CELEBRATING: SHARA ROSEN

(As with all entries, if you are pressed for time you may scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section.)

As can be said about  virtually all civically/politically active people I know, Shara’s family was a huge influence in her development as a community worker. 

My parents (of blessed memory) were the perfect role models.  Our home was always open to strangers who spent many a holiday feast with us.  My mom was active in the school PTA and numerous Jewish women’s groups.  My dad worked six days a week but was an essential participant in my elementary school's annual bazaar - he was in charge of the clothing section - he had been in retail clothing sales.

 Shara’s first conscious memories of being involved in community service were from when she was about nine years old.  She joined a Jewish youth group called Habonim  that:

…taught us the merits of social democracy where all citizens are valued and assured by the state a life of dignity, education, healthcare and free from poverty.

She remained an active member of Habonim for ten years. 

 Over the years, Shara has been active in a number of non-profit groups, both here ( B'Nai Brith Youth), and the Health Action Committee, and overseas (Senegal), as a volunteer with American Jewish World Service .  Presently she is on the Board and a number of committees of Project Genesis , and she is the founding member and President of Fondation Sénégal Santé Mobile (FSSM) - you can visit their website by clicking  here .

When I asked Shara what had led her to found FSSM, she replied as follows:

"Several years ago, my husband a Senegalese man I met while in Senegal,  got off the phone with his family and he was crying.  His 12 year old niece had just passed away having been wrongly diagnosed with  malaria  instead of yellow fever.  The treatments are different and so she did not make it.  I told him at that time that we who are privileged have to do something.  Especially since both of these diseases are endemic in the country and it should be very routine to get a proper diagnosis.  A few years later the Fondation Senegal Santé Mobile was established - 2009 and in 2010 we received our Revenue Canada Charities status and began our work in earnest." 

The combination of  a strong sense of social responsibility and the personal tragedy of her niece mobilized Shara to take action. 

I realize that there is a great need in Canada as well, but my experience in Senegal has shown me that even the most needy here are in better shape than there [Senegal]. This is because most of our basic health care needs are provided by our government.

FSSM was founded to “…provide basic primary healthcare to under-served populations in Senegal.”  At present, there have been two shipments of basic medications and diabetes monitoring equipment to the community health centre (known as Post de santé) in the town Gorom 1.  Serving roughly ten villages and between 40,000 and 60,000 villages, this Post de santé is critically important.

 FSSM is presently in the process of planning a Gala evening of multicultural food, parables, and music, with all proceeds going to support a maternity and birthing centre – recently built in Gorom 1.  Shara’s goals as President of FSSM is “…to raise enough money to provide these, and eventually other village populations, with the basic healthcare they now lack.”

(These planning sessions are always comfortable, replete with wonderful food, and often include the  non-human 'member' of the committee.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.       Donate to the  Brick by Brick   campaign of FSSM, either as part of your regular donations or as a gift to another.

2.       If you are in the Montreal area, buy a ticket to the Gala, to be held on Oct 26, 2011, from 18h00-22h00 (place to be determined).  You can buy tickets by contacting FSSM at 514-369-8607, or get more information at their website .

3.       Think about some injustice you’ve experienced

4.       Do a bit of research and see if there are any groups dealing with this issue

5.       If there are, donate time and/or money.  Educate others.

6.       If there aren’t, do some research and start your own group.

CELEBRATING: DANIEL BONIN

"Doing is a quantum leap from imagining."  Barbara Sher

The goal of the “Celebrating…” blog entries is to celebrate social/political involvement, and to present a range of people and groups.  The views expressed may or may not be representative of your opinions, or of mine, but the goal here is to illustrate the many ways people get involved, and to encourage others to become more active. 

As always, if pressed for time skip ahead to the WHAT YOU CAN DO section.

Daniel Bonin’s earliest memories of social and political involvement consist of raising money for different charities, and of church involvement. 

Elders, whether they be my mother, my godparents, my father, or various member of the community often encouraged me to help others and  to make the world a better place, even if it was through simple or little acts.  One of the lessons I remember the most from when I was a child is that I should never ‘hide my light under a bushel’, and I’ve always had a strong need for social justice.

Over the last decade, this need has been shaped by personal loss.  In 2003, Daniel lost a long battle for custody of his daughter.  He has not heard from her since.

