[opirgyork] Weekly Digest - April/1/2010

[OPIRG York]

Greetings all!

Hope everyone has had a great end to the semester.
The office will be closed on Easter friday and monday. Have a great long 
weekend!

Just a reminder of our OPIRG York AGM coming up THIS TUESDAY APRIL 6th 
from 3pm - 5pm in the student centre RM. 307

Refreshments and Food served!
Bus tickets and child care provided

* Revolutionary updates from Working Groups
* Tales of resistance from OPIRG staff
* Defying the June G20 meeting
* Solidarity work with other organizations
* Radical constitutional amendments and anti-capitalist financial reviews
* A special rebellious performer will make a surprise appearance!

OPIRG-York is an umbrella organization that facilitates activism and 
advocacy on social and environmental justice issues at
York University and beyond! If you need childcare for the meeting, or 
any other questions, please email opirg at yorku.ca

-----------------------------------------

1) URGENT ACTION: HARPER is closing the First Nations University of Canada!!
2) Job Posting: OPIRG Ottawa
3) April 8th - Don't reward violence Canada-Colombia FTA Forum
4) Global BDS Day of Action - Flash mobs at Chapters/MEC
5) Poverty and the Provincial Budget: Health, Jobs, and Resistance 
(April 6th)
6) OPIRG York AGM (April 6th)
7) Grassy Narrows Public Talk (April 6th)
8) ACTION: River Run Creative March and Rally (April 7th)
9) Youth Speak!! Closing the service gaps in the criminal justice system
10) Public meeting: Defend the special diet: Raise the rates NOW!
11) Raise the RATES RALLY/march on the McGuinty Govt.
12) APRIL 2nd!!! Rafeef Ziadah and LAL At Beit Zatoun
13) Sociology and Equity studies in education grad student conference 
(April 3rd)
14) Cherry Bomb presents: Shell toe LIVE!!! (April 3rd)
15) THE TORONTO ANARCHIST ASSEMBLY AND BOOKFAIR
16) 5th Annual Feminist Porn Awards! (April 9th)
17) PROTEST: Aboriginal HST Protest!! (April 22nd)
18) Film Screening: The Women of Brukman (April 15th)
19) With love from Palestine: TPFF 2010 Launch party
20) Book Launch: "Barack Obama and Jim Crow Media: The return of the 
Ni**er Breakers" by Ishmael Reed (April 16)

---------------------------------------------

1) **** PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY*****

The federal government is stopping funding to First Nations University 
of Canada today, April 1st in Saskatchewan. This is an absolute 
devastation. While there have been internal troubles recently at the 
University, the solution is not to shut it down. The institution, which 
has campuses in Saskatoon and Regina, has had an remarkable impact on 
improving access to education for Aboriginal peoples in Saskatchewan and 
across Canada. Over 30% of children in Saskatchewan are aboriginal and 
they are the fastest growing population in Saskatchewan. Education is a 
treaty right.

Tell Harper right now to stand up against systemic racism by reversing 
the decision to stop funding FNUC!

Please sign the letter below:
http://www.caut.ca/fnuc/sign.aspx

Watch this video for more information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zc1xmmQlOY

Join the Facebook group and event for more information about how you and 
your organization can extend solidarity and for updates:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=285728848301&ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=110649362285871&index=1

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2) The Ontario Public Interest Research Group – University of Ottawa 
(OPIRG) is seeking a one year contract, part-time (20 hours/week) Campus 
Relations Coordinator to begin May 3rd, 2010 and end April 8th, 2011. 
OPIRG is a bilingual, student-funded and student directed volunteer 
organization dedicated to research, education and advocacy in the areas 
of social justice, the environment and health.

Campus Relations:

- Maintaining good working relationships with the SFUO (undergrad 
student association), GSAÉD (graduate student association), groups, 
administration, professors and media (i.e. Fulcrum, La Rotonde, CHUO, 
etc.) on campus.

- Keeping up and improving our visibility on campus through the 
administration, the staff and the students (i.e. keeping all sectors of 
the university up to date on who we are and what we do)

- Collaborating with other organizations and services on campus to plan 
events and campaigns, based on OPIRG priorities

- Coordinating communications with students through website updating and 
biweekly email newsletters.

