#public-debate — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #public-debate, aggregated by home.social.
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Here’s why Canada needs to ditch age‑based immigration points
#Canada #Immigration #Policy #HumanRights #Equality #Discrimination #Ageism #CanadianPolitics #Inclusion #ImmigrationPolicy #SocialJustice #CharterRights #Economy #PublicDebate #Politics
https://the-14.com/heres-why-canada-needs-to-ditch-age-based-immigration-points/ -
Mark Gatiss is getting attention for a quote that challenges a long-held cultural comfort: the idea that fascism was somehow incompatible with British identity.
#MarkGatiss #Fascism #Democracy #PoliticalCulture #History #PublicDebate #news -
Cesar Chavez Day (March 31): Meaning, History, Grape Strike & 2026 Controversy Explained #NewsUpdate #BreakingNews #USPolitics #CesarChavezDay #ChavezControversy #TrendingNow #PublicDebate #whathappened https://www.gsnsp.com/cesar-chavez-day-history-grape-strike/
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Referendum lacks town hall plan — but stay tuned, premier says
#Alberta #Canada #DanielleSmith #MarkCarney #Politics #Referendum #Immigration #FederalVsProvincial #Economy #Confederation #AlbertaNext #OilAndGas #Democracy #PublicDebate
https://the-14.com/referendum-lacks-town-hall-plan-but-stay-tuned-premier-says/ -
Social media platforms have become central infrastructure for #CivicLife, #PublicDebate, and elections, yet they were never designed to support trust or democratic deliberation.
In a new blog, Liv Marte Nordhaug, CEO of the #DPGA Secretariat, outlines how #SocialTechnology and #DigitalPublicGoods can help countries reclaim healthier digital public spaces.
Read more:
https://www.digitalpublicgoods.net/blog/cutting-the-gordian-knot-of-social-media -
—> Not Stupid <— Is Anything #OffLimits in #PublicDebate ? #NotStupid #JuliaBaird #JeremyFernandez #Pol #Politics #GeoPolitics #WorldNews #News #AusPol #CdnPoli #EUpol #NZpol #UKpol #USpol youtu.be/mtDwB2oPjqw
Is Anything Off Limits in Publ... -
—> Not Stupid <—
Is Anything #OffLimits in #PublicDebate ?
#NotStupid #JuliaBaird #JeremyFernandez
#Pol #Politics #GeoPolitics #WorldNews #News
#AusPol #CdnPoli #EUpol #NZpol #UKpol #USpol
https://youtu.be/mtDwB2oPjqw -
NOWHERE TO GO: THE PUBLIC WASHROOM SHORTAGE IN KITCHENER WATERLOO
In a region known for innovation and growth, one necessity remains elusive: a place to go when nature calls. For residents, tourists and the city’s most vulnerable, the search for a public washroom in Kitchener-Waterloo can feel like a scavenger hunt—one with no prize at the end.
Despite being home to over half a million people, Kitchener-Waterloo has very few public washrooms. In 2024, the City of Waterloo unveiled a stand-alone public toilet: the Uptown Loo. Installed on a traffic island at the south end of Uptown Waterloo, the facility has all the bells and whistles— it is self-cleaning, accessible and secure. But it is also a stark reminder of how far the region still must go.
The Uptown Loo was a step forward, but it remains the only one of its kind. According to municipal records, there are no public bathrooms in the region that are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Even the Uptown Loo closes at night. The few round-the-clock options are seasonal porta-potties at sports fields—hardly a solution for a growing urban population. And while private businesses once filled the gap, many have now locked their doors to non-customers, citing safety and maintenance concerns.
This shortage is more than civic oversight—it is a public health and human rights issue: for people experiencing homelessness, those with medical conditions, parents with young children and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The lack of accessible washrooms can mean indignity, discomfort and danger. For those with disabilities or chronic illnesses, the lack of accessible facilities can be a barrier to participating in public life altogether.
Historically, public bathrooms have been fraught with social tension. In Canada, moral panics around gay sex led to the closure of many public facilities. These closures were often justified under the guise of public safety, but they disproportionately targeted marginalized communities. The legacy of that era still lingers in how cities design and manage public spaces today.
“Public spaces reflect our values,” Troy Glover, a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, said. “If we truly want public spaces to work for all people, we have to start by asking who they’re currently designed to exclude.”
In Kitchener-Waterloo, the answer is clear. The people arguably most in need of public facilities—those experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community—are often the ones left out of the conversation. And when they are included, it is usually in the context of risk management rather than rights.
One of the most contentious issues surrounding public bathrooms today is their association with drug use. There is a widespread perception that public washrooms will become hotspots for drug consumption, leading to overdoses and safety concerns. While this fear is not entirely unfounded, it is often exaggerated and used to justify inaction.
