I've been really excited to watch the development of the LACE Campaign, and have been waiting for the right opportunity to bring this campaign into our community.

I volunteer for Options For Sexual Health (OPT), a sexual health clinic open twice a month Monday evenings. I work in the capacity of Counselling, and co-chair (along with Bob Ruttenberg) our board, representing our six other dedicated volunteers. As a freelancer utilizing the credentials OPT has given me, I'm fortunate enough to be able to teach Sex Ed in our local high school, allowing to further my advocacy of women's health as we have the most up-to-date information in sexual and women's health available to us.

I've seen some pretty wonderful changes in the subject of sexual health over the past 11 years, just in our small town alone! Watching our youth become much more savvy due to the education available to them, they are able to become empowered young women and men who know how to take care of themselves in terms of choices and health care. It used to be that a simple Pap screening was the worst thing to have to go through. Now, these pioneers of this decade take them in stride as part of a normal, routine procedure—and it is no longer unusual to see a young boyfriend taking part in the support of his girlfriend's visit for a Pap).  ]]> Thursday, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Cervical Cancer Screening Program CampaignFeminismhealth promotionLACE campaignLocal Events & Partiesnursing

As we begin our crusade to get women in British Columbia who need a Pap test into a clinic during Pap Awareness Week, I've been thinking about what this is all about. The LACE Campaign hopes to inspire women of all ages to take care of their health, bodies and remind friends and loved ones to do the same. It's also about awareness, prevention, and our right to live happy and healthy lives. This includes taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves from something like cervical cancer and to talk openly about why Pap testing is important.

For Pap Awareness Week we aim to motivate, inspire and educate every woman who needs a Pap test to get into a participating clinic during the week of October 24-30th. To do this we would love to share stories of women in British Columbia who have had an experience with Pap testing or cervical cancer. Stories are powerful and can create real change in people so if you or someone you love has a story to share please contact us, even if you'd like to be anonymous. Please email us at outreach@lacecampaign.com.

We are still looking for more participating clinics, donations from local businesses as well as volunteers to join our action team.

]]> Monday, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health/Health Advocacyhealth promotionLACE campaignLocal Events & PartiesSexual Health SAVE ON 65_REDROSES, THE CORPORATION, PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI & MORE GREAT DVDS!

Come celebrate the end of summer and support 'fair trade' DVD distribution! Hello Cool World will be having an open door sale at our Chinatown location this Friday afternoon:

]]> Monday, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0700 65 RedRosesAlternative EconomicsBlue GoldHelloCoolWorldLocal Events & PartiesMedia ActivismTrouble the WaterDVD With all of this excitement brewing about Pap Awareness Week (PAW) we wanted to introduce the LACE Campaign community to the newest member of our team, Lisa Despins. Besides being the new Promotion and Education Specalist of the Cervical Cancer Screening Program at the BC Cancer Agency, she is warm, friendly and knowledgeable. If you are a part of a clinic who is interested in participating in Pap Awareness Week or have specific questions regarding Pap testing, get in touch with Lisa by emailing ccps@bccancer.bc.ca. Read on for a fabulous interview with Lisa about her role in the LACE Campaign, Pap Awareness Week and her message for volunteers.

]]> Thursday, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0700 health promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaign As we know, screening saves lives but we know it’s hard to remember to schedule a Pap test or challenging to even find a doctor. In addition to our handy e-mail reminder, we are busy organizing a province-wide fall event: Pap Awareness Week!

Pap Awareness Week (or PAW) is the chance for women of all ages who are due for a Pap test to get one from their local clinic. From October 24-30, 2010, participating clinics will have their doors open for drop-in appointments—some will even have gift bags for women who get screened! By celebrating women’s health and empowerment with an entire week devoted to Pap awareness, we hope many women take charge of their health and get screened.

We need YOUR help to make PAW a success! If you are a clinic and would like to know more about PAW and participate don’t hesitate to contact us. Interested in lending a hand? We need volunteers across British Columbia to help pass out flyers, hang up posters and spread the word online. Click here to read more about PAW Volunteer information and sign up! Are you a local buisness owner? We need donations of small gifts and gift certificates.

]]> Wednesday, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Cervical Cancer Screening Program CampaignLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties A few days ago we told you about the White Orchid Society and the fabulous work they are doing to educate the South Asian Community about the importance of Pap Testing. On July 31st they will be hosting a ladies picnic from 1-5 at Bear Creek Park. It's sure to be a fantstic event with prizes, traditional Indian food and amazing women. Read below to see the poster and find out more!

]]> Thursday, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties The White Orchid Society is a group of South Asian young women based in and around Vancouver. They are an inpiring group, winning grants to help increase the rate of Pap Testing in South Asian women. Here is more about them from Team Member Nidhi Nayyar:

"We hope to educate our fellow south asians and help prevent this very preventable disease.  To cover more ground and to deal with the issues of two very different target groups we have made this a two tier campaign. Sticking with the theme of pretty flowers we have created the Rose Petal Campaign for older women that are mainly immigrants and the White Orchid Campaign for the south asian youth, that are mainly first generation Canadians. So far we have received a good response from the community and we hope it continues.  The White Orchid campaign have created a blog for everyone to follow our progress throughout our journey."

]]> Monday, 26 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 FeminismHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties

On Saturday, July 10th the LACE Campaign was thrilled to be a part of the Underwear Affair. Lizzy and Jenny formed team LACE Up! ran alongside 925 runners through Vancouver on a sweaty summer day. $552,200 were raised for cancers below the belt and we met some incredible people fighting cervical cancer. Read on to see more photos!

]]> Monday, 12 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 health promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties Just as we are about to choose a winner for our LACE contest, we are pleased to announce that in celebration of the new bus ad we created with Options For Sexual Health we are launching a Sexy Summer Kissing Contest! Details on how to enter below.

Our new ad campaign "We've Got a Room For You" is a cheekier take on the bus ad we have created before to advertise the 1-800 SEX SENSE info line. What's more it's on nearly all transit buses in the province! Reflecting our philosophy of 'pleasure management" we are creating an effective alternative to just say no messaging. It's sure to attract attention with a young couple making out in a clinic waiting room (based on a true story set in the BC CDC's STI clinic!) 

Opt’s 1 800 SEX SENSE Line, a toll-free in BC phone and email service, is positioned as a great way to hook up with a clinic or ask a burning sexual health question. Check out our Ad!  We also made a behind the scenes video about the making of the ad.

]]> Thursday, 08 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Options For Sexual HealthHealth/Health AdvocacyHelloCoolWorldGraphic DesignGenderBloggingSexual HealthSexuality RightsSocial Marketing Last Wednesday, LACE Campaign’s LACE Up! team got pumped to run the Underwear Affair with a fundraiser called ‘Laughing it Off- the Underwear Affair’.  Local comic guru and LOL promoter Donovan Mahoney got the show started by doing his first set in his undies...and although it may be hard to see they did have little pieces of lace on the side.

The headliner Richard Lett is a testicular cancer survivor so his participation was perfect for a fundraiser to support male and female cancers below the belt.  Donovan’s comedy night has helped raise almost $3000 this year for charity and we were so happy to benefit from his help for the Underwear Affair LACE Up! team.

Team LACE Up! will be lacing up their runners this Saturday and running along the seawall from the Seaforth Armory, past Granville Island, around Telus World of Science, through Yaletown and back over the Burrard Street Bridge.  If you are near the Seawall on Saturday between 6:30- 8:00 p.m. look for the Underwear Affair runners and cheer on team LACE Up!  We plan on showing everyone at the Underwear Affair why they should become a part of LACE Campaign.]]> Wednesday, 07 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties

The members of Vancouver Masters Synchronized Swim Club were very excited to host this year’s Masters National Synchronized Swimming Competition! The event took place June 18-20 at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. This year’s competition brought together swimmers, coaches, and judges from across Canada, and we were thrilled to also include a team from Seattle in the mix! Swimmers ranged in age from 19 to 70.  The competition included team, trio, duet, and solo events and spectators were not disappointed by the skill and spirit of this year's competitors. As always, when such a diverse group of women come together to do something they love, fun ensues.