Administrative:

- General administrative and office duties

- Sharing in the preparations for the Annual General Meeting

- Attending occasional Board Meetings and assisting the Board as necessary.

Programming:

The Campus Relations Coordinator will be responsible for organizing 
three major projects

- Alternative 101 Week: Organize progressive and dry activities to 
welcome new students to the University of Ottawa

- OPIRG research grants: Help develop and coordinate the research grants 
at OPIRG by gathering application and acting as liaison for the 
selection committee.

- Coordinating OPIRG workshops that are offered to students and to the 
community

- There is an expectation that the coordinator be available at the end 
of August and beginning of September to coordinate Alternative 101 Week. 
The Coordinator is also expected to work additional hours during the 
coordination of that event.

Essential Qualifications

- MUST be fluently bilingual (French and English writing and oral 
comprehension)

- Keen ability to network, plan events & campaigns, create promotional 
material.

- Ability to work under stressful conditions, multi-task and meet deadlines.

- Knowledge of, and experience with social and environmental justice 
issues and non-profit organizations.

- Exemplary organizational, administrative and time management skills; 
strong inter-personal and communications skills.

- Proven ability to be highly motivated, self-directed, flexible and 
adapt quickly to new and challenging situations.

- Familiarity with social justice issues and experience with 
anti-oppression framework.

Preferred Qualifications

- Efficiency with computer applications, ability to maintain a basic 
website.

- Knowledge of University of Ottawa campus and local NGOs, social and 
environmental organizations and community organizations.

Benefits

- Progressive unionized work environment and salary

- Dental and health plan

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized 
communities bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people, 
people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented 
people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and 
people with disabilities to apply.

We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences 
they as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would 
bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter.

All applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power 
and oppression.

Applicants who wish to be considered for employment equity may mention 
this in their cover letter.

Each applicant is responsible for making sure the hiring committee has 
received his/her resume, his/her cover letter and his/her statement of 
power and oppression.

Your application needs to include:

1. Cover Letter

2. Resume

3. Statement on Power and Oppression

We regret that the OPIRG office is not currently wheelchair accessible.

DEADLINE for applications: Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at 5:00pm.

Only those invited for an interview will be contacted.

Hiring Committee - OPIRG Ottawa

631 King Edward Ave., 3rd Floor

Ottawa ON K1N 7N8

Fax: (613) 230-4830

Or e-mail to: opirg.embauche at gmail.com

---------------------------------------

3) Don’t Reward Violence:

Corporate profits or human rights-

Which should Canada champion in Colombia?

Thurs, April 8, 2010

7–9 P.M. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

WHERE:

New Horizons Auditorium,

1140 Bloor St. West (at Dufferin)

MODERATOR:

Andrew Cash, NOW columnist,

Davenport NDP candidate

SPEAKERS:

Peter Julian, federal NDP Trade Critic

Jasmin Hristov, author, Blood & Capital:

The Paramilitarization of Colombia

Carleen Pickard, Council of Canadians

Sid Ryan, President, Ontario Federation of Labour

Yhony Muñoz, OPSEU International Solidarity activist

Canada is set to sign a sweeping trade deal with Colombia—our 
hemisphere’s most egregious human rights violators where violence 
against indigenous peoples, Afro- Colombians, workers, farmers and 
journalists is a regular occurrence. More labour leaders and human 
rights activists are killed in Colombia than in any other country in the 
world. Yet, shockingly, this free trade deal does not contain 
substantive conditions to protect human rights. Instead, there is one 
obscene clause that would have Colombia pay fines when a labour leader 
or human rights activist is killed by the state military or by 
paramilitaries tied to the government. Why is Stephen Harper’s 
Conservative government, with the support of Liberal members in 
Parliament pushing such a bad deal?

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS:

CAW, OPSEU, Ontario Federation of Labour, Latin American Solidarity 
Network, CUPE Ontario International Solidarity Committee, Council of 
Canadians


FOR MORE INFORMATION

CALL 416 979 5554

---------------------------

4) On March 30, 2010 the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) marked
the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Day of Action with
flash mob protests at Chapters Indigo and Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC):
http://www.youtube.com/user/NoApartheid#p/a/u/0/MsYS2iLHhHg

BDS Day of Action

In 2005, over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations called on 
people of
conscience around the world to join a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law. 
Over
the past 5 years, the BDS campaign has become a global force, uniting 
student
groups, trade unions, faith-based organizations and grassroots activists 
in the
struggle against Israeli Apartheid.

