society, Epimetheus Society, and Omega Society placed under the aegis of the Lewis Terman Society? Also, what is the Lewis Terman Society?

Hoeflin: I think Hernan Chang adopted the name “The Hoeflin Society” in preference to “The Terman Society” as an umbrella term for the four societies he purchased from me.

11. Jacobsen: What have been the merits of the societies in personal opinion and others’ opinions?

Hoeflin: Speaking personally, I have lost almost all interest in the high-IQ societies these days, although I am still a nominal, non-participatory member of several of them. One group I joined recently as a passive member named the “Hall of Sophia” unexpectedly offered to publish my multi-volume book in any format I like for free. The founder had taken my Mega or Titan test earlier this year (February 2019) and did quite well on it, and was sufficiently impressed to classify me as one of the 3 most distinguished members of his (so far) 28-member society. I was going to send out my book for free as email attachments to people listed in the Directory of American Philosophers as well as to any high-IQ-society members who might be interested. So for me, the one remaining merit of the high-IQ societies would be to have a potential audience for my philosophical opus.

12. Jacobsen: When did you begin to lose interest or become disillusioned, in part, in high-IQ societies? My assumption: not simply an instantaneous decision in 2019.

Hoeflin: Editing high-IQ-society journals from 1979 onwards for many years, at first as a hobby and then as a livelihood, kept me interested in the high-IQ societies. I gave up the editing completely around 2009. Thirty years is plenty of time to become jaded. Getting Social Security Disability payments in 1997 removed any financial incentive for publishing journals. Over the years I’d travelled to such destinations as California and Texas and Illinois for high-IQ-society meetings, not to mention meetings here in New York City, when I had sufficient surplus income, but all things peter out eventually.

13. Jacobsen: What have been the notable failures of the high-IQ societies?

Hoeflin: There was actually talk of a commune-like community for high-IQ people, but after I saw how imperious some high-IQ leaders like Kevin Langdon were, this would be like joining Jim Jones for a trip to Guyana–insane! That’s hyperbole, of course. Langdon actually ridiculed the followers of Jim Jones for their stupidity in following such a homicidal and suicidal leader, not to mention his idiotic ideas. Langdon advocates a libertarian philosophy, but in person he is very controlling. I guess we just have to muddle through on our own, especially if we have some unique gift that we have to cultivate privately, not communally. Langdon often ridiculed my early attempts to develop a theory of categories, but I’m very confident in the theory now that I have worked at it for so long. Human beings tend to organize their thoughts along the same systematic lines, just like birds instinctively know how to build nests, spiders to build webs, and bees to build honeycombs. My analyses are so new and startling that I’m sure they will eventually attract attention. If I’d been an epigone of Langdon, I’d never have managed to develop my theory to its present marvelous stage.

14. Jacobsen: With the Flynn Effect, does this change the norms of the Mega Test and the Titan Test used for admissions purposes in some societies at the highest ranges?

Hoeflin: A lot of people suddenly started qualifying for the Mega Society, perhaps from copying online sources or perhaps from the test suddenly coming to the attention of a lot of very smart people. So initially higher scores on that test were required and then the test was abandoned entirely as an admission test for the Mega Society. Terman found that his subjects achieved gradually higher IQ scores on his verbal tests the older they got. One theory is that as people gradually accumulate a larger vocabulary and general knowledge (crystallized intelligence) their fluid intelligence, especially on math-type tests, gradually declines, so that if one relies on both types of intelligence, then your intelligence would remain relatively stable until extreme old age. There has been no spurt in extremely high scores on the Titan Test, however.

15. Jacobsen: What would be the Holy Grail of psychometric measurements, e.g., a non-verbal/culture fair 5-sigma or 6-sigma test?

Hoeflin: The main problem with extremely difficult tests is that few people would be willing to attempt them, so norming them would be impossible. I was astonished that the people who manage the SAT have actually made the math portion of that test so easy that even a perfect score is something like the 91st percentile. Why they would do such an idiotic thing I have no idea. Terman did the same thing with his second Concept Mastery Test, so that a Mensa-level performance on that test would be a raw score of 125 out of 190, whereas a Mensa-level performance on the first CMT was 78 out of 190. Twenty members of his gifted group had raw scores of 180 to 190 on the second CMT whereas no member of his group had a raw score higher than 172 out of 190 on the first CMT. His reason was to be able to compare his gifted group with more average groups such as Air Force captains, who scored only 60 out of 190 on the second test, less than half as high as Mensa members. A lot of amateur-designed intelligence tests have such obscure and difficult problems that I am totally unable to say if those tests have any sense to them or not. Perhaps games like Go and Chess are the only ways to actually compare the brightest people at world-record levels. But such tests yield to ever-more-careful analysis by the competitors, so that one is competing in the realm of crystallized intelligence (such as knowledge of chess openings) rather than just fluid intelligence. Even the brightest people have specialized mental talents that help them with some tests but not with others, like people who compete in the Olympic Decathlon, where some competitors will do better in some events and others in other events, the winner being the one with the best aggregate score. General intelligence means that even diverse tests like verbal, spatial, and numerical ones do have some positive intercorrelation with each other–they are not entirely independent of each other. The best tests select problems that correlate best with overall scores. But few if any of the amateur-designed tests have been subjected to careful statistical analysis. Some people did subject my Titan Test to such statistical analysis and found that it had surprisingly good correlations with standard intelligence tests, despite its lack of supervision or time limit.

16. Jacobsen: Other than some of the work mentioned. What other test creators seem reliable in their production of high-IQ tests and societies with serious and legitimate intent? Those who you respect. You have the historical view here – in-depth in information and in time. I don’t.

Hoeflin: I think Kevin Langdon’s tests are very well made and intelligent, but he tends to focus on math-type problems. Christopher Harding, by contrast, focuses on verbal problems and does poorly in math-type problems. For international comparisons across languages, I guess one would have to use only math-type problems, as I did in my Hoeflin Power Test, which collected the best math-type problems from the three previous tests (Mega, Titan, and Ultra). But English is virtually a universal language these days, so perhaps verbal tests that focus on English or perhaps on Indo-European roots could be used for international tests, except that Indo-European languages constitute only 46% of all languages, by population. I think Chinese will have difficulty becoming culturally dominant internationally because the Chinese language is too difficult and obscure for non-Chinese to mess with.

17. Jacobsen: Were the societies helpful as sounding boards for the Encyclopedia of Categories?

Hoeflin: I used high-IQ-society members as guinea pigs to develop my intelligence tests, but my work on categories I have pursued entirely independently, except for the precursors I rely on, notably the philosopher Stephen C. Pepper (1891-1972), who taught at the University of California at Berkeley from 1919 to 1958. Oddly enough, in his final book titled Concept and Quality (1967) he used as a central organizing principle for his metaphysics what he called “the purposive act,” of which he said on page 17: “It is the act associated with intelligence”!!! I simply elaborated this concept from 1982 when I first read Concept and Quality onward, elaborating it into a set of thirteen categories by means of which virtually any complete human thought or action, as in a quotation, can be organized. In my introductory chapter, which currently traces the development of my theory from William James last book, A Pluralistic Universe, to the present, I now plan to trace the thirteen categories not just to the Greeks and Hebrews but back to animal life and ultimately back to the Big Bang, breaking the stages of its development into 25 discrete ones including my own contributions toward the end. I may begin with Steven Weinberg’s book The First Three Minutes and end with Paul Davies kindred book, The Last Three Minutes, if I can manage to extract convincing 13-category examples from each of these books.

18. Jacobsen: How was librarian work helpful in the development of a skill set necessary for independent psychometric work and general intelligence test creation?

Hoeflin: It was mostly helpful to me because I could work part-time during the last ten years of my 15 or 16 years as a librarian, which gave me the leisure for independent hobbies, thought, and research.

19. Jacobsen: What have been the demerits of the societies in personal opinion and others’ opinions?

Hoeflin: There tends to be a lot of arrogance to be found among members of the high-IQ societies, so charm is typically not one of their leading virtues. They generally assume that virtually everyone they speak to is stupider than they are.

20. Jacobsen: How can members be more humble, show more humility? Also, what are their leading virtues?

Hoeflin: I think personalities are largely inborn and can’t be changed much. Perhaps there should be sister societies, analogous to college sororities, for women who have an interest in socializing with high-IQ guys for purposes of dating and mating. In the ultra-high-IQ societies, women constitute only about 6% of the total membership. (Parenthetically, if you look at the Wikipedia list of 100 oldest living people, one usually finds about 6 men and 94 women.) In Mensa, the percentage of women typically ranges from 31% to 38%.

21. Jacobsen: How many publications come from these societies? What are the names of the publications and the editors in their history? What ones have been the most voluminous in their output – the specific journal? Why that journal?

Hoeflin: Each society generally has a journal that it tries to publish on a regular basis. Kevin Langdon puts out Noesis, the journal for the Mega Society, about twice per year. I also get journals from Prometheus and Triple Nine and Mensa. The four societies Hernan Chang operates all function entirely online, and I have never seen any of their communications. Even the journals I get I only glance at, never read all the way through. Due to my very slow reading speed, I tend to focus my reading on books that seem worthwhile from which to collect examples for my “Encyclopedia of Categories.”

Original Source: Jacobsen, S.D. (2019, August 22). An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on High-IQ Societies’ Titles, Rarities, and Purposes, and Personal Judgment and Evaluations of Them (Part Two). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. Retrieved from http://www.in-sightjournal.com/hoeflin-two.

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2022-02-28

An Interview with Dr. Aubrey de Grey on Longevity and Biomedical Gerontology Research Now by Scott Jacobsen

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/02

Abstract: Dr. Aubrey de Grey is a biomedical gerontologist based in Cambridge, UK and Mountain View, California, USA, and is the Chief Science Officer of SENS Research Foundation, a California-based 501(c) (3) charity dedicated to combating the aging process. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Rejuvenation Research, the world’s highest-impact peer-reviewed journal focused on intervention in aging. He received his BA and PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and 2000 respectively. His research interests encompass the characterization of all the accumulating and eventually pathogenic molecular and cellular side-effects of metabolism (“damage”) that constitute mammalian aging and the design of interventions to repair and/or obviate that damage. Dr. de Grey is a Fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Aging Association, and sits on the editorial and scientific advisory boards of numerous journals and organizations. He discusses: new research on longevity and longevity escape velocity; promising anti-aging research; research all over the place; advancing research into the Hadwiger-Nelson problem; organizations to look into; books to look into; and final feelings and thoughts on the conversation.

KEYWORDS: Aubrey de Grey, longevity, Rejuvenation Research, SENS Research Foundation.

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is new about longevity escape velocity and research into it?

Dr. Aubrey de Grey: I could spend a half-hour just talking about that question. It has been a while. Remind me, how long ago was our last interview?

Jacobsen: 2014.

de Grey: All right, things are unrecognizable now. There is a private industry in this. In 2014/2015, it was the time when we created our first spinout. We took out a project philanthropically at SENS Research Foundation. An investor found us.

Jacobsen: Is this Peter Thiel?

de Grey: No, no, another person who had been one of our donors. A guy who was our second biggest donor back then. A guy named Jason Hope. He decided that one of our projects that we had been supporting at Rice University in Texas was ready to be commercialized.

Of course, it was early in terms of becoming a project. He felt that it was far enough along to invest as a project with his own money rather than as a donation. He created a biotech company of his own. He hired our people. He gave us a percent of the company and went off and tried to do it.

He did not have the faintest clue to run a biotech company.

Jacobsen: [Laughing].

de Grey: It changed our attitude to the whole thing. Since then, our business model has been to pursue this kind of thing. It is to pursue projects that are too early to be investible. It is to be in parallel with conversations with potential investors and to identify the right point, where the thing has achieved enough proof of concept.

So, it can be spun out into a company and can receive considerable amounts of support, more than can be provided philanthropically. We have done this half a dozen times. We have been able to do this due to increasing investments at an increasing rate, including deep pocketed ones.

Something that happened 3 years ago with an investor named Jim Mellon who had made his money in a variety of other completely unrelated fields decided that he wanted to get into this. It was the next important thing to him.

He approached me. We started talking. We became very good friends, very quickly. The long of the short is he is the chair of a company called Juvenescence. Its model is basically to invest in other companies.

So, they have already put quite a bit of money into quite several start-ups. Some are spinouts of SENS. Others are closely aligned with what we do. It is transforming everything. It is fantastic. Around the same time, a guy came to us from Germany. A guy named Michael Greve who made his fortune in the early days of the German internet.

He made some of the most successful German websites. He has wanted to do this for a while. He has been investing in a variety of start-ups. The good news is most of these new investors, especially Michael Greve, have been also donating to the foundation as well as investing in companies.

That is very, very important, of course. For the near future, there will be projects that are not far enough along to really join the dots to make a profit. They will need to be funded philanthropically. We try to make the case to investors, even if they are inherently more in an investor mindset than a donor.

We try to make the case. Even if they donate a smaller amount than they are investing, they have as much of my time as they want. They will have the opportunity to have the information, so they will be the founding investor of the next startup.

For me, it is extraordinarily gratifying. I am at the nexus of all of this. Everyone comes to me, whether the investors or the founders of companies who want to find investments. I spend a ridiculous amount of my time just making introductions.

What had not changed, we are still woefully low on the money throughout the foundation. Even though, I have been able, as I say, to put some money in; and we have some money from elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is far less than we need.

I am constantly spending my time on the road and camera trying to change that. That is the biggest thing that has changed. The next thing that we are changing is the huge spike in the value of cryptocurrencies. We benefitted quite a lot from that. Several of our investors who used to be relatively penniless and had not funded us financially suddenly became rather wealthy.

They ended up with a lot of money. We had four 7-digit donations adding up to a total of 6.5 million dollars. So, obviously, this was a windfall. That we are making us of now. Only one of the donors is likely to be a repeat donor because the others decided to give away most of their fortune.

That guy created Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin. He, basically, read my book when he was 14. He is now 26.

Jacobsen: [Laughing].

de Grey: He is one of these true children of the revolution who never had to change their mind about anything. They always grew up knowing it was a sad thing and tried to fix it. So, that is cool. My life is largely the same in broad strokes, but, in the specifics, in terms of the ways in which I can bring the right money to the right people; it has improved a lot.

2. Jacobsen: As aging is numerous processes, what programs of anti-aging, given individual processes of aging, seem the most promising within your remit?

de Grey: When I talk about what is more promising and less promising, I am always looking at the research. I am looking at how SENS is moving forward. Of course, there is a big spectrum to how far along things are.

On the easy end of the spectrum, we have hardly done anything throughout our 10-year existence on stem cell research, even though it is a key area of damage repair. It is a place for others too. Almost every area of stem cell research is important for cell damage and aging, which is being done by others and not us.

While at the other end of the spectrum, things like making backup copies of Mitochondrial DNA, hardly anyone else is working on it. That is a big spectrum. But if I look at the rate of progress, it is not the same at all.

One gratifying thing is making great advances in some difficult areas over the last few years. For mitochondrial DNA, we published a paper about 2 and a half years ago that sounded like only a modest step forward.

Basically, out of the 13 protein coding genes that we need to work in the nucleus, we were able to make two of them work at the same time, in the same cell. It sounds modest, but it is a huge progression from before. With the result now, we have a paper in review, which is a huge step forward from there.

We have these genes working now. We are understanding how we are getting them working. It is not so much trial-and-error now. More of the same thing is crosslinking. So, as you know, the extracellular matrix, this lattice of proteins that gives our tissue their elasticity. It gets less elastic over time because of chemical reaction with circulating sugar.

So, in 2015, the group that we were funding in that area, at Yale University, were able to publish a paper – our first paper in Science magazine – on the huge advance in that area. The advance sounded tangential at first hearing with the structure, which is one of the structures responsible for the loss of this elasticity. We want to break it, therefore.

The advance made that was published was ways to create it, to synthesize it, from simple agents. As it turns out, there is an enabling step. It allows us to perform experiments that would be impossible with the very trace amounts of this material that would have been previously available, just making antibody tissue or finding bacterial enzymes that break it down.

That work is proceeding very much faster now, as well. That is one of the companies that we are in the process of spinning out.

3. Jacobsen: If you look at the projections of research that looked very promising, what ones were very disappointing? What ones came out of nowhere and were promising?

de Grey: Of course, they are all over the place. Some of the most important ones were the ones no one cares about. One is pluripotent stem cells created 13 years ago, and CRISPR, which was very much more recent, like 6 years ago.

We have been exploiting those advances. Same with the entire medical profession. But there are also isolated things that have been unexpected. Let us go back to mitochondrial mutations, one thing that we were kicking ourselves over. It will be talked about in the upcoming paper.

It is codon optimization. It is well-known. Mitochondrial DNA has a separate DNA. Codons code different things, different amino acids, compared to the nucleus (in the mitochondria by comparison). One thing is true, which we thought was relevant.

Out of the range of the codons that code for a given single amino acid, let us say the 4 that encode for lysine, there may be one of them used more often than others. This will affect the speed of translation of the messenger RNA among other things.

Nobody had bothered to try to optimize that for expression of these genes in the nucleus. It turns out that if you do then things go far, far better. It was a serendipitous discovery. Science, itself, is full of serendipitous discoveries.

4. Jacobsen: Also, you solved a math problem, recently. What was it?

de Grey: [Laughing] right, that was about 18 months ago. It is a problem called the Hadwiger-Nelson problem named after some mathematicians from 1950s. The question is normally stated, “How many colors do you need to color all of the points on the plane in order that no pair of points that is one inch apart is the same color?”

The answer was immediately shown back in 1950 to be somewhere between 4 and 7 inclusive. I was able to exclude the 4 case. Many, many, many mathematicians have worked on this in the interim. So, it was quite surprising that I was able to do this, as I am a recreational mathematician. I got lucky, basically.

I would describe this as a game. What you do is, you have a two-player game. The playing surface is an initial blank sheet of paper. Player 1 has a black pen. Player 2 has a bunch of colored pens. The players alternate. When player 1 makes a move. The point is to make a new dot wherever player 1 likes.

Player 2 must color the dot. He must take one of his pens and put a ring around the new dot. The only thing that player 2 is not allowed to do is to use the same color as he used for a previous dot that is exactly one inch away from the new dot.

Of course, there may be more than one dot. Player 1 wins the game if he can arrange things so that the new dot cannot be covered. All the player 2’s pens have been used for other dots that are exactly an inch away from the new dot, right?

The question is, “How many pens does player 2 need to have in order so that player 1 cannot win?”

Jacobsen: Right.

de Grey: So, if player 2 only has one pen, obviously, player 1 can win with just two dots. He puts a dot down. Player 2 uses the red pen. Player 1 puts down a second dot exactly an inch away. Player 2 cannot move. If player 2 has two pens, then player 1 can win with three dots by just placing a dot; player 2 can uses the red pen, places another dot an inch away.

Player 2 uses the blue pen. Player 1 uses third dot in the triangle with the two, so an inch away from both of them, then player 2 cannot move. So, then, it turns out. If player 2 has 3 pens, player 1 can also win. It is a little more complicated.

Player 1 needs seven dots. But again, it is not very complicated. It was already worked out back in 1950 as soon as humans started thinking about this kind of question. The natural question would be the number of dots go up in some exponential way, but player 1 can always win.

It turns out that that is not true. It turns out if player 2 has seven pens. Then player 1 can never win, no matter how many dots that he puts down. But what I was able to show, if player 2 has 4 pens, then player 1 can win, but with a lot of dots.

The solution that I found took more than 1,500 dots. It has been reduced by other people since then, but it is still over 500 is the record.

5. Jacobsen: [Laughing] if we are looking at the modern landscape, especially with the increase in funding, what organizations should individuals look to – other than your own as well?

de Grey: Things are looking good. There is a huge proliferation of investment opportunities as well, in this area. They are certainly raising money, as they are investing in more start-ups. In the non-profit world, there are plenty of organizations as well.

I should probably mention the Methuselah Foundation, which is the organization from which SENS Research Foundation arose. They are funding a bunch of research as well as doing prizes. They are choosing well and the right things to fund.

Then there is the buck institute, which is a much more traditional organization on the surface. In other words, it is mostly funded by the NIH and by relatively conservative funding sources. But! They understand the scientific situation. It has become much more acceptable to do work that is overtly translational, even if you are getting money from these types of sources.

We work closely with them. We have two ongoing projects there. We send summer interns there. We have been able to work with them on funding, in terms of bringing in new sources of funding. That is something that I would include.

In terms of the world, one important organization is called LEAF or Life Extension Advocacy Foundation. One in the UK. One in the US. One in Russia. They focus on advocacy and outreach. They are extraordinarily good and play a key role in elevating the level of debate in this whole area.

In Europe, the Healthy Life Extension Foundation was founded by two people from Belgium. They run a nice conference every year, every couple of years anyway. They have a vibrant mailing list and spread useful information about this area. They could use some more money. The list goes on now.

There are increased organizations, now, not just in this space but really know what they are doing. They know what the priorities ought to be. One thing I have always known since the beginning. No matter how good I get at outreach and advocacy. I could never do this all myself, not just for lack of time, but because different people resonate with different audiences.

So, there are people who will overall inspire. Others will not like people with beards.

Jacobsen: [Laughing].

de Grey: People may not like my act. So, there are people around now who are very capably complementing the kind of style that I have in communicating the value of this work. That is also extraordinarily important.

6. Jacobsen: Any new books that can provide a good introductory foundation into this kind of research? Also, what about advanced texts as well?

de Grey: On the introductory side, there is one guy named Jim Mellon. So, Jim, this businessperson, has a very interesting of going about his job. He preferentially gets into very emerging new sectors. What he does is, he creates his own competition.

He, essentially, writes newsletters and blogs and books about this new area whose intended audience is other investors. That is what I mean by making his own competition. The reason he does this is, basically, that when a sector is just beginning. That the faster it grows, then the better.

Essentially, it is floating all boats by increasing the buzz around something. He wrote a book based on conversations with me over the previous year or so. It is called Juvenescence, which is the same as the name as his company. It is targeted to other investors.

It is very good. I was able to help with this a fair bit with the technical part. But it is written in a style that is very, very appealing, which is not a way that I would be able to write. He has a second edition upcoming. This is one that I would highlight.

In terms of advanced texts, I would not move to texts right now. Things are moving so fast. One simply needs to read the primary literature. One needs to identify that, which is not necessarily an easy thing to do. I would point to our community’s effort.

Probably, the most important one is to fight aging in the blog done by Reason. Even though he has become one of the CEOs of our start-up companies, he is running the blog. He is extremely good at highlighting the important points of the research.

7. Jacobsen: Any final feelings or thoughts in conclusion based on the conversation today?

de Grey: I would say, “Thank you for having me on your show again,” and for the opportunity to give an update to your audience. I think, really, the conclusion that I would give is that it is extremely exciting that things are moving much faster than before. But we must not be complacent.

There is still a long way to go. My estimation for how long we must go has gone down, but it has not nearly gone down enough. We still need to be putting in every effort that we possibly can in whatever way.

8. Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. de Grey.

de Grey: My pleasure, Scott, thank you!

Original Source: Jacobsen, S.D. (2019, October 22). An Interview with Dr. Aubrey de Grey on Longevity and Biomedical Gerontology Research Now. In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. Retrieved from http://www.in-sightjournal.com/grey.

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2022-02-27

An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on “The Encyclopedia of Categories,” Family History and Feelings, Upbringing and Giftedness, and Aptitudes (Part One) by Scott Jacobsen

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): USIA Research Journal (United Sigma Intelligence Association/USIA, formerly United Sigma Korea/USK)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/02

Abstract: Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin founded the Prometheus Society and the Mega Society, and created the Mega Test and the Titan Test. He discusses: family geographic, cultural, linguistic, and religious background; depth of known family history; feelings about some distinguished family members in personal history; upbringing for him; discovery and nurturance of giftedness; noteworthy or pivotal moments in the midst of early life; and early aptitude tests.

KEYWORDS: Giftedness, intelligence, IQ, Mega Society, Mega Test, Prometheus Society, Ronald K. Hoeflin, The Encyclopedia of Categories, Titan Test.

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: In due course of this personal and educational comprehensive interview, we will focus, in-depth, on the monumental life work of the (currently) 10-volume The Encyclopedia of Categories – a truly colossal intellectual endeavour. You founded some of the, if not the, most respected general intelligence tests in the history of non-mainstream general intelligence testing: The Mega Test and the Titan Test. Also, you founded the Mega Society in 1982. Another respected product of a distinguished and serious career in the creation of societies for community and dialogue between the profoundly and exceptionally gifted individuals of society. Before coverage of this in the interview, let’s cover some of the family and personal background, I intend this as comprehensive while steering clear of disagreements or political controversies between societies, or clashes between individuals in the history of the high IQ societies – not my territory, not my feuds, not my business. Almost everything at the highest sigmas started with you [Ed. some integral founders in the higher-than-2-sigma range include Christopher Harding and Kevin Langdon], as far as I can tell, I want to cover this history and give it its due attention. What was family background, e.g., geography, culture, language, and religion or lack thereof?

Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin: I recently wrote a 51-page autobiographical sketch for inclusion in my upcoming multi-volume treatise titled The Encyclopedia of Categories, a 10-volume version of which will probably be available for free as ten email attachments by January of 2020. I was aiming for a 13-volume version, but I don’t think I can complete that length before the end of 2020. Given that my vision is way below 20/20, I liked the irony of publishing this final magnum opus of mine in the year 2020. I can always stretch it to 13 or more volumes in subsequent editions. I will not quote what I say in that autobiographical sketch, although the information provided will be roughly the same. My mother’s ancestors came from the British Isles (England, Scotland, and Ireland) mostly in the 1700s. My mother’s father was a hellfire-and-brimstone Southern Methodist itinerant preacher in the state of Georgia. He’s the only one of my four grandparents I never met. My mother brought me up as a Methodist, but I asked a lot of questions by my mid-teens and became a complete atheist by the age of 19, which I have remained ever since (I’m now 75). I gave my mother Bertrand Russell’s essay “Why I Am Not a Christian” to read aloud to me so we could discuss it. It seemed to convince her to give up religion, which shows unusual flexibility of mind for a person in her 50s. She had previously read such books as The Bible as History and Schweitzer’s Quest of the Historical Jesus, his doctoral dissertation in theology. My father’s parents came to this country in the late 1890s, his mother from the Zurich region of Switzerland and his father from the Baden region of Germany. His father was a pattern maker, a sort of precision carpentry in which he made moulds for machine parts to be poured from molten metal in a foundry. My father became an electrical engineer, initially working on power lines in the state of Missouri, then becoming a mid-level executive for the main power company in St. Louis, Missouri, doing such things as preparing contracts with hospitals for emergency electrical power generation if the main city-wide power cut off. He had worked his way through college by playing the violin for dance bands, and as an adult he taught ballroom dancing in his own studio as a hobby. My mother was an opera singer. In my autobiography, I list the 17 operas she sang in during her career, usually with leading roles due to the excellence of her voice. My father initially spoke German up to the age of 2, but his parents decided they did not want their daughter doing so, so they started speaking English at home, so she never learned German. My father’s mother became a devoted Christian Scientist and got her husband and two daughters to adopt this religion. My father became an atheist, and when he heard that my brother was thinking of becoming a Methodist minister sent him a copy of Thomas Paine’s book The Age of Reason, which promotes Paine’s deism, in which he accepted a deity and an afterlife but rejected the Bible as a guide, regarding the universe itself as God’s true bible. My brother never read the book but I did, and I told my father I enjoyed the critique of the Bible but did not accept a God or afterlife, and my father said that these two beliefs could readily be discarded, but that Paine should be given credit for his advanced thinking in an era and country that so fiercely rejected atheism. My brother ultimately became a computer programmer for the pension system for employees of the state of California. My sister became a ballet dancer for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. I list 25 operas she danced in in my autobiography. She went on to teach ballet at an upstate New York college, being honored one year as the college’s most distinguished teacher.

2. Jacobsen: How far back is knowledge of the family history for you?

Hoeflin: I don’t know much beyond what is stated above. My sister has more detailed records. One of my mother’s grandfathers apparently owned over a hundred slaves in the South before the Civil War. My mother was occasionally treated badly in St. Louis due to her Southern accent, but she actually was very kindly toward black people and she once gave a black woman a ride in her car for a mile or so while I moved to the back seat. I do have memories of visits to my mother’s mother in Atlanta, Georgia. She died before my third birthday, but my memories go back much further than is normal with most people. I liked to swing on the swing in my mother’s mother back yard with one of her chickens in my lap. She raised the chickens to sell their eggs, but evidently also killed them for dinner. I am even now very tender-hearted towards animals and would never kill a chicken or cow or what have you. But I still do eat meat out of habit, even though I regard it as not very ethical to do so. If I had a better income I’d arrange to eat just a vegetarian diet, mostly fruits and oatmeal. I loathe cooked green vegetables except in soups.

3. Jacobsen: Some harbour sentiments and feelings based on distinguished family members from centuries or decades ago. Those who died with great achievements or honourable lives in the sense of a well-lived life – whether prominent or not. Any individuals like this for you? Any sentiments or feelings for you?

Hoeflin: A genealogist traced my mother’s ancestors to a close relative of a governor of Virginia. My mother said some of her relatives were distinguished doctors (M.D.s). I have a close friend who lives in Poland now, where she was raised, who is a great-great-great-great granddaughter of Catherine the Great (one of her great-grandmothers was a great-granddaughter of Catherine the Great). She shares a surprising number of characteristics that Catherine had despite the rather distant ancestry: a significant talent for learning languages, a love of art, an imperious attitude, and an embarrassing number of superstitions. I also dated a woman who was an out-of-wedlock daughter of Pablo Picasso, and there again there were striking similarities between the daughter and her father, even though she did not learn from her mother that he was her real father until 1988, some 15 year after his death in 1973. She started out as a virtuoso violinist, but by her 20s became a painter and had works of art in five different museums by the time she learned who her true father was. She also had facial features very much like Picasso’s, even though she was raised in a German family. I am proud that my mother and sister were so gifted in their respective arts (singing and ballet). When I drew up a list of my favourite classical musical pieces for my autobiography, I looked at YouTube to see the actual performances, and it struck me what a lot of amazingly talented people could perform these magnificent pieces of music, and I regret how limited I am in my talents. I can’t even drive a car due to my poor eyesight! It is chiefly or only in these incredible aptitude test scores that I seem to shine way beyond the norm. I read when I was in high school that the average high-school graduate could read 350 words per minute, so I tested myself, and I found that on a few pages of a very easy sci-fi novel I could read only 189 words per minute at top speed, which works out to just 54% as fast as the average high-school graduate. Yet on timed aptitude tests as a high-school sophomore, I reached the 99th percentile in verbal, spatial, and numerical aptitude despite this huge speed deficit. And on the verbal aptitude section of the Graduate Record Exam I reached the top one percent compared to college seniors trying to get into graduate school, an incredible achievement given my dreadful reading speed. As I mention in my autobiographical sketch, if I had to read aloud, even as an adult I read so haltingly that one would assume that I am mentally retarded if one did not know that the cause is poor eyesight, not poor mental ability.

4. Jacobsen: What was upbringing like for you?

Hoeflin: My parents were divorced when I was 5 and my mother went through hours-long hysterical tantrums every 2 or 3 weeks throughout my childhood, which were emotionally traumatic and nightmarish. My father had an affable and suave external demeanour but was very selfish and cruel underneath the smooth facade. My brother pushed me downstairs when I was 3 and I stuck my forehead on the concrete at the bottom, causing a gash that had to be clamped shut by a doctor. It was discovered that I had a detached retina when I was 7 (because I could not read the small print in the back of the second-grade reader that the teacher called on me to read), and I spent my 8th birthday in the hospital for an eye operation, for which my father refused to pay since he did not believe in modern medicine, just healthy living as the cure for everything. So even though he was an engineer, my mother had a more solid grasp of physical reality than he did, as I mentioned to her once. I flunked out of my first and third colleges due in large measure to my visual problems, but I eventually received two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, and a doctorate after going through a total of eight colleges and universities. So all in all my childhood was rocky and unpleasant. As an adult, I took the personality test in the book Personality Self-Portrait and my most striking score was on a trait called “sensitivity,” on which I got a perfect score of 100%. On the twelve other traits, I scored no higher than 56% on any of them. I never tried sexual relations until the age of 31, and I found that I could never reach a climax through standard intercourse. I had a nervous breakdown after trying group psychotherapy for a few sessions when the group’s criticism of the therapist after he left the room reminded me of my mother’s criticisms of my father, crying for 12 hours straight. When I mentioned this at the next therapy session, one of the other people in the group came up to me afterward and told me he thought I was feeling sorry for myself, despite the fact that my report to the group was very unemotional and matter-of fact, not dramatic. I accordingly gave up group therapy after that session. On the personality test, on the trait called “dramatic”, I actually scored 0%, probably because pretending to be unemotional discourages needling from sadistic people who love to goad a highly sensitive person like me.

5. Jacobsen: When was giftedness discovered for you? Was this encouraged, supported, and nurtured, or not, by the community, friends, school(s), and family?

Hoeflin: At the age of 2 my mother’s mother picked me up when I was running to her back yard upon arriving in Atlanta to grab one of her chickens to swing with it on my lap. At first I ignored her, but then I surmised that she wanted to ask me a question, so I looked at her face, waiting for her question, which never came. Maybe she didn’t realize that my command of the language had improved since my previous visit. She eventually tapped me on the head and told my mother “You don’t have to worry about this one, he’s got plenty upstairs.” My mother told me this story several times over the years, and I finally put two and two together and told my mother I recalled the incident, which shocked her considering how young I had been. I told her that her mother had probably been impressed by my long attention span. My mother then thought that the incident was not as important and mysterious as she has thought, but actually a long attention span at such a young age is probably a good sign of high intelligence. It was not until I was in the fifth grade that I was given aptitude tests and the teacher suddenly gave me eighth-grade reading books and sixth-grade math books. This was in a so-called “sight conservation class” for the visually impaired that I attended in grades 3 through 5. The teacher taught students in grades 1 through 8 in a single classroom because very poor vision is fairly rare even in a city as large as St. Louis, at that time the tenth-largest city in the United States. That gave me plenty of time to explore my own interests, such as geography using the world maps they had on an easel. In grade 8, back in a regular classroom, we were given another set of aptitude tests, and the teacher mentioned to the class that I had achieved a perfect score on a test of reading comprehension, meaning I was already reading at college level. The teacher gave us extra time on the test so I would have time to finish the test. A problem toward the end of the test clued me in on how to solve a problem that had stumped me earlier in the test, so I went back and corrected that previous answer. Then there were those three 99th percentile scores as a high-school sophomore that I’ve already mentioned. When I learned that my reading speed was so slow compared to others, I realized that my true aptitudes (minus the visual handicap) must be well within the top one percent on each of the three tests.

6. Jacobsen: Any noteworthy or pivotal moments in the midst of early life in school, in public, with friends, or with family?

Hoeflin: In the seventh grade I suddenly started creating crossword puzzles and mazes, a harbinger of my later creation of the two tests that appeared in Omni magazine in April 1985 and in April 1990. I also collected lists of fundamental things such as independent countries of the world, the Western Roman emperors, the chemical elements, the planets and their moons, etc., in keeping with my much earlier childhood ambition to know everything. If you can’t know everything, then at least know the basic concepts for important subjects like geography, history, chemistry, astronomy, etc. These lists were a harbinger of my current multi-volume treatise on categories.

7. Jacobsen: Were there early aptitude tests of ability for you? What were the scores and sub-test scores if any? Potentially, this is connected to an earlier question.

Hoeflin: The only other test I should mention is the Concept Mastery Test. Lewis Terman collected a group of 1,528 California school children in grades 1 through 12 with IQs in the 135 to 200 range. To test their abilities as adults he and his colleagues constructed two 190-problem tests covering mostly vocabulary and general knowledge, which are easy problems to construct but are known to correlate well with general intelligence, the first test (Form A) administered to his group in 1939-1940 and the second one (Form B, latter called Form T) in 1950-52. About 954 members of his group tried the first one and I think 1,024 tried the second test. But Terman made the second test much easier than the first in order to make it easier to compare his group to much less intelligent groups such as Air Force captains. So the Mensa (98th percentile) cut-off would be a raw score of about 78 out of 190 on the first test and about 125 out of 190 on the second. I was editor for the Triple Nine Society (minimum requirement: 99.9 percentile) for a few years starting in 1979, and some members sent me copies of the two CMT tests so I could test TNS members. Since the CMT tests were untimed, I was not handicapped by the speed factor. Compared to Terman’s gifted group I reached the top one percent on both tests. According to Terman’s scaling of Form A, my raw score of 162.5 would be equivalent to an IQ of 169.4 (assuming a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 16 IQ points), where an IQ of 168.3 would be equivalent to the 99.999 percentile or one-in-100,000 in rarity. By comparing adult CMT IQs with childhood Stanford-Binet IQs for Terman’s group, I calculated that my adult 169.4 IQ would be equivalent to a childhood IQ of 192. The one-in-a-million level on the two tests (the 99.9999 percentile) would be about 176 IQ on the CMT and 204 IQ on the Stanford-Binet, respectively.

The Guinness Book of World Records abandoned its “Highest IQ” entry in 1989 because the new editor thought (correctly) that it is impossible to compare people’s IQs successfully at world-record level. The highest childhood IQ I know of was that of Alicia Witt, who had a mental age of 20 at the age of 3. Even if she had been 3 years 11 months old, this would still amount to an IQ of over 500! At the age of 7, she played the super-genius sister of the hero in the 1984 movie Dune. On a normal (Gaussian) curve such an IQ would be impossible since an IQ of 201 or so would be equivalent to a rarity of about one-in-7-billion, the current population of the Earth. But it is well known to psychometricians that childhood IQs using the traditional method of mental age divided by chronological age fail to conform to the normal curve at high IQ levels. The Stanford-Binet hid this embarrassing fact in its score interpretation booklet (which I found a copy of in the main library of the New York Public Library) by not awarding any IQs above 169, leaving the space for higher IQs blank! The CMT avoids the embarrassment of awarding IQs of 500 or more by having a maximum possible IQ on Form A (the harder of the two CMTs) of 181. Leta Speyer and Marilyn vos Savant, both of whom I had dated for a time, had been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having world-record IQs of 196 and of 228, respectively, Marilyn having displaced Leta in the 1986 edition. Leta felt that the 228 IQ of Marilyn was fake, but I was aware that these childhood scores could go well beyond 200 IQ because they fail to conform to the normal curve that Francis Galton had hypothesized as the shape of the intelligence curve in his seminal book Hereditary Genius (first edition 1869, second edition 1892). I was unable to contact Alicia Witt to see if she would be interested in joining the Mega Society. I should note that the three key founders of the ultra-high-IQ societies (99.9 percentile or above) were Chris Harding, Kevin Langdon, and myself. Harding founded his first such society in 1974, Langdon in 1978, and myself in 1982. Mensa, the granddaddy of all high-IQ societies with a 98th percentile minimum requirement, was founded in 1945 or 1946 by Roland Berrill and L. L Ware, and Intertel, with a 99th percentile minimum requirement, was founded in 1966 or 1967 by Ralph Haines. I don’t care to quibble about the precise dates that Mensa and Intertel were founded, so I have given two adjacent dates for each. In its article “High IQ Societies” Wikipedia lists just 5 main high-IQ societies: Mensa, Intertel, the Triple Nine Society, the Prometheus Society, and the Mega Society (minimum percentile requirements: 98, 99, 99.9, 99.997, and 99.9999, respectively; or one-in 50, one-in-100, one-in-1,000, one-in-30,000, and one-in-1,000,000; dates founded: roughly 1945, 1966, 1979, 1982, and 1982; founders: Berrill and Ware, Haines, Kevin Langdon, Ronald K. Hoeflin, and Ronald K. Hoeflin, respectively.

Original Source: Jacobsen, S.D. (2019, September 1). An Interview with Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin on “The Encyclopedia of Categories,” Family History and Feelings, Upbringing and Giftedness, and Aptitudes (Part One). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. Retrieved from http://www.in-sightjournal.com/hoeflin-one.

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2022-02-27

An Interview with Emeritus Professor James Robert Flynn, FRSNZ on Intelligence Research, Evolutionary Biology, and IQ Gains and Advanced Moral Views (Part One) by Scott Jacobsen

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/02

Abstract: Dr. James Robert Flynn, FRSNZ is an Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He discusses: current intelligence research; evolutionary biology; and the correlation between IQ gains and the advanced moral views.

KEYWORDS: evolutionary biology, intelligence, IQ, James Flynn, morals, political studies.

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let us start from the current empirics of intelligence research. What are the overall findings now? What is the consensus of the field, if there is one?

Professor James Flynn: One of the consensuses of the field is one that I will not explore, that is, the relationship of intelligence to brain physiology. People seem to be inventing all sorts of wonderful new tools to investigate the brain beyond magnetic resonance imaging and see what type of thought processes are going on, and that should be extremely illuminating.

Obviously, cognition has a physiological basis. If we have illusions as to just what the physiological basis of certain cognitive abilities are, they certainly need correcting.

As to other areas of research, many people are not sufficiently sophisticated about the phenomenon of IQ gains over time. They do not seem to entirely grasp its significance and its limitations.

For example, the fact that people are better at generalization often produces a rise in moral reasoning. If you talked to my grandfather about race, he had certain fixed racial mores. But if you take a young person today, they are more flexible. If you ask, “Should you be underprivileged because your skin is black?”, and then ask, “What if your skin turned black?”, they would see the point. You must render your moral principles logically consistent.

They would not do what my father would do. He would say, “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Who do you know whose skin turned black?” He would not take a hypothetical seriously, or the demands it entails for logical consistency. And once you concede that sheer “blackness” does not count, you would have to list personal traits that made someone worthy of persecution. That immediately gets you down to individuals as individuals, not individuals as a member of a particular race.

In my lifetime; students are less subject to racist and sexist stereotypes. That has had a good deal to do with the nature of the IQ gains over time, our ability to take hypothetical situations seriously, our ability to generalize and to see moral maxims as things that ought to have some type of universal applicability, rather than be just a tribal inheritance.

2. Jacobsen: Does a modern understanding of evolutionary biology help with this?

Flynn: They do not need anything as sophisticated as that. However, in saying that people today are better at moral assessments, I may give a false impression. Because they do need basic knowledge about the world and its history. You can have a very enlightened point of view towards social justice, and you can be free of racial stereotypes and yet, you can be colossally ignorant. All recent studies show that Americans are reading less and are less aware of how nations and their histories differ.

I emphasize this point in several of my books such as The Torchlight List and More Torchlight Books. People are surrounded by the babble of the media, Fox News and even CBS News. They are surrounded by the rhetoric of politicians. When people reach false conclusions about what ought to be done, it is often just sheer lack of the background knowledge that will allow them to put their egalitarian ideals to work.

Remember how America was talked into going into Iraq. This was not to wreak devastation on Iraqis, it was going to help Iraqis. This was going to give them a modern, stable society. Put that way, it sounds very good, does it not?

All people would have had to do would have been to have read one book on the Middle East, like Robert Fisk’s The Great War for Western Civilisation. They would have found that no Western power that sent troops into the Middle East has had a credit balance. They have always managed to get more people killed than would have been killed otherwise, and when they left, they left behind nations that had to “nation build” themselves, like every other nation in history.

I have often used an example that any properly educated person would think of immediately. That is The Thirty Years’ War in Germany (1618-1648), between Catholic and Protestant. It killed off half of the population. Let us imagine that a Turkish sultan, who in 1618, looked at Germany and said, “Look at how these Catholics and Protestants are torturing each other. Surely if I go in with a Turkish army, I can punish the wicked ones who do the most drawing and quartering, and I can reward the people who are more tolerant, and I will teach Catholic and Protestant to live to together in a nation-built Germany.”

We can all see the absurdity of this. But we can’t see the absurdity of a “benevolent” America sending an army into the Middle East to punish the bad guys and help the good guys, and make Sunnis and Shias love one another and nation build together.

The Thirty Years’ war also teaches us a lesson about Israel’s policy in the Middle East. What was Cardinal Richelieu’s policy from1618 to 1648? He said, “I am a Frenchman first, and a Catholic second. What I am going to do is meddle in this war and whoever is losing, I will back. I want these wars to go on forever. The more dead Germans, Catholic or Protestant, the better for France.”

This foreshadows Israel’s stand about the wars that rage in the Middle East. Israel believes that the Arabs will never accept them. It will always have to be stronger than the Arab nations to defend itself, and the weaker and the more divided the Arabs the better. This, of course, has nothing to do with the interests of American foreign policy. America must be talked into creating chaos in the Middle East so as “to do good”.

America is going through a trauma now. We backed Saudi Arabia against Iran, and now it turns out that Saudi Arabia is at least as wicked as Iran, killing people by the millions in Yemen. It still lops people’s hands off for theft. The women who pioneered against the restrictions on driving are all in jail. Until recently the Shiite population could not have cellars because they were suspected of conducting filthy rites down there.

Americans do not know enough to assess either US or Israeli policy. The average person’s “knowledge” is limited to what they are told. They may be well-meaning. But they are told that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant. They meet exiles who dress like Westerners and look like themselves. These exiles use the language of democracy and free speech. However, their real goal is to get back into power in Iraq and their only hope of that is American intervention.

Academics are fixated on whether the 21st Century will see IQ gains or IQ losses. The real question for the 21st century is whether we can produce a better-educated population. The odds seem to be all against it.

I have a book coming out this year called In Defense of Free Speech: The University as Censor. More and more of America’s students lack either the knowledge or the critical intelligence to come to terms with the modern world. There is nothing the matter with our hearts but the problem is our heads.

If anyone had told me, 50, 60 years ago, when I began lecturing, that we would double the number of university graduates, and have a smaller elite of well-educated critics of our time, I would say that was insane. But all the studies show that adults today read less serious literature, less history than they did 30 or 40 years ago, that they are at least as ignorant of the same basic facts as they were 30 or 40 years ago.

To some degree, America is a special case – it is strange beyond belief. In other countries, people may not be well-educated. But few of them have an alternative view of the world that challenges science and makes education almost impossible. About 35 percent of Americans are raised in a way that provides them with a kind of world view that makes them suspicious of science.

At least in France, over one-third of people do not believe that the solar system began ten thousand years ago, that dinosaurs and human beings existed at the same time, and that if one species differs from another it was because God designed them that way.

This world-view was typical in many nations in the late 19th century. Take Britain: people were enraged by Darwin and thought their next-door neighbor was going to hell because they didn’t baptize their kids correctly. But slowly this world view faded in Britain, and Canada, and Australia, and England, and Spain, and Portugal. People who thought of modern science as an enemy, and had this 19th-century perspective, began to disappear.

What the hell happened to America? It is as if a third of the population was taken to Mars, and then came back a hundred years later, and their minds had been in a refrigerator. That is a terrible burden America must carry: about a third of its population has a world view that makes them systematically opposed to learning and critical intelligence.

3. Jacobsen: How much is there a correlation between IQ gains and the advanced moral views that you mentioned before?

Flynn: That is hard to tell. I am only familiar with data within the US. The mean IQ is lower in the South than in states like Minnesota, or like Massachusetts. Despite the preaching of the Southern Baptists and Southern Methodists about the value of fundamentalist Christianity, you have more murder, rape, and early pregnancies than you have up north.

You find a correlation that as IQ rises, people have what I would call more enlightened moral judgment. But you must look at all the confounding variables. Ever since the Civil War, the South has been in a state of schizophrenia. Of course, it is a less prosperous part of the nation. It is a more rural part of the nation. It is a more religious part of the nation. How is one to pick out the causes here? I suspect that thanks to IQ gains over time, some kids raised as Southern Baptists, have learned to be skeptical and to think for themselves. But why has the number been so small?

Original Source: Jacobsen, S.D. (2019, June 8). An Interview with Emeritus Professor James Robert Flynn, FRSNZ on Intelligence Research, Evolutionary Biology, and IQ Gains and Advanced Moral Views (Part One). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal. Retrieved from http://www.in-sightjournal.com/flynn-one.

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2022-02-27

Boy Stuck by Needle and Father Starts Petition

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/26

One man in Kamloops, British Columbia is working petition on behalf of his son and others for the improvement of needle safety. The father, Jeff Arlitt, was called by his fiancé to find that his son Landon, who is 12-years-old, was pricked by an already-used needle.

