Welcome to our first multimedia issue of GRIP Magazine! If you are reading a paper copy of the magazine, you many notice the format has changed from previous issues. The new layout is tailored more to the electronic format, but all content is still available to our readers who spoke loudly in favour of paper. Thank you for letting us know what works for you – we are listening!

So, contrary to our front cover announcement last issue, the paper magazine will remain available for the same subscription price. Electronic only subscriptions are also available, at a substantial discount. All subscribers can access the magazine online anytime. The new format allows us to reach many more people around the globe. Stay with us as we integrate more perspectives on our journey of respect.

The theme of “men’s and women’s fears” generated a lot of interesting pieces: some that made me pause and think, some good news, some new perspectives.

We chose to feature Dhillon Khosla as our cover story on this theme.  As a man with an intimate understanding of women (he was born and lived for thirty years in the body of a woman), Dhillon brings exceptional insights into what it means to be a man or woman today.  For an interview about his book Both Sides Now: one man’s journey through womanhood [Tarcher/Penguin Group, 2006, click book title to read an excerpt], see Erica Pearlman’s interview entitled Confessions of a Male.  For a reflective chat with Dhillon, see Dhillon Khosla talks with Maureen. 

If you followed the dialogue on “Is Marriage Obsolete?” from our first two issues, see Love, Pain, the Whole Damn Thing for one reader’s thoughtful response, and David’s editorial this issue for his new insights.

Good news!  Male genital mutilation rates are going down.  See the latest Canadian statistics in the News, Happenings, Events section.

We encourage all parents or people with children in their lives to meet our new columnist, Beverly Smith of Calgary, Alberta who writes on all aspects of modern parenting in her new column, Modern Parenting.  Welcome aboard, Beverly!

There’s still more…our candid columnists address the subject of fear with courage and openness, the Book, Tape & Film Review section includes four new book reviews, David fearlessly addresses the future with Our Next Major Paradigm Shift, and the Canadian Equal Parenting Council submits an open invitation to our readers to get involved in fair and equal parenting.

As this issue goes ‘to press’, I’m off to Jamaica and Taiwan – the latter for an international healthy cities conference hosted by the Taipei government - to speak on a panel regarding gender in cities.  Increasingly, each international city addresses the challenges of a flat world:  How are we reconciling cultural and religious and gender differences? How are we crafting new models of relationship and understanding of the balance of power between women and men? What is the role of women in this process, given that in many cases their role has not been articulated?  In the next issue of GRIP, with the theme of gender politics, we’ll hear from some conference participants and continue our journey to a more global understanding of gender dynamics.

Our last issue generated some heated response – check out Letters to the Editor to read what others are saying, and don’t hesitate to add your own comments.  We want to hear from you!  Together, we can learn and grow, and co-create a world all of us can love.

Maureen