[opirgyork] Weekly Digest: November 25th 2010

[Aruna]

Have you checked out Indigenous Sovereignty Week? The week's events are 
almost over, but make sure not to miss out on the events tomorrow,
saturday and sunday!

Friday:
1pm: Tkaronto (Film Screening) University College RM. 179 (15 Kings 
College Circle)
4pm: The Aboriginal City Panel Discussion (Same location)
7pm: Indigenous Law, Justice, Governance (Panel/Speakers) Wilson Hall 
1016, New College (UofT)

Saturday:
11am: Mobilizing support for Canada to implement the UN Declaration on 
the rights of Indigenous peoples (Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave)
2pm: Great Indian bus tour (SOLD OUT!)
7pm: Muskrat Magazine launch and Creation Tales - Walnut studios, 83 
Walnut Ave (near bathurst and king)

Sunday:
10am: Indigenous termination policy and Indigenous unity workshop: OISE 
5th floor
3pm: Closing circle, debrief of the week, next steps and ceremony: OISE 
5th floor

Check out www.defendersoftheland.org/toronto for full details

also...

Public Sector Unionism, Austerity and the Left
November 29th
3pm to 6pm
Student centre (York)
RM. 321

Austerity measures stemming from the global financial crisis threaten to 
undermine public sector unions and the services they provide.
The unions, however, have failed to politicize the crisis along class 
lines, and by extension, to the Left. This is leading to situations
like the Toronto mayoral election where union activity was 
opportunistically used to motivate an anti-union conservative populism.

If anything, this crisis rev...eals that the connection between public 
sector unionism and the Left has become unclear.
This is a problem that cannot be solved by simply reconsidering union 
strategy pragmatically; its solution depends on working through and
clarifying the history, ideology and politics that underlie how public 
sector unions and the Left presently relate.

This teach-in with leading Canadian labour analyst Sam Gindin will 
explore the present crisis, its meaning and how we might get beyond it.
His recent piece with Michael Hurley, titled The Public Sector: Search 
for a Focus
(online at www.socialistproject.ca) considers how union activity could 
be changed not only to meet the challenge of austerity, but also to
reignite the Canadian Left.

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Events:

1) OCAP's 20th Anniversay Celebration
2) In retrospect: A conversation about 10 years of Palestine solidarity 
activism in Toronto
3) Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Racialized Communities
4) Create Change: No bill 94 Art making and teach in
5) Give Rob Ford the welcome he deserves! Counter-Inaugural rally
6) Black Talk: Sexuality and US
7) International day of solidarity with the Palestinian people
8) Rally Against Bill 94
9) Radical Movie Night : A G20 Legal Fundraiser
10) Revolutionary Women's Collective presents: Women's Struggles in 
Toronto: Violence Against Women
11) Grandmother Spirit Project: "Safety and Well-being for Our Elders 
and Seniors - Everyone Plays a Part, From Young to Old"
12) The Remains of the University: Thoughts on the Future of Critical 
Theory and the Humanities
13) Spoken-Film Film Screening
14) CAIA Annual Fundraiser - Come celebrate five years of BDS in Toronto!
15) THRIVE: WOMEN'S VOICES RISING!

Opportunities/Meetings/Callouts:

1) Congo Research Group Meeting
2) Immigration Enforcement Pushed Out of Anti-Violence Against Women 
Spaces across the GTA
3) York's Centre for Women and Trans People is having a logo contest!
4) Nov 27th: Free child care will be provided while parents study!!
5) Nov 27th: Community Justice Coalition Meeting (Prison Industrial 
complex)
6) Sexuality studies callout for panelists
7) The Canadian Animal Liberation Movement (CALM) will be holding a 
three-day training next month, on December 18,19,20.

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1) OCAP 20th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday Nov 27th
630pm to 1am
Cecil Street Community Centre - 58 Cecil St.

Community Dinner, Music, the OCAP Awards, Toasts and Roasts.
Silent Auction, Pinata!

Sliding scale - $0 to $100

Twenty years ago in November, the founding conference of the Ontario 
Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) took place.

On November 27, at the Cecil Street Community Centre (58 Cecil Street), 
we will be holding a party to remember the
long road we’ve travelled and celebrate our struggles for the future.

OCAP has fought its way through two decades in which capitalism has been 
on the offensive and great problems have
emerged in our movements around building and sustaining effective 
resistance. Along the way, we’ve made some
mistakes but made many more victories, friends and high placed enemies. 
Through all we’ve done, our strength
has been in our mobilization of poor communities to fight back and 
demand their rights.

Over the years, thousands of times, we forced welfare bureaucracies to 
provide the benefits they tried to hold back.
We prevented evictions and deportations, forced cheating employers to 
pay up and made local authorities repair the
public housing units they wilfully neglect.

OCAP acted to challenge the abandonment of the homeless. We opened 
closed shelters and occupied empty buildings to
demand they be made into housing. We resisted the welfare cuts of Mike 
Harris and challenged their perpetuation by
Dalton McGuinty. We were at the forefront of efforts ensure the poor had 
access to the Special Diet and we helped
transform it from a barely known $6 million program to one paying over 
$200 million a year to poor people around the province.

OCAP fought on a range of fronts and won victories at a time when they 
were not easy to obtain. However, our
greatest gain has been to ensure that the notion of collective 
resistance has not only been kept alive but has
gained ground in the face of the neoliberal drive to destroy past gains 
and the expectations that were created alongside them.

