[opirgyork] XAO Week & TBTN @ York + Sister's in Spirit + Working Group Showcase Open House + More!

[Victoria Barnett @ OPIRG]

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out to DisOrientation!
It was a hugely successful week- so many great people, artists, performers,
speakers, panelists and workshops. Everyone gained some skills, learned how
to do spoken word and screen-printing/stencils and paper marbling, learned
about some histories of Canada and the Congo, listened to our keynote
speaker Sarah Schulman discuss family ideology and the queer community of
friends, learned about migrant justice work, challenged oppression and so
much more!

THIS WEEK TONS IS GOING ON-- YFS has XAO week, Take Back the Night is
happening this evening, the Omar Hamilton film screening is TODAY at 1pm,
and TOMORROW is ASAY's Sister's in Spirit Vigil and OPIRG York's working
group showcase and Open House, and then our various working groups have
upcoming events that you should all join and come out to!! PLUS we have
another volunteer training on October 11th!

Hope to see you all getting involved sometime soon-- and as always you can
email us at opirgyork at gmail.com to get in touch, or contact our volunteer
coordinator, Victoria at victoria at opirgyork.ca to find out how to get
involved!

OPIRG York
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724

*Upcoming Events @ York U:*

1. September 30: Take Back the Night (TBTN) on September 30th at Vari Hall,
York! TBTN
2. September 30-October 4th: Xpressions Against Oppression (XAO) with YFS
3. ONGOING: Incendies: Arts and culture feminist magazine Callout
4. September 30: Omar Hamilton in Conversation - Discussion + Film Screening
5. October 1st: ASAY'S Sister's in Spirit Vigil @ 12pm
6. October 1st: OPIRG York Volunteer Hangout + Working Group Showcase Open
House! @ 1:30pm
7. October 2nd: Environmental Justice Working Group Meeting- October 2nd
8. ONGOING: YU Free Press Callout for Submissions: Alt. Media Issue
9. ONGOING: Its time to ACT! Support 191 migrants on strike over detention
conditions! #MigrantStrike
10. October 19: No Line 9!  No Tar Sands Pipelines!  Rally at the NEB
hearings
11. October 11: OPIRG York + CWTP @ York Volunteer Training

*********************

*1. Take Back the Night (TBTN) on September 30th at Vari Hall, York!*

Date: Monday, September 30th
Time: 7pm
Location: Vari Hall

The Sexual Assault Survivors Support Line & Leadership, Centre for Women
and Trans People, CUPE 1281, Feminist Action, Filipino Canadian Youth
Alliance – Ontario, the Graduate Students Association, OPIRG York, and the
York Federation of Students invite you to: Take Back the Night (TBTN)

Dating back to 1976 where there was a march with over 2000 women from over
40 countries, TBTN has taken place in countless cities around the world in
response to disturbing trends of violence against women. TBTN represents a
space for all those who are women identified, trans or identify along the
feminine spectrum to shatter the silence around gender based violence and
work to end the violence in a locally based grassroots action.

TBTN also brings together individuals across different races, abilities,
gender identities and experiences to support and empower survivors and
collectively combat victim blaming ideas in our society. Gender based
violence and sexual violence are societal issues and systemic power is
housed within institutional structures, including educational settings.
Come join us as to take back our campus and work towards building a safer
campus community and society for all!

*2. Xpressions Against Oppression (XAO) with YFS*

Xpressions Against Oppression (XAO) is an annual week of events that
presents workshops, discussions, performances and exhibits on various
topics related to social justice and equity issues. XAO week aims at
educating, engaging and empowering students to take action on issues that
affect us here on campus, in greater society and around the world.  Please
see below for a full listing of events for the week.

BUTTON MAKING

Monday September 30, 10am-4pm in Vari Hall

WALL OF DEBT

Tuesday October 1, 10am-4pm in Vari Hall

Join us in Vari Hall to learn about and fight agaisnt the issues affecting
Students at York the most; high tuition fees. Participate in the Game of
Life and learn about the many detours in the path to graduation, and how to
organize against them.

EDUCATION COALITION MEETING

Tuesday October 1, 6pm-8pm in 307 Student Cente

Have your say in the direction of campaigns of the York Federation of
Students and join the movement for accessible, affordable education.

SOCIAL JUSTICE FAIR

Wednesday October 2, 10am-4pm in Vari Hall

The Fair will showcase the social justice and activism work being done on
campus. It is an opportunity for students to become more aware and get
involved with social justice initiatives at York University.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER KIM CROSBY

Wednesday October 2, 6pm-8pm in Vari Hall B

Award-winning multidisciplinary artist, activist and educator. Kim Crosby
will be speaking on intersectionality of race, class, gender, sexuality and
ability as a necessary analysis to deconstruct and eradicate systems of
oppression.

RESISTING OCCUPATION

Thursday October 3, 3pm-5pm in 313 Student Centre
Join us for a panel discussion of struggles for self-determination and
against occupation around the Globe.

