Category Archives: Issues in Society

Learning about creating change in our society with examinations of important issues that are/may be viewed as irrelevant by government.

Jobs vs Covid-19

December 10, 2020Issues in Society#financial security, an informal cornr, build financial security, health and well being, how to find part time work, how to find work in a #pandemic, jobs vs covid 19, work at homeGinsense

Our world has been turned upside down with this virus, Covid-19. It is a highly infectious disease that attacks our respiratory system, and affects everybody differently with a range of symptoms that can be mild, or create complications leading to death. No one person gets affected the same. Let’s examine managing ‘jobs vs Covid-19‘.

Employment is required to provide shelter, food, and luxury items such as mobile and landline telephone, cable or satellite services, and internet access, to name a few. It’s not just for self but family and loved ones too including our pet named, Boo.

Employee’s of these particular businesses forced to close their doors and not considered essential has left many people without employment, and receiving unemployment benefits is a short term program. So, what is one to do for on-going financial security?

Lower your Bills

One of the first tasks, is to take a look at all expenses, and reduce these costs :

can you lower your service bills to more basic costs?
can you suspend your services?
evaluate your food needs and trim groceries. Set up meal plans to most basic following national healthy diet standards.
food insecurity and shortages are being faced by many people and families. Search online and learn how you can extend your food stuffs with preserving methods such as dehydrating fruits and meat, freezing pre-cooked meals, and/or canning.
Purchase dry food stuffs. Beans and lentils, soup bouillon cubes, or powder packages, and powdered milk or eggs. Search online or check around for stores that carry dehydrated foods, and you may just find a jackpot, such as Bulk Barn.
Vehicle costs may not be negotiable but call and check if they’re open to negotiating lowering the cost by $50.00, and offer to repay this amount after a year. $50.00 x 12 = $600.00. It’s a temporary savings for extra funds but also one cost that will be due in full by year’s end. So, you must keep that in mind. They may say no altogether and you will have to decide to keep or forego the vehicle. This idea may be applied to rents or mortgages but again, check with your bank or landlord. These may require new ‘agreements/contracts’ and make sure to read the fine print so no extra charges are being applied since money gouging can be reported.

Government Essential Services & Jobs

Finding regular employment is the next step. One can always join the workers at the ‘essential’ businesses allowed by Ontario in areas such as:

food and convenience stores
food manufacturers and processors
packaging and delivery
liquor stores
health suppliers for human and pet consumption
gas suppliers and related services for ground and air
pharmacies and pharmaceuticals
food preparation, delivery and take-out
hotels, motels and rental units, residential and students
maintenance, repair, sanitation and security services for residential and commercial buildings
office and business suppliers
IT and communications services
safety equipment suppliers/manufacturers/distribution chain
transportation, taxi’s, delivery truck fleets, rail, air, and marine providing delivery of essential services
warehousing and storage of essential service products
truck stops and tow operators
business support providers for upkeep of transportation, etc.
agricultural services, harvest, processing, manufacture and distribution of foods for human and pet consumption.
business support providers for safety of primary food supply chain (livestock auctions, feed mills, farm equipment and feed suppliers, food terminals/warehouses, animal slaughter plants, and grain elevators)
veterinary pet care providers, and related animal health and welfare services
waste management services
construction services
financial services, bank and credit union, insurance, payroll support, and pensions
business suppliers that support global continuity of mining products, processing, manufacturers, oil and gas
environmental management/monitoring, spill emergency response, and related support services
infrastructure and safety government services, sewage, fire, police, water treatment, electrical grid, courts, and related support services
newspapers, radio and telecommunication providers and support services
medical research and support services
LTC homes and related services, medical devices, equipment, etc.
health providers, dental, hospital, mental health, optometrists, etc.
non-profit organizations for homeless, food banks, shelters, and related services providing food, shelter, protection, disabled, and economically disadvantaged
Other : mail and courier services, legal services, laundromats, funeral service providers, security services (security guards), temporary staff services, childcare for essential workers, home childcare for less than six children, cheque cashing businesses

A problem with finding employment with some of these ‘essential’ service providers that’s been in the news, is that they have Covid-19 ‘outbreaks‘. It seems that the more people working together in such close proximity raises the risk factors of getting infected. Secondly, there may be a huge pay difference as some of these ‘essential‘ businesses only offer minimum wage. Nobody wants to bring the virus home yet having a job with regular pay is needed, for our most basic needs, shelter, safety and food with the current high costs of living.