Arlitt immediately went to create a petition to ensure better needle safety in the future. The traditional syringes are cheaper, but will be replaced with the VanishPoint syringes known to retract after use. It is safer.

Arlitt is the outreach supervisor for New Life Community. He said, “Obviously working in this field, I’ve dealt with many overdoses and I just see the problem out there with the needles.”

He notes that some of the public including himself have a fear when walking in parks. That you might be poked by a needle. If the needles retract after use, then the pokes are less likely to happen to passersby in the park.

The son, Landon Arlitt, was playing with siblings in spring break in the Kamloops neighbourhood when the group of kids found a bunch of needles simply lying around on the ground.

Landon said, “We grabbed the bag, tied it tight and we walked back and as I was walking back, I got pricked in the leg… I was worried… I thought we would have to go to the hospital.” They wanted to bring the bag home and tell his parents.

Landon went in to have a tetanus shot. He had blood tests too. His state will be monitored through April and May to make sure he is healthy.

References

Norwell, J. (2018, March 26). Kamloops dad starts petition after son poked by used needle. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kamloops-needle-1.4594266.

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2022-02-27

The Globe and Mail on Cannabis Legalization

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/25

The Federal Liberal government has made it past the second reading in the Senate. One Tory senator argued that the marijuana legalization bill “doesn’t protect people.”

The Globe and Mail editorial continued that the ethical implications of the “wrongness” in criminalization of cannabis is no more harmful than alcohol. Prime Minister Trudeau disagreed with the Tory consideration, where the focus is on the protection of the people.

Trudeau focused on the outcome of alcohol prohibition and state coercion in the prohibition of cannabis as well. With legalization, he argues, this can prevent illicit forms of the substance, uncontrolled and unregulated types, from entering the hands, mouths, and bodies of children and adolescents.

“The political appeal of this message is obvious. It’s a savvy way to get nervous parents and cops on board,” The Globe and Mail opined, “And squeezing money out of organized crime is a happy side-effect of legalization that the government has every right to tout.”

The editorial talked about the narrow focus on harm reduction as potentially risking incoherence with legalization magically reducing the consumption of cannabis as potentially successful or worse as making a wish on a penny and throwing it in a fountain at the local park.

One Deloitte study reported that 17% more adult Canadians would use pot once if legalized. They pose a tacit question: How can we be sure kids and adolescents will not do the same? Children and adolescents should not use cannabis. What will stop them? The black market could still be extant post-legalization.

The restriction of the sale of pot to “austere government-run stores” may not work based on a proposal described by the editorial coming from the province of Ontario. “Premier Kathleen Wynne tells us, that parents don’t want weed sold next to candy bars in corner stores (unlike, say, cigarettes?),” the editorial opines.

The main critique is around narrow focus on safety and harm reduction and how this may impede the progress and potential success of the federal Liberal government of Trudeau et al.

“This kind of scare-mongering rhetoric is enabled by a federal position that has made a fetish of safety and restricted access, even as it legalizes the sale and use of a popular drug. No wonder it’s stumbling.”

References

The Globe and Mail. (2018, March 25). Globe editorial: Federal pot law pushes harm reduction at the expense of coherence. Retrieved from

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-globe-editorial-federal-pot-law pushes-harm-reduction-at-the-expense/.

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2022-02-27

The First Harm Reduction Symposium in Saint John

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/24

With the continued increase in the number of deaths due to the opioid epidemic throughout Canada, there are increased calls for proactive and assertive, and evidence-based, measures to deal with it.

Those measures tend to be harm reduction methodologies. That means that the main means by which the experts and public can work together to reduce the overall harm of drugs in society while acknowledging these are simply part of the country.

Saint John hosted the first Harm Reduction Symposium to bring together doctors, former addicts, nurses, and social workers in order to converse on the opioid crisis in a group setting.

Public health nurse Penny Higdon said, “A multi-disciplinary approach, not one program or one department can solve some of these issues, we really have to work together.”

A pediatrician for Horizon Health, Sarah Gardner, said that there is a shift from an abstinence perspective and expectation of drug users or potential drug users to the idea that we can, instead, meet people where they are at and then provide harm reduction practices to them.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that 90 opioid-related deaths happened in Atlantic Canada. The total number for the country in 2016 was 2,861, which increase in 2017 and will continue to increase, or is extrapolated based on trend lines, in 2018.

Julie Dingwell of Avenue B Harm Reduction in Saint John has seen this growth from professional work. She said, “We’ve certainly seen more overdose deaths and our number of needles that we are providing has increased by almost 100,000 in a year and a half period.”

Harm reduction methodologies have been put in place in order to reduce the associated problems and public health concerns that come from opioid-related overdoses and potential deaths. These measures have included safe injection sites, Naloxone, and so on.

References

CTV Atlantic. (2018, March 24). Saint John conference discusses Canada’s growing opioid crisis. Retrieved from https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/saint-john-conference-discusses-canada-s growing-opioid-crisis-1.3857278.

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2022-02-27

A Call for More Calgary Supervised Consumption Sites

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/23

One doctor made a public call for supervised consumption sites. The call is for more of them in suburbanite Calgary.

One of the centers opened in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta. It is at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. The goal is to react to the opioid crisis in order to reduce the number of overall overdoses associated with fentanyl.

Dr. Hakique Virani, an addictions specialist, explained, “There’s not a silver bullet to solving this epidemic… It’s a combination of a number of very strongly evidenced-based public health interventions.”

The Alberta Health Services published a Safeworks Supervised Consumptions Services report for the month and found more people use illicit drugs now with the professional medical supervision of the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre.

470 people, some repeat attendees and others not, have come to the site to mostly use meth/crystal or fentanyl. If divided by sex, the majority of the people in attendance are men with a mean age of 36, which would amount to a young middle aged population of men.

However, those are the ones who placed an address. Others live in a homeless shelter or do not have a fixed address. Based on available data, the call for more supervised consumption sites is justified because these will improve the health outcomes of individual Calgarians. Fentanyl and opioid crisis afflicting Alberta, Virani told the Calgary Eyeopener.

Virani said, “We miss certain populations with this type of service… One of the characteristics of this epidemic is that it’s affecting a lot of people in the suburbs who use substances alone… Harm reduction outside of inner cities, there’s no reason why we can’t do that… If geography is one of the barriers to people accessing that type of site, then offering it in multiple places would be wise.”

Happily, the overall visits to the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site are increasing, which will, in the short and long term, improve the health outcomes, as a statistical average, of the Calgarians, mostly ~36-year-old men, having addiction problems.

References

Alberta Health Services. (2018, March 14). Safeworks Monthly Report – February 2018: Supervised Consumption Services. Retrieved from https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/healthinfo/mh/hi-amh-sup-con-chumir-2018-02.pdf.

Bell, R. (2017, May 24). Little pills, big trouble How Alberta’s fentanyl crisis escalated despite years of warnings. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/fentanyl-crisis-alberta/.

CBC News. (2017, November 7). Calgary’s new supervised consumption site already catching drug overdoses, co-ordinator says. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/safe supervised-consumption-sheldon-chumir-centre-calgary-alberta-1.4391235.

Ward, R. (2018, March 23). ‘No silver bullet’ but suburban supervised consumption sites would help, addiction specialist says. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary supervised-consumption-sites-suburbia-1.4590400.

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2022-02-27

West Virginia Health Right Distributes Retractable Needles

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/22

There was a brief news article about an American harm reduction programs. It talked about the West Virginia Health Right in Charleston, West Virginia.

The West Virginia Health Right will be distributing retractable needles to further its harm reduction program. This was weeks before the final Charleston City Council vote that made syringes illegal within Charleston.

During emergencies, there is the possibility of dirty needles sticking to firefighters and police, according to the concerns expressed in the report. This proposal stemmed from the concerns there.

West Virginia Health Right wanted to distribute the needles in order to keep the city safe. They wanted safety for the general West Virginia public through the implementation of harm reduction methodologies.

They began some of the harm reduction work in 2011. Its harm reduction program began with the requirement of patients to receive a full medical examination, HIV and Hepatitis screenings, and drug counseling prior to receiving clean needles.

So Health Right says they’re responding with a measure to keep the city safe. Health Right began their Harm Reduction in 2011 after seeing patients asking for insulin prescriptions but simply walking out with the needles.

The CEO of Western Virginia Health Right, Angie Settle, said that the needles cost the clinic three time more than the regular syringes.

References

Meisner, A. (2018, March 22). Health Right Announces Retractable Needles in Harm Reduction Program. Retrieved from http://www.wowktv.com/news/local-news/health-right-announces retractable-needles-in-harm-reduction-program/1066587437.

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2022-02-27

Update Opioid Guidelines to Help More Patients

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/21

More than 4,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in 2017. The expectation is the same or more in 2018. After the United States of America, Canadians dominate in the consumption of opioids. The Canadian Medical Association Journal publication produced a set of new guidelines for doctors to follow in order to reduce addiction.

The opioids epidemic is a problem throughout the country with more deaths in city centres than in the outlying regions, as far as I know. The deaths seen with the HIV epidemic are surpassed by those in the modern opioid epidemic.

The older guidelines were written by the experts in addictions. Only 20% of those people who need addiction treatment will receive it, the Canadian guidelines should be for the family doctors and nurse practitioners rather than the experts.

As noted in the reportage by Dr. Brian Goldman (2018):

The guidelines say that medications that are readily available are the most effective treatment for addiction. The drug of choice is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, which is sold under the brand name Suboxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication, and naloxone blocks the effects of opioid medication. When Suboxone doesn’t work or is not recommended, the next option is methadone. If these two drugs fail, the next best option is for the doctor or nurse practitioner to prescribe a slow-release form of oral morphine prescribed as a daily dose that the patient swallows in front of a witness.

The medications reduce the craving in order to assist patients with the withdrawal symptoms and to permit the patients the ability to begin to restart their lives. Methadone has been extant for decades and is riskier for the health of patients than Suboxone.

“Instead of trying [to] reduce or eliminate drug use, harm reduction tries to reduce its negative consequences,” Goldman said, “Dr. Mark Tyndall of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control is setting up a pilot program in which the province will provide the narcotic hydromorphone in vending machines to registered drug users.”

It should be noted that not all addiction experts are in favour of harm reduction with a preference for non-harm reduction methodologies. The fear is the users will be high and sell Suboxone on the street. The problem: little evidence, according to Goldman, exists for this fear-based claim. I do not want to dismiss it, but the evidence supports harm reduction rather than fear. Although, granted, these fears and concerns are not the ideological ones some might find with individuals such as Jason Kenney or other politicians when they denounce some harm reduction measures such as safe injection sites.

References

Bruneau, J. et al. (2018, March 5). Management of opioid use disorders: a national clinical practice guideline. Retrieved from http://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/9/E247.

Donroe, J.H. & Tetrault, J. M. (2018, March 5). Narrowing the treatment gap in managing opioid use disorder. Retrieved from http://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/9/E236.

Goldman, B. (2018, March 5). New opioid guidelines may help more patients get treatment. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/new-opioid-guidelines-may-help-more patients-get-treatment-1.4562082.

The Canadian Press. (2017, December 18). Opioid deaths in Canada expected to hit 4,000 by end of 2017. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-deaths-canada-4000-projected 2017-1.4455518.

Ubelacker, S. (2018, March 6). Doctors develop national opioid guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/life/health/doctors-develop-national-opioid-guidelines 1.23191514.

Wilhelm, T. (2018, March 6). New guidelines released to combat opioid epidemic call on doctors, hospitals to join fight. Retrieved from http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/new guidelines-released-to-combat-opioid-epidemic-call-on-doctors-hospitals-to-join-fight.

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2022-02-27

Safe Injection Sites are Evidence-Based and Should Trump Ideology

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/20

According to The Gateway, (DeCoste, 2018). Jason Kenney was condemning safe injection sites on March 2. He considered “helping addicts inject poison into their veins is not a solution to the problem of addiction (Karim, 2018).

DeCoste argues that the comments represent how Kenney lacks knowledge and potentially concern “about addiction, mental illness, and the cycle of poverty.” Safe injection sites have reduced the number of addiction-related deaths.

DeCoste sees the main disagreement with Kenney in criminality versus health, where DeCoste views this as a health issue and Kenney sees this as a criminality issue. The health perspective considers drug problems more to do with the environment.

The criminality perspective thinks the problems associated with substances come more from the person. That is, Kenney is wrong by the analysis of DeCoste to view substance abuse as a personality or moral flaw rather than an illness with associated addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

DeCoste reminds the readers that addiction requires long-term solutions with safe injection sites as part of them in contrast to the statements by Kenney. The safe injection sites provide clean needles and professional medical attention at the sites.

Two public health concerns are reduced through safe injection sites with HIV infections and overdoses rates going down. Correlation is not causation, however, since 2003, British Columbia’s HV infections went from the highest to nearly the lowest in the country.

Also, around Insite – a harm reduction facility, the number of overdoses has decreased by 35% (Picard, 2017). In short, the claims about the safe injections sites improving societal outcomes, by which I mean individual Canadian citizens across the board health outcomes, are well supported.

The larger umbrella term for the philosophy and the methodology is harm reduction. Harm reduction is a methodology in which to reduce harm, as the title implies. In fact, MacQueen reported on 40 peer reviewed research studies that supported harm reduction as a legitimate strategy to improve the health outcomes of individuals, and so families, communities, and society.

To deny this is to deny evidence, to deny this evidence is to worsen the health outcomes of those same individuals and potential others as well, this is the implication with the science when ideological and political differences are put to the side.

As DeCoste said, “On April 14, 2016, B.C. declared a Public Health Emergency — one which has little to do with criminal activity, but lots to do with the physical wellbeing of its citizens.”

References

DeCoste, K. (2018, March 19). Jason Kenney’s anti-harm reduction stance helps nobody. Retrieved from https://www.thegatewayonline.ca/2018/03/jason-kenney-anti-harm-stance/.

Karim, M. (2018, March 2). Jason Kenney criticized over safe consumption site comments. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4059919/jason-kenney-criticized-supervised consumption-sites/.

MacQueen, K. (2015, July 20). The science is in. And Insite works.. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-scientists-are-in-insite-works/.

Picard, A. (2017, March 26). Vancouver’s safe injection site cuts overdose deaths. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/vancouvers-safe-injection-site cuts-overdose-deaths/article577010/.

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2022-02-27

Fort McMurray First Nation #468 Signs MOU with RavenQuest

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/19

RavenQuest signed an MOU with Fort McMurray #468 First Nation. Ravenquest BioMed Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fort McMurray #468 First Nation or FM 468.

The MOU is the basis for the collaboration in the creation, maintenance, and financing of a facility for the production of cannabis lands to be controlled by FM 468.

The sales of the produced cannabis will be on the sovereign land. RavenQuest will provide technical expertise, resources for the staff, and financial opportunities relation to the production facility with an initial size of 24,000 square feet.

RavenQuest will receive about thirty percent ownership interest in the production facility. The original development, over time, will grow from 24,000 square feet to 250,000 square feet.

“We intend to emerge as the trusted provider of choice for Indigenous Peoples’ Cannabis industry partnerships across Canada. Our work in this area reflects a high level of understanding of the concerns and issues facing Indigenous communities across Canada,” he CEO of RavenQuest, George Robinson, said, “With the right partners, we see cannabis as a tremendous opportunity for economic diversification, self-reliance, employment and harm reduction within Indigenous communities. This agreement is designed to deliver on all of these fronts, providing for a mutually beneficial arrangement for FM 468 and RavenQuest moving forward.”

Chief Ron Kreutzer stated: “By participating in the cannabis sector, it will allow Fort McMurray #468 First Nation to take one step closer to being a self-sufficient Nation for the next seven generations and providing world-class services to the Citizens.”

References

Nasdaq Global Newswire. (2018, March 19). RavenQuest Signs MOU With Fort McMurray #468 First Nation. Retrieved from https://globenewswire.com/news

release/2018/03/19/1441816/0/en/RavenQuest-Signs-MOU-With-Fort-McMurray-468-First Nation.html.

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2022-02-27

Justin Trudeau Approach Differs from NDP and the Greens

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/18

According to The Georgia Straight, the Liberal Federal (Trudeau) government has been keeping on its path of a war on hard drugs, which contrasts with the approaches of the Greens and the NDP (Lupick, 2018).

The government of Canada will not consider the decriminalization of all drugs based on the opioid crisis throughout Canada, which killed about 4,000 people throughout the country last year. More than 80% of the 2017 deaths were linked to fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is far more toxic than heroin. The advocates for decriminalization suggest the removal of criminal penalties for the personal possession of drugs. They argue that it would reduce the stigma and encourage those who have an addiction to seek treatment for the personal problem.

André Gagnon, a spokesperson for Health Canada, stated, “We are not looking to decriminalize or legalize all illegal drugs; but there are important steps we can take to treat problematic substance use as a public health issue—not as a criminal issue.”

Donald MacPherson, the Executive Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, argues that people in the public are now beginning to understand that the opioid crisis is more serious than they have known before.

Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, “We are witnessing a horrific and preventable loss of life as a poisoned drug supply continues to kill our neighbours, friends, and family… More action is urgently needed.”

MacPherson noticed that the NDP and Greens were supportive of the decriminalization while the Liberals will be debating the issue at a party convention in April.

“People are really beginning to understand that the crisis is demanding a more serious look at a more radical shift in our thinking,” MacPherson said, “Municipalities are starting to say, ‘Look, this isn’t working for us anymore.’”

He argues that with the discussion happening at such a large scale in the public, and increasingly more and more in the public, the federal Liberal government will have to look into potential for drug decriminalization.

References

Lupick, T. (2018, March 14). Trudeau government maintains its war on hard drugs as Greens and NDP consider alternatives. Retrieved from https://www.straight.com/news/1044336/trudeau government-maintains-its-war-hard-drugs-greens-and-ndp-consider-alternatives.

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2022-02-27

Overdoses in Hamilton, Ontario, and Beyond

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/17

Ontario has been hit, as well, by the opioid crisis sweeping across the nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to one of Ontario’s city about it.

Trudeau has described this as an important goal for his federal government. One municipal officer made a call for more concrete measures to deal with addiction at its source.

Out of the city of Hamilton, there were 70 opioid-related deaths between January and October alone, the situation for the crisis is becoming worse an worse. Only 41 occurred in 2016 in Hamilton.

How many more will happen in 2018? Trudeau was giving a tour of speeches on the various steel-producing communities with commentary on the opioid crisis destroying lives, families, and, some communities.

Trudeau said, “We know that we have to address this. This is getting to be more and more of a problem… We have always put this at the top of our preoccupations as we deal with this public health crisis here in Hamilton and right across the country.”

The Medical Officer for Health for Hamilton, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, explained the Hamilton area has an unusually or atypical rate of deaths associated or linked with opioid overdoses.

Richardson said, “There needs to be continued focus on what do we do to stop people from being in a position where they are finding drugs as a way of managing their physical and emotional pain… We do need that fundamental support from the get-go … around housing, around income support, around civil society that are really important pieces to underpin it all.”

The province of Ontario had a total of 1,053 opioid-related deaths between January and October of 2017 with only 694 between January and October of 2016. Ottawa will be dispersing $150 million in emergency funding for all provinces and territories in Canada in order to combat the opioid crisis.

The money is in the new federal budget. “The balance will go toward public-education campaigns, better access to public-health data and new equipment and tools to allow border agents to better detect dangerous opioids such as fentanyl before they enter the country,” McQuigge reported, “The Ontario government has pledged to spend more than $222-million over three years to tackle the issue, with money earmarked to expand harm-reduction services and hire more frontline staff.”

Opioids will kill is predicted to kill more than 4,000 lives in 2018 based on projections from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

References

McQuigge, M. (2018, March 13). Trudeau says addressing opioids a top priority as Hamilton sees spike. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hamiltons-opioid related-deaths-78-per-cent-higher-than-ontario/.

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2022-02-27

A Brief Note on Fredericton, New Brunswick and Finances

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/16

The Government of New Brunswick will be contributing $250,000 to the Cannabis Education and Awareness Fund. The New Brunswick government is looking for an advisory committee set of members in order to determine how best to spent the finances.

As recreational cannabis will be legalized later in the year, the Finance Minister Cathy Rogers wants a harm reduction, socially responsible approach in order to keep cannabis away from the hands and bodies of children and youth.

Four cannabis producers and the New Brunswick government signed agreements where 2% of the gross earnings will enter the Cannabis Education and Awareness Fund.

Rogers stated the monetary injections into the fund are starting in order for the education to be jumpstarted. Also, it will take time before sales begin to trickle in more funds.

The Chairman o the Cannabis Management Corporation will be one of the, and senior civil servants will be three of the seven members of the, advisory committee for New Brunswick.

The other members will come from the general public.

References The Canadian Press. (2018, March 13). New Brunswick funding cannabis education and seeking advisors from public. Retrieved from https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/new-brunswick-funding cannabis-education-and-seeking-advisors-from-public-1.3841091.

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2022-02-27

Toronto’s Riverdale Riverside Ralph Thornton Centre Hosting Harm Reduction Event

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/14

In Toronto, Ontario, in the Riverdale community, there will be a harm reduction event entitled Community Matters.

On March 19^thfrom 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, the gathering will take place at the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, 765 Queen St. E., which is east of Broadview Avenue.

The conversation for the neighbourhood event will be on the effects of the ongoing crisis. Its impacts on individuals, families, communities, and the wider society as a result of the severity, and increasing problems, associated with it.

There is a reported increase in fear and concerns (Toronto.Com: News, 2018) around the health crisis with drugs in the country. The conversation on the 19^thwill involve some discussion on the adaptations of “harm reduction, healthcare strategies, and public health policy.”

The South Riverdale Community Health Centre will take part in the event/conversation. The community health centre is the place of the first Canadian supervised injection service as such a neighbourhood centre.

“Those interested in attending should be aware that this meeting may not be accessible due to the replacement of the centre’s elevator,” the news note stated.

References

Toronto.Com: News. (2018, March 14). East Toronto centre hosts talk on harm reduction, overdose crisis. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8325453-east-toronto centre-hosts-talk-on-harm-reduction-overdose-crisis/.

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2022-02-26

One Woman’s Naloxone Training Mission

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/13

One woman is on a harm reduction crusade with naloxone kit training sessions. Abby Blackburn is helping the punk community in Edmonton to be informed and safer about the possibility for overdoses from opioids in the midst of the crisis throughout the province.

In a conversation with CBC Radio Active, Blackburn said, “I realized, after seeing statistics online and everything else, that it’s very far reaching… The fentanyl crisis is pretty intense, so I just wanted to reach out to absolutely everybody.”

The training sessions with Blackburn show how to use the naloxone kits. She has trained about 150 people to date and wants the people that she trains to never have to go through the traumatising experience of seeing a friend overdose in front of her.

Blackburn recalled, “The first time that I saw somebody overdose in front of me was one of my close friends, and I hadn’t even heard of naloxone.” The friend did live, but she recollects that it was a terrifying experience to witness an overdose of a loved one in front of her.

“This past January, when I had an event, I was told by someone that their life got saved by the naloxone training, so that was pretty rad,” Blackburn said, “It was affecting me on a personal level from the get-go, and I just wanted to continue helping people and saving people.”

The next event will be April 13, 2018, at the Aviary open to all ages. Her next event on April 13 at the Aviary is for all age groups.

References

CBC News. (2018, March 12). Edmonton woman wants to reach everybody with naloxone training. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/abby-blackburn-naloxone training-1.4573537.

St-Onge, J. (2018, March 9). Alberta commission recommends more overdose prevention sites across province. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-opioid overdose-commission-1.4570399.

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2022-02-26

Is Radical Harm Reduction More in the Spotlight?

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/12

The Times Colonist is reporting on the treatment of alcoholism with bone drink at a time using a radical harm reduction treatment methodology.

Professor Tim Stockwell, a Psychologist at the University of Victoria and the Director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research said, “Alcohol can kill you in more ways… But somehow it doesn’t deserve the same level of respect in harm-reduction treatments as other substances.”

In his research with colleagues on the efficacy of harm reduction methodologies incorporating doses of alcohol for alcoholics at regular intervals has proven effective, Stockwell explains that these managed-alcohol programs continue to be a radical idea 25 years after their inception.

The Executive Director of Our Place in Victoria, Don Evans, described the activities and initiatives of his own organization with managed-alcohol programs.

Evans explained that the group with those kinds of organizations, but failed to have sufficient space in the organization and resources in order to maintain and fully develop the program at Our Place in Victoria.

Evans states that severe alcoholics may resort to mouthwash and rubbing alcohol in order to satisfy the addiction but that these are brain-damaging substances. That makes the manage alcohol programs as an initiative or program for those “meant for people who have tried everything else, and so it’s a last resort,” Evans explained.

The programs are best given within a therapeutic community with “housing, food and fellowship.” The programs finish within 30 to 60 days. Those programs that have been operational have worked without much notice, according to Stockwell.

The social norms and mores do not permit the allowance of alcohol given in this way. It is taboo, verboten. It is a radical harm reduction program in light of that fact that those with addictions that are homeless or in danger of dying are the ones they are for because abstinence programs simply have not or do not work for them.

If these are programs combined with food and shelter, they can help rebuild the livelihood and potentially family and social networks that these people need. An increase in anxiety is the most noticeable sign of withdrawal in the individual not having their drink.

References

Watts, R. (2018, March 11). Harm-reduction programs help alcoholics one drink at a time. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/harm-reduction-programs-help alcoholics-one-drink-at-a-time-1.23183082

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2022-02-26

Alberta’s Entrance Into Harm Reduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/11

An Alberta Commission has called for more harm reduction sites in the province (Gerein, 2018). The Government of Alberta released a new report on the level of deaths associated with opioid overdoses (Government of Alberta, 2018a). This has come alongside recommendations as well (Government of Alberta, 2018b).

Indigenous groups have been declaring emergencies in some of their communities due to the overdose crisis (Cameron, 2018). There have been interventions such as fentanyl tests, which have been shown to reduce the number of overdoses (Meuse, 2017).

Alberta’s supervised consumption sites should be permitted to offer drug testing to help users learn what dangers might be lurking in their illicit narcotics, the province’s opioid commission recommended Friday.

Some in the general public continue to question the efficacy of the fentanyl-sensing strips as well as associated devices to detect fentanyl. However, these devices help give insight into the contents of the about-to-be used drugs in the drug user community.

Elaine Hyshka, the Co-Chair of the Minister’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission, said, “Anytime you can give people a bit more understanding than absolutely none about what’s in their drugs, I think that’s a positive.”

Six consumption sites were approved for the province of Alberta with one opened in Calgary, in Lethbridge, and four in Edmonton to be opened. 562 Albertans have died from the fentanyl related overdoses in 2017 alone.

The problem with fentanyl is that is continuing to show up in methamphetamine and heroin. The users, who may not even be regular misusers, can be caught unaware in a fentanyl overdose because their used substance has been inadvertently laced with fentanyl, potentially leading to an overdose and a death.

British Columbia and Ontario, two provinces with high death tolls associated with the opioid crisis. One prominent place that uses the fentanyl-sensing strips is Insite based in Vancouver. 80% of the substances, in the first year of testing at Insite, were found to contain fentanyl.

Those Insite clients with a positive result were an order of magnitude, 10 times, more probable to reduce the chances of an overdose.

A medical heath officer at Vancouver Coastal Health, Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, noted that the strips can falter in their prediction of fentanyl. In that, they are not foolproof. One other issue is the potential for the strips to be able to detect associated fentanyl substances such as carfentenil.

The first Alberta overdose prevention site opened for the Kainai First Nation in Southern Alberta. The Kainai First Nation declared the first state of emergency based on a recent spike overdoses there.

The site is open for eight hours per day. According to Gerein’s article, there are other recommendations:

∙ Ease restrictions for prescribing methadone and medical heroin, which are used as treatments for opioid use disorder.

∙ Organize a national conference in Edmonton in October to discuss drug policy and harm reduction.

∙ Approve a mobile supervised consumption site in Calgary.

∙ Open supervised consumption services in Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Grande Prairie.

∙ Develop guidelines around protective clothing and safety practices for workers who may come into contact with fentanyl.

∙ Expedite consumer protection legislation, to ensure people seeking mental health and addiction services receive proper care. (2018)

References

Cameron, E. (2018, March 9). Calgary applying to offer mobile supervised consumption services. Retrieved from http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2018/03/09/calgary-applying to-offer-mobile-supervised-consumption-services.html.

Gerein, K. (2018, March 9). Offer drug testing at safe consumption sites, Alberta opioid commission recommends. Retrieved from http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/test drugs-at-safe-consumption-sites-alberta-opioid-commission-recommends.

Government of Alberta. (2018b, February 14). Minister’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission Record of Discussion: February 14, 2018. Retrieved from

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/opioid-commission-minutes-february-2018.pdf.

Government of Alberta. (2018a, March 2). Opioids and Substances of Misuse Alberta Report, 2017 Q4. Retrieved from https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/1cfed7da-2690-42e7-97e9- da175d36f3d5/resource/78ceedbd-ddc9-4a33-834b-8668a3ad5b31/download/Opioids Substances-Misuse-Report-2017-Q4.pdf.

Meuse, M. (2017, May 15). Insite fentanyl test reduces overdoses, study finds. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/insite-fentanyl-testing-1.4115500.

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2022-02-26

Will Moss Park Volunteers Stay in Place?

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/10

Trailer houses constructed in the Moss Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada are illegal and volunteer overdose prevention sites (Gray, 2018).

It will continue to remain open. There are many users anxious to have their fix of substance and volunteers itching to help them. Zoë Dodd, a prominent harm reduction activist and proponent of good repute, has been at the site for about 7 months with a small group of volunteers (Tierney, 2017).

They are working and have been working to reduce the number of overdoses in the park. They started out in flimsy old tents that could not stand tall to a wind storm. Many drug users would use in the community would die alone in the past as they shot up.

Their corpses would be found later. One Health Canada approved supervised injection site has opened at the Fred Victor Centre for the homeless. Many former volunteers of Dodd work there.

Mayor John Tory said that many of the volunteers at Dodd’s illegal site should transfer to the clientele to the legal site simply across the road. Dodd still considers the illegal Moss Park trailer an integral part of the harm reduction efforts there.

Therefore, they will be staying in place. “Even though Fred Victor opened, we’re still so inundated with the need… This is the epicentre of the overdose crisis, Moss Park,” Dodd explained.

The province released the new numbers for the week on the deaths associated with opioids. It was more than 1,000 from January through to the end of October in 2017. Dodd recommends the governments begin to increase the number of injection sites based on the increasing number of overdoses in order to appropriately respond to the opioid crisis.

The St. Stephen’s Community House sent letters off to the Kensington Marker with an announcement that they earned approval for an overdose prevention site on a temporary basis at the community house.

The process began after pressure from activists. The Ontario Ministry of Health obliged them. A similar site is open in London, Ontario. Applications for other temporary harm reduction sites will be emerging, or are predicted to arise, in other parts of Toronto, Ontario.

The Dodd trailer is running without a permit, washrooms, or water. Joe Cressy, a City of Toronto Councillor and the Chairperson of Toronto’s Drug Implementation Panel, said that they were looking to find the Dodd group a new place in the community to continue their work (City of Toronto, 2018).

Tory wants the harm-reduction site removed because of the park. “Look, I believed from Day 1, and you can go back and look at all my prior public statements, that a public park is not an appropriate place to any kind of a harm-reduction site,” Tory stated, “It’s a public park.”

Dodd wants to move people, but there are as many as 40 or more people who come and use her service each night. No one has died of an overdose on her site – a good track record. The Director of Programs for Fred Victor, Jane Eastwood, stated that between 7 and 23 people use her services each night.

References

City of Toronto. (2018). Councillor Joe Cressy. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/city government/council/members-of-council/councillor-joe-cressy/.

Gray, J. (2018, March 9). Moss Park harm-reduction volunteers staying put. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/moss-park-harm-reduction-volunteers-staying put/article38267790/.

Tierney, A. (2017, April 25). Meet the Harm Reduction Worker Who Called Out Trudeau on the Opioid Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/ez3m5a/meet-the-harm reduction-worker-who-called-out-trudeau-on-the-opioid-crisis.

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2022-02-26

Vancouver Calls for Decriminalization of All Drug Possession

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/01

The rising overdose deaths in Vancouver, British Columbia continue to wreak havoc on communities and families. Vancouver made a call to the federal government to decriminalize the personalized possession of drugs (CBC News, 2018).

Mary Clare Zak, the Managing Director of Social Policy, described the call as new while at the same time consistent with the Four Pillars Drug Strategy of Vancouver. Some have claimed that even harm reduction innovations cannot get rid of the opioid crisis in total (Ghoussoub, 2018).

“What we’ve learned from countries, for example like Portugal, is that when you decriminalize then people are feeling like they’re actually safe enough to ask for treatment,” Zak explained, “People who are dying are more likely to be indoors and struggle with accessing help or assistance because of their illicit drug use.”

Vancouver advocates and users are in agreement with the call for immediate decriminalization of all drug possession (Lovgreen, 2018). Bellefontaine (2018) notes that the decriminalization has been rejected as on the table by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau based on a town hall held in Edmonton, Alberta.

Here are Zak’s recommendations:

∙ Rapidly roll out funding for evidence-based treatment programs.

∙ Support the scale up of innovative programs that provide access to safe opioids for those most at risk for overdose.

∙ Support the de-stigmatization programs that are co-led by people with lived experience of substance use.

∙ Continue to roll out innovative overdose prevention services in areas where users remain isolated. (CBC News, 2018)

In January alone, Vancouver had 33 overdose deaths, which was the highest number since the May of 2017. In short, the number of Canadian citizens in Vancouver dying from the opioid crisis continues to rise as a trend line. People are dying, and more and more by the month.

Zak points to a need for a “clean drug supply for people who are struggling with addiction” and decriminalization, which would likely mean regulation, would be an important part of this. The federal government is already working on the decriminalization and legislation around the legialization of marijuana.

“Decriminalizing harder drugs is not a step that Canada is looking at taking at this point,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. The NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has been publicly quoted in support of the decriminalization of personal possession of all drugs.

References

Bellefontaine, M. (2018, February 1). Decriminalization won’t be part of opioid fight, PM tells Edmonton town hall. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/decriminalization-not-part-of-opioid-fight trudeau-edmonton-1.4516177.

CBC News. (2018, March 9). City of Vancouver calls for decriminalization of drug possession. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/city-of-vancouver-drug possession-1.4570720.

Ghoussoub, M. (2018, February 3). Innovations in harm reduction can’t curb ‘catastrophic’ overdose crisis, say experts. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british columbia/innovations-in-harm-reduction-can-t-curb-catastrophic-overdose-crisis-say-experts 1.4509136.

Lovgreen, T. (2018, February 20). The answer to Canada’s opioid overdose crisis is decriminalization, say Vancouver drug users and advocates. Retrieved

from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/multimedia/the-answer-to-canada-s opioid-overdose-crisis-is-decriminalization-say-vancouver-drug-users-and-advocates-1.4544182.

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2022-02-26

Jason Kenney Speaks on Harm Reduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/08

Jason Kenney, the Alberta United Conservative Party, made comments in previous weeks about opposition to the supervised injection sites if he became the premier of Alberta. Of course, this is changing more recently.

Alberta is constructing sites for safe, healthy consumption of drugs in order to deal with the deaths linked to opioids. Kenney has expressed direct opposition to harm reduction methodologies including the aforementioned.

Kenney thinks treatment and enforcement would be a better solution because the other methods, which do amount to harm reduction methods, would assist in the spending of money for more consumption of drugs by Canadian citizens in Alberta.

In a Twitter post, Kenney tweeted, “We absolutely need to show compassion for those suffering with addiction, and we need to help them get off drugs. But helping addicts inject poison into their bodies is not a long-term solution.”

Following this, potentially based on the reaction and feedback from some sectors of the public, he said, “I’m not saying I’m opposed to reasonable harm reduction efforts, but I am saying that we need to be realistic about this… We obviously respect the authority of the court in this respect, with one caveat. I would want properly to consult with local communities about the placement of facilities.”

He is noted to have acknowledged that the Supreme Court of Canada ruled “governments have the obligation to license supervised consumption sites.”

One of the UCP leader’s objections was to the density of the consumption sites in Edmonton, where he says that the local business owners and residents should have the right to decide on the sites being established in their local communities or not.

He does disagree on the harm reduction methodologies as the preferred means to solve the opioid crises, especially the deaths, but has taken, recently and in contrast to prior weeks, a light “tone” on consumption sites in particular.

One of Kenney’s preferred methods would be harsher penalties for drug dealers, more associated with the punitive rather than the harm reduction approaches to substance misuse.

“The notion that this is a panacea for the consumption of some of these really toxic opioids is, I think, a bit naïve,” Kenney opined.

Health Canada approved several consumption sites in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge as well as needs assessments ongoing in Edson, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer.

“Activists and public health officials have hailed supervised consumption sites as a life-saving, if stopgap, component in the response to the overdose crisis,” Little reported.

References

Bellefontaine, M. (2018, March 8). Kenney to take his seat as UCP leader, as Alberta legislature starts spring session. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kenney-seat-ucp leader-alberta-legislature-spring-sessin-1.4566967.

Bennett, D. (2018, March 2). Alberta government, Opposition clash on ethics of safe drug consumption sites. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4059488/alberta-government-safe consumption-sites-opioids/.

Karim, M. (2018, March 2). Jason Kenney criticized over safe consumption site comments. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4059919/jason-kenney-criticized-supervised consumption-sites/.

Little, S. (2018, March 5). ‘I’m not saying I’m opposed’: Kenney walks back tough talk on supervised consumption sites. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4064454/im-not saying-im-opposed-kenney-walks-back-tough-talk-on-supervised-consumption-sites/.

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2022-02-26

Dr. Anne Wagner on the Psychedelic Career Day Panel and Her Work

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/07

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was the outcome of the panel for Psychedelic Career Day?

Dr. Anne Wagner: It was an interesting and well-received conversation. Lots of different questions in terms of the folks taking part and attending on diverse ways in which careers can be had in the field.

There was a lot of interest on clinical applications within the field, e.g. becoming a clinical psychotherapist in the field. We were there for 3.5 hours. We had a presentation by Dr. Ben Sessa and then answered folks’ questions.

Jacobsen: With respect to your own presentation, what were some of the questions asked of you in particular?

Wagner: Unfortunately [Laughing], I did not take notes, so this will be a bit harder to answer. Folks were asking me about the training to be a psychedelic researcher, the opportunities available regarding the research, the trajectory to becoming involved in this area, and so on.

I talked about how I am a PTSD development researcher. As a clinical psychologist, primarily, we were invited – my mentor and I – to develop this protocol that combined Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy with MDMA to see if that would yield helpful results.

The idea being that I did not seek this out but landed in this area. I was very clear that if this area is of interest, develop a skill-set that will support the work that you want to do in this area, therapist training or training in some other area that might be helpful, e.g., lots of lawyers work in this area or other folks with different skill-sets like project management.

I gave an overview of my trajectory.

Jacobsen: When it comes to some of the MDMA research in a clinical setting, what are some of the more cutting-edge aspects of the research that may be of interest to undergraduates looking into that area and even high school students?

Wagner: One area that is interesting is the combination of MDMA with psychotherapies that are already stand-alone psychotherapies. A lot of the work with MDMA and psychotherapy up until now has been with non-directive supportive psychotherapies, which would draw upon the skill sets and the best clinical skills of the providers – but they are not based on a treatment in and of itself that would be, for example, used to treat PTSD.

The theorizing I am doing is about combining things we know that work for a good segment of the population and adding MDMA into that as an adjunct to see if we can improve outcomes. It is to deepen and create breadth in our understanding how MDMA and other compounds work in terms of the psychotherapeutic process.

With MDMA, the offer of the opportunity to have this optimal zone of arousal, where you are activated enough to be able to experience emotion and sit with it and so that you are not fearful of those emotions, which is helpful with PTSD.

PTSD is clearly linked with avoidance, so to be able to feel your feelings and to have that experience in an MDMA session potentially adds something important to a trauma-focused treatment. I think that is a particularly interesting way forward for the treatment.

We did this pilot trial of this couple’s treatment, Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy for PTSD. I will be doing another pilot study with Cognitive Processing Therapy, which is an individual treatment for PTSD, with MDMA.

Then there is team in the US lead by Barbara Rothbaum who is going to be combining prolonged exposure with MDMA. All three of those protocols with Cognitive Behavioural approaches will be interesting to triangulate the data to show how these different interventions that we already use in practice that do have effects: what will happen when we combine with MDMA?

Jacobsen: What are the common variables or factors – I guess we can precisely say – positively correlate with preceding PTSD – or more colloquially – cause PTSD? What are those pathways for someone ending up with PTSD? With MDMA in particular, what are the pathways in the brain to reduce those symptoms of that disorder?

Wagner: We conceptualize PTSD as a disorder of impeded recovery. The idea is that when someone experiences a traumatic event, many people will develop symptoms that look like PTSD right away if the event is severe enough. Many will continue on this course of natural

recovery, and will go back to baseline. Some will not follow that natural recovery as a trajectory. The idea is that conceptually, especially with Cognitive Behavioural treatment, is that there have been difficulties with memory reconsolidation but also making meaning of the event.

There is something that has gotten stuck in terms of that recovery trajectory. The idea with our current best treatments is that they are both exposure-based like CBCT (that offers approach assignments to things that people avoid when they have PTSD) and prolonged exposure (which offers an exposure literally to the memory of the event), and use cognitive approaches that make meaning of the trauma and associated thoughts that might be associated with it: blame, acceptance, trust, control, power, intimacy, and the like. The idea with combining the treatments with MDMA is that MDMA has strong effects on the brain with the release of certain neurotransmitters that allow a more easeful experience.

As well, there is activation of the prefrontal cortex and a quieting, if you will, of the amygdala. The amygdala is very heightened in PTSD. It is the fight, flight, freeze response that goes alongside a traumatic event or stimuli.

It is like this alarm system that does not go off afterward with PTSD. When that is quieted with the help of MDMA, it is experiencing and feeling what it is to not have that alarm system go off at quite the same rate and to experience the feelings that go alongside the trauma.

We facilitate this with treatments without MDMA. But the question is, “Can you help more people or others who have not been helped with these treatments using MDMA as well?”

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Wagner.

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2022-02-26

Ontario Expansion of Addiction and Harm Reduction Services

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/06

The province of Ontario is beginning to expand the axis to harm addiction and addiction services throughout the province. The latest data does represent the increase in opioid-related deaths. Year-by-year, the number of opioid-related deaths continues to rise in not only Ontario but across this large, underpopulated nation.

From January to October 2017, there were 1,053 opioid-related deaths. It was an increase of 52% from same range of time in 2016. In order to combat the opioid crisis, over 85 addiction and mental health providers throughout Ontario have begun to enhance the supports and treatment services for those with an opioid use disorder, or more properly a misuse disorder.

12 of those more than 85 are directed towards youth. More than 20 of those more than 85 are devoted to help with withdrawal management services. As well, more than 30 communities will be benefitting from expanded Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics in their communities.

As part of the Ontario’s Strategy to Prevent Opioid Addiction and Overdose, there will be a collaboration with Health Quality Ontario on three new opioid-related quality standards based on the most up-to-date evidence, and has been developed by people who have had addictions as well as clinical experts.

There will be a naloxone nasal spray as well as injectable kits available for free at participating pharmacies. There will be expanded public education on the access to naloxone as well as posters and brochures with various information about the prescription opioids.

More details from the release below:

Ontario has approved nearly $7 million in funding for seven supervised injection services. Five of these sites (three in Toronto and two in Ottawa) opened between August 2017 and February 2018. The province continues to accept applications.

Overdose prevention sites provide core harm reduction supports and services such as supervised injection and access to harm reduction supplies and naloxone.

On February 12, 2018, the first Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) opened in London, Ontario. The province continues to accept applications.

Health Quality Ontario and the Council of Academic Hospitals are helping to support the provincial rollout of the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine model, with funding from the province.

Over the next three years, Ontario is investing more than $222 million to combat the opioid crisis in Ontario, including expanding harm reduction services, hiring more front-line staff and improving access to addictions supports across the province.

References

Government of Ontario. (2018). Recognize and temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-naloxone-kits

free?_ga=2.77091733.1855539337.1512070906-126235441.1484859155.

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (2018, March 7). Ontario Moving Quickly to Expand Life-Saving Overdose Prevention Programs. Retrieved from

https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2018/03/ontario-moving-quickly-to-expand-life-saving overdose-prevention-programs.html.

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (2016, October 12). Ontario Taking Action to Prevent Opioid Abuse. Retrieved from https://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2016/10/ontario-taking-action to-prevent-opioid-abuse.html.

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (2018, January 11). Applications Now Open for Overdose Prevention Sites. Retrieved from

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/bulletin/2018/hb_20180111.aspx.

Public Health Ontario. (2018, March 7). Opioid-related morbidity and mortality in Ontario. Retrieved from https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/dataandanalytics/pages/opioid.aspx.

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2022-02-26

Radical Harm Reduction Out of the Woods

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/05

According to the University of Victoria, some radical harm reduction practices have begun to be brought into the public eye.

For examples, and a contrast, one methodology of harm reduction can be considered non-radical, which is the provision of safe needle exchange programs in specific areas of a neighbourhood. Another aspect could include on-site trained staff and Naloxone in case of overdoses for those in need of it.

The other, or as is called radical harm reduction in some reportage, is the use of the substance, at least in the case of alcohol, to curb the negative side effects of the substance in an individual’s unfortunate addiction.

A peer-reviewed academic journal has been compiling, and is reported to have completed the task, a list of the peer-reviewed literature on MAPs or Managed Alcohol Programs, which amount to the provision of measured doses of alcohol throughout the day in individuals with severe addiction to alcohol.

Given the descriptor “radical,” this, of course, does amount to a controversial program of action or branch of harm reduction methodology. But this goes back to a question about the evidence, especially the high quality peer-reviewed evidence. What does it say about MAPs in particular and radical harm reduction methodologies in general?

Drug and Alcohol Review published a special issue with four papers by researchers “at the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR, formerly CARBC) from the Canadian Managed Alcohol Program Study(CMAPS), which looks at data from approximately 380 individual MAP participants and controls across the country—the largest study ever conducted.”

Bernie Pauly and Tim Stockwell at the University of Victoria, the CMAPS Principal Investigators, reported that these amount to the most significant set of publication findings in relation to the work of MAPs.

They wrote, “It’s intended to stimulate debate and focus future research on strategies to improve outcomes for this vulnerable and often under-serviced population.”

Pauly said, “The initial results are promising in reducing acute and social harms as well as economic costs… We also need to take a closer look at how we can better provide culturally appropriate care to Indigenous people and more relevant services for women.”

The work by CISUR through MAPs is seen as a “made-in-Canada harm-reduction approach,” which continues to gain recognition in the local and global arenas. Community partners are assisting with their work.

References

Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. (2018). Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. Retrieved from https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/.

The Canadian Managed Alcohol Program Study (CMAPS). (2018). The Canadian Managed Alcohol Program Study (CMAPS). Retrieved from

https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/projects/map/index.php.

Shore, R. (2018, February 20). Radical harm reduction for illicit alcohol may save lives, studies find. Retrieved from http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/radical-harm-reduction-for illicit-alcohol-may-save-lives-studies-find.

University of Victoria News. (2018, February 19). Radical harm reduction: coming out from under the radar. Retrieved from https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2018+cisur-managed-alcohol programs+media-release.

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2022-02-26

Moderate, Regular Alcohol Doses Help Severe Alcoholics

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/04

The regulated doses provided to severe alcoholics may be a solution to help the individuals suffering from alcoholism. The methodology is part of radical harm reduction, associated with harm reduction in general, and can assist in the stabilization of the lives of the alcoholics.

Four studies published by researchers from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria showed that radical harm reduction through the highly structured managed alcohol programs (MAPs) program can help patients in residential facilities with doses given hourly or every hour and a half.

The CISUR Director, Tim Stockwell, said, “(MAPs) can achieve significant harm-reduction objectives for this very vulnerable population… These people are experiencing a lot of harm and creating a lot of cost.”

