If you and your partners are lefties and want your stories posted, check out the Underground Notes and let me know. I'll transmit the questions.
Kathy and Mark
She: Kathy Whittam.
Currently on a quest to find out what it would take for every Canadian parent to be able to say, “I can't wait to send my my child to our community school” and whether such a thing is possible in our land of diversity. My documentary project, “Educate Me?!” will explore the big picture, political and cultural that are barriers to consensus on education issues.
With a quality education being a right for all children, why do parents have to “shop” for the best learning environment for the child to begin with? Shouldn't every school already be a quality school that students and parents can be happy with? Who should control how we educate our society, and why?
I'm taking my family on a road trip adventure next year on a search for answers, to explore the potential public education has for the future and whether any common ground can be found on how we should be educating the citizens of tomorrow.
Many of my ideas for the documentary have developed over time since I travelled around BC to work on the Charter for Public Education. I remain committed to the principles expressed within the Charter, which reflect that we heard from students, parents, teachers, trustees and other education stakeholders and community members province-wide. I was a founding member of the Charter for Public Education Network (CPEN), the organization created to keep the discussion going, and continue to be an active member of the board.
And in my spare time I help the green team for our housing co-op, and at work I am an organizer for the Britannia Green Team which is taking on a Zero Waste Challenge for the entire community centre complex.
He: Mark Whittam
CUPE 391 (Vancouver Public Library Workers)-Vice President
CUPE 391-Political Action Committee Chair
Board member of our housing co-op
As a member of the CUPE 391 Executive I fight for workers rights not only within the library but also nationally and globally. As the chair of the Political Action Committee I help to educate our members about political issues, and during elections, I help to encourage workers not only to vote but also to vote for labour friendly candidates.
As a member of our co-op Board, I help to make sure that the co-op is run in an open and accountable way, and try to make sure that we treat all the members of our community with fairness and respect.
Mission: Peace, sustainability, community development, workers rights, food security, strong local economies and quality early childhood development and public education for all children.
Active Turf: We live in Vancouver, BC, specifically in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. At the home level we try to find ways to be involved with our housing co-op. Mark as active member of the Board, and Kathy by contributing to the newsletter, common room clean ups and green team projects. We both enjoy working in vibrant east side community centres-Britannia and Carnegie, and find ways to be involved in the workplace whenever we can.
Side by side in the struggle since: Summer of '97.
The Meeting of Two Worlds: Kathy arrived from Ontario and we ended up living in the same house together. Our relationship evolved from one of friendship to one of soul mate partnership in life.
The Great Leap Forward (stimulating the activists): When we met we were both coasting in a fairly apathetic point politically though we were both progressive types at heart. Over time we became interested in globalization and other big issues and started researching more and taking advantage of public meetings, workshops and lectures to inform and inspire ourselves into action.
The first thing we both put a lot of volunteer time into was the Think City series of events where we met folks from political and grassroots groups, and from there we both have continued to lend our energy for things that spark our passion while trying to maintain a family and life/work balance.
Kathy became drawn to things which revolved around community development, public education advocacy and fair trade, while Mark has been more focused on labour and workers rights, political organizing and food security. There is plenty of cross-over, and plenty of things that we both want to do but just don't have the time for yet.
Anthem: We have a hard time picking particular songs as we love such a wide variety of music. Our fave song usually has more to do with mood, time and place! The best we can narrow down is to is one fave group that we both really and truly totally love: Michael Franti and Spearhead!
Battle cry: Ain't no power like power of the people! “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”--Helen Keller.
Why she activates his world: Kathy is compassionate and caring. She is courageous and committed with an incredible amount of perseverance...when Kathy sets her mind on something she works very hard to make it a reality. She is also an amazing life partner, and mother and she shows this with her love, caring and understanding...never easy with an opinionated partner and a stubborn daughter. Her passion for education and her values around social justice issues are an inspiration for me, and a fabulous role model for our daughter. Finally to top it all off, she gives the best hugs ever!
Why he activates her world: He is loving, down to earth, and the most supporting partner and aspiring positive change agent could dream of. His faith in me makes me courageous in life. When something is bothering me he always finds ways to to make me talk it out rather than internalize everything...beyond helpful and key to my mental health. Also a wonderful father, patient, kind and fun for both his son and daughter. He will raise the bar for Sasha's* expectations when choosing her own partner in life, and he is a great role model for his son on how to be a strong yet respectful young man. All around he helps me to be a happy lady and mama too.
What activates their world: The crazy number of positive change agents we know, the amazing number of alternatives that exist to systems of greed, having the capacity to help our children grow up understanding and believing that “Another World is Possible” and, in our small ways, being part of the movement that is committed to making that better world happen.
Quirks outside the picket line: Playing with Sasha and exploring our world with her. Also really like watching movies, reading books and game nights and potlucks with friends. When we have date nights then we love live music anywhere! And folk fest, family fun, beautiful collaborative artists on multiple stages, naturally stunning setting, Eco-action and hugs with some of our fave people in town=Our heaven :)
Extra rations: One love philosophy. What we have learned from one of the elders in my life who were together for over 60 years before one of them passed away: it's not about how much you quarrel as couple, it's how you communicate and grow through all the challenges you face together in life. They remain a huge inspiration to the longevity of our own relationship...though they told us it took them about 50 years before they ran out if things to argue about. ;P
One weird tidbit (at least in the eyes of many): Kathy is hot-footed and only wears shoes that cover her toes when there is snow on the ground.
*Their daughter
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