]]> Tuesday, 06 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700 health promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties This September, WAVAW will be reaching out to teenagers in Vancouver high schools with an innovative new program aimed at preventing violence. Using thought-provoking and engaging activities created specifically for youth, the program works to raise awareness about violence and motivate young people to take action in making their communities safer for everyone.

Students will learn how to:

• Investigate the root causes of violence
• Think critically about how socialization through the media impacts our bodies and minds
• Think about how we value one another in society and to strive for equality
• Begin thinking about what leadership looks like and what it means to intervene as a bystander

]]> Wednesday, 30 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 AboriginalFeminismFirst NationsGenderPeace & Justice IssuesSocial JusticeTeens and DatingViolence Against Women and GirlsWAVAWYouth It's been a busy time around here -- LACE Campaign has kept us moving, and it has surpassed our expectations so far. What LACE (which stands for Live Aware Create Empowerment) is all about is launching a movement and a brand framework that activates all kinds of women to be proactive about their health, specifically about making sure they don't forget to get their Pap test.  Now we have a contest to create the campaign for Pap Awareness Week in October.

The first 10 entries in this final week will all get LACE gift bag prizes full of goodies. So enter! Now!

You can read Lizzy's blogs on the LACE site to get an idea of all we have done this past year. It's a grassroots campaign that BC Cancer Agency has hired Hello Cool World to launch in BC. We have hopes that we can even broaden our reach nationally as we have had a lot of responses from people all over Canada. (Didn't hurt that our full page Elle ad accidentally ended up also in the Ontario edition!)

But for  now we have less than a week left to get some ideas from you as contest entries. Please think about how we can reach out to women in BC  age 20 - 69, who have not had a Pap recently. The goal of the campaign is to get them through the clinic doors during Pap Awareness Week! Whether you are a creative type who wants a meaningful challenge, or someone who wants to see the women of your own specific community empowered -- we want to hear from you! A clear and  simple description of your idea is all it takes to enter. Enter Now!

]]> Sunday, 27 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Cervical Cancer Screening Program Campaignhealth promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyHelloCoolWorldLACE campaignMedia Activism PAX AMERICANA, is playing in Ontario NOW:

OTTAWA, ONTARIO | Mayfair Theatre | June 25-27, July 6, 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO | Royal Cinema | July 2-8 2010

WATERLOO, ONTARIO | Princess Cinema | August 2-26 2010

See our previous blog about the film! PS: We just launched a twitter feed - follow us @CorporationFilm!

So many causes, so little time... A few updates from our friends.

]]> Saturday, 26 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Pax AmericanaAvi LewisBe The MediaCampaign 4 Corporate Harm ReductionFilm LaunchMedia ActivismNaomi KleinJoel BakanMark AchbarSpace WeaponizationG8 G20 Summit LACE Campaign is so excited to be a part of the Vancouver Underwear Affair. A team of dedicated (and sweaty) volunteers are running as team LACE UP!

Along with raising awarness about the LACE Campaign and all below-the-belt cancers, the LACE UP! team has the goal of raising $1,000 for cancer research.

If you are in Vancouver, come out for a night of comedy and fundraising Wednesday, June 30th. For more information about the event and to RSVP click here.

]]> Wednesday, 23 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 health promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties 65_RedRoses wins Best Canadian Program at Banff!

Press Release from Force Four Enteraintment issued June 18, 2010.

Force Four Entertainment picked up the Banff Rockie Award for Best Canadian Program for the one-hour documentary 65_RedRoses at the Banff World Television Festival on Tuesday, June 15th.  Directed by Nimisha Mukerji and Philip Lyall, the film tells the heart-wrenching story of Eva Markvoort, a beautiful, high–spirited young woman with Cystic Fibrosis, as she awaits a double lung transplant.]]> Sunday, 20 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 65 RedRosesFair TradeFilm LaunchHealth/Health Advocacy LACE has been going places – We've been on the radio, TV and in Elle magazine. This summer, the perfect season for all things LACE, we are riding the wave of excitement and gearing up for Pap Awareness Week in October. Since LACE begins with YOU we want your help in creating our next LACE advertising campaign!

We want this new campaign to motivate those women who have not had a Pap test in the last few years to go get one at participating clinics during Pap Awareness Week. When the campaign launches, we'll get volunteers (like some of you!) to help spread the new ad poster and leaflets in every community where clinics participate.
]]> Friday, 18 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Graphic DesignLACE campaignMarketing In February we started working on our Hello Cool World vision, which includes how we want to mobilize Corporation supporters. As our 'regulars' will know - with the makers of The Corporation film,we are working on building a movement to change the corporate form, funded by our online store. One strong area we felt we wanted to work on was to really make our online store a successful way to raise money and a new model for funding the campaigning efforts of our friends. With The Corporation, however, we are still only re-sellers of the DVDS, which we have to buy from our distributors, which doesn't leave much for the campaign.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity now to expand this work. We are working with the filmmakers of the award winning 65_RedRoses, a moving documentary about Eva Markvoort's struggle with Cystic Fibrosis. Without fully realizing it, Eva started a global campaign for organ donation in the spring of 2007, while she was waiting on a transplant list for new lungs.

We see the need for a new way for social cause filmmakers to distribute their films and connect them to the causes they want to promote. Like 65_RedRoses. So we are also building a 'fair trade' DVD distribution network that can share profits for the causes and the creators of the films we support. ]]> Friday, 18 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 65 RedRosesBe The MediaCampaign 4 Corporate Harm ReductionFair TradeFilm LaunchHealth/Health AdvocacyHelloCoolWorldMarketingMedia ActivismThe Corporation

In February we started working on our Hello Cool World vision. One strong area we felt we wanted to work on was to really make our online store a successful way to raise money and a new model for funding the campaigning efforts of our friends. As our 'regulars' will know - with the makers of The Corporation film,we are working on building a movement to change the corporate form, funded by our online store. With The Corporation, however, we are still only re-sellers of the DVDS, which we have to buy from our distributors, which doesn't leave much for the campaign.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity now to expand this work. We are working with the filmmakers of the award winning 65_RedRoses, a moving documentary about Eva Markvoort's struggle with Cystic Fibrosis. Without fully realizing it, Eva started a global campaign for organ donation in the spring of 2007, while she was waiting on a transplant list for new lungs.

We see the need for a new way for social cause filmmakers to distribute their films. Like 65_RedRoses. So we are also building a 'fair trade' DVD distribution network that can share profits for the causes and the creators of the films we support. 65_RedRoses is the beginning! ]]> Friday, 18 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Be The MediaCampaign 4 Corporate Harm ReductionFilm LaunchHelloCoolWorldHealth/Health AdvocacyMedia ActivismRights ManagementFair Trade65 RedRoses

LACE was proud to be a part of the Runway to Conquer Cancer, a fabulous night of celebration and raising awarness about cancer in British Columbia. On June 9, 2010, fashionistas, party-hoppers and humanitarians gathered at Pop Opera in Vancouver to dance the night away, all for a great cause. The night featured "Urban-Eco" trending and highlighted local brands alongside our LACE postcards and lipbalm! Perfect combination. We are so excited to be involved in events like this. It's wonderful to meet people making a difference in our community and marvelous to be on the town sporting LACE.

]]> Thursday, 10 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Local Events & Parties

HelloCoolWorld made a trip down across the border to attend the third annual Green Festival in Seattle June 5 - 6.  It was great to see such a unique collaboration between grassroots community groups, organizations and other companies, all come together to share ideas for a green future.