Those who use alcohol products that are cheap tend to be the homeless, where they can fail to access the shelters available in their locale due to the extreme intoxication at times. There have been reduced harms from the MAPs methodology including “violence, alcohol poisoning and death due to exposure.”

Stockwell continued, “This solution is for a small population of people who are without housing, who can’t keep housing due to explosive drinking patterns… The program must include strategies to manage outside drinking to maximize harm reduction.”

The participants should be in the facility for an hour before receiving a dose. There is support, but highly structured access and delivery. It discourages supplementation by the severe alcoholic with “outside sources of alcohol.”

Canada has 14 MAP programs with numerous probably informal setups throughout the country. Vancouver has a formal MAP program on Station Street and an informal one several blocks away through the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

There are many programs like this, formal and informal, throughout the country structured within a harm reduction and, less often, a radical harm reduction provision methodology.

References

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2022-02-26

Harm Reduction Effective and Incomplete

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/03

In terms of the overdose crisis, some experts claim that the innovations in the harm reduction methodology in practice do not suffice in order to reduce the opioid crisis efficiently or are limited.

Of course, harm reduction policies save far more lives and reduce the harm caused from the drug misuse throughout the country, especially, in contrast, stark contrast, to the punitive approach currently in vogue within the country akin to the American system.

British Columbia is host to some of the more progressive policies and practices of harm reduction including the distribution of prescription grade heroin in addition to supervised injection sites tied to vending machines.

However, British Columbia is also facing one of the highest rates of death if not the highest rate of death due to overdose out of all provinces or territories with more than 1,400 people dying of illicit drug use in 2017 alone.

Donald MacPherson is the director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. He said, “The envelope is being pushed because of the desperate situation and no one really knows what to do, because we’ve never seeing anything like this before… But if we had another public policy that had failed as dramatically as our drug policy over the past few years, we’d say this is a catastrophic failure.”

The toxicity of the drug supply is one major concern. Another major concern is the stigma attached to the drug use and misuse throughout the country.

It makes the discussion difficult. It makes public action also difficult. But harm reduction, especially in British Columbia, has been a direct reaction, proactive reaction, to these for deaths in the province.

References

CBC News. (2018, January 31). More than 1,420 people died of illicit-drug overdoses in B.C. in 2017, the ‘most tragic year ever’: coroner. Retrieved

from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/overdose-deaths-bc-2017-1.4511918.

Ghoussob, M. (2018, February 3). Innovations in harm reduction can’t curb ‘catastrophic’ overdose crisis, say experts. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british columbia/innovations-in-harm-reduction-can-t-curb-catastrophic-overdose-crisis-say-experts 1.4509136.

Turner, G. (2017, July 31). City, On Drugs. Retrieved

from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ondrugs/city-on-drugs-1.4230969?autoplay=true.

Wilson, D. (2017, December 20). Could vending machines help solve B.C.’s opioid overdose crisis?. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dilaudid-vending machine-solution-opioid-overdose-tyndall-1.4458358.

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2022-02-26

Naloxone Training Provided By UFV in Chilliwack and Abbotsford (BC)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/02

The University of the Fraser Valley is offering a harm reduction initiative with provisions of naloxone training as well as take-home naloxone (THN) kits. This initiative’s training in Naloxone use will happen in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

The Opioid and Naloxone Awareness Day event will take place on March 5. The University of the Fraser Valley Project is a student-driven Project grounded in harm reduction philosophy and practice.

This is becoming an increasing phenomenon throughout the country. The event will include interactive educational booths. UFV Social Work students will help with the event. One of their social work students, Amanda Ellsworth, considers this the most important time in order to equip and educate undergraduate peers.

“Students are coming out of high schools, or from international schools,” Ellsworth explained, “who have never been trained on recognizing the signs of an opioid overdose. If they see one happening, and have a naloxone kit with training, we might save lives.”

There has been prior naloxone training on campus through the UFV Peer Resource and Leadership Centre in addition to guidance from Bethany Jeal who is a UFV Nursing faculty member. Jeal hopes this event will provide training and reduce stigma as well.

The general public is allowed to attend, but the emphasis is on university of the Fraser Valley faculty, staff, and students. Preference is for RSVPs. However, people that want to drop in can do so as well. RSVPs will simply amount to a courtesy. The naloxone training will happen with trained UFV nursing students.

Event information here:

“Monday, March 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in B121 on the Abbotsford campus, 11:30 a.m. in A0014 on the Chilliwack Canada Education Park campus, and 1:30 p.m. in Room 1001 on the Chilliwack Trades and Technology campus.”

If you would like to RSVP, please go to the link here:

mycampuslife.ufv.ca

If you would like to contact the PRLC coordinator, please send an email here: Ashley.WardHall@ufv.ca or thn@ufv.ca

References

The Chilliwack Progress. (2018, March 2). UFV harm reduction initiative offers free Naloxone training and kits. Retrieved from https://www.theprogress.com/news/ufv-harm-reduction initiative-offers-free-naloxone-training-and-kits/.

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2022-02-26

The Death of Raffi Balian

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/27

There was the death of a harm reduction worker. The man was Raffi Balian who died, recently. There was the Drug Users’ Memorial on Friday February 16th at the South Riverdale Community Health Center or SRCHC.

Many spoke about the impact of this harm reduction worker and lifelong advocate for those who are users and even misusers of drugs. Balian was one of the founders and the coordinator of the SRCHC award-winning COUNTERfit harm reduction program.

Recently, it had expanded to include a safe-injection service called KeepSIX. Unfortunately, at the age of 60, Balian died on attending a national about supervised consumption. The day of death was February 16^th.

There were about 50 people who mourned the death in the Leslieville centre. There were songs, prayers, a smudge ceremony, as well as the reminiscences of the good times. Carol Lee who is the person who runs the SRCHC Drug Users’ Memorial Project talked about the “ruthless war on drugs.”

Lee read a few lines that Balian wrote in May of 2012 as well. A well-known harm reduction worker in Toronto who co-founded the Moss Park overdose prevention site name is Zoe Dodd talked about the untimely death of Balian as well as the loss of others that she knew and cared for.

Often, there is a focus on the people who misuse drugs, overdose, and even die without appropriate trained care and naloxone present. However, there are the long-term advocates and workers.

Here we are dealing with the death of a highly valued member on the other side, someone who impacted the lives of the users that worked to improve their own livelihood, even hoping to save some lives.

Unfortunately, those who are helping those who misuse substance can die in the midst of their own advocacy at work as well. “Today we are remembering people who have been lost to us. … people who have been prematurely robbed of their lives,” said Lynne Raskin, SRCHC’s executive director.

References

Lavoie, J. (2014, February 21). Harm reduction worker remembered at Leslieville memorial. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8145017-harm-reduction-worker remembered-at-leslieville-memorial/.

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2022-02-26

Psychedelic Career Day: March 3, 2018

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/26

Psychedelic Career Day is hosted by the Toronto Psychedelic Society on March 3, 2018 via Zoom in a webinar. There will, in addition to the Zoom webinar, be a live event hosted at the University of Toronto.

The Keynote address will be by Dr. Ben Sessa. After the keynote address by Dr. Sessa, the Psychedelic Career Day will be hosted by Daniel Greig from Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy. The panel will include individuals including Rita Kočárová, David Wilder, Dr. Anne Wagner, Trevor Millar, and Alison McMahon.

Many people interested in psychedelia can go by the title “psychonauts.” One reason for this event is to discuss and present the experiences of those who have gone into the world and build a life for themselves in areas less well-trodden. How do you build an academic or professional career in the realm of psychedelia?

Psychedelic Career Day is one effort to bridge that gap and define some paths forward, especially in the university research system for work and investigation in-depth into psychedelics.

You can find more information out about the event here:

https://torontopsychedelic.net/events/

Good wishes and see you there!

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2022-02-26

David Wilder Interview on Psychedelic Career Day

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/25

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How did you become interested in the discipline of psychedelia?

David Wilder: I was actually pretty opposed to all drug use when I grew up and it wasn’t until I got to college and began experimenting with drinking alcohol that I loosened up enough to try cannabis a few times. It didn’t have much effect on me the first few times (probably because I wasn’t actually inhaling properly), and eventually the people I was hanging out with bought some salvia divinorum to try. Without any knowledge of what I was getting into, I joined them one time while they were smoking the extract and ended up having an extremely intense out-of body experience where I was looking down on myself from above. That experience threw me for quite a loop and gave me a lot to think about. Later that summer I traveled to Europe and purchased some psilocybin mushrooms from a smart shop in Amsterdam. I ate them and had a life-changing transformative trip which showed me quite a few things that I needed to work on. When I got back to America, I became somewhat obsessed with learning as much as I could about psychedelics, reading lots of books, watching tons of videos, and listening to podcasts about psychedelics. It’s been over ten years since that summer back in college and I’m still consuming a lot of psychedelic content to learn as much as I can.

Jacobsen: What is the purpose and content of Psychedelic Career Day?

Wilder: This event is designed to facilitate a conversation about how people can create a career related to psychedelics. I’m a freelance writer that spends a significant amount of time writing about psychedelics, and the rest of the panel consists of psychedelic researchers, an event organizer, an entrepreneur, and a Ibogaine facilitator. I’m very interested in what these panelists have to say about their own careers, and hope that as a group we are able to give some inspiration to people out there who are wondering what type of psychedelic career they can create.

Jacobsen: You have a wide range of interests including “music, reading and writing, plant based diets, fitness, meditation and yoga, psychoactive drugs, gardening, alternative economics and self-development.” How does Think Wilder provide an outlet these?

Wilder: My blog Think Wilder is a place where I can write about my interests in an effort to spread information to others. I have a weekly “This Week in Psychedelics” column where I link to a wide variety of psychedelic-related articles that show up each week in the news. Some of these articles focus on the risks that can come from taking psychedelics, while others delve into their benefits. The column is intended to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation. I also write a weekly “Weekend Thoughts” column, which briefly talks about some of the things that have happened in the previous week. That column tends to focus a lot on news about technology, which is another topic I’m very interested in. In addition to those two weekly columns, I have published a few “how to” articles about various meditation techniques and several book reviews that cover the topics that you mentioned. Ultimately, my blog is a place for me to work on my writing ability and express the things that I’m thinking about to the wider world.

Jacobsen: What will be your own contribution to the panel?

Wilder: I will be speaking for 5-10 minutes about my personal background and history with psychedelics before diving into some of the tips and tricks that I wrote about in my “Continuing Further Education with Psychedelics” article that is published on Psychedelic Times and then talking about a few psychedelic careers that are options for people who want to create a psychedelic career. Although I don’t have the same wealth of professional experiences with psychedelics that the other panelists have, I’m hoping that talking about my story as a freelance writer will help upcoming psychedelic content creators to think about how they can carve out their own careers.

Jacobsen: How do you hope to help the younger generations explore the world of psychedelia?

Wilder: My hope is that we see a lot of different types of careers bloom out of the psychedelic community. One potential path that younger people can take is to study psychedelics in college and become psychedelic researchers or trained therapists that can help people integrate their psychedelic experiences. In addition, some people may want to get involved with drug policy work, while others could become content creators and help expand the conversation about psychedelics even further. It’s an exciting time to be involved, because although there are a ton of options available to pursue.

Jacobsen: Any final thoughts or feelings in conclusion?

Wilder: I think that about sums it up for me. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, and I am looking forward to participating in the webinar!

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2022-02-26

Interview with Daniel Greig of CSSDP on Psychedelic Career Day

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/23

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Psychedelic Career Day, what is the event? Why is it important for those interested in entering the career of the discipline of psychedelia?

Daniel Greig: The career day is a panel of a bunch of people who are working within the field of psychedelic research and, more broadly, they research with substances traditionally considered either recreational or not useful given the history of drug laws.

So, we do have one panelist focusing on cannabis. But the majority are focused on doing the research or writing about the research in the Psychedelic Rennaissance. It is the reintroduction of psychedelics into research settings.

There will be many jobs opening up in relation to this field of study. It has been rocky trying to do this research over the last 40 or 50 years because of the strict legal restrictions on utilizing a lot of these compounds.

Those have been loosened. The general public has moved to from away from being fearful about psychedelic compounds. The benefits are becoming known about for e.g. DMT, Ketamine, and MDMA.

MDMA has been given breakthrough therapy status by the FDA in the United States, a huge change compared to the approach in the 90s where MDMA was demonized as the rave drug.

The common example of that is where you would see: “This is your brain on drugs. These drugs make holes in your brain.” That is the discourse we have been having to put up with for a long time.

Nowadays, there is less of that and more positive information coming out, more objective information coming out. The objective case is these are positive for wellbeing in a number of ways.

A lot of people and students especially are interested in that. This panel is important for giving people the tools they need to pursue careers in this field within legitimate institutions, within Academia and therapeutic contexts.

This panel is about bringing the information to a bunch of eager and willing people who want to work in this field, making it more possible that they can do that effectively.

Jacobsen: With respect to the panelists who were invited to the one you will be hosting, what will be the things that they will be bringing to that panel in general?

Greig: A lot of these people are new for me to talk to. I am familiar with Ben Sessa’s work. He is a longrunning and published author on the effects of MDMA in psychotherapy.

He even started the Breaking Convention Conference in the United Kingdom. I am really interested to talk to him and see his experience in the field and the things he has been able to get up to in this fairly restricted field up until this point.

David Wilder, he is a blogger. So, a bit more of a casual perspective on what sorts of jobs are available in the field because there are plenty of people interested in psychedelics as a philosophical starting point.

He explores psychedelics, spirituality, technology, and self-development. He does a lot of educational events related to his writing work. That is also an interesting avenue for people to be engaging in this research. What are the implications of psychedelics more generally for our technological society?

Also, Anne Wagner, I am familiar with her work. She is a great speaker and has an excellent perspective on this.

She works out of Ryerson University. She is working on research work with MDMA and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is more of an institutional figure, someone with a research and medical background. This is what a lot of people are going to be looking for when having careers of this kind.

Then we also have Trevor Millar who is an entrepreneur. He does his own Ibogaine facilitation as far as I understand. He makes that available to people. It will be interesting to get that perspective as well because there are people looking for legal ways to integrate people into having psychedelic healing, which isn’t quite on the table right now for the widespread population – in typical legal avenues.

We have a little bit of everything here. A good diversity of focus on different areas, different subsets, of psychedelic research. The Ibogaine experience is different from the MDMA experience is different from the cannabis experience.

As a result, there are a lot of different pathways for people to work with those compounds in different ways. We have a good array of voices to look forward to.

Jacobsen: For those with an interest in following through on not necessarily attendance at Psychedelic Career Day, though that will be a valuable venue for them to gather some information as well as meet some of the personalities, what other resources can facilitate their own self-exploration into the psychedelic world?

Greig: I would start with recommending with getting on the mailing list for all of the research institutions that are working on this stuff. You have MAPS Canada. If you give a donation, you will receive information on their research and events they are affiliated with.

That is a good way to keep in the loop. There is also The Beckley Foundation. You can keep up with them for updates on their research and events. they often collaborate with the organization MAPS as well.

They were both major contributors to the Psychedelic Science Conference that happens regularly in California. On top of keeping up to date with these research bodies, it is also important to stay in the know and connected to the community around you.

Whether that means attending conferences in your area that are related to psychedelics, in Toronto, there is more of that happening. I host the Mapping the Mind with Mushrooms Conference every September. It happens at the University of Toronto.

There was a recent one called From Microdosing to Mystical Experiences hosted by the Toronto Psychedelic Society. Those things are a great way to keep in the loop. I know there are similar events in Vancouver because MAPS Canada has their headquarters in Vancouver.

It is a fruitful ground for a lot of educational events and community integration events. If you do not have access to those things, there are more psychedelic societies popping up.

One started in Hamilton, Ontario and another in Toronto, recently. One of the reason this career panel is so widespread and available across the globe is because of the interactive network of psychedelic societies.

Getting involved with that is a good way of linking into the network and fostering ideas about psychedelics, self-exploration in regards to that, and the network is the most important thing, I think.

If you want to do the work in this field, you have to know the people; it is a great way to facilitate the efficacy of the psychedelic movement.

If you are a student at a university and want to be working in this, it is good to be open to the potential professors and supervisors in your area. One of the best resources you have, if you want to be working for psychedelics, is yourself. You as an individual can help bring psychedelic compounds back into the institution by being forward about the backing that we have from empirical research, proposing an independent study or research projects that you can be collaborating on with your supervisors or professors. That will ultimately be the most helpful thing. It is taking those steps to make things happen.

Jacobsen: The end. Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Daniel.

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2022-02-26

Interview with Trevor Millar – Founder, Liberty Root Therapy Ltd.

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/22

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was the basis for the invitation to the panel for Psychedelic Career Day? What are you hoping to bring to it in general terms?

Trevor Millar: I was a speaker at the Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum held in October a couple of years ago in Victoria. That is where I met Bradley Foster who invited me to be a part of the upcoming Career Day. My company is called Liberty Root Therapy Ltd. (www.libertyroot.net) We have been operating it for the last 4 years providing the psychedelic plant medicine Ibogaine to those who feel called to it and qualify.

We work mostly with opioid addicts, as it is a powerful addiction interrupter. Since last May, I have not been doing much hands on work as there have been some regulatory changes in Canada. I have been focused on the big picture on how we can make this medicine available to more people.

To what I give to this panel, I have the unique experience of actually running a business in Canada giving psychedelics to people, legally, with Health Canada knowing about it. I bring a unique perspective having operated a company that has given psychedelic therapy to more than 200 people.

Jacobsen: How does Ibogaine work to be an addiction interrupter?

Millar: The backstory is that it comes from the Iboga shrub. It has been used ceremonially for centuries in Africa in the Bwiti tradition. They claim the pygmies gave it to them. It is used ‘in the jungle’ for healing on many levels as well as initiation into adulthood and the tribe in general.

In 1962, a heroin addict in New York City by the name of Howard Lotsof had a chemist buddy who knew that he would try anything. He asked him to try Ibogaine, and he did. This sent him on a long psychedelic trip, it can be as long as 36-hours, but when he came out the other end he realized he hadn’t wanted heroin the whole time he’d been on it, nor did he want it

anymore. That is when its anti-addictive properties were discovered.

He became a champion for the medicine and got the right people to pay attention to some degree. He founded the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance and established some standards of care. I was recently the Executive Director of that organization. (www.ibogainealliance.org)

It seems to scrub the opiate receptors and bring people to an opiate naive state. We treat mostly opioid addicts; it helps to interrupt any negative pattern a person wants to overcome including most drugs.

But it works especially well for opioids. It helps people get off the drug without the pain of withdrawal, which can drag out for months and months. We bring clients in for 10 days.

We have a doctor working with us to prescribe morphine. a short-acting opioid, so they would be on that for the first day or so to stabilize.

Then we tend to low dose with Ibogaine for one or two days. The way that works is somebody wakes up in the morning, has a bit of withdrawal, and then we give them a small dose of Ibogaine and the withdrawals are taken away for 4-6 hours.

When the withdrawals come back, we put them back on morphine. Because the Ibogaine has done some of its work, we only need to go in with about half as much of the opioid. We do that for a couple of days and ween them off the opiate as much as possible before the next day, which is when we bring in a registered nurse and do the ‘flood dose’ of Ibogaine.

This is the full 36-hour long experience. As I said, we bring in a registered nurse. Ibogaine is potentially deadly. There is a big screening process prior to bringing any clients come in, including an ECG to check their heart as well as blood work.

During that 36-hour long experience, it is, as far as I as a non-patient is concerned, a person lying on a bed. But the first 8-12 hours a person will go through something that’s been called an oneiric experience, or “as related to dreams.”

As with many psychedelic psychotherapies, you may relive past traumatic events, but see it from a different context so some forgiveness may happen there. It is hard to describe the experience adequately.

The first 6-12 hours contains most of the ‘bells and whistles’, then the following 24 provides a lot of time to reflect. Eventually they’ll get some sleep and if we need to do it, we can give some booster medicine if there are any other withdrawals.

For the most part, after the flood, they are physically free of opiates. Generally, the cravings have disappeared. Withdrawal from opiates is normally dire pain for anywhere from a couple days to a couple months with some of post-acute symptoms often extending six months or more. With Ibogaine most of this is addressed in a few days. It’s such a gift.

It is amazing to see. People still to have decisions to make out the other end of the treatment, so it is not a 100% success rate overall. We see long-term in the unscientific studies that we have done out of Liberty Root a 60-65% success rate treating these addicts.

It blows regular addiction statistics out of the water. That number correlates with the general consensus around the success of Ibogaine. Some of the more scientific studies done tend to show around a 50% success rate on average.

Jacobsen: How might this apply to the opioid epidemic ongoing in the country at the moment?

Millar: It is a really great solution!

Jacobsen: [Laughing].

Millar: The way Ibogaine has been classified for the last 4 or 5 years when I was working with it. It was classified as a natural health product within Canada. That meant that it was regulated to a certain degree, but wasn’t regulated to the point where a person would be breaking a law by using it.

In May, it was put on the prescription drug list. I think it is where it should be because it is potentially dangerous. A natural health product should not be potentially dangerous. It is good that it was put on the prescription drug list.

But in order to be available, it needs to get a drug identifier number. To get that drug identifier number, you need to have the stage 1, 2, 3 clinical trials in order for Health Canada to say, “This is how the drug should be used.

It is currently in a regulatory Twilight Zone. My aim is to move it beyond that Twilight Zone. But it would be huge in piece in trying to fix this opioid crisis. It is definitely not for everybody. The way I started to use this medicine was to look for ways to help the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.

It was a passion project that I started in 2001, and in 2009 Ibogaine came on the radar as a potential solution. The right synchronicities happened to have the right doors open. I was able to put together a great team for this.

Our philosophy was we will take paying customers and then use some profits take people from the Downtown Eastside and help them. We helped a good few people out of that neighborhood.

The people we’ve helped from that hood are doing great from what I know; I am in touch with a couple of them. One has a job and an apartment. He told me that he has $5,000 that he wants to invest in something [Laughing]. To go from being homeless on the Downtown Eastside, staying in a shelter; going through this process, getting on his feet enough that now he’s asking me about how to invest $5K in cryptocurrencies. It’s pretty amazing. [Laughing].

Ibogaine is not for everybody. I work with people on the Downtown Eastside for months before I give them medicine. You do not want to pluck somebody out, give them Ibogaine, then drop them back in. That will not work. But it can be a big piece of the puzzle in fixing this opioid crisis with the proper pre-care and aftercare. It deserves some attention. That’s my goal.

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2022-02-26

Interview with Alison McMahon – Founder & CEO, Cannabis at Work

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/20

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You are going to be presenting at the Psychedelic Career Day on a panel. What will be your angle of presentation? What will you be bringing to the panel?

Alison McMahon: The panel is talking about how the various panelists got into their careers. In my case, it is focused on cannabis and cannabis legalization. I will be sharing my journey of how I got into this sector.

Jacobsen: With regards to the field of psychedelia, some of the conversations around Psychedelic Career Day is that the university system does not necessarily see the psychedelic field as a legitimate discipline or field of study. Why do you consider psychedelia a legitimate field of study?

McMahon: I will talk from the cannabis background, which crosses over and is relevant. To be frank, I am not an expert in the psychedelic field. I was asked to participate in the panel and I find it very interesting. I am happy to share my background as a much as possible.

When we look at cannabis, given the scheduling of cannabis as a schedule 1 drug in the US and a schedule 2 drug in Canada, it has lead to a lot of limitations in terms of studying cannabis for medical purposes.

We are starting to see some movement and some change now. But what that means, is we are behind when it comes to the science of cannabis and being able to speak to its medical benefits and medical efficacy.

With some of the psychedelic drugs, it is a similar situation; there have been limitations on studying them for medical purposes. So, that limits the amount of knowledge that we have on the medical benefits or the medical potential and the amount of application that we have seen of those substances for medical or therapeutic reasons.

Jacobsen: Taking on step away from the particular panel, as well as Psychedelic Career Day, though associated with it, you found Cannabis at Work. What inspired you to found it? In other words, where did you see a need that you could found an organization that could fulfill that need?

McMahon: I was a human resources specialist and an entrepreneur prior to this work. I was involved in human resources. I helped employers with a variety of human resources topics. In 2015, in the Summer, I started to see and hear more about cannabis in the news.

It started along with what was happening in the US at the state level. It was pre-Trudeau, but, he was running and marijuana was part of his platform. It was a time when cannabis started to hit my radar more.

I realized that it was, on the one hand, one big opportunity for drug reform. I realized that there is a really big challenge for employers, especially, in the sectors that have employees that may have been prescribed cannabis medically, but the employer is really uneducated about the complexities between strains with THC or CBD in them – and how that affects impairment or not.

I realized there was a gap in knowledge. That there was something they were grappling with. It was helping employers gain knowledge and also update their own drug and alcohol policies while maintaining workplace safety and being respectful of human rights for individuals who are using cannabis for medical purposes.

Due to our participation in the cannabis sector in Canada, around Cannabis at Work, in the Spring of last year with the legalization of marijuana announcement, that is when we launched our staffing division. That makes us Canada’s only staffing agency focusing exclusively on the regulated cannabis sector in Canada.

Jacobsen: Often, with psychedelics and non-psychedelics, there are myths in the public mind. You mentioned some. What are one or two of those bigger myths that float around? What are the empirical truths that dispel them?

McMahon: I think that the biggest myth or point of fear for employers is using medical cannabis is that the employee will be high all of the time and be a huge safety or productivity risk in the workplace. Employers and the general public do not understand some of the nuances of medical cannabis.

Somebody, if they are taking it in the evening and they do not work until 12 or more hours later the next day, they may not be impaired, but they may be able to continue doing their job. There may not need to be any formal accommodation of that.

I think that is probably the biggest challenge, which is the lack of nuance in knowledge about cannabis. Everyone views cannabis as an impairment causing substance. But people can be using these strains with very little THC in them.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Alison.

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2022-02-26

First Nations Conference in Vancouver, BC

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/08

The first First Nations mental health and wellness conference will be taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mental health and substance abuse are major issues for the First Nations Community within Canada.

Elders, educators, well as community leaders and care providers amount tohundreds of people

will meet in Vancouver to discuss these issues in a formal conference setting. The difficulties can be focused on children as well provincial care.

The number of suicides from opioid overdoses in First Nations communities are farhigher than the rest of the general BC population. Some note that things we see with things like suicides and deaths are symptoms of things such as century of assimilation policies and racism.

Grand Chief Doug Kelly, chair of the First Nations Health Council, said, “I’m full of good feelings and I’m full of hope because there’s 600 leaders and caregivers that want to make a difference… We’re dealing with some very difficult things.”

The conversations will focus on pragmatic concerns, i.e., the tangible solutions to deal with mental health issues including those that could lead to a suicide or coping with opioids that are actually laced with fentanyl leading to an overdose death.

Mark Matthew, the manager of Engagement and coordination health authority,

considers this a praiseworthy conference. He said, “It’s important that we talk about these difficult things because if we don’t start talking about them, how can the healing really start?”

References

Bellrichards, C. (2018, February 8). First of its kind First Nations mental health and wellness conference takes place in Vancouver. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/first nations-mental-health-wellness-conference-1.4525865.

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2022-02-26

Karmik is Here to Help with Nightlife

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/02/04

British Columbia harm reduction organizations are hoping to improve the safety of nightlife in Victoria, British Columbia. Organizations such as Karmik. The new chapter will be in Victoria, British Columbia.

There will be provisions of drug checking services, eeducation and training in order to reduce the stigma of drug use in order to help with the prevention of overbose deaths, as well as help with the peer support at the events.

Given the severity of the fentanyl crisis throughout 2017, and arguably earlier, the organization is important for the improvement of the safety standards in the nightlife scene. Young people want to have fun in a responsible and safe manner.

Uunfortunately, these substances can be laced with things like Fentanyl. But organizations run by decent people such as those at Karmik are providing a way for safer nightlife.

If you want to help out with the organization, you can look into the website in order to look into various ways of contributing to the organization and in a way to the community of nightlife substitute is looking for a safe, responsible, and mutually respectful environment to enjoy a good party.

References

Dimoff, A. (2018, February 4). B.C. harm reduction organization hopes to improve nightlife safety in Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/karmik harm-reduction-victoria-1.4518129.

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2022-02-26

Mothers Gather as a Force for Harm Reduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/01/22

You go about daily life, wander from the kitchen to grab coffee, and back to the fridge for some foodstuffs to make the sandwich for your son’s lunch before he heads off to school. He is in grade 12, but having troubles.

Communication, though good in the past, has gotten worse over the high school years. You begin to lose contact on the what’s what of your son’s activities. You go to his room to wake him up: knock, knock, knock, in a gentle rhythm.

No answer, curious panic, you turn the knob, push gentle on the door, and peek in. He’s not there. You are worried, don’t know where he is or where he went last night. You hear a knock, knock, knock – solid, loud, authoritative, at your door.

A rhythm reminiscent of that which you knocked at your son’s door. You feel a sting of uncertainty and panic. You rush to the front door, peek through the eyehole as you press your face to the door.

It’s the RCMP. You open the door and get the news. Your child, your son, died from an opioid overdose the night before. This, of course, is a tale. But the theme of the experience is becoming a common death experience on the part of families across the country. Parents losing children.

Mothers do not want to have to deal with this anymore, as the public reaction is not swift. Some are mobilizing for the implementation of the only methodology with evidence behind it. That being harm reduction.

One mother is Tina Kavanagh, who’s son is David. He left rehabilitation in September of 2017. “I was really worried knowing he was out because fentanyl was introduced to Cambridge [Ont.] six months prior to him getting out of rehab.”

On October 12^thof 2017, only two weeks after David left the halfway house in Kitchener, Ontario. Kavanagh received a call. His cousin’s wife had found David’s lifeless body at 6:15 am.

You see the thematic similarities. There was a syringe in David’s hand. Harm reduction is a needed methodology for the improvement of community health and to save individual lives like David.

Kavanagh suspects there was an injection of heroin laced with fentanyl that lead to the death of Death. Although, the toxicology report, at the time of the article, had not come out (Ibid.). Fentanyl is 100x more powerful than morphine.

The expected deaths from 2017 were 4,000 in 2017 alone. There was a plan of action launched in November of 2016 to help deal with the ongoing crisis through the territories and provinces of the country.

The number of opioid-related deaths was expected to hit at least 4,000 by the end of last year. In November, 2016, the federal government launched an action plan to address the far-reaching crisis with the provinces and territories.

In Wabana, Bell Island, Kavanagh and other mothers of intravenous drug users are gathering together to work for the benefit of the general public through “stocking an RV with clean needles and information on harm reduction, recovery options, rehab programs and drug counselling.”

Other women, such as Susan Boone, have undergone a similar tragedy with the almost overdose death of her 24-year-old daughter. Boone says, “Harm reduction is paramount. If they’re sick and dying of disease, they’re never going to get better.”

Another mother named Sheila Lahey has a son who is a drug user. She runs a needle exchange program out of her home. She, of course, gets support, which comes from the Safe Works Access Program, as well as a local activist named Brian Rees.

Rees takes a 4-hour trip to exchange dirty needles for the clean ones. About a dozen people use the service per day. Over 12,000 needles were collected and disposed – for the public good and deserving commendation – of, by the community of Wabana.

“I was shocked at how much they’re going through – how really bad this situation is,” Lahey said. Her own 33-year-old son went from full-time work as an electrician to heavily indebted and on social assistance based on a cocaine habit.

Wabana Mayor Gary Gosine lost a 35-year-old nephew from an overdose. The mayor is leading a grassroots harm reduction movement as well.

Kavanagh said, “As long as I keep myself busy with keeping David’s memory going, I’m okay…I just want to keep his memory alive.” That is at least a start, and definitely a driving heart behind the compassionate efforts of harm reduction.

References

Jones, L. (2018, January 16). Mothers band together for harm reduction. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/amid-opioid-crisis-mothers-band-together-for harmreduction/article37631505/.

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2022-02-26

Needles Potentially Placed Deliberately in Victoria, BC

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/01/20

One Victoria Island Health official speculated on the potential of sabotage by opponents of harm reductions based on reportage by the Victoria, British Columbia police of an increase in the quantity of discarded syringes (Britten, 2018; CBC News, 2018a).

This did have consequences because a three-year-old child on Pandora Avenue was pricked with a needle as well as a similar event with a woman finding two needles. The needles, according to the local police, were deliberately placed (Ibid.; CBC News, 2018b).

The Chief Medical Health Officer for the health authority, Dr. Richard Stanwick, speculated that some Canadian citizens with misgivings or disinclinations for support of harm reduction philosophy and methodologies planted the objects.

“What we are really concerned about is that this isn’t some sort of effort to discredit efforts around harm reduction,” Stanwick stated. As well, he noted that there is legal and research evidence to strongly support the claim that drug use has a huge stigma.

Linked to the stigma, the opponents, based on the many cases of academic and legal evidence, may be ‘activists’ of a sort and plant the needles in opposition to the harm reduction gaining further public acceptance.

Stanwick stated the public finds fewer deliberately discarded needles. “The events are so basically scattered,” Stanwick said, “It doesn’t appear that there is any distinct pattern to them other than they happened over time.”

The concern still remains about public safety hazards with the potentially deliberately placed needles in public places, as in the case of the 3-year-old. The Director of Solid Outreach, which is a drug user network, said, “Within the street community, most people would be very upset with people for leaving needles behind even just in the street, let alone in a more threatening manner.”

References

Britten, L. (2018, January 18). Health official suggests Victoria syringes may have been placed by harm reduction opponents. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british columbia/victoria-syringe-discarded-island-health-1.4492552.

CBC News. (2018a, January 17). Victoria officials concerned by spike in discarded needle prickings. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/victoria-officials concerned-by-spike-in-needle-prickings-1.4490762.

CBC News. (2018b, January 15). Victoria woman finds syringe police believe was ‘deliberately placed’ in planter box. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/victoria police-vicpd-syringe-1.4488965.

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2022-02-25

Bundale on the Upcoming Market for Cannabis

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/01/01

Brett Bundale talked about the end of cannabis prohibition in the Hamilton Spectator (2017). He proposes the thought experiment that the new providers for cannabis, the seller, will have outlets that are “very chic, very modern” with a clean look to them.

Only 6 or 7 months to go – 7 at the time of the article – before recreational cannabis begins to be legalized throughout the Canadian provinces and territories. The sellers are looking to capitalize on the days right after legalization, as there surely is a dormant market for cannabis that is bond to flourish in a Canada where marijuana use is widely accepted.

But the details as to what the purchase of over-the-counter recreational cannabis will look like is much in discussion and not certain. A lawyer from Ottawa, Trina Fraser, said, “Think more like tobacco as opposed to alcohol…It’s not going to be like you’ll walk in and there are samples.”

There are some hints such as New Brunswick’s with the retail scheme apparently “the most advanced among the province,” Bundale notes, “The province has issued construction specs featuring a standalone brick store with a black awning featuring the CannabisNB logo.”

The staff in the building will inform the potential customers about safe and responsible recreational cannabis use tied to harm reduction. The explanations will include the law of the area.

“In a single day, buying cannabis will go from a black-market purchase, steeped in surreptitious dealings and paranoid dealers, to a modern shopping experience,” Bundale stated, “A drug long condemned as the stuff of street gangs, organized crime and outlaw motorcycle clubs will be branded, packaged and displayed in stores.”

There will be an excise tax as well as consumption taxes too.

Saskatchewan wants or is looking into a private model. Yukon may limit the selling to the outlets run by the government; whereas, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut remain in consultations with the public.

Bundale said, “Governments are also still hammering out exactly how much the product will cost, how much it will be taxed, the minimum age for buyers, where smoking pot will be legal and driving impairment rules.”

A policy analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto, Ontario – which states that it is most influential think tank in the nation, in Canada. – named Rosalie Wyonch said, “For the provinces that will go Crown corporation for retail, it’s probably going to be a very polished experience.”

Wyonch stated that the privately sold cannabis outlets will have a variety or a “spectrum” of provisions based on the price tags. CSSDP’s own Jenna Valleriani, who is a University of Toronto Ph.D. candidate said that buying cannabis must be more convenient in order to fulfill the original goal of eliminating th black market.

“For people who have purchased from a friend or acquaintance for 15 years, those are really hard purchasing patterns to shift,” she says. “If you did have to go to a retail shop and wait in line for an hour, that’s likely going to deter people from going there.”

Bundale, B. (2017, December 26). What legal weed stores will look like: ‘Very chic, very modern, very clean-cut’. Retrieved from https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8022569-what legal-weed-stores-will-look-like-very-chic-very-modern-very-clean-cut-/.

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2022-02-25

Safe Needles for Southeastern Manitoba

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/12/31

Southeast Manitoba has been encouraging some of its injection drug users to take advantage of a new program developed to reduce the risk to their health and wellness, which appears to be based on harm reduction principles (MacLean, 2017).

The free needle exchange program will have made available through Southern Health-Santé Sud in order to expand harm reduction programs in rural areas. recently rolled out its free needle program at all public health offices across the region in an effort to expand harm reduction programs to rural areas.

Regional Director Public Health-Healthy Living, Stephanie Verhoeven, said, “We don’t have specific information on what’s happening in our region but we do know that drug use does exist in rural Manitoba, and we know that we’re a small province and people tend to move around a lot.”

Much of Manitoba becomes – and in particular Winnipeg – the comparison case for this sector. With the offer of the service in rural areas, Verhoeven says, the service which Winnipeg has been providing for a long time, then the service will be provided to the rest of the province as well.

The Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority also has needle exchange program since 2015’s summer. The concern tends to come from concern about the cleanliness of the needles used and potentially reused by users, and so the same in this case.

Without proper supplies, clean stuff, the substance users and unfortunately the misusers will continue to use discarded needles. This increases the probability of the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.

“It’s hard to say exactly how many people’s lives you’re touching when you make supplies accessible in this way,” she said.

The health region advises the public, if they come across discarded needles to do the following:

∙ Use a sharps container, or a thick plastic bottle like a bleach container. Don’t use glass, which can break.

∙ Put the container on a stable surface.

∙ Wear thick gloves.

∙ Use tongs, pliers or tweezers to pick up needles.

∙ Put the needle in the container and tape closed.

∙ Wash your hands.

∙ Drop off the container at a public health office or a pharmacy that accepts used needles. ∙ Do not put the container in a recycling bin.

If you are pricked by a needle:

∙ Allow the wound to bleed freely.

∙ Don’t squeeze to encourage bleeding.

∙ Quickly wash the area with soap and water.

∙ Go to an emergency department.

References

MacLean, C. (2017, December 29). Southern health region launches safe needle program for drug users. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/injection-drugs-needles southern-health-1.4467128.

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2022-02-25

Harm Reduction Helps Indigenous Populations in Saskatchewan

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/12/20

Erin Petrow of the Saskatoon Starphoenix wrote on Indigenous communities within Saskatchewan showing signs of improvement with harm reduction practices implemented inside of the community (2017).

Dr. Ibrahim Khan, the chief medical health officer for Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch in Saskatchewan, noted a 10 % increase in HIV, while at the same time there has been a “massive increase of HIV testing in these communities.”

“The whole point in the HIV and Hepatitis C story is the earlier you can diagnose, the better you have a handle on stopping the spread,” Khan said, “but we want to increase that number — we want to even double that number in the coming years — so that testing is not an barrier.”

Harm reduction’s focus on the lowered harm to communities in spite of drug use becomes an important part of the message from Khan. Where the improvement in community outcomes comes from prevention, one big part of prevention is testing to identify in order to diagnose and treat, which can reduce negative long-term outcomes.

19 Indigenous communities throughout the province of Saskatchewan care for patients with the harm reduction approach through non-judgment. Other aspects of harm reduction relevant to the current opioid crisis include safe drug injective sites with safe needle exchange programs in addition to naloxone kits to avoid the potential fatal consequences of overdoses.

One big barrier for Indigenous populations around public services for drugs is the stigma associated with drug use and misuse in general. Khan says that is the biggest hurdle to access and treatment. HIV infection in Saskatchewan reserves sits at 14.5 people per 100,000. Southern Saskatchewan reserves have the highest rates at 108 per 100,000 people.

References

Petrow, E. (2017, December 4). Massive increase in HIV testing contributes to effective harm reduction programs in Sask. Indigenous communities. Retrieved from

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/harm-reduction.

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2022-02-25

Travis Lupick Speaks to Decriminalization and Legalization

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/12/15

Travis Lupick in the The Globe and Mail argued that decriminalization of some drugs does not go far enough. On Vancouver Island, construction workers completed a safety class. There weren’t ‘instructions on steel toed boots for proper lifting.’

Rather, it was on overdose responsiveness. That overdose responsiveness oriented towards drugs or substances. Clubs and Bars in British Columbia, Canada, have been undergoing similar workshops or trainings.

High schools are also engaged in similar training for teachers. There were 23 fatal overdoses per month in British Columbia in 2012. That was as high as 162 in December 2016. That number is significant across the country, with higher numbers coming out of British Columbia.

Overdoses mean death of family and friends of loved ones in Canada. The overdose epidemic is not to be taken lightly as far as I am concerned, especially for the disproportionately impacted Indigenous population. Overdose prevention sites and naloxone on-site through the streets of British Columbia are one measure to prevent overdoses that could lead to fatalities.

In terms of harm reduction as part of the solution set, it is an important part of it. Lupick spent over three years interviewing allies of drug users and drug users themselves. Some of the views expressed were that even though legalization may not become a reality then decriminalization would be a secondary consideration.

It will be better than nothing in other words. The process of decriminalization would take away penalties for possession of all drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. This would look at the demand-side the market. On the supply side of the market, legalization would look at production, distribution, and sale of heroin and cocaine. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said Canada should decriminalization personal possession of all drugs in order to divert people away addiction issues from police in prisons

References

Lupick, T. (2017, December 15). Decriminalization doesn’t go far enough. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/decriminalization-doesnt-go-far enough/article37345776/.

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2022-02-25

The Sensible Cannabis Education Toolkit

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/27

In September of last year Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy organized a youth roundtable discussion on cannabis legalization in order to gain insights from youth on aspects of legalization that would affect them directly: age restrictions, criminalization, preventative education, and distribution. Attended by 25 diverse youth, and a member of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, CSSDP produced a final report which highlighted ten main recommendations to emerge from our discussions.

The 2016 Roundtable Results

CSSDP was happy to see some of our recommendations adapted in the Cannabis Act introduced by the federal government. For example, at our roundtable, youth really emphasized the idea that age restrictions should be as low as possible, but not exceeding the age of access for alcohol. This recommendation was made based on the over-criminalization of youth, particularly minority youth, for cannabis related charges.

Many youths felt that an area severely lacking was access to realistic and evidence based cannabis education. The roundtable highlighted how overwhelmed youth feel in an ‘internet age’ where they have access to a plethora of (not always reliable and often competing) information.

Our Cannabis Education Project

Our resulting education project aims to help educators and parents have more effective dialogue with kids that will develop their cannabis and health literacy.

CSSDP hopes to provide a starting point on cannabis education, and we are bringing in diverse youth to help us create, review and edit the final product. Starting with real and honest dialogue based in evidence and harm reduction, CSSDP hopes to gather more input from young people around the country on how to create a comprehensive strategy for cannabis education.

To accomplish this, we need YOUR help. Learn more.

The Toolkit

We hope the Cannabis Education Toolkit will support the development of new cannabis resources, and help educators and parents approach meaningful discussions with their kids about responsible use.

The toolkit is divided into two major sections: the first looks at ten evidence-based recommendations to approaching cannabis education with young people, and the second section presents a pull-away cannabis curriculum which covers Cannabis 101, reasons for use and non use, current evidence around common youth cannabis claims, such as brain development and mental health, as well as harm reduction.

Canada has some of the highest rates of youth who use cannabis, and its time to talk about why people use cannabis, the common health claims around youth cannabis use, factors that lead to misuse, impaired driving, and why cannabis is a social justice issue, among other things, in a non-judgemental and inclusive manner.

And we need youth to be at the heart of this discussion. Interested? Here’s how to get involved.

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2022-02-25

CCSA Hosts 7th Harm Reduction Conference

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/14

One of the largest harm reduction conferences is being held, recently. It was in Calgary, Alberta. This is the seventh conference devoted to issues and concerns around substance use and addiction. It is being hosted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).

It is bringing numerous prominent individuals within the relevant fields together for the conference. This included “addiction workers, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, knowledge brokers, and those with lived and living experience from across the country to address the harms of substance use and addiction.”

The main topic area or the thematic orientation of the conference was “Addiction Matters.” It is a three-day conference. The conference is sold out as well. It will have an attendance of 480 people. The presentations and workshops will look at prescription drugs as well as the opioid crisis involving fentanyl.

The Federal Minister of Health Ginette Taylor and the Alberta Associate Minister of Health Brandy Payne will be coming to the conference for 2017. They will be giving short speeches on the first day. The conference is actually paralleling national addictions awareness week, which price to enlighten about substance use an addiction. That is, the stigma surrounding them.

Executive Director of the CCSA, Rita Notarandrea, said, “Addiction and problematic substance use touches us all…This conference brings together representatives of a fragmented, but passionate system of services and supports dedicated to helping the six million Canadians — our mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, neighbours and friends — touched by this health disorder.”

References

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. (2017, November 13). Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction Hosts Canada’s Largest National Conference on Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment and Recovery. Retrieved from http://www.newswire.ca/news releases/canadian-centre-on-substance-use-and-addiction-hosts-canadas-largest-national conference-on-prevention-harm-reduction-treatment-and-recovery-657184933.html.

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2022-02-25

Homeless, in Winnipeg, and Indigenous Populations, in Canada, at Higher Risk of Substance Associated Deaths

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/12

Harm reduction is an important part of the prevention of deaths associated with drug use, overuse or abuse. In Winnipeg, the vulnerable are the main victims of the opioid crisis. Throughout the country, the most vulnerable are the main victims.

The homeless and the indigenous population within Canada are the typical individuals who you will see dying daily. Various nonprofits, according to Elisha Dacey, are in a panic and rush to be able to cope and deal with the deaths associated with opioid overdoses sourced in substances laced with fentanyl.

The homeless in Winnipeg are the main subjects of death. They need housing. Local advocates for the homeless say this. But they aren’t getting it. So, the homeless are the ones dying daily, as per usual.

Various business owners in West Broadway are frustrated about a homeless camp that sprung up in Winnipeg. The business owners see this area of Winnipeg as profitable, and the homeless as a nuisance to the potential for profit because it is a lucrative area for the business owners.

There can be bike thefts and petty crime in the area. This has been a concern for the Winnipeg Police Service as well as the mayor of Winnipeg too. Many have been saying that the drug use and abuse issues have been getting worse over time.

When it comes to looking for housing solutions for the homeless population, there is tremendous resistance to it. Much of the discussion is looking for ways to have the various public and private businesses and organizations come together within the communities of Manitoba, in particular, to be able to solve the increasing problem of homelessness as well as overdoses associated highly with the homeless population.

In Canada as a whole, a large portion of the homeless population is also indigenous. This is also a major concern. In fact, for me, it is a tremendous concern. Not only in the presence of historical crimes, but also in immediate experience and sympathy for the broken communities and hearts now.

As noted by others, this is the time of reconciliation, so most hope. Indigenous youth who take drugs in British Columbia, for example, will be 13 times more likely to die than any other same age group.

This means both women and men are at a much higher risk of death due to overdose and drug use than every other population, the non-aboriginal population. Many are trying to break the cycle.

But it is a hard struggle. Not only because of their ongoing deaths, but also the ease of access to drugs can be an issue too. Many want to get over the abuse and trauma from the past. However, many do not have appropriate public services.

References

Bellrichard, C. (2012, November 6). Indigenous youth who use drugs in B.C. dying at an alarming rate, study finds. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-youth drugs-death-1.4388450.

Dacey, E. (2017, November 12). ‘Survival economy’: Winnipeg’s homeless struggling amid opioid crisis, lack of housing, say advocates. Retrieved

from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/homeless-winnipeg-opioid-survival-support 1.4392958.

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2022-02-25

Fentanyl Positive Sample Tests Increase 2,000%

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/12

There has been a surprising increase in the number of positive tests for fentanyl in samples of heroin, which have been seized by the law enforcement agencies throughout the country. It was less than 1% in 2012, moving to about 60% or more in 2017.

