-Gift of Communication-

Today I attended an IABC event called the 'Gift of Communication'. The goal of this event was to help local Hamilton not for profit organizations develop strategies on how to improve their methods of communication so that their messages are conveyed and understood by a mass audience as well as their internal staff and volunteers. I was paired up with the organization 'Community Living Hamilton', an agency that supports individuals with developmental handicaps and strives to create a community where all persons live in a state of dignity, share in all elements of living in their community and have equal opportunity to participate effectively. 

It became apparent over the course of the afternoon that the organization does not use online social networks effectively, if at all to communicate to the community. There are so many forms of social network opportunities available to us today that it is the easiest and most cost effective way to relay a message to a mass audience.

With the availability of networks including facebook, blogger, twitter, etc. people/organizations are able to post pictures, videos, information, event announcements, etc., which in turn, reaches a larger audience than strictly relying on text heavy brochures (something that we discussed as an issue with their method of communication).

  

Sometimes less is more!

To gather more information on Community Living Hamilton visit:

http://www.communitylivinghamilton.com/Home/tabid/509/Default.aspx

Merry Christmas!

The 44th Annual CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish kicked off the 2010 Christmas season, accepting toy and cash donations this past Monday November 22, 2010. This cause is something to be valued. It provides the opportunity for citizens, businesses and charities of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to give back to their communities and to those in need during the holiday season.

Each year the CP24 CHUM team distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash donations, toys and gift cards to present to families, children, teens, elderly, and those with mental and physical disabilities across the GTA.

I could not imagine being one of those children to wake up in the morning on Christmas day with no gifts under my tree and nothing to eat. This is what the Christmas Wish is all about, bringing people joy and happiness for at least a single day regardless of their struggles. This program strives to provide as much assistance as it can for those in need during the holidays and is one of the largest distributors of toys to those in need in the Greater Toronto Area. 

According to the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish website (http://shows.ctv.ca/TheWish.aspx), in 2009, with the help of RBC and donations from our listeners and viewers, the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish, in conjunction with Toronto Social Services, helped to provide generous financial donations to 356 registered agencies, who in turn assist children and families in need. With the help of over 1,000 hard working and passionate volunteers, more than 74,000 children received toys from the Wish. 


This program is a remarkable one and one that I hope continues to run for many more years to come!

Is poking fun ethically acceptable?

I ask myself on a regular basis "what is wrong with society today?" Every time I ask myself this question I always come to the same conclusion... the way people speak to one another and their negative actions toward one another.

This past weekend I was sitting in a room with a group of young men, when someone would walk in the room the individual would be greeted by heckles. Collectively the group of men would gang up on one another calling each other several rude names and would continue this behaviour until there was an outburst. It seemed as though they were playing a game, challenging each others temperament levels by pushing past the line of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour with each condescending comment.

I argue, that this type of behaviour is ethically unacceptable. These gentlemen knowingly harass one another to the point of emotional instability. How is this enjoyable? And how is this behaviour affecting each of those men participating in the harassment?
 
These men compromise the feelings of others to boost their own egos and confidence and on a number of occasions I have seen this type of behaviour transferred from the 'boys trash talk environment' to that of intimate relationships.

This type of behaviour is frightening because it can escalate to the point of an individual suffering permanent emotional instability or to the point of someone being physically injured. There are so many risk factors that play into harassment. An individuals daily experiences and interactions with others make up their emotional composition. So, if one were to see the same people and have a very similar experience with these people from day to day, these experiences will assist in the shaping of how this individual feels about them self.  

The amount of rude and disrespectful language young people (in particular) use to address one another today is truly astounding. What most people do not realize is that this action is actually labelled as emotional abuse.

I argue, EVERYONE (men, women, teens, children) need to step up and start treating one another with the respect that we all deserve.  In my experiences with verbal/emotional abuse I have realized that my emotions, physical well being, and how I feel about myself are all a reflection of how I am being treated. When having to endure this unnecessary criticism frequently, an individuals morale will plummet.

Local Hamilton Talent

Nyra Dob has made it to cyberspace, becoming his peers of McMaster University’s local music idol. Utilizing the technology of online social networks including Youtube and Facebook, the young Singer, Songwriter, and Music producer has helped Canadian rap group Entourage to create and launch their first masterpiece. Nyra produced and had been featured in Entourage’s first music video (parental discretion is advised).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQp9lsScczI

The video currently has 1 242 hits on Youtube and is quickly circulating the walls of Facebook. These technological communication systems not only help convey messages for large organizations, but allow up and coming artists to post their work for the viewing of a mass audience to gain popularity as well.

Nyra indicated that his production company Golden Tone Music will be launching a website soon, so be sure to look out for that! 

Communication and Relationships

A couple of nights ago my boyfriend came over for dinner. I was in an insanely crabby mood, which tends to happen around the same time from month to month for us ladies. I decided the best thing to do would be to hide my emotions with a smile while I made dinner for us.

Wrong decision!

At this time of the month women’s hormones go berserk. We stress about everything, we cry about everything, and we get angry over the smallest things.

The more I thought about all of the built up stresses and problems I had/have been going through and the more I realized that I was making the dinner entirely by myself as he played on the computer, the more the tension grew in me. However, I still kept a smiling face. I cussed to myself, slammed every cupboard door and drawer I could see, and diced some tomatoes ferociously.  Every time I was asked if I was okay or needed help I would respond with “No, I’m fine. I don’t need your help”, and he would continue playing on the computer.

Dinner was not enjoyable that evening. By the time I sat down to eat I was so tense that I did not want to eat anything that I had just made. I sat without striking up conversation and responding to his comments with negative sarcasm. So, he shut down, we sat and ate in silence and did not speak for the rest of the night… really mature.

I expected him to know through my actions that I wanted his help and I thought that he should be able to tell when I’m stressed without me having to state and explain it. LISTEN UP now girls because this is very important—NEVER expect men to know what it is that you want when you are communicating solely through actions and indirect communication. They will not understand this method.

I realize now, if I had been honest with him right from the beginning and stated how I was feeling rather than putting on a front, none of this negative energy would have transpired and he would have at least had some understanding of what was going on with me. He did not understand what I was trying to get across to him through actions. To him, I completely switched my personality for no reason. I did not explain initially what I had been experiencing to make me feel this way, so how could he understand?

My grudging and stubborn nature took over and all logic went out the door that night. I did want help in the kitchen, so why did I not say yes when he asked if he could help? I was not feeling fine when he asked if I was okay, so why did I tell him I was fine?

Withholding information and not expressing exactly how I felt at that moment was damaging. I did not communicate with my boyfriend at all in this situation, leaving all of the blame on me. Men are not mind readers. From experience, men have difficulty understanding us women to begin with, so when we throw a curve ball at them, such as indirectly communicating what it is that we want, there is no hope of expecting them to understand us.