As we look back with some pride on our history so far, we realize that 
these first two decades were only a
warm up for the bigger fights ahead. This year, Toronto hosted the G20 
with its plans for inhuman global
austerity. Not by coincidence, as this vile gathering took place, we 
also saw the largest mass arrests
in the history of Canada. The period that is now opening up will be one 
in which resistance will be at a
premium and OCAP has some contributions ahead of it in this regard. 
Their plans for austerity will not run
smoothly. People across the world are going to fight back and we are 
more than ready to be part of that fight.

Right now, we are rallying poor people across Toronto and beyond to 
defend their right to the Special Diet
and to demand the raising of social assistance rates. We have recently 
brought on another OCAP organizer from
within the Somali Community in Etobicoke to help expand our work there. 
We have a new person in our office
working to increase our ability to deal with the growing abuses of the 
welfare system as it saves money by
denying people and families their right to basic income. We are looking 
to move into a bigger office at a
more visible location to help increase our base in the hard hit downtown 
east end. All of this means that,
as we mark twenty years of fighting back, we need the help of our 
friends and allies to obtain the resources
we need to get bigger and stronger at a time that requires it.

If you can make a contribution, it will be greatly appreciated and, if 
you can pledge a regular monthly
amount that will be even better. See the website at www.ocap.ca to donate.

Come and celebrate 20 years of OCAP on November 27th.
Thanks for all your help and support now and in the future.

Physical access - Wheelchair accessible building including main entrance 
and barrier free washrooms - street
parking close to entrance. ASL interpretation has not been arranged.

Childcare will be available.

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2) In retrospect: A conversation about 10 years of Palestine solidarity 
activism in Toronto

A conversation about 10 years of Palestine solidarity activism in Toronto

Panelists: Naomi Binder Wall, Sue Goldstein, Nahed Mansour, Mohammed 
Mohsen, Khaled Mouammar
Organized and moderated by: Gita Hashemi

The 10th anniversary of the Second Intifada also marks the 10th 
anniversary of the Friday vigil in front of the Israeli
Consulate held by Women in Solidarity with Palestine (formerly Jewish 
Women's Committee to End the Occupation, JWCEO).
As we observe these anniversaries on the occasion of the International 
Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we ask:

How has our work related to the events on the ground in Palestine-Israel 
and how has it changed?
Where are we now and where do we want to go with our activisms?

As the dynamics in Palestine-Israel have evolved and events unfolded 
over the past ten years we have witnessed both
continuities and changes in the directions, the politics and the faces 
of solidarity activisms in Toronto. In this
conversation we open a space for reflecting on the diversity and the 
intersections of our local solidarity activisms in the last decade.

Please join us and participate in a stimulating and productive 
conversation as our panel of activists share their
perspectives on some of the key events, moments and formations that have 
shaped Palestine solidarity activisms in Toronto.

Panelists:

Naomi Binder Wall is a long-time social activist and educator with more 
than 30 years experience as a community-based organizer.
She joined the Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation (JWCEO) in 
1989 and is currently a member of Women in Solidarity
with Palestine, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, and 
Independent Jewish Voices. She has collaborated with others
to maintain the anti-Occupation/anti-Apartheid Friday vigils in front of 
the Israeli Consulate building in Toronto for 10 years.

Sue Goldstein is a New Yorker transplanted to Toronto. A graduate of 
OCAD, she finds that her art veers towards the
political and her activism erupts into art. As a member of Women in 
Solidarity with Palestine, formerly the Jewish Women's
Committee to End the Occupation, she has been part of the weekly vigil 
in front of the Israeli consulate for ten years.
She is also involved with Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, Independent 
Jewish Voices, and the International Jewish
Anti-Zionist Network. Sue is currently working on a graphic novel about 
her last visit to Palestine, Jewish identity,
and the issues around solidarity and witnessing.

Nahed Mansour is an artist, curator, and organizer. Her involvement with 
Palestine solidarity organizing began in
2003 through her work with Al-Awda- Toronto and the Arab Student's 
Collective at U of T. She has been involved with
organizing Israeli Apartheid Week in both Toronto and Montreal. In 2009, 
she helped establish the Each Hand Fund,
which brings in Palestinian and Arab artists to present their work 
during Israeli Apartheid Week. Named after
Reena Katz's project 'each hand as they are called', the Fund is meant 
to spur dialogue around issues of
repression, representation and resistance through art. Nahed recently 
completed her MFA at Concordia University.

Mohammed Mohsen is an emerging visual artist, with experience and 
involvement in several art organizations.
As a student, Mohammed was involved with student politics and activism 
at the University of Toronto and at
OCAD University (where he served as the 2007-08 OCAD Student Union chair).

Khaled Loutfi Mouammar has over 30 years of experience with 
organizations including the Arab Palestine Association,
Arab Community Centre of Toronto, Urban Alliance on Race Relations and 
Canadian Ethnocultural Council. Khaled has
served as a Board Member for the Immigration and Refugee Board from 1994 
to 2005 adjudicating on refugee claims.
He currently serves as the National President of the Canadian Arab 
Federation and is registered as a consultant
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Khaled holds a 
Masters of Business Administration from
the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science Degree in 
Mathematics from the American University of Beirut.

Moderator:

Gita Hashemi is an artist, curator, and writer. She was the founder and 
coordinator of Creative Response, a
collective of artists in solidarity with Palestine (2001-06). In 2003 
she was the artistic director of
Negotiations, from a Piece of Land to a Land of Peace, a 10-day 
art-driven multidisciplinary solidarity
event including the international exhibition Will at A Space Gallery. 
She was an active member of Women
for Palestine (2001-2005, originally Women Against the Occupation), and 
is currently working with Women
in Solidarity with Palestine. Hashemi has taught time-based art and new 
media at York and University of
Toronto, and is a contributing editor to Fuse Magazine.

