[opirgyork] Weekly Digest - Sept 2nd 2010

[OPIRG York]

Hey everyone!

School is starting up again - make sure to get all your info on the 
upcoming DisOrientation 2010! The full schedule is up and REALLY exciting!
Check out www.opirgyork.ca/disorientation2010 for full details!

We are looking for volunteers for the events - check # 2 for more details!

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1) DisOrientation 2010 at York is HERE!
2) CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS - DisO 2010
3) Call for OPIRG York working groups
4) CLIMATE REALITY
5) Toronto Palestine Film Festival
6) Mothers and the Economy: The Economics of Mothering Conference
7) Opportunity to Publish with Lorimer
8) Trans/Gender Variant at York University? The Centre for Women and 
Trans People at York University needs your input!
9) CALL FOR PERFORMANCES: "Performing Back: Contemporary Theoretical and 
Practical Implications for the Post-Colonial Stage”

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1) DisOrientation 2010 at York is HERE!

September 23rd - October 1st, 2010 at York University
(Student Centre Bldg - 4700 Keele St., Toronto)

DisOrientation is a radically different, politically progressive, series 
of events that will offer all students
access and insight into the exciting political and social justice 
spheres that exist at York University.

By bringing together a wide range of campus groups and services, we are 
trying to draw the links between the
many different kinds of political, environmental and social justice 
based activism that exists on campus.

Join the Facebook Group: 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129317877114144&ref=mf

Event Website: http://www.opirgyork.ca/node/121

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2) CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
DisOrientation York 2010

We are looking for energetic, dynamic, excited and committed people who 
are interested in getting involved in DisOrientation 2010,
happening Thursday Sept 23rd to Friday October 1st.
This year's DisOrientation is going to be huge, from live concerts, to 
necessary workshops, interesting panels and dynamic speakers,
there is going to be something for everyone! (Except the oppressive 
colonizers of course).

There is much to do, and we need lots of people to help out with events, 
tabling,
outreach, logistics, spreading the word, conspiring, and postering!

If you, your friends, someone you know and other amazing people are 
interested in being apart of DisOrientation,
please email aruna at opirgyork.ca for more information!

We have LOTS to do, and want you to be apart of it!

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3) CALL FOR OPIRG YORK WORKING GROUPS

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York (OPIRG-York) is 
looking for new working groups for 2010-2011!!
OPIRG-York is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization based at York 
University. Fundamental to our operation are working groups.
These working groups organize autonomously around various issues of 
social justice and environmental action.
Some examples of current and former working groups include: Students 
against Israeli apartheid (SAIA York),
Fair Trade coalition, York G20 Legal Defense committee, No One is 
Illegal student network (NOII), Students Together Against Detentions
and Deportations (STADD), York Animal Rights Group, Students in 
Solidarity with Haiti, Off the Grid, Prison Books Access Project and No 
Sweat.

What Can OPIRG do for working groups?

All working groups are allocated a budget for projects and events they 
wish to have. These might include a speaker series,
movie nights, handbooks, and zines. In addition to a budget each working 
group also has access to OPIRG’s many resources:
- phone, photocopier, fax machine - a radical resource library - 
computers with internet access - meeting space at the OPIRG office
at the Student Centre (4700 Keele St) RM. C449 - anti-oppression, 
consensus decision making and facilitation skills trainings are
provided to all members of working groups for free! This is in addition 
to the help of OPIRG staff, board members and volunteers
for project support, visioning and outreach etc.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To be considered for Working Group status please fill out the 
application form that can be found online at www.opirgyork.ca.
This form allows the Working Group to concisely outline its goals and 
the way in which it embodies a particular issue. Once reviewed
by the OPIRG York board of directors, the contact person will be 
notified of approval.

If you have any questions about applying to become a working group 
and/or what the benefits of becoming a working group are please
contact us at 416-736-5724 or aruna at opirgyork.ca

We are also in the office (C449, the Student Centre, York Univeristy, 
4700 Keele.) from 11am-6pm from Monday to Thursday.
So please feel free to stop by anytime!

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4) CLIMATE REALITY
Wednesday, September 15 at the McMillan Theatre (capacity: 800), Edward 
Johnson Bldg (North), 80 Queen’s Park, Toronto

5:30pm – 6:30pm: Science presentation by Dr. James Hansen
6:30pm – 7:00pm: Intermission
7:00pm to 8:45pm: Climate Reality: A Conversation with Dr. James Hansen, 
Naomi Klein & Clayton Thomas-Muller, moderated by Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux.

This will be a step in following up on the significant networking 
between social and economic justice and environmental groups connected 
with the G/8 and G/20
meetings and on the fundamental contribution of Cochabamba in linking 
climate change and system change. Leading climate scientist and author 
of Storms of My Grandchildren,
Dr. James Hansen will discuss the most recent and reliable scientific 
findings with Naomi Klein (climate debt) and Clayton Thomas-Muller 
(Indigenous
Environmental Network and anti-tar sands activist). Cynthia 
Wesley-Esquimaux (U of T Aboriginal Studies and Social Work) will 
moderate the discussion.

Main event website: www.scienceforpeace.ca
Event page on facebook: James Hansen at U of T,
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?logged_out=91615c06cea20fd177b07ebd9a2b7f12#!/event.php?eid=103365899721427&ref=ts
We are at work to arrange video streaming and taping via Rabble.

Organized by: The Centre for Global Change Science, Science for Peace

Contact: Office of Science for Peace, sfp at physics.utoronto.ca

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5) Toronto Palestine Film Festival
October 2 at 6:00pm - October 8 at 11:55pm
www.tpff.ca

We’re excited to announce that the Toronto Palestine Film Festival 
(TPFF) will be returning for its third year from October 2-8, 2010.