Creating Self-employment

One fix does exist but will require additional effort on your part. Take a minimum wage job and include a side hustle aka a part-time Gig. This will bring in extra monies to help maintain your current quality of living, or at least help with household bills. Exploring alternative self- employment ideas can help such as providing your own services that may be similar or complementary, to the existing essential services. A few other home business ideas and side hustles to consider:

offer dehydrating food services
offer canning food services
make large bag of cereal trail mixes for sale
offer two hour childcare services for six, or less children
rent an extra room, or garage space for temporary/seasonal storage
check web sites with Apps offering services such as Rover . com, Handyman . com
join App sites that offer coupons, and cash back for purchases
join a call centre for customer service, an online job
write articles and get paid by web sites looking for writers in topics you know
sell photographs to those business sectors looking for photo’s
make how-to videos for Youtube and include advertising
start your own food service business (food catering truck)
offer securing packages services for homes (Amazon, Wayfair, etc., packages) and deliver when home owners return home
house or pet sit
make and sell freezable meals
mobile-curbside pet groomer
join a court paper processor service delivering summons to court for legal offices
mobile curbside mechanic
offer translation services
offer new language classes (learn speak Italian, Arabic, Russian)
make and sell fresh bread from home
work with property managers/landlords to clean, repair, update apartments
offer computer repair, recovery, security service
become a Drone operator
learn and offer Drone repair services
join Rent-a-Friend, Rent-a-Cyber-Friend, or similar sites online but keep personal safety in mind too
explore becoming a Street Vendor
offer to sell personal safety products to families. Find a security business wholesale supplier that offers personal safety products such as personal alarms, GPS products, nanny cams. Order products at wholesale and sell at retail prices.
Personal Support service, offer to run errands, pick up and deliver orders, check in on elderly family members.
Offer to digitize family photos and make slideshows, offer them to buy flash USB memory cards (electronic data storage devices) as an extra service
income tax services, or bookkeeping
offer handwriting services for birthdays, anniversaries, etc., for business executives
sell small craft items on consignment with a few essential local stores

The employment news has not sounded great lately but we can take initiative and use a work-around. We just have to be okay with the idea of a minimum wage job, and a side hustle rather than concerned with our pride. It may be tough with a full or part time minimum wage job and a side hustle depending on the work output required. At least the HOURS and WHEN you do the side hustle is under your control, and to include how many gigs to reach a certain earning level. I will also highly recommend checking government INDUSTRY standards and laws which are governed by Acts. Lastly, you’ll need to set and diligently follow, a time schedule of your side hustles, and manage your available time. Keep a smile, respect confidentiality, and trust will be earned by paying customers.

Finding Comfortable

The exercise to trim your expenses to the near barest minimum will help extend what monies you have, or can earn. Hopefully, you have found that minimum threshold needed for your bills, maybe the small bills, and now got to focus on the large higher cost items such as mortgage and vehicle payments.

The second exercise to reassess your food shopping will help further reduce costs and extend food security. The bonus results are extra monies you can apply towards the costlier items that require payment, and maybe, learning to cook with new foods.

You’ll need to research your connected services online and see if they have lower cost service bundles, or suspend/cancel them outright. You can then calculate how much money is needed for all expenses. Wouldn’t it be cool if the government required businesses to cut prices in half? this would apply for the businesses too with their own costs, of course.

Learning to work two different types of jobs will also require you to change hats. You may find this may need taking a few moments to meditate. Close your eyes, breathe, and separate from a job requiring you to work for another, and switch your thinking to boss and delivering a service, to others. It will take practice and some take to it quickly while others struggle to find the balance but it can be done. Most of all, have faith in yourself that you got this.

Over time you’ll find your expenses manageable, and new sense of financial security. Strict management of your finances will be needed to keep up your new normal but you and your family will be safe with shelter, food and control of your bills. Changes to our lives with this novel virus will be our new normal but humans are adaptable too.