Last year, in the wake of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, the BDS National
Committee declared March 30th the Global BDS Day of Action. This day of 
action
coincides with Palestinian Land Day, which symbolizes Palestinian 
resistance to
Israel’s ongoing land expropriation, colonization, occupation and apartheid.
On March 30th, BDS activists around the world engaged in demonstrations and
creative actions to mark the day of action. In Toronto, CAIA focused on two
Canadian BDS targets – Chapters Indigo and Mountain Equipment Coop.

Boycott Chapters Indigo!

Since 2006, CAIA has called for a boycott of Chapters Indigo bookstores 
because
of its ties to Israeli Apartheid. The owners of Chapters Indigo, Heather
Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, are the founders of the Heseg Foundation. Heseg
provides scholarships and other support to former “lone soldiers” in the
Israeli military – individuals from outside Israel with no family in the
country who join the Israeli military and participate in all aspects of its
repression of Palestinians. In January 2009 HESEG Representatives handed out
$160,000 worth of “thank you” gifts to Israeli soldiers participating in
the attacks on Gaza. People of conscience across Canada are boycotting 
Chapters
Indigo until Reisman and Schwartz cut their ties to Heseg.

MEC – Drop Israeli Products Now!

Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) prides itself on its ‘ethical sourcing
policy’. Many MEC members are committed to the environment and social 
justice
and want their cooperative to behave in a responsible, ethical manner. 
Across
the country, members were shocked and outraged to discover that MEC, despite
its ethical sourcing policy, is doing business with Israeli Apartheid. They
carry over 30 Israeli products, including equipment manufactured by Source
Vagabond, an Israeli military contractor. The same hydration packs used by
soldiers in Gaza are being sold at MEC stores in Canada. MEC members are
demanding that MEC live up to its own policies and drop all Israeli products
immediately.

Want to be part of the growing BDS movement?

The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid is always looking for new 
activists who
want to join the struggle to end apartheid.

Join us! www.caiaweb.org or endapartheid at riseup.net

-----------------------------

5) Tuesday, April 6, 7pm *
Poverty and the Provincial Budget: Health, Jobs, and Resistance
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
252 Bloor St. West, Room 5260

The McGuinty government will release Ontario's 2010 budget on March 
25th. Even before the predicted cuts to social services, poor and 
working people are being forced to endure the devastating brunt of the 
recession. From piecemeal job cuts to impudent attacks on social 
programs, provincial policies are already starving Ontario families.

We should be outraged, but we shouldn't be surprised; attacks against 
poor people are standard fare in Ontario. In previous decades, 
grassroots movements have responded to such attacks with mass 
mobilization. Join us to discuss what we can do now.

Featuring

John Clarke, organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.
Michael Hurley, President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions 
(OCHU) and Vice-President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, 
Ontario (CUPE Ontario).
Dr. Roland Wong, Occupational and Community Medicine Physician.

Sponsored by:
Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG-Toronto) www.opirgtoronto.org
University of Toronto Health Studies Students' Union
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) www.ocap.ca
Health Providers Against Poverty www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca

OISE is an accessible location.

For more information about this event, contact OPIRG-Toronto at 
opirg.toronto at gmail.com.

---------------------------------------

6) Tuesday, April 6, 3pm
York Students and Community Members are invited to:
2010 Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Public Interest Research 
Group @ York U
Student Centre (York U)
Room 307 - 3:00pm

Refreshments and Food served!
Bus tickets and child care provided

* Revolutionary updates from Working Groups
* Tales of resistance from OPIRG staff
* Defying the June G20 meeting
* Solidarity work with other organizations
* Radical constitutional amendments and anti-capitalist financial reviews
* A special rebellious performer will make a surprise appearance!