In other words, there has been a two thousand percent increase in the percentage. For all street drug samples, it is not a small sample size. The samples tested are about 120,000 in number. Health Canada has not provided an in-depth breakdown of the details for every type of drug test.

However, they have noted that heroin is a particular area of concern.

Of the 2337 heroin samples tested by the drug analysis service of Health Canada, less than 1% had fentanyl or any of its analogs, such as Carfentanil.

That grew to 39.4% out of 3658 samples. In only the first nine months of 2017, of the samples tested, totaling 3,337, the total testing positive for Fentanyl has “jumped” to 60.1%.

It is a substantial increase in the percentage of fentanyl that is part of the samples tested. Other common drugs tested by the service are marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone, MDMA, and many others. It was not found in any marijuana samples, but there have been increases found, of Fentanyl, in cocaine and methamphetamine.

This rapid increase in fentanyl contained within street drugs is a marked concern for the general public as well as Health Canada. Dr. David Juurlink, the head of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, found that this was not shocking for him.

This is, simply according to Juurlink, a mirror of the opioid crisis overdose deaths. They are paralleling the increase of positive fentanyl drug test samples. In 2016 alone, Health Canada reports that 2,816 people died from opioid-related causes.

Juurlink says that some of the factors associated with the rapid increase of fentanyl use is due to a general over-prescription of opioids for the reduction of pain. Money is being made by preying on people who need help. This is the opinion of Juurlink.

References

Miller, A. (2017, November 9). EXCLUSIVE 2,000% rise in street drug samples testing positive for fentanyl. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/shocking-rise-of-fentanyl-in-seized street-drugs-1.4393906.

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2022-02-25

Abuse of Opioids Does Not Discriminate

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/11

Jesse Stein from The Link wrote about the hard lessons from overdoses (Stein, 2017). Amélie Goyette, who has worked at CACTUS for 13 years (a harm reduction service), described the learned lesson.

The lesson that overdoses inflict themselves upon all sectors of society from the homeless to high-ranking professional people.

CACTUS is organized in Montreal. Some issues with overdoses and drug use in Canada are the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C. For example, CACTUS states that 68% of substance users, who intake the substances via injection, have Hepatitis C.

Harm reduction organizations such as CACTUS offer clean needles and are for safe injection, including appropriate support too,

One of the offers from CACTUS from 2010 was the introduction of “Messagers de rue” devoted to hiring people with financial problems in order to provide clean needles as well as clean the areas with substance users.

Saint Laurent metro is the new place for the services. As per usual, it is an area for substance users to inject in a clean context with trained personnel to assist with, for example, the administration of “naloxone in the case of an overdose” (Ibid.).

Two other harm reduction sites have been opened in Montreal in June, 2017.

Naloxone is an important part of harm reduction services because this provides the possibility for reversal of an overdose, which, effectively, saves lives, saves substance users, and abusers, from the potential of immediate death.

“In her experience, Goyette sees that people often begin with prescription opiates like oxycodone,” Stein said, “before moving on to harder drugs like heroin, since doctors prescribe opiates less than they used to. Goyette says that in general, once a person starts injecting heroin, they never go back to pills.”

Fentanyl has been the main killer, recently, as it is a synthetic opioid. Fentanyl is 10,000 times more potent than morphine (Ibid.).

In addition to trained personnel, experiential background is an important factor too, as CACTUS hires “peer workers” who are those that have prior experience with heroin abuse.

One barrier in communication and prevention of overdoses is the stigma surrounding drugs in Canada. CACTUS is working to reduce the stigma to more effectively combat the crisis, ongoing.

References

Stein, J. (2017, November 7). Community Group CACTUS Strives for Harm-Reduction With Newly-Opened Safe Injection Site. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british columbia/drug-testing-machine-pilot-vancouver-overdose-crisis-1.4396886.

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2022-02-25

New Device to be Piloted in British Columbia

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/10

In the midst of the opioid crisis in British Columbia, and arguably across Canada, Vancouver is testing a first-of-its-kind drug examination device.

The drug testing device may help in the reduction of opioid associated overdoses and deaths.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and the British Columbia Addictions Minister Judy Darcy made an announcement about the machine.

This pilot for the device will be through Insite and Powell Street Gateway. It is called the Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR).

The new device has the ability to have individual submit anonymous samples of street substances in order to be tested for potential opioid content.

You can also test for stimulants, MDMA, and other drugs. These substances can be today found within minutes. Also, all supervised injection sites within British Columbia will now have Fentanyl test strips, according to Darcy.

She said, “Tackling this overdose crisis takes a whole province … it will take an entire province to turn this around.”

In the province, so far, more than 1,100 people have died based on illicit substance use overdoses.

In September alone, there have been 80 suspected elicit overdose deaths, which is up more than 30% from September in 2016.

Also, the ministry is beginning to ramp up the campaign to reduce stigma. More than nine out of 10 people who are dying from overdoses are using substances while at home, alone.

References

CBC News. (2017, November 10). Drug testing machine to be piloted in Vancouver as overdose crisis continues. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/drug-testing machine-pilot-vancouver-overdose-crisis-1.4396886.

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2022-02-25

Red Zones Block Harm Reduction Service Access

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/10

Henry Tran, a Contributor to Simon Fraser University’s The Peak, reported that a new study found the bail conditions on alleged offenders including substance users can prevent overall access in Downtown Eastside Vancouver to harm reduction services (2017).

Professor Nicholas Blomley from Simon Fraser University and a master’s student, William Damon, published the study that said the “red zone” or the “no-go” bail conditions can prevent access to those services.

Based on the reportage from the study, “more than half of the bail conditions for drug offences included a no-go zone, 92 per cent of which were concentrated in the Downtown Eastside.” This is stated, by Tran, to have implications for the well-being and health of substance users in Vancouver.

The red zone blocks access to harm reduction services including overdose prevention and safe injection sites.

The lead researcher in the study, Marie-Eve Sylvestre, said, “Our study reveals that conditions of release are too frequently used in Vancouver in ways that are counterproductive, punitive, and frankly unlawful, threatening fundamental constitutional rights.”

Purported drug use offenders can be susceptible to recidivism, so they can go back into the criminal justice system. “Between 2005 and 2012, 97 per cent of all bail orders in Vancouver included conditions of release,” Tran stated, “which contradicts the Criminal Code requirement of unconditional release, the study outlined.”

The current system, with bail, would violate the right of the individual and others including their security, according to Blomley.

The Government of British Columbia has no address these problems within the criminal justice system.

References

Tran, H. (2017, November 8). Study finds bail ‘no-go’ zones block access to harm-reduction services. Retrieved from https://the-peak.ca/2017/11/study-finds-bail-no-go-zones-block-access to-harm-reduction-services/.

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2022-02-25

The Public Have Concerns About Discarded Needles

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/08

Harm reduction continues to grow throughout Canada. With this, there is the provision of Naloxone kits, harm reduction trailers and sites, as well as clean needles for injection drug users. But there have been some reactions from the public on the government to clean up problems with drug use waste, especially intravenous drug user waste such as needles and syringes. There are discarded syringes, which some see as posing a health risk to the general public.

There have been volunteers in parks. They have been tasked with cleaning up various paraphernalia of drugs. Some suggest needle exchange programs are part of the problem with the waste. However, the experts and the public health workers such as social workers and nurses, and researchers, on the ground state that those programs are in fact part of the solution.

There have been rubber gloves and garbage bags put out by volunteers in Ontario and New Brunswick. Some citizens have been taking pictures of needles in some of their local areas and posting them on social media, for public commentary and complaint.

Vancouver Coast Health, as a public agency, is providing needle exchange is as well as safe injection sites for drug users who inject.

That agency provides healthcare for about 1/4 of the British Colombia population. Even though they have been more needles discarded, there has been a “dramatic decline in HIV cases” among the British Colombia drug user population. Those that inject.

Professor Carol Strike from the University of Toronto said, “I’d be concerned if I found a needle in my community, and if I didn’t know a lot about the programs I might make assumptions about where the needle came from and how many there are … the programs that I’ve worked with across the country … don’t want needles in the community either. That’s why they exist, not only to give out needles, but to dispose of them properly,”

This is part of an ongoing public conversation.

References

Goffin, P. (2017, November 7). Residents raise concerns about discarded needles, public health workers say harm reduction programs part of solution. Retrieved from

http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2017/11/07/residents-raise-concerns-about-discarded needles-public-health-workers-say-harm-reduction-programs-part-of-solution.html.

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2022-02-25

Harm Reduction Trailer Approved for Murray Street

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/08

Health Canada approved the supervised injection site in Ottawa, recently. CBC News reported that the trailer was approved for the Shepherd’s of Hope in Byward Market (Trinh, 2017).

This nearly another unsupervised injection site at Raphael Brunet Park. The Government of Canada published a press release on the importance of harm reduction measures such as supervised injection sites.

Volunteers in Ottawa have said that this supervised injection site is in the centre of the opioid crisis in Ottawa.

The trailer is open 24/7 and stocked with clean needles and naloxone kits. At the moment, the trailer is used for the injections but in the future could be used for drugs users who smoke their substance.

The federal government in a press release said, ‘Supervised consumption sites are an important harm reduction measure and part of the Government of Canada’s comprehensive, collaborative, compassionate and evidence-based approach to drug policy,”

There is a total of eight injection stalls within the trailer for clean drug use by users. The press release continued, “International and Canadian evidence shows that, when properly established and maintained, supervised consumption sites save lives and improve health without increasing drug use or crime in the surrounding area.”

The harm reduction trailer is at the corner of Murray Street and King Edward Avenue. There were 10 overdoses within 24 hours in Ottawa in this part of the city.

The Inner City Health of Ottawa is the government arm responsible and equipped for the “training and hiring the nurses and social workers who will staff the injection trailer.”

For governmental permission for illicit substances with the trailer, the executive director for the group, Wendy Muckle, said, “We had to show what measures we would take to prevent the trafficking of illicit drugs inside the trailer … and how we would make sure clients were safe and secure and staff were safe and secure.” It is a 24/7 trailer.

Inside of the trailer, there have been 50 nurses and social workers hired and trained in the possibility of an overdose, as well the trailer has clean needles and naloxone kits on site.

References

Trinh, J. (2017, November 6). Health Canada approves supervised injection trailer at Ottawa shelter. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sanctioned-supervised-injection site-trailer-shepherds-of-good-hope-overdose-1.4389413.

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2022-02-25

Harm Reduction Tent No Longer Usable in Moss Park

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/06

An, technically, illegal overdose prevention site in the Moss Park of Toronto halted use of an its heated medical tent (Giovannetti, 2017). The heated medical tent was provided by the provincial government, or the Government of Ontario, but the officials on behalf of the government said that there should be no open flames inside of the harm reduction structure.

The Minister of Health and Long Term Care, Eric Hoskin, for Ontario said, last week, that there will be an increase in the provision of resources for dealing with the opioid crisis through the installation of a “military-style tent” (Ibid.).

With windy and cold weather, the warmed harm reduction structure was a refuge for activists and drug users alike. But the commander of the Emergency Medical Assistance Team, or EMAT, of Ontario sent a message to the activists in Moss Park that no flames should be used in the tent. Even though, drugs need heat to be consumed.

The lead organizer of the Toronto Harm Reduction Alliance, Zoe Dodd, said the medical tent had to be abandoned. Now, the activists and users are based to using old tents without insulation.

Dodd said, “I don’t know if they just don’t understand how drugs are prepared. You have to heat up a drug to break down bacteria and the drug itself. I just don’t understand how this happened.”

Hoskin’s office said that oxygen tanks are stored in the tanks in order to assist with resuscitation if needed at any time, but there is a risk with the possibilities of an open flame.

Laura Gallant, who is a spokesperson for the office of Hoskin, said, that there has a lack of communication between activists and the government since the opening of the site in August.

Gallant said the government is looking to provide industrial grade appliances such as hot plates, which would be safe for a tent. But Dodd rejected the proposal because “people do not use got plates to heat up their drugs.”

Dodd’s volunteers, to date, have apparently reversed 85 overdoses and monitored 2,000 injections.

In the nearly three months the site has been operating, volunteers have reversed 85 overdoses and monitored almost 2,000 injections.

Overdoses in Abbotsford

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/11/06

Canadian citizens have been losing family members, friends, colleagues, and fellow Canadians to the ongoing opioid crisis (CBC Radio, 2017).

A guest on As It Happens, Jolene Greyeyes, said that she has lost over 100 friends due to the crisis (CBC Radio, 2017). Greyeyes is a former addict and harm reduction worker. She may have lost more with five more people dying in Abbotsford, British Columbia (Schmunk, 2017). All within the span of nine hours.

Greyeyes said, “And if I don’t, I know other people that most likely will know them…It’s just a never-ending cycle.” Of the five victims to the crisis in Abbotsford, there were two women and three men.

“It’s another five families impacted by this crisis happening in our city,” Greyeyes said. They ranged in age from 40 to 67; each dying alone. Police are working to find out if the contribution to the deaths was from carfentanil or fentanyl.

The toxicological tests have yet to come back. Between the first and the eighth month of 2017, 1,013 Canadian citizens died from illicit drug overdoses in British Columbia alone, which is according to the British Columbia Coroners Service (CBC News, 2017). It is 91 more deaths than in 2016.

Greyeyes spoke to the need for further education on overdose signs as well as naloxone training. “They have to know the signs of an overdose and they have to have naloxone training and naloxone kits on hand and [know] not to use alone.” she said, “Nobody’s safe out there anymore.”

“We need to really educate the public, even if they don’t think that addiction is something they need to know about, because it’s happening in communities right across British Columbia and it’s not just isolated to people who are homeless or living on the streets. It’s people from all walks of life who are being impacted.”

She iterated that she, personally, would never give up on someone that struggles with an addiction in her own community because she was an addict and knows the pain that these people go through, especially hose losing a loved one.

References

CBC News. (2017, October 12). B.C. overdose deaths now surpass 2016 total, coroner says. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-overdose-deaths-now surpass-2016-total-coroner-says-1.4351608.

CBC Radio. (2017, October 30). After 5 overdose deaths in 9 hours, B.C. harm-reduction worker says ‘nobody’s safe’. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday edition-1.4378456/after-5-overdose-deaths-in-9-hours-b-c-harm-reduction-worker-says-nobody s-safe-1.4378464.

Schmunk, R. (2017, October 28). 5 people die of overdoses in Abbotsford within 9 hours on Friday. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/five-overdose-deaths nine-hours-abbotsford-1.4377068.

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2022-02-25

Ottawa Vending Machines, Success Plus Concern

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/30

Ottawa’s program for harm reduction, which is a pilot, for needle and pipe vending machines as well as safe injection sites has been a success while make one resident feel unsafe in the neighbourhood now.

There have been more than 250 stems for drug smoking and 600 needles dispensed since the middle of September, according to Ottawa Public Health.

The point for the program was to reduce the number of infectious diseases spread including Hepatitis C and HIV (CTV News, 2017). The infectious diseases can be spread through drug users’ needle and pipe exchanges with one another.

Ottawa Public Health’s communications, Donna Casey, said that the feedback from the ‘clients’ or the clientele was positive. The clients said that the access to the supplies is there when other potential providers are closed.

This is apparently during the night, according to John Becvar who is a harm reduction outreach worker. The most popular harm reduction vending machine is the one in Byward Market by the Ottawa Public Health’s Clarence Street facility.

Laura MacDonald, who is a long time resident of the community, is in support of the harm reduction movement, but finds the new drug users make the community less safe than before. It is a concern to her.

People have used drugs, at her doorstep. MacDonald said, “There’s more people who are dealing drugs. There’s more prostitution. There’s more … things you wouldn’t see on a regular basis, but they’re happening on a daily basis.”

In 2016, Public Health Ontario reported that there were 40 opioid-related deaths in Ottawa (2017).

References

CTV News. (2017, October 29). Ottawa needle-vending machines called a success, but resident says area’s now unsafe. Retrieved from http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ottawa-needle-vending machines-called-a-success-but-resident-says-area-s-now-unsafe-1.3654205.

Public Health Ontario. (2017, September 19). Opioid-related morbidity and mortality in Ontario. Retrieved from

http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/dataandanalytics/pages/opioid.aspx?_ga=2.178827748.153 9913755.1495651174-1137714540.1478537187.

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2022-02-25

Regina Harm Reduction Advocates Call for Safe Injection Sites

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/22

Harm reduction advocates are looking to have safe injection sites in Regina (Knox, 2017). Many of them or make-shift in places such as homes and alleyways. Saskatchewan, as a province in Canada, has the highest per capita opioid overdose hospitalization rate.

The argument from the group making the calls is that the safe injection sites provide a space that is stigma free. Some have praised the efforts but state more data is needed on them.

In other words, it is a statement about the praiseworthy or laudable nature of the safe injection sites that are popping up in houses and alleyways because they help and afflicted minority population, such as youths or addicts

But the evidence is not necessarily in in terms of the benefits of pop up safe injection sites as opposed to stable ones.

Executive Director for Carmichael Outreach, Cora Gajari, said, “I really applaud the efforts of the people who set up in front of city hall. In terms of safe injection sites, though, I don’t know that we really have enough evidence to prove that we need them here in Regina.” (Ibid.)

“There’s always this tendency to be reactive and see what others are doing, bide our time. I think perhaps it’s the place of Regina to be a leader in the province to get something like this started,” Councillor Andrew Stevens said (CBC News, 2017).

The President and Co-Founder of the White Pony Lodge, Shawna Oochoo, estimates between 80 and 100 needles are picked up by volunteers per month by the White Pony Lodge.

Stevens continued, “I can’t just see us sitting around and waiting, I think we need to get ahead of this.”

In the past, in 2016, the freezes on harm reduction efforts have coincided – though correlation is not causation – with an increase of HIV rates (Fraser, 2016).

Reference

CBC News. (2017, October 9). Time to talk about supervised injection sites in Regina, councillor says. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/supervised-injection-regina 1.4346191.

Fraser, D.C. (2016, June 16). Sask. HIV rate goes up as harm-reduction expansion remains on hold. Retrieved from http://leaderpost.com/news/politics/sask-hiv-rate-goes-up-as-harm reduction-expansion-remains-on-hold.

Knox, J. (2017, October 9). Harm-reduction advocates call for safe injection sites in Regina. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/3793429/harm-reduction-advocates-call-for-safe injection-sites-in-regina/.

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2022-02-25

Toronto Board of Health Considering New Measures

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/15

The Toronto Board of Health is considering a set of measures in order to push back against the crisis of overdoses. There was a plea from Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne for immediate declaration of a health emergency in the public.

There has been a huge spike in overdoses and deaths related to opioids across the country, as well as Ontario. The Board of Health for Toronto met after a report was published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Five people were hospitalized every day between April, 2016, and March, 2017. Toronto had the highest opioid-related hospitalizations in the province. More than a year ago, British Columbia made a public declaration of a health emergency in the province.

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of the city’s Drug Strategy Implementation Panel, said, “If the province declares it an emergency, as a result of that, dollars can flow quickly to the people who need it and the organizations that are responding.”

There was collection of real-time data about overdoses. This is to identify areas of risk. Of course, unfortunately, the data comes with the assumption of deaths or overdoses. There was an open letter to the government of Ontario.

Harm reduction advocate, Zoe Dodd, said, “The province said to us when we asked for it few weeks ago that there was no end in sight, that they weren’t going to call [an emergency]. But that is exactly why you call a public health emergency, because there needs to be an end in sight.”

Subsequently, $222 million in funding is being provided for the next 2 1/2 years for the hiring of front-line harm-reduction workers. This is also in order to create addiction clinics with quick access as well as the supplies of Naloxone, which can help with the prevention of overdoses.

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2022-02-25

FDA Considering New Enforcement With Implicit Focus on Harm Reduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/08

According to the CSP Magazine’s Angel Abcede, the FDA is considering new enforcement policy, which would include harm reduction policy. One aspect of the policy is geared around nicotine addiction as one core strategy. The research will focus on electronic cigarettes as an alternative to combustible cigarettes

Many have been curious as to the new US FDA position and strategy with President Trump’s new administration. Gottlieb’s document provided some insight.

The new Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, issued a document on nicotine addiction and breaking it:

“Our approach to nicotine must be accompanied by a firm foundation of rules and standards for newly regulated products. To be successful, all of these steps must be done in concert and not in isolation.”

He argued for more research and public discussion with combustible and electronic cigarettes (as an alternative to combustible cigarettes, for example). The other option to combustible cigarettes was to argue for an engineering of the low-nicotine options of cigarettes, not simply e-cigarettes.

This is to reduce the probability of youths becoming involved in addictions to cigarettes.

In response to this need, the FDA has, in the past, extended deadlines for new-product applications – for several years, apparently. There is a pronounced crisis in addiction that threatens American families.

As noted by Gottlieb, “Envisioning a world where cigarettes would no longer create or sustain addiction, and where adults who still need or want nicotine could get it from alternative and less harmful sources, needs to be the cornerstone of our efforts.

This is of concern to the FDA generally. The focus on nicotine levels was found to be among the most unexpected announcements. In accordance with this, there will be the issuance of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for input on pluses and minuses for the introductive of lower-level cigarettes.

There will be public-commentary on lower-nicotine cigarettes as well as public-commentary on the dangers around various alternatives such as e-cigarette batteries, e-liquids for youths, and the potential for traditional cigarettes to be more harmful than easy e-cigarettes.

“A key piece of the FDA’s approach is demonstrating a greater awareness that nicotine—while highly addictive—is delivered through products that represent a continuum of risk and is most harmful when delivered through smoke particles in combustible cigarettes,” Gottlieb said.

Groups with traditional anti-tobacco stances, such as Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids in Washington, D.C., agreed with as well as having healthy scepticism against comments made by Gottlieb. These conversations incorporate harm reduction philosophy in a high-level organization with potential for positive impacts on the lives of North Americans.

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2022-02-25

Nikki Sullivan, of the Cape Breton Post, on Harm Reduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/10/01

Nikki Sullivan, of the Cape Breton Post, reported on harm reduction. She described this as something possibly confusing for those were not more familiar with the philosophy, methodology, and the practice. It was a way to help people with substance abuse disorders. Part of it can include absence. Another part of it can include the reduction of the potential harm to people who happen to use substances, or drugs more colloquially.

The main aim is to reduce the harms associated over the long term with substance misuse, or abuse. Where the focus is the individual user, the problems boil down to the individual but incorporate community and societal consequences.

So, the reduction in overall harm of the individual can boil down to an overall reduction in harm to the community and society. There are many strategies. There is a tremendous amount of empirical support for this, according to the experts, and the Canadian Medical Association has intervened in the past to support harm reduction. The principles include, with a focus on the individual, the dignity of the individual.

The dignity and respect for their own choices plus helping with the reduction of harm. It is a realistic view incorporated into society, with the idea that drugs cannot be eliminated but their negative effects can be reduced.

There could be things like safe needle distribution sites and consumption sites, as well as therapy and treatment, and Naloxone programs that you can take home. Naloxone can help prevent overdoses of particular substances, which is important in the current context of the opioid overdose “epidemic” in British Columbia, Ontario, and elsewhere in the country.

Harm Reduction is a non-judgmental approach and less punitive one, too, to the traditional hard drug enforcement model. The traditional approach is mostly punitive, which, according to the evidence and experts, has contributed to an increase in the amount of drug use and abuse and, therefore, cost of the individual to the community and society.

Take, for example, the introduction of harm reduction to improve the lives of users. It has been proven to reduce the case of hepatitis C, HIV, and the levels of a drug overdose. In the words, it is effective in important domains for the health of citizens who have used drugs or substances. This is in stark contrast to the punitive approach. If you go punitive, the drug use and abuse go up; if you use harm reduction, the drug use goes down and abuse goes down.

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2022-02-25

Harm Reduction Philosophy and Drug Use in Vancouver – Problems, Solutions, and Outcomes

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Harvest House Ministries

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

Harm reduction philosophy is associated with social justice based in rights and respect for drug users.^[i] The focus is, as the title implies, to reduce the harm to drug users. According to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, it states, “Harm reduction is any program or policy designed to reduce drug-related harm without requiring the cessation of drug use.”^[ii]

Its framework emphasizes theory-to-practice with comprehensive strategies. It contrasts with the zero tolerance approach and its big four consequences. Rodney Skager in a publication for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says, “Proponents of the “big four” consequences – exclusion from extracurricular activities, transfer to another school, suspension, and expulsion – believe that harsh consequences…will deter other students…”^[iii]

Unfortunately, according to Rodney Skager, zero tolerance approaches worsen the problem. It “lacks credibility” and is backed by “punitive measures” that foster “resentment and oppositional behavior.”^[iv] In short, zero tolerance approaches don’t work. Colloquially, zero tolerance is absolutist, or ‘black-and-white’, and harm reduction is more ‘grey’ by implication. This is the divide between zero tolerance and harm reduction approaches.

The harm reduction philosophy has impacts. Why? Its philosophy and theory imply practice. Those that live in British Columbia know about the drug problem in Vancouver. Therefore, the main question narrows in approach and location, “What have been impacts of the harm reduction philosophy in Vancouver?”

Bear in mind, harm reduction philosophy is a non-idealistic view of drug abuse and use. No society will ever be drug-free. That means the philosophy is pragmatic. The focuses are the harms of drugs and the means through which to reduce them. That requires more background because the case study in the harm reduction philosophy applied to Vancouver has nuance.

That means there are numerous facets to the implementation phases of the program. For examples, these can include (non-exhaustively) the Four Pillars, the Insite program, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), Karmik, Simon Fraser University (SFU) community engagement research into if food programs can be used for harm reduction, and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) education on safe drug use, safe sex, Neighbourhood Needle Recovery Program, and the Safer Smoking Pilot Project, and so on.^[v]^{,[vi],[vii],[viii]}Multiple avenues for solutions.

One sub-tenant of harm reduction philosophy is harm minimization, which means the aim to reduce or prevent harms associated with psychoactive drug use. Those psychoactive drugs can be illicit or licit. A number of programs have been put in place to combat this issue. Take, for instance, the Four Pillars drug strategy of the City of Vancouver.^[ix]

It is based on a 1990s model implemented in Europe with four principles or Four Pillars.^[x] Those are the following:

harm reduction

prevention

treatment

enforcement^[xi]

In major cities such as Frankfurt, Geneva, Sydney, and Zurich, the Four Pillars or principles had the results of reduction in number of drug users, overdose deaths, and infection rates of hepatitis and HIV.^[xii] In short, harm reduction as the central philosophical tenet. Prevention, treatment, and enforcement as the practice in the Four Pillar strategy.

All good things with success on important metrics with tallies of the number of people and the drug use consequence severity, in Europe. The assumption based on the association of success with the Four Pillars is the general applicability from Europe to North America. Each done in major cities. Vancouver is one as well. There’s good reason to predict success, or improvement.

Some areas, writings, and discussions might seem familiar residents and visitors of Vancouver. For instance, Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Facility, or Site, (SIF/SIS) gathers media attention.^[xiii]^,[xiv] Insite works, too.^[xv] Harm reduction policy has not been comprehensive enough with reports on the inattention to crack as one case, though.^[xvi] However, VANDU focuses on heroine and crack. There’s a meshwork of organizations devoted to harm reduction.

Some individualization occurs with publications emphasizing women’s health via women centered harm reduction.^[xvii] Depending on the peoples, some First Nation, Inuit, Métis might find harm reduction policies against beliefs, customs, and traditions.^[xviii] These issues come into consideration as the program is implemented and expanded via networking.

This takes cultural awareness and sensitivity, specification of the drug type, number of people, and severity of use and abuse. Also, it might require tailoring the principles and program to the community and situation, and conducting outreach to the media to improve public perception of the issues of drug abuse and use in the public sphere. It can be grassroots too. On the ground, the homeless in Vancouver created tent city to advocate for social housing.^[xix] What does this mean?

Overall, and without an exhaustive description of the various aspects to the problems of drug use, from the general theoretical ethics and concerns of harm reduction to the particular organizations (grassroots and formal) and publications, harm reduction philosophy has been a net good in terms of outcomes in Vancouver.

Footnotes

^[i] Principles of Harm Reduction (n.d.). states:

Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm Reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.

Harm reduction incorporates a spectrum of strategies from safer use, to managed use to abstinence to meet drug users “where they’re at,” addressing conditions of use along with the use itself. Because harm reduction demands that interventions and policies designed to serve drug users reflect specific individual and community needs, there is no universal definition of or formula for implementing harm reduction.

Harm Reduction Coalition. (n.d.). Principles of Harm Reduction. Retrieved from http://harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction/.

^[ii] Erickson, P et al. (2002, May). CAMH and Harm Reduction: A Background Paper on its Meaning and Application for Substance Use Issues. Retrieved from http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/influencing_public_policy/public_policy_submissions/harm_reduction/Pages/harmreductionbackground.aspx.

^[iii] Skager, R. (2016). Beyond Zero Tolerance: A Reality-Based Approach to Drug Education and School Discipline. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/Civil/DrugPolicyAlliance/DPA_Beyond_Zero_Tolerance.pdf.

^[iv] Ibid.

^[v] Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. (2016). Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. Retrieved from http://www.vandu.org/.

^[vi] Karmik. (2016). Karmik. Retrieved from http://www.karmik.ca/.

^[vii] Simon Fraser University: Department of Geography. (n.d.). Food as Harm Reduction (FaHR): The Health Effects of Food for People Who Use Drugs. Retrieved from https://www.sfu.ca/geography/community-engagement/food-harm-reduction.html.

^[viii] Vancouver Harm Reduction. (2014). Harm Reduction. Retrieved from http://www.vch.ca/your-health/health-topics/harm-reduction/.

^[ix] City of Vancouver. (2016). Four Pillars drug strategy. Retrieved from http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/four-pillars-drug-strategy.aspx.

^[x] Ibid.

^[xi] Ibid.

^[xii] Ibid.

^[xiii] Dell, C.A. (2008). Harm Reduction and Abstinence—More Alike Than Different?. Retrieved from

http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/aboriginal-people-vol5/harm-reduction-and-abstinence.

^[xiv] Vancouver Coastal Health. (n.d.). Insite – Supervised Injection Site. Retrieved from http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/.

^[xv] MacQueen, K. (2015, July 20). The Science Is In. Insite Works.. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-scientists-are-in-insite-works/.

^[xvi] Lupick, T. (2014, September 6). Advocates say Vancouver’s harm reduction push has left out crack users. Retrieved from http://www.straight.com/news/722916/advocates-say-vancouvers-harm-reduction-push-has-left-out-crack-users.

^[xvii] British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health. (2010). Women Centered Harm Reduction. Retrieved from http://bccewh.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2010_GenderingNatFrameworkWomencentredHarmReduction.pdf.

^[xviii] Harm Reduction and Abstinence—More Alike Than Different? (2008) states:

There is likewise confusion when harm reduction measures are considered by Aboriginal peoples. Some First Nation, Inuit and Métis people maintain that harm reduction policies and practices go against their customs, traditions and beliefs. They believe using mind-altering substances causes a person to be “out of balance.” Others, however, consider that there are similarities between a harm reduction philosophy and traditional Aboriginal values. For example, respect is a traditional Aboriginal teaching—and respecting the choices of individuals, families and communities and “where they are at” is a premise of harm reduction.

In fact, the concept of choice underpins a harm reduction philosophy. Harm reduction policies and programs acknowledge that people and their communities are the ‘experts’ on their own experiences. As experts, they are best positioned to decide how to reduce the harm they experience because of substance abuse. Consider, for example, the Quesnel Tillicum Society Native Friendship Centre in northern British Columbia. Based on a need identified within and responded to by the community, the centre provides needles, condoms, swabs and needle exchange containers at no charge to community members.

Harm reduction, at its core, is simply a practice or strategy that reduces the harms individuals face because of their problematic use of substances.

Dell, C.A. (2008). Harm Reduction and Abstinence—More Alike Than Different?. Retrieved from http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/aboriginal-people-vol5/harm-reduction-and-abstinence. ^[xix] Dolski, M. (2016, July 12). Vancouver’s homeless create new tent city to advocate for social housing. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/homeless-create-new-tent-city-to-protest-vancouvers-social-housing/article30898440/

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2022-02-25

Meet Andrew “AJ” our Outreach Counsellor

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

From your perspective, what is Fresh Start Recovery Centre?

Fresh Start is a unique place where recovery is possible in an empathetic and understanding environment that strips away some of the stigma that gets attached to treatment centres in general. Fresh Start walks men through all twelve steps, which in my mind gives them a better base to start recovery.

What is the typical stigma for treatment centres? What truth or truths dispel that?

At first, I think I need to be clear that I know and believe that all treatment centre’s do tremendous work. The stigma that is attached to some treatment centres, from my view and experience, is that the centre will teach people a few things, some concepts, and then refer them to an outside 12-step agency or other organizations/counsellors. You carry on recovery from there.

Whereas Fresh Start has an approach, that is about recovery for life. You begin once entering the front door; you are part of a community rather than a place for strictly treating disease of addiction. It’s not simply a few short weeks or months of information, Fresh Start is a movement.

As a counsellor, what tasks and responsibilities come with it?

It is facilitating groups. That’s one of the biggest ones. The next one is the 1-on-1 counselling and support of each individual in that group. We are tasked within the mandate to take them through the twelve steps and support them in all major life areas.

We have 12 as the focus. Basically, they are the major life areas, which require support for them. We help them achieve their goals in all areas of their life and providing them with a strong base within the twelve steps to support their recovery.

As the outreach coordinator, what tasks and responsibilities come with this position?

In addition to the 1-on-1 counselling and support with the goals of the men in the case load (my case load), it is monitoring and supporting our various levels of housing, and the various levels of treatment in Fresh Start.I would be responsible for the phase II and the phase III men in the program for the step II and the step III housing. It is a continuum of care that continues indefinitely. They can stay with us indefinitely.We’ve had men with us over many years. They continue to receive support from me. In addition to that, I serve and support the alumni to achieve their goals.They might need support and drop in to see me with anything. It could be recovery housing, employment, financially, relationship-wise, and so on. It is a wide scope for the outreach coordinator position.

With the indefinite continuum of care, statistically, there should be some long-term attendees. Without breach of privacy of particular individuals, what are some of the most heartwarming stories seen by you?

I can think of one guy. Last month he achieved his 5-year milestone of clean time. I’ve known this gentleman in the recovery community for longer than that. He has never been able to be able to stay abstinent until now.This was an unemployable person. He had ruined his life. Now, he’ll be taking the 5-years. He is part of a major not-for-profit health enterprise. He is supportive and active in the Fresh Start alumni for the 5 years that he has been clean.Although, he is not in one of the phases or housing. He continues to receive support from the staff here. It’s one of those things. It is encouraging to see the men receiving residential treatment continue to use the resources available to them.It is successful, especially for this individual with a very successful life.

When entering situations with 1-on-1 or group as a counsellor, there are different methodologies and counselling streams – theory and practice. What theory and practice are the main ones used in counselling sessions by you – based on prior training?

Usually, I like to use the peer support. Within the group, as the outreach coordinator, I am responsible for the mentorship program as well. We assign a specific man further along in the program to new men. There’s the peer support model. In actual facilitation, it’s more psycho-informational rather than process-group. I present the information. I field any questions. Usually, for me, I will use a lot of information from our manual. I also share my personal experience with the men. I have that lived experience. I am in recovery. It can be part of what I do in facilitating.

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2022-02-25

Connie’s Interview from Fresh Start Recovery

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

As you sit at the front desk and work away, you may have a unique insight into the first evaluation, the “face value” of people coming to FSRC. What do you first notice of people coming into recovery? What about them leaving back into mainstream society?

The first thing I notice is relief (that they are finally in the facility) and nervousness (what’s coming?) If they are a returning client, they are grateful to be back and know what is expected in the coming weeks. Some men are physically unwell and unkempt and arrive with next to nothing while others arrive with everything. New clients arriving are welcomed by the other residents in treatment and they become comfortable quite soon. Clients come from different places, i.e., Corrections, Detox, Northern Canada, self-referrals and other geographic locations and they all display nervousness and relief upon arriving.

When Alumni leave us, they are excited about where they are going and the plans they have. Each and every one of them has expressed they will miss FSRC and the peer support, meals, sharing…Some of have said they miss going to “group” because of the structure and sharing.

What is the biggest myth about addictions in the public mind?

The biggest myth is that a short stint in “rehab” will fix you up! Treatment can provide tools and knowledge for the addicted but it cannot provide the motivation for long term recovery. The desire for change must come from within the individual and he will need to build his support system for his success. We can all agree that certain activities will promote recovery and some of them are attending 12 step groups, helping others, doing service work.

How can Canada do better by our addicted and downtrodden citizens?

Canada needs to provide capital and operating funds for treatment centres to help those who are addicted. Not all of them are downtrodden (yet) because of addiction. We have such a high proportion of people who suffer from mental health issues and addictions, incarceration and addictions, and with specific groups of youth, seniors and families who are affected by the disease. The current Federal government needs to look at providing support in housing, rental subsidies and addiction and mental health services.

How can religious institutions help addicts? How can secular institutions assist addicts?

While 12 step groups do not promote religion, they do refer to a “higher power.” The “higher power” can grow to be “God” and have the effect of belief, faith, peace, serenity, and prayer on the individual. Not all people will agree to the “God” idea but will find what works for them. There are many different agencies and organizations that provide counselling, other support groups, meditation and physical training. All of these offerings are available to everyone and different ideas or activities will help everyone. Now, if I may, I want to add one note with some concluding questions, please. You are free to answer or skip them. You are in long term recovery. When you did become an addict? When did you realize over time that it was a problem? Where did you first get help?

I first realized that I had become alcoholic when I was 30 years old and had to go to Detox after being on a two-week binge. I went to a short term treatment facility and had 3 years clean and sober. During this time, I had moved twice and married for the second time. Unfortunately, my new husband was also an alcoholic (we unconsciously search out fellow alcoholics) and we enabled each other for fifteen years. When it finally ended, I again ended up in detox and fortunately I was able to go to the same short term treatment, and then onto to a 4-month treatment program for women. After that I lived in sober housing for close to eight years. My recovery was “grace given” and it took a long time. I had lots of support and attended many meetings during that time. I am now in my 17^th year of “recovery.”

What is long term recovery? How does it look from the recovering addict’s perspective?

I don’t know what long term recovery means to others, other than the length of time a person has been clean and sober. There are those who have many years of sobriety and yet have found no joy in life. I do not believe that’s long term recovery. For me, it means I no longer want a drink or to be around people who are “under the influence.” I feel free from any obsession or desire to drink…my life is good!

What is your main message of hope for those that have fallen through the cracks of society as addicts and fear for their lives, are destitute, downtrodden, psychologically bruised, and nearly emotionally broken, even physically emaciated and socially isolated? Just keep trying! You can’t fix everything – but you can start to fix yourself…get into detox or get help to stop using/drinking. We all care about you and what you’re going through. We want to help but sometimes we can’t (for any number of reasons). Start going to meetings and start listening. We do love you…and hope you just keep trying!

Thank you for your time, Connie.

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2022-02-25

An Interview with Tony Kokol

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

*This audio interview edited for clarity and readability.*

Scott Jacobsen: To begin, how did you come into the world of addiction services? Was it a personal reason, or a professional reason and public concern?

Tony Kokol: It comes out of my personal story. I am in recovery. Due to my addiction, I ended up in prison. I got released to a treatment centre/halfway house. It was there that I cleaned up. It was through that process of recovery through that treatment centre that my journey on this side of the fence started.

Jacobsen: Given your personal experience, if I may ask, and given your experience with Fresh Start Recovery, are the demographics divided between men and women slanted more towards men than women – addiction and recovery?

Kokol: I don’t know if they are slanted. I know my personal experience. That women, when they are out there in the real world, they are more susceptible to abuse and being taken advantage of – just given what they are. Their physical presence. They are susceptible to that. They probably can’t protect themselves as much or as easily out there. I would think on the treatment end of it. It always has been a struggle to afford the women courtesy as much as the men have in regards to treatment.

I think a lot of the time with women too. Their struggle lies with a family or having children. They have to go to treatment. What do you do with the children? They will break up the family to help this woman get better. I think that’s where a big struggle lies. I think it would be fantastic to have a treatment centre where the children could be with the mother, and not break up that family.

Jacobsen: When it comes to the process of recovery, from addiction, what stages tend to be the most emotionally difficult, even physically painful in terms of withdrawal?

Kokol: It would probably be the initial. That initial detox, the first 90 days or the first year. There is a continuum. They talk about a three-year continuum for the process of recovery. We touch base on that physical aspect. We are still physically detoxing. The cells in our body are rearranging and getting back to normal. The toxins are leaving our bodies. Once we detox, and are able to focus, and our memory comes back, the mental capability will start to be able to place our emotions a little better, and to prioritize them.

In third year, they talk about touching base with the spiritual aspect, where we learn to think of others and aren’t so self-centered and start placing other people ahead of us – and start understanding empathy and compassion a bit more.

Jacobsen: What has been one of the more emotionally touching stories that you’ve heard in your time at Fresh Start Recovery?

Kokol: I’ve heard a lot. There’s a fellow in my group right now. His wife has cancer. She wants him to complete treatment. She wants him to remain at Fresh Start. It is an extended program. It is 4 months long. His heart breaks. His wife is sick. She’s taking care of everything. She has a job. She’s a real go-getter. It is a realization that she might not get better. She wants him to stay there. It might be a cold reality that she wants him to be there because she might not be there when he’s done.

So he can be a good dad, when she’s not there. It can get pretty deep. You can go a few layers down. It can get heart wrenching. We live a crazy life there. I have been at work. Where in the morning, we get news of one of our men passing – one of the alumni, then in the afternoon or evening there is a celebration of a gratitude ceremony. Men are laughing and reuniting with their family.

That morning, we were shedding a tear with a mother who lost a loved one.

Jacobsen: Of course, there are many factors. But if you could target not one cause, but one strong positive correlate, of addiction in Canadian society, what would it be? How would you recommend Canadian policymakers and even on-the-ground activists help deal with what seems like a growing issue, in this country?

Kokol: That’s a tough answer. I think probably the biggest situation that I’ve seen is accessibility. There are many layers to it. It can get really deep. I am only one level. I am at the frontline, almost the frontline. These are the struggles that I see. There are many more when it comes to policies and laws. That sort of thing. What I see is the individual that is ready for treatment, but not having that opportunity due to bed availability, we have 100 people on the wait list.

What happens when an individual will come to his senses, hit that dark point in life, be ready, and is in the vulnerable point, on the cusp, it can go either way. He is on the edge and seeks help. He knocks on the doors of recovery and there isn’t a bed. It is disheartening. I run into it all of the time. All of the time. People reach out to me, “Hey Tony, help me.” I know a lot of people, but I am not in charge of the intake or who gets a bed.

But I know, we never have enough. If there was anything that we could do, it would be the politicians and the powers that be to raise an eyebrow about this. If we want to do something, they need to get well. From there, I don’t think there is a 30-day program or a 90-day program. There isn’t a quick cure. We need to embrace these people. It is a long-term solution. Let’s provide some structured housing after that.

Let’s not throw them back on the street after that. Let’s make sure they are gainfully employed and trained in the program, and get them some assisted housing, so they can get back on their feet – to see them until the end. That’s what I think.

Jacobsen: You noted long-term care. The continuum of care, and I am not an expert, seems like a growing part of recovery, officially, where recovery centres will deal with recovering addicts for the long-term. How has this been for you – if you’re undergoing this process yourself?

Kokol: I’ve done it. I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it on the other end. I’ve seen men go through it. I believe it is the only way to go. The truth of the matter is that the time most people hit a bottom and are ready for treatment. Most life areas have been dampened. They have annihilated them. They annihilated their financial resources, family, and social support. It is a time in their life when they not only need to recover from addiction, but all areas of life.

You can’t sober someone up, and then boot them out to the door, especially when they are unemployable, have financial issues, housing issues, and so on. All you’ve done is sober up the person who is still afflicted. It is a social fact of social return on investment. It is something like every dollar we invest, then we get seventeen dollars back from that person giving back to society. I proved it myself.

I was the guy that needed treatment. I came in so broken that I needed someone to help house me, clothe me, help me get into the workforce, help me to text, to run a computer. I lost these skills over fifteen years of being on the street. I lost living skills even. I needed a hand. So I embraced that support net and structure. It turned out fine for me. It is ironic you phoned. Today is my nine years clean.

Jacobsen: [Laughing] It is the anniversary?

Kokol: Yes, it is the anniversary.

Jacobsen: For those that are just reading this, basically, we’ve had trouble calling [Laughing] and it is basically a random call. So congratulations.

Kokol: I know it. I know when I come to treatment that I am broken. All major life areas are annihilated. Nine years later, I live a happy, productive life. I have a home. I have all of the things that people would want. I have a career. People are important to me. Family is important to me. I don’t break hearts no more. I’m not a burden. I contribute. I have self-esteem. I have purpose. Thank God nobody gave up on me, I was forty-six-years-old by the time I hit a bottom to be willing to change.

It was forty-six years of screwing up, screwing up. Thank God for Fresh Start, there were parole officers, counsellors, and people in the twelve-step community too – and certain family members. Thank God, they didn’t write me off.

Jacobsen: By analogy, people see problems with volunteers for international organizations. Young people, for instance, in college will travel to another part of the world to volunteer, but they might be a little reckless in the way they volunteer. They might have good intentions, but they can do some damage. Sometimes, more damage than good.

To draw that analogy over to the context that we’re talking about, for those that want to help volunteer in the homeless community or those that are addicted, or their family members or extended family members in their own recovery processes, what are possible landmines in their path that they can avoid to reduce the amount of harm that they might cause, even for the best of intentions? What tend to be the more effective ways of volunteering for the recovery community, and the addicted community?

Kokol: Landmines, I think the only landmine the person would have is themselves and the attitude they approach to work with this demographic of people, and to realize this is someone’s brother. This is someone’s father. This is someone’s mother. This is someone’s sister. To always exercise empathy and compassion, and to prepare yourself, they are not less. They are not less. They’ve got the disease of addiction. The brain doesn’t work the way everybody’s else does.

They’ve indulged in a substance for an extended period of time. That was their own choice. Just like everybody else, but that was their choice, for certain individuals, they cross the line. The brain becomes hardwired after doing it for an extended period of time. Sometimes, it is only a couple times. Other times, it s a few months. Everybody is different. That is where this line is drawn with this disease of addiction.

People scoff at it, or they don’t understand it. But it is true. The phenomenon of craving occurs. Other people can do it. They don’t cross the line. They don’t experience this craving. It is not that they didn’t make bad choices. Maybe, not more than any other teenager who chose to experiment. I think everybody has to have empathy and understanding, and to realize that we’re not all exempt from a perfect life.

I think, as a society or as a healthy person, we owe it to the less fortunate to assist them and to enhance their quality of life. If there is any landmine, it would be: How do you approach the task at hand. And how do you go about it? And what’s your motivation?

Jacobsen: Thank you for your time, Tony.

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2022-02-25

Kyle Williams Interview

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So let’s start off of family background. What’s the short of the long?

Williams: So, I was born in Ontario in Ottawa. We’re all good Canadian folks; dad was born in Halifax, mom was born in Ottawa, and we’re all basically your run-of-the-mill Canadians when it comes down to it. I was a family of four; I have a younger sister and my folks, and my sister is three years younger than me. My dad comes from a family of five boys, so you’ve got four uncles on side and on my mom’s side she has a sister and a brother, so a couple uncles and an aunt on side. We’re not too exciting when it comes to family background.

Jacobsen: And I mean you were a typical kid sports and things. How was elementary school for you or the things would you do the time?

Williams: Elementary school; my parents and teachers always used to joke my favourite subject was recess. I was always an active boy, spent time playing hockey, riding my bike. I was always an active outdoorsy kid, and in elementary school. It was around the time my parents got divorced and as most young boys do I was trying to fit in and have fun and then next on the priority list was to do well at school.

Jacobsen: Junior high and high school, how did this then transition into life?

Williams: Junior high and High school, we moved a little bit, but in Calgary. My dad had the same house, but we, my sister and I, were transitioning back and forth between houses week-on-week-off. My mum moved around Calgary, so we were always either closer or farther from friends. I learned to be independent, whether hopping on the bus or riding my bike somewhere and with independence came of drinking and drugs. For the most part, junior high was spent trying to be as good an athlete as I could, but I would experiment in parties with alcohol, and then high school athletics took a back seat to the partying and to the good times lifestyle. I was a wizard at skipping classes and managing to scrape by, but it was an interesting time for me. It was what I thought was fun but I didn’t take anything all seriously.

