Laura Jane Conrad, 2011
About Activism Halifax
I’m Laura Jane Conrad and I created Activism Halifax as part of my Masters of Journalism program at the University of King’s College.
I am certainly not the first person to express a fascination with the wave of activism that swept across the globe over the past year.
These movements are the creation of history, they’re a blatant demonstration of how and where the world needs to change. And when I look at each individual movement more closely, it’s clear to see where the need for change is coming from.
The Occupy Movement shows us how passionate people are about eliminating inequality. From the Arab Spring, we learn about the power of technology in political liberation. And most recently, from the Montreal Student Strike we become aware of the complexities in the socio-economic structure of our own country. Simply even the awareness that comes from these mass movements has the capacity to influence change on a global scale.
Through this project, I hope to capture some of that awareness. My intentions are to look at protests and movements on a smaller scale by focusing only on my hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This blog will examine the protests, rallies and demonstrations that surface in Halifax and seek to expose the untold stories behind them. I want to explore what makes people passionate in my city, what actions they take to express that passion, what works and what doesn’t. By doing this I hope to be able to determine where the power for change comes from, and whether or not it can even still be found in a ballot box.
Please join me in completing this project; check back for new stories, share your thoughts, ideas and criticisms, I would love to have your support.
Laura Jane Conrad is a freelance journalist from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Laura graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) with combined honours in international development studies in 2011, and has written for publications such as the Nova Scotia Business Journal, Business Voice Magazine, The Dalhousie Gazette, The Chronicle Herald and The Globe and Mail.
Please visit Laura’s past work at King’s or view the contact page to share your thoughts or ideas.