TPFF is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing vibrant 
Palestinian cinema to GTA audiences.
Our mandate is to promote the richness of Palestinian Arab culture 
through cinema, music, and other forms of visual arts.
TPFF was conceived in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of 
Al-Nakb...a.

For general inquiries about TPFF please visit www.tpff.ca or email us at 
info at tpff.ca.

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6) *Mothers and the Economy: The Economics of Mothering Conference*
Dates: October 21st - 23rd, 2010
Location: Oakham House, Ryerson University (63 Gould Street, Toronto)
We are pleased to announce that Marilyn Waring and Martha Albertson 
Fineman will
be Keynote Speakers at our October conference.

Marilyn Waring, Auckland University of Technology, author of If Women 
Counted: A
New Feminist Economics - "The Human Rights and Unpaid Care Interface" 
will speak Friday, October 22, 2010: 8:00pm - TICKETS: $25

Martha Albertson Fineman, Emory University, author of The Autonomy Myth: 
A Theory
of Dependency - "Motherhood and Entitlement will speak Thursday, October 
21: 7:30pm
TICKETS: $35 (*this ticket price includes the reception/book launch 
preceding the keynote address - beginning at 5:15pm).

Tickets may be purchased online through our website (paypal option): 
http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org OR by mail with cheque payable to 
"MIRCI"

TICKETS FOR THE 2 KEYNOTE ADDRESSES ARE VERY LIMITED SO WE ASK THAT YOU 
ORDER TICKETS EARLY IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND.

Day rates, student, and full conference rates are available if you wish 
to attend the larger conference.

Please see our website for the full conference program, attendee 
registration form, and individual ticket sales for both keynotes: 
http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

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7) Opportunity to Publish with Lorimer*
Lorimer is a Toronto-based publishing house that publishes books on 
social justice topics. Many of our titles act as introductions to 
particular subjects (e.g., Family Violence,
Women and Work, The Charter, Canada's Courts, Gay Marriage, etc.). Our 
books are typically written by academic authors, but are geared to the 
general public and to first- and second-year
university students. You can learn more about our publishing program by 
going to http://www.lorimer.ca

Writers who are just starting their academic careers or are anxious to 
get a book on their c.v. quickly will find Lorimer a good publisher to 
work with. We make decisions much faster
than university presses and pay writers an advance and royalties, which 
is not always the case at university presses. In many instances, we can 
also recommend writers for grants.

We will carefully consider all proposals that meet our publishing 
mandate. Please submit a cover letter, outline, writing sample, and c.v. 
to Diane Young, Editorial Director, at diane.young at lorimer.ca

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8) Trans/Gender Variant at York University? The Centre for Women and 
Trans People at York University needs your input!*
Do/Did you attend York University? Do you identify as Trans, 
Transgender, Transsexual, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Two spirit, 
intersex, aggressive, stud/butch/boi, etc?

The Center for Women and Trans People at York University is putting 
together a guide and/or workshop for trans/gender variant York students 
for orientation week. We want to hear your experiences,
tips and resources around negotiating your gender/trans experience at 
York university. Some of the topics , for example, could be:
- Navigating/Negotiating with York administration
- Coming out/disclosing to professors, T.As, classmates, staff, etc
- Using the YFS health plans benefits
- Using the Counselling & Disability Center
- Safety on Campus
- Transfriendly (or not so) Clubs, organizations and people
- Residence/living on campus
- Recreation centre/Gym
- ....anything that you would like to “pass on”/share with other 
students and community members.

Submissions might be edited, and all identifying personal details will 
remain confidential. Submissions should be sent to cwtpyork at gmail.com. 
If you have any questions, concerns or want to talk about the guide/ 
workshop also email cwtpyork at gmail.com. Thank you.

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9) CALL FOR PERFORMANCES*
"Performing Back: Contemporary Theoretical and Practical Implications 
for the Post-Colonial Stage”
University of Toronto, Feb 4 - Feb 6, 2011
Deadline: Sept. 20th 2010
This year, the 2011 Festival of Original Theatre is specifically 
interested in involving the Toronto theatre and performance community 
within this festival’s activity. We are eager for this festival to 
reflect the diversity of the city, and the artists who live here.
Artists interested in submitting performances that broadly address the 
themes of marginality, race, migration, hegemony, agency, etc., are 
invited to submit their proposals to the 2011 F.O.O.T. Performance 
committee. We are looking for:

- Staged readings of new works by emerging and established playwrights 
(not exceeding 45 mins).
- Innovative Performance Projects.
- Workshop Productions
- Re-mounts of productions that directly address our themes.

Artists whose work reflects a mandated concern with diversity are 
encouraged to apply.

Submission Guidelines:
For artists interested in submission, please employ the following 
guidelines:
1. A Project Description – the type of performance you are planning for 
this project, and how participation in FOOT 2011 will benefit the 
development of this project (1 Page max).
2. Artistic Statement – What you want to accomplish with this project 
and its relationship to postcolonialism (ie, the themes of migration, 
hybridity, race, hegemony, etc.). We are not looking for sophisticated 
theoretical abstracts on this connection. We wish for the artists merely 
to display that their work relates to the larger themes of the 
conference, and contributes a perspective. If your work addresses a 
tangential theme that you still insist is relevant for consideration, 
please explain (1 page max).
3. Script or Working Document. Companies/artists that are interested in 
the presentation of re-mounts, workshop productions, or staged readings 
are encouraged to submit a writing proposal. Artists who are interested 
in the showcasing of performance work should provide a template of what 
the performance will entail (5 page max).
4. Bios of participants.

Please direct submissions as well as any questions and concerns to 
Festival Director, Dalbir Singh at foot.graddrama at utoronto.ca.
Submissions for Performances are DUE SEPTEMBER 20th, 2010.