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3) Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Racialized Communities
Monday November 29th to December 2nd
12:30pm to 2pm

Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Racialized Communities

a mini series presented by the Accessibility, Community, Equity (ACE) 
committee, the Faculty of Environmental Studies,
the York Institute for Health Research and the York Federation of Students

November 29th – December 2nd, 2010
Health Nursing & Environmental Studies (HNES) Building, York University
(see attached map and flyer for further details)

Held the week of World AIDS day, this four day mini-series will explore 
the challenges racialized communities face
in accessing sexual health education and HIV prevention services. 
Discussions will explore...
- the roles of colonization, slavery and systemic racism in the HIV/AIDS 
epidemic
- the best practices for engaging communities of colour in sexual health 
and HIV/AIDS programming.
- the strategies for addressing the sexual health of “invisible” 
racialized groups such as racialized LGBT2Q2 individuals.
- The roles of community, culture, traditional knowledge systems and 
research in sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention strategies.

Monday November 29th, 2010. 12:30 – 2:30pm
HNES rm 140
Colonization, Racism and Sexual Health in Aboriginal Communities.
Introductions: Jolene John, Aboriginal Resource Centre
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Flicker
Panel Presenters:
Erin M. Konsmo: Masters candidate, York University
Doe O’Brien-Teengs: Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy
Shane Potts:

Tuesday November 30th, 2010. 12:30 – 2:30pm
HNES rm 140
What’s love got to do with it?
This video presentation and discussion will explore the development of 
the Mash it Up Project and the need for
culturally relevant Sexual Health Outreach and Education for African and 
Caribbean Youth.
Presenters:
Danavan Samuels: Masters candidate, York University; community organizer 
with Youth Challenge Fund
Rose-Ann Bailey: Masters candidate, York University; Sexual Health 
Educator, Urban Market Campaign Inc.

Wednesday December 1st, 2010. 12:30 – 2:30pm
HNES rm 142
HIV/AIDS in Asian Communities – an interactive workshop presented by the 
Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS)
Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) is a non-profit community 
organization that works with the East and Southeast Asian
communities in Toronto to provide HIV prevention education and outreach, 
and support for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The presenters will share their experiences and provide insight on some 
of the barriers and challenges faced when reaching out
to the communities, and the innovative intervention strategies used to 
overcome them.
Moderator: Brian F. Chang: Masters candidate, York University
Presenters: Wilson Ho and Mezart Daulet: ACAS

Thursday December 2nd, 2010 12:00 – 2:30pm
HNES rm. 140
Moderator: Ciann Wilson: Masters candidate, York University; Co-Chair of ACE

Presentation 1: The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario 
(ACCHO) and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Black Women
Panellist:
Helena Shimeless: Masters; research coordinator, ACCHO
Precious Maseko: Administrative Coordinator, ACCHO

Presentation 2: The Inclusion of Racialized People Living with HIV/AIDS 
in Sexual Health Outreach and Research for Racialized Communities.
Panellist:
Henry Luyombya: Undergraduate at U of T; AIDS Committee of Toronto; 
Planned Parenthood, Positive Youth Outreach

Presentation 3: Sexual Health Intervention Strategies for Black Men who 
have Sex with Men (BMSM).
Panellist:
David Lewis-Peart: Masters candidate, York University; project 
coordinator of the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP).
This talk will discuss the implementation of interventions working with 
Black MSM youth and will touch on the topics of mental health,
addictions, and the social determinants of health as they relate to the 
aforementioned population. An overview will be given of community
engagement and participatory CBR strategies for the BMSM community.

Presentation 4: Access to Sexual Health Services or People with 
Intersectional Identities
Panellist:
Tomee Sojourner: MA; Creator and Director of the Embracing 
Intersectional Diversity (EID) Project.
This presentation will explore the issues surrounding 'access' to sexual 
health and wellness services for people with intersectional
identities, in particular masculine-identified queer women of colour and 
Two-spirited women. This presentation will focus on how service
providers’ perceptions of racialized 'female' masculinity is used to 
deny/disenfranchise this diverse group of women from accessing health
and body positive services. This presentation speaks to the lived 
experiences of a group of folks often rendered invisible in academic and
community-based research about sexual health and wellness.

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4) Create Change: No bill 94 Art making and teach in
Tuesday November 30th
630 to 9pm
CWTP UofT - 563 Spadina Avenue Room 100 (North Borden Building)

Arts for Change: No Bill 94

Join us for an evening of art making, spoken word and film as a part of 
the week of action against Bill 94. Bill 94 is
proposed legislation in Quebec, which if approved, would deny essential 
government services, public employment, educational
opportunities, and health care to Muslim women who wear the niqab (face 
veil).

Make banners, signs and art pieces to be used at the upcoming No Bill 94 
Rally ...on Dec 3rd at 20 Queen St. W. (Right next to Old City Hall)
Listen to revolutionary spoken word artist Golie A.
Watch "Tempest in a Face Cloth" Pacinthe Mattar’s short documentary on 
the proposed Niqab Ban and its impact on Muslim women in Canada.

Take Action to defend women’s access to public services.
Take Action to support women’s rights and freedoms in Canada.
Take Action to stop Bill 94 from becoming law.

"Tempest In A Face Cloth" is the story of Maryam, a young Canadian 
woman, and her journey towards wearing the niqab despite growing
backlash and opposition - even from some Muslims trying to ban it 
entirely. Maryam's story is layered with controversial interviews
featuring academics and journalists to community activists and church 
goers who all say there is much more to the niqab than just a
piece of cloth. Pacinthe Mattar is an Egyptian-Canadian journalist who 
has lived her life between Egypt, Canada, Saudi Arabia,
and Dubai. After graduatING as valedictorian of her class at the 
University of Toronto at Mississauga, Pacinthe went on to earn
a master's degree in journalism at Ryerson University. She is now an 
associate producer with CBC News Network. "Tempest In A Face
Cloth" is her first film.