OPIRG-York is an umbrella organization that facilitates activism and 
advocacy on social and environmental justice issues at York University 
and beyond! If you need childcare for the meeting, or any other 
questions, please email opirg at yorku.ca

-----------------------------------

7) Take action with Grassy Narrows Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek

Public Talk. Tuesday April 6, 6:30 p.m. Steel Workers Hall, 25 Cecil St. 
(S of College, E of Spadina).

Featuring: The Grassy Narrows Women’s Drum Group, Elder Jacqui LaValley, 
Maude Barlow, and Judy Rebick.

Suggested donation: ½ an hour of your wage (if applicable). No one will 
be turned away for lack of funds. Snacks will be served. TTC tokens are 
available. Wheelchair accessible venue.

-------------------------------

8) River Run – creative march and rally. Wednesday April 7, Noon. Meet 
at Grange Park (Beverley St. S of Dundas, behind the AGO).

Together we will form a wild river that will flow to Queen’s park to 
demand justice on World Health Day. We invite Indigenous people to wear 
your regalia. Others are invited to wear blue, or dress as your 
favourite wild creature.

Featuring: Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse, Grassy Narrows Chief 
Fobister, Grassy Narrows Women’s Drum Group, Elder Garry Sault, Elder 
Jacqui LaValley, Bruce Cox (Greenpeace ED), Craig Benjamin (Amnesty), 
Council of Canadians, SYC, CUPE, Earthroots.

Lifts are available from Grange Park to Queen’s Park. A snack will be 
served. TTC tokens are available.

To endorse, donate, volunteer, or for more information contact us at: 
riverrun2010 at gmail.com

----------------------------

9) For Youth Initiative in partnership with City of Toronto and Toronto
Community Housing invites you to "Youth Speak!!!": Closing the Service
Gaps in the Criminal Justice System.

The conference aims at bringing key policy and frontline workers
together with high risk youth and other stakeholders to identify the
gaps that exist in the Youth Criminal Justice System.

Staying true to the theme, the keynote will be delivered by a youth who
is currently incarcerated via video conference and the panel discussions
will be streamed into a youth correctional facility and breakout groups
will simultaneously occur in the facility as well as at the conference
venue.

Event Details:

When: On April 20th, 2010,

Time: 9-5pm

Where: 89 Chestnut Street.

Please reserve your space with Rob by April 12th. Registration form is
attached

For more details rob at foryouth.ca / www.foryouth.ca
<http://www.foryouth.ca/
(416) 785 9900

-------------------------------------

10) PUBLIC MEETING: Defend the Special Diet, Raise OW/ODSP Rates Now!

Friday, April 9th
6pm @ Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre
1499 Queen St. W, Toronto
*snacks and drinks to be provided
*childcare to be provided

Are you being cut off the Special Diet or having a hard time getting it?
Are you struggling to make ends meet on OW or ODSP?
Are you angry at the Liberal government for taking away the one thing we
had left to try to put food on the table?

Come out to hear testimony, or give testimony, on the importance of
the Special Diet money and the need for a total raise in Welfare and
ODSP
rates.

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca/416-925-6939

------------------------------

11) RAISE the RATES
Rally and March on the McGuinty Government

Thursday, April 15th, 2010
12Noon
Allan Gardens Park (Sherbourne and Gerrard)
*Free Meal

WE DEMAND:
-Raise Welfare and Disability rates by 40% now!
-Stop the attacks: Give us the Special Diet!
-Defend Public Services

In 2003, the Liberals were elected on the promise of ‘change’. Those
empty promises did nothing to end poverty. For poor people there is no
difference between McGuinty and Harris: same program, different
facade. The reality is that poor people in Ontario are worse off than
we were 15 years ago. And now, things are about to get even worse.

The Government is looking at taking away the Special Diet in this
year's Provincial budget, and maybe raising the total rates by a
measly 3%. If
this happens - thousands of people in this province are going to be
thrown in to a serious crisis. People on OW and ODSP live on rates
that are
shamefully inadequate. Since the 1995 cuts by the Harris government,
these rates have been reduced in real terms by at least 40%. People
are forced to choose between paying the rent or buying food. In
slashing the Special Diet now - the government is taking away the one
thing that people on Social Assistance had left to try to get-by.