Jacobsen: And do you think your parents’ divorce was a significant factor on this?

Williams: No, I don’t think so. I went to a couple therapy sessions. I believe when my folks got divorced. I was seven years old and by the time I had made it into high school; from Elementary School to Junior High to High school, I’d seen so many of my friend’s parents get divorced. It wasn’t a… something I saw taking a toll on my life, it was something happened and I recognized it was happening everywhere, so I don’t think it was bearing on me at point.

Jacobsen: As you were a young experimenter with drugs and alcohol, you did attend university, but you have noted this was at a time of being a “Full blown alcoholic.” What was the first note, the first story, or a realization you had this was indeed the case?

Williams: I’m on a bike ride right now, riding across the country. I had time to think, and so I think the first time it was ever apparent to me was earlier than that, but, while in university, I carried the same party lifestyle I wanted in high school. But now, I wasn’t living under my parents’ roof. I wasn’t answering to anyone, except for teachers and the grades I had to pull. There wasn’t a whole lot of motivation and ambition left. I became interested in partying and getting drunk or high all the time. And I think is it was apparent when I was blocking out almost every time I drank, or disappointing friends, disappointing family. I have been in the hospital twice; once to get my stomach pumped, once to get re-fuelled up on saline solution, I was in the first week or two weeks of university. So it was apparent from the get-go.

Jacobsen: Given you were partying in university; was this a common set of friends you had that you were partying with?

Williams: I think down in Lethbridge there are parties every night of the week if you want. There’s something going on, so I was constantly able to find someone to hang out with. So there were common denominators along the way, I think. I would be the most common out of all of those. It was a large group of friends. I also had many groups of friends.

Jacobsen: Do you find yourself being the encourager as well as the one being encouraged to use alcohol?

Williams: I think peer pressure, especially in age, as well as setting is pretty apparent. It is pretty prominent amongst groups of friends even if it’s the old adage: “Let’s go for one beer.” I think that’s super common. Everyone does it. So it was how I would peer pressure people into it, and how other people would pressure me into doing it, but I had a rubber arm; it was pretty easy to twist.

Jacobsen: How did you, or when did you, find ‘Fresh Start’ as a way to bring you back into a more stable life?

Williams: I wish I found ‘Fresh Start’ earlier, but I went to university from the age of 19 to 23 I think, then I was down in Lethbridge until 2014. When I came back, I was working in night clubs in Calgary. It was a continuation of the lifestyle. I called for myself down in the university. I didn’t find Fresh Start until last year, until last April, and it was from series of hospital visits, series of people, who maybe hadn’t seen me in a long time calling me up and saying, “Hey, I saw you the other night and you aren’t doing so well.” As well, a strong family support network. I have an uncle who is familiar with Fresh Start; he’s been in recovery for 15 years now, and I was lucky he brought me in there to show me around and to introduce me to some people and that’s when I realized it was probably the smartest decision for me to go in there and turn it around.

Jacobsen: And now, you’re doing the Journey to Recovery. There are two hash tags; one is #journeytorecovery, and the other is #freedomthroughfitness. What was the inspiration for this, and what is the intent and purpose?

Williams: So last year, I did a cycling trip on a much smaller scale, not without challenges, but I was fresh out of treatment. I was on a little family vacation down in Kensington and through treatment though I wasn’t living there. I woke up every morning and rode my bike to Fresh Start. It was about 12 or 13 kilometres depending on which way I went. I would sit down in Penticton and I had my bike with me, and instead of packing my bike up and flying it home I decided I was going to ride it home. I was riding at the time with a single speed bike. So, I trekked through the Rockies about 625 kilometres or so. I’ve called this ride “Changing Gears” because I have a bike with gears on it, but I’ve also helped through this past year. I have changed gears in my life and have gained what has kept me in the right head space and kept me going. Freedom through Fitness, it’s a fitness community and being able to go for a workout and have extra people who have a common goal. It’s any meeting, but it is people from all walks of life. And I think it’s a strong wellness model and the purpose of this tour, this ride, has been I want to show anything is possible. Riding across the country is no small a feat, but I want to show people and talk to people at treatment centres along the way about how an active lifestyle and a fitness regimen you can be a strong levelling tool when you’re not feeling great, or when you are feeling great. It’s something I would to see more people and more places incorporate into their programs Fresh Start did.

Jacobsen: You have noted the ride itself does embody four principles; one was kindness, second was authenticity, third was reliability, and the fourth was love. I do note those four words in order spell the name K.A.R.L. Why these principles and why acronym?

Williams: So when I was living in the height of my partying and addiction days. I had a friend who used to say I would take on a drunk alter ego or an alter ego that wasn’t as pleasant as the person I was when I was sober. It wasn’t necessarily I was an angry, mean, or a hateful person, but I wasn’t the person I would want to be known for. And it wasn’t until I moved back to Calgary a friend of mine said, “Hey, when you get drunk or when you get high you aren’t Kyle anymore, you’re Karl.” It almost became a big joke. It almost became an action word people were getting. At one point, I was lying in bed and I was either in treatment, started treatment, and my uncle and I had been talking about developing a code to live by. I started looking at the opposites of the way I used to be. I said I wasn’t an angry person, but I was not also a kind person. I wouldn’t help someone if they asked, so kindness was something I wanted to try and embody. Authenticity was something I wanted to try and embody because when I was drinking or using drugs. I felt I was constantly being or trying to be someone I was not. It seems to be tiresome all the lies and the thoughts I had to protect this person I thought I was. I was lying to family, I was lying to friends, and it became exhausting. So I wanted to be authentically me without worrying about people judging or without worrying about what others might have thought. So that was an important piece. Reliability, I wasn’t a reliable person. I was drunk all the time. People would ask today if we wanted to come to some sort of function or if I wanted to help them move or with their regular daily life things. I would say, “Yes,” and then not show up. I’ll find an excuse to not be there, and so I think reliability is such an important piece of life in general when you say you’re going to do something, then you do it. So that’s something I wanted to live by. And then finally, love is when you can truly and wholeheartedly love, I think that’s the only way to live, and doing so in day to day life whether that’s your family, friends, relationships. I want to be able to love with no holds barred, nothing holding me back. And I kid you not. It’s hit me like a ton of bricks when I recognized this way of life has became the acronym for K.A.R.L. It was something I knew that I needed to share. I knew I wanted to live by those words and that’s how it became a piece of the ride, how it’s become a piece of my life. And I wake up every day grateful I’m now this Kyle as opposed to the old Karl.

Jacobsen: Thank you for that. And do you find almost this ride you changing gears is almost a riding away the old Karl? So you can say you can then more embody the newer one?

Williams: I hope so. It’s a piece of my life I wouldn’t change. It has made me the person I am today, but I think this ride for sure will be the start of bigger things to come, and the memory of the old Karl in the minds of friends and family will be less apparent and this new version will be more prominent.

Jacobsen: And for those would to help donate, or become involved in another way, how can they do so?

Williams: Donations are always greatly appreciated as well as a simple follow on Facebook or Instagram. I have a website. It’s changing-gears.ca. You can read my blog, post comments, ask questions, check out some of the pictures. We’re trying to get as many of those as possible when it’s not raining. There’s also a link there if you want to donate. It’s a donation through Fresh Start Recovery Center. They’ve been gracious and super helpful when it comes to partnering up with me for this. I also have a Facebook page and an Instagram page you can get to through the website.

Jacobsen: How important do you find working in community for recovery?

Williams: If you look at it in some terms of a 12-Step way, it’s extremely important. People say working with the newcomers keeps them sober and keeps them on a path of recovery. I think working in the community doesn’t necessarily have to be with the new comer. It can be with anyone. And so one of the ways I’m working in the community is I help lead a grassroots fitness movement called November Project in Calgary; they’re popping up all over the world. It’s a way you get out and interact with people who have a similar view on the world, but also all kinds of walks of life. So I think it’s important for anyone’s psyche to be out in the community and working with people. That’s what I’m trying to do.

Jacobsen: Do you have any final thoughts or feelings in conclusion based on the conversation today?

Williams: First, I’d like thank you so much for doing the interview. I also appreciate the support from Fresh Start; they’ve given me a great opportunity. I want to thank some other sponsors, an oatmeal company is sponsoring me called Stoked Oats as well as some help from Muscle Milk Canada without all of the support and all the donations have poured in this wouldn’t have been able to happen. I’m so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity. And the same goes for some of the media and the interviews I’m able to do. I want to thank you again and it’s been a pleasure.

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for your time, Kyle.

Williams: Yeah, thank you.

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2022-02-25

An Interview with Mr. Stacey Petersen, RSW (Part Two)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

With respect to Zig Ziglar, personal experiences, professional work, and observations of others going through ‘tough times’ in life, what are some of the most heartwarming stories seen by you?

Ah, man. I have been to over 300 funerals. On the flip side, I’ve seen far more recovery. When I think about recovery, I think about no more absent fathers and lost sons and daughters. I’m watching a guy on Facebook. He’s a single father. He’s got custody of his kids. My God, it is so heartwarming to see this. He’s with his two kids. They’re 12 and 13. His son and daughter, the process of him working every weekend building the yard, putting fences up, and laying down patio blocks.

He’s building a space to have campfires with his kids. He’ll come home from work one day. Both of his kids are working on the fence. I think about what it must have been for those kids before recovery happened for the father. I’m watching a 16-year-old kid present his father with a 4-year medallion. Obviously, his dad became sober at the age of 12. Those are some of the things.

For every parent watching a child go through the process of addiction, my friend, Scott Oake, from Hockey Night in Canada. Him and his wife, Anne Oake, are working to build a treatment centre for their son who passed away. Scott said, “We are only as happy as our unhappiest child.” If you have a child that has an addiction, it is part of your daily life. It is with you every day.

When they get clean, the parents think, “Please let this be the last time.” I sat with a colleague of mine. I came across him in a parkade. He was crying. I said, “What’s going on?” He said, “His son had overdosed and died.” The one thing that he said that he would do in a heartbeat is that he would take it all back in terms of always being on him about the drug use. He would have taken it all back and spend that time loving him.

When I think about that, I think about our family healing program. It isn’t about fixing the addict in your life. It is about learning to live with your own feelings. Addiction is a family illness. Everybody in the family is affected by it.

I was in Washington last October at the Unite to Face Addiction Rally. It was huge. There were thousands and thousands of people on the national mall with huge concerts. Barack Obama spoke, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Steven Tyler, it was fantastic. I got to meet Steven.

Subsequent to that, the Obama Administration released $1.1 billion to the recovery movement. I think that what is happening is the stigma is being broken because people are tired of keeping things quiet. Their loved ones. Their families. Their friends. They are suffering and dying. When our government can accept that addiction is a chronic illness, that’s fantastic, but we have some ways to go before the general public can have the same level of acceptance and treat addiction as you would any other disease.

If you look at families, communities, and even individuals, at the socio-cultural level, what can they do to assist in the prevention of this problem in society or in helping those suffering get through those ‘tough times’ in their lives?

First and foremost, they can have the conversation and not be afraid to have the conversation. I know that many parents probably don’t know. It’s scary. I have to tell you. With the advent of the internet, our kids know more about what’s out there than we do. I had a conversation with my son one day. I am reasonably on top of him about personal responsibility and this is what I see every day.

He looked at me. He said, “Dad, I know what’s out there. I know where they are. I don’t go near them.” I had to go back and have the conversation and say, “You know what, I trust you. I know you’re going to make some good choices.” I think a lot of parents don’t know. You’ve got some progressive schools. They are going to gladly put that out on the table.

People across the country are talking about mental health and addiction. We worked with Rob Nash. He put on some concerts here. He is fantastic at spreading the message. We’ve got Sheldon Kennedy out there right now. He is doing an amazing job around addiction, abuse, and trauma. It is about continuing to have the dialogue. We don’t, or we haven’t in the past, because of fear. It is fear of judgment. Who is going to speak about the fact that their son has a mental illness or their daughter has an addiction?

Now, I got to tell you. I sat in my office with another gentleman here. He is the CEO of an oil company. He is talking to me like I’m talking to you. He told me for the third time that he had to perform CPR on his son to keep him alive from an overdose.

The third time he had to do it for 45 minutes until help arrived for them. Can you imagine having to perform CPR on your child for 1 minute?

You mentioned President Barack Obama put out $1.1 billion for this movement. With respect to Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, what could be done at the federal level – outside of groups, communities, and individuals?

That’s the National Advisory Committee work and the CCSA. In January 2015, there were 60 organizations from coast to coast to coast. We hammered out a commitment to recovery for Canadians. That went to the House of Commons in March, 2016. That was read in the House of Commons. That got a standing ovation from the House of Commons. I think what needs to happen is that the transfer payments that go to the provinces need to have a trajectory on them that isn’t in your regional health ministry.

The Feds can make determinations on how funding should be spent within the provinces. I would suggest at least 50% of the funding for addiction treatment should be directed towards funded agencies within the provinces. Maybe, that’s a bit high, Scott. I would say an equitable percentage. The truth is the organizations on the ground are producing excellent outcomes.

The social return on investment is staggering. There’s a group out of Washington called Success Market Inc. They calculated ours and some others. They have a link to Charity Intelligence. The return on investment to the community is $17 to $29 based on $1 investment in programming. That is phenomenal.

Cost avoidance, when we were working on the 10-year plan to end homelessness, we calculated conservative numbers at approximately $100,000 per person per year stay. That speaks nothing of the return, unless the dollar is spent. The priceless impact of returning a father to his family, or a son to his family, or to a community. That is priceless.

What does that mean for generations? They look at an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) for a child’s first experiences and how that affects children’s resiliency, and the implications surrounding addiction later in life. So, when you start to heal families and people, you start to heal communities.

Why do I do what I do? I am blessed, fortunate, whatever words you want to choose, to be able to do this. I get to see kids get their dads back. I get to see families get their children back. I get to see employers have phenomenal employees again. I get to meet some of the most incredible and talented people that I have ever met in my life. Not just those in recovery but also those that support us and my crew. Like I said they are amazing!

My kids talk about doing what I do in profound ways. They are young but they get it. We have so much in our lives. We get to make a difference. We don’t do what we do for the recognition or for money. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I think we are some distance from the recovery movement being as big as it should but we are headed in the right direction.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Petersen.

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2022-02-25

An Interview with Mr. Stacey Petersen, RSW (Part One)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Fresh Start Recovery Centre

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017

What is Fresh Start Recovery Centre?

We provide addiction treatment. We own a 40,000 square foot purpose-built addiction treatment centre for men and for families through which we offer an intensive 12- to 16-week live-in program as well as outpatient. We have our family healing program, which is open to anybody in the city, in the country. That’s been affected by someone else’s addiction. They do not have to have somebody in our facility to attend it.

Also, we have second-stage housing. This long-term housing is intended to be safe, sober and affordable. We have a very strong alumni association. They meet here weekly. They celebrate birthdays here monthly. They hold their own events. They also support the main house event. Our 12-stop Ride for Recovery, which happens this August 27^th. That’s an absolutely amazing event. It is probably one of the most incredible motorcycle runs that you will do because it is not a typical motorcycle run. There is something to do at every stop. This year’s fourth stop will blow people’s minds.

We have our BBQ, which is July 15^th. Also, we have a satellite office in Niagara Falls. We are involved in recovery on a lot of different levels. I sit on the National Recovery Advisory Committee, the Alberta Addiction Service Providers, and the Canadian Research Institute for Substance Misuse. We are involved with Faces and Voices of Recovery Canada. A lot of community partnerships that we are involved with seek to provide greater solution and awareness surrounding addiction recovery.

One of them is MESH, Mental Health, Employment, Substance Abuse, and Housing; hence, MESH. That’s with Prospect Services, Horizon Housing, Aventa Addiction Treatment for Women, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), and, of course, Fresh Start Recovery Centre (‘Fresh Start’). The impetus of that is to help individuals enter any one of those organizations with a central agreed-upon intake process. Someone can be accepted into any one of those agencies and then enter into the mix of whether they need employment through Prospect Services, housing through Horizon Housing, women’s treatment through Aventa Addiction Treatment for Women, mental health through CMHA, or men’s treatment through Fresh Start Recovery Centre.

We won a Calgary award in 2012 for community advocacy. We’ve been chosen by the Fraser Institute out of Vancouver as the #1 treatment centre in Canada in 2010, 2013 and 2014. 2014 was the last year they held the awards program. We were also chosen as the #1 social service agency in Canada in 2014. In addition, overall, we earned the Drucker Award for not-for-profit management.

We’ve been in that top 3 every year since 2006. We were chosen since 2007 as a recommended Canadian charity by Charity Intelligence, a four-star agency. Also, Bhayana awards from the United Way supporting our partnership with MESH. So, all of that. Those were all great. However, the story that it tells is that I have the best people in the world working together with me.

These people have hearts the size of cars. All of us together. The Fresh Start crew has about 350 years of recovery under their belts as well as the paper work on the wall. It varies from there. It ranges from 29 to 25, to the 20s, some 15s, a smattering of 10s. I hire people based on their ability to reach another human being.

If you cannot build a genuine relationship with another human being, there’s no point being in this work. The most therapeutic tool you have in a helping relationship is the relationship.

What are some of the factors that might play into that screening of individuals for their ability – in terms of predictive validity – to work with people, reach out to people, and build that relationship?

I’m going to look at transferable skills. I’m going to look at the paperwork. I’m going to sit down and have a conversation. I am going to meet with them. You can tell somebody in a heartbeat if they are genuine, isn’t motivated by fear. I usually have a way of making people feeling comfortable. I try to focus my energy from a loving perspective.

Same for the rest of my crew. I don’t want to work with people that are fear-based. We are guiding people to stay sober and clean so we had better be driven from a place of love rather than fear ourselves. I am not saying we are perfect, far from it, but we strive to be the best we can to serve these men and their families.

Is fear a big problem there? You mentioned it, twice.

I think fear is a big problem in society, Scott. We have two sources through which we govern ourselves on any given day at different levels of intensity. That is either fear or love. I was asked to do a TED talk in 2014. They said, “Do it on innovation and change.” I spoke on fear and love, and how that affects our resiliency and ability to cope day-to-day in life. The key to all of that is a simple thing. Everybody tries to get that hole filled from outside sources. It is an ‘inside job.’ There are a few things to do this gig. That is love who you are and love what you do. From that, you cannot fail. I like what Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want”.

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 13 – T-1000

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: It may be all part of one entity that is to a greater or lesser extent—That will apply to a lot of stuff. People can be their own cars as physical forms become more flexible and information processing systems including consciousness become more fungible and more transferable.

People will be more and more their own tools. We will be our own transformers, but not as clunky – unless it is expensive to do so. I am sure there will be – at different periods of the future – different costs to morphing yourself.

We are not all going to be T-1000s to be able to take on any form at any time. Unless, we’re living in cyberspace completely. Even there, whatever cyber societies that we have, there will be sets of traditions and rules that will provide some limits.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 12 – 7 of 9

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/15

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: People will probably be modified in sleek ways with their minds and bodies modified without necessary external and obvious representation, like the Borg, for instance. It won’t be 7 of 9.

Rick Rosner: We send people into deep-ish space, into interstellar space. If they have human forms, it will just be out of sentimentality, or the feeling that we need to maintain some humanity rather than—because that is going to be the aesthetic choice because humans are somehow the best thing to send into space.

We will send people via packages, but those packages will do more than humans do, even partially. Also, there is a lot of science fiction that has slight difference between the ship and the crew. There may be a situation where the ship is the crew.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 11 – Starship Enterprise

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Will we have a future utopia or dystopia where everyone is dirty or hiding underground? Either a utopia or a dystopia will be—the future of human stuff is going to be altered by our ability to alter, and the will be influenced by the convenience and power of altering ourselves as we continue to merge with technology.

Scarlett Johannsen is part of a movie called Her is like a movie in the future, where things are just slightly different than reality. But that’s about as far as people are going to consider these things believably.

We will not have the Starship Enterprise. I talked about the idea of half-tronauts, who will get blown up in the war, and then those people will be the astronauts because you don’t need the lower half as much. You won’t have that. But the entities who will pilot our spacecraft will not be purely human.

Unless, those spacecraft are launched in the next 50 or 80 years from now. The grand exploring expeditions that set off for Alpha Centauri and other nearby stars won’t be staffed by people who staffed the Starship Enterprise. Everyone will be super modified.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 10 – Quantum Stuff (Part 2)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: We already time travel with cognition. To some extent, we simulate the future, what will happen, according to certain actions. I’m not sure the entire math and mental space involved in all of this because whenever we come up to a red light.

We don’t see what would happen if we crossed the street on a red. WE DON’T SIMULATE THAT IN FULL. We just don’t do it. So, I don’t know how much that counts to be prediction of the future rater t simulation of the future.

But not doing it doesn’t preclude us having a model of the world that incorporates knowledge about the world that is applicable to the future, which is some kind of – I want to say tacit, but I overuse “tacit” – simulation that we’re always running.

You don’t walk into the wall. You have a model of how doors and walls work as you plot your course from one room to another. I assume that as our cognition gets better via AI, then our understanding of the world. Our modelling of the world will get better.

We may be able to anticipate more and more of the future, but our best course of action will not be necessarily time travel.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 9 – Quantum Stuff

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: However, we’re talking about quantum events and the universe consists of macro objects, which are composed of quantum particles acting in quantum ways. Where everything calms down to Newtonian behaviour, the macro world is like the 32-year-old compared to the 19-year-old.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What I am imagining is a 2-dimensional grid, then you flip it 90 degrees, so it is perpendicular to your vision, then you make it bubbly along that plane for the 3-dimensional part of it. Whatever is the highest peak or lowest valley are the point at which there is the most emphasis, and that is the current moment, Kind of like that?

Rosner: Yea, yea, it’s also like a rubber band with a bundle of sticks with the rubber band pulling the sticks together. One each side, it looks like teeth sticking out. But since we live in a macro world, it lets us have relatively certain knowledge about macro events that happened in the past.

We focus a lot of information according to its storage on the world. It is basically what we do anyway. We get better and better at it. Which means that in the future, we will get better and better at simulating and replicating the past.

Which means that if you make a list of the reasons as to our inability to know the world, it might not preclude us from having the benefits of time travel. One benefit of time travel is to correct past mistakes.

A massively recordable simulatable world. There’s not reason why future people couldn’t get the wish-fulfilling aspects of time travel by going back and seeing the way things would be lie if they had done something differently.

And then another purpose of time travel is to know what the future will be like – and to avoid doing the wrong thing, testing courses of action—

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 8 – Future, Present, Past

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Because the implied past and set of possible futures is a set or a larger set of possible nexts, it is probabilistic.

Rick Rosner: I see the present as the way in which existence—I see the present moment as always, the most defined moment in a timeline, and before and after the present moment. You have probable past and future moments.

People build whole theories about one of those possible moments have real existences, like Multi-Worlds Theory, even Multi-Futures theory. You can talk about Multi-Pasts Theory.

Jacobsen: Also, to clarify, we should probably say world line rather than timeline.

Rosner: Yes, sorry, world line. The limited amount of information that we have—we have limited information about the present. There are many possible presents. We don’t know what is happening on another planet or in another country at this moment.

Same with the universe. It is basing judgments on limited information. The idea that you can get exactly back to a past moment. I don’t think is admissible under the laws of quantum mechanics. There are some instances in which you can do that under General and Special Relativity.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 7 – Thoughts on Time

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/15

[Beginning of recorded material]

Jacobsen: Maybe, we’ve been thinking about time the wrong way then.

Rosner: How are you thinking about time?

Jacobsen: When we take time, we take a number line with integers, so you can go positive and negative. In Newtonian Mechanics, or Classical Mechanics, you can go backwards or forwards and it won’t make a difference. You’re at T=0, and can move from there.

In quantum mechanics, there is a different backwards if you go forwards or backwards. Maybe, the proper representation is sets of paths where even the past is another possible path.

Rosner: Yea! Okay, I think that’s the right way to think about it.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 6 – Ultimate Travel

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: I’m sure there will continue to be fancier ways of transport, but the emphasis for transport will shrink. We will still build a bullet train to Vegas eventually, so California or LA idiots can get there quicker. Transportation is interesting.

Another thing you just brought up is time travel.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: It is the ultimate form of travel.

Rosner: Yes. Some will say it is the worst because most shows assume you will be anchored to your spot-on Earth as you time travel, even though the Earth is travelling around the Sun and rotating and the Sun is in the Solar System and moving in the Milky Way and the Milky Way is moving in among billions of galaxies.

All that movement is something you must track. It is another reason time travel is goofy. Every moment is a quantum web, a quantum event. It is non-replicatable. Under Newton, who thought the universe, or theorized as if the universe had absolute space and time, which includes infinite precision in objects’’ locations, you can imagine the universe being an experiment in billiards, where you can just run back the world.

But the world is incompletely defined and information about the past that you might use to replicate the past is not completely recoverable as we move into the future. Everything wobbles, even if you could run times backwards.

There are particles like positrons and whatever you call negative protons.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

The Future of… 5 – Travel Inefficiency

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Because travel is super inefficient in a lot of ways, where the person weights 120-300 pounds. What a person travels in and in America that is often a loaded car, they will weigh 2 to 4 thousand pounds. So you are already wasting a lot of resources by transporting more than 10 times your weight just to run errands and stuff.

Plane travel while efficient in subways is very polluting. Eventually, there will be a pain where a lot of things will be more easily achieved by just remote conferencing. Consider the amount of business we do via phones.

I don’t know what percent of our communicative life is based around a device rather than face-to-face. It has got to be for the average person now, over 75%. Once we get past some uncanny valley, which we’re not approaching via telepresence, more and more people will virtually do more and more of their lives.

I just saw an article without reading it about how much of retail—without seeing an article, that is obvious. Malls and retail strips are just getting eviscerated. So anyway, people are going to move away from transportation.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 8 – SAT and ACT

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/07/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What can students and parents do to prepare for the SAT, which is becoming less important, and the ACT, which is becoming more important?

Rick Rosner: The SAT is becoming less important because it measures a bunch of skills that are not needed in other areas of school, whereas the ACT tests knowledge that you should be picking up in your class. That’s why, I would guess, there is an increasing preference for the ACT.

For both of them, or either of them, the best thing you can do is to take as many practice tests as you possibly can so that you are as familiar as you can get with the materials and the questions that they will throw at you.

If you can, you should take 12-20 complete practice tests. You don’t have to take them all at once – take them section by section when you have 25 or 30 minutes. You should really end up work. You will gradually see improvement. That strategy is a little more applicable to the SAT. The SAT doesn’t test knowledge as it measure the ability to think on your feet a little bit in SAT terms, whereas the ACT measures knowledge that you picked up in English, Math, Science, and a whole bunch of science and math for taking a whole bunch of ACTs.

If you already have a decent grounding in those subjects, it will at least give you a good picture about the landscape of the knowledge that they’re testing. So, where my advice for the SAT is to take 12-20 practice tests, ACT maybe do half of that and supplement in between the practice tests studying the material that you didn’t get right on each test.

What you didn’t get right should point you in the direction of where you need to study more, what goes along with this is not paying $100/hr times 20 or 30 or 40 hours, or however many hours, for a private tutor, you can get all sorts of feedback from SAT and ACT books on why the correct answers are correct.

You don’t need somebody walking you through everything all of the time. You definitely don’t need somebody sitting there picking up the hourly charges while you take practice tests. You can have a tutor in for an hour or two once a month or every six weeks to help to get you to go through some of the stuff that you got wrong, didn’t understand, or don’t know how to tackle on the tests, but it shouldn’t be a weekly thing.

You should be able to get more taking practice tests than sitting with a tutor going through problems, especially on the SAT. The SAT, it helps if you see thousands of SAT math problems and you know every kind of problem that they throw at you.

You may not be able to solve every one of them, but at least you’ll have an idea about whether you want to skip the problem or not.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 7 – Bullying

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/07/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: Now, even though there’s still a lot of bullying and there are new ways to bully people online, it’s a much more, I think, diverse personality types are more accepting. One reason is that people who were once geeks have completely reshaped the world through technology, and everybody enjoys the fruits of technology, and entertainment that focuses on stuff that was once geeky like superheroes is some of the most carefully and expensively wrought entertainment there is.

And thanks to social media, people are less isolated and can find support from each other even if their social situation at school isn’t great, but I think overall people are better informed. I mean yea everybody looks like an idiot on their cell phones.

But I think people are a little bit more grown-up because there is more information and people have more information about life. Back in my childhood, even TV was useless at telling you anything real, there were shows like or classic/beloved shows like the Brady Bunch or the Partridge family.

They barely touched on any real issues and offered no help or no real help with how to deal with stuff. They offered easy situations and platitudes, and were just kind of terrible to watch because they were so lazy.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 6 – Mom Doesn’t Know

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: My mom didn’t know what to do with me. She was afraid of not properly dealing with a kid with, a gifted kid, a kid with gifts. She thought the best way to deal with that was to treat me like a normal kid in the hopes that I would turn out normally, which to some extent was not the worst thing.

I was tested in first grade to see if I should be kicked up a grade. And I had the academic and intellectual skills to do it, but then they saw me on the playground as a loner, and correctly realized that putting me with kids a year older than me would’ve further isolated me socially.

So, and then going to school in the sixties and seventies in America, at least, there was not – the era in general and me specifically – there was not a lot of push to excel academically beyond getting good grades. It was nothing in terms of academic push compared to now. I didn’t get homework until junior high, and it was minimal.

There were few AP classes offered and few people took them. The highest you could go in math in school was calculus, and few people made it that far. And there was much less competition to get into selected colleges, which meant that people didn’t have to work very hard at all to demonstrate academic performance strong enough to get into a really college.

The acceptance rate for Harvard during my era was four times the current acceptance rate. 20% of applicants got in compared to 5% now. So, my generation was not pushed enough and the current generation is probably pushed too hard.

Also, it was much less socially acceptable to be a geek. Geeks got bullied and persecuted more. And didn’t get to go out with girls, the current era is much, much more accepting of geeks and nerds and nerd interests.

[End of recorded material]

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Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 5 – Nerd Societies

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/15

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We have issues to do with high levels of dropout, low levels of performance, and high levels of diagnoses for ADHD for boys.

Rick Rosner: Before you move onto this whole other thing, society has become very geeky and nerdy, where I’m sure there’s still lots of schools where the football players run the schools and nerds get thrown in the garbage can on a semi-daily basis, but the overall culture is more accepting and embracing of geeks and nerds than it was in the 80s and before.

I was born in 1960. People born in my era were given a lot of IQ tests. I was an early reader and good at math, but there was very little in the way. there were few enriched educational opportunities. Occasionally, I would have a teacher that saw I needed more challenging material and they would set me up with that stuff, and that would keep me out of trouble for a year or two.

One of those teachers, I had for 5th and 6th grade. it gave me two years on not fucking up. But back then, the default assumption was that everybody was being served well by public schools. Most people went to public schools at least where I went to public school in Colorado, and people assumed everything was fine and everybody turned out okay.

[End of recorded material]

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Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 4 – John Hughes Movies

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/08

[Beginning of recorded material]

Rick Rosner: To start your study of these kids, you want to watch John Hughes movies. He’s said that his classic movies of the 80s like Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Breakfast Club – probably have more characters in them that are asynchronously developed than any super popular movies ever. You can probably throw Lucas in there. The 80s were kind of the era for high school movies and movie characters who were frustrated because they were smart, but immature, and didn’t know how to work around that.

Hughes talked about the difference between geeks and nerds, where a nerd is going to be a little weird and off for their whole life. But a geek just needs a couple years to level off physically and emotionally to where they are intellectually.

But from what you’re saying, a geek who doesn’t get the right kind of support or doesn’t develop the right life strategies could freeze into a nerd, permanently maladjusted and at odds with society.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 3 – James Flynn

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/06/01

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You’re pointing out tremendous amounts of stress growing up. You pointed to one major event can cut you out of the story altogether. What about small things that can small, but persistent, effects over time such as stereotype threat?

Rick Rosner: If you look at James Flynn, he’s the Flynn Effect guy. he says most of the differences for IQ are due to upbringing and environment.

Jacobsen: What percent? What ratio?

Rosner: I don’t know. And pinning down percentages with that stuff is a ticket to ugly arguments. You can go ahead and say 50/50 to 40/60 or 60/40 one way or the other. You can say that the outcomes are better if you grow up in a sophisticated, educated, and affluent, safe household.

Jacobsen: They talk about asynchronous development. Kids emotionally at their age, but intellectually say they’re 5 and at the intellectual age of 10. Even when they grow up, and they are in their circumstance, they will be in substandard housing, poorer nutrition, worse schools, and high stress environments and may not necessarily emotionally understand what’s going on or be able to emotionally cope with the circumstance – even though they have the high ability.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 2 – Age and Ethnic, and Class, Differences

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/05/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What age?

Rick Rosner: Super early for back then, 3 3/4, I was ready and able to read anything, just any adult stuff. There are stories about me at the barber shop reading the magazine and asking what premature ejaculation is. And me at around the same age reading a magazine while at the table when my mom had the Bridge club over, and asking her what tampax was. Amd back then, very few kids came into kindergarten being able to read.

Now, there are entire school districts where highly invested parents make sure their kids learn stuff super early.

Jacobsen: Are there ethnic differences and socio-economic class differences for these kids – then and now?

Rosner: Sure, people of different ethnicities are always sitting on a knife edge of falling into trouble. If you’re a black kid from Chicago, you can be gifted as hell and stll get shot, still live in some terrible neighbourhood.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth 1 – Introduction

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Advice to Gifted and Talented Youth

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/05/15

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Gifted and talented youth decades ago did not have as much support as they do now. Gifted and talented have tremendous amounts of support now, but can fall through the cracks.

They are spotted more often, but fall through the cracks. That leaves room for parents and gifted and talented youths to dodge those cracks that they might fall into in their life course.

Let’s jump into your history, through some non-standard ‘power tests,’ you seem to score in the top or at the top of the intelligence test score scales with an IQ of 199 at the highest performance – if assumed credence to these alternative, untimed tests.

You seem to be one of the most gifted people in the Western hemisphere on an average day.

Richard Rosner: Alright, so – not every gifted kid grows up to be a gifted adult. And it’s arguable whether or not I’ve grown up to be a gifted adult. I’ve been a pretty successful TV writer, but I don’t know if that qualifies at giftedness or just extremely hackiness.

But by any standard, I qualified as a gifted child because I taught myself to read super early.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-25

USA: Interview with Amitabh Pal, Freedom From Religion Foundation

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/11

Amitabh Pal is the Director of Communications for the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). Here we talk about his work and views with the FFRF.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How did you become involved in the secularist movements?

Amitabh Pal: I’ve been at the intersection of progressive politics and journalism my entire professional life. The separation of state and church has been always of importance to me. (I’m extremely proud of the fact that the three countries I’m from — the United States, India and Germany — are all secular.) We were ardent defenders of secularism at The Progressive magazine, where I was at for a long time. One of the main projects we had during the Bush years, for instance, was calling out his “messianic militarism” and the damage it did the world as a chief cause of the Iraq War. We also had regular exposés of the Religious Right and its harmful influence. Anyone who cares for a better society has to work for secularism, and this is something I’ve done with zeal.

Jacobsen: How did you become involved in and work at the Freedom From Religion Foundation?

Pal: After many years at The Progressive, I was in the mode of transitioning out. I had worked with FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor as the editor of The Progressive’s op-ed service (the Progressive Media Project), for which she had a written a number of columns. So when I saw an opening at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization I was familiar with and deeply respected, I immediately applied for the position. I was delighted when, after the selection process, I was offered the job.

Jacobsen: Now, as an important footnote to this conversation, you are highly educated, which includes two master’s degrees. One in journalism; another in political science, these are important accomplishments. How does this inform your work as the director of communications at FFRF?

Pal: Obviously, the journalism degree impacts and informs all that I accomplish here at FFRF. The writing and editing I engage in were seeded at UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!). The coursework there gave me the skills I’m applying at the job day in and day out. But the political science degree has been very handy, too. The work we do is by its very nature political, and having a good grasp of the underlying dynamics helps me be a better writer and editor. I have a special interest in international issues, and so I’ve written blogs and press releases dealing with such matters (for example on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo). The more you learn, the more it comes in useful.

Jacobsen: Also, you wrote at the Progressive for many years. How did you work there? What did you do? What were the results of your writing and work there? (What did you learn?)

Pal: I was at The Progressive for almost two decades — and it taught me a whole lot. I started off as the editor of the Progressive Media Project, an op-ed service associated with The Progressive that sends out columns on a regular basis to hundreds of newspapers all over the United States and abroad. This prepared me not only to write and edit on a wide range of subjects but also to quickly turn around pieces, qualities that have come in very handy here at FFRF. Then, for more than a decade I was Managing Editor of The Progressive magazine itself. I specialized in doing long-form interviews for the magazine, interviewing such folks as Mikhail Gorbachev and Jimmy Carter, among many others. I wrote a lot of web columns, feature articles and book reviews. And, certainly, I further honed my editing skills. It was an incredible experience at The Progressive.

Jacobsen: You have a Hindu background. You can understand the religion and potentially the mix-up with politics too. The ways in which religion get involved in politics are complicated, but, nonetheless, they differ on a number of metrics and in different nations. Hinduism is prominent in India and mixed up with the Modi leadership.

If you have any knowledge and can compare and contrast between the mix-up of Evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic Christian religion in American politics and Hindu religion in Indian politics, how do these differ? How are these similar? How are these the same?

Pal: I could go on and on about this! This is because I am literally writing a book on the populist majoritarianism of President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their attempted dismantling of the secular setup in their countries as a part of their political projects is a big focus of my book. The Religious Right In India is in command right now, just like its counterpart in the United States. The ironic thing is that in spite of its supposed hatred of Islam and Christianity, the Hindu political movement is trying to make Hinduism like these religions by imposing a central dogma and belief on a faith that has historically lacked these features. The result is proving disastrous — both for the religion itself and for India at large. The implications of the world’s two largest democracies heading in a calamitous direction should make us all very worried.

Jacobsen: Any final feelings or thoughts in conclusion based on the conversation today? Any updates to the communications activities of the FFRF?

Pal: The Freedom From Religion Foundation is experiencing a tremendous growth spurt, and this is reflected on the communications front. We have a new TV interview show, “Freethought Matters,” which is broadcast in the Madison area and is posted on our YouTube channel. Among the people we’ve interviewed are Steven Pinker and New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg. We have a weekly Facebook Live “Ask an Atheist” feature, which can also be seen on YouTube. We have a pithy “Newsbite” segment discussing the highlight of our week that we post online. Our long-running radio show is going strong. (Check all of this out at www.ffrf.org.) And our endeavors and triumphs in the service of freethought are getting more and more attention from major media entities and local outlets all over the country. Exciting times indeed!

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Amit.

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2022-02-25

USA: The Existential Risks and Trauma of Leaving a Cult

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/10

Scott is the Founder of Skeptic Meditations. He speaks from experience in entering and leaving an ashram. Here we talk about existential risks for an individual leaving a cult, views of the world only knowing the cult, leaving psychologically and physically from the cult, places for transition, and some who never get over their trauma.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What bigger existential risks exist for the individual who leaves the cult, immediately?

Scott from SkepticMeditations.com: The more the group members lived in the ashrams the greater their self-identity was broken and reformed as part of the group. In other words, group members’ existence was attached to monastic identity, name, and position within the spiritual-organizational hierarchy.

Cloistered spiritual groups are most undemocratic and unequal. The superior, powerful members are those closest to the leaders. Group members learn quickly how to please and fight their way to maintain or climb up the spiritual-corporate ladder. It’s a kind of spiritual-ego formed within the context of the organization.

It is difficult to describe what a member feels and thinks after leaving their relationships within a group that for years or decades destroyed, then reformed and maintained their spiritual-ego or self-world identity. Members who leave the group psychologically, first, before they leave physically, probably have a lower risk of failing to reintegrate into society outside.

When you think about cults, the aim of these groups and the members who join them, is to break down the old self-world identity. Labeled as spiritual training, the aim of groups based on ideological thought-reform leads to abuses of its members: whether political, social, or religious groups.

For religious cult-groups, the aim is to remold members into the image of the God, Guru, or perfection as idealized in the spiritual practices of the group. In cults with an Eastern enlightenment-bent, the path is purportedly divinely designed to bring follower-practitioners to perfection, to realize self as Self, soul, or God or Nirvana.

The practice and progress to the aim are measured by degrees of selfless service and obedience to the spiritual teacher, and distrusting self. Through the aims and ideals of the group’s spiritual training, members allow themselves to be destroyed, broken, and in the old self’s place a new self is created, fashioned to fit the group.

This is not a secret. It’s openly discussed by members that the outside world is dangerous, evil, or deluded and inside the group, close to the master-teacher is spiritual safety and illumination. Psychologically cult groups break the member’s sense of self and then reframe follower’s self-world identity.

Essentially members surrender their existence (their self-world image) to the authority of someone who claims to know what is best for the disciple-follower. For members who’ve lived for years and decades inside, psychologically these groups, the damage is irreparable.

Jacobsen: How does someone view the world if the cult or cult-like group is all they have ever known in life?

Scott from SkepticMeditations.com: Long-time cult-group members fear to leave the group for many reasons. In the SRF ashrams, for example, we were taught that as ordained monastics we were somehow special, were chosen by God and Guru to help with his divine dispensation of SRF teachings and meditation techniques.

Our belief in our specialness made us feel superior and powerful–with the weight and authority of Creator of the Universe behind us, who could ultimately be against us?

Surrender and obedience to external authority become easy when you are told you are special, superior, and forerunners of a new race of spiritual beings destined to raise the consciousness of humanity and the world.

The darker side of our belief in this story is that if we ever left the guru-teacher or broke our vows of loyalty then we were told we would not only risk losing everything spiritually but would possibly have to wander in darkness, suffer, lost in delusion (Maya) for seven future lifetimes (future human incarnations).

That is heavy fear and pressure to stay physically and psychologically with the group and its leader-teacher.

There is a certain degree of an annihilation of self that occurs upon entering, staying, and psychologically leaving the cult doctrine. That is perhaps why many former members who leave cults hold onto the underlying beliefs that led them and kept them in the group in the first place.

We humans have a deep need to create meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe. Our cultures (cults: familial, social, economic, political, philosophical or theological) breed and offer meaning, which we seldom take time to examine carefully.

I think this is why existential philosophers, like Nietzsche, declared God is dead but acknowledged the fact that the natural world was a nightmare of horror tinged with moments of art and beauty.

When a member of the cult group, that pretends to offer the ultimate answers to life and purpose of existence, when that member psychologically or physically leaves the group or ideology that creates for him or her a crisis of existence.

Jacobsen: How can members who are thoroughly entrenched in the doctrine of the cult’s worldview leave mentally and then physically?

Scott from SkepticMeditations.com: If a member of the ashram left or was asked by group leaders to leave the ashram, and yet they didn’t psychologically leave behind the SRF monastic ideology, then leaving physically didn’t make much if any change in their cultic worldview.

Perhaps, the members who left physically but not psychologically have to struggle with guilt and shame of not being good enough to stay, even if they “chose” to leave.

There are numerous former monks who I talked with after I left, though they physically left the ashram, clung psychologically to the Yogi-cultic doctrines of the teacher Yogananda, SRF, or kept revolving their worldview around devotion to God and Guru and spiritual liberation through yoga meditation.

Some former ashram members told me that their experiences in meditation prove the existence of kundalini (astral energies) awakened in their spine (a Yogic doctrine espoused by SRF and many Eastern-styled meditation groups), as if that is somehow meaningful and real beyond doubt.

When their understanding is these mystical experiences (mystical interpretations of the natural world), which were implanted into our minds in the first place by the external authority, teachings, or teacher, how would they know that is kundalini in his spine?

Didn’t some external authority tell him that and give him that distinction and interpretation? He’s psychologically trapped in the teacher’s ideology, though he left the ashram a decade ago.

Clearly many former cult members have not “left” the cult psychologically. They don’t leave behind the underlying premises that brought, kept, and controlled them while they physically lived inside the cultic group. Many continue to believe and practice the underlying teachings or doctrines of the external authority.

My own leaving psychologically unfolded gradually. For years and perhaps a decade or more starting while I lived in the SRF ashram. Then when upon physically leaving the group I at first believed that my reason for leaving was flaws of organized religion, of imperfect humans.

I continued to meditate and believe in the underlying premises (God, guru, meditation powers and energies) espoused by SRF and mystical, spiritual yoga meditation or enlightenment. Though I could not make sense at first of why I failed to interpret my experiences as special or mystical and enlightening as the teacher and group had promised.

Eventually, I saw that what I’d believed in was a false doctrine. That the whole thing was a fraud, and that we’d simply been abused. It really hurts to admit that. But to admit I was a victim of abuse has helped me to process, learn, and get through the trauma.

Jacobsen: Do halfway houses or safe transition houses exist for ex-cult members as with women who were victims of domestic abuse?

Scott from SkepticMeditations.com: I’m not aware of organized, physical safe houses for victims of cult abuse in the United States. Though there are some online support groups. In U.S. society, I think, pretends there are no victims of abuses.

Self-reliance is sometimes insufficient. In the U.S., there is an underlying premise in society everybody should be able to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and not expect anyone, certainly not society, to take care of us.

Perhaps the heartlessness of self-reliance is one reason why in the U.S. we have so many religious factions, fundamentalists, and cults vying for mindshare. And, why there seems to be no end to the supply of members joining and leaving religions and cults.

So, for the most part, cult members in the U.S. when they leave the group, they pretty much are on their own. Some are fortunate to have supportive family and friends. But, as I noted above, many cult members abandoned or destroyed their former relationships upon entering and obeying the rules of the cult.

However, I do know of a few informal halfway houses for former religious clergy or cult-members to transition back into society.

The Clergy Project, a nonprofit for clergy who no longer believe in the supernatural, provide online resources and sometimes training and funding for former clergy to reintegrate back into society.

There’s Recovering From Religion that provides a toll-free hotline, but it is not focused on cults per se, but on people struggling to come out of religion (which as I mentioned above physically leaving a cult group is not the same as psychologically leaving the religion or underlying doctrine of the cult).

I’ve heard that Leah Remini, producer, and host of the TV documentary series Scientology and the Aftermath, is trying to organize a nonprofit to support Scientology Sea Org (e.g. clergy) who want to leave and to reintegrate into society.

When I left the Self-Realization Fellowship Order, never to return physically, I was fortunate to find the informal support of several members and former monastics of SRF.

Without their material (donations of household items to stock my new apartment) and psychological support (listening and understanding), I may have had a much more challenging reintegration back into society.

Or, if I had left without their support would have felt perhaps totally isolated and alone. (Self-reliance is mostly a myth. We rely on support from others, especially during our crises.)

I sometimes feel alone in my experiences but then I occasionally meet former cult members who I can identify with. But there seems to be a little more public conversation in the mainstream, but mostly alternative media about cult-groups and members who exit cults.

That kind of vulnerability, feeling isolated and alone, is often what cults and their leaders prey on and target in recruits. So whatever we as society can do to support our members to be independently interdependent; to be part of a supportive community not conditioned by conforming to a set ideology is, I believe, extremely important for social progress and for the survival of the natural world of which humans are part.

Jacobsen: Do some never ‘get over’ their experiences, the trauma for example?

Scott from SkepticMeditations.com: Yes. It breaks you to be a committed member of a cult or psychologically-controlling group. Members join, knowingly or unknowingly, for the promise of spiritual training, which begins by breaking down the ego, self-identity. There’s much trust placed in God, Guru-teacher, and spiritual truth.

When the promises turn out to be false, that breaks members too. As the member’s self-identity softens, breaks down, the member submits to the cult’s reforming, reshaping into a new self-identity.

The break-down of self at first can often feel exhilarating, elating, ecstatic, liberating. But this breakdown and reshaping of self-identity is at best a waste of time, at worst dangerous. Members may never regain the lost years in the group: time wasted, not spent building useful skills, relationships, family, career, intellect, and so on.