According to the Region of Waterloo’s Drug Overdose and Poisoning Dashboard, approximately 12 per cent of paramedic calls for overdoses or poisonings occur in public indoor spaces. However, the data lacks specificity—there is no breakdown of what types of spaces these are, and the Region has declined to provide further clarification despite multiple requests.
Geoff Bardwell, a faculty member at the School of Public Health Sciences at University of Waterloo and a member of the Waterloo Region Drug Action Team, notes that he is unaware of any research on the frequency of drug usage in public washrooms vs. other locations in the Region.
This lack of data makes it difficult to have an informed public debate. It also reinforces harmful stereotypes about who uses public bathrooms and why. The need for accessible, safe washrooms is universal. Everyone, at some point needs to go.
“I think, in short, people need to be able to use washrooms,” Bardwell said.
“[W]e should not be making decisions about washroom access under assumptions that bad things will happen in them,” he said.
There are solutions. Cities around the world have implemented innovative bathroom strategies, from Portland’s “Portland Loo” to Tokyo’s transparent public toilets that turn opaque when occupied. These designs prioritize safety, cleanliness and accessibility—proving that public bathrooms don’t have to be dirty, dangerous or stigmatized.
In Waterloo, the Uptown Loo is a promising start. It features a braille map, an adult change table, grab bars and a system that alerts an attendant if the door remains locked for more than 20 minutes. Its walls are coated with graffiti-proof material, and it includes an emergency button for users in distress.
But officials with the City of Waterloo have confirmed that they have no plans to provide any more facilities like the Uptown Loo, citing costs and security as the primary factors in that decision.
The City of Kitchener has also confirmed that they have no plans to create any more public washrooms.
As Kitchener-Waterloo continues to grow, the need for inclusive infrastructure becomes more urgent. Public bathrooms are not a luxury—they are a cornerstone of a functional, compassionate city. Without them, we send a clear message about who is welcome and who is not.
So the next time you’re out in Kitchener-Waterloo and nature calls, ask yourself: where can you go? And more importantly, who can’t?
#2SLGBTQIA_ #bathrooms #drugConsumptions #Drugs #FionaMcAlister #GeoffBardwell #kitchenerWaterloo #poisoningDashboard #publicDebate #publicWashroomShortage #Region #uptown #uptownLoo #uptownWaterloo #washrooms #WaterlooRegionDrugAction #waterloosDrugOverdose
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Batocchio presents a compelling exploration of public discourse in his latest piece on Crooks and Liars, dissecting the implications of "Balkinization" versus the perspectives of "Lawyers, Guns and Money." The article also highlights Leonard Leo's current challenges and reflects on the nuanced moderation in "Grasping Reality." Additionally, it commemorates D-Day with insights from Studs Terkel's interviews. Engage with Batocchio's thoughtful analysis and share your insights. Read more at: https://crooksandliars.com/2025/06/mikes-blog-round-3
#PublicDebate #HistoricalReflection #MAGA #LeonardLeo #DDay -
People love to describe platforms like OF as "empowering" workers, but in truth they're exploitative corporations functioning as bosses without offering any employment rights to the sex workers whose labour they depend on. #porndebate #publicdebate
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I’m delighted to have been invited by Parallax Debates to debate the motion “Pornography can be a force for good” in London in a couple of months, on the same team as human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. #publicdebate #sexworkers
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Financial Supervisory Service proposes public debate with Korea Enterprises Federation on controversial Commercial Law amendment, highlighting tensions between regulators and business community
#YonhapInfomax #FinancialSupervisoryService #KoreaEnterprisesFederation #CommercialLawAmendment #PublicDebate #CapitalMarketIssues #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=54918 -
SLAPP - wear down and silence critics
"Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are a tactic used by companies and wealthy individuals to weaponise the courts against those who stand up or speak out for the public interest. These lawsuits are not about justice—they are designed to intimidate, silence dissent, and suppress public debate."
https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2024/10/31/anti-slapp-laws"Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions over Dakota pipeline protests, says jury.
Non-profit said in statement lawsuits like this aimed at ‘destroying the right to peaceful protest’""Legal sources have said the case is a classic example of a Slapp – a form of civil litigation increasingly deployed by corporations, politicians and wealthy individuals to deliberately wear down and silence critics including journalists, activists and watchdog groups. These cases, even when the entities suing lose, cause significant legal costs for defendants and can have a chilling effect."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/greenpeace-lawsuit-energy-transfer-dakota-pipeline
#PublicDebate #SLAPP #HumanRights #law #litigation #FossilFuels #water #StandingRock #ProtectProtest #environment -
Financial authorities organize major insurance reform debate involving CEOs, industry leaders, and 100 citizens to discuss product improvements, sales channels, IFRS17, and future growth strategies.