We were especially excited to hear Thom Hartmann speak about the history of Corporate Reform.  Amy Goodman from Democracy Now was also a keynote speaker, who shared her experiences as a journalist trying to cover stories that corporations are trying to cover up, such as the BP oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, and the police brutality that she suffered from at the Republican convention during the last US elections.

]]> Thursday, 10 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Corporate PersonhoodClimate ChangeEnvironment

Last fall the LACE Campaign went on an adventure to Surrey to meet with an inspiring group of young women at the Kla-How-Eya Aboriginal Centre. There we met Karla, Shannon, Alyssa, Beth, Denise and Amanda. ]]> Wednesday, 09 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 KINOSMITH presents: PAX AMERICANA AND THE WEAPONIZATION OF SPACE * a film by Denis Delestrac * from executive producer Mark Achbar (THE CORPORATION)

NOW PLAYING IN Vancouver at the VanCity                                              Opens in Ottawa Friday June 25 at the Mayfair

Director Denis Delestrac and Producer March Achbar available for interviews

The prospect of Earth being ruled from space is no longer science-fiction. The dream of the original Dr. Strangelove, Wernher von Braun (from Nazi rocket-scientist to NASA director) has survived every US administration since WW2 and is coming to life. Today the technology exists to weaponize space, a massive American industry thrives, and nations are maneuvering for advantage.]]> Saturday, 05 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Pax AmericanaThe Corporation

Our friends at the Ts'ewulhtun Heath Centre, which manages public health, communicable disease control and health education programs for Cowichan Tribes, invited LACE to be a part of their latest Women's Wellness Day. Fairlie Mendoza, a Community Health Nurse and organizer of the event, had the idea of combining a few elements of LACE into a special t-shirt for the Ts'ewulhtun Heath Centre. The pink and black LACE circle represents the LACE Campaign, a healthy cervix and life, an important image for members of the community. To top it off we are reminded to "Look After What's Inside" - and it looks fabulous!

]]> Thursday, 03 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Aboriginalhealth promotionHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties I had a chance to catch up with Director Nettie Wild today about her recent lecture on Bevel Up to technology students in Madras, India. It was fascinating to think that the film we made about our work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside was discussed and debated in such a different context. "The focus of my lecture was about how I worked in collaboration with the Street Nurses to figure out what the dramatic question would be." said Wild. "I realized my job was to film what non-judgement looked like".

]]> Thursday, 03 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Bevel UpHealth/Health AdvocacyMedia ActivismTechnologyVideo The LACE Campaign is about raising awareness and making a change. We need your help to spread the word about the importance of Pap testing. Take part in this unique, lifesaving campaign to prevent cervical cancer in all women in British Columbia. You know how important messages can reach the masses through ad campaigns – and we want your help!

The challenge: Submit your idea for a LACE Campaign-themed ad by July 2, 2010 and you could see it come to life in the pages of a magazine or on TV!

The theme is: LACE is for every woman. The message is: Pap tests save lives.

Be wild. Be fun. Be sexy. Be silly. Be poignant. Be you.

]]> Monday, 31 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaign

Words can not express how excited the LACE Team was when this video came into our inbox. A group of amazing young women from North Island College created this as a part of a nursing school Health Promotion project. Read on for a guest blog post about their experience being a part of LACE.

]]> Wednesday, 26 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignhealth promotionHealth/Health Advocacy

Today I spent the entire day in meetings. I feel fussy, sleepy and I want chocolate. This year I will be a student at UBC.

]]> Tuesday, 25 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Bevel UpHealth/Health AdvocacyWorkshops We are trying to figure out how to socially market Bevel Up. What do you suggest? We are on Facebook and Twitter and what else should we do? Tell us!

]]> Tuesday, 25 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Bevel UpHealth/Health AdvocacyPoverty & Economic JusticeSexual HealthSocial JusticeSocial MarketingVan2010health promotion

" The LACE Campaign is the most diverse ribbon campaign there has ever been"
- Lizzy speaking about LACE on Sexy in Vancity

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be featured on Vancouver's sexiest radio show - Sexy in Vancity on CITR. Caroline MacGillivray was a warm, lovely host and great interviewer. We spoke about the history of LACE, why it's so important and how the campaign is growing. We also talked about the importance of communicating with your family or partner about Pap testing and how easy it is to sign up for our e-mail reminder. Radio has never felt this sexy, or empowering!

If you missed it, get comfy with a summery-drink and listen to the interview. If you did tune in, what were some of your favourite parts? As always, we will keep you upated on our upcoming media appearances. And don't forget to tune in every week to CITR 101.9FM at 10pm to hear a fantastic show about everything sex, relationships and health!

LACE on!

- Lizzy

]]> Tuesday, 25 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignMedia ActivismSexual Health Tuesday, 25 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Hello Cool Tutorials "BAS!" is a film about trafficked women in Mumbai.  Personally, I really liked this film because it gave a unique view into the individual lives of these women.  I particuarly liked how the film doesn't shy away from talking about the things that are wrong with the system of transition as well, such as the fact that many of these women have to be married off at the end.  The film is beautifully shot, and reveals some interesting facets of the lives of these women in transition.

]]> Thursday, 20 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 prostitutionSocial JusticeSexuality RightsViolence Against Women and GirlsPeace & Justice IssuesPoverty & Economic JusticeGenderFeminism It seems like just the other day that we did the workshop with the BCNU lobbyists! And when I checked it out I was delighted to see that the Facebook group we collectively started during the workshop seems to be active!

Since privacy issues were a big topic during this workshop, I took note when a couple of articles popped into my inbox today. They are from the point of view of online marketers. Since lobbyists are a form of 'marketers' I thought I would provide links to these two articles, relevant to anyone who wants to target ads online. (On Facebook for example.) ]]> Wednesday, 19 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Hello Cool Workshops The LACE Campaign is about sparking conversations about Pap testing. We've heard so many of your questions, and had so many of our own, so we thought we'd ask a nurse (we love nurses!). Lucky us, we were able to talk to our pal Sarah Levine from Bevel Up. A fantastic nurse and a part of the incredible Bevel Up project, Sarah gave us the "low-down" on Pap testing including what happens when you get a Pap test, why you should get one and what it feels like. If you have friends or family members who feel uncomfortable talking about Pap testing send this their way.

]]> Tuesday, 18 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaign “A MUST-SEE!” From the producer of  THE CORPORATION

Pax Americana was executive produced by The Corporation's Mark Achbar and also features the same 'voice' of meliflous  Mikela Jay. Co-writer Harold Crooks was also a writer on The Corporation. The film is a compelling wake up call to action(if it doesn't terrify you first) to prevent the weaponization of space. It appears, that the sky really is falling...

Check out the HelloCoolWorld video interview with Harold Crooks.

Distributed in Canada by KINOSMITH - it's opening in the following theatres in June:

VANCOUVER, BC  | Vancity Theatre | June 4-8 2010

OTTAWA, ONTARIO | Mayfair Theatre | June 25-27, July 6, 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO | Royal Cinema | July 2-8 2010

WATERLOO, ONTARIO | Princess Cinema | August 2-26 2010

]]> Tuesday, 18 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchPax AmericanaPeace & Justice Issues LACE is popping up all over the place! Our incredible LACE Ambassador Jenny Duncan took LACE on a spring shopping trip in Yaletown.

Beautymark, a fabulous spot with LACE undies in the window, is currently carrying our campaign postcards. Visit them to pick one up - and while you're at it sign up for our e-mail pap reminder!

]]> Monday, 17 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaign Claudia Lisboa made the film "Beauty Refugee" which screened at DOXA last weekend.  Though the film was a personal story about her life with her family, there were some interesting themes that came out of the film.  The film is about her family's obsession with plastic surgery

]]> Friday, 14 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchFeminismHelloCoolWorld Tonight is the last DOXA film Hello Cool World is community partner for -- Sari Soldiers - Check it out!