Many former members never really seem to get over their trauma. Many turn inward on themselves: to guilt, shame, or depression, sometimes suicide. Again, the guilt and self-world break-down is part of the conditioning, or spiritual training, underlying membership in cultic groups.

Members blame the victim, even if it’s them. The underlying premises are the spiritual teachings and teachers are perfect and if anyone doesn’t find that perfection in them then it is the member’s fault.

They are not spiritual enough or too blinded by ego-self and so on. Many former members are perhaps damaged for the remainder of their life. Often current and former members have huge trust issues: lack of trust in self and others.

A need for existential meaning and a need to seek answers from external authority. I have been working for years since I left the ashram cult to rebuild self-world identity and regain the relationships that I had abandoned with family and friends.

A huge motivation for my doing this interview with you is to speak out about the harms of such groups, to process my experiences, and hopefully help by telling my story and perspectives.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Scott.

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2022-02-25

Sudan: How to help Noura in Sudan and similar cases?

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/17

Scott Douglas Jacobsen interviews Marieme Helie Lucas on how best to help Noura in Sudan and other similar cases

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How are the gender roles and legal rights different and unequal for men and women in many Islamic theocracies?

Marieme Helie Lucas: I feel that your question presupposes that so-called Muslim countries – or Muslim majority countries – are automatically theocracies; that is definitely not the case, they are mostly democracies, technically speaking. And as far as knowing whether they are ‘Islamic’ i.e. really in conformity with Islam, or not – it would be for theologians to say so… This is why I do not use the term ‘Islamic’ which refers to a doctrine, a philosophy, an ideology, a vision of the world, a faith, and I use the term ‘Muslim’, which refers to human beings who claim faith in this ideology, and to what they do in the name of their faith. We are not here debating at the level of ideas, but of actions, laws, practices, i.e. of sociology and politics. In actual fact Muslim majority countries are anything but homogenous; they range from theocracies to democracies, from ultra conservative to socialist in name.

The rights granted to citizens in general and to women in particular therefore vary from country to country; factors that account for these differences are essentially political, economical – far more than religiously grounded.

If you read the Koran – or the Bible for that matter -, you will find both the god of wrath and punishment, and the god of mercy and tolerance. You can endlessly oppose progressive and conservative theologians in Islam, all armed with their antagonistic quotes from the holy book…But isn’t it similar to what happens in Christianity, between those who have a progressive reading of the text and their opponents?

The problem indeed is political: who makes what political use of religion, where and when, in which circumstances – that is the real question. What is the balance of forces between those – and the defenders and advocates of secularism is the next question. This is what really determines the status of women, among others. In Muslim contexts like anywhere else.

The real problem is that for some time already, ultra conservative political forces have been steadily growing and they are now taking over in many regions in the world (a good number of countries are led by the far-right in Europe at the moment – with Catholics and Orthodox Christian fundamentalists next to it -, and both far-right and evangelicals are rising hand in hand in Trump’s America, to start with). The particular form the rise of the extreme right is taking in some countries is through religions (See Modi’s India with the rise of Hindu fundamentalists to power and the ensuing backlash on minorities, see also the Buddhist far-right terror in Myanmar and Sri Lanka). This is definitely the case in Muslim majority contexts – but this should be analyzed, not as a specificity of “Islam”, but as part of the broad rise of the far-right the world over.

Indeed, in predominantly Muslim contexts, gender roles and legal rights are different and unequal for men and women – but more so under conservative governments and less so under democratic ones; and even less so in socialist regimes. Even though Islam was still the religion of the vast majority of people in Libya, Iraq, Syria or in the Central Asia Republics, women had the right to vote (sometimes long before some European women did, French women for instance only gained voting rights in 1945, i.e. after WWII; as for Swiss women, a last canton gave them voting rights in the last decade – would you believe it?), girls went to school (virtually 100% in primary schools in Libya, and those who went to university received state grants). Meanwhile, in some rich oil countries in the Arabic peninsula – and not just in impoverished isolated Muslim communities in Asia and Africa – women were secluded and maintained in illiteracy…
In the so-called ‘Muslim world’, one can find all the political shades vis a vis women: for instance, from quasi equality in marriage laws to the most horrendous submission of women to their male relatives, – father and husband first and foremost.

If we want to fight it, we better be clear that we are being confronted to a far-right movement working under the guise of religion. In our case it is Islam, but in other cases it is Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc… To believe that ‘Islam’ is the cause of inequity between men and women is to look at the tip of the iceberg. At the moment, for instance, many countries in Europe are facing reiterated attempts at curtailing reproductive rights, from Spain to Poland, you name it…

Would you say religion is the cause or would you name the far-right forces (eventually backed by Christian fundamentalists) that use Christianism and fear of god to prevent women’s access to contraception and abortion?

Let me clarify one thing: this is NOT a defense of ‘Islam’, I’m just trying to position ourselves better in understanding the political forces we are confronting, whether or not they pretend to represent Islam. We should not fall into the trap they set for us.

Jacobsen: What are the rights violations and gender inequality in the situation for Noura Hussein Hammad?

Helie Lucas: Traditionally, ‘marriage’ in Muslim contexts usually takes place in two parts: one is the signature of the marriage contract and the other is the consummation of the marriage – these are two occasions of festivities. The time span between these events can be from a few days to a few years. In Noura’s case, it was a few years. She was married against her will, i.e. her father signed the contract as her legal tutor, her wali, when she was 16. This is legal in Sudan and in a number of Muslim countries, especially those following the Maliki school of thought – but not in all predominantly Muslim countries. The bride does not even have to be present during this signature, as she is ’represented’, as a minor, by her wali. Then Noura was sent to her husband’s house for the consummation of the marriage when she was 19. She never flinched in her refusal of this marriage. Both Sudanese laws and international law prohibit forced marriages. The problem is that it comes in conflict with the institution of wali, which maintains women in a status of forever legal minority, with male tutors signing contracts in women’s place. The institution of wali is specific to the Maliki ritual that prevails mostly in North Africa; it is not practiced in all schools of thought in Islam.

Although forced marriages are generally prohibited under the law of the land, not all countries take it to heart to implement these laws.

This is also a child marriage. However under the growing influence of fundamentalist preachers, the actual – and sometimes also the legal – age of marriage has been decreasing to actual puberty of girls; in many places today, girls are married off as early as age 9 or 10.

The second violation committed against Noura is rape – and not just, if I may say, ‘marital rape’, but it is gang rape, as – in order to crush her physical resistance -, husband sought help from several of his male relatives in order to pin her down and hold her arms and legs while he was raping her in front of them. From what her lawyers said, she had bruises and scars from the fight. The day after this horrendous ‘marriage’, when the ‘husband’ tried to rape her again, she defended herself with a knife and killed him. She then went to her father’s house, but he disowned her and took her to the police.
She was convicted with murder and sentenced to death. With no consideration for the circumstances, and for a case of self defense. Hence Amnesty International’ recent demand that this judgment be annulled and for a more equitable trial to take place.
Apparently, Sudan, like some other Muslim countries – not all – have a legal provision for ‘blood money’: the family of the victim can demand a financial compensation for their loss, – rather than a death sentence for the culprit. In Noura’s case, the late husband’s family refused compensation and demanded the death sentence.

Jacobsen: How can gender roles advance within Islam? How can progressivism provide a better foundation for the rights of women compared to conservatism and traditional religion?

Helie-Lucas: I am afraid that it is not ‘within Islam’ that we should all fought together for advancing women’s rights – but within each of our societies. I feel no responsibility for changing Islam from within, or Christianity or any other religion for that matter. As a citizen, I feel responsibility for changing laws in democratic ways, towards more equality between all human beings, regardless of class, age, sex, beliefs, etc…. As a secularist, I do not want to live under non-voted un-changeable a-historical supposedly-divine laws. This is the essence of democracy.
Many activists in predominantly Muslim contexts work hard and take enormous risks to fight conservatism, to promote progressive ideas – including for women’s status in society – , to change regressive laws. In Algeria, women have been fighting since 1984 to put an end to the institution of wali, so that women be finally considered legal adults and not forever minors who cannot enter into a contract, by themselves, without a male tutor. So far, they have not succeeded. The courageous women’s rights organization “20 ans Barakat !” (‘20 years is enough!’) promoted this struggle with a powerful clip that you all should watch in order to realize how many women (and men) are engaged into this type of struggle, on the ground, in our countries.

Vidéo here: WACHDAK :collectif “20 ans barakat”par www.algerie-femme.com …
▶ 4:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkHmEN0IlI

The clip shows for instance, women’s demonstrations in the capital-city, Algiers, during which fundamentalist threw home-made bombs at demonstrators.
These initiatives need to be supported – not led – from the outside. In Sudan, on the forefront are the women’s rights and human rights organizations that are leading the struggle for Noura’s rights. They do so at great risk for themselves.

These progressive forces exist everywhere in Muslim contexts, just as they do elsewhere. But they are little considered outside their countries – especially in the West which globally tends to ignore them. Noura’s case is a good opportunity to reach out in solidarity to progressive, feminist, humanist, secular forces in our parts of the world. It is an opportunity to create working links that would last even after we save Noura’s life – as I am now convinced we will, collectively, manage to do.

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2022-02-24

Sudan: Marieme Helie Lucas on the Case of Noura Hussein Hammad

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/11

Marieme Helie Lucas is an Algerian sociologist, activist, founder of ‘Secularism is a Women’s Issue,’ and founder and former International Coordinator of ‘Women Living Under Muslim Laws.’ Here we talk about the case of Noura Hammad. Noura has been sentenced to death and has 15 days to appeal the decision.

The hashtag for the campaign: #JusticeForNoura. Email name and country if you would like to sign the petition: daajisodfa.pr@gmail.com.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How come is this inequality in the law for women?

Marieme Helie Lucas: As you know, Scott, in many – but not all – instances women in predominantly Muslim contexts are never considered as coming to adult age; and they are considered, in the law, as forever legal minors – it took a long time everywhere (including in the West, of course) to grant women legal equal rights.

As in Noura’s case, we can be given in marriage by our matrimonial tutors or wali (most of the time our fathers but otherwise any male guardian in the family); interestingly enough, this wali can even be our youngest son: being a male is what is being considered…

It is important to note that many so-called Muslim countries do not hold these conservative views, do not try to hide patriarchal ideology under the guise of religion, and that their national laws grant women citizens a lot more rights, including the right to sign a contract ( marriage or commercial) – and in some countries equal rights in marriage.

However, the global trend in the past few decades has been a political tightening by broad alliances ranging from conservative to extreme right forces, which, among other undemocratic provisions, severely curtail women’s rights – legally and otherwise.

Jacobsen: Why are women having to resort to extreme measures in self-protection from sexual violence in forced marriages?

Helie Lucas: Certainly because they do not have the protection of the law, but moreover, as can be seen in Noura’s case, they do not have the protection of their immediate family either. Religiously sanctioned patriarchy is prevalent everywhere.

So-called honor crimes exist over all the continents (last year, one woman died under the blows of her male partner every three days in France) – even when the law criminalizes such crimes.

Hence the importance of pushing for changes concomitantly – at the same time: at the level of changing laws, of course, but also at the level of changing society, where there is a crucial need for support for women’s rights, and for human rights work in general. Right now, funding for women’s organizations has drastically fallen, everywhere.

But even where there are organizations for the defense of women, it is difficult for ordinary people to access them. Women are most often left to fend for themselves, and, in desperation, they usually attempt to their lives; the cases where they physically defend themselves against the aggressor are much fewer.

From age 15, Noura has steadily refused a forced marriage for four years before taking arms against the husband imposed on her against her expressed will, and she only resorted to self-defense after having suffered a first public rape in the name of marital rights and being threatened with a second one.

She is a hero. She deserves to be supported the world over.

Jacobsen: How does the family, community, society, and religion conspire to restrict women?

Helie Lucas: I think I answered that question first. What I want to underline here is that, against all these regressive forces, there are – everywhere, always, I can testify to it, very courageous women’s organisations and progressive individuals, male and female, who stand up for universal human rights at the risk of their liberty and sometimes of their life; they affirm that this human rights stand in no way contravene to their interpretation of their religion; that in no way does it contradict their being deeply rooted in their local culture, nor does it conflict with their national identity.

These voices are rarely heard outside the national context and they need to be heard, in order to confront ideological simplifications of ‘ they’ (barbaric ones) and ‘us’ (civilized ones) that still prevail.

The danger in Noura’s case is that it would be used to stigmatize specific countries (‘backward’ Africa) or a religion (‘violent’ Islam) and reinforce racism; this can be avoided by simply supporting the work of Sudanese and African local human rights and women’s rights advocates and organisations, by giving them the visibility and credentials they hardly ever get.

It will also help progressive westerners to overcome their ‘white guilt’. We need them now: they should not avoid supporting Noura for fear of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’ or ‘racist’. Support the existing local women’s rights and human rights work and the young courageous Noura.

One cannot even think that Noura deserves fewer rights than any other human being, just because she is Sudanese and was raised in a Muslim context: this is sheer nonsense… No cultural relativism here, please…

Jacobsen: What is the current state of Hammad’s case?

Helie Lucas: Noura will be delivered a sentence today; she admitted to her crime in self-defence and willingly went to the police station with her father to explain the circumstances; women’s rights organisations which have taken up her defence in Sudan think she will be sentenced to death today, but still hope international pressure will save her life and avoid execution.

She has 15 days to appeal the judgment.

Jacobsen: How can people best help her, and others like her in the future?

Helie Lucas: Support local organisations standing in her defence – follow their advice, they know the context best; write to Noura in the prison; alert your local human rights and women’s rights organisations; send letters to Sudanese authorities; and to the African Union, the UN and special rap on violence against women; speak to the media about the case: 15 days is a very short time to save Noura’s life…

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Marieme.

The hashtag: #JusticeForNoura. Again, the email if you would like to sign: daajisodfa.pr@gmail.com.

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2022-02-24

Sudan: Global solidarity with Noura Hussein Ahmed, child bride forced into marriage

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/14

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Noura Hussein Hammad is a new case of a woman with the death penalty. What is her brief story?

Helie Lucas: She has been given in marriage by her tutor (wali) (in this case, her father — as this is legal in Sudan) at age 16, against her expressed will. She even fled her father’s house and lived for three years at her aunt’s, hundreds of kilometers away to make it clear she was not accepting this marriage… This actually means that her father signed a marriage contract with the husband to be, eventually out of the presence of the bride to be. The consummation of the marriage may take place at a different time during another ceremony.

After three years, the father sent a message asking her to come back home, stating that he abandoned the idea of marrying her off against her will. He lied about it. When she arrived, she found out that everything was ready for the 2nd stage of the ceremony. She was then forced to go to her husband’s house, where she steadily refused to allow for the consummation of the marriage, for several days. The husband then requested several male family members to hold her down and he raped her in their presence. The day after, he tried to rape her again, but she ran to the kitchen and defended herself with a knife. He died.

She then went back to her father’s place, but he disowned her and took her to the police. She admitted the facts.

She has been judged and sentenced to death by hanging, for murder.

This is a case of child marriage, forced marriage, gang rape, and killing in self-defense. Sudanese law as well as international law both criminalize forced marriage of underage girls. Rights defenders are calling for an annulment of the judgment and a due process, taking into account all the mitigating circumstances that surround the husband death, including human rights abuse, rape, forced marriage, child marriage. They also ask that the state of terror and mental instability in which she must have fallen after the gang rape be considered.

Jacobsen: How can people help her in particular and others in similar situations in general with advancing their ability to fight theocratic laws and violations of human rights?

Helie Lucas: Sudan is a signatory of several international treaties and conventions regarding human rights. It must be held accountable vis a vis international law. It seems that this is the best avenue at the moment to save Noura’s life. On the ground, Sudanese rights groups are creating a climate of awareness for women’s rights and children rights. There is also a growing mobilization in Muslim countries in support of Noura, which denounce a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam as well as contradictions inherent to the discrepancies between the constitution and some institutions like that of wali (tutor), which deprived women of a number of rights otherwise guaranteed under the Constitution. Internationally AI is demanding a revision of the judgment and due process taking into account the specific circumstances of the husband’s murder and the various forms of violence and human rights abuses suffered by Noura.

It is absolutely crucial for supporters outside Sudan to understand that they should first and foremost support the efforts for justice from within. Women’s and rights groups in Sudan know how to best fight for Noura’s life and for women’s and children’s rights. They should keep the lead in this struggle. The mere existence of such progressive forces need to be given visibility, their courage in fighting for justice and human rights in such dire circumstances should be given a well-deserved appreciation, and their expertise fully acknowledged. We should also publicly acknowledge Noura’s courage, for resisting all pressures and for, in the end, not turning to self-destruction but to self-defense. In similar circumstances, many young women commit suicide or fall into mental illness. She is one of these rare cases, publicly fighting for her freedom and that of other women and girls till the end.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Marieme.

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2022-02-24

Sodfa Daaji on the Urgent Case of Noura Hussein Hammad in Sudan

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/05/10

Sodfa Daaji is the Chairwoman of the Gender Equality Committee and the North Africa Coordinator for the Afrika Youth Movement. Here we talk about Noura Hussein Hammad’s urgent case.

The hashtag: #JusticeForNoura.

Daaji’s email if you would like to sign: daajisodfa.pr@gmail.com.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is the baseline description of Hammad’s case?

Sodfa Daaji: Noura is a 19 years old Sudanese woman, victim of gender based violence, marital rape, domestic violence and forced child marriage at the age of 15 years old. At first, Noura tried to change her fate by escaping to stay with her aunt in Sinnar city, but her father convinced her to come back at home.

He has promised her that the wedding was called off, but she has found herself married against her will. She has spent her in Khartoum. The first three days she stood and didn’t want to give up on her right to say no to any intercourse with her husband. Her refusal brought her husband to call his brother and his cousins and on the 4th day he raped her while they were holding her on the floor.

The next day he tried to rape her and, as stated by Noura during a conversation with the activist and director of SEEMA – the organization that is following directly Noura’s case in Sudan – she took a knife and told him “I die or I will die tonight,” while he replied, “Let’s see who will die tonight.”

Noura stabbed him twice and escaped to her parent’s house. After admitting what she committed, her father took her to the police station.

Jacobsen: What is the likely outcome for Hammad?

Daaji: At this point, in my opinion, we should take in consideration different factors. First of all, the condition of human rights in Sudan. We are talking about a case that came out just few days before her trial, and the main reason is behind the way the government is continuously silencing the freedom of press. Secondly, Sudan is under sharia Law and there is not that much space for the judges for interpretation.

Noura was charged under the article 130, even if in Sudan is recognised the marital rape, but they have not taken in consideration her complete case. Another point that I would like to highlight is the fact that she is a woman. We are pressuring for the way women are perceived in the Sudanese society, and how the rape is justified as a normal act, a sexual intercourse between husband and wife.

The fact that Noura stood for her right as a young girl is not taken in consideration. And, most importantly, what is taken in consideration is the fact that a woman dared to say no, and in some way to break and go against that fate that was written by her parents, and a culture dominated by combined weddings. In Sudan wedding is possible from women’s puberty.

Last point is the husband’s family: According to Sharia, to resume we can say that “you can pay or you can die”. The husband’s family is wealthy and they do not need Noura’s money to compensate their loss. That is why during the upcoming trial on the 10th of May 2018 they will surely condemn Noura to death penalty.

The lawyers of the husband’s family are pressuring for the economic help that Noura’s family has received during the years of the wedding. With just this sentence we can see how Noura was and is perceived: an object sold which duty was just to obey to her husband.

Unfortunately, no matter how much we have pressured on the last days, we acknowledge that time is short and in 15 days will be hard for us to save Noura’s life. In order to do so we need to reach the Sudanese president, who’s bad track record on human rights is not making us positive about her case.

Jacobsen: How can people get the word out or help out?

Daaji: We are trying to make some noise with the aim to be heard by United Nations, Africa Union and African head of states, who are in touch with the Sudanese president. That is why we have an official hashtag #JusticeForNoura and a petition is online:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/LAWYERS_HUMAN_RIGHTS_ACTIVISTS_SAVE_NORA/?wEvafnb&utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=petition-518899-LAWYERS_HUMAN_RIGHTS_ACTIVISTS_SAVE_NORA&utm_term=Evafnb%2Ben

Anyone is free to join the official FB PAGE

https://www.facebook.com/Justice-For-Noura-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7-1261677983968203/

and to join us on twitter @sodfadaaji @ENoMW @AfrikaYM

Last, we want to address a letter to the High Commissioner of OHCHR. That is why, we kindly ask to human’s rights organizations to read the letter and to sign it with the name of the organization and the name of a representative of the organization. Individuals as well can join by providing us a short bio, their full name and country of origin.

To receive the letter, feel free to contact me at daajisodfa.pr@gmail.com

I have learned in this last two days that the power is on us, if we just try to work together without borders. We have a voice; we just have to learn how to use it in order to be heard.

Thank you very much for the opportunity, and for taking your time to talk about Noura’s case.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Sodfa.

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2022-02-24

The Problem of ’Faith Schools’ in Britain

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Angelos Sofocleous

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/10/16

In the United Kingdom, a faith school is one that teaches a curriculum based on a particular religious denomination or sect. This means formal associations with religion in education for the young. Whilst the United Kingdom may not be governmentally secular, the UK is a secular culture, and this can be an issue, even a major problem, and continues to be a source of contention among the young, adult, and elderly sub-populations. What are the issues?

In this piece we will try and address the main issues we think are paramount to the discussion about the legitimacy of having faith schools here in the UK. Here is the first: the public at large pay for faith schools, which they do without the consent of other citizens, even citizens who may have no formal religion. Now, why should non-religious citizens pay for religious education rather than a non-discriminatory education, especially for the young and vulnerable sub-populations? In other words, those without a formal religious background, or even at-a-distance advocacy, and with kids, are having their children sometimes indoctrinated into formal religious education as per the general curriculum associated with a particular religious denomination or sect, at times against their wishes.

Indeed, these schools can actively discriminate against parents that are humanist, atheist, agnostic, apatheist, and so on, by selecting children based on religious association. What is the justification? This can limit the number and type of schools available to the non-religious in the United Kingdom. Thus, in case parents want to send their kids to a specific school, they will not be allowed to for reasons based solely on religious grounds, which is a form of religious discrimination against the non-religious in a secular society.

In addition, there are assumptions about the beliefs of children in relation to the beliefs of their parents or guardians. That is, the children without particular ideological stances, economic, political, religious, socio-cultural, and so on, are asserted in the socio-cultural milieu to have the same stances, ideologically, as their parents. This is a logical fallacy, a few in fact such as “argument to the people” with the bandwagon approach, appeal to tradition, appeal to biased authority, and, of course, the fallacy of division.

The argument to the people with the bandwagon approach takes the form of many, even most, people are doing this with their children and, therefore, it is the right thing to do. The appeal to tradition is that “everyone’s done it”, and “it is tradition”, and, thus, we should support faith schools (because it’s tradition). Appeal to biased authority comes into effect when the parents, the religious, or religion’s membership are taken into account on the decision of the faith school, who are, well, rather biased on the matter. The core of the arguments come from a fallacy of division, which is that the children are a part of a family with one or both parents that are one particular religion (or lacking them) and that means, therefore, children (being a part of the family unit) are a part of that religion (or lack thereof).

It should not be promoted. Children should be encouraged to think for themselves and not just be put into a specific ideology, either if that is promoted by the state or if it’s the ideology their parents follow.

Now, in light of the qualms we just details, we will argue for the following necessary approach which will, we believe, stave off the dangers that faith schools invariably pose, a position that will hopefully substantiate as the article develops: (good) schools without religious association should be increased in addition to the decrease of independent faith schools. Schools should be a place for secular education apart from religious denomination or sects. Schools should not advocate for a particular religion. As the Secular Charter of the National Secular Society states: “Religion should play no role in state-funded education whether through religious affiliation of schools, curriculum settings, organised worship, religious instruction, pupil selection or employment practices.”

Children do not seem old enough to have ideological stances considered and chosen – let alone have them imposed upon them at youth. In fact, some say there should be no compulsion in religion and others tell the Parable of the Hypocrite, or all speak of the Golden Rule (positive or directive form, negative or prohibitive, or empathic or responsive forms) which seem like good principles to uphold, whether religious/irreligious, and worthy of enactment at the national level down to the individual (the young and the old). In other words, school should be a safe place for children apart from, at times and to a degree, the indoctrination from authority figures, whether educational or parental.

Now, in light of our suggestion just detailed, we want to preempt possible responses. some might argue that children behave better in faith schools as they have better morals. In this manner, faith schools might try to enforce certain moral values, consequently managing to impose the idea that religion is sufficient and necessary for morality. In fact, quite the opposite takes place. According to the Social and Moral Development index, religion around the world, instead of promoting equality, respect for human rights and toleration of non-religious individuals and institutions, as some say it preaches, it greatly suppresses them and in most cases it punishes them.

Children may be seen as unable to develop their own moral code at a young age, or it’s substantially inchoate, but that’s no legitimate reason to impose a specific moral code to them. Undoubtedly, they should be taught to respect, tolerate, develop their way of thinking, be open-minded and do not discriminate. And these can not take place in an institution that discriminates on students in its own admission process.

Now, there’s another reason why we think the approach we pose should supplant the status-quo: there is little evidence that faith schools will do any good for the whole community. They will decrease, rather than increase, children’s knowledge on religious education. Rather than taking religious education through humanist manners, where all religions are equally considered and are treated wholly through a sociological perspective, faith schools will be biased towards their religion, and even if they teach about other religion, there is great doubt that they will not do this in a proper way.

Moreover, there are fears that faith schools will not take the scientific approach in science classes, but instead, teach what they believe themselves to be true. This will happen as, unfortunately, there is little control or inspection on what faith schools can teach. As a result, each faith school will be free to teach children about creationism and abstinence before marriage, and also promote their homophobic and anti-abortion ideologies as facts rather than mere beliefs.

Faith schools definitely have no place in a secular country. Not only this will create segregation between preadolescents and teenagers but they will act like a dogma, imposing to them certain ideologies, rather than teach them to think for themselves. In addition, education will be put in the hands of people who are not much regulated or controlled by the state, and this creates an unsure future for our society. Faith schools, by their very own nature, will discriminate on children, their parents and teachers, as they will not accept children who themselves or their parents are not members of a specific religion, or will prioritise over religious children or parents. The same applies to teachers.

What makes our suggestion viable? Unlike the status quo, our position is not based on illogical premises and logical fallacies. What is more, our suggestion can, through manifesting secular society in education, restrain outmoded theological immorality against children, and the abuse of educational, parental, and religious authority. Schools should be open to all, have fair admission policies and respect and promote each student’s individuality. Trying to dogmatize education will undoubtedly bring disastrous results to our society and bring it a step away from being secular. As a result, a society where faith, not reason, and discrimination, not acceptance, will prevail.

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2022-02-24

Ghana: The story of a de-conversion (Interview with Roslyn Mould)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Secularism is a Women’s Issue

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/01/17

You grew up as a Catholic. You went to Holy Child School, Cape Coast as well. What is your story as a youth growing up in a religious household? What was the experience?

I attended Catholic schools, St. Theresa’s School in Accra from primary, junior high school and in Holy Child School I got my Senior high school education. They were one of the best schools at the time and provided us with the best teachers in all subjects. The major criteria for admissions was to be a Catholic and I was baptised at the St. Theresa’s Parish so it was easier for me to gain admission. In primary school, we had ‘Worship service’ on Wednesday mornings as part of our curriculum and from 1st grade, we were read the Bible and taught to understand it.

In the beginning, I did not really understand it, especially when it came to topics on the afterlife since my mother had died when I was 4 years old and I had still not come to understand the concept of death by then. I must have tried to discuss the existence of God once to my classmates, but I was told that I could go mad (mentally ill) so I stopped. I then made it a point to understand and accept Christianity because I felt that everyone believed in it and it was the right thing to do. By 6th grade, I attended catechism classes and had received my First Holy Communion.

My Senior High School was an all-girls boarding School and was built by the Catholic church in a town called Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana in 1946. It had been run initially by British nuns for decades and later by alumni of the school. It was strict and aimed to form students into ‘women of substance’ who would grow up to be the best in the country at home as good wives, at work, and in the Catholic church.

Obedience, discipline, and morality were the core teachings there with religion and especially Catholicism at its core. It was compulsory for all students to attend Mass at least 3 times a week and observe ‘The Angelus’ prayer’ 3 times a day. Most of the students were Catholic, but we had Anglicans and Protestants of various denominations as well. I became more exposed to Christian Charismatic teachings, joined nondenominational prayer groups and underwent a period of ‘being born-again’, which cemented my belief on God. It was there I had my ‘Confirmation of the Holy Spirit’.

Due to my mother’s death, I was brought up partly by my mother’s family and later by my dad’s. My mother’s family is mostly Catholic and conservative who encouraged and supported me to be a good Christian and was proud of me whenever I hit a milestone in my religious life. My father’s side of the family is mostly Anglican and also went to church often, but were more liberal and reformed.

I was encouraged there to think for myself and I learnt to care for myself and my sister at an early age since there was no mother-figure and my dad was not really ‘there’ either. Staying at my dad’s, my sister and I grew up with lots of books and educational programs on satellite TV, which at the time was expensive for most homes to have. As my mother’s side taught me to be obedient and subservient in their understanding of being respectful, my father’s side of the family encouraged me to ask questions and express myself freely.

You de-converted and became an atheist in 2007. What were the major reasons, arguments, evidence, and experiences for the de-conversion?

I had finished University where I acquired my BA in Linguistics and Modern Languages and I had made lots of friends in the expat community. At the time, I had come to realise that I had certain views such as feminism that a lot of Ghanaian men were not interested in due to cultural and religious reasons so I seemed to connect well with foreigners. Dating a Serbo-Croatian then, I became familiar with the Eastern European community in the Capital, Accra.

I came to realise that most of them were non-religious as most people from Europe tend to be including my partner although they were baptised in the Orthodox church. I also started to notice that whenever I made religious statements, there would be a short awkward silence and a change in topic. I felt then that I was not doing my job properly as a Christian if I could not teach them about the Word of God and pass on the teachings of Christ. It was at this juncture that I set on a personal course to do objective research on the origins and importance of religion, especially Christianity, in order to properly inform my friends about it. We had Satellite TV then as well so I gave more attention to programs on channels like the HISTORY channel, which at the time showed objective documentaries on the life and times of Jesus Christ and the origins of the Bible.

This was eye-opening because all my life, I had watched the same type of movies and documentaries which were shown every Sunday and especially on Christian Holidays, but those ones had certain relevant information left out of it and they also did not give archaeologically documented information so came my first ‘shocks’. I also watched the Discovery and National Geographic channels for scientific documentaries on evolution the possibilities of life on other planets and these baffled me further because I had been taught to believe in only Creationism and I did not know there was another way of explaining how humans exist. At that point, I had not gotten any information to preach with and I had no one to talk to about my findings.

I went through stages of grief, disappointment, sadness, anger, and finally stopped going to church. Even when I stopped going to church I felt that God would strike me with lightning for disobeying him or ‘betraying’ him, but as time went by and nothing bad seemed to happen, my fear lessened. I did not know how to explain it to my family and friends. So for years, I kept my non-belief to myself and gave excuses for not attending church and sometimes hoped that I could be proven wrong with my non-belief so I could go back to worshipping God but that time never came.

You studied French at the University of Ghana for a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Modern Languages (French and Spanish). Was this education assistive in personal and professional pursuits during postsecondary education and post-graduation?

Yes, it was. Actually, at the time, the University of Ghana did not give much room for choice by students. They mostly took subjects you excelled in from High School and gave you subjects in that field to study and since I passed exceptionally in English, French and Geography, I was given the Language subjects. I grew to enjoy Linguistics which was a social science program and it interested me greatly as its history taught me a lot about who we are as humans and how far we have come in terms of communication in our development as a species.

I studied various courses in pragmatics, phonetics, syntax, linguistics in Ga (my local language) and Linguistics in English. In Spanish, history and literature formed a big part of our studies and French grammar as well. As Ghana is the only Anglophone country in Africa completely neighboured by Francophone Countries, it became integral that I learnt it as it could get me a long way in the job market although I never really used it much in my career. It came in handy in translating for visiting clients, contractors. I loved studying Spanish for the love of it and linguistics helped me in my career as an administrator in creating and reviewing company documents. I speak 3 local languages and knowing 3 more foreign languages came in handy in my social life meeting people from all over the world.

How did you become an activist?

I became active in activism after joining the Humanist Association of Ghana. I gained confidence to ‘come out’ then as atheist and I wanted to help share what I knew now just as I was as a Christian but this time, based on evidence. I also realised how religion was destroying my country and continent due to ignorance, lack of education, and human rights abuses, and I felt I had to do something to help change things for the better. I felt that if I knew of an alternative to the dogmatic teachings I was given, I might have been atheist earlier and maybe, I could give someone else the opportunity to be a freethinker, which I was never given.

Were parents or siblings an influence on this for you?

My family had no idea that I would turn out to be atheist/humanist. I used to know that my uncle (father’s brother) who moved to the USA over 40 years ago was a deist by then, but never got the opportunity to discuss it with him until now. My sister’s godmother was also a German atheist, but it was never discussed perhaps because I felt it would be rude.

My sister left the Catholic church to become an Evangelical youth prayer group member while I was turning atheist. It was not until 2 years later that she became atheist. Even though we are so close and tell each other everything, it wasn’t until 3 years after her de-conversion that I got to hear about her story during a HAG group meeting. I definitely had no influence from Family. The best they helped was by giving me a good education and logical reasoning skills.

Did you have early partnerships in this activist pursuit? If so, whom?

Not really. I did not know about humanism until after I joined the Freethought Ghana group from which HAG came. Once I was introduced to it and I was able to recognise that humanism describes my personal philosophy of life, I began to identify as a humanist. The group then organised the 1st ever West African Humanist Conference in 2012 and after learning what steps other groups across the West African region were taking, we started to realise the importance of organising and formalising our group from a social group to an activist group.

The conference also gave the group the opportunity to meet other groups and their representatives that are working on humanitarian projects on human rights activism such as now Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honourable Mrs. Nana Oye Lithur who spoke to us on the LGBT situation in Ghana at the time, Mr. Gyekye Tanoh of 3rd World Women’s rights group, Mr. Leo Igwe a renowned African humanist from Nigeria who was then doing his research in Ghana on Witchcraft accusations in the Northern region for his PhD in Germany and other humanist groups from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. They gave us an insight on what they had been doing and gave us ideas from which HAG was inspired to join in.

Do you consider yourself a progressive?

Yes, I do. I am of the view that as a humanist who bases her ideas and decisions on logical reasoning and human value, I have had to rethink a lot of negative dogmatic beliefs, superstitions, and culture. I believe that Ghana, and Africa as a whole, is knee deep in ignorance and social dogma, and that is why we remain undeveloped for the most part. I love my country and my people of various tribes and cultures and for that, the need to create a better future for our next generations urges me on to fight age-old systems that stagnate our progress as a people.

Does progressivism logically imply other beliefs, or tend to or even not at all?

Progressivism, in my opinion, has not got to do with any belief in the supernatural or deities. There has been no proof of that and so moving forward for me, would mean totally discarding those beliefs and critically thinking of ways people can create better systems of living as a civilised nation that takes into account the responsibility of the well-being of its people.

However, I personally believe also that people have their right to association as enshrined in our constitution and therefore, need to have their rights respected but monitored so that its members and the general public are not badly affected by negative religious practices that would infringe on their rights. Rather, the religious can also be freethinkers with progressive views using religion as their source of inspiration.

How did you come to adopt a socially progressive worldview?

Personally, I have always been progressive since I was young. I was a member of the Wildlife club and Girl Guide Association since Junior High School and in Senior High School, I became President of the Wildlife Club of my school as well as held the position of Public Relations Officer of the Student & Youth Travel Organisation (SYTO) in 2002. With these organisations, I advocated for the rights of animals and the plight of near-extinct species, the rights of girls, participated in various donations and awareness campaigns such as HIV/AIDS and Breast Cancer.

I believe that becoming atheist made me more aware of my passions and my part to play in advocacy and the promotion of human rights based on the realisation that there is no one and no god to help us other than ourselves as people.

Why do you think that adopting a social progressive outlook is important?

It is very important since our lives and our well-being depend on the environment and the kind of society we are in. Having bad cultural practices, harmful traditions, and laws could lead us backwards rather than providing us with a bright future for ourselves and the next generations around the world. I have grown to witness and live with hearing cases of child abuse at homes and in schools, seeing child trafficking on my streets, the handicapped begging, the mentally ill left naked to roam the streets, people dying of diseases that could have been prevented or cured, the loss of trust in policing and the judicial system and the effects of bad governance, bribery, and corruption on a populace.

People are growing ever so desperate that they are falling for the con of others using religion as a means of using them for their sexual perverted desires and money. Poverty is driving people to abandon their loved ones or accuse their own mothers of witchcraft in order for them to be put to death or banished from their communities for life. It is important that we do away with these in our societies as we have come to know better and rather look to our past which in the Akan language has a term called “Sankofa” which teaches us to learn from our past to build a better tomorrow.

As a progressive, what do you think is the best socio-political position to adopt in the Ghana?

A major investment into Ghana’s educational system and the review of our school curriculum. Almost all government and private schools are influenced or owned by religious institutions and they dictate what should and should not be taught to our children. It is in schools that major indoctrination starts and stifles freethinking in children. It is also there that teachers are given a right to beat up children to enforce ‘god’s will’ of the “spare the rod, spoil the child’ culture. If our educational system is revamped as our 1st President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a humanist himself, started and envisioned it to be, Ghana could have a well-educated and empowered workforce to develop the country in all the other sectors.

I attended the first University built by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, The University of Ghana.

You became a member of the Humanist Association of Ghana (HAG) in 2012. You helped organised the first ever West African Humanist Conference (2012), which was sponsored by the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation (IHEYO). What tasks and responsibilities come along with volunteering and organising for the HAG?

At the time, our group was quite small but vibrant.

It was an exciting time to meet other Ghanaian atheists and agnostics and we were very pleased that IHEYO would entrust us with organising such a big event despite us being so new as a group. We did not have any formal leadership or an Executive Committee at the time so most of this was planned by volunteering members especially Graham Knight who helped to bring us together and started the Freethought Ghana group. I was then working for an Australian Mining Company out of Accra so I made myself available to attend and help with last minute preparations like picking up delegates from the airport to their hotel and vice versa after the event.

During the event, I volunteered to be at the information desk where I helped to register attendees, distribute pamphlets, notebooks, pens and provide drinking water. I also took it upon myself to film the conference since the funds were not enough for photo and video services. I also represented the group for interviews by local and international media. To be a volunteer, to me, is about helping however, wherever and whenever you can. Whether financially, using your skills or socially, any help at all goes a long way to achieve a successful event and team effort makes it even more motivating, fun and organised.

In Ghanaian culture, what are some of the more effective means to teach critical thinking within the socio-cultural milieu?

Ghana is made up of a culturally diverse population. It consists of roughly 100 linguistic and cultural groups. These groups, clans and tribes, although very different from each other, have certain similarities in various aspects of their culture. In Ghana, a child is said to be raised by the whole village rather than just the nuclear family. Traditionally, information was passed on from generation to generation mainly through song and dance. However, in modern days, education not only begins from home but in schools, mainstream media such as TV, radio and religious institutions. As humanists, our focus has been with the youth in schools and social media.

What about modern scientific ideas?

Most of the understanding of things around us are taught from home by parents and extended family members who usually pass on what they learnt from their elders. This is mostly dogmatic and superstitious rather than scientific even though the end result is meant to educate. Educational institutions are good grounds to teach modern scientific ideas. Ghana can boast of some of the best science institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as well as research centres such as the Noguchi Memorial institute.

We also have some of the most renowned Medical Teaching hospitals in the West African region such as the Komfo Anokye and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospitals. Ghana has the only Planetarium in West Africa which is 1 of only 3 on the continent, which HAG members patronise and promote. There are also science programmes and quiz competitions amongst schools on TV.

What are the main barriers to teaching critical thinking and modern scientific ideas?

Lack of infrastructure, dedicated science teachers who are poorly paid, medical personnel and government interest has made our science sector struggle as compared to more developed countries. The average Ghanaian sees science as more theoretical and career-specific than practical. The understanding of science is seen mostly as a ‘Western’ construct than a global one. This could have stemmed from the fact that most modern inventions known to us came from Europe and the USA.

As a Ghanaian and African, what seem like the positives and negatives of religion and religious fervour on individuals and communities in Ghana and Africa in general?

Using the major religions like Christianity, Islam and Traditional worship, the positives of religion are that they give a sense of community, feelings of love, boosts self-esteem and gives hope and inspiration. The negatives however, are countless. Many of which include spiritual leaders taking advantage of people financially and sexually, having delusional thoughts out of superstition and religious indoctrination, self- loathing, and guilt from unnecessary thoughts, a sense of false hope, illogical reasoning, lazy attitudes towards work and charity, a false sense of entitlement, mandates to abuse yourself and others most of which turn out to be fatal, etc.

What big obstacles (if at all) do you see social-progressive movements facing at the moment?

1. Lack of governmental/State support
2. Lack of funding or insufficient funds
3. Mismanagement of funds
4. Lack of public support
5. Inadequate and outdated rules of law
6. Insufficient legal backing and law enforcement

How important do you think social movements are?

Social movements are very important especially in 3rd world countries in being the voice of the people and putting pressure on government and the people to review and approve the living conditions of people and the state of affairs of a country and its environment in the best interest of everyone. This is because despite democracy being adapted as a system of rule in most African countries, most of the time, cultural, traditional and religious biases steer the governments in the wrong direction and also because most of the countries may not have enough funding to care for its citizens and infrastructure.

In November, 2015, you became President of the HAG and in July, 2016, the Chair of the IHEYO African Working Group. What do these elected-to positions mean to you?

In the beginning of joining the humanist movement, I honestly never really saw myself as a leader. I just wanted to contribute my quota. However, I started to realise I had it in me to do great things for my group when I wrote my first article and got the most hits online! I received over 200 comments within days of posting it.

Most of the comments were negative but I felt I had left a mark and got people thinking. It also got the group recognised. I was recommended to IHEYO for a position as Secretary of the African working group in 2014 and at the time, I did not have much on my portfolio as an activist so I was so surprised and over-the-top excited when I got the news that I had been elected by international humanists who barely knew me from a record number of nominations!!! I was grateful that they read through my nomination and entrusted me with the position, which I held for 2 years.

I took it very seriously and had a lot of guidance from the IHEYO EC whose President was Nicola Jackson. I saw how long the working group had been dormant, and so many things I could do to bring it to life and so many ideas started coming to me. I increased social media presence on our Facebook page for the African Working Group and membership increased from 12 to 183 members within 2 years (It is now over 230). I also started a new Twitter page, @IheyoAfwg, with 130 followers including local and international humanists and humanist organisations. I helped create a network of African humanists and humanist organisations that are in regular communication via email, skype and WhatsApp and I discovered several African humanists and organisations that I am in constant contact with to advise and guide.

In December 2014, I together with the Humanist Association of Ghana, hosted the 2nd West African Humanist Conference (WAHC), sponsored by HIVOS and IHEYO. Please see below for links to the videos of the 2-day event which was aired live online setting a record for my group: Day 1 — Day 2– I founded the HAGtivist podcast project and started it with other volunteering members of HAG.

I had been a contributor to the IHEYO newsletter Youthspeak personally and from various member organisations in Ghana and Nigeria, and I represented the working group at the recently held General Assembly (GA) in Malta this year. I was part of the team that helped to organise the first ever continent-wide humanist conference held in Kenya called the African Humanist Youth Days (AHYD 2016) in July. This year, I knew that if I won the election as Chair, there would be so much more I could do to lead the Working group and despite a new resolution to have only Working group MOs voting this time, I came out victorious once again.

I am grateful to my fellow African humanists for their support and belief in me. It was on the same day I also received news of our election from HAG that I had also gained the position from Interim President in November 2015 to President elect in July 2016. It was truly humbling that my work was recognised and my fellow members had given me the responsibility of representing our group of highly intelligent, creative and wonderful people. These 2 positions come with the responsibility of representing Africa positively, dedicating a lot of time and resources, being passionate, bold, charismatic, firm, principled, professional, discerning, and diplomatic.

I believe that history is to be made this time round with young African humanists, and I am really happy to have the opportunity to be one of the ones at the forefront of change at this time setting a foundation for generations to come.

Who are personal heroes within the culture?

Historically, there are many personalities that are celebrated in Ghana. Some of my personal heroes are Yaa Asantewaa, an Ashanti Queen mother who, in 1900, led the Ashanti rebellion known as the War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa war, against British colonialism. Her courage and bravery for a woman of her time inspires me.

Our first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is also one of the most renowned figures in Africa. He was born in a small village in Ghana and was able to finish his education in 1 of the most prestigious institutions in the world at Oxford University, returned home a humanist and fought for Ghana’s independence from the British, making Ghana the 1st African country to be free from colonial rule in 1957. He was able to transform Ghana by providing us with our first and largest Hydroelectric dam, free basic school education, universities, science centres, Highways, our only International airport, our biggest port, etc. which we enjoy to this day.

In modern times, I have come to admire the work of our current Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur. Although Christian, even before her Ministerial appointment, as a Lawyer, she has helped fight for the rights of the LGBT community despite serious opposition, worked Pro bono to solve many domestic cases especially those against women and children and is working tirelessly through her Ministry in assisting alleged witches banished from their communities.

What is your favourite scientific discovery ever?

Electricity! It forms such an integral part of modern day living that I cannot imagine where we would be without it.

What philosopher(s), or philosophy/philosophies, best represent your own views about aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and politics?

I do not follow any philosophers in particular because I have not read about any. Instead, various documentaries have helped shape my thoughts on various aspects of life. I am a lover of nature, science and art. I am not interested much in politics and I derive my ethics from logic, constant research and debates amongst friends and members of HAG.

Who seem like the greatest anti-scientific representatives in Ghana?

Religious leaders!

What about the greatest anti-scientific and anti-humanistic movements within Ghana?

Ghana’s greatest enemy in the progress of science and technological advancement is religion. It is the only and greatest barrier because it allows for so much wrong to go on with little or no opposition. From faith healing, false prophecies, work ethics, illogical theories, women’s oppression, authoritarianism, human rights abuse, bribery and corruption, etc. Ghana is highly religious in the sense that everything that happens is attributed to a deity or superstition or both! If something good happens, it is “By His (God’s) grace”, if something bad happens, it is “God’s will” or “the devil’s work” or “a bad spirit” or “angry ancestors”. It is almost impossible to argue with people no matter how educated because of this train of thought.

Religion is not a private matter as most religious countries practice. Here, it is allowed everywhere and anyone who stands in the way of their ideology or spiritual leader is an enemy of progress to them. Most homes force relatives to pray at odd hours loudly and some go on the streets at midnight to pray or preach. In the public buses, herbal medicine traders who also double as Christian pastors are allowed to stand and preach for hours during the journey. At work, highly religious entrepreneurs and Managers force employees to sing and pray before and after work. All official meetings and occasions, private or public begin and end with a prayer. Our entire lives are circulated around prayer and worship of one deity or another. There is little space for intellectual conversations and critical thinking.

What can external associations, collectives, organisations, and even influential individuals, do to assist you in your professional endeavours in Ghana?

I implore all external associations, collectives, organisations to partner with legitimate, active organisations here especially HAG. I advise that not only should they support the work of HAG, but also keep following up on our work. You may support the activities of HAG through bringing in substantive ideas, financial aid, materials such as books, clothes, Resource persons, promoting our activities on social media and mainstream media and influential people can also visit to help promote our work and start fundraising campaigns that would be widely reached.

International women’s empowerment, equality, and rights are important to me. What is the status of women regarding empowerment, equality, and rights in Ghana?

I am very happy to be born at a time when women empowerment is starting to benefit the masses. However, there are several factors that are hampering empowerment and gender equality in Ghana, which include Cultural and religious beliefs. I wrote an extensive articleregarding this issue in March 2016.

Can humanism improve the status of women in Ghana more than traditional religious structures, doctrines, and beliefs?

Most definitely it can! This is because, humanism emphasises the value of all human beings regardless of gender and promotes wellbeing of people whereas religion and superstition creates an illusion of differences between the gender making men feel superior than women. Humanism also brings about a sense of selflessness and working to better the lives of the deprived in society which are mostly women.

