WORLD AIDS DAY 2009 EVENTS:

BENEFIT: Voices Of Hope (Casey House) World AIDS Day concert with Dr Draw, Julie Michaels and others. 7 pm. Free (donations appreciated). Metropolitan United Church, Queen and Church. caseyhouse.com.
LECTURE: Climate Change And Food Security Panel discussion on how climate change will undermine global food production. 7 pm. Free. OISE, rm 3311, 252 Bloor W. climatechangeiscomingtotown.net.
2009 World AIDS Day Event: HIV, Housing and Health. Join the a series of presentations on HIV, Housing and Health on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 2 - 3:30 pm in the …

LECTURE: The Global Economy Discussion
A post-Keynesian analysis of current events. Tuesday, November 10. 7:30 pm. Free. OISE, 252 Bloor W. 416-340-1865.

BOOK LAUNCH: Harvest Pilgrims
Mexican And Caribbean Migrant Farm Workers In Canada Launch of a book of photographs by Vincenzo Pietropaolo. Tuesday, November 10. 7-9 pm. Free. Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen W. 416-535-9914.

FILM SCREENING: How Do We Stop Capitalism From Destroying The Planet?
Video screening and talk by John Bell of Stop Climate Chaos Coalition. Tuesday, November 10. 7:30 pm. Free. Bahen Centre, 40 St George. socialist.ca.
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FEATURED EVENT OF THE WEEK:

BLOG ACTION DAY 2009: Climate Change
Thursday October 15, 2009. Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices. www.blogactionday.org.
LECTURE: The Nuclear Question Physicians for Global Survival
Forum with physician/activist Helen Caldicott. Tuesday October 13, 2009. Noon-1:30 pm. …

Writing a paper on how global health governance and financing is changing made me aware of the influence the Gates Foundation has in setting the global health agenda.  As well as learning about its achievements, I also started learning about some of the critiques people have made of the Gates Foundation approach.
The Facts:
The Gates Foundation is a BIG player in global health.  In 2007, the Foundation’s endowment stood at over $60billion, an amount greater than the GDP of 70% of countries in the world.  The money goes to all sorts …

The Globe and Mail recently ran an article called “Banned Aid” on the new funding approach to international development agencies in Canada. Canada has made recent changes to their funding approach restricting their major funding to 20 key countries essentially abandoning countries like Malawi, Rwanda, Niger among others (they still give some aid but it is a very small percentage of their former funding. When I was in university there was chatter among some of my professors that this was the way the Canadian Government was moving so I can’t …

A recap seems to be the thing to do in the blogosphere, although I’m a few days too late.  I got my inspiration here: Blood and Milk and Global Health Report.  So, here are the top five most popular posts on my blog in its first year - its a surprising mix!

Ethiopian Nativity of Mary: Reporting back from a visit to one of Toronto’s Ethiopian Orthodox Churches after a big celebration.
Toronto Events This Week - Lead up to World Aids Day: It seems like Torontonians really wanted to get involved …