Governments responded to the economic crisis by giving billions of
dollars in bailouts and tax cuts to failed corporations and banks. Now
they are looking to get that money back in the way of serious Social
Cutbacks. The Special Diet is an example of this, but Housing, Social
Assistance, Childcare, and all Public Services are under threat. We
know that any cuts will result in an even bigger explosion of poverty
and suffering in this Province for poor and working class people.

If we let the government write our future, it will be bleak. We are
calling on poor and working people in Ontario to organize and fight
back.

We won’t pay for their crisis or their deficit. We demand the right
to a decent income and a future free of poverty. Raise the Rates by
40% Now!
Join us on April 15 and fight for the right to decent income!

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca / 416-925-6939

-------------------------------

12) Rafeef Ziadah and Lal at Beit Zatoun

Friday, April 02, 2010

8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Beit Zatoun
612 Markham St.
Toronto

What
With audience favourites like "Baghdad" and "Shades of Anger" and new 
pieces including "Trail of Tears". Come hear pieces from Hadeel 
performed live with music by the incredible "Lal". Also appearing is 
Reena Katz.

Rafeef Ziadah is a Palestinian spoken-word artist and activist. Rafeef 
started performing poetry in Toronto in 2003 with the spoken word 
collective Pueblo Unido and is the winner of the 2007 Mayworks Festival 
Poetry Face-Off. Rafeef’s poetry speaks to the struggle of immigrants to 
“make it to/in Canada ” and the politics of exile. Being Palestinian she 
reflects, in the CD, on the realities of her homeland today, a homeland 
to which she is not allowed to return.
Learn more about Rafeef and Hadeel at: www.rafeefziadah.ca
Need to know:

- Admission $10 ($5 unwaged)
- Sorry, no reservations
- Doors open at 7:30 pm
- Sorry, not wheelchair accessible

Tasty refreshments (non-alcoholic) and oliveoil+za'atar dipping, 
included in admission.

Email: info at beitzatoun.org
Phone: 647-726-9500

-----------------------------------

13) Sociology and Equity studies in education grad student conference
Saturday April 3rd
8am - 6pm
OISE

Contested Spaces’ point of departure is that schooling and education in 
Canada are inscribed in histories of settler-colonialism, imperialism, 
and (neo)liberalism. We will consider these terms broadly to provide a 
space for dialogue on the regulation of bodies and the production of 
knowledge, and for the imagining and practicing of alternate possibilities.

Also, this conference responds to the increased attack on disciplines 
and programming that critically interrogate the state, institutions, 
systems of power, and social relations. Recent eliminations of programs 
such as Women’s Studies at the University of Guelph, History and 
Philosophy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), and 
cuts to equity programs such as Disability Studies and the Transitional 
Year Program (TYP) at the University of Toronto, are only a few 
examples. Further, the intervention of the Conservative government into 
the governing of Social Sciences Humanities and Research Council (SSHRC) 
grants/scholarships, its consequent requisite to make research legible 
to business and state interests, and scrutiny of the organization of 
conferences such as “Israel/Palestine: Mapping Models of Statehood and 
Paths to Peace”, reveal the ways in which the academy is being actively 
reshaped by security and corporate interests linked to the state and 
shifts in this geo-political moment.

----------------------------------

14) Cozmic Cat and Denise Benson are excited to present the largest 
gathering of queer (and queer friendly) hip-hop and club music talent 
this city has ever seen. The 3 MCs all step with razor sharp flows, 
rapping 'bout love, sex, community and politics. The 2 DJ crews will 
keep both floors bouncing. Come early for the live shows, stay for the 
afterparty, grind all night long.

STARRING:

* INVINCIBLE * (Detroit) http://www.emergencemusic.net/
"One of the most talented emcees I've ever heard, black or white. male 
or female." -Talib Kweli

* BENNI E * (Philadelphia) http://www.myspace.com/bennipanama
Back by popular demand, the OUTspoken star of our Pride 2009 party 
returns to tear it up!

TORONTO reprezents with

* LA BOMBA * http://www.myspace.com/labombs
The Chilena MC brings lyrical fire with her bi-lingual rhymes!

* AIRHEART * http://www.airheartmusic.com
This local jazzy breakbeat duo performs an opening set at 10:30pm sharp!

PLUS...