The Non/No Bill 94 Coalition is made up of concerned individuals, 
organizations and grassroots movements that are demanding that
the proposed Quebec legislation, Bill 94, be withdrawn immediately. The 
Coalition is endorsed by: Assaulted Women's and Children's
Counselor/Advocate Program at George Brown College, AQSAzine, Centre for 
Women and Trans People University of Toronto, Ryerson
Students' Union, Centre for Women and Trans People York University, 
Coalition of Concerned Women of Kitchener Waterloo,
The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, Frontline Partners with 
Youth Network, The Miss G__ Project for Equity in
Education, Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and 
Children, Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian
Legal Clinic, Muslim Students' Association here at the University of 
Toronto, The Native Youth Sexual Health Network,
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto, Nova Scotia Public Interest Research 
Group, Ontario Women's Justice Network,
Ontario Public Interest Research Group York, Ontario Public Interest 
Research Group University of Toronto,
Ontario Public Interest Research Group Kingston, Quebec Public Interest 
Research Group McGill, Parkdale Community Legal Services,
The Simone de Beauvoir Institute, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, 
Springtide Resources, Urban Alliance on Race Relations,
Toronto Women of Colour Collective, Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, 
Canadian Arab Federation, York Federation of Students,
University of Toronto Students’ Union

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5) Give Rob Ford the welcome he deserves! Counter-Inaugural rally
Wednesday December 1st
12pm

DEC 1, 12:00, CITY HALL

Mayor Ford: Respect People!

On December 1, Rob Ford becomes Mayor of Toronto. In his campaign 
speeches and his public statements, Ford has called for
cuts to fair wages, a dismantling of the already inaccessible public 
transit system, supported Toronto's police brutality
during the G20, and repeatedly expressed racist anti-immigrant 
sentiments and outright hatred for poor people.
...
While claiming to speak on behalf of the 'majority', Ford actually 
believes in a Toronto for the few. He believes in a
Toronto divided into suburbs and the downtown. A Toronto divided into 
streetcar riders, bikers and drivers. A Toronto
divided into immigrants, refugees and citizens. A Toronto where the 
homeless are driven out of sight as social housing
is sold off to developers. A Toronto where police budgets grow and cops 
act with impunity. A Toronto that is open for business, but closed for 
the public.

This is not our Toronto. Our Toronto is about justice, dignity, and 
respect for immigrants, precarious workers, poor people and unions.

On December 1, at 12noon, a public, family friendly demonstration is 
being called outside City Hall as Rob Ford becomes
Mayor to remind him what the people of this city need, expect and demand.

Please invite all your friends. Keep visiting http://ocap.ca/ and 
http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/ for updates

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6) Black Talk: Sexuality and US
Wednesday Dec 1st
530pm to 830pm
Location TBA

This year YUBSA has planned a series of discussions, debate and forums 
that shine a light a various aspects of
the Black community while challenging and attacking stereotypes. All 
panels will featured variety members of the
student community discussing the current state of affairs in the 
community as it related to us in today’s society.

DISCUSSION FORUM TWO: Sexuality and us

A pane discusses the idea of sexuality and it’s affect i...n the Black 
Community posing the questions: Do we
keep it on the down low, though so many seem to want to know? How is 
homosexuality viewed in the Black
community and how does secrecy affect us as a whole? Can you tell the 
difference between the woman and the
"video hoe"? Are black women overly sexualized in the media? Are black 
man sexual deviants? DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

SPEAKERS: York University Black Student Alliance, LTGB, more to be announced

DATE: Wednesday December 1st. 2010
TIME: 5:30pm-8pm

Food will be made available.
Everyone is Welcome!!!

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7) International day of solidarity with the Palestinian people

Thursday December 2nd
7pm to 9pm
Beit Zatoun
612 Markham St.

November 29 of each year is observed by the United Nations as 
"International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People."
It commemorates the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine adopted 
on November 29, 1947 by the General Assembly of the
United Nations. Its title was United Nations General Assembly Resolution 
181 (II) Future Government of Palestine.

For 63 years, the historic Resolution 181 has been anything but a 
res...olution. Yves Engler looks at the significant role
played by the Canadian government of the day and its representatives at 
the UN: in the commission studying the matter, the
drafting of the resolution itself and getting it passed though the 
General Assembly as well as the aftermath when the
resolution was not fully implemented.

Yves Engler is former vice president of the Concordia Student Union. He 
was expelled from Concordia in the aftermath of
the September 2002 protests against Benjamin Netanyahu. He has four 
published books: The Black Book of Canadian Foreign
Policy (Shortlisted for the Mavis Gallant Prize for Non Fiction in the 
Quebec Writers' Federation Literary Awards),
Playing Left Wing: From Rink Rat to Student Radical and (with Anthony 
Fenton) Canada in Haiti: Waging War on The Poor
Majority and the just-released Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid. 
Further information visit: http://yvesengler.com/

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Need to know:
- By donation $20 - $10 suggested - no one refused
- Sorry, not wheelchair accessible

Tasty refreshments (non-alcoholic) and snacks with Zatoun 
oliveoil+za'atar dipping.
Contact
Email: info at beitzatoun.org
Phone: 647-726-9500

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8) Rally Against Bill 94
Friday December 3rd
3pm to 5pm
Bureau du Quebec at 20 Queen St. West
Toronto

Will you allow your government to deny essential services to women based 
on what they wear? Take Action on Dec 3rd! Say NO to Bill 94!

