The 2012 Quebec Election, or Why Democracy Is Beautiful Even Though You Don't Always Have Your Way

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The 2012 Quebec election has got me thinking a lot about democracy.

For those of you who don't know about Quebec, let me explain; Quebec is one of the 10 provinces of Canada. The concept of a province in Canada is equivalent to the concept the state in the U.S., although a province has little less independence than a state. Although they operate under the federal government, each province has its own provincial government. The provinces regulate their own healthcare and education systems, for example.

Politics is a touchy subject everywhere, and especially in Quebec. Quebec is a diverse society that has many social and political cleavages, and a particularly divisive issue: the debate over sovereignty.

Simply put, sovereignty is the idea that Quebec should be a country of its own, not just a part of Canada. This has been a debate for decades; there has been 2 general referenda, and in both cases, Quebecers decided they wanted to stay within Canada.

In this 2012 election, there is much at stake, and it is very hard to predict what will happen on September 4th. It is very easy to criticize the political parties or leaders we disagree with, especially during an election campaign. Ideologies are exposed, scrutinized and discussed, but they are also condemned and scorned.

Everyone has their own opinion about how society should be run and what government should do. We try to figure out which party is closest to our ideals, and eventually, we go to the polls and vote on what we think is the best option out there.

Obviously, as individuals, we don't always have our way. In Canada, governments are generally elected with about 35% of the popular vote, which means that about 65% of voters don't have their way. This is how representative democracy works, and even though this system has its flaws, it is still democracy.

Whichever party is elected, I am grateful for living in a democratic society. I am blessed to live in a country where every citizen has a right to vote and decide what party is in power. Unlike many countries where fundamental rights are restrained or suppressed, Canada ensures freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of association and free elections.

I hope that a large number of Quebecers will vote on September 4th: No vote is lost, every one of them counts. I encourage Quebecers not to vote strategically, but to vote according to their own conscience. Even if the political party you are supporting ''does not stand a chance'' of forming government, your vote gives it funding for the next election.

Whatever happens next Tuesday, let us accept it as the will of the people, whether it is change or status quo. Let us be thankful for a wide array of parties to choose from and free elections. Let us be thankful that the results will be truthful, not corrupted.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country. 

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Quebec National Assembly

Coffee and Ethics

 

Everyone who knows me knows I love coffee. I love an espresso with real nice orange crema. It's no wonder I'm a barista at a coffee shop! It's a great student job, and I get free coffee!

But my student job is not what I want to write about. I want to write about ethics and coffee.

Canada is a democracy: every four years, citizens vote for the party they want to see in power.

As individual consumers, we have a similar power. Every time we make a purchase, we make the decision to favour a product or a brand over another product or brand. Remember supply and demand?

Our daily choices influence what is on the market. Different types of consumers are looking for different types of products: some want the highest quality, some are looking for the cheapest product and some are looking for a middle ground.

In North America, coffee is a beloved product. Here in Canada, coffee grain is even tax-free because it is considered an ''essential good.'' Some couldn't get through the day without their morning coffee at work while some others prefer to sip an espresso macchiato while reading a book in a café on a rainy thursday afternoon.

I don't know whether you are aware of it, but the coffee you buy at the grocery store or at your favourite coffee shop makes a huge difference in the lives of thousands of people living thousands of miles away from you.

In many African and South American countries, coffee producers are being exploited. Many of them do a lot of physical work and hard labour, only to get miserable wages.

When I was in Costa Rica 4 years ago, I lived with a family who owned a coffee plantation. Far from being wealthy, they lived in a tiny house and had a very simple, frugal lifestyle. The thing is, their coffee is bought at a very cheap price by big companies who then sell it at a way higher price to European and North American coffee companies.

In other countries, the State is sometimes the only authorized buyer, and sets the price of coffee. The government can then buy the grain from the peasants, only to make loads of money by selling it to coffee multinationals.

I don't want to write about this forever, so here's the point: buying fair trade coffee is important. Otherwise, chances are the coffee producers were not paid a fair price for their work and their product.  Coffee is not produced in factories: coffee is produced by plants and harvested by people, who toil and sweat.

The market share of fair trade coffee is still very low in many countries, but here's what we can do if we care about the quality of life and recognition of the hard work of coffee producers.
1. Buy fair trade coffee if you can afford it (only slightly more expensive than regular coffee, but it makes all the difference in the world. That extra money goes to the producer)
2. Ask for fair trade coffee at your favourite coffee shop. Many coffee shops offer at least one variety of fair trade coffee. (Second Cup, for example, offers the Cuzco, which has the fair-trade and organic certifications)
3. Get informed. Read this article by Fairtrade Canada.
4. Realise and appreciate the power you have to change things as a consumer! If the demand for fair trade coffee increases, the offer will increase as well!

Here's a cool video I found on youtube. It's about fair trade in general and, obviously, the power of the consumer. It's super short.

Fair Trade: The Power of the Consumer