Thank you for your time, Roslyn.

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2022-02-24

The Future of… 4 – Time Travel

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/05/22

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We were taking off-tape about the future of time travel and how it will not be a thing.

Rick Rosner: We talked about what will and won’t happen. Those aren’t practical for a couple of reasons. One is being that there is not infrastructure for the first topic we talked about, flying cars. One is that you can’t get aloft by hauling ass off your street.

Two, there is not much cost savings for using a system like that. It is not like if you’re so into flying that you need a plane that you’ll somehow save money by buying a combination car-plane. The instances you need a car will not be the ones in which you need a plane.

There is not much of an overlap for most people. So, there is no market for it, little infrastructure for it; In general, in the mid- to far-future, say 50 years and beyond. The amount of travel per person on average, I am guessing, will decline as a telepresence gets better and better.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-24

The Future of…3 – Food (Part 2)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/05/17

Rosner: That stuff hasn’t been in US vaccines in a decade. And it’s… Even that has been proven not to cause Autism. And if there are prudent ways to deal with vaccinations. If you have a certain amount of fear of it, you just… If you’re worried about it, you still do the socially responsible thing, and you get your kid vaccinated, you just space out the vaccinations, so the kid doesn’t get three or four on the same day, and you’re doing the right thing, the prudent thing, for both your kid and for society.

And, you’ve taken a small measure of… Exercised a small measure of prudence if the lunatics are right. But yeah, there’s the anti-GMO people, genetically modified organism people, who think that anything that’s been genetically engineered is gonna kill you. But I buy the alternative argument which is that all the food we eat has been genetically engineered through centuries of human… Millennia of human breeding programs. Yeah, we couldn’t get in and directly tweak genes. But, we tweaked it… Endless tweaking…

Corn was this weird wheat-like stuff thousands of years ago, before we bred it into these fat ears of golden kernels. And a lot of food is like that, where it was fairly edible until we bred it into something that’s hyper-edible. And so, if you wanna be anti-GMO, don’t do it on scientific grounds, do it on the grounds that maybe companies like Monsanto have somewhat obnoxious business practices.

Jacobsen: I got two minutes.

Rosner: Okay. So, and then, yeah, there’s food snobbery. Like there’s… LA is full of lifestyle snobbery with yoga moms trying to outdo each other. And there’s fattery and I don’t know, that’s all I have on that.

Jacobsen: I mean, to me it just seems like, it seems to me like something corrosive of culture. It makes culture, in a way, less valuable because it’s less… It reduces the well-being of people in it.

Rosner: Well, it’s, Matt, because some of it goes back to information, where people can only absorb a certain amount of information about stuff. And people’s behavior towards food and lifestyle is to some extent influenced by information, and there’s a lot of information now. And a lot of the information is bullshit and people have to shop around for what… People don’t have to, but people will shop around for what fits their prejudices and fears.

So, anyway, everything is optimal strategies for dealing with food is it’s a probability cloud like a lot of other stuff where you can, trying to optimize stuff but you’re trying to aim at the center if you have the patience for it. Well, everything’s a function of people’s patience and prejudice, discipline and snobbery, and all this forms a cloud of, an end space of food-related behaviors, where some people are gonna be towards one end of the cloud in terms of hyper-disciplined behavior which encompasses hyper-discipline plus dumb-faddish or under-informed behavior like people who use homoeopathic medicine which is basically paying a lot of money for water.

Jacobsen: Okay.

Rosner: And then on the other end, there are people who, in the hyper-undisciplined end of things, the super resigned people or belligerently indulgent people, and I’m sure there are people who, at the lunatic end of conservatism, eat unhealthily as a gesture of defiance of the liberal dictators of what’s good for you. So, that’s it.

Jacobsen: Okay. Okay.

Rosner: Okay.

Jacobsen: I’ll leave you there and thanks for that.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-24

The Future of…2 – Food (Part 1)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/05/16

[Beginning of recorded material]

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Continuing on the future of food. And there’s an aspect of people that should know better, who are into raw food-ism, non-GMO-ism, organic food-ism. You know the deal? And, you…

Rick Rosner: Yeah.

Jacobsen: You noted off tape, it’s a bit of snobbery. And to me these people should know better because, they’re actually at, probably risk for health problems because they’re using older methods. And these older methods are worse. They’re less good than current ones.

Rosner: Let’s put it in a larger framework.

Jacobsen: Okay. What’s the larger framework?

Rosner: I consider it part of the larger framework of liberals versus conservatives where, right now in America, there are more idiots among conservatives, because idiocy has been cultivated by… By conservatives. Because they… It’s politically expedient. But there’s still plenty of idiocy on the liberal side. And you see it in taking Kumbaya principles to an extreme. Being nice to yourself, being nice to the planet, embracing alternative ways of healing.

So, you were talking about raw food people and vegans and… There are plenty of good reasons to be vegan or vegetarian, but once you join that cohort, you put yourself in the company of a lot of lunatics and/or idiots, including like the… I consider part of that kinda general demographic, like anti-vaccers, anti-vaccination people, who… People who buy, who… A lot of conservatives fall for conservative bullshit.

But there are a bunch of liberals who fall for hippie bullshit, which can include the whole thing about vaccinations causing Autism and maybe some other stuff, even though it’s been well substantiated that vaccines don’t cause Autism, and even the thing that, in vaccines, which was thought to cause Autism hasn’t been… The derivative of mercury, I forget the name of it, but… Amerisol, I think.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-24

The Future of…1 – Welcome to the Future

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rick Rosner

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Future of…

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/04/23

Rick Rosner: We don’t think much about the future. The reason being that the future has looked much like the present. In the 14th century, if you lived in a village and made shoes, there was a good chance that your kids and grandkid would make shows, and things moved slowly. The future wasn’t a threat. Now, of course, the rapidly approaching and rapidly changing future is here. Of course, the increasing pace of change means that the future is a threat.

We started to think about the future more, if only for entertainment, but I think we can benefit from doing a lot, a lot of thinking about the future. One way to start is to look at the different flavors of possible futures. That is, look at visions of the future that are already out there, one version is technological paradise, technological utopia, or the Kurzweil future. Kurzweil being an inventor who believes in the Singularity, which he says will be an era of practically infinitely powerful synthetic thinking, AIs.

He thinks that in the 2040s or sometime in the 2040s that we’ll be able to build AIs that build each other and AI will have made itself so smart that it will be able to answer any questions. So we essentially become gods via technology and can make all of our wishes come true. Another flavor of the universe is the technological dystopia, which is the world of terminator. That AIs get really smart and decide to eradicate us.

And in between the technological utopia and the dystopia are various technologically dominated futures that are take your pick of futures that anywhere along the range of horrible to awesome. There’s still some main features of those. The augmented human future, where everybody is modified technologically and biologically so that we have a bunch of people running around with superhuman characteristics.

Or if you are setting a movie in the future, you have a few people with those characteristics having adventures. Aside from those utopias and dystopias are apocalyptic futures, some are related to climate change or other fiddling with the environment due to human malfeasance. Others are like if you have zombie—in addition to different flavors of future, there are different degrees of seriousness or plausibility of the possible futures.

So on the implausible end of the apocalyptic futures are the zombie futures, the zombie apocalyptic with the entertainment value. Nobody is seriously questioning whether or not zombies will be a thing. Also, on the implausible end, but possibly slightly less implausibly because we can’t set up the possibility of this happening are the alien invasion versions, but they are still towards the unbelievable end.

Then there are ongoing apocalypse futures and then there are he miserable post-apocalypse futures and relatively peaceful agrarian and often with aspect of medieval culture post-post-apocalyptic futures. Society has rebuilt itself, but on a smaller scale and not in tune with wrecking the world. Either because we don’t have the resources to wreck the world or have found a way to live in more peace with the world.

Other soft-soft post-apocalypse futures are the Renaissance fairs and such, the green utopia futures with occasional cars around, humanity has made the decision to live more with the environment. We’ve left our rapacious technology for green technology. We’ve been rejiggered to be more gentle creatures too, away from the war-like aggressors that we evolved to be and humans are gentle and better able to co-exist.

That would be the range of boring-ass futures. Then there’s stuff that can be extrapolated from the crap that politicians say. On the Make America Great Again side. What could be presented as the Conservative-Republican future, where Christian values and culture has won out and established that a Godly shining city in the hill, I don’t know if anybody has fully fleshed this out in terms of utopia.

There is a Handmaid’s Tale, which is the most famous example of a Christian dystopia, but alternately. There should be a Christian utopia, where America stands as a bastion of traditional Christian values in defiance of a Godless world. On the other side, there would be Liberal political utopias. The futures presented by politicians tend to not be fleshed out. Because politicians aren’t in the business of creating worlds and politicians are in the business of getting votes in the here and now.

So a lot of their bullshit about the future is not well thought through or relates to specific policy positions. That’s a problem for all presentations of the future. It is hard to put together a cohesive world or a cohesive set of predictions given that changes in culture into the future will affect every aspect of culture. All of culture will change. Most projections about the future. Whether rhetorical or serious by politicians or the United Nations, whether they are statistical projections of science fiction presentations of the future, most pictures of the future are incomplete because they only take a few different factors into account.

There are only a few writers who have impressed me by making convincing attempts to address all aspects of the future in creating their worlds. There is Neal Stephenson who created a series of future worlds 10, 100, 1,000 years into the future with Accelerando. There’s the guy who wrote The Wedding Album. Doctorow is decent at this sometimes. Very few writers are interested in writing plausible, convincing future worlds.

Most are interested in telling entertaining stories. The guy who wrote The Wind Up Girl, which has a semi-plausible future. But it takes place in one city for 2 weeks undergoing a technological battle in the aftermath of what has been an unfolding ecological crisis that has devastated the Earth, but the adaptation of new green technology is there.

[End of recorded material]

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2022-02-24

George Mayor Melvin Naik Argues Pride Parade Against His Christian Principles

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to AllAfrica, George Mayor claimed the Gay US choristers are considered against his personal religious beliefs or his religion more generally.

Nonetheless, the pride and the march will continue onward. The Georgia Gay Pride march will be singing “Hallelujah” and “When the Saints go Marching In.” This will be a first for South Africa, as far as I know.

George Mayor Melvin Naik made the statements about the homosexual pride parade beinga against his personal Christian principles.

“I simply wanted to bring the point across that just because the municipality supports an event, people must not take it for granted that that support reflects my own personal beliefs,” Naik stated, “As mayor, in my official capacity and personally, I support the Constitution and its values completely, but personally, as a Christian, I hold certain beliefs regarding LGBT people.”

He further states that this means he does not necessarily discriminate against them but, rather, views everyone as God’s children who remain loved equally by his Christian God.

DA Provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said, “His utterances do not represent the views of the party. Therefore, the federal executive chairperson, James Selfe, will be referring this matter to the party’s federal legal commission (FLC) for further investigation… You can’t use your position in public office and make the kind of comments Melvin did.”

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2022-02-24

Choice of Women Versus Religious Conscience in Healthcare

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

AllAfrica wrote a wonderful piece on religion and women in healthcare considerations.

When religion trumps science in medicine, women’s bodies and Constitutional rights may be caught in the crossfire.

South Africa’s Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act legalises voluntary abortion at different stages of pregnancy. Although viewed as a generally liberal law, the Act has not effectively enabled broad and consistent access for women seeking to terminate their pregnancies.

One of the reasons has been some health providers’ and facilities’ refusal to treat women who need abortion care.

Within South African law, specifically the termination of pregnancy Act, no health care provider – irrespective of the category – is ethically allowed to refuse to provide emergency treatment and care.

On Tuesday, the health and human rights non-profit the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) and partners released a report, titled “Unconscionable”. The research argues that there is a growing trend globally, including in South Africa, of health care providers who are refusing to deliver abortion and other sexual and reproductive health care. This phenomenon violates the ethical principle of “do no harm,” the coalition argues.

Historically, the United Nations has defined a conscientious objector as an individual who refuses to perform military service on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. This moral stance against military service has been recognised not only by the UN Human Rights Council but also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

But the term “conscientious objector” has recently been co-opted by anti-choice movements to refer to health care providers who refuse to provide abortions.

In South Africa, those who refuse to provide terminations of pregnancy do so in terms of section 15 (1) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion.

But health workers’ refusal to treat women seeking abortions pits their right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief against a woman’s Constitutionally-enshrined right to equality and dignity.

Constitutional rights are guaranteed to everyone, which means that rights must co-exist. Healthcare providers’ right to freedom of religion should not negate women’s right to access health, equality and dignity. To the extent that these rights cannot co-exist, then a balancing exercise must weigh up, for instance, the impact of refusing abortion services on women versus the consequence of providing abortion services to religious values. This calculus should also factor in healthcare providers’ ethical and legal obligations – something that too few within our healthcare system have been trained on, shows the IWHC’s latest report.

There is a similar death of education regarding the fact that Constitutional rights are not absolute and can, therefore, be limited for a number of reasons.

At the same time, medical students’ training in abortion provision is often inadequate, reveals the coalition’s latest research. In South Africa, we have received reports from students noting that they are sometimes taught how to avoid performing abortions instead of about their ethical and professional obligations under the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act.

In a clear violation of the Act, some medical students object to learning how to treat women who need life-saving emergency care after incomplete abortions.

Meanwhile, workers’ refusal to treat is mostly based on non-verifiable personal beliefs, usually religious, that posit life begins at conception, argue researchers in a 2017 article published in the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

In some instances, the refusal to treat is premised on the notions that women must always want to be mothers, and when they fall pregnant, they must cheerfully embrace the opportunity to raise a child even though this may not be something they want.

Read more: Why it pays to watch your words when reporting on abortion

The national health department has not taken any action to counter the negative implications of introducing religion into medicine, which significantly undermines clinical best practices that depend on scientific evidence and medical ethics. The department’s human resource strategy outlines its responsibility to ensure capacity at national, provincial and district levels to develop human resources that meet government needs and improve health care access for all.

The national health department must, therefore, take decisive and adequate steps to ensure that all the healthcare providers it employs work towards achieving this.

It is undeniable that the impact of conscientious objection has dire consequences for women in need of abortions – for some, it is the difference between life and death.

This is not acceptable by any standard.

Read more: Government to get tougher on doctors with moral objections to abortion

All healthcare professionals – doctors, midwives and nurses – should be aware of their responsibility to provide safe and beneficial care. The first principles of “do no harm” and offering the best care possible should guide every health provider.

When continuation of a pregnancy poses a grave danger to the life or health of women or fetus, regardless of gestational age, health workers cannot recuse themselves from duties to provide safe and legal health care.

A healthcare worker cannot legally or ethically object to rendering care in cases of life-or-death emergencies associated with abortion whether procedures were lawfully performed or not.

Facility managers must ensure that their clinic or hospital is designated to provide abortion services, measures must be taken to ensure staff can competently offer those services.

Should the facility not be able to provide abortions, management must ensure that the patient is provided with the necessary support to reach an alternative service provider and planning needs to guarantee services become available. Health facility managers need to be stewards of the health system to ensure there is consistent access to health, referrals of services are effective and timely, and that patient-centred care is provided at all times.

Our health department is currently severely challenged but leadership, such as that envisioned in its human resources strategy, is crucial to assuring that healthcare workers are trained to become competent providers of reproductive health services, including abortion. This kind of leadership extends to the national health minister and director general.

We cannot continue to allow women to be forced out of facilities after being refused access to safe abortion and walk straight into the care of informal and dangerous providers. To do so is a severe reproductive injustice.

What are we saying to poor black women who are disproportionately affected by the refusal of service providers to offer abortion care? It is time that the department of health and abortion services providers stand up and show them that they too matter and that their bodies and needs will be taken seriously.

Marion Stevens is the chairperson of the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition. Follow her on @marionwish. Mandi Mudarikwa is an attorney with the Legal Resources Centre.

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2022-02-24

Potential Changes to the South African Constitution

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to Bloomberg, South Africa’s government made a decision around a change to the constitution of the nation.

It is reported the African National Congress, or the ANC, has decided to amend the national constitution with regards to the laws of the land. The purpose is to further explain the conditions upon which land can be expropriated and then have no compensation for it.

The ANC becomes closer to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in this sense. The ANC will only do this under the condition that this does not harm the economy, agricultural sector, or the food security of the nation because these could be consequences of any amendments related to land.

As reported, “The purpose of the amendment is to promote redress, advance economic development, increase agri

cultural production and food security, the ANC in an emailed statement after a meeting of its National Executive Committee in Pretoria, the capital.”

Legal experts are working on the processes necessary for alterations to the constitution as we speak. The idea was and is to speed the process of giving black people more land. More access to land is one symbol of inequality between members of the nation along the racial lines.

President Cyril Ramaphosa stated, “…it has become patently clear that our people want the constitution be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation, as demonstrated in the public hearings.”

The proposals now are bringing forth concerns for investors and others about the potential for a radical land-reform strategy and then the fear that there may be Zimbabwe-style farm seizures. The ANC will be contesting national elections starting next year with the first ballot since the time of the opposition winning several municipalities deemed “key” by the reportage. That include Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The Executive Director of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Lawson Naidoo, stated, “This is a surprising and premature announcement by the ANC because parliament is still in its review process on changing the constitution… Parliament still has to gather and evaluate the many submissions that have been made. We are in a pre-election phase and the ANC announcement is part of that.”

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2022-02-24

#TotalShutdown

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to IOL, the South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spoke in support of a large number of women and non-gender conforming people who will be marching. It is a march in South Africa against gender-based violence.

The SAHRC stated:

Gender-based violence violates the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution, especially the right to equality, dignity and freedom.The commission urges all South Africans to recognise the constitutionally-entrenched right to protest peacefully, acknowledging how this right is inextricably linked to other rights in our Constitution…

The commission calls on the government to implement its obligation under section 7(2) of the Constitution to particularly vindicate women’s rights to life, dignity, equality, bodily integrity, freedom of movement and freedom from violence.

It further emphasized the need for the Government of South Africa to work with immediate and decisive steps to tackle violence against women within the nation. Because women deserve and reserve the same right to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life as the men without harm to harm to health or well-being.

The #TotalShutdown march will occur in nine provinces on August 1. The organizers of the march are planning to shut down the major cities in order to make explicit statements with numbers about the need to reduce and eliminate the violence against children and women, and gender-based violence in general.

The article concluded, “Trade union organisations such as Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa), SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) have also pledged their support. The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) said earlier this month that it would march alone and will not be joining the #totalshutdown marches after organisers banned it from taking part.”

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2022-02-24

David Mabuza on Women’s Rights

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

David Mabuza, the deputy president of South Africa, talked about women. He wrote an article in News 24.

The parliamentary questions in recent weeks have noted the concern for women. Mabuza pointed to the ANC government emphasis on the “full emancipation of women.”

Mabuza described the patriarchal structures and sexism in society. The violent deaths of women by intimate partners. He asks a question from Katrine Marçal, who is a feminist writer.

In Adam Smith’s market fundamentalist text The Wealth of Nations, he asks: Who puts dinner on the table? Smith argues the “economic man.”

Mabuza thinks “our grandmothers, wives, sisters and the girl-child.” He points to childbearing by women and work in the home. That these drive the wealth of nations, “for free.”

Mabuza talks about the Women’s Charter, too, from 1954. It states that women stretch the dollar for the children, hear the children’s cries. That women bear the burden of caring for children.

The land too, when men are gone, are women’s domain. Mabuza points to the civilised and democratic nature of a society. That it relates to the social and economic liberation of women.

“It depends on how we empower women to demand their inherent rights to take the advantages,” Mabuza explained, “responsibilities and opportunities of a civilised society.”

Mabuza considers women paying the highest price far above any of us as mothers. “Freedoms we have earned freely on their unpaid labour,” he notes.

In his opinion, we need to view women as special. That women are complete human beings ans treated and respected as such.

In the South African Constitution, it says, “Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.”

Though “racial hatred and discrimination, sexism and patriarchy,” are present, we can develop. The Constitution, according to Mabuza, provides that basis.

Any discrimination and violence against women violates the spirit of the Constitution. Mabuza sees violence against women as a violation against the founding principles of South Africa.

He said, “A nation that undermines the aspirations of women and oppresses them can have no peace, no social cohesion and no development.”

He points to the extreme prejudice against black women based on class, gender, and race. Mabuza points to the “omnipresent [patriarchy] in our language, idioms, metaphors, stories, myths and performances.”

Mabuza argues that we have to make internal changes, to our individual selves. Those changes helping free women from sexism and oppression, and discrimination.

However those biases come packaged, individual alterations can help with women’s emancipation. That radical revolution comes with the emancipation of women through individual change.

He notes the ANC is for gender parity “as a precondition of the economic freedom in our lifetime.” He describes how men are “absconding from parental responsibility, yet are available for power, leadership and economic opportunities.”

How do we close that gap, reduce those biases unbalanced benefits? He states women have to work and make a home together. Mabuza argues for a reordering of social relations in order for equality, parity.

One “that castrates the power, income and class of men from having an overriding influence on women’s choice of sexual partners.”

Mabuza considers this the foundation of a society with mutual respect and equality.

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2022-02-24

Lilly Singh and Bullying in Classrooms

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Lilly Singh, went to South Africa in order to meet with children who are working to speak out call out, and reduce bullying and violence in the classroom.

Singh is a Canadian. She led a discussion with students aged 13 to 19. This was in Johannesburg, so she could hear the stories and narratives of the children. Their personal experiences of violence and bullying inside and outside of the classroom.

Singh stated, “I met with children and young people who have experienced a range of violence, from bullying and physical attacks to corporal punishment, sexual assault and harassment… No child should have to face violence at school, a place where they should feel safe and protected.”

This event with Singh was the first to start for UNICEF of the #ENDviolence Youth Talks.These are a collection of student-led dialogues on their experiences of violence and bullying in the classroom.

There is a collective effort – not only in South Africa but also around the world even the advanced industrial economies – to tackle the problem of bullying and violence related to the classroom: on and off the campuses. Who better to know about it than from the young people experiencing it?

There are a variety of organizations devoted to this cause including “UNICEF, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, DFID and UNESCO, and others in different ways.

They will help inform the work of global leaders with a set of recommendations. More than half of students in South Africa have reported being bullied or subject to some form or peer-to-peer violence – mean age of 15. There are even many who report sexual abuse by their peers.

“In my work with UNICEF, I continue to see first-hand how this generation is coming up with creative and innovative ideas to help end violence in their own schools and communities, through forming peer-led groups, as well as speaking out and creating safe spaces for students to tell their stories,” said Singh. “As I listened to the children and young people, it underscored how vital it is that we involve them in problem-solving and continue empowering them to use their voices.”

The Government of South Africa including the Department of Education along with several partners are working to reduce the level of bullying and violence the young experience at their schools.

The Department of Education founded the Girls Education and Boys Education Movement (GEM/BEM) clubs to help curb the level of bullying and violence experienced by students. There have student-led clubs through these programs devoted to more than 2,000 schools with 975 trained club members.

Their emphases are the promotion of both dignity and mutual respect between the girls and the boys on each school campus. The students are then encouraged to not only to identify but to call out the various forms of discrimination against their peers and themselves that may arise for them.

This seems important as this may precede some action to the violence and bullying of the young. The article concluded, “UNICEF and Lilly Singh are encouraging young people around the world to use the hashtag #ENDviolence to share what they need to feel safe in and around school. Comments will inform a set of recommendations to global leaders.”

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2022-02-24

Choice of Women Versus Religious Conscience in Healthcare

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

AllAfrica wrote a wonderful piece on religion and women in healthcare considerations.

The three points of contact for the reportage centered on religion, women’s bodily autonomy, and the Constitution of South Africa. There is the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, which legalizes voluntary abortion for different stages of a pregnancy.

It is seen as a liberal law. However, it has not been given a pervasive and consistent implementation or access for women who want to terminate their pregnancies. One reason comes from the health providers and facilities not treating women who need or want the abortion.

The article states, “Within South African law, specifically the termination of pregnancy Act, no health care provider – irrespective of the category – is ethically allowed to refuse to provide emergency treatment and care.”

The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) published a report entitled “Unconscionable.” It notes the increase in the global refusal of healthcare providers to provide abortions in particular, and sexual and reproductive healthcare in general.

South Africa is the same as the rest of the world in the violation of the ethical precept of “do no harm.”

“Historically, the United Nations has defined a conscientious objector as an individual who refuses to perform military service on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. This moral stance against military service has been recognized not only by the UN Human Rights Council but also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the articles states.

The idea of a conscientious objector had a prior meaning and context. Now, this is being utilized by the anti-choice movements to refuse provision of basic human rights via sexual and reproductive rights or sexual and reproductive healthcare.

The article continued, “In South Africa, those who refuse to provide terminations of pregnancy do so in terms of section 15 (1) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion.”

However, the refusal to treat women who want to acquire abortions becomes a freedom of conscience and religion, and belief, issue against the right to dignity and equality given in the South African Constitution for women. Religion and rights conflict here.

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2022-02-24

South Africa Among the Most Inclusive Nations

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Business Tech wrote on how South Africa is one of the most inclusive nations in the world outside of Canada and the United States.

In accordance with this ranking from the Ipsos Global Advisor, the factors incorporated into the overall ranking were the criminal background, gender identity and sexual orientation, political views, religion, and immigration.

The article stated, “Notably, while South Africans are near the top of the rankings when it comes to religion, immigrants and LGBT Inclusiveness – we top the rankings when it comes to being the nation most inclusive of people with criminal backgrounds and extreme political views.”

Basically, the study reflected the Inclusiveness Index of the Ipsos group. In the research study, more than 20,700 people were included from 27 countries, where they asked questions of about 28 “types” of people.

The questions about the different types were correlated with the level of inclusion of that person into the society. Where the person is seen as a real “[fill in the blank nationality],” that became a test for the level of inclusion with the research.

The final constructs for the research were religious inclusiveness, naturalized-citizen inclusiveness, second-generation inclusiveness, LGBT inclusiveness, criminal background inclusiveness, and extreme political views inclusiveness.

With these average, one arrived at the score of inclusiveness within the Inclusiveness Index. In that, South Africa is among the inclusive societies in the world.

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2022-02-24

The Possible Decriminalization of Sex Work in South Africa

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Skye Wheeler in Human Rights Watch reported on sex work in South Africa.

It remains a political and social hard issue for the public and the politicians because of the wide variety of extreme reactions in response to the possibility of its decriminalization. A decriminalization, of course, would be different than a legalization in some ways.

A decriminalization would remove the blanket penalty for it. While the legalization would permit what was not there or be in effect after the decriminalization; however, this amounts to a straightforward decriminalization possibility.

As stated by Wheeler, “South Africa’s Law Review Commission late last year recommended that sex work remain fully criminalized, i.e. a criminal offense to both sell and purchase sex. Now, eyes are on the justice ministry to see whether it will follow this recommendation or whether a radically new approach and law are needed.”

There was a panel on sex work entitled “Is it work, and is it a choice?” The was convened by the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office and the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The event happened on June 21 in Cape Town.

The individuals who took part were “South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services John Jeffery; former UN Human Rights Commissioner and judge Navi Pillay, a global luminary of women’s rights; and long-time warrior for South African sex worker rights, Kholi Buthelezi.”

The issue of sex work and its ethical implications are hard problems around the world. Do we outlaw it? Do we legalize it fully? Do we do a bit of both depending on issue? This remains a quandary around the world. Is it a violation of women’s rights? Or is it an example of women’s economic and social self-empowerment? I have heard many views. As with any complicated matter, I note legitimate ethical and moral precepts in each view.

However, the principles conflict and the dialogues are needed to suss them out for the values of the country. What seems appropriate for most people most of the time in a democratic society?

“Sex work is a contentious issue everywhere, tearing the global women’s rights movement in two. One side believes sex work – they prefer the term “prostitution” – is inherently abusive and should be eradicated through criminalizing the purchase of sex,” the article stated, “At the panel, the group Equality Now shares this view. The other side believes sex work as a whole should be decriminalized to better enable sex workers to avail of protection of the law from beatings, harassment, rape, and other abuse (a position held by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International). At the panel, South African sex worker organizations Sisonke and SWEAT hold this view.”

The reportage talked about 40 sex workers being interviewed during the month of publication. Where the obvious answer to them is not pure criminalization; also, the arrests for simply standing around in “hot spots” should stop too.

It forms the basis for legitimizing police harassment of civilians. The sex worker has some hard conditions in which they work. In fact, the majority of the sex workers supported the full decriminalization of sex work.

The article concluded, “Public discussion like this panel is crucial. But more crucial is the direct involvement of sex workers themselves who need to be consulted and whose needs, realities, and perspectives should be taken fully on board. Such an informed discussion should lead to decriminalization of sex work.”

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2022-02-24

George Mayor Melvin Naik Argues Pride Parade Against His Christian Principles

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to AllAfrica, George Mayor claimed the Gay US choristers are considered against his personal religious beliefs or his religion more generally.

Nonetheless, the pride march will continue onward. The Georgia Gay Pride march will be singing “Hallelujah” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” This will be a first for South Africa, as far as I know.

George Mayor Melvin Naik made the statements about the homosexual pride parade being against his personal Christian principles.

He further states that this means he does not necessarily discriminate against them but, rather, views everyone as God’s children who remain loved equally by his Christian God.

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2022-02-24

Julius Malema Claimed to Make Racist Remarks

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Julius Malema made remarks. Now, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)) will examine the remarks. Malema, the Economic Freedom Fighters Commander-in-Chief, in the Constitutional Court submitted an application.

The application submitted was intended to make a bid to impeach President Jacob Zuma on the 30^th of March last year. With Cope, the UDM, and the EEF joining forces, they filed an application to “order the Speaker of Parliament to institute disciplinary proceedings against Zuma.”

The SAHRC will investigate the DA complaint lodged against Julius Malema based on statements deemed racist. The reportage stated, “The DA took exception to two statements made by the leader of the EFF. One relates to a recent address during Youth Day, whereas the other relates to Juju’s language towards Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip.’

With the complaint Floyd Shivambu was brought into it, the red berets’ deputy leader stated that Ishmail Momoniat undermines African leadership. It was seen as a racially charged remark by the DA.

Malema is under scrutiny from the SAHRC. During the EFF Youth Day rally, he exclaimed, “The majority of Indians are racist, and we must never be scared to say that. They are racist. The same thing applies to so some of the coloured brothers.”

With the unseating of Athol Trollip as mayor, Malema declared the intention to “slit the throat of whiteness.”

“The DA strongly condemns these remarks and we are of the view that these utterances by Malema and Shivambu are prejudiced, divisive and have no place in a democratic society,” Luyolo Mphithi, to the Commission, said, “No South African should ever have to face the humiliation of such an assault on their dignity and it is now becoming evident that the EFF is not ready to govern a diverse society, such as South Africa.”

The SAHRC will be making the decision soon. The decision will be decided on whether or no the issue is within the purview of their mandate. If this is not successful, the DA will work to “pursue another legal organisation to hear their complaints.”

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2022-02-24

South Africa’s Third UN Security Council Seat

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Humanist Rights Watch (HRW) reported on the secure position at the security council for South Africa.

The seat at the council offers South Africa to restore a human rights-based foreign policy. The next term will last from 2019 to 2020.

This is the third time South Africa secured a seat as a non-permanent member on the United Nations Security Council. At the January Summit, the African Union endorsed the South African seat at United Nations Security Council.

South Africa Remains the only country supported and endorsed by the African Union for the UN Security Council. The nation of South Africa declared its intent of peace and security on the African continent.

However, there is an uncertainty of the backing of a variety of tough measures for countries that violate human rights. The former South African prime minister Jacob Zuma had military cooperation with the South Sudan government including the use of child soldiers.

For its first two terms on the UN Security Council, South Africa went away from the Mandela hope of “human rights will be the light that guide our foreign policy.”

Africa in its first term on the UN Security Council in 2007 voted against a resolution for the cessation of military attacks against various ethnic minorities in Burma.

China and Russia also vetoed the decision in its second term during 2011, South Africa abstained from every vote in relation to the global south. It was criticized “championing a Western agenda” when it voted to authorize a no-fly zone in Libya.

100 years after the birth of Mandela, South Africa may have the possibility for the creation of a new Legacy respecting human rights on the UN Security Council.

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2022-02-24

Cardinal Argues for Negotiation with Terrorists

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to Religion News Service, John Onaiyekan, a Nigerian cardinal, made a proposal. It caused some controversy.

The proposition is to negotiate with the terrorists. Onaiyekan is the archbishop of Abuja. He has been working to have some talks with the violent Islamist – political Islam – group called Boko Haram. This would happen in the northern parts of Nigeria.

Numerous governments in Africa are against any negotiations with terrorist groups, including Boko Haram. The fear is the backlash from any discussions and so further violence and militancy on the part of the terrorist groups.

Onaiyekan said, “My position is no matter how extremist a person is, there must be somebody who can talk to them and others… Then eventually talking will start taking place. That will be an easier way of handling grievances than guns.”

He has argued that Muslim groups can help with this effort as they share the same faith tradition. Even though, Boko Haram takes a rather extreme interpretation of the faith.

A Kenyan homeland security consultant and counterterrorism expert, Richard Tutah, explained, “We cannot negotiate with terrorists as long as they continue to use violence to achieve their motives… They are terrorists because they use violence to terrorize civilians, whether they base it on their religion or otherwise.”

Tutah stated one of the only times for negotiation is in kidnapping situations or when the terrorist groups are open to putting down their weapons. Boko Haram, for nearly one full decade, has been bombing churches, mosques, and government installations in West Africa.

Women, boys, and girls have been kidnapped. The Quran is cited as a source for these attacks and kidnappings. Now, the group is spreading to the north of Nigeria, and Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Boko Haram has killed thousands in its work to establish fundamentalist Islamic law as the law of the land regardless of the borders.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015, stated that 10,000 have been killed by Boko Haram, which is a tragic number. It has been widely using girls as suicide attackers or bombers. “Roman Catholic Church figures estimate more than 5,000 Catholics have been killed in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim northern region. More than 900 churches have also been destroyed, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria,” Religion News Service stated.

The government of Nigeria has been reluctant to have any negotiations with the Islamic terrorist group while also have some discussions at some points. There was a negotiation of the release of 276 kidnapped schoolgirls in April of 2014.

“Onaiyekan painted the Nigerian government’s response as primarily a military bombardment that has cost millions of dollars, some of which came from foreign assistance funds,” the reportage stated. The cardinal argued for better use of the funds for better relationships and the improvement of dialogue between the terrorist group and everyone else.

Onaiyekan stated, “The aim is not to kill all Boko Haram, but to arrive at reconciliation so that people can go home to their families.” Based on the analysis of the African Union’s Continental Conflict Early Warning System, 31 conflicts are rooted in the unresolved colonial past of Africa, e.g. “interethnic wars to Islamist campaigns, border disputes and civil wars.”

The leaders of religious movements are often the targets with as many as 30 ordained clergypersons killed in South Sudan in since only December of 2013. The Central African Republic had four church leaders murdered since January of this year.

The general secretary of the African Council of Religious Leaders affirmed, “Unless we confront that past, we shall not resolve these conflicts… Religion is part and parcel of that.”

The deputy chief Kadhi and Sheikh Rashid Omar, as well as the higher ranking religious judges in the Islamic courts of the country, argued for the need to comprehend the religious texts of the other faiths. This may help with interfaith understanding, provide a basis for talks, and so peace.

The cooperation between African Christians and African Muslims is not strong. Bishop Alfred Rotich said, “We must have the voice and prophesy, but first we must work on our inner selves… Once we are comfortable, we must strongly speak against violence.”

Much of the conversation is by and from religious leaders and religious lenses. In some ways this is not helpful, and in other ways this can be helpful, it can assist with the cross-belief understanding for those who speak the language and metaphor of the holy books when they talk with extremists because they have a firmer foundation upon which to do so.

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2022-02-24

Restrictions on Tobacco in South Africa

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

According to eNews Channel Africa, there will be further restrictions on tobacco consumption in South Africa. Aaron Motsoaledi, the South African Health Minister, published a new tobacco control bill. If this bill becomes a law, then this will restrict the means by which cigarettes and tobacco products are sold and regulated in South Africa.

Catherine Egbe was asked about the implications for tobacco control. The article reports, based on a question-and-answer with The Conversation Africa’s Health and Medicine Editor Candice Bailey, that the implications are for five areas.

One is the targets of a smoke-free policy, plain cigarette packages, regulation of e-cigarettes, “points of sale marketing,” and then the removal of the vending machines for cigarettes. Some, reportedly, as already covered within the current tobacco control law of South Africa.

The nation does not comply with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was signed by South Africa signed in 2005. One example of implementation is the smoke free public areas.

With the current laws around tobacco control, there are designated areas to permit smoking. The WHO convention states the need for 100% smoke-free public spaces in order to protect the non-smokers of the world.

There is a ban upcoming on the advertising of cigarettes at tills and for their being sold at vending machines. There are health warnings on the packages too.

“So the new law mandates standardised packaging with graphic health warnings to make tobacco packages less attractive to new smokers and to discourage old smokers from continuing to smoke,” Egbe stated, “The bill is also significant because it attempts to regulate e-cigarettes for the first time in South Africa. To date e-cigarettes have been freely marketed and sold anywhere to anyone, including children.”

With the question about the evidence for the efficacy of the planned interventions by Bailey, Egeb stated that there is a “great deal of evidence from the rest of the world,” which means a tremendous amount of evidence to support the increased set of restrictions of the sale, marketing, and distribution of tobacco in South Africa with examples internationally.

Egbe explained, “Let’s start with smoke-free policies. In countries like South Korea and the US where they are in place, research shows that they led to an overall improvement in health, particularly children’s health. Incidents of smoking-related cancers went down and there was a reduction in childhood smoking.”

More smokers wanted to quit too. If you discourage smokers to quit, then this can discourage young people from wanting or desiring to smoke in the first place. Then there are the cases of the standardized and simple packaging such as those introduced in Australia in 2012.

E-cigarettes may encourage young people to start smoking cigarettes, unfortunately. 18 studies point to no quitting rate increases of smoking. They may reduce the numbers of those who do quit smoking if they have a desire and intent to quit smoking in the first place.

“There are 83 countries that regulate e-cigarettes and about 27 that have completely banned their sale. These include Brazil, Singapore, Uruguay, Seychelles and Uganda,” Egbe explained, “The advertising, promotion and sponsorship of e-cigarettes are regulated or prohibited in 62 countries.”

The importance of the legislation comes from tobacco smoking being the single most preventable cause of death in the entire world, which makes this especially incredible and important. Much of the world is working to implement the WHO recommendations.

It seems well within the ability of South Africa to do the same. In fact, Egbe notes that smoking makes the TB and HIV outcomes far worse. However, 37% of men and 6.8% of women in South Africa use tobacco.

“Before the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, South Africa was a leader in tobacco control in Africa and across the world because of strong tobacco control legislation it had put in place. But the laws weren’t updated according to current WHO’s standards and the country now lags behind some other African countries,” Egbe opined.

The big pluses from interventions like this include the helping of people to live healthier lives, to discourage young citizens from starting smoking, protecting millions of South Africans from second-hand smoke, and the prevention of young people being manipulated by the tobacco industry.

Egbe concluded, “Once the bill becomes law, the health minister will have to draw up several regulations to guide its implementation. These will ensure that the law is interpreted correctly and not manipulated by the tobacco industry and that the potential gains of the legislation are not watered down.”

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2022-02-24

Abortions Legality Does Not Necessitate Safe Abortion Use in South Africa

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

The Guardian reported on the need to considermore than the pro-choice laws in South Africa in order to prevent unsafe abortions for women, which can lead to the death of women. Abortions have been legal in South Africa since 1997.

There are advertisements for abortion in Johannesburg. However, the experts on the subject matter think about half of the terminations in South Africa occur external to the safe abortion areas. That is, the safer places known as the designated health facilities.

One doctor, Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, talked abut being an abortion provider for as long as being a qualified medical doctor. However, in the previous five years as a doctor and abortion provider, Mofokeng’s email, social media, and calls have been from many women, from every area of life, desperately requesting help from Mofokeng.

“I will never forget one young woman who came to the public clinic in the West Rand township near Johannesburg, panicking about massive blood loss from her vagina. It was only after some prompting that she and a family member admitted to using abortion pills purchased outside a shopping centre. She bought the pills after being denied an abortion by the local clinic, where health workers told her ‘We don’t do those things here,’ and shamed her for being young and sexually active,” Mofokeng stated.

The paramedics had come by and then the woman needed resuscitation. She was then transported to a close by private hospital. A couple hours later, the 17-year-old woman went into the operating theatre. She underwent a hysterectomy because of sepsis and haemorrhage. This was in South Africa. Abortion was liberalized 21 years prior, as noted in 1997.

Mofokeng used this as a warning of the referendum victory in Ireland. By which Mofokeng means, the laws can be passed. However, the implementation of those laws can be another hurdle off the books rather than on them – so to speak.

“The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (Ctop) came into effect in South Africa in February 1997, with hopes it would promote female reproductive autonomy by providing free access to abortion. It has been described by the Guttmacher Institute as ‘one of the most liberal abortion laws in the world’ and secured all South African women – and minors – the right to decide to have an abortion,” Mofokeng explained.

The Act was seen as a historic moment for women. Nonetheless, the reality remains different on the ground, especially with the example provided before. One main factor comes from the lack of access to information. It creates a layered problem. Women have the right in the law. However, the information exists without access to the information.

It amounts to a socio-cultural restriction on the reproductive rights of women regarding safe and equitable access to abortion. Women and young women deserve the right to equitable and safe access to abortion as a human right. Then if someone has a religious objection, they can have access while not having to use it.

Mofokeng described, “The formal health system does as little as it can to comply with the law. A recent survey by Bhekisisa, the Mail & Guardian newspaper’s health journalism centre, found that less than 5% of public clinics and hospitals offer the procedure. The National Department of Health’s website fails to list any information on abortion and neither do its four mobile apps.”

Women will acquire an abortion with or without the abortion access. One 2017 study noted that approximately 1/3 of South African women do not know that abortion is legal in South Africa.

“Illegal abortion flyers have become recognisable on many lamp-posts across the country, including at the entrance of the Department of Health. They promise same-day abortions, which can include an indiscriminate concoction of pills and procedures that risk incomplete abortions, sepsis and even death,” Mofokeng stated.

Little political will exists for the upholding of the law, especially with the lack of information among women in the community. By implication, the authorities will not take measures in order to control or prosecute the provision or advertisement of illegal, or mostly unsafe and illicit, abortion services.

The Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, was named a champion within the She Decides movement, which is, obviously, a progressive movement. However, there has been concern about an unresponsiveness to the concerns of women in the last decade.

Mofokeng stated, “As a doctor, I have seen what lack of access to abortions means: too many South African women suffer needless complications and preventable deaths. But I cannot get much more specific than that, as the Health Systems Trust said in its 2011 report that the government’s abortion statistics are ‘increasingly unreliable.’”

With the United States’ Global Gag Rule, this has impacted the ability of South Africa to develop its abortion services as well. “Trump’s expansion of the rule further restricts NGOs to using their own funds to save lives. This will lead to preventable deaths and life-long ill health from complications due to unsafe procedures,” Mofokeng explained.

Mofokeng concluded with a question about the things that will be needed for the country to step up to the plate.

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2022-02-24

In Conversation with Dr. Leo Igwe on South Africa, Humanism, Mandela, Africa, and Critical Thinking

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: South Africa in particular and Southern African, in general, seems more known than other parts of the world to the entire world, especially with the history of individuals such as Nelson Mandela in South Africa and apartheid.

Of course, religion continues to play a role in the existence of the country after the death of Mandela. However, the legacy continues onward for the country and religion continues to influence the nation insofar as I understand it. Others know the situation better than me.

What seems like the progression of the liberalization of religion in Southern Africa and increase in space for those who do not have a religion in live safely and healthily in South Africa?

Dr. Leo Igwe: Post-apartheid South Africa has a mixed religious and cultural heritage and that leaves an ample space for a healthy mélange of cultures, religions, and philosophies. It is against this background that the progress in terms of liberal religion in South Africa could be understood. In spite of the region’s progress, supernaturalism continues to play an overbearing role in the lives of South Africans, especially among black South Africans. This is evident in the reports of witchcraft accusations, witch persecution, and killings in the provinces. Abuses by South African pastors who spray insecticide on their church members or order them to eat grass have made international headlines. Questionable medicinal claims by traditional healers, called Sangoma abound. However it must be noted that the government of South Africa has taken measures to combat religious abuses. It constituted a committee that inquired into the commercialization of religion. Some of the erring pastors have been sanctioned. However, time will tell if contemporary South Africans will build on the secular legacy of Nelson Mandela or allow those hard-won gains to be eroded by magico-religious beliefs. So while progress has been made to further the liberalization of religion, a lot of work needs to be done to stamp out religious exploitation and abuses in Southern Africa.

Jacobsen: How are other regions of Africa in terms of the freedom for the people to be able to find their own way within the continent and to be able to live free from religion if they so choose?

Igwe: The situation varies across the region but is quite dire in the north of Africa where Islam is the dominant religion or in other parts of the region where de facto or de jure sharia law holds sway. Interestingly, African countries have constitutions that guarantee freedom of religion or belief. But in actual fact, there is no freedom of religion in much of these places. In muslim dominated areas, what applies is ‘freedom’ to profess and practice Islam or some other nationally recognized religions. Those who are born into Muslim families are not allowed to change their religion; they cannot leave the faith of Islam because apostasy is a crime that is punishable by death. So in regions across Africa freedom from religion is not an option and without freedom from religion, the right to freedom of religion or belief makes no sense. It is utterly meaningless.

Jacobsen: Does science education tend to moderate or religious belief in African education?

Igwe: Actually religion is hampering science education in schools because religious owners and managers of the educational system treat science with suspicion and mistrust. The impression is that much scientific knowledge is corrupting. It will make students to become atheists. So to prevent this from happening, religious controllers of schools disallow or water down aspects of scientific knowledge that they consider to be in conflict with their religious teachings and traditions. So schools produce scientific illiterates. They graduate scientifically half-baked students, who believe that the dogmas of their various religions are superior to scientific explanations. Simply put, religious belief trumps science in Nigerian schools. And I think this applies to many schools across Africa. The irony is that while Christian and Islamic religious zealots who manage these schools limit science education, they send their children to study in western countries where there is a better delivery of science education. African masses need to wake up to the hypocrisy of their ruling elite and demand an optimal delivery of science education in schools.

Jacobsen: How often is critical thinking encouraged in Nigerian formal education? For example, we have some trouble in Canada as far as I know, but the general tone is one of critical thinking as good about certain topics. Religion tends to be off-limits for deep criticism.

Igwe: Critical thinking is not expressly encouraged in the Nigerian educational system because of the potential of applying the skills to forbidden topics such as religion. So Nigerian students become critical thinkers by default. With the advent of the Internet, the trend will continue as the religious grip on the educational system loosens.

Jacobsen: As you are in your fifth decade of life, you have seen many changes in Nigerian culture and education. What have been the most prominent changes in the educational system there?

Igwe: The most prominent change is the Internet, the attendant massive flow of information and the liberation of students, seekers and learners from the tyranny of teachers, clerics and other custodians of knowledge, truth, and wisdom. It is most liberating to know that today people who seek knowledge or answers to some basic questions don’t have to wait till they go school; they don’t need to consult a priest, a diviner or an Imam. Learners and seekers don’t have to rely solely on what they were told or taught, they only need some Internet access. For me, this is one prominent change that will drive other educational and cultural changes in the years to come.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Igwe.

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2022-02-24

Marieme Helie Lucas on Noura Hussein Hammad

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Cornelius Press is located in South Africa. It is the first progressive publication, as far I as I am told, in South Africa and Southern Africa for that matter.

Noura Hussein Hammad has been given the death penalty for murdering a husband who she was forced to marry and who raped her within the marriage. How common is this story the MENA region? Does this tend to extend within the fundamentalist religious group in general, e.g. those found in Southern Africa too?

Marieme Helie Lucas: First of all, it is not just a marital rape, it is also a gang rape insofar as she was held down by several of the husband’s male relatives on the 5^th day of their legal marriage, after steadily refusing first of all to get married to him and then to have sex with him.