Join the Non/No 94 Movement to protest the Quebec's government proposed 
Bill 94. Come to the rally at the Bureau du Quebec at 20
Queen Street West on Dec 3rd

PLEASE NOTE we want to keep this action as peaceful, safe and inclusive 
as possible, so please show up with that in mind.
People are encouraged to write and bring their own messages on bristol 
board, banner paper or placards.

Not in the country? Have to work? Have your voice heard with our Emailer 
http://www.rsuonline.ca/index.php?section_id=308
that directly contacts Prime Minister Jean Charest, Minister of 
Immigration and Cultural Communities Yolande James, Minister of
Justice Kathleen Weil, and Minister of Culture, Communications & the 
Status of Women Christine St-Pierre to voice your concern
regarding the discriminatory Bill 94. CC the coalition at 
nonbill94 at gmail.com along with your Member of Parliament, Member of
the Legislative Assembly, and Member of Provincial Parliament. You can 
also send a message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and
Michael Ignatieff, M.P., Liberal Leader. Contact information for the 
above can be found here:
http://nonbill94.wordpress.com/contacts-talking-points

Take Action to defend women’s access to public services.
Take Action to support women’s rights and freedoms in Canada.
Take Action to stop Bill 94 from becoming law.

Bill 94 is proposed legislation in Quebec, which if approved, would deny 
essential government services, public employment,
educational opportunities, and health care to Muslim women who wear the 
Niqab (face veil). Will you allow your government to
deny services like health care, education, and childcare to women based 
on what they wear?

Both the federal Conservative and Liberal parties have expressed support 
for Bill 94, which raises the very real possibility
that similar legislation will be proposed across Canada. We demand that 
Bill 94 be withdrawn immediately, as it has no place
in a democratic state that values autonomy, liberty and justice.

For more information go to http://nonbill94.wordpress.com/

Join the Facebook Group here: 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121549544538905#!/group.php?gid=115876751763202&ref=ts

***No Bill 94 Coalition is made up of concerned individuals, 
organizations and grassroots movements that are demanding that
the proposed Quebec legislation, Bill 94, be withdrawn immediately.

No Bill 94 Coalition is endorsed by: Assaulted Women's and Children's 
Counselor/Advocate Program at George Brown College,
AQSAzine, The Centre for Women and Trans People University of Toronto, 
Ryerson Students' Union, The Centre for Women and Trans People York 
University,
The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, Frontline Partners with 
Youth Network, The Miss G__ Project for Equity in Education,
Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children, 
The Native Youth Sexual Health Network, Newcomer Women's Services Toronto,
Ontario Women's Justice Network, Ontario Public Interest Research Group 
York, The Simone de Beauvoir Institute, South Asian Legal Clinic of 
Ontario,
Springtide Resources, Urban Alliance on Race Relations, University of 
Toronto Students' Union and York Federation of Students.

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9) Radical Movie Night : A G20 Legal Fundraiser
Friday December 3rd
7pm
Bike Pirates 1292 Bloor St. W

On Friday December 3rd we will be hosting a radical movie night to raise 
funds for our friends and allies facing G20 related legal charges.
Come join us for an amazing night of movies, drinks, board games, 
snacks, hanging out, and all around rockin' good times.

All welcome!

7pm – 9pm: Land and Freedom (Tierra y Libertad)
Directed by Ken Loach, this 1995 film narrates the story of David Carr, 
an unemployed worker of the Communist Party of
Great Britain, who decides to fight for the Republican side in the 
Spanish Civil War. A heart wrenching portrayal of the
attempt by ordinary people to build an anarchist society, and its 
subsequent betrayal. The movie won the FIPRESCI International
Critics Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1995 Cannes 
Film Festival.

10:30-midnight: What to do in Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn’s brennt?)

Directed by Gregor Schnitzler, this 2002 film tells the humorous and 
touching story of six anarchist friends living as squatters in
Berlin in the 80s, when they leave a handcrafted bomb in a mansion. Only 
thirteen years later the bomb explodes, wounding two people,
forcing the group to reunite and, ultimately, come to grips with the 
reason they separated years ago.

Pay what you can (suggested $5-10). Come for one or both movies.
Free popcorn!

All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.

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10) Revolutionary Women's Collective presents: Women's Struggles in 
Toronto: Violence Against Women

As we come close to the December 6th Memorial, reflecting on the lives 
have been lost because of violence... We invite you to join us
to listen and share amongst community organizers that work to end 
violence against women and children. Speakers include:

* Wendy Babcock - Sex Worker Rights Activist & Safer Stroll Project for 
Sex Workers

* Faith Nolan - Musician, Songwriter, Community Builder and Activist 
speaking about her experience with women in the prison system

* Anna Willats - an activist working on social justice issues, 
particularly violence against women, and is also a member of the Shelter
l Sanctuary l Status Campaign, which fights for the right for non-status 
women to access anti-violence services in the GTA without
fear of arrest and deportation

* Connie Sorio - activist & member of Migrante

Date: Saturday, December 4th, 2010

Time: 10 am- 12:30pm

Location: Eric Palin Hall Room 216 (Main Floor), 87 Gerrard Street East

***Mark the DATE!!

Stay tuned for future educationals and lead up to our solidarity in the 
International Women's Day March in 2011.