The Sari Soldiers | Julie Bridgham |  USA | 2008 | 92 minutes | Friday, May 14 | 6:30pm | Pacific Cinémathèque Tickets available at the theatre

We are also thilled that Pax Americana sold out their screening on Tuesday! If you missed it, it's going to be at Vancity Theatre June 4 - 8.

Watch our video reviews and interviews by David & Lizzy  with DOXA filmmakers. (Below).

+ Don't miss the Pull Focus Film School OPEN HOUSE next Tuesday, May 18 (screenings, party, info on their cool courses) read on...

]]> Friday, 14 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Be The MediaFilm LaunchFeminismGendergeopoliticsHello Cool WorkshopsLocal Events & PartiesPeace & Justice IssuesVideo WorkshopsYouth LACE has been going places!  Our PSA has been in heavy rotation on CTV and the A channel, we are in the current issue of ELLE Canada and we will be interviewed tonight on SEXY IN VANCITY.

Sexy in Vancity Radio, a show about sex and relationships, is produced and hosted by Caroline MacGillivray. Tune in tonight at 10:00 pm on CiTR 101.9FM or live at CiTR.ca.

Where have you seen or heard about LACE?

]]> Wednesday, 12 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaign Screening at  Vancity Theatre Tuesday, May 11 at 8:30 PM

If you love this universe — come out tonight to the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver! It's one of the new 'collection' from Mark Achbar of The Corporation. It's stunningly shot, extremely engaging and chillingly important.

We spoke to Pax Americana writer, Harold Crooks yesterday about the film:

Executive Producer Betsy Carson & narrator Mikela Jay will be in attendance. Writer Harold Crooks will host a Q & A.

BUY TICKETS FOR DOXA      |      VIEW TRAILER

ACTION & INFO LINKS ABOUT SPACE SECURITY BELOW!

]]> Tuesday, 11 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchLocal Events & PartiesMedia ActivismPeace & Justice IssuesPax AmericanaThe Corporation Screening at Vancity Theatre Tuesday, May 11 at 8:30 PM

If you love this universe — come out tonight to the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver! It's one of the new 'collection' from Mark Achbar of The Corporation. It's stunningly shot, extremely engaging and chillingly important.

We spoke to Pax Americana writer, Harold Crooks yesterday about the film:

Executive Producer Betsy Carson & narrator Mikela Jay will be in attendance. Writer Harold Crooks will host a Q & A.

BUY TICKETS FOR DOXA      |      VIEW TRAILER

ACTION & INFO LINKS ABOUT SPACE SECURITY BELOW!

]]> Tuesday, 11 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchLocal Events & PartiesTechnologyPax AmericanaPeace & Justice Issues We spoke to Mysha Dewar-McClelland from WAVAW about being a community partner at DOXA this year.  One of the reasons WAVAW supports DOXA is because the film festival showcases stories and messages that aren't necessarily mainstream news, and need to be told.  Here is more of what Mysha had to say:

To buy tickets to "BAS! Beyond the Red Light" and "Sin By Silence" visit DOXA

]]> Friday, 07 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 WAVAWViolence Against Women and GirlsSocial JusticeSexuality RightsPeace & Justice IssuesGenderHelloCoolWorld Like you, we only want to admit we've been watching TV when discussing last night's episode of Glee. But this month you've got a great reason to keep your eyes on the screen. The LACE Campaign "It's What's Inside" PSA has been in heavy rotation on CTV and the A Channel! Read on to find out when the PSA will be on...

The "It's What's Inside" PSA will be running during the following shows:

Ellen (11 am-12pm) The week of May 3-7 and 17-21

All My Children (12-1pm) The week of May 3-7 and 17-21

Jay Leno (11:30pm-12:30am) The week of May 10-14 and 17-21

TMZ (7-8pm) Sunday May 16 and May 23

America's Next Top Model (9-10pm) Friday May 7, May 14 and May 21 on the A Channel - The PSA will be running twice during each episode of America's Next Top Model so gather your friends to throw a screening party!

Photo by Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight

]]> Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignLocal Events & Parties HELLO COOL REVIEWS

Six Miles Deep

Six Miles deep is a film about the oldest matriarchal democracy in the world – the 6 nations, or Haudenosaunee people.  Set during the 2006 conflicts at Caledonia, the film explores indigenous land claims issue, through the perspective of the women leaders in the community. It's one of several youth films we are promoting at DOXA.]]> Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 AboriginalFilm LaunchFirst NationsYouth This Sunday, May 9 is Mother’s Day and we’re encouraging everyone to Take Back the Day with the peace and justice organization Inter Pares. We helped create the campaign to reclaim the original meaning of Mother’s Day and are big supporters of Inter Pares. They work internationally with grassroots groups and activists, and have a particular focus on empowering women. You can learn more about Inter Pares (Latin for “among equals”) at: www.takebacktheday.ca

Check out this short animated on the real, radical “her-story” of Mother’s Day, a day rooted in social activism and the inspiring stories of its 3 extraordinary founding foremothers.

]]> Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 HelloCoolWorldInter ParesPeace & Justice IssuesSocial JusticeViolence Against Women and Girls This Sunday, May 9 is Mother’s Day and we’re encouraging everyone to Take Back the Day with the peace and justice organization Inter Pares. Hello Cool World helped create the campaign to reclaim the original meaning of Mother’s Day and are big supporters of Inter Pares. They work internationally with grassroots groups and activists, and have a particular focus on empowering women. You can learn more about Inter Pares (Latin for “among equals”) at: www.takebacktheday.ca

Check out this short animated on the real, radical “her-story” of Mother’s Day, a day rooted in social activism and the inspiring stories of its 3 extraordinary founding foremothers:

]]> Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Alternative EconomicsFeminismHelloCoolWorldInter ParesPeace & Justice IssuesVideo

After our fabulous LACE Campaign launch everything has been coming up LACE. Okay, no more cheesy puns, but we are quite excited to see how fast LACE is spreading.

The LACE CRUSADE is on the cover of this week's Georgia Straight along with a fantastic article by Charlie Smith all about the campaign! Here is a little taste:

]]> Tuesday, 04 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignSexual Health Bevel Up will be playing in Madras, India on May 5th. The screening is part of a film conference presented by the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras. Director Nettie Wild will be in Surrey, BC, giving a remote presentation to the conference, speaking on Bevel Up as an example of an interactive DVD.

A film like Bevel Up is unique not just because of its subject matter, but because of the different ways it can be used. The 45-minute documentary can stand alone as a story about the Street Nurses, their work in harm reduction, and the populations they serve, but the story really comes alive for educators when they use the interactive portions of the DVD. These include interviews and reflections by the nurses, and expert commentary on some of the complex topics in the film. Using these segments, and the exercises in the teaching guide, Bevel Up allows viewers to delve deeply into topics like "sex work," "pregnancy and drugs" or "drugs and the brain."

We can't wait for feedback from India!

Sarah

]]> Monday, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Bevel UpPoverty & Economic JusticeLocal Events & PartiesMedia Activism

At our last months WAVAW youth advisory meeting our topic of conversation for the evening was about media and its impacts on self esteem/self worth.

We watched a film directed by Sut Jhally with Jean Kilbourne called "Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women" and then went on to discuss an item that a co-worker had brought into the office...the "Super Model Gum" (image above).

I asked youth who were interested, to write about what they thought of the gum packaging. It seemed so blatantly obvious to me that it was merely re-inscribing messages to young girls, that they must be thin and starve themselves to be noticed and hold value in the world, but I was curious about what our youth thought.