Extra Reading Resources

Essential services- Government of Canada – FAQ

61 Legit Work at Home Jobs and Side Hustles in Canada, Eh!!!

Canada Remote, Part-Time, & Freelance Jobs

Create Your Business Plan

Waiting on Science & Personal Well Being

Today’s health scientists have made many medical advancements, and working hard, to bring a vaccine, to the people. As said earlier, we just need to give them that time, and do our best to protect ourselves, and each other with masks, social distancing, and keeping our gatherings, as small as possible. This pandemic will eventually come under control. For now, stay strong, keep faith, stay safe.

I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight. Please feel free to leave your comments and Share your new found knowledge with others. It is FREE to subscribe by email or RSS feed.

An Informal Cornr, all rights reserved. Gins writes articles on business skills, development, health, science, technology and society and enjoys advocating for independence, security and a better world for all of us.

Living the Conditions of Genocide

November 19, 2015Issues in Societyan informal cornr, conditions of genocide, healing PTSD, health and wellness, mental health, personal well being, PTSD and Genocide, racism in canada, social issuesGinsense

genocide,60s Scoop, ptsd, mental health, living genocide, healing and welness — Healing from Genocide

One day, nestled in the forest, a child giggles and points to the birds flying by, staying close to his/her parent. This parent teaches the child how to pronounce words, naming the birds, a tree, the grass. That smile that lights up the parents face when this child repeats the words back, correctly, makes this child happy beyond words. It’s called joy.

Can you remember experiencing such a joy and sense of freedom, security, from your own childhood years? Can you imagine living the conditions of genocide?

Learning what is Genocide?

Genocide, in our minds, refers to ‘mass murder’ of a people but there are a few other terms that need explaining since they get used interchangeably but have their own separate definitions. As we know, the United Nations defines Genocide as ‘the destruction of a national ethnic, racial or religious group‘ and is considered the ultimate crime against humanity. It doesn’t have to necessarily mean complete annihilation of a group but still aims, to ‘eradicate‘ a part of Humanity.

Crimes against Humanity refers to systematic attacks against the civilian population regardless of whether in times of peace or war. It refers to acts against common human rights and values such as murder, extermination, forced displacement, slavery, rape, torture and other inhumane acts.

War Crimes, refers to criminal acts committed during armed conflicts and severe acts of Breach to the Rules of warfare. These rules are set down in the Geneva Conventions to protect the innocent civilian population, prisoners of war, sick or wounded military personnel, destruction of towns, cities, not justified by armed combatants.

The term crimes against humanity, is considered an ‘umbrella‘ term to encompass crimes that are not necessarily extreme as genocide but these crimes do not need to reach this point, in order to be defined and punished, by International laws.

What is a Society and Culture?

The conditions that occur in armed conflict zones affect people who make up a society. A society is defined as, ‘a group of people who live within the same territory and share a common culture’ (Sociology, The Core). Their social structure (more-or-less recurrent and stable patterns) are disrupted and people are displaced when homes, towns, villages are destroyed.

Culture refers to ‘the social heritage of a people, learned patterns for thinking, feeling and acting that are passed from one generation to the next. It includes ‘non-material’ culture, (the abstract creations like values, beliefs, symbols, norms, customs) and the ‘material’ culture which refers to the ‘physical’ artifacts and objects’.

Surviving Causes behind Violence

The urge and need, for self-preservation kicks in, and people will flee the conflict zone. They will enter a new nation seeking asylum and refuge. They will learn to add a new ‘culture‘ to their own. Where does one go when getting attacked in their own homelands?

The armed conflict zones, even in peaceful zones,can affect society and culture especially if ‘ethnocentrism‘ (judge the behavior of other groups by the standards of one’s OWN group) is the driving force to perceive others as an object of loathing, strangeness, evil and danger. It is one of three ingredients that arise from apathy towards the acts of racism.