RHYMES OF RESISTANCE

Thursday October 3, 6pm in the Underground
Join us for an evening of spoken word on social justice issues featuring
spoken word talent from York University.

**if you are interested in performing please contact Safiyah Husein VP
Equity at vpequity at yfs.ca

*3. Incendies: Arts and culture feminist magazine Callout*

York’s only arts and culture feminist magazine is looking for passionate
students for the following positions:

Submissions Manager
Copy Editors (2)
Poetry Editor
Layout Designer
Graphic Editor
Communications Coordinator

Send your resume to incendies.publication at gmail.com with position being
applied for in the Subject line.
APPLICATIONS DUE MIDNIGHT, OCT. 1st
Further details at http://incendiesmag.wordpress.com/

*4. Omar Hamilton in Conversation - Discussion + Film Screening
(RSVP on Facebook)*

TIME: Monday September 30 1-2:30PM
LOCATION: Chancellor's Room, Student Centre (next to entrance to the
Underground on the 1st floor), York University
FREE ADMISSION

OMAR ROBERT HAMILTON is an independent filmmaker, producer of the Palestine
Festival of Literature and a founding member of the Mosireen Collective in
Cairo. OMAR is also an esteemed guest at The Toronto Palestine Film
Festival 2013.

OMAR will screen and discuss some of his work as well as the works of
Mosireen - the most watched non-profit YouTube channel in Egypt of all time.

Facilitated by York Professor JUSTIN PODUR.

The event is organized in support and solidarity of our founder and mentor,
professor and filmmaker JOHN GREYSON.

For questions/accessibility: rebels at opirgyork.ca

http://www.orhamilton.com/bio.html
http://tarekandjohn.com/

*in association with Rebels With A Cause Film Festival and The Toronto
Palestine Film Festival
** thank you to our sponsor: York Film Department

*5. ASAY's Sister's in Spirit Vigil*

Date: Tuesday, October 1st
Time: 12 Noon
Location: Meet in Vari Hall, march to York tipi

We would like to invite you and your members to an event we are holding on
October 1st.
It will be our Sisters in Spirit Vigil honoring murdered and missing
aboriginal women.
We will be marching from Vari Hall at 12 noon to the York tipi (located
behind Osgoode Hall) where the vigil will take place.
We will open with a traditional prayer followed by a sharing circle.
Refreshments to be served following the vigil.

For more info: asay.york at gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

-Aboriginal Students Association at York

*6. OPIRG York Volunteer Hangout + Working Group Showcase Open House!*

Share on fb: https://www.facebook.com/events/167571550102870/

Join OPIRG York on...

Date: TUESDAY OCTOBER 1st 2013
Time: 1:30-4:30pm
Location: the OPIRG office (Student Centre Rm. 449 C) and Room 307 Student
Centre

...for free food, fun and meeting amazing fellow social justice thinkers on
campus!

We're having an open house to welcome back new/returning students,
re-introduce our Radical Resource Reading Centre, to relax and hangout with
new friends, to thank our amazing Dis-Orientation Volunteers, and to
SHOWCASE our OPIRG York Working Groups!

- Come and find out about OPIRG resources
- Meet the staff, board members and volunteers
- Listen to some awesome music!!!
- Enjoy great food
- Sign up to become a volunteer
- Learn about what OPIRG does
- Learn about our exciting working groups:

* YU Free Press
*Environmental Justice
* Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University
* Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance – Ontario (UKPC/FCYA-ON)
* Students for a Free Tibet
* Incendies
+ AND Jane Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP)
+ AND Black Creek Community Farm
+ Rebels with a Cause Film Festival

- AND Come and hang out!

See you there!

*7. Environmental Justice Working Group Meeting- October 2nd*

The Environmental Justice working group at OPIRG York is gearing up for an
exciting year.  We will be mapping Line 9 in the Jane-Finch community and
putting together outreach materials for the community to use that talk
about how the pipeline reversal project will affect them.

We will also be using these materials to start a divestment campaign at
York to get the University to divest from Enbridge.

The first meeting of the working group will take place next Wednesday where
we will talk about these upcoming projects and how people can get involved.

The meeting will take place on:

Wednesday Oct. 2
4-6pm
York University Student Centre
room 311C

Hope to see you there!  Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might
be interested in getting involved.

*8. ONGOING: YU Free Press Callout for Submissions: Alt. Media & Activism
Issue*

There is a constant necessity to use and interact with media in order to be
informed, stay connected, and communicate. The variety of mediums in use,
whether it be the newspapers, radio, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, amongst
others, brings forth fundamental questions: How do we understand and define
alternative media and mass media?  In what ways have art and creative work
become modes of alternative media? How do we assess the validity of
alternative media? To what extent has the digital age brought about
participatory forms of media?  What are some strategies for sustaining the
production of alternative media outlets? How can we strengthen alternative
media as an activist tool?

For our next issue of YU Free Press we