Organized by the Revolutionary Women's Collective (formerly known as the 
Migrant Women's Coordinating Body): includes individuals and
members of various organizations and networks, such as: BASICS Community 
News Service, Canadian HART, Migrant-Ontario, Barrio Neuvo,
CUPE local 4308, UFCW local 1000A, Justicia for Migrant Workers, 
Gabriela Organizing Committee, May First Movement Coalition)

Find us on facebook: 
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=241464840529&v=info or by 
searching Revolutionary Women's Collective

Find the facebook event: 
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=164633503577031

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11) Grandmother Spirit Project: "Safety and Well-being for Our Elders 
and Seniors - Everyone Plays a Part, From Young to Old"

Join us on Tuesday December 7th for the official launch of our 
Grandmother Spirit Project: "Safety and Well-being for Our
Elders and Seniors - Everyone Plays a Part, From Young to Old"

Co-hosted by the Native Youth Sexual Health Network and the Toronto 
Aboriginal Youth Council. We will also be honoring the
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Dec 6)

Come see what our youth are doing to end violence against our 
grandmothers! There will be lots of food, prizes, entertainment, and bingo!

When: Tuesday December 7th
Where: Native Canadian Centre, 16 Spadina Rd. Toronto
Time: 6pm to 9pm

For more information or to RSVP contact Krysta Williams, Lead Youth 
Advocate at the Native Youth Sexual Health Network at
kwilliams at nativeyouthsexualhealth.com

Facebook event: http://on.fb.me/fDtPCT

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

12) The Remains of the University: Thoughts on the Future of Critical 
Theory and the Humanities
Thursday December 9th
4pm to 1030pm

Jackman Humanities Building
170 St. George Street
Room 100A

The Remains of the University: Thoughts on the Future of Critical Theory 
and the Humanities

Convened by Ricky Varghese and Christopher Smith

Jackman Humanities Building
170 St. George St., Rm 100A
Thursday, December 9, 2010
4:00pm to 6:30pm

Rinaldo Walcott
Associate Professor, Sociology & Equity Studies in Education, 
OISE/University of Toronto

Ken Kawashima
Associate Professor, East Asian Studies, University of Toronto

Tanya Titchkosky
Associate Professor, Sociology & Equity Studies in Education, 
OISE/University of Toronto

Eric Cazdyn
Associate Professor, Centre for Comparative Literature and East Asian 
Studies, University of Toronto

Megan Boler
Associate Professor, History & Philosophy of Education, OISE/University 
of Toronto

Paul Hamel
Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Director of Health Studies, 
University of Toronto

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

13) Spoken-Film Film Screening
Friday December 10th
630 to 830pm
National Film Board of Canada
150 John Street

FREE EVENT

Join us in an evening when spoken word merges with film. Watch how 
Toronto's young spoken word artists use film as a tool for
self-expression to tell their stories.
In addition a short documentary about the Spoken-Film project.

DINNER WILL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE!

Featuring films by:

Henrick 'Shoolie' Sales
Mark 'Pow' Ferrer
Edrianne Crisostomo
Noura A. NapPs
Ruben Angel

What is Spoken-FIlm you ask?

Organization Description:

Spoken-Film is a collaborative group founded in 2010, and driven by Memo 
and Matthew Plummer. Memo is a spoken word artist who is
actively involved in his community conducting workshops which engage 
youth by giving a medium in which to express themselves artistically.
Memo also recently graduated as a Child and Youth Worker from Humber 
College. Matthew has been mentoring other youth in his community in the
art of filmmaking and is a graduate of Shoot With This. Both key members 
from Spoke-Film come from similar backgrounds and have much in
common in regards to being active youth leaders in their community.

Project Description:

Spoken-Film will create opportunities for youth to express personal 
experiences through spoken word. Spoken-Film will use film
techniques to deliver their sentiments through media arts (DVD) to the 
community as well as for the participants to see their own
progress. Spoken-Film works towards building positive relationships with 
youth and to continue the ripple effects in communities by
using art as a therapeutic tool not only for self-expression, but for 
healing as well.

Project Objectives:

- To provide training opportunities for youth in the art forms of spoken 
word and film as tools for expression
- To explore film as a new form of presenting spoken word

Sponsored by:

Laidlaw Foundation
ArtReach Toronto
Dub Poets Collective
Shoot With This

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

14) CAIA Annual Fundraiser - Come celebrate five years of BDS in Toronto!
Friday December 10th
9pm
Blue Moon
725 Queen St. East (Queen and Broadview)

Come celebrate five years of Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) with the 
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid!

This year marks the fifth year of CAIA organizing in the city, 
coordinating much of the work done in conjunction with the wider BDS 
movement.
This half-decade long effort is a testament to the consistency and 
dedication of activists from Toronto to Palestine and beyond, who have
committed themselves to dismantling the apa...rtheid state. Within 
Toronto, we've continued to make steady strides and build on past
successes as a result of the hard work and partnership of our growing 
sectoral committees (Students Against Israeli Apartheid,
Faculty for Palestine, Labour for Palestine, Teachers for Palestine, 
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and the Consumer Boycott Committee)
and our strong network of community allies.

In recognition of these past achievements and with an eye to many more, 
we want friends, members, and allies to join us on Friday,
December 10th to take part of the CAIA annual fundraiser. Details below!

CAIA Annual Fundraiser
Friday December 10th @ The Blue Moon
725 Queen St. East (Queen and Broadview)
Doors Open @ 9 pm
Featuring: Secret Trial Five | Silent Auction | Local DJs

For more information on this fundraiser or to find out more about CAIA 
and its committees, please visit www.caiaweb.org or email us
at endapartheid at riseup.net

******
Secret Trial Five is a punk band that write songs about zombies eating 
world leaders, freeing prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, and more.
The band started in Vancouver in 2006, and is now based in Toronto and 
made up of Manal, Nat, Sena & Sidra.

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

15) THRIVE: WOMEN'S VOICES RISING!