]]> Monday, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 FeminismGenderMedia ActivismSocial JusticeTeens and DatingViolence Against Women and GirlsWAVAWYouth SOME ACHBAR EXEC PRODUCED FILMS COMING SOON TO DOXA IN VANCOUVER!  + COOL YOUTH FILMS.

HELLO COOL WORLD COMMNITY PARTNER FOR  PAX AMERICANA & A SERIES OF YOUTH FILMS read on...

As our regular readers will know,  the success of The Corporation has spwaned a uniquely produced "collection" of films, with Telefilm dollars allocated via Mark Achbar. Two of these films are launching now!

]]> Sunday, 02 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchHelloCoolWorldYouthPax AmericanaPeace & Justice IssuesSocial JusticeSocial Marketing UPCOMING: The Corporation is screening at Toronto's Hot Docs in the "Ripping Reality" program, in the company of other such classics as Darwin's Nightmare, The Fog of War, and Iraq in Fragments.
Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 12:30 pm, Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue.

SOME ACHBAR EXEC PRODUCED FILMS COMING SOON TO DOXA IN VANCOUVER!   read on...

Oh, The Corporation! One of the things I have always noted is the staying power of this film.  Yes, it's the "film that wouldn't die," quips Mark Achbar, who still seems surprised by this. Surprise, and fatigue after all these years notwithstanding, he's gone on to support a lot more films through The Corporation's influence.]]> Saturday, 01 May 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Corporate PersonhoodCitizens United RulingFilm LaunchMedia ActivismPoverty & Economic JusticeThe Corporation After a week of party planning, interviews and last minute doughnut runs, the LACE Campaign officially launched last Friday! Jump over here to see some of our fabulous afterparty photos!

The night began with LACE on the silver screen at the Projecting Change Film Festival. Watching our PSA in a packed theatre was an incredible feeling. People wanted to know more about LACE, the women behind the campaign and most importantly, how they could help.

After we raced into the drizzly night and arrived at W2 Storyeum, a beautiful warehouse space in Gastown. The party was just getting started as DJ Atef and Lady Ra began to spin. Delicious doughnuts from Honey's dissapeared and partygoers were thrilled to recieve doorprizes donated by some of Vancouver's best. 

]]> Thursday, 29 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 FeminismHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaign Chee Mamuk Aboriginal Progam is recipient of AccolAIDS Award in the 'Innovative Programs & Service Delivery' category.

Now that the dust has settled on our LACE premiere, we want to offer congratulations to our friends at Chee Mamuk. They have every reason to celebtrate the good work they do, and now they have an award for it!

On April 18, the BC Persons With AIDS Society held an Awards Gala honoring volunteers, paid staff, visionaries, activists and consistent supportive voices who work on behalf of people living with HIV as well as in prevention. We couldn't be more thrilled that Chee Mamuk has won in the category of Innovative Programs & Service Delivery!

]]> Wednesday, 28 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 AboriginalChee MamukHealth/Health AdvocacyHello Cool WorkshopsSexuality RightsSocial JusticeYouthWorkshops So far Projecting Change Film Festival has been a blast. Check out the interview we did with Colette on the opening night. Colette Gunson is executive director of the festival, and our history with her goes back to when she worked with Hello Cool World for the launch of The Corporation. Most recently she helped us with our LACE PSA shoot, and a workshop we did with the BCNU.

If you want to go to films at Projecting Change (and hurry there's not much time left!)  don't forget to mention Hello Cool World as a festival supporter to get $2 off ticket!

Last night's LACE launch and party was a total success with many folks at the screening of "Chemerical" which was the feature doc that our LACE short films preceded. A discussion afterwards was accompanied by some eco-friendly cleaning product  & cosmetic gift bags.

]]> Saturday, 24 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 VideoVideo WorkshopsMedia ActivismLocal Events & PartiesHelloCoolWorldFilm Launch Lace Yourself!

We have been preparing all week getting ready for our PSA LAUNCH + AFTERPARTY!

Tonight at the Projecting Change Film Festival our "It's What's Inside" PSA and 3-minute "Live Aware, Create Empowerement" mini-doc starring the Vancouver LACE Action Team will screen alongside Chemerical: Redefinining Clean for A New Generation. The screening starts at 7:00 pm and you can get $2 off the ticket when you mention Hello Cool World as a festival supporter.

After that, head to our official afterparty at the W2 Storyum and Celebrate Community Media!  Vancouver Co-op Radio CFR 107.2fm and W2 are celebrating our launch and hree and a half decades of community media, along with our launch! The party begins at 9:00 ( so plenty of time to hustle down after our screening ) and admission is FREE. Dance to the sounds of DJ Atef and Lady Ra, enter to win door prizes and indulge in doughnuts from Honey Doughnuts. Enter to win a fabulous gift bag and door prizes from our generous friends and sponsors:

ARSENAL PULP PRESS

I LOVE MY MUFF

LUNA PADS

ESCENTS

BODY POLITIC

NELLIES ALL NATURAL

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOAP

ASPEN CLEAN

ETHICAL BEAN

SHE'S FIT

LAVISH AND LIME

AYALA MORIEL PARFUMS

Visit them! Love them! We do!

We will be letting you know more about these fabulous local businesses all through the week so check back regularly!

]]> Friday, 23 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Cervical Cancer Screening Program CampaignFilm LaunchHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaign

Here at LACE Campaign headquarters we've got spring fever and we have a feeling you've caught it too. We've got a cure. This Friday, April 23 treat yourself to our LACE Campaign PSA Premiere at the Projecting Change Film Festival.

Our "It's What's Inside" PSA and 3-minute "Live Aware, Create Empowerement" mini-doc starring the Vancouver LACE Action Team will screen alongside Chemerical: Redefinining Clean for A New Generation. Perfect inspiration for a healthy way to spring clean, Chemerical is a fun and informative documentary about toxic chemicals in our homes. Meet the incredible LACE Action Team, pick up some LACE schwag and start off this spring season healthy as ever. Don’t be late - LACE Is on first! Mention Hello Cool World as a festival supporter to get $2 off the ticket. If you haven't already, take a sneak peek at our glamorous PSA film-shoot!

After that, head to our official afterparty at the W2 Storyum and Celebrate Community Media. We've teamed up with Vancouver Co-op Radio CFR 107.2fm and W2 to commemmorate three and a half decades of community media, along with our launch! The party begins at 9:00 ( so plenty of time to hustle down after our screening ) and admission is FREE. Bring your ticket stub from Chemerical for a chance to win door prizes! Dance to the sounds of DJ Atef and Lady Ra, enter to win door prizes and indulge in doughnuts from Honey Doughnuts. Bring friends, family, lovers, neighbors and don't forget to wear your LACE!

]]> Monday, 19 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignMedia Activism PROJECTING CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL - April 22 - 25

+ LACE CAMPAIGN VANCOUVER LAUNCH EVENTS - April 23

+ CO-OP RADIO - FUNDRAISING DRIVE AND PARTY. April 15- April 23

We're very excited here at Hello Cool World headquarters. Once again we are a community supporter of the Projecting Change Festival which starts on Earth Day, Thursday April 22. (Mention HelloCoolWorld to get a ticket discount!) And after a year of preparation, our newest campaign is launching. The LACE Campaign short video and PSA will be on the big screen of the Friday night film 7pm screening of "Chemerical" at Projecting Change (5th Avenue Cinema in Vancouver). Then we join Co-op Radio to celebrate three and half decades of community media in the W2 Storyeum space, 151 W. Cordova,  where we will get our LACE on and party with our own DJ Atef & Lady Ra. This party is a combined celebration of the LACE launch and Co-op Radio's 35th Anniversary and comes at the end of their annual fundraising drive.

ADMISSION TO PARTY IS FREE
Bike parking inside, car parking on roof, on bus route.