She did not sign her marriage contract and was given in marriage by her matrimonial tutor or wali,- in this case, her father. It is only the day after this first rape, when he attempted again to rape her that she stabbed him in self-defense. I think we need to spell out these horrendous circumstances.

Now, marital rape is common the world over and women and rights defenders – always – had to struggle for a long time before having it criminalized. It is neither specific to a region, nor to Islam or to a school of thought in Islam.

However, it is true that bad practices and ultraconservative interpretations of Islam that legitimize patriarchy in all its forms are on the rise everywhere and facilitate the extension of the worst cultural practices: for instance, the concept of wali, which was unheard of in many predominantly Muslim countries, is now being propagated in the name of Islam; so is FGM, an Egyptian practice of sexual mutilation of women that predates Islam (as it originates in Ancient Egypt), which fundamentalist preachers, right now, are trying to expand to South East Asia and the Maghreb in North Africa where is was unknown till recently.

Jacobsen: Hammad has less 15 days to appeal the case. What external pressure can come from other countries in order to change the highly punitive and gender discriminatory legal system found in many Islamic theocracies or Muslim majority countries for that matter?

Helie Lucas: First of all, there is internal pressure, both from within Sudan where women’s rights and human rights defenders are on high alert and from within predominantly Muslim countries where progressives started defending Noura and her lawyers.

It is essential that external pressure come in support to those progressive forces from within, and in alliance with them. Ignoring the high level local protest would be totally counter productive, and will amount to putting such a blatant denial of fundamental human rights – self defense in a case of rape – into a political context of ‘good West’ against ‘bad Islam’.

The so-called Muslim world is very far from being homogeneous, hence marriage laws range from granting no rights at all to women within the marriage to granting equal rights – and responsibilities – to both spouses in more democratic countries.

In all countries, whether predominantly Muslim, Christian, other or secular, democratic forces struggle long and hard in order to defend fundamental human rights – especially but not exclusively for women.

Jacobsen: If Hammad dies, what will this symbolize as with other potential tragedies in loss of life simply fighting for their well-being and dignity?

Helie Lucas: I do not want to believe for one second that we, the progressive forces the world over and especially those within Muslim contexts, will allow for death penalty to be a applied to such a young woman, a victim of child marriage, forced marriage, rape, and many other violations of universal rights.

We should just keep actively fighting for her rights till her life is saved. Appeals for pardon have already been sent to the Sudanese president, petitions have popped out on Aawaz and on Change; they are massively signed. There is a very active and courageous Sudanese website in defense of Noura.

Vocal progressive theologians of Islam started speaking up. Sudan’s Constitution and international human rights treaties that Sudan signed should be called upon to protect Noura’s life.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Marieme.

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2022-02-24

Call to Action on Noura Hussein Hammad from Sodfa Daaji

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

Sodfa Daaji is the Chairwoman of the Gender Equality Committee and the North Africa Coordinator for the Afrika Youth Movement. Here we talk about Noura Hussein Hammad’s urgent case. The hashtag: #JusticeForNoura. Daaji’s email if you would like to sign: daajisodfa.pr@gmail.com.

Hammad has 15 days to appeal the decision for her execution.

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is Noura Hussein Hammad’s current crisis?

Sadfa Daaji: Ms. Noura is a 19-year-old Sudanese woman who, on 10th of May 2018, has been sentenced to death penalty according to Sharia Law. Today was her last trial, and the family’s husband decided for Qasas (death) instead of Deia (payment, and consequently forgiveness). Noura is condemned under the article 130, for intentional homicide, and from now we have 15 days to appeal and to try to save Noura’s life.

Noura is a victim of forced child marriage, as her father got her to get married with her relative, and no one of her relatives heard her refusal. Noura managed to escape to her aunt’s house, but her father tricked her, and she has found herself married against her will. Ms. Noura is a victim of rape, as on the fifth day of her honeymoon, after refusing to have any intercourse with her husband, she has been raped by him with the help of his brother and his cousins, who held her.

Noura is also a victim of gender-based violence and domestic violence, as her husband threatened her with a knife, and she has on her body scars made from his bites and his violence.

We are urging Sudanese authorities to take in consideration the multiple factors, and to treat Noura as a victim of violence, who is psychologically affected by her earlier experience, and she is now facing the misery of being condemned to death.

Jacobsen: What is the purported crime? What may be the punishment for this?

Daaji: Noura is formerly accused of intentional homicide, under the article 130 of the Sudanese Law. According to Sharia Law, the punishment is Qasas (death) or Deia (payment of the loss to the family and some time to spend in prison).

The decision is made, at the ending, by the family of the husband. And today the family has decided for death, even if the judge recommended them to take in consideration the opportunity to forgive her and to make her pay a fine.

The family has not accepted the advice from the judge, and according to our volunteers, at the end of the trial the husband’s family was clapping and celebrating outside the courtroom for their decision.

Jacobsen: How can she be helped?

Daaji: We are now running against the time, and we are trying to catch the attention of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, but also the head of States of African Union. Who wants to support us can join our official hashtag #JusticeForNoura and find on twitter further information.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Sadfa.

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2022-02-24

Dialogue with Mandisa Thomas: Founder, Black Nonbelievers, Inc.

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

Mandisa Thomas is the Founder of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. One of, if not the, largest organization for African-American or black nonbelievers or atheists in America. The organization is intended to give secular fellowship, provide nurturance and support for nonbelievers, encourage a sense of pride in irreligion, and promote charity in the non-religious community. Here we talk about the recent transition from full-time work to full-time activism for Thomas and building community.

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: If you look at the American context of religion and the level of religiosity, how seriously people take their faith, and if you look at the South African case on similar factors, what do you see as similarities in terms of the state of religion and the level of religiosity?

Mandisa Thomas: Unfortunately, through colonialism and the indoctrination and imposing of religion among the people of color, particularly black folks and Africans on the continent, it is similar.

Colonialism and Christianity was a force among the Indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, it has taken on a life of its own in both areas, where many African-Americans are highly religious due to the historical nature of the church and the role it played during and after slavery and before and after the Civil Rights movement.

I also think Evangelical Christianity has taken over the continent of Africa as well. Certainly, in the eastern part of Africa Islam dominates there. But there is certainly a similarity in the way it was imposed on blacks in Americ and Africa.

Jacobsen: Regarding the effects of the ways in which religion is represented on the continent of Africa and in southern Africa in particular, how does this lead to human rights violations, whether wittingly or unwittingly used to enact violations of human rights?

Thomas: It has been a tool to get the oppressed to accept their oppression. That God or Jesus will deliver you from oppression, will come and save you. We will go to heaven once we die.

Unfortunately, it has allowed many people to accept this idea of suffering or oppression as [Laughing] something like God’s Will.

Jacobsen: [Laughing] Do you think that culture of “accept your suffering, take it, and you will have a better life in the hereafter” is taken seriously by most people who identify as Christian or Muslim in the continent of Africa?

Or do you think they take it more as a marginal belief that doesn’t necessarily influence their day-to-day lives?

Thomas: I think it is a mixture. I think people have been conditioned to believe that because there are many believers who live their lives like everyone else, except when it comes to going to church on Sunday.

Or if they go to church, they just don’t believe, but a huge factor of that is fear. Many are scared to not believe. It is an insurance policy. They may not know for sure that it is real, but, just in case, they will err on the side of belief because they do not want to be wrong and end up on that wrong side once they die.

So, fear is often a huge factor when it comes to espousing the belief or truly believing it.

Jacobsen: When it comes to the case of South Africa or southern Africa generally, it is not only fear about a hereafter as an insurance policy motivation. It is a fear of being socially unaccepted. You are cast out of the group simply by not taking on the label of “Christian” or “Muslim” or attending mosque or church on a particular holy day.

Thomas: Absolutely, people do have this fear, ostracism. I think in the Muslim faith or the secular Muslim faith. You are considered an apostate, and the punishment is death. So, many people fear for their lives.

If they break away from the religion or the temple and such, in Christianity, there might be the sense of exorcism. In the continent of Africa, I think people fear more for their lives. People definitely face social outcasting from their churches or their communities if they stop believing.

Unfortunately, it does lead to a sense of alienation because you feel that you cannot relate to the people that you once socialized with. It is very uncomfortable for many who break away.

Jacobsen: Not only on the personal and social aspects, what about professional life? Does this make potential professional life difficult? Could these impact promotion opportunities, the ability to get certain types of employment, if you do not hold a particular faith, whether in the United States or in other places?

Thomas: I do absolutely believe that to be true. There are many nonbelievers here in the United States who are business owners or entrepreneurs. They absolutely cannot say they are atheists or nonbelievers because they would alienate their Christian clients.

I have seen a shift in our members, where they are speaking about it more. But they still do fear that loss of livelihood. They also feel the loss of families, but also in the professional world; it could possibly hinder progression if you come out and speak openly about your non-belief.

In the US, there are employment discrimination laws that should prevent that, but I am not sure about the continent of Africa. Certainly, in the US on paper, there are laws to prevent that. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Mandisa.

Thomas: No problem! Thank you.

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2022-02-24

Saudi Activist Ghada Ibrahim on the Islamic Educational System

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

Ghada Ibrahim is a Former Muslim and Saudi Activist. In particular, the rights of women in Islam. Her emphasis in activist work comes to women’s rights in Islam and talking about her former faith. Here we talk about the Islamic educational system in Saudi Arabia, the use of fear, and the religious mental health system in education.

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: If you look at the Saudi Arabian educational system, how does this system look to you? How does this rank in international metrics?

Ghada Ibrahim: I can only speak to what I have been exposed to. I was in the education system until 2006. I watched as the girl’s education merged with the boy’s education in the Ministry of Education (before, there was General Administration for Girl’s Education. It was run by a group of religious fanatics who wanted to control what girls were exposed to in the school system.) Even after the merger, there were distinct differences. For example, girls were not allowed a physical education class and were not permitted to study geology, whereas the boys did.

The education system was government owned and distributed. All schools, public and private, had to teach the same core courses. The only difference was “Extracurricular” classes such as additional English language classes, physical education, and computer classes. These were not counted as part of our GPA.

The classes we took were heavy on religion. We began with 3 main religion classes from 1st to 3rd grade (Quran, Theology, and Jurisprudence). Afterwards, more classes were added. These were: Hadeeth (The sayings of the prophet), Tafseer (The interpretation of the Quran), and Tajweed (The preferred method of reading the Quran). We also took science and math (Physics, Chemistry, biology), English, Arabic (This included literature, writing, grammar, etc..), History (Mostly Islamic history and the history of Saudi Arabia), and Geography. The only thing I can honestly say was good in the education system was math and Arabic. Everything else was extremely poor or religion classes. After graduating from high school and going to college in the US, I felt how useless those religion classes were. We could have had more time in literature (Arabic or English), more emphasis on research and writing, more science, but that would take away from the religious studies, wouldn’t it?

Jacobsen: If you look at the educational system in South Africa, as an example, most South African Muslims are Sunni Muslims. How would this then compare the educational system in Saudi Arabia and in South Africa?

Ibrahim: I am not aware of what they teach in South Africa, but most Muslims in Saudi Arabia are Sunni Muslims. Saudi Arabia is also the birthplace of Wahhabi Islam. This is what we were taught in our religion classes. We were taught the most extreme version of an already extreme religion, including that the punishment for apostasy is death, the punishment for stealing is cutting off limbs, and the punishment for fornication is lashing.

Jacobsen: How early does the indoctrination start in Islamic schools in Saudi Arabia?

Ibrahim: Grade School. I remember some of the “rhymes” we were taught back then. “Man rabbuk” (Who is your god?) “Man nabiyyuk” (Who is your prophet?) “Ma deenuk” (What is your religion?) This was taught to us at 6 or 7 years old. Then we are taught what is halal (permitted) and haram (Not permitted) and also that there is a group of people called Kuffar or infidels that are not Muslim and they are not our friends. During this time, we also begin to memorize the short chapters in the Quran and also learn how to pray. Some of the “group activities” that we did when we were children was go to the bathroom together to perform “Wudu” or ablution before prayer then going to the prayer room and praying together.

Once girls reach 4th grade, they are required to wear the black cloak or “Abaya”. After they reach middle school, not only are they required to cover their hair with a hijab, they are required to cover their faces. As the years progress more religious studies are imposed on us. “You can’t love a non Muslim” is a big thing they taught us pre-9/11. It mysteriously disappeared afterwards. I saw it disappear from my younger siblings books. We were also taught to hate capitalism, communism, socialism, nationalism, and ism that isn’t Islam.

Jacobsen: How is fear used to intimidate the children into the belief system?

Ibrahim: Oh boy, how does it not? Imagine this with me. You’re maybe 11 or 12, just starting to mature, and every week in the morning you have a morning assembly lecture from a religious teacher or a visiting religious scholar. What is today’s lecture about? Positive thinking? Don’t bully? Be good to your neighbor? No. It is about punishment in the grave for those that miss prayers. Cautionary tales of how an otherwise good person died, but every time they dug a grave, they found a huge snake. Finally, they decided to bury him despite the big snake. Afterwards, the people in cemetery heard bones crushing and a blood curdling scream. That is the punishment for missing prayer. A snake will crush your bones after death. Also as punishment: Your face will be as black as coal (don’t get me started at how extremely racist this notion is) and that your body will reek after death. In contrast, if you were a pious Muslim that prayed on time, you will smell like Musk after death, your face will be glowing and white (again, the racist undertones), and no snake in your grave. This is just one of many scare-tactics.

Other tactics used: Scaring girls into hijab by telling them that they will be held by their hair in hell. Scaring people who listen to music by telling them that molten lead will be poured into their ears in hell.

Jacobsen: How does the religious mental health system deal with modern knowledge about depression and the real cases in the young?

Ibrahim: I don’t think it does at all. The religious, whether it be Muslim or otherwise, look at depression as a sign of a weakened faith. Depression is dealt with by more prayers, reading more Quran, and return to the faith. I’ve struggled with depression for a long time and every time I mentioned feeling down, the answer was always the same: Read the Quran. At first, that was exactly what I did and it never worked. I prayed. I recited. But nothing. Seeing a mental health professional was frowned upon and a HUGE taboo in my culture. Only “insane” and “crazy” people go to a mental health professional.

What was even worse is the state of mental health institutions. I have known people that were put in institutions and medical professionals that worked in them and it is atrocious. There is no real definition of mental illness in there. A friend was put in there for being gay and her “treatments” were memorizing the Quran. The same can be said for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious diseases. Orderlies regularly abuse patients. It is horrific.

Jacobsen: What impact does this likely have on the mental health of children?

Ibrahim: Children that have actual mental health needs do not get the help they need. This isn’t just about depression, but also learning disabilities. Everything is taboo. Children with learning disabilities are called stupid for not being able to catch up to their peers, which in turn, cause other harms such as low self-esteem and fear of expressing themselves. This has profound effects on building one’s self. In addition, children with depression or anxiety disorders are completely dismissed instead of addressing the very real disease they are suffering from. Untreated depression and anxiety only intensifies with time.

Jacobsen: Any feelings or thoughts in conclusion?

Ibrahim: As I said, I can only speak of the education system as I had gone through it and from the girls side only. Everything is segregated in Saudi Arabia. The girls schools are surrounded by tall cement walls and there is always a guard the prevents girls from leaving between classes and who makes sure everyone is covered up appropriately. The curriculum has changed and I believe is still changing to try and meet international standards. I have seen the sciences improve from my time to my siblings. Religion classes are not as emphasized, or at least I hope they aren’t. The new generation doesn’t care as much about religion, thanks to social media, the internet, and their parents who traveled and took them outside of the country with them.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Ghada.

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2022-02-24

New Church in Celebration of Alcohol

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Cornelius Press

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018

Religion News Service reported on the new church in Orange Farm, South Africa. A clergyperson poured whiskey into a cup to anointed a man.

The congregation of the Gabola Church swig beer and dance. A rite of passage initiated for the newcomer. Less than one year old, Tsietsi Makiti, said, “We are a church for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol.

Those drinkers get seen as sinners, who Makiti helps save. The line of argumentation amounting to the Holy Spirit through drinks. Other South Africans claim Gabola Church does not qualify.

It does not amount to a church. Archbishop Modiri Patrick Shole said, “They are using the Bible to promote taverns and drinking liquor. It is blasphemous. It is heresy and totally against the doctrines.”

Gabola Church is a non-member of the South African Council of Churches. No affiliations exist with the church. It stands alone as the whiskey-chalice and beer-congregation church.

56 million people live in South Africa. Approximately 80% of the population identify as Christian: Catholic and Protestant. Some other sects sprinkled in the mix.

30 worshippers, recently, held a service in an Orange Farm township bar. It is south of Johannesburg. That service had a pool table as an altar with, of course, whiskey and beer.

Six ministers blessed cold beer bottles. Other alcoholic beverages included brandy, whiskey, and others. Hymns got sung. All in praise of drinking and its good side.

Makiti said, “Our aim is to convert bars, taverns and shebeens into churches… And we convert the tavern-owners into pastors.” The churchgoers get encouraged to drink in a responsible, mature manner.

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2022-02-24

Survey examines how to expand campus mental health services

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/05/25

For May’s mental health awareness week, a UBC-founded mental health organization, Walkalong, surveyed students to find out what they wanted from the university’s mental health services.

Walkalong, which describes itself as dedicated to young Canadians’ wellness through empowerment, posted a call for UBC students to take part in a research survey asking what they wanted from possible expansion of mental health services.

There is a pressing need for greater access to mental health experts given the demand for them, according to psychiatry professor and the survey’s principle director Michael Krausz. The survey considered how best to expand resources given that current services aren’t meeting the demand.

“[With] long waiting times and very limited resources we see an urgent need to build capacity,” said Krausz.

According to the most recent AMS academic experience survey, only 36 per cent of UBC students were satisfied with their experience at UBC counselling services while 35 per cent said they weren’t.

John Ward, project manager for the online survey, would not comment on the findings, saying that releasing preliminary results may contaminate them.

However, mental health services may expand to include a virtual clinic, according to Krausz. A virtual clinic would be a web-based platform that gives students the chance to connect with mental health experts via video conference, email or chatrooms.

“The idea is to provide access to any kind of mental health services and to add to the existing services,” said Krausz. “We hope that a virtual clinic component, and other components can help to build capacity to make it easier for students to access expertise.”

Web-based mental health services already exist elsewhere, both in Canada and internationally. Krausz calls the online services “much appreciated” by users and says there is a lot of positive feedback for the platform.

According to Krausz, users enjoy the virtual clinic because it offers an easy means of access to mental health experts while also giving users a sense of being in charge of their experience, as well as offering more opportunities for information on mental health and treatment options.

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2022-02-24

F-Word Conference aims to increase dialogue on feminism

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/05/07

The 6th annual “F-Word” conference was held May 2 to create a forum for open dialogue and discussion.

The sixth annual F-word conference took place on May 2 in an effort to increase UBC’s dialogue on feminism and activism.

The event featured presenters, workshops and keynote speakers, including UBC’s own Lau Mehes and Phanuel Antwi.

Fourth year GRSJ students and conference co-chairs Emma Kuntz and Zoe David-Delves scheduled various activities to examine issues relating not only to gender and sexuality but also to racism, colonialism and activism.

“Feminism, activism and community, and a way to bridge the gap between the academic work that we do in class and the community work and activism that happens through organizations to create a space of dialogue,” said Kuntz.

David-Delves also said that the conference could assist with “the sort of general undermining of feminist thought and discourse in the university…. I think UBC students are sometimes not encouraged to critically analyze the world around them.”

“[Attendees] can come together and discuss and share ideas,” Kuntz said, speaking to the purpose of the conference. “We can work together to think through these issues and to build a bridge between academia and activism.”

According to David-Delves, feminism takes a stance against the oppression of marginalized group but is necessarily about more than one group.

“What the conference does is raise awareness to the intersectional approach of feminism,” she said. “I think UBC sometimes does not take feminism seriously, and I think there are a lot of misconceptions around feminism.”

An intersectional approach to feminism means considering multiple points of oppression. In other words, intersectional theory examines how various social prejudices are interrelated.

“[The conference is] also a place to bring together these ideas and discuss what we’re going to do to create a better world that is fighting oppression…sexism, racism, and colonialism,” Kuntz said.

According to David-Delves, a common misconception about feminism is that it relates the complete liberation of all women. She argues that that the reality is that different women have different problems and must be addressed differently.

“As people who are fortunate enough to have post-secondary education, we should be engaging with ideas and critically thinking about how we want the future to look.” Kuntz said.

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2022-02-24

Researchers looking into the reality of ‘chemo brain’

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/05/06

UBC researchers examine the effects of chemotherapy on the brain.

A team of UBC researchers are looking into the reality of ‘chemo brain’ by studying chemo patients who reported the symptoms.

The researchers studied chemo patients who reported the symptoms of chemo brain, which include mind wandering and impaired concentration. However, the results of this study are in line with the kind of subjective complaints often found in chemo brain patients.

“We actually don’t show [that] chemotherapy can cause chemo brain,” said UBC psychology professor Todd Handy, one of the researchers. “Rather, we show that chemo patients who report symptoms of chemo brain have brains that seem to be chronically mind wandering, even when they say they are paying attention to what they’re currently doing.”

According to Handy, other symptoms of “chemo brain” include bad memory, clouded thinking and other problems associated with cognitive impairment.

“One parallel might be how some people feel after a hard night of partying,” said Handy. “You wake up the next morning, and you just feel like your brain’s in a fog.”

According to Handy, there are no tests that can directly measure chemo brain, which becomes a problem when patients have complaints but no standardized diagnostic assessment exists to assess their mental state.

“In some cases, chemo brain can last for multiple years post-chemo treatment, again highlighting the challenges it poses,” Handy said.

Handy said he is unsure whether this research would change chemotherapy treatment but said it does give promise for addressing chemo brain symptoms, post-treatment.

“Our findings suggest that treatments targeting the brain’s default mode network, which is involved in mind wandering, may be promising to pursue,” Handy said.

According to Handy, an EEG can perform an easy test that would the first measure to track improvements.

The researchers’ work provides a glimpse into possible ways to treat the condition and into observing the outcomes.

In reflection on the possibility of the keeping track of improvements in a “chemo brain,” Handy said, “In the end, that’s what makes this particularly exciting.”

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2022-02-24

VV Vancouver groups trying to create transition program for sex workers

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/05/17

Vancouver organizations like the WISH Drop-In Society are working together to create a transitional program for sex workers.

Several organizations in Vancouver are working together to create a means for sex workers to leave the profession if they want to.

“Because most sex workers don’t have pensions or robust savings plans, and some carry the burden of a damning criminal record, exiting for many is not straightforward,” said Becki Ross, a UBC professor in gender, race, social justice and sexuality.

The WISH Drop-in Society and Battered Women’s Support Services are among the organizations collaborating on a transition program. The groups took part in a consortium for sex workers who want to exit the sex industry. According to Kate Gibson, executive director of the WISH Drop-in Society, the various organizations provide some tools for individuals wishing to transition out of the sex economy.

“There isn’t anything dedicated specifically to that at the moment. That is why we got together to see if we could make something happen in a new way,” said Kate Gibson.

According to Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services, the groups provide assistance for migrant and immigrant workers as well as those with their own adult entertainment businesses.

“What we’ve wanted to do is to bring our knowledge, our skills, our understanding of this population and prepare and fill gaps in services that would provide options for those within sex work,” MacDougall said.

According to Gibson, there has not been an organization to take on the particular work since the closing of Prostitutes Empowerment Education and Resource Society (PEERS) in 2012. Historically, sex workers have had to do a lot of their own advocacy, according to Ross.

“For four decades across Canada and elsewhere, sex workers have organized their own support, service provisions, and advocacy groups,” said Ross. “Some have made a priority of service delivery concerning sex workers’ health and safety while others have emphasized support for sex workers who seek to transition out of the industry.”

The more the sex workers are pushed underground in society the less safe they become, according to Gibson.

“There are new laws in place that very much affect those that engage in sex work…. All kind of people criminalized because of the work they do,” Gibson said.

According to Ross, a federal mandate that seeks to abolish prostitution does not honour the diverse and complex needs of a diverse community of sex workers.

“Sex work activists argue that only broad-based ongoing consultation among those who live this experience will expose the limits of anti-prostitution legislation,” said Ross. “Any attention to transitioning programs must be accompanied by initiatives to enhance sex workers’ safety and well-being, on the terms that sex work professionals devise for themselves.”

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2022-02-24

Philosophy professor awarded international research grant to study responsibility and morality

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/04/15

Philosophy professor Paul Russell will be spending the next decade studying questions of morality and free will thanks to a $12 million large grant from a Swedish research group.

The grant, which is worth 80 million Swedish kronor, or approximately $12 million, and has been awarded by the Swedish Research Council, will go towards Russell’s research on moral responsibility and global issues.

Russell will now be dividing the next 10 years of his life between UBC and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, where he will be examining how free will influences human responsibility in both local and global issues.

In Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) receives significantly less funding than its counterparts in science, engineering and health research. In the past eight years, SHHRC’s budget has also shrunk by 10.5 per cent.

According to Russell, the Swedish government is more geared towards promoting support and research opportunities to academics in humanities. He also said that this is the first program of its kind in Sweden, which attracts researchers in all fields to the country.

“[The Council] started a new program to attract what they call ‘leading researchers’ to Sweden,” said Russell. “This is, I believe, the first one in the humanities area, so quite a few of them are in other areas like medical research, engineering, things of that sort.”

According to Russell, the University of Gothenburg established a research project with a group led by Gunnar Björnsson. Björnsson, once he heard of the project, began talking to Russell about the possibility of his coming on as an international researcher for the project.

Most of the funding will go towards hiring and establishing a team of researchers to collaborate and assist in the initiative. Russell said that even $12 million can go away quickly when hiring postdoctoral researchers and other project assistants.

Russell’s research considers ethical issues, including traditional philosophical questions regarding the moral responsibility of human beings and the relation of this responsibly to law. According to Russell, such an issue splits into questions of moral psychology, personal values and people’s feelings of responsibility to other human beings.

“What is it about human beings and human agents that makes it intelligible to regard ourselves and other human beings as responsible agents?” said Russell.

Russell’s team will also be looking into how moral questions regarding law, criminal and legal responsibility interact with people’s feelings of accountability for their actions.

“What makes them valid and makes us think they are not fully responsible and not liable to punishment?” said Russell.

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2022-02-24

Astronomy professors look to rare stars for answers on space-time warp

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/02/03

Astronomy prof Ingrid Stairs looked at the space-time curvatures of a binary star.

UBC astronomers were able to look at the space-time curvature warp inside a binary star before it slipped out of view.

Ingrid Stairs, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, studied the binary pulsar system J1906 along with a team of other researchers in the hopes of measuring the mass of the two neutron stars, which are the most dense and small stars in the universe, and the degree of the space-time curvature warp to determine how they interact with each other. J1906 is located 25,000 light years from Earth and will not come into view for observation for the next 160 years.

The research team also wanted to figure out the nature of the companion star, which serves as the centre of orbit for the two neutron stars.

“We were interested in measuring the masses of the two stars, in part hoping to figure out what the companion star is. The result is still a little ambiguous as the object could be either a white dwarf or another neutron star,” said Stairs.

White dwarf stars are very small, very dense stars that emit thermal energy and have low luminosity.

According to Stairs, the research team measured this binary pulsar system to clear up ambiguities about J1906, which is a largely unexplored area of our solar system, and determined the mass of astronomical objects within it.

The team found that the mass of the binary pulsar (a neutron star that rotates at high velocity and emits radiation) was 1.291 +/- 0.011 solar masses and the mass of the companion star to be 1.322 +/- 0.011 solar masses.

Astronomers usually use this unit of measurement to determine the mass of stars, but it can also extend to measurement of the mass of nebulae and galaxies.

Stairs also said that while the research team did not measure the spin axis or change in orientation of the stars, they did look at how their shapes changed based on the theory of general relativity. According to the research team’s predictions, the pulsar disappeared from view after they were able to calculate the mass of the two stars.

“We didn’t derive a measurement of the rate of precession of the neutron star’s spin axis, but the profile shape changes and near-disappearance of the pulsar are qualitatively in agreement with the predictions of warped spacetime due to general relativity,” said Stairs.

In the future, Stairs hopes to use the knowledge gained about the pulsar star to get a clearer understanding of the types of stars that exist within J1906.

“In the medium term, we should be able to make a map of the radio emission beam of the pulsar, because we’ve been seeing different slices of that region as the spin axis precesses,” said Stairs.

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2022-02-24

Researchers launch SPIDER telescope to study universe expansion

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/01/07

UBC researchers have launched a telescope into space to study the origins of the Big Bang Theory.

Mark Halpern, a UBC professor of physics and astronomy, along with a team of researchers, is studying patterns of the early universe with a specialized airborne telescope.

Their SPIDER telescope will be searching for Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR).

According to Halpern, “this is radiation from the early thermal glow of the plasma that filled the universe for the first few thousand years.”

The team’s primary goal is to study the primordial process known as inflation.

According to Halpern, the early universe expanded extraordinarily rapidly. Halpern says the math describing this phenomena would not produce a stable universe over billions of years, even the age of our universe at about 13.77 billion years. A variable is missing.

“What you would expect is, essentially instantly, the universe would fly apart and be empty, or re-collapse and vanish. By instantly, I mean a tiny, tiny fraction of a second,” said Halpern. “We’re missing part of the physics that makes the thing be stable for a really long time.”

To explain, Halpern suggested an analogy. If you were to roll a marble down the top of a downward sloped cylindrical surface such as a pipe, you would assume that it would veer to the side and fall off after a few centimetres.

“I push a marble down the top of the pipe, and a quarter of a mile later it’s still on top of the pipe, you’re going to say I’m missing something,” said Halpern, who said the research team draws this analogy with respect to the origin and growth of the universe and the missing variable.

SPIDER was launched to search for this variable.

“We’ve built, what we think, are the most sensitive telescopes in wavelength regime anyone has ever made. They can be so sensitive because they are up out of the atmosphere.” Halpern said.

The balloon-borne SPIDER telescope took 10 years to construct and will operate for 20 days over Antarctica. It operates with two distinguishing characteristics: extraordinary sensitivity and high vertical range above the atmosphere, 40km above the Antarctic, in the stratosphere.

According to Halpern, the researchers do not have explicit predictions as to what SPIDER will find.

“There is one concrete story for what happened early on, which is that in the first 10-34 seconds, the universe expanded,” said Halpern. “The thing we’re trying to measure is, essentially, how long that lasted and just when it stopped.”

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2022-02-24

Longterm effects of low oil prices uncertain, says Sauder prof

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/01/04

The price of oil in Canada is the lowest it’s been in years.

The recent drop in oil and gas prices in Canada is shaping up to be part of a larger, worldwide trend.

Anming Zhang, a Sauder professor who focuses on transport economics and policy and industrial organization, said the major factors in the drop in oil prices have to do with global supply and demand.

According to Zhang, the recently decreased prices for oil in Canada come from the nose dive in the crude oil prices worldwide since 2014.

“In July 2014, the crude oil price reached around $108 USD per barrel,” said Zhang. “If you look at today’s price, it’s $53 per barrel. It is half of what he had a half-year ago. Canada will just follow that.”

Zhang also said that the world economic crises, including the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, the 2011 European Debt Crisis, and the reduction in growth of the Chinese economy, could also all be attributed to the low oil prices.

“On the demand side, there’s some slowing down in the world economy and trade, international trade, and the world GDP over the last few years,” said Zhang.

Zhang said that the drop of China’s GDP from 10 per cent in the early 2000s to seven per cent now had its effect on the price of oil and gas.

“The demand side has been dropping,” said Zhang. “Naturally, economic activity is slowing down, and demand for oil has been going down as well.”

According to Zhang, there are a number of theories that try to predict the future economic consequences of the drop in oil prices. As another example, Zhang said that the price decrease could create problems for the Russian economy, which is heavily dependent on its oil and gas sector.

“60 per cent of the [Russian] government revenue is from the oil and natural gas activities,” said Zhang. “So this will put a lot of pressure on Russian economy.”

As the big drop in oil prices came quite unexpectedly for many Canadian customers and companies alike, the effects that the drop will have on longterm prices, including the fuel surcharges that plane companies currently charge passengers, are still uncertain.

“Essentially, the price of oil dropped too quickly,” said Zhang. “It’s been a shock to the airlines, and they’re wondering if the price might go up again soon. Things are still uncertain, so they’re being cautious in case it’s only a temporary drop.”

Still, Zhang also said that it is unlikely that plane companies will get rid of the fuel surcharges altogether, as the global demand for oil and gas is still disproportionate to the supply.

“The airlines will most likely decrease the surcharges – but not get rid of them altogether,” said Zhang. “That would only be if the price of oil stayed this low for a long time – which I doubt.

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2022-02-24

Province commissions book commemorating history of Chinese Canadians

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/01/04

The province has commissioned a book that celebrates the achievements and contributions of Chinese Canadians to B.C.’s history.

The province of B.C. has set aside $100,000 for a book that celebrates the achievements of eminent Chinese Canadians.

The book, which follows an official apology to the Chinese Canadian community from the province in May 2014, is meant to highlight underrepresented aspects of B.C.’s history and make amends for a number of racist policies that were implemented against Chinese Canadians in the past.

UBC history professor Henry Yu said that the publication of such a book is meant to provide a more comprehensive history of Chinese Canadians in B.C.

“The focus should obviously be, in the legacy, addressing a lot of the anti-Chinese legislation, and a lot of things were done to the Chinese in terms of racist legislation, exclusion, head tax,” said Yu.

Still, Yu said that the book is meant to also celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Chinese Canadians to B.C.’s history rather than solely focus on the discrimination that they faced.

“There’s a long history of anti-Chinese legislation, discrimination, and racism, but there’s also this long, enduring, and very under-told story of what the Asian Canadians were doing in British Columbia,” said Yu.

As an example, Yu explained that from the time the British first came to B.C. in 1788 with the John Meares expedition, there were also many Chinese on the ship who helped build the fur trading fort in Nuu-chah-nulth territory and establish the B.C. that we know today — a fact that is commonly overlooked in history books.

According to Yu, the book and the project are highly important, as the history of B.C. that most people know today does not often focus on the broad spectrum of communities who lived here.

“We need a much more rounded common history,” said Yu. “For instance, the long history of relationships between Chinese Canadians and First Nations was often ignored because ‘pioneer histories’ of British Columbia usually focused on European migrants.”

The book will be approximately 150 pages long and bring to light interesting stories, photos and documents related to the history of notable British Columbians of Chinese descent. While the exact details of what the book will look like are still being established, Yu looks forward to seeing how it will present stories about Chinese Canadians as part of the larger history of B.C.

“We can create a ‘usable past,’ that we can help us live together moving forward,” said Yu. “It’s not about just looking backward. It’s also about looking forward.”

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2022-02-24

Cardiovascular disease researchers developing anti-aging skin treatment

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2015/01/04

A UBC pathology researcher is using research from mice to create a potential anti-aging skin product.

UBC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine professor David Granville made a chance discovery that may lead to the creation of a drug to defy skin aging.

Granville researched the effects of Granzyme-B (GzmB) on atherosclerosis, an artery disease, and heart attacks. His research coincidentally found resistance to skin aging.

“Essentially, my research is focused on aging and blood vessel health in the context of atherosclerosis, which causes heart attacks and strokes,” said Granville. “As we aged mice, when this gene was knocked out, we were finding an unusually good benefit to the skin.”

According to Granville, skin with more GzmB looked older in the experimented upon mice, while skin with less of the enzyme looked younger.

“It is one of those exciting times as a basic scientist. Sometimes, this is ignored,” said Granville. “In research these days, there are these sort of serendipitous discoveries in different areas that were unexpected.”

Granville said that sunlight causes 80 to 90 per cent of aging in the skin.

“We wanted to study this in more detail because a study had come out showing that Granzyme-B could be induced by ultraviolet light in skin cells.”

Granville’s research team worked with experts in the biological application of engineering principles to develop a solar-simulated light box, using bulbs that mimic the ratios of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.

“We exposed the mice for 20 weeks, just three times a week, to very low levels of sunlight,” Granville said. “They were exposed to three minutes of light. Temperature is all regulated, so [it] did not go up.”

“We looked at the skin. There was a marked difference in wrinkling that was evident on the mice with Granzyme-B compared to those without Granzyme-B,” Granville said.

He explained skin aging in further detail, pointing out that the skin’s collagen becomes “lost and disorganized,” and its quality becomes reduced.

According to Granville, many cosmetics simply throw collagen at the skin in hopes of restoration of the aged skin. He said this is ultimately ineffective.

“The body produces collagen and assembles it in a sort of basket-woven form, very similar to looking at a blanket. That requires other proteins as well. Obviously, things that would hold it together like the nails and brackets that would hold together a wall,” he said.

Granville’s research may allow for the creation of a drug that could block the aging enzyme. He formed viDA Therapeutics, Inc. in 2008 to research and make such a product.

“We’re excited about the fact that if we inhibit the Granzyme-B, we could inhibit this degradation and loss of organization of the collagen that holds the skin intact.”

Granville said there are also important health implications of GzmB.

“With respect to people in long-term care facilities, I’ve been working with the wound-healing clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital,” Granville said. “We’re hoping that by inhibiting this, and allowing, we might be able to increase the tensile strength of skin and prevent this skin tearing that occurs, plagues these patients in long-term care facilities.”

Granville hopes his research will be used for benefits beyond better-looking skin.

“We’re not hoping to become cosmetic experts,” he said.

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2022-02-23

Examining the psychology behind Black Friday and Boxing Day

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2014/11/30

Sauder professor JoAndrea Hoegg studies the presence of mob mentality in shoppers.

A Sauder professor says that mob mentality is behind much of the pushing and shoving we see see during shopping days such as Black Friday and Boxing Day.

JoAndrea Hoegg, UBC associate professor and Canada Research Chair in consumer behaviour, studies the science behind consumer shopping behaviours.

Hoegg’s current research centres around prominent shopping days such as Black Friday, which has recently started gaining in popularity in Canada, and Boxing Day.

According to Hoegg, many shoppers get so caught up in finding the best deals that they do not think of what they are doing as mob psychology.

“When you have a large group of people together engaging in some behavior, you have something called deindividuation, which means they have a feeling of anonymity,” said Hoegg. “They feel less responsible for their own actions.”

Deindividuation creates a sense of energy in the crowd en masse. Individuals become more carefree about the consequences of their actions and can start engaging in aggressive behaviours.

“[The shoppers] start engaging in behaviours that they would not otherwise do,” said Hoegg. “Of course, that can lead, in a shopping environment, to what you sometimes see on the news.”

At the same time, Hoegg said that popular media sources tend to show the more extreme cases of such behaviour. Still, the presence of large crowds also contributes to creating an environment where people feel like they have to push aside others for the best deal.

“If it was just a regular shopping day and not this large crowd, a normal human would not do this in such a large crowd,” said Hoegg. “That’s mob psychology.”

According to Hoegg, stores will often use such techniques to give off the appearance of the scarcity of their products. That way, people will be more likely to think that they need to rush off and buy a particular item before everyone else.

“Stores make it seem like the products that people may want to buy is scarce,” said Hoegg. “There is a chance the product will run out. There is a sense of urgency.”

Hoegg said that while such shopping days can be fun for most people, they also create an environment where people’s competitiveness can come out in ways that are harmful.

“People want to be the one to get the product, get the deal and beat everyone else out,” said Hoegg. That, combined with so many people, can lead to this sort of more aggressive behaviour.”

Correction: A previous version of this article said JoAndrea Hoegg studies mob psychology. In fact, she studies consumer shopping behaviours. The Ubyssey regrets the error.

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2022-02-23

UBC Law student Braden Lauer competing to be Canada’s smartest person

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2014/10/01

Braden Lauer is competing to be Canada’s Smartest Person

UBC Law student Braden Lauer is vying for the title of the smartest person in Canada.

Hosted by Jessi Cruickshank and Jeff Douglas, Canada’s Smartest Person is a CBC show that aims to get rid of the idea that you need a high IQ to be smart and has contestants compete against each other in a series of musical, physical, social, logical, visual and linguistic intelligence categories.

These six categorizations of intelligence derive from the Multiple Intelligences Theory of Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Lauer, who went to University of Alberta for his commerce degree and is now going into his second year at UBC Law, applied for Canada’s Smartest Personon a whim in the middle of a downturn in studying for law examinations.

“I was in the middle of exams last semester,” said Lauer. “The middle of first-year exams, which are considered the hell, so to speak, of Law school, is terrible. I saw a commercial on TV and was feeling down on myself.”

As a result, Lauer decided it would be interesting to apply to the show and see if he would be selected.

“In a very sassy way, I filled out an application,” said Lauer. “From there forward, I went through a pretty long process until they called me to be 1 of 32.”

According to Lauer, the turning point of his audition came from his big smile.

The show has a total of 32 participants, with four of them going head-to-head each week. At the end of nine weeks, there will be a competition among the finalists, with the winner being announced in November.

While the show was filmed over the course of the summer, contestants are not allowed to comment on the results until the final episode is released.

Still, Lauer is confident that the show will prove to be both interesting and surprising in the weeks to come.

“Winning is in the cards for me,” said Lauer.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that the show has been filmed over the course of two days in August. It has actually been filmed over the course of the whole summer. The article has been updated to reflect this fact.

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2022-02-23

UBC Theatre and Opera merger promises a triumphant 2014/2015 season

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2014/09/01

Last year’s production of Ubu Roi was a hit.

A new fall season, a merger of UBC Theatre and Opera productions and a suite of new pieces for the upcoming 2014/2015 season. Does this sound exciting? It better. UBC Theatre and Opera productions have a fantastic lineup in a first-ever union.

For 2014/2015 season, productions begin with Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and work through Bartered Bride, Naked Cinema, The Bacchae 2.1, The Marriage of Figaro, The Triumph of Love, Choir Practice, ending with La Traviata. With themes of freedom, triumphant women and love, the common threads tie the pieces together into a beautiful web. Nancy Hermiston is directing four pieces: The Marriage of Figaro, Bartered Bride, Choir Practice and La Traviata. Two of the productions are directed by UBC MFA candidates: The Bacchae 2.1, directed by Denis Gupa, and The Triumph of Love, directed by Barbara Tomas.

Deb Pickman, communications and marketing manager for the UBC theatre and film department, and Hermiston feel thrilled with the upcoming productions.

In Twelfth Night, escapades ensue of unrequited love and sexual confusions. “It’s been set to take place in modern day in New Orleans during Mardi Gras,” said Pickman. “It’s a romantic comedy.”

Bartered Bride sets itself in the springtime of a Bohemian village. Much of the story revolves around arranged and unarranged love. Pickman recommends this for opera first-timers.

Naked Cinema features a work of art inspired by DOGMA 95 Manifesto by Lars von Trier. In this original feature length film, alumni and award winning filmmakers Tom Scholte and Bruce Sweeney provide something “raw, naked, and uncompromising,” according to critics.

The next piece of the season, The Bacchae 2.1, relates to the Euripdean celebration of the Greek god, Dionysus, with works by Klaus Theweleit’s Male Fantasies, Lesbian Herstory Archives by Joan Nestle, and The S.C.U.M. Manifesto of Valerie Solanas. Amidst this, it is “injecting this ritualistic Philipino dance,” said Pickman.

“[The Marriage of Figaro is] a scheming, romantic intrigue. It is considered one of Mozart’s greatest operas ever written,” said Pickman. Servants Suzanna and Figaro find themselves in an imbroglio involving everyone attempting to save two marriages.

Next in the season, The Triumph of Love, originally written by Pierre Marivaux in the 18th century. This romantic comedy deals with the love of Leonide, a brilliant princess, for Agis, the rightful heir to the kingdom.

Choir Practice is a comic opera in one act. It is an hour of slapstick comedy and innuendos following a conductor failing to conduct with ensuing vocal duels. “It takes people back to an opera ensemble in 1985,” said Pickman.

The season’s finale, La Traviata, presents a doomed love tale between Violetta, the courtesan, and a handsome man, Alfredo. It contains love, deceit, heartbreak and flourishing parties.

“All of these operas are first-timer friendly because they are very engaging popular operas, comedies, and tragedy in one case,” said Pickman.

Pickman said the merger will benefit both the UBC Theatre and Opera.

“There is this area of the campus that is a hotbed for art and creativity,” said Pickman. “It’s also a place where some of the world’s most treasured artists come to exhibit.”

The first show of the 2014/2015 season, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, premieres on September 24 and runs from September 25 to October 11 in the Frederic Wood Theatre

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2022-02-23

Construction setbacks delay opening of The Pit and The Perch in the new SUB

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2014/09/01

Delays in the construction of The Pit and The Perch are not expected to affect the general opening of the new SUB.

Several setbacks in the construction of The Pit and The Perchmay cause the businesses to open later than expected.

“It is a little bit different for each of the outlets,” said Ava Nasiri, AMS VP admin. “The reason The Perch is lagging behind a bit is because we had some foundational changes that occurred in February.”

Nasiri said the construction workers needed to raise the ground of the spaces to become level, which caused the delays in the building process. Both the Perch and The Pit are expected to open within a few weeks of the opening of the new SUB in January 2015. The Perch will open sooner as construction of The Pit must stop for a week if the space is to be used for the opening ceremonies celebrations.

“As a student, it is unfortunate and disappointing, obviously, that The Pit and The Perch are delayed, but on large student projects like the Student Nest … it is something that can be foreseen,” said Jenna Omassi, a fourth-year international relations and religious studies student and Arts Undergraduate Society president.

Still, Omassi feels satisfied by the efforts of the AMS to make sure the new SUB opens on schedule.

“The fact that the AMS is planning for a way to use the SUB for the first week back will be important from a student perspective,” said Omassi.

Nasiri considered the construction’s long-term benefits in addition to the short-term costs.

“It was in the best interest of students to make that decision now rather than four years from now,” said Nasiri.

According to Nasiri, the decision to open these spaces later comes from balancing the provision of a quality space for the entire lifespan of the building.

“We are really well-aware and understand this is student money,” said Nasiri.

As such, Nasiri notes the acute awareness of cautious, informed spending of student money while balancing the need for keeping student excitement about the new space.

According to Nasiri, they have looked into a conditional operating license for the first week of second term for The Pit but the exact details regarding the license are still unclear.

The Perch and The Pit construction delays will not affect the rest of the building, which is scheduled to open January 5.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article said that The Perch was expected to open within a few weeks of the opening of the new SUB while The Pit had no set opening date. In fact, both student spaces are scheduled to be open within a few weeks of the opening of the new SUB. The article has been updated to reflect this fact.

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2022-02-23

RCMP Wreck Beach patrols more friendly than expected

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2014/08/25

The RCMP has developed a somewhat friendlier relationship than many anticipated with the frequenters of Wreck Beach.

Judy Williams Chairperson of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, wasn’t pleased when she heard about plans for a police tent on the beach, which she says is the safest beach in B.C.

“I have spent the last 45 years advocating for Wreck Beach as accepting, tolerant and loving,” said Williams. “We did not need that kind of negative publicity from an officer new to the beach intent on cleaning it up.”

Sgt. Drew Grainger of the UBC RCMP said the police tent was put in place mainly to have officers on hand in case they were needed on the beach.

“UBC is a small detachment,” said Grainger. “We only have two or three members patrolling at any given time of the day.”

“The tent was essentially a thing of shade for our officers,” said Grainger. “Our strategy down here was to enhance public safety, mitigate the need for call service for some of our officers up top.”

According to Grainger, this was a strategy to foster mutual understanding about what is responsible and respectful behaviour.

Williams, however, compared the frequent visitors of Wreck Beach to a family that can get by without the additional police presence.

“Like all families, we have our squabbles, but when push comes to shove, we are there for one another,” said Williams.

Williams further described the more relaxed stance of the police, even joining in some of the beach activities activities such as the Bare Buns Run on Aug. 10.

“At some point, I would imagine we will have a more tolerant attitude,” said Williams.

Still, Grainger said that the RCMP will continue to focus on preventing the overconsumption of alcohol and selling of illegal drugs on the beach.

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ETHICAL AND LOW-COST ISN’T EQUIVALENT

INEQUALITY = IMBALANCE

WHO MADE YOUR CLOTHES?

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