LGBT Rights in Russia: How a generation will make all the difference

Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee took a stand against intolerance. The committee unanimously accepted a recommendation to include sexual orientation in the existing anti-discrimination clause of the Olympic Charter. From now on, all host cities will have to include the clause in their signed agreements. This means 2022 bidders Kazakhstan and China will…

Ebola: How the world’s focus has shifted

“Nobody in West Africa had ever seen ebola before and they were scared. They were really, really scared.” According to American physician Dr. Aileen Marty, this is what the recent ebola epidemic looks like from the ground.She says the residents of Nigeria, where she was stationed, were afraid of the droves of people coming into…

Using your smartphone to… reduce stress?

She lost everything in the fire. She lost her possessions and her home. She lost her sense of balance. In January, Emily Barrie’s home on Gilmour Street in Ottawa burned to the ground, taking everything she owned with it.  She was forced to start her life from scratch in her final semester of university.  Barrie describes…

Mindfulness in Education

Anxiety. Depression. Pain. Stress.  What if there was a way to improve mental health and well-being by chanting or thinking compassionate thoughts?  With deep breathing or meditation?  According to several new studies, there is. Mindfulness is making its move into the mainstream and increasingly, into the classroom as well.  Educators across the country are embracing…