2 DJ CREWS to make you DANCE SWEAT and CRUISE all night long:

Upstairs in REVIVAL * CHERRY BOMB resident DJs *
COZMIC CAT + DENISE BENSON
spin before, between and after the live sets!!!

While downstairs in the sexy, spacious STONE LOUNGE * YES YES Y'ALL DJs *
ELLE NINO, HOLLYROCK, J-ILL + SAMMY D
keep things bumpin' with their trademark blends of hip-hop RnB and 
dancehall.


This is the kind of party DB + COZ have wanted to produce since starting 
CHERRY BOMB in 2007, bringing together an amazing cross-section of 
talented, outspoken queer performers in a large venue with proper LIVE 
sound! It's an unprecedented live hip-hop event for Toronto's queer 
community. We invite you to make history with us!

it all goes down at REVIVAL . 783 College Street (at Shaw)
http://www.revivalbar.com . 416.535.7888

$12 ADVANCE TICKETS available from FEB 24th at:

Glad Day Bookshop 598A Yonge Street
Soundscapes 572 College Street
Toronto Women's Bookstore 73 Harbord Street
+ ONLINE AT Milkaudio.com (events/shop)

http://www.milkaudio.com/web/store_main.php

$15 AT THE DOOR.

This is a licensed (19+) inclusive event for queer women and our friends 
(meaning guys, trans folks and our straight allies are WELCOME!).

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15) THE TORONTO ANARCHIST ASSEMBLY AND BOOKFAIR

April 9, 10, 11


Friends – the anarchist assembly and bookfair is almost here!

It’s time for us to gather. To assemble and talk to each other. To bring 
together folks who secretly or not so secretly identify with anarchism, 
and continue to build a larger and more vibrant community. Building on 
last year’s “Toronto Anarchist Gathering” this will be a bigger and 
better weekend of events including panel discussions, booktables, 
workshops, social events and more.

Come participate in a weekend of fun and anarchism at the Toronto 
Anarchist Assembly on April 9-11th. This will be a space for a wide 
variety of anarchist individuals, radical political groups, and 
anti-authoritarian organizations to come together, meet, greet, educate, 
skill-share, and hear about each other’s projects and plans.

Hopefully this will be an opportunity to educate some people about what 
anarchism is all about, to encourage people to get involved with some of 
the organizing and organizations that exist in Toronto, and to provide a 
space for already-established groups to learn about one another’s work.

If you’re able to help out by making a donation, putting up posters, or 
volunteering to do childcare, that’d be awesome. Give us a shout at 
torontoanarchistassembly at gmail.com. Also please let us know if you have 
any particular accessibility requests. We’ll do our best to accommodate.

The Toronto Anarchist Assembly is open to anyone who shares our 
anti-oppressive perspective against classism, sexism, racism, ableism, 
colonialism, homophobia, and other hierarchical attitudes, practices and 
crap.

http://torontoanarchistassembly.blogspot.com/

See you there!

------------------------------------

16) Our special Fifth Anniversary celebrations are guaranteed to be 
unforgettable! Featuring awards in categories including Hottest Kink 
Film, Sexiest Straight Movie, Steamiest Trans Movie and many more!

Hosted by Morgan Brayton (www.morganbrayton.com),with special 
correspondent Ryan G. Hinds.

+ ILL NANA (check out 
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1263892736&ref=mf for more info!)

+ Saucy and inventive "Bollywood burlesque" from MASTI KHOR

+ The show-stopping bombshell COCO LA CREME ( see 
http://skintightouttasight.com for more info)

+ Stellar awards presenters: LUCAS SILVEIRA, SASHA VAN BON BON, JOSEY 
VOGELS, LOUISE BAK, JESS DOBKIN and more!

+ DJ COZMIC CAT Spinning awesome tunes so you can shake your moneymaker 
long into the night

+ a verrrry sexy silent auction and raffle, tasty treats, and an amazing 
good time to be had!

Please join us as we welcome adult performers and directors from far and 
wide including Nica Noelle, Shine Louise Houston, Tristan Taormino, 
April Flores, Dylan Ryan, Courtney Trouble, Astrid Glitter, Judy Minx, 
Julie Simone, May Ling Su, Sophia St. James, Jiz Lee, Madison Young, 
Tina Horn, and many more.