SAT, DEC 11
9:30 am to 3:00 pm
Metro Hall
55 John Street
(King & John, 2 blocks east of Spadina)
Speakers, workshops, discussion
RSVP with registration form: thrive.forum at gmail.com OR 
www.surveymonkey.com/s/3YRM95V

FOOD provided. ACCESSIBLE space. ASL and CHILDMINDING available (let us 
know by Nov 22nd). FREE.

Consider violence on a continuum or a spectrum - this means that in 
addition to the physical, financial and emotional violence that
women* face and resist, but also the violence of racism, colonization, 
degraded environments and institutions. Join the THRIVE coalition
for THRIVE: Women's Voices Rising!, a forum on violence, organizing to 
mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gendered Violence.

On Saturday, December 11th, join community members and frontline workers 
for discussion circles, speakers, workshops and the opportunity
to create spaces for dialogue, for conversation about gendered violence 
including the ways women resist.

Forum Outline:
9:30 am to 10:00 am - registration
10:00 am to 11:00 am - Opening + Panel
11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Discussion Circles
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm - lunch
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - Workshops
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Closing

Participants can expect to speak about racism and decolonization, mental 
health, substance use, sex work, and much more. We will
close the day with movement and/or sounds based activities to ground 
ourselves in this difficult work. Hear about issues and campaigns.
Connect with other community members and activists.

For more information and to RSVP, register with the attached form at 
thrive.forum at gmail.com

*we have a trans inclusive understanding of women

Also: THRIVE presents the exhibit "Fabricating Violence: Fabric of 
Change: from November 25 to December 10 at the Raging Spoon
(761 Queen Street West); launch on November 25, from 7 to 9 pm.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrive-Womens-Voices-Rising/117475858314892#!/event.php?eid=102190086519445

About THRIVE:
THRIVE, the Multicultural Women’s Coalition Against Violence and 
Oppression, is a coalition of diverse women advancing a movement to
end violence and oppression against racialized women and their 
communities by developing analyses and strategies to combat violence
against racialized women and providing training, community-based 
research and political advocacy with and for racialized women.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrive-Womens-Voices-Rising/117475858314892

About the 16 Days of Activism:
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international 
campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership
Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991.
http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu

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

***Opportunities/Meetings/Callouts:

1) Congo Research Group Meeting

Date: Tuesday November 30
Time: 2 to 4 PM (if you cant make it exactly at 2 PM, please come 
anytime you can in between)
Seminar Room:390 York Lanes (3rd floor of the York Lanes mall -- 
elevator available)
Sponsored by: visiting scholar Abubacar Fafona from Harriet Tubman Institute

Those in attendance at this meeting will receive a S.P.A.C.E. 
(Spotlighting and Promoting African Canadian Experiences) 2010 t-shirt 
and/or bag.

*Light refreshments provided*

------
We will be working and engaging together with committed members on a few 
tasks that we have ideas to pursue, such as:

-news article on the YUFREEPRESS
-news article on OPIRG newsletter
-Congo Conference event planning in March
-panel discussion event promoting Congo Connections
-film screening planning(cultures of resistance -- i just received the 
DVD from the filmmaker)
-pamphlet on Canadian corporations involved in the Congo conflict
-further research connecting the forces behind the congo conflict to 
other regions
-graphic design for t-shirts and posters for Congo Research Group!
-Harriet Tubman conference participation
-also, to hear your ideas and engage with the above ideas....

Share this invitation with your friends who may be interested as well in 
joining the group,

*THE WORLD IS READY FOR JUSTICE...*

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

2) Immigration Enforcement Pushed Out of Anti-Violence Against Women 
Spaces across the GTA

Check out the video and share with friends, colleagues, on facebook, 
email list-servs, etc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIKZ0ciBMjc

The Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre (GTEC) of the Canadian Border 
Services Agency (CBSA), GTA Region, has issued a directive to all its 
officers,
stating:

1. When conducting a road investigation, officers will not enter 
shelters or other spaces designated as resources for women 
fleeing/experiencing violence.
2. Officers are not to wait outside or approach the above-noted spaces 
and will maintain a reasonable distance.
3. Officers are not to approach the above-noted spaces to make any 
inquiries into the identity of women who may be the subject of an 
immigration
investigation. This includes inquiries made to the staff, volunteers and 
other residents.

After 2 years of grassroots organizing with migrant women and trans 
activists, residents and users of anti-violence against women agencies and
anti-violence against women service providers the 
Shelter|Sanctuary|Status campaign has successfully pushed immigration 
officers out of spaces
for women surviving violence and abuse.

According to the directive above, Immigration Enforcement cannot enter 
or approach women’s shelters, drop-ins, child protection services,
counseling services, community health and legal clinics, neighborhood 
centres with violence against women programs, rape crisis centers,
second stage housing and transitional support programs, and other 
agencies that provide violence against women supports and programs.

Over the years, we have seen women and transpeople denied refugee status 
and deported to death. We have seen migrant women forced to work in
exploitative and vulnerable conditions, denied workplace protections. 
For too long undocumented women, particularly survivors of violence,
have been unable to access support in the GTA for fear of being 
arrested, detained and deported. Far too many times, undocumented women 
have
been targeted and arrested in places they gathered for support and strength.

This policy is part of the process of creating safety, justice and 
dignity for undocumented communities, particularly women, transpeople and
children surviving and fighting back against abuse and violence. This is 
part of the campaign to make all social services in the GTA accessible
to undocumented women, particularly survivors of violence.

To ensure that Immigration Enforcement complies with their directive, 
please paste the directive below prominently at the entrances to your 
agency.
If Immigration Enforcement appears, remind them of their obligation to 
respect this directive and ask them to leave. We are encouraging all social
services in the city to implement a full 'Access Without Fear' policy. 
Download the draft policy of the directive here.