Get your LACE on! Bring your Co-op Radio Pledges!
Dance Party, Door Prizes and Doughnuts from Honey Doughnuts and Goodies.]]> Monday, 19 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignBe The MediaCervical Cancer Screening Program CampaignEnvironmentFeminismFilm LaunchHealth/Health AdvocacyLocal Events & PartiesMedia ActivismSocial MarketingStrategy Last night some of us at Hello Cool World held our very first "Theory-into-practice Salon" more about that later...TODAY our LACE Campaign press release goes out to media, promoting our launch next Friday April 23, at 7 pm of the "It's What's Inside" PSA, and short film about the Action Team. It's premiering in front of the film "Chemerical" at the Projecting Change Film festival. Plus our ad goes into Elle magazine, and Lizzy continues to look for doughnut sponsors for our party. We met with our friends at Coop radio and W2 yesterday, to plan a party to celebrate our launch, W2's new space, and Coop Radio's 35th Anniversary & fundraising drive... So if you are in Vancouver on April 23 you want to MARK THE DATE....And if you can help us let us know! Email: outreach{at}lacecampaign.com

Meanwhile elsewhere on the world wide web...

TODAY, on the film & corporate personhood front -- I'll be on David Mathison's  Blog/Talk/Radio show for Be The Media. (Buy the book, by the way, it's great). Along with indie film go-to guru Peter Broderick, and Corporation author -co-creator Joel Bakan we'l be talking about indie distribution and grassroots promotion on the web. And corporate personhood...

]]> Wednesday, 14 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Be The MediaCampaign 4 Corporate Harm ReductionCervical Cancer Screening Program CampaignHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & PartiesMarketingMedia Activism TODAY, on the film & corporate personhood front -- I'll be on David Mathison's  Blog/Talk/Radio show for Be The Media. (Buy the book, by the way, it's great). Along with indie film go-to guru Peter Broderick, and Corporation author co-creator Joel Bakan we'l be talking about indie distribution and grassroots promotion on the web. And corporate personhood...]]> Wednesday, 14 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Be The MediaBig PictureCampaign 4 Corporate Harm ReductionCitizens United RulingThe Corporation We know that that the Pap test is one of the most effective screening tests ever devised.

We know that regular screening can detect changes in the cells on your cervix, before they can become a real danger to your health.

We know that young women in B.C. aren’t getting Pap tests regularly.  And it’s time for that to change.

(We also know that doughnuts look like a cervix and are the sweetest way to get people talking about the importance of Pap tests!)

]]> Wednesday, 14 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 FeminismHealth/Health AdvocacyLACE campaignLocal Events & Parties Can you feel the excitement? The official launch of the LACE Campaign is just two weeks away. We are gearing up to cover British Columbia in LACE leading up to our LACE Campaign PSA Screening & Launch Party starting with this sneak peek.

The PSA will be showing at Projecting Change Film Festival with Chemerical: Redefining Clean For A New Generation (Facebook event here) and we'll be announcing the details of the after-screening party soon. In the meantime, be one of the first to see footage of the LACE Campaign photo shoot!

]]> Friday, 09 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 LACE campaignVideoHealth/Health AdvocacyFilm LaunchLocal Events & Parties We are so excited to be a part of this years Projecting Change Film Festival and the Vancouver premiere of Chemerical: Redefining Clean for A New Generation.  What better way to usher in spring than learning how to create a toxic free home as well as take care of our bodies with regular pap testing? We also get to celebrate the launch of the LACE Campaign by watching the “It’s What’s Inside” PSA on the big screen! Then mingle with members of the Action Team at our LACE Launch after party ( details to be announced soon... ). 

]]> Wednesday, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Film LaunchLACE campaign

The street nurses of Bevel Up are calling on the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games to dedicate former Olympic cars to fight AIDS. So many agencies in the Downtown Eastside could use outreach vans for their work. Whether delivering a meal to a man with AIDS in a SRO in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, or providing a means to get an HIV positive woman to a doctor’s appointment or for an agency to provide services for sex workers – no Buick need be wasted!

Sign the petition at: www.PetitionOnline.com/legacy10

Help us spread the word and get as many signatures as we can! Share it on Facebook  & Retweet to your followers (@BevelUp). Let's create an Olympics legacy Vancouver can be proud of.

]]> Wednesday, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Bevel UpHealth/Health AdvocacySexual HealthPoverty & Economic Justice

We're calling on the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games to dedicate former Olympic cars to fight AIDS. So many agencies in the Downtown Eastside could use outreach vans for their work. Whether delivering a meal to a man with AIDS in a SRO in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, or providing a means to get an HIV positive woman to a doctor’s appointment or for an agency to provide services for sex workers – no Buick need be wasted!

Sign our petition at: www.PetitionOnline.com/legacy10

Help us spread the word and get as many signatures as we can! Share it on Facebook  & Retweet to your followers (@BevelUp). Let's create an Olympics legacy Vancouver can be proud of.

]]> Thursday, 01 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Van2010Poverty & Economic JusticeOlympicsBevel Up Today we are working with a group of BCNU Lobbyists to talk about how to use Social Networking in campaigns. We'll be addressing questions in this live blog.

]]> Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Hello Cool Workshops This week we had such a great time at the British Columbia Nurses Union Leadership Conference. Because of our good friends at Bevel Up Outreach we already knew that nurses can change the world, but it was a treat to meet so many lovely men and women who touch all of our lives. While Kat presented another enlightening Hello Cool Workshop, a few members of the LACE Action team set up a table with LACE Campaign postcards, lipbalm and of course (still being inspired by what a cervix looks like) -- doughnuts! Running a LACE Campaign table is a great way to inspire others and remind women about getting a regular pap test. Read on for a checklist that makes having a LACE table easy breezy.

]]> Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 FeminismHealth/Health AdvocacyHello Cool WorkshopsLACE campaignSexual Health It's been a busy spring for doing presentations. Recent demand for us to develop workshops has led to the creation of two workshop modules. The one we presented in early March was around Social Marketing Theory illustrated with case studies from our own work.

The other is forthcoming for the "BCNU Leaders Build Communities 2010." Through a keynote to the entire conference followed by a one-day hands on workshop for the Lobbyist group -- "Social Networking 101" we hope to demystify some of the jargon and explain how some of the free online tools will help the lobbyists do outreach work.

Anyone who's ever been an organizer knows how to network -- this is just a way to harness the power of these new tools to do more. During the workshop on March 31 we plan to do some live-blogging too. You have to take our workshop to access the Workshop Materials section, but anyone can check out the blog.

]]> Sunday, 28 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 WorkshopsHello Cool Workshops "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not."  - Dr. Seuss

I know, it seems silly to use a quote from Dr. Seuss when getting fired up about the official launch of the LACE Campaign. But he describes perfectly why the LACE Campaign is so important. LACE is not a fundraiser, it's about creating change and supporting our sisters, friends and neighbors in making healthy choices. And we can't get the word out without a dedicated and inspiring action team. 

]]> Friday, 26 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health/Health AdvocacyLACE campaign OK so I was never good at math, but I was excited to discover that the inventor of the world's first computer program was a woman!

In 1843 Ada Lovelace anticipated the development of computer software, artificial intelligence and computer music. She wrote the first recorded 'program'. All this at a time before computers as we know them existed.]]> Wednesday, 24 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Ada Lovelace Day

Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

Ada what day?

Ada Lovelace was the very first female "computer geek" who wrote the first descriptions of computers and software in the early 1800s. (For an in-depth look at her life, jump on over to the Hello Cool World blog). In honor of her, today we celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science. And what better way to commemorate the day then to blog about it.

]]> Wednesday, 24 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Ada Lovelace DayFeminismHealth/Health AdvocacyHelloCoolWorldLACE campaign Water has been an issue dear to my heart since we started the company 9 years ago. My mother always said, if you want to do one thing to decrease suffering in the world, make sure you give everyone, everywhere access to free, clean water.