Tickets: $15 advance/$20 door
$25 for combo tickets to awards + screening
$75 for VIP tickets (both awards and screening, + VIP pre-party, 
priority seating and gift bag worth over $250 - Limited availability - 
VIP ticket price goes to $100 after March 15)

Tickets available at Good For Her (175 Harbord Street) or online at 
http://www.goodforher.com/catalog/feminist_porn_awards_tickets

VIP Pre-Party: 8-9 pm
General Doors: 9 pm
Show 9:30 pm

This venue is wheelchair accessible, with partially wheelchair 
accessible washrooms (IE: They are not regulation accessible, but have 
larger doors plus a support bar, that will be helpful for some people, 
but sadly, may be inaccessible for some)+ ASL interpretation will be 
provided for the stage show. Please contact Good For Her for any other 
accessibility concerns.

Please see our other event as part of the Feminist Porn Awards: 
Public.Provocative.Porn: The Year's Best in Feminist Film here: 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=355822026835

This event is generously sponsored by:
Hotmoviesforher.com, Happy Valley Silicone, Aslan Leather, The 
Everything To Do With Sex Show, Je Joue, Oh Mi Bod, Good Releasing, 
Tantus and Lelo.

----------------------------

17) Aboriginal HST Protest!!
Thursday April 22nd, 2010
9am - 5pm
Queens Park Toronto

HST affects everyone, so even if you are not Aboriginal and wish to come 
and support us in this protest you are more then welcome to come out and 
you are encouraged to do so.

On July 1st the Government is taking away our inherent right to point of 
sale tax exemption unless we all unite to be heard.

We Native poeple of Ontario have to come together and fight for our 
right of point of sale tax exemption because once the government takes 
it away we will never get it back, so we must stop it beforeit is pushed 
through.

It is Illegal and Immoral for the Federal Government to ignore our 
treat's and turn their backs on us.

Large protests and demands have worked in the past. If we organize a lot 
of protests then the goverment has no choice but to cave in. Remember 
when young people protested the changes to young drivers by the Liberals 
by using facebook. It sure has worked before so we have to make it work 
this time or it will forever be just another thing stripped from our 
rights and gone for good.

THIS PROTEST IS COMMING FROM A GRASS ROOTS ANGLE SO ALL COMMUNITY"S ARE 
ABLE TO COME OUT AND ANYONE CAN SPEAK OUT AT THIS PROTEST!

Please invite anyone and everyone to this protest and come out and fight 
for our rights! The only way we can do this is by getting off our butts 
and assemble in this protest. It is important that as many people come 
as possible so please let's get the word out of this event and stop the hst!

"HST IN ONTARIO... this approved proposal, which will take affect this 
year, is only designed to keep Ontario from progressing..... it takes 
more money out of the hands of the improverished and First Nations 
people. As a First Nations person, I refuse to pay the HST because it is 
illegal for a nation to tax another nation, such as FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE.

The new 13% tax will therefore apply to things like your electric bill, 
your gas bill, your water bill, condominium fees, insurance premiums, 
and every other good and service you purchase. There are almost no 
exemptions.
The extension of the new 13% GST/PST to homes is simply a tax assault by 
the government on your primary home. They want to tax your primary home 
and you will suffer because of it.

Why? Because if a purchaser has to pay almost $200,000 in taxes to buy 
your $1 million dollar home, the purchaser is going to pay less to you 
for your home. The purchaser will reduce the amount he or she is willing 
to pay to you in order to pay all the taxes.

The New 13% Tax Will Effectively Raise Your Income Taxes Currently, the 
combined Federal/Ontario income tax rates are roughly 25% on the first 
$20,000 of taxable income, 42% on the next $40,000 of taxable income, 
and 46.5% on each dollar of taxable income over $60,000. On top of that 
you have to add the "Fair Share Health Tax" of up to $1,000 each of us 
has to pay.

