ABOUT EDEN & THE CAMPAIGN
Eden Haythornthwaite has lived with her family here in the Cowichan Valley since 1978.
She and her partner Alastair raised 5 kids together who are now lovely adults. Three of her children still live on the Island. Eden also has seven grandchildren who are interesting people and getting more interesting every day.
Eden has been an active campaigner for freedom, equality and peace her entire adult life – not always effectively but always with heart and principle.
Eden was elected to the Cowichan School Board three times, always on a platform which emphasized fighting for full funding for our families and staff and excellent teaching and working conditions in our public schools. In her last term she served as chair and worked with allies on the board to return funding to the many programs which had been damaged by cuts to our budget by the Ministry of Education. That school board was fired by the Minister as a result of our efforts in 2012, and an unelected staffer was undemocratically chosen to run the school board affairs.
Eden currently is working with the Freedom from War Coalition, a grassroots peace group that has been consistently active in opposing war, genocide and colonialism.
You will have seen them these many months marching in Cowichan to oppose the siege of Gaza and raising their voices for Free Palestine.
For three and a half years, Eden has organized a the monthly event Jewish Fast for Gaza, in Duncan City Square, which was inspired by rabbis in Canada and the United States to raise awareness about the ongoing brutality inflicted on the people of Gaza by the Israeli Government and the Israeli Offence Forces (otherwise known as the Israeli “Defence” Forces).
Eden is running in the provincial election scheduled for October 19th 2024. Her program was developed with a hard working, knowledgeable and thoughtful team of local folks who want to make this world a better place.
Eden will be present in the community to talk about her program and is looking forward to bringing a fresh set of ideas rooted in justice, liberation and worker solidarity to the election debate.
“I am running as an independent socialist in the upcoming provincial election.
I find myself lucky enough to be able to work on this campaign with a fine group of dedicated people who have their own backgrounds of working against war and injustice. Everyone on our team has spent at least part of their adult lives fighting for the rights of workers and the full political and economic rights of all people. Our platform speaks to that.
We demand the essentials of life; we seek a country that will tax the rich and become a nation dedicated to justice, kindness and peace. It is not too much to do nor is it too much to ask. This is vital if we and our planet are to thrive. Our platform takes back the word freedom as more than just the right to misbehave as an individual but as a true collective treasure – something we all deserve and will fight for daily.
I am often told voting for a community candidate, rather than a mainstream one, is a waste. Think about that. I ask you to reflect on the impact you have had over the past couple of generations of voting for parties that do not care for our needs. We are in crisis and got here incrementally by hoping the powerful would grant us the advancements we deserve instead of serving the rich.
They will not!
In that spirit I encourage you to stop wasting your vote on the right wing parties. Whether center right or far right, the effect is always the same.
I would like to represent the Cowichan Valley Electoral District in the legislature – feel free to ask why because I believe I can give you an answer which will convince you.”