His long struggle with the court system focused his interest in social activism and social justice on gender bias within the family court system.  Constitutionally, laws must be applied equally to all, regardless of gender.  In Daniel’s case (and in many other custody cases), the laws are applied with a clear bias towards women, and with the apparent assumption that women are better parents.  The loss of his daughter galvanized Daniel, and over the last ten years or so, he has worked to raise awareness of this bias, as well as sexism in general. 

Dealing with the emotional fall out of his loss, Daniel sought support.  “Not much was available for fathers in 2003.  Most social services revolved around women and their needs.” After much searching, he found a small group of men who met to talk of their loss, but  Daniel felt a need for action on the matter, not just emotional support.  Through contacts with the first group, he was lead to another, action-oriented group of fathers. 

The Quebec chapter of Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) was small, but vocal.  In May 2005, they took part in a North American-wide series of protests.  The Montreal chapter ‘pirated’ billboards overlooking the TransCanada Highway, hanging banners where passing motorists could see them.  Additionally, thousands of live crickets were released into court houses within Quebec, and across the Canada (see here and here) in protest of unfair treatment in the family court system.

Daniel even climbed the cross on Mount Royal, disguised as Spiderman in order to draw attention to the plight of fathers.  

(A long tradition of using Superhero disguises exists within the Fathers 4 Justice movement see here  and here).

This resulted in others climbing various structures in and around the city, to draw the same attention to the problem, creating a snowball effect.

Within two months, the Montreal chapter received between 1,600 and 2,000 calls from people asking for help in dealing with the family court system.  This small group was not capable of dealing with all these requests; it was simply more than they could handle. 

Along with these requests, the publicity generated by their public protests resulted in pressure from groups (some of whom were quite powerful) – groups who saw F4J as being anti-woman and sexist, rather than pro-family and anti-sexist. These groups:

…branded us as the opposite of feminists, which I personally believe was contrary to what I believe our movement was – a movement which would liberate women from their pedestal of being the perfect mother who can work and take care of the children.  The only thing F4J wanted was to have men be seen as equals in their parenting skills and abilities, in accordance with Quebec’s Legal System.

The years of “…breaking our heads against a pretty solid wall of ignorance, misandry, propaganda and legal bigotry…” took its toll on many members of F4J, including Daniel. He cut back on activism and protesting for a few years, choosing instead to recharge his batteries and rebuild his emotional reserves.   

Now, having suffered eight years without any contact from my child, I realize that while attitudes might be slowly trickling forward, there is still a lot that needs to be done, and a lack of leadership.  The groups that presently exit for fathers, or male victims of domestic violence, are under the financial boot of the Ministre de Famille and the Condition Feminine, government organisations that seem to have excluded the idea of having masculine or paternal representation within their organisations, leaving the small and very few men’s groups and support systems to be constantly on guard not to offend…

Daniel is now beginning to become active in the movement once more, choosing to focus his attention on a new group: Fathers and the Family Action Collective (FATFAC). The seed for FATFAC was planted by former members of F4J who felt that their work was important and necessary in order to maintain some sort of presence in the public eye, and to sustain momentum in public education regarding this issue. (F4J Montreal is presently without real organisation or form, and FATFAC is interested in a different form of protest – more subdued, more inclusive.) While he still considers himself a “…T-shirt wearing member of F4J…” (referring to the F4J T-shirt he wears often, and intentionally, to public protests in order to draw attention to the plight of fathers), Daniel is branching out, and ready to begin to learn the skills necessary to lead FATFAC.


Their first event is a Candle Light Vigil to be held in honour of Fathers Who Care, and for fathers and extended family members who wish to take part in memory of lost children.  This event will take place Saturday, June 18, 2011 from 20h00-22h30, in Phillips Square, Montreal (McGill Metro, St. Catherine’s St. across from The Bay.)  All are welcome. Bring your own candle. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. If you are in the area, drop in and take part in the Candle Light Vigil in honour of Fathers Who Care
2. Think about personal experiences that have left you feeling as though an injustice has been done
3. Find like-minded groups that try to correct this type of injustice
4. If you find them, donate money or time to the cause
5. If you don't find groups that deal with this issue, do some research and start your own group.

All are