#YonhapInfomax #InsuranceReform #FinancialAuthorities #PublicDebate #IFRS17 #SalesCommissionReform #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=53377 -
Germany’s main parties each have a state-funded political foundation. Boasting thousands of employees, they have enforced a collective silence on the genocide in Gaza out of obedience to German foreign policy
Ali Nobil Ahmad: https://jacobin.com/2024/11/germany-stiftungen-genocide-gaza-censorship
#publicDebate #supremacy #supremacism #Netanyahu #Germany #totalitarianism #media #agnotology #beliefs #believe #Baerbock #collaboration #censorship #conflation #longRead #confusion #antisemitism #politics #guilt #recycling #manipulation #coOpting #fragility #crackdown #freeSpeech #nationalism #StandWithIsrael #racism #immigration #EuropeIsrael #IHRA #parties #democracy #FDP #SPD #CDU #DieGrünen #GreenParty #Bundestag #DEPol #GermanPolitics
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12 eligible case studies were submitted for the #OpenResearch Award 2023.
We highlight three case studies each week:➡️ The Conceptualization of #Migration Experiences: Making the Data and Results from a Systematic Scoping Review Accessible
https://www.rug.nl/research/openscience/open-research-award/case-studies-list-2023/kreienkamp➡️ The Netherlands #Neurogenetics Database
https://www.rug.nl/research/openscience/open-research-award/case-studies-list-2023/mekkes➡️ The #Weather Map Project: Innovating #PublicDebate through #OpenAccess #Newspaper Articles
https://www.rug.nl/research/openscience/open-research-award/case-studies-list-2023/rodighieroMore info: https://www.rug.nl/research/openscience/open-research-award/
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"Citizenship...is rhetorical citizenship. Rhetoric is thus at the core of being a citizen. Rhetorical Citizenship and Public Deliberation aims to develop an understanding of citizenship as a discursive phenomenon, arguing that discourse is not prefatory to real action but in many ways constitutive of civic engagement."
"Using the phrase “rhetorical citizenship” as a unifying perspective, this book aims to develop an understanding of citizenship as a discursive phenomenon in the sense that important civic functions take place in deliberation among citizens, and that discourse is not prefatory to real action but is in many ways constitutive of civic engagement. We offer the concept of rhetorical citizenship as a way of conceptualizing the discursive, processual, participatory aspects of civic life."
Rhetorical Citizenship and Public Deliberation
Edited by Christian Kock and Lisa Villadsen, 2012
https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-05387-5.htmlContemporary Rhetorical Citizenship
Edited by Christian Kock and Lisa Villadsen, ed, 2015, CC
https://muse.jhu.edu/book/46337#rhetoric #agora #DeliberativeDemocracy #CivicEngagement #PublicDebate #DeliberativePractices #protests #language #CultureJamming #democracy #ethics #politics #discourse
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"I think people are craving genuine conversations on things that matter to them, and the FB comments section is the easiest place... to go. If you're at home and you have kids, or you have a job, or you're busy, you might not... have a chance to go out in the community and talk with other people about the issues. [#SocialMedia DataFarms] is where the conversations are happening."
#KassieHartendorp, Director, ActionStation.org.nz
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/undercurrent-podcast/story/2018899992/7-the-endgame
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If we could just force a public discussion of why a company, any company, that is making money hand-over-fist needs ANY government susidy, that would be useful.
But then especially one that the government itself has committed to phasing out because its actions are injuring humanity's chance to survive...
(At minimum, any such subsidy should be tied to specific goals of reduced net revenue due specifically to diminished market share against non-carbon-based renewables.)
Ah, to hear those arguments aloud...
#capitalism #subsidy #FossilFuels #renewables #sustainability #PublicDebate #oil #taxation #externalities
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Could #Poland's #controversial #LGBTFree #Zones finally be #consigned to #history?
#AdministrativeCourt #complaint indicates #AntiLGBT resolutions “crosses the boundaries of #publicdebate, #violates the #Constitution, and #international and #EU #law” and creates “#stigmatisation and an atmosphere of #exclusion for the #LGBT #community.”
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #EuropeanUnion #Poland #Hate #Bigotry #Discrimination #Homophobia #Transphobia #DefundPoland
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#CraigMurray | Intolerance
Craig Murray spoke at the #Assange event on Saturday. He said some enlightening things. This article about mentions some of the censoring tricks being used on free speech by #Media and the abysmal quality of #PublicDebate.
Ukraine: The "outcome could have been agreed without war... All the death and destruction and weapons systems will achieve nothing – except massive profits for the wealthy."
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/01/intolerance/