Sadly, we've gone in the other direction.

We've polluted the last largest fresh water body on earth (The Great Lakes) and we are heading towards what many believe are the world water wars. And did you know that Nestle controls most of the world's bottled water?

Sadly, we've gone in the other direction.

We've polluted the last largest fresh water body on earth (The Great Lakes) and we are heading towards what many believe are the world water wars. And did you know that Nestle controls most of the world's bottled water?

Things are getting exciting here at LACE Headquarters. In the next few weeks we will be covering British Columbia in LACE - but we can't do it without you! If you are looking for something fun to do this spring while making a difference then you're in the right place. Read on about ways to link up with us, create a scene in your community and help spread the word about LACE!

]]> Thursday, 18 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health/Health AdvocacyLACE campaign A PR firm has put a tongue-in-cheek campaign together to take the next logical step and be the first "corporate person" to run for office.

So, we decorated our window for SafeVibe, and David and Lizzy hit the streets with the WAVAW street team, handing out coasters and posters. It was in the height of Oympic party mayhem, and they found a lot of folks on the street were happy to get the 'vibe'.

On the way we saw a large pod of Orcas setting the tone for what has been a great getaway from the street action in Vancouver. But we are coming back tonight!

One of the things we discussed was how to build our 'fan-base', those who sign up to get our email alerts, and in some cases want to do a lot more.

Inspired by reading the book "Be The Media" (which I recommend to all indie producers of anything) we contemplated what it would take to seek out and cultivate our '1000 true fans". This idea was in Kevin Kelly's forward to  the book, which is  compiled by David Mathison, and includes info about self production & distribution  from many experts including the much quoted Peter Broderick.

Last Friday, day of the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympic games I watched while some of my First Nations friends participated, and others protested.

During the ‘official’ opening, whether they knew it or not, the world was introduced to a basic lesson in First Nations protocol, or Chiyacx, the traditional law for how to do things in a good way. Those unfamiliar with Chiyacx, may have observed only what they see as ‘dancing and costumes’, what should be understood as regalia and ceremony. What happened was actually an historical first.

Thursday Feb 4 at V Lounge, 1905 Mainland, in Yaletown, Vancouver, Music, drinks, door prizes, no cover and lots of fun!

I would have been selling our devil-man tee-shirts for cash on the stairway, and marveling  at the table action with our our activist cohorts, such as the Council of Canadians, and the lineups of hardcore fans that just wouldn't quit.

One of the things I have always noted is the staying power of this film. It remains the reason people find us as it's popularity is not waning.

Nettie Wild, another Canadian filmmaker friend of ours, maker of Bevel Up  is celebrating as "Wild at Heart" a book about her films launches along with a retrospective of her films at Paciific Cinemateque in Vancouver tonight. Screening info below.

Bevel Up filmmaker, Nettie Wild, will be having her films shown by the Pacific Cinematheque January 15–17. Nettie Wild is one of Canada’s most respected documentarians. Her films touch upon many pressing social issues in Vancouver, Canada, and in the rest of the world as well.

Now my thoughts my heart goes out to Gaza.

Last year around this time I was marching in the unusual Vancouver snow in protest against Israel's massacre in Gaza. This year I will head out in this grey drizzly Vancouver rain at 3pm to the art gallery in solidarity with Code Pink's Gaza Freedom March. Google Gaza or look on #Gaza, #gfm for an action near you. The international delegation experienced violence at the hands of the Egyptian police, who would not let them into Gaza.

NEWSFLASH! Our GSB campaign featured in Design Edge Canada!

When I’m doing my job, walking around the streets in the downtown eastside, it sometimes feels like there will never be an end to homelessness. It can feel hopeless and overwhelming. That's why I was so struck watching the new video from activists at PIVOT legal society. They've made a hopeful "newscast" covering the day in the future when the last homeless person in the city gets a place to live. Check it out - it's so much fun to watch.

As is our annual tradition, we are closing our webstore Friday, November 27 for Buy Nothing Day. It's the same day as Black Friday, the official kick-off of the Christmas shopping season where consumer mobs flood stores and ransack shelves in a frenzied quest for low, low prices. Hopefully this year no workers will be trampled to death in the ensuing hysteria, and we encourage everyone to give this deranged day of consumerism gone wild a miss. But if you really can't deny yourself, we love this faux website at Do The Green Thing where you can "shop your sustainable heart out and Buy Nothing™."

To show our continued support for the Give Something Big campaign, Hello Cool World and The Corporation are teaming up with the peace & justice organization Inter Pares for the Give Something Big contest! On December 14, we’ll be drawing for the Grand Prize which includes:

• The Corporation 2 Disc Special Edition DVD
• Give Something Big Holiday Card Collection Set (12 print cards & envelopes)
• The Corporation Shirt - 100% Sweatshop free!
• Cocoa Camino Fair Trade Chocolate Bars
• Inter Pares mug

Read on to find out how to enter.

Reality Star Jade Goody. Photo from guardian.co.uk.

Important in it's own right, the twitter 'revolution' that #iranelection  is a shining example of, is also a great case study for the power of social media in the struggle for media democracy. HelloCoolWorld will be at this Saturday's Media Democracy Day in Vancouver.

Now this is the part where it should go without saying, but I will say -- I am opposed to censorship, of films, filmmakers, and opinions, but I say, like Naomi Klein, that this is not the moment to celebrate Israel after what the world watched happen last December and how the year began: witnessing war crimes in Gaza.

 They are all available on our webstore!

I asked each speaker to summarize what they spoke about framed as Three ACTION POINTS. Rivershed's founder Fin Donnelly sent me the following  three points summary.

1. Get to Know Your Rivershed

2. Reduce Your Impact

3. Get Active

The details are in the blog that follows. Also follow our #Waterlifefim converstaions on twitter!

I asked each speaker to summarize what they spoke about framed as Three ACTION POINTS. Rivershed's founder Fin Donnelly sent me the following  three points summary.

1. Get to Know Your Rivershed

2. Reduce Your Impact

3. Get Active

The details are in the blog that follows. Also follow our #Waterlifefim converstaions on twitter!

The concentration and continuous creative process of editing is great and the editor I work with, Chris Donaldson, is an old friend, so we have a lot of laughs. But the buck truly stops in the cutting room (because by the time you get there, the bucks have all been spent). Sometimes you don't have what you want or need, but you have to make do anyhow. With WATERLIFE, we had the opposite problem. Cinematographer John Minh Tran had done a brilliant job, the people we had met were wonderful and the places we had been were extraordinary. Going through the footage was like sifting through diamonds that were flecked with the odd bit of mud. It was a good problem to have, but one that, once again, illustrated the constant tension in documentary between showing the complexity of reality and making a product that will be palatable to an impatient and over-mediated public.

WATERLIFE, a film that spans the whole Great Lakes and explores the factors bedeviling them, was designed from the get-go with community in mind. I wanted to make a film that would reveal the lakes to the millions of people who live on them, consume them, and are, literally, shaped by them - yet who ignore them and what's happening within them (and, thus, within themselves). Practically speaking, my collaborators and I wanted the film to bolster the work of the thousands of environmentalists, scientists, policy makers and citizens who spend endless hours trying to educate their neighbors about what's really going on beyond the beautiful blue horizon. As Brent Gibson, communications director for Great Lakes United, said about the film after seeing it: "WATERLIFE translates into images a story told too often with facts, figures, and numbers. To truly understand how powerful - and especially vulnerable - the Great Lakes are, you must see them and you must experience them." So, it's kind of like what scientists call a "mutualistic symbiotic relationship", like sharks and remoras - documentary filmmakers can speak in ways that environmentalists can't, but without their knowledge and help, we would have nothing to say. (Which, I guess, makes us filmmakers the attendant, parasitic remoras.)

