[IPSM] Nov 25-28 Edmonton: Everyone's Downstream IV -- Building Locally, Expanding Globally

[Dru Oja Jay]

*November 25-28, Edmonton, AB*

*Everyone's Downstream IV

Tar Sands Production and Resistance: Building Locally, Expanding Globally*

Everyone's Downstream is an annual conference that brings together community
members, activists and others fighting the global infrastructure of the tar
sands gigaproject.

This year's themes include:

   - The Tar Sands go Global: reports from Madagascar, Trinidad and more
   - Environmental NGOs, secret deals, and how to build a democratic,
   transparent environmental movement
   - Ongoing resistance to pipelines, refineries, and other tar sands
   infrastructure

*Web:* http://www.everyonesdownstream.org/
*Facebook:* http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169907206354992
*Twitter posts* about #eds4: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23eds4
*Location:* http://www.everyonesdownstream.org/gethere.html

*Schedule:*

*Thursday, November 25th, 6pm*
University of Alberta, ETLC 1-007 (116 St between 91 and 92 Ave)

Issue Launch:
*Beyond Parts Per Million: voices from the frontlines of Climate Justice*

The authors and editors will launch a publication documenting the ways in
which climate justice struggles are inextricably connected to struggles for
social justice such as gender oppression, migrant justice, or Indigenous
sovereignty. Beyond Parts Per Million is published by Climate Justice
Montreal and the Provisional Committee for the Formation of a Climate
Justice Co-operative.

With speakers from both initiatives.

*Friday, November 26th, 6pm:*
University of Alberta, ETLC 1-007 (116 St between 91 and 92 Ave)

Panel Discussion:
*Following the money Upstream: Foundation Funding, Environmental NGOs,
secret deals, and proposed alternatives*

Panelists will discuss recent exercises in funder-driven policymaking --
like the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, Ontario's Far North Act, the
Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, and the shadowy North American Tar Sands
Coalition -- and discuss grassroots responses and alternative approaches.

Speakers will include First Nations Policy Analyst Russell Diabo, along with
Dru Jay of The Dominion Media Co-op and Macdonald Stainsby of Oil Sands
Truth, both co-authors of Offsetting Resistance: the effects of foundation
funding and corporate fronts from the Great Bear Rainforest to the Athabasca
River.

*Saturday, November 27th, Full Day: 9am to 5pm*
University of Alberta, ETLC 1-003 (116 St between 91 and 92 Ave)

*Tar Sands Go Global and Local: Stories of Destruction and Resistance from
Trinidad to Fort Chipewyan*

Speakers from across Turtle Island and beyond discuss how tar sands are or
could be affecting their lives, health, cultures, and their relationships to
the land. Indigenous communities from Alberta, BC and the rest of Turtle
Island, along with other front line communities who live in the path of one
or more of the many tar sands pipeline and refinery paths will report back
about their communities' resistance to tar sands developments.
The day will also highlight international solidarity with tar sands
resistance such as exists in the United Kingdom, as well as highlighting
proposed new tar sands projects that exist in places like Trinidad and
Tobago, Madagascar, Jordan, Palestine, Venezuela, and even the state of Utah
in the United States.

Community Presentations:
9:00-11:30am--*Alberta's immediately impacted and downstream communities*

With:

    * George Poitras, former chief, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort
Chipewyan (Alberta).
    * Stephanie Poole, member of Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation (Northwest
Territories).
    * The duly elected leadership of Little Buffalo, unceded territory of
the Lubicon Cree First Nation, including Chief Steve Noskey (Alberta).
    * Toghestiy Wet'suwet'en (Warner Naziel), hereditary chief of Fireweed
Clan and Freda Huson, spokesperson for the Unist'ot'en people,  Wet'suwet'en
Nation (British Columbia).

Co-facilitated by Eriel Deranger, member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First
Nation and Dustin Johnson, Tsimshian Nation.

Lunch, 11:45-12:30

12:45-2:15pm--*The Continental Reach of the Tar Sands Gigaproject*

With:

    * Thomas Frank, Artist / Urban Planner, East Chicago, Indiana: BP's
Whiting refinery and proposed tar sands capacity expansion.
    * Kim Leclerc, member of the Dunham Environment Committee, Dunham,
Québec: Enbridge Trailbreaker Pipeline reversal proposal.
    * Justine Hecht, Tar Sands Free Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Clean
Fuels Refinery and the proposed pipeline transport of tar sands bitumen
through Mexico.

2:30-4:45pm--*Is the Tar Sands Gigaproject Becoming a Teraproject? The
Global Expansion of Tar Sands Development*

With:

    * Ashley Anderson, Peaceful Uprising, Salt Lake City, Utah:
Unconstructed tar sands strip mine permit owned by Earth Energy Resources
near Moab, Southern Utah.
    * [UNCONFIRMED], Venezuelan Consulate, Montreal: Oil revenue spending on
social programs in Venezuela
    * Priya Ganness-Nanton, Rights Action Group, Point Fortin, Trinidad and
Tobago: Proposed Western Oil Sands and Petrotrin Tar sands strip mining and
in-situ developments.
    * Macdonald Stainsby, OilSandsTruth.org, Edmonton: Quick overviews of
tar sands mining in planning stages in Madagascar, Jordan, Palestine and
Morocco.
    * Suzanne Dhaliwal, UK Tar Sands Network, London, England: Royal Bank of
Scotland financing, BP and Shell tar sands developments, and organizing in
solidarity with First Nations in Canada against all three.

*Sunday, November 28th, Full Day: 9am to 5pm
*
University of Alberta, ETLC 1-003 (116 St between 91 and 92 Ave)
*Paddling Against the Current: The Outlook for Movements and Building Global
Solidarity*

How can we build networks and institutions that respect the rights of
self-determination of Indigenous and other land-based communities? What
would it look like for environmentalists to adopt a policy of "free, prior
and informed consent"? Join in an in-depth discussion on why building a
democratic, transparent environmental movement is needed, and explore the
possibilities for establishing a Climate Justice Co-operative. A day of
discussion, planning and frameworks for acting in concert.

Discussion and Panels: TBA.
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