Sacred Social Justice

Thoughts and musings from a writer, editor, photographer, activist, and musician in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I believe that faith and social action are intertwined in efforts to positively motivate change in the society around us. We need to be actively involved in our communities to try to effect this change locally and globally. I also love the local Arts scene. Warning: alternative perspectives and strong opinions ahead. Intimidated yet? Good - read on.

Recent Blog Posts

Celebrating Social Justice on Good Friday
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Celebrating Social Justice on Good Friday
The Edmonton Good Friday Outdoor Way of the Cross brings together members of the Christian social justice community, with a message for everyone, regardless of faith. Once again, this year's event had to be done in video form because of the pandemic, and once again I was happy to help with direct...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
ANNOUNCING JEWISH EDMONTON STORIES ONLINE PROJECT
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I am happy to announce that I will be working on the following project in collaboration with #YEGFilm and the cooperation of several community organizations. JEWISH EDMONTON STORIES ONLINE PROJECT SEEKS PARTICIPANTS Jewish Edmonton Stories Online, a project for Jewish and non-Jewish Edm...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
Fifteen Years of Radical Citizen Media
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In September of 2005, I attended my first peace march, and afterwards launched what has become RadicalCitizenMedia.com to document progressive social movements and citizen engagement. 15 years later, it has almost 50,000 photos, 3400 videos with over 4 million views, and 4500 subscribers. And You...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
Problematic Monuments: Educate, Don’t Celebrate
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I've been investigating the Ukrainian far-right for a number of years, particularly a couple of monuments in Edmonton that pay tribute to Nazis. Here is an article I wrote for the Canadian Jewish Record about one in particular: KIRMAN: Problematic monuments in Edmonton Force Us to Question Our Co...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
Why He Cries
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I wrote this song almost 20 years ago. It’s a bit over the top, but I think it’s still relevant in light of current world events. You can give a listen here: https://paulaevekirman.bandcamp.com/track/why-he-criesAs the dawn brings a new daySeems like no one has something good to sayBuilding ...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
Our Digital Future, C'est Ici
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Our Digital Future, C'est Ici
On November 29 and 30, Studio 96 became home for about 30 young people, mostly in their late teens and early 20s, who took part in a 24-hour “Thinkathon.” “Our Digital Future, C'est Ici” was organized by the Goethe-Institut Montreal, as well as the Goethe-Institut Toronto, Edmonton's NextGen, Eu...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
A School Visit for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
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On March 21, I was invited for the second time as a guest speaker for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21 at Balwin School in north Edmonton. My talk was very similar to the one I gave last year, focussing on anti-bullying, anti-Semitism, and activism. T...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
A Safe Space for Activism: Talk and Music
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A Safe Space for Activism: Talk and Music
I was invited to be the guest speaker and performer at the Unitarian Church of Edmonton for its quarterly "Social Justice Sunday" on October 28, 2018. The topic was "A Safe Space for Activism." Below is a video of my talk and performance of four songs, as well as my notes. I ad libbed a bit in my...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
#HateFreeYEG Lanches
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#HateFreeYEG Lanches
#HateFreeYEG is a new grassroots community initiative to work towards eradicating Edmonton of hate and racism. The initiative launched on September 30, and I was asked to speak at the launch as a community organizer about how we can eliminate hate, as well as my own experiences with anti-Semitism...
Published at Sacred Social Justice
Families Belong Together
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Families Belong Together
I helped organize the #FamiliesBelongTogether solidarity rally in Edmonton on June 30. Here is my speech and a video of my introductory words and chants. -- Thank you for coming this afternoon. We respectfully acknowledge that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place fo...
Published at Sacred Social Justice