If the Ontario Government gets away with implementing their new 
harmonized GST/PST sales tax of 13%, the top effective income tax rates 
in Ontario will be as follows (since you can't spend any of your tax 
paid dollars without paying the new harmonized 13% GST/PST tax):

38% on the first $20,000
53% on the next $40,000
59.5% on every dollar over $60,000

On top of that, you have to pay your Ontario Fair Share Health Tax, your 
city realty taxes, your city garbage fees, your city water fees, your 
city street parking permit fees, your annual Ontario and new city of 
toronto vehicle license plate fees, your Ontario land transfer tax, your 
new city of toronto land transfer tax, your gasoline taxes, your liquor 
taxes, your air departure
taxes, your entertainment taxes, and so on.

While you can see above that the tax is not only a First Nations 
violation of rights, it is also a violation of rights of the Tax Payer. 
Many of times I have sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and 
witnessed many of these Liberal Ontario elected officials not even be 
present when the questions of their misspending comes forth, while they 
are making huge, profit gaining deals, like those with international 
corporations like Samsung to gain profit on behalf of Ontarians. These 
people are only out to line their pockets with cash.

I will say this, because I don't care right now... Dalton McGuinty is 
the WORST thing to ever happen to Ontarians, and at this point, he's 
probably made so much money off private deals for Ontario that it 
doesn't matter whether or not he ever gets re-elected.

The only thing that I can say at this point is that for those of you who 
don't vote and don't contribute to any of the causes that you believe 
in, you thus leave decision making, like the HST to people like Dalton 
McGuinty.....but.. you also leave it to people like activists to fight 
for your rights in decisions that will affect your life and you leave it 
to politicians like Dalton McGuinty to make choices for you. Regardless 
of what your or our opinions are, please make sure that everyone knows 
what you think, because each and everyone person on this group and 
beyond are sooo important to the collective and I want to say Miigwetch 
to every single one of you... because it is only you who can make change!"

--------------------------------

18) The Toronto Premiere of:

"The Women of Brukman" - A documentary film on a factory takeover in 
2001 in Argentina.

Thursday, April 15 - 6:30-9:30pm - Bloor Cinema - 506 Bloor St. West 
(just east of Bathurst)

Tickets for sale in advance for $5 - Available at the Toronto Women's 
Bookstore (73 Harbord St. @ Spadina).

$10 at the door.

During the 2001 economic collapse in Argentina, the seamstresses at 
Brukman’s clothing factory took over the operation the owners had 
abandoned. They reorganized it on a self-management model, without a 
doubt the most inspiring of the many new economic experiments in that 
country.

The name Brukman’s went from being a symbol of worker exploitation to 
being a site of revolutionary labour participation – all workers, no bosses.

Isaac Isitan followed these courageous women over many years, their 
struggle to get the operation running again, their expulsion from the 
factory, months of battling to get it back, and tangles with the law.

This is the story of a venture that began as a means of survival and 
became a genuine school for civics. Besides following the labour 
politics, the film also gets close to the women as individuals finding a 
way to put dignity into their working lives.

For more information on the film visit: 
http://thewomenofbrukman.ca/film.htm

Organized by:

May 1st Movement Committee, Barrio Nuevo, Migrant Women's Coordinating Body.

---------------------------------

19)With Love from Palestine: TPFF 2010 Launch party
Thursday April 29th
9pm
22 Cumberland Street

To kick off the new season of the Toronto Palestine Film Festival 
(TPFF), we are hosting the 2010 Launch Party: With Love From Palestine.

Join us on Thursday, April 29th for a night of live music and dancing at 
The Stealth Lounge (@ The Pilot), 22 Cumberland Street (doors open at 
9pm). We'll be announcing the list of acts shortly.

The 3rd annual TPFF is taking place October 2-8, 2010, showcasing the 
latest Palestinian films and hosting exciting cultural events. For more 
information on upcoming pre-festival events, please visit: www.tpff.ca

---------------------------------

20) A Different BookList and Baraka Books

invite you to the launch of

"Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media

The Return of the Nigger Breakers"

by

eminent African-American Writer, Poet and Playwright

Ishmael Reed

Ishmael Reed will be speaking.

United Steelworkers Hall

25 Cecil St

Toronto, Ontario

Friday, April 16 at 7:30 pm

The evening will be hosted by:

Professor George Elliott Clarke - award winning

writer, poet and playwright

RSVP A Different Booklist 416-538-0889

info at adifferentbooklist.com

www.barakabooks.com