Sure, the lake may be hard to ignore if you live in Sault St Marie or Collingwood or Bay City. But if you live in Toronto or Cleveland or even Chicago, with its much-celebrated waterfront, you could go months without ever laying steady eyes on that vast tract of blue and you might never, in your whole life, swim in it or boat on it. You probably don't even know that you drink it and pee into it; most people cannot begin to imagine what's inside their plumbing or inside their skin. And the mass-mediated consumer culture, in which you cheerfully wallow, is devoted to preserving that innocence.

After three nearly fruitless years of trying to fund WATERLIFE, our new film about the Great Lakes, the money suddenly fell into place. In the end, the film became a co-production between our company, Primitive Entertainment, and the National Film Board of Canada, with supporters that included Mark Achbar's Big Picture Media Corporation, the Sundance Channel (which will broadcast the film in the US in August), History Television in Canada, Telefilm Canada (a government investing agency), NHK (the national broadcaster in Japan) and a fund set up by broadcaster Canwest and the Hot Docs film festival. Finally, the dreary challenge of filmmaking was behind us, and the fun challenge began: deciding what, exactly, the film should say -- and how.

Almost everyone is compelled by the sight of water, regardless of its form. We are rejuvenated and calmed just by watching it, whether in a hard rain bouncing off the road, waves sculpting a sandy shore, clouds rolling by or drops sending ripples across our bath. For filmmakers, water imagery is pure catnip; its endlessly changing patterns, moods, colors and meanings - from baptism to drowning -- are the reason you see it so often in movies and commercials. As a documentary filmmaker, I love it as an image and metaphor, but also care about it as a subject.

We’re in the research phase of a new campaign for BC Cancer Agency’s Cervical Cancer Screening Program (CCSP). We’re looking for feedback on materials to help us design messages that will increase the rate of Pap testing among young women. We've launched an online survey contest with the chance to win La Senza gift certificates. (BC women between the ages of 20-29 are eligible for the contest.)

Take the survey and pass the link on to your friends. The contest won't be up for long!

https://www.hellocoolworld.com/survey/ccsp/index.cfm

Documentary makers like to believe that our films show our audiences new realities – but those films are also like Rorschach tests in that people tend to see in them what they are already inclined to see.

No character in WATERLIFE draws a more powerful response than Josephine Mandamin, the Anishinaabe grandmother from Thunder Bay who walked around the Great Lakes to raise interest in their plight. But the responses are polarized.

DOXA opened last night  in Vancouver with Larry Weinstein's "Inside Hana's Suitcase" and a party at the VAG. WATERLIFE  plays on Tuesday at DOXA. HelloCoolWorld and Rivershed Society community sponsors.

Today I went to the film: "Shooting Women" which was an inspiring doc about women behind the camera.  Featuring over fifty women cinematographers and directors from around the world. It was shot over a period of six years by pioneering filmmaker and cinema studies professor Alexis Krasilovsky. Includes interviews from camerawomen from RAWA. (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan)

The film was followed by a panel of feisty women discussing how Women Behind the Camera are underrepresented. Moderator Rina Fraticelli mentioned some stats from a study recently done that can be viewed at: www.pleaseadjustyourset.com.

Watch our blog for DOXA updates! 

Waterlife Coming to Toronto and Vancouver in June!

 Contact us if you want to help us spread the word!

Last week, when the film premiered at Hot Docs in Toronto we met many more –film enthusiasts, interested citizens and passionate environmentalists. The film prompted many questions and, again, time constraints meant we were only able to deal with a few of them – and superficially at that.

So over the next months, as WATERLIFE rolls out in Canada and the United States, I’m going to use this forum to introduce some of the people whose stories didn’t make the film and try to address some of the questions that the film is raising.

This week, I'll respond to some of the questions asked at the screenings.

-- Mark Achbar Producer/Director The Corporation, Executive Producer Fierce Light, Waterlife, Pax Americana, A Short History of Progress

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"HUGELY ENGAGING AND VISUALLY DELIGHTFUL." ~ Toronto Sun

"A POETIC CALL TO HEARTFELT ACTION." ~ Common Ground

"ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL." ~ NewCityFIlm, Chicago

OTTAWA, TORONTO, VANCOUVER: As the saying goes, “Every mother is a working mother!” On May Day or International Workers’ Day, with Inter Pares we are  hitting the streets in Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto as part of the build-up to our own Mother’s Day campaign.

Samantha McGavin of Inter Pares holding fair trade carnations, and dressed as one of the founders of Mother’s Day.

Big news for Green Chain fans around the world (outside of Canada). The Green Chain is now available online NOW at a website near you to celebrate Earth Day! The Green Chain is a film about the conflicts between people on both sides of the battle who love trees — and are willing to risk anything to protect their personal visions of the forest. (will be available on Dailymotion, Hulu and YouTube)" (Note: Canadian's the only one of these that will work is YouTube).

Please contact the Leader of the Official Opposition and your local Member of Parliament and ask them to support U.S. Iraq War resisters during next week’s vote. If the 163 members of the opposition parties can unite again, together we can defeat the 143 Conservatives who promise to vote against Iraq War resisters and deport them to jail in the U.S.

Media Benjamin is co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace. My first experience with Global Exchange was through the enormous support they gave The Corporation when we launched at the Castro in San Francisco. They were the hub for volunteers who blanketed the city with our leaflets and posters. Recently, moved and even re-politicized by what can only be described as the atrocities of what Israel has done to Gaza, I have been following what CODEPINK and Medea have been up to. To read about her trip last week to Gaza check out the article.

It's time. Long past time. The best strategy to end the increasingly bloody occupation is for Israel to become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to apartheid in South Africa.

The only international news network covering every aspect of the war on Gaza is Al Jazeera English. The station isn't available in North America but you can watch it live in high-quality through www.livestation.com (player download is required).

I was already working with Mark Achbar during the early days of The Corporation when I started all this, so as to have a way to not only promote the film's launch, but to work on sustaining the desire it produced in so many people -- to get involved, to shape change and to prevent profit over people from prevailing.

As we prepare to send out an e'Zine next week to all our HCW members, I am thinking about the projects we take on and how they interconnect. 

In these times, it does seem that unfettered consumption as a way of life has reached it's own bottom line. The day after BND we are going to be urging you to do a little more "Think-Buying" as now, it's more important then ever to support the progressive people, organizations, and causes that are also feeling the crunch as the financial crisis trickles down to their funders and donors making fund-raising more precarious.

We're thrilled to be working with Inter Pares this year on their alternative giving campaign -- Give Something Big! We're making it part of our Campaign 4 Corporate Harm Reduction.

BEVEL UP follows street nurses in Vancouver's Downtown East Side (DTES) working with anyone who needs their care. Many of these people are homeless. Watch this blog for details of our ongoing work with the film and the issues it represents.

 Mark & Siobhan drinking "Barack’s Fizz™". Read on for a full description!

I'd also like to encourage those in the US  to go see the powerful film Trouble The Water— a true story about a remarkable couple in New Orleans —  including a raw first-person video account of the hurricane as it hit them. The film documents them surviving not only deadly hurricanes, breached levees and armed soldiers, but reflecting after the fact on a government that has repeatedly failed them a powerful testament to why we need change NOW.

To find out where the film is playing now go to: www.troublethewaterfilm.com

"Politube"includes a screening of our own Feminist Heritage Minute animation (created for Inter Pares a Social Justice organization based in Ottawa), our cohort Naomi Klein’s viral short film to promote The Shock Doctrine, our GNN pal Stephen Marshall’s "Channel Surfing the Apocalypse", and more!

5:30 -8 pm: NEW MEDIA BC Networking sessions (and I hear there is free beer if you get there early)  8-9:30pm “Politube” -- screening.  Location:  Radical Entertainment