Satire
It's Tuesday, September 26th.
Joe Volpe is staying in the Liberal leadership race, despite accusations his campaign broke party membership rules and signed up two dead people. Hours after Volpe's announcement, Michael Ignatieff's campaign came under fire over similar allegations, and accusations that it too signed up a dead man.
Currently, not to be outdone, the other leadership candidates are scrambling to recruit a few dead bodies of their own after they were embarrassed to find out that Monty Hall, Paul Anka and Leslie Nielson were all, in fact, still alive.
Who knew?
This is The Current.
Archbishop Ncube Interview
Zimbabwe is facing its worst crisis in recent history. HIV-AIDS infections have helped cut life expectancy almost in half. Inflation is topping twelve hundred per cent ---the highest in the world. And shortages of basic necessities are pushing its population of 12-million to the brink of devastation.
Zimbabwe's economic, social and political meltdown has been widely blamed on the iron rule of President Robert Mugabe, a man shunned by the world----even before his controversial land reforms in 2000. That's when he forced white farmers off land given to black Zimbabweans, which badly backfired because many of them lacked farming experience. Then last year's plan to dismantle the slums of Harare left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
It all adds up to a dire list that deeply concerns my next guest. Pius Ncube is the Archbishop of Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. And as a human rights activist and head the Solidarity Peace Trust, he's been a dangerously vocal critic of President Mugabe. Archbishop Ncube was in Ottawa last week.
Music Bridge
Artist: The Bills
Cut: CD 5 “When the Bucket runs Dry”
CD: “Let em Run”
Label: Borealis Records
Spine #: BCD164
Listen to The Current:  Part 1
(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)
The Current: Part 2
Robotics Ballbots Scientist
If you were raised on Star Trek, weaned on Star Wars, or even I, Robot, you might have assumed that every household would have a robot cooking and cleaning by now. But while we aren't yet enjoying those simple conveniences, it's not because the science is too complex. In fact, the last few years have seen a giant leap forward in robot technology. But the advances have also inspired a whole new level of ethical questions regarding the role of robots in our lives.
Take the invention of the Ballbot---a robot that looks like a giant ball-point pen and rolls around the room. Its unique mobility makes it useful for a wide range of tasks---including those typically done by nursing home assistants. In a moment we'll hear why this news has sparked a debate about the ethics of putting humans---especially our elderly---under the care of robots.
But first, to tell us more about Ballbot science, we were joined by Professor Ralph Hollis from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University--where it was developed. He joined us from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Robotics Ethics
As we mentioned, cheaper, faster and more agile robots could mean more help to tackle certain human tasks. We heard from Gloria Gutman with Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Department, with a warning about what would be lost if we relied on robots to solve human dilemmas. Especially in the realm of health care for the elderly.
Robotics – Japan Author
The China Post recently reported that by the year 2020, the global production of robot technology could exceed that of the world-wide automobile industry. And few countries are better poised to take advantage than Japan---which seems to have an ongoing love affair with the robot.
And according to our next guest, that's not necessarily meant figuratively. Tim Hornyak is author of Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots. And he joined us from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Listen to The Current: Part 2
(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)
The Current: Part 3
Kurd University
These days, the Kurdish-controlled region of northern Iraq has been enjoying something the rest of the country desperately lacks--a certain measure of peace and stability. And they're putting it to good use.
Under Saddam Hussein's oppressive reign, some Kurds had access to a single college where courses were taught only in Arabic. This made it difficult for Kurds throughout the region--in Iraq, as well as Turkey, Syria and Iran-- to keep their language alive.
Now, the Kurdish regional government is putting higher education high on its list of priorities. And as you'll hear in Dorian Jones's documentary about the Kurdish University of Dohuk--there are renewed hopes not just for the survival of the Kurdish people, but for their language as well.
Music Bridge
Artist: Ray Montford
Cut: CD 1, “Far and Wide”
CD: “Many Roads”
Label: Softail Records
Spine #: MR03CD
Declan Promo
Coming up next week on The Current - Speaking the Truth, a documentary by Declan Hill that examines the dangerous profession of journalism in the Philippines through the story of Marlene Esperat. Ms. Esperat was known as the Erin Brocovitch of the Philippines for her work in uncovering graft and corruption. But as with other journalists before her, speaking the truth led to deadly consequences. We aired an excerpt from Declan Hill's documentary.
Music Bridge
Artist: Twelve Grils Band
CD: Romantic Energy
Cut: CD3, "River Shule"
Label: Domo Records
Quebec Open Society
If you'd like to reach us here at the Current, our mailbox and phone lines are always open. But this week we're especially interested in your views on the ongoing debate in Quebec about whether it is indeed an open society.
Two recent events are raising voices. The government recently held a series of immigration hearings to find out how residents feel about boosting the numbers of immigrants to the province---and how best to make them feel welcome. And in the aftermath of the shootings at Montreal's Dawson College, there has also been a series of articles and letters to newspaper editors about the so-called tensions between French and English in that city.
And we'd like to hear more about these two issues---from you. Write or call and tell us about your experience with integration or discrimination in Quebec---or both, as the case may be. We want to hear from those of you who were born there and those who've also moved there. You can call us collect, with operator assistance, at 416-205-7878 or you can send us an email. Our address is thecurrent@cbc.ca.
Music Bridge
Artist: Steve Dawson
Cut: CD8 “Photograph”
CD: “We Belong to the Gold Coast”
Label: Black Hen Music
Spine #: BHCD 0030
Last Word – Ol’ Smokey
This month Manitoba announced that First Nations bars, restaurants and casinos will no longer be exempt from the province's ever-expanding smoking ban. And while lawyers line up to challenge that ban, smokers in Winnipeg are finding fewer places where they can live--and light up---freely.
As of this coming Sunday, October first, Globe General Agencies, which manages about 5,000 apartments in the city, will ban smoking for all new tenants. The company says the move will lower maintenance and insurance costs as current smokers are weeded out.
Meanwhile, Ray Famega of Winnipeg lives in a senior's complex that recently went completely smoke free. But lucky for Ray, he has a life-long lease. So we gave the last word--- or the last gasp--- to Ray Famega as he demonstrates what it takes to be a committed smoker, in an increasingly smoke-free city.
Listen to The Current: Part 3
(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use) CBC does not endorse content of external sites - links will open in new window
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