The terrorist attacks in Paris a couple months back were tragic and a stark in contrast to the Climate Change Conference that occurred in the same City, not long after. Paris is a long way of, but the Conference will have big effects on us all. I am writing this before the start of the Conference and the internet and the media are abuzz with expectations. Where other efforts have failed to get agreements, here success seems possible.Climate change is real and its consequences are felt worldwide, even in Downsview. We are luckier than other places, but not all of us. If you ever wondered why we get more basement flooding cases now than 20 years ago, then part of the reason is because we get more rain and more “big rain days” now than ever before. The aging infrastructure does not help, but the reason why the issue reoccurs is the higher big rainfall numbers. In other places higher rainfalls and raising sea levels are drowning out people from their homes. In other places instead of higher rainfall there is draught.What conference means to us in Downsview is hard to know just yet. The goal of the conference is to have a binding agreement on climate for all the countries in the world that will prevent temperatures from raising above 2 C of pre-industrial levels. Basically, they mean to set up rules on green gas pollution that will prevent global warming from getting to the point of no return.Canada is doing some of that already. Alberta (oil producing Alberta!) has just announced major environmental changes to reduce carbon emissions and is leading the pack. Even Conservative led Saskatchewan announced that they are moving towards 50% renewable energy production by 2030.To the average person it may mean that over the next year some things will not be the same. Electric cars may be more affordable. Fixing your house to make it energy efficient will be cheaper. More neighbours will have solar panels. More of our food will be produced closer to home. Similar to the introduction of recycling, people may not like it at first, but we will wonder how we did things before once it happens.I will leave the readers with a little local inspiration. We can all make a difference or at least try. Some Blacksmith Public School students noted two years ago that Tim Horton’s cups are not recyclable (none of them are, they have a waxy covering that makes them garbage, the thing that prevents you from being burned). They then put on a video that our local Councillor played at City Hall in order to push a motion to move towards recycling the cups. The motion won, but the City is still trying to figure this out. Check out the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlO5sd4_BG0

On November 25, people around the world commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence against women is a complex cultural issue that can be examined from different angles. To be changed it needs the compromise of all social sectors to end it. This year the Latino community proposed to remember this day in a different way; with the proposal to examine violence against women in the form of songs, music and art from a variety of languages, cultures and artists.The event’s purpose was to examine art and culture and interpret what the lyrics in songs were really saying or what art was really expressing. The exercise unveiled what those apparently sweet songs or art pieces really mean to say, and how these words or art were the expression of violent men with aggressive intentions toward women. And in the process, discovering a hidden violent message in artistic expression, included looking for empathy for the aggressor and blaming the victims. Gender violence is not only physical, and it can take many other forms to devalue women, to instil fear, to limit their autonomy, to isolate them in the family and in the social wider context –as per example inequity at work. These different forms of violence have negative consequences on women’s physical and mental health, and have a negative impact on their children, who are witness of the violence against their mothers These are not issues usually examined in a fun and interactive manner, but this was the proposal of Latin@s en Toronto, (with the support of the Counsil of Spanish Heritage, Colectivo 65 and Ashtor). Using the tools given by music, sense of humour and poetry, the audience and organizers lost the fear of looking for new meanings in words and songs. The meeting was at 1265 St. Clair Ave. West (Evoke Gallery). The participants only needed to bring a good sense of humour and be willing to smile.