[Indigsol] Upcomig event & Support the DTES Women "Safe Shelters, Safe Housing, Safe Services" Campaign

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement -Ottawa]

Upcoming event:

** A PRESENTATION BY MICHEL THUSKY on the challenges facing the ALGONQUINS
OF BARRIERE LAKE **

When:   Tuesday, April 5th, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Where:  Room 7/8 All Saints Anglican Church/First United Church, 347
Richmond Road, Ottawa (just west of Churchill Ave. in Westboro)

Michel will speak about the history of the Barriere Lake people, and their
ongoing struggle to retain control over their traditional land, and their
current struggle to retain their traditional form of government.

For more information, contact Murray Angus at murrayangus at rogers.com  For
more info on the struggle of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, visit
http://www.barrierelakesolidarity.org or http://www.ipsmo.org


~~

 ** Please forward and read below on three IMPORTANT ways you can support
**

No More Stolen Sisters: Safe Shelters, Safe Housing, Safe Services Campaign

Over the past two months a growing group of women residents of the
Downtown Eastside (DTES) in Vancouver - Coast Salish Territory as well as
a coalition of DTES and women-serving organizations have been raising the
urgent issue of women’s safety in shelters in the Downtown Eastside. This
has come in response to a number of reported sexual assaults in DTES
shelters.

We have been dismayed by the lack of response by all levels of government
about the ongoing violence committed against women in the Downtown
Eastside. We have been outraged that all four of our correspondences have
been ignored. We have been shocked that our delegation to BC Housing in
March 2011 was met with a heavy presence of police and we were shut out
from any dialogue on this issue. All this suggests to us that BC Housing
as well as city and provincial officials do not consider women’s safety a
priority within their funded facilities.

Sexual assaults against women in this neighbourhood are normalized as we
have seen with the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered women. Women
should not have to “choose” between the indignity of homelessness and
being warehoused in shelters, and the high-risk of assault associated with
both. We will not remain silent or complicit and are continuing a
grassroots campaign based on three core demands that we believe can and
should be met in a timely manner.

We are calling for:

1) A 24 hours low-barrier women-only (includes all self-identified women)
drop-in space and shelter in the Downtown Eastside, ideally on Hastings
Street between Main and Jackson. The establishment and operation of this
service should be done through an accountable process including a
transparent call for tenders and in consultation with community
organizations and DTES resident women.

2) Housing for homeless women and children with at least 100 new units to
be made available immediately.

3) Clear provincial standards for women’s safety in co-ed shelters to be
implemented immediately in all existing and new shelters, including but
not limited to:

• Women-only facilities in co-ed shelters with adequate women-only beds
and services within those spaces.

• Women staff and training for all staff by women’s organizations
experienced in issues of sexual and gender violence. Shelter contractors
must demonstrate the ability to ensure safety and security for women
shelter users and all staff must be able to demonstrate an understanding
of gender inequalities that contribute to violence against women.

We are calling on allied groups, communities, and individuals to support
us. Please get involved and spread the word!

For more information email project at dewc.ca or call 604 681 8480 x 234.
Website: http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/

** HOW TO SUPPORT **

1) PETITION: Please sign our online petition. We are hoping to gather 5000
signatures in two weeks and need your help to make this happen! Link to
petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/DTESsafe/petition.html

2) ENDORSE: If you are a member of a women’s group, social justice
collective, community centre, union, service organization, or campus
group, we request that you please endorse our three demands by emailing
hwalia8 at gmail.com or calling 778-885-0040.

3) WRITE-IN: We are requesting that everyone to please send an email along
the lines of the below to all of the following people in BC Housing, City
Council, MLA’s and MP’s.


For more info: http://bit.ly/giHrTA


-- 
In Solidarity,
IPSMO
on unceded Algonquin Territory
--

IPSMO's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ipsmo





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