No One Is Illegal-Toronto will be tracking the effectiveness of this 
directive. Please email nooneisillegal at riseup.net if CBSA shows up at your
service to report how the interaction went.

While this directive has improved access to services for undocumented 
women, we wish to reiterate that our work and organizing has never been 
about
gaining concessions from Immigration Enforcement. Our struggle is about 
justice and dignity for migrants, irrespective of immigration status - and
that struggle continues. We will continue to fight for a stay on all 
deportations, particularly for women, children and trans-people who are
survivors of violence and a full and inclusive regularization program.

On March 8th, 2010, members of the Shelter|Sanctuary|Status campaign 
declared “It is our responsibility to ensure that women, transpeople and
children in our communities do not live in daily fear of detention and 
deportation, especially when seeking support”. We stand by our declaration
and remind ourselves and our communities that though policies may come 
and go, real protection and strength comes from within us.

We will continue to organize for a city that is safe and just for all 
its residents, irrespective of immigration status. As we We commit again
today to continue organizing until racist, sexist, homophobic, 
transphobic, ableist and exclusionary immigration enforcement cannot 
function in our city.

JOIN US!

www.nooneisillegal.org
http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/sss

FORWARD THIS VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIKZ0ciBMjc

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

3) York's Centre for Women and Trans People is having a logo contest! 
We're seeking a new logo that reflects the Centre's ideals and politics as
well as creativity, energy, and goals of the Centre's volunteers and 
users. A prize of $150 dollars will be awarded to the selected design.

Everyone is encouraged to send their logos!!!! The last day to submit 
them is Sunday, December 12th. You can send them to cwtpyork at gmail.com.

Thank you and good luck!!!!!

* Please note that the selected logo will become the property of the 
CWTP. By this, we mean to ask that the chosen logo not be used for other
organizations or contests.

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

4) On November 27th SASP will host their first ever Study Fest event. 
Free child care will be provided while parents study!! limited
spaces of child care is available, you must reserve required space ASAP.

This event will consist of two guest speaks who will discuss tips on 
mentoring, applying to graduate schools, and exam study and writing
strategies. This is a great opportunity since exams are just around the 
corner.

After the speakers, parents will have the opportunity to go apply the 
skills learned and study until 5pm while their children are under the
care of the Lee Wiggins childcare center.

Location: 321 Student Center
Date: Saturday, Nov 27th, 2010
Time: 10:00 - 5:00pm

Refreshments will be provided. Please confirm your attendance and the 
number of child care spaces require ASAP at (sasp at yorku.ca) due to the
limited child care
spaces available.

The SASP executives

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

5) COORDINATED BY THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE COALITION AND HOSTED BY THE 
PAN–AFRICAN SOLIDARITY NETWORK (U of T)

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE COALITION

On February 27th, 2010 a group of over 50 people came together to find 
ways of opposing the Canadian government's proposed new legislation
that will increase prison populations. The government remains committed 
to building new prisons to accommodate them (despite ‘crime’ rates
remaining stable or going down). Without a doubt, Canada is moving 
towards the US-style of justice that has proven to be ineffective.

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASED PRISON SPENDING?

Law-and-order legislation and increased prison construction will not 
make our communities safer. In fact, if things transpire as they have
in the US, the result will be just the opposite.

THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY!

Money spent on new prisons could be spent on increasing income 
subsidies, affordable housing, effective drug and harm reduction programs,
youth programs, etc. – that is, actions shown to be far more effective 
in diminishing crime than are tougher sentences and additional prisons.

Since our inception, the coalition has expanded and created 5 working 
groups:

· Harm Reduction and Bill S-10 (mandatory minimums)
· Human Rights and Bill C-39 (changes to the Corrections and Conditional 
Release Act)
· Youth and Family Group
· Prison Expansion Group
· Organizing Committee

THE MEETING

Saturday, Nov 27, 1-4pm
OISE - 252 Bloor St. W. Room 2-279

FOR MORE INFORMATION: aug10.communityjusticecoalition at gmail.com

· DECONSTRUCTING THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
· COALITION BUILDING

EVERYONE WELCOME

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

6) CALL FOR PANELISTS!!!

January 26th, 2011
Location: TBA

USSA is looking for people from all academic disciplines for the 2nd 
Annual Undergraduate Sexuality Studies Symposium.
If you are interested in participating, please send an email including: 
your name, program, year and a brief abstract
about the topic you wish to present on to ussa.yorku at gmail.com by 
December 22nd, 2010!

BE CREATIVE!

Topics can include: Trans activism, Trans identity, Trans theory, Gender etc

All forms of expression are welcome, for example, poetry, photography, 
essay, spoken word, interpretive dance, etc.

Many thanks,
USSA Executive Team

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

7) The Canadian Animal Liberation Movement (CALM) will be holding a 
three-day training next month, on December 18,19,20.

CALM is dedicated to providing the training and support aspiring 
activists need to be successful in their efforts to help animals.
This December's training will be hosted in Kitchener. Workshops will include
* An Introduction to Revolutionary Activism
* Effective Outreach
* Overcoming and Avoiding Activist Burnout
* Direct Action 101

The training is for everyone - no prior experience is required. 
Activists are encouraged to stay at the KW CALM house so they can get
to know the other activists and continue discussions after the 
workshops. The training is free and vegan meals will be provided.
This is a great opportunity to meet other activists, learn, and have a 
ton of fun.

Please pass this on to anyone who would be interested. For more 
information you can check out www.CALMaction.org/training and
contact info at CALMaction.org to reserve a spot.

Until every cage is empty,
www.CALMaction.org

PS - There will also be a similar training on December 27,28,29