One barrier may be ‘language‘. It is considered one of Man’s greatest ‘symbols‘ since it is ‘a socially structured system of sound patterns with specific and arbitrary meanings’. Language is the ‘cornerstone‘ of every culture around the world and PRINCIPLE means by which human beings create culture and share it from generation to generation.

silent pleas for help — pleas for help ignored

Why does Conflict exist?

Perspectives on reasons that conflict exists may differ, such as :

i) failure to give minorities full equality, wastes valuable human resources, generates ethnic hostilities, reduces economic production and undermines authority. Similar behaviors of abusers upon their ‘victims‘ and/or tyrants with government powers.

ii) A study of dominant group policies has revealed that a dominant nation ‘developed six types of policies: assimilation, pluralism, legal protection of minorities, population transfer, continued subjugation, and extermination‘(George E.Simpson and J.Milton Yinger, 1972). The minorities are kept ‘in their place‘- subservient, vulnerable and exploitable.

Long-term Effects of Violence

The long term effects of conflict zones have been studied since the First World war. Many names have been applied and today, a common term is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is used to describe the psychological impact of a traumatic event for an individual.

PTSD is a form of anxiety arising from a stressful or frightening event. Causes can be from natural disasters, criminal violence, lawful violence, s. assault, serious physical beating, and military combat.

Prolonged deprivation (such as experienced by concentration camp survivors) may scar people psychologically for Life. Other symptoms may include recurring memories, sense of personal isolation, disturbed sleep and concentration, deadpan emotions, awkward socialization skills, depression, irritability. These symptoms may show immediately or months later aka ‘delayed‘ reaction.

stop violence signage — Stop Violence message

Research, New world, and Healing

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that ‘10% of the people who experience traumatic events will have serious mental health problems and another 10% will develop behavior that will hinder their ability to function effectively‘. It is a tragic consequence of living through conflict upon any Human regardless of age.

Research has found that rehabilitation can be gained with positive new life experiences, psychological support, religious and cultural practices. If we can provide opportunity to fulfill Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs: physiological (water, food, air), safety and security (shelter), love and belonging (family, friends, community), self-esteem (positive new experiences, hope, joy), self-actualization (conscious of others, able to help others), rehabilitation and recovery can be attained.

People accessing help are found to be resilient and find recovery. WHO and the UN continue their research for improving and providing continual help in this area.

Racism in Canada

Did you know that 2/3 of the Indigenous population of N America, were wiped out by the early colonists and pride abounds, in that extreme act? Remember the little child, so happy beyond words? Well, 1950’s to today, First Nation children have been systematically and regularly ‘apprehended‘ and removed, from their FN communities and families.

Adult children of the 60’s Scoop have literally ‘lived‘ the EXACT same conditions and experiences, as the terrified refugee’s (arriving on our shores) but, in government care supported by the Childrens Aid Society, in their own homelands, Canada. Do you think that’s truly fair to do, upon a People? a Child? in exchange for money?

Learning in Action

Claiming Community Power

October 27, 2014Issues in Societycivil society, community and economic development, community self help, community sustainability, empower communities, good governanceGinsense

democracy, empowerment of people, civil society, An Informal Cornr — Community Power

The trade of goods goes on between many nations. Everybody negotiating Trade agreements for economic activity to help support and grow business and money flow. It brings needed monies to the national coffers to spend towards needs of the nation and benefits for businesses on either side of a trade agreement.

Global vs Local Business

Somewhere in the middle though communities are getting hurt, since the global market is replacing the local market.

Governments around the world have ‘centralized‘ powers, to a select few and blatantly ignore the voices and needs, of the People. The last thing a few of today’s government officials want, is You, or the People, to be empowered. Do you ever wonder why they are so hostile and indifferent, to Indigenous peoples, women, or other minority group? Especially if reasons for outrage affects survival?

Community Voices can Grow

The voices of these small groups are using community power, to push the government for changes and that power is ‘shared‘ between them. Joining with other ‘groups’ builds into a larger force and may continue to grow, with more people joining, until the government is greatly outnumbered. When government uses Police or Army powers, is it to truly regain Order or act of Retaliation? Power in a nation should be held by the People, not in hands of the few government officials, in office annointing themselves, as your saviors.

One of the greatest flaws of today’s economic system is that demand for goods and services, which powers economic growth, depends on how much money people have and are able to spend. People have also become dependent upon the government, to solve their problems and needs, when in reality, they can do something themselves.

The government and corporate pursuit, of centralizing control of resources, is diminishing ‘diversity‘, community economies, and having every town and city, all look alike.

Shall we figure out how to start building change, starting at home? Finding individual success and prosperity can begin in our own community by working collectively and cooperatively, as a team. The big secret? Keep the money circulating in, and into the community versus sending it out of the area.

What? Purchasing goods from China, Indonesia, London, etc., sends money out of the community. It supports the governments vision, for the ‘global market’ and doesn’t help you, or your community.

#Shop Local

The message ‘Shop Local’ should be quite familiar. Learning to build an ‘economy’ in your community must begin with taking steps, to recognize where money is ‘leaving’ the community, and can be found in ‘imports’ and our ‘banks’. Town mayors and council should be aware of this too, and are they doing anything to promote, support, grow our community economy?

Shopping for items from other nations, sends our money to them. When we put money into our savings bank account, it also goes out of circulation, from the community, used by the government for their national plans. Neither of these actions helps to stimulate an ‘economy’ in our community.

Build Business Partnerships and Network

We can change this with learning to ‘shop local’ and direct our banks, to invest our savings back into our own community projects through a community development committee or corporation, which also allows for accessing government grants, loans and funding.

The second step is to strengthen the levels of trade and exchange. This means, local store A buys and sells, local raw materials, hires local workers. These workers spend their earnings at another local store, B, who also buy and sell, local products, which helps this business pay their local workers. Banks can help stimulate the local economy with investments back into local community projects and businesses, providing loans, for expansion, start-up, training,etc.

A local product may cost a bit more but the effect of it’s return, back into the local market results as jobs, money circulation, an economy. One example, let’s explore the idea of producing a local jam. They would need a supplier for jars and lids. Another thought, offering a variety of berries, to expand the jam producers own product, could result in a berry farm. These businesses may require a loan to train workers, from the local community and purchase of needed equipment.

A second example, using invention and creativity to stretch existing scarce resources into new wealth which hadn’t existed before. Research the history of your area, use it to develop a Heritage or Cultural site, and promote it in the tourism industry. Stimulation of a healthy economy begins as other businesses may open to provide support, other or new services, or fills a new need.

Build a Community Identity

A few extra steps are needed. Success in building community spirit, will depend greatly upon the ‘sense of community’ between people, of all ages, ethnicity, and genders. A few solutions : create areas, activities and reasons for people to congregate and ‘bond’, interact socially, grow pride, in being part of developing a community identity, to call your own.

Every area where a community exists, is different and should be adapted with it’s natural environment versus imposing an un-natural environment. Do your best to build a unique and separate community identity.

Stimulating Economic Prosperity

Area’s to explore in stimulating ideas for economic prosperity, in your community, can begin with developing supporting projects in agriculture, health, environment, and education, to name a few.

Secondary business refers to providing manufacture type of industry and tertiary business refers to providing ‘service’ sector jobs. High costs of living can force communities to work towards examining alternative methods of providing needs for the people, such as lower housing affordability, community garden, or skills training.

Learning the needs of your community can be found through research, public input, secondary research reports, surveys, open meetings. A quick look at Maslow’s Law can also help as a reference guide and provide direction for improving societal shortcomings.

A community, is people working together, able to solve their own problems. A common goal can create cooperation, unity, dedication. A completed project instills pride and sense of accomplishment, empowerment and new beginnings for the community, over all.

It may not be an easy road and may require a ‘facilitator’ to help provide direction, but knowing just the basics, can improve your chances of success. People really can apply power over their lives and working together can build a new sense of community.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your thoughts and share this article. Send me a Request through the Ask a Question form if you have a topic of interest you wish to know more about, share a guest post or to say Hello!

Extra Reading

The Community Training & Development Centre

Useful Community Development- Urban to Rural

Community Development Corporation Manual Guide-Download

AIC|An Informal Cornr

'personal development can start with learning to grow your Knowledge from ordinary, to extraordinary'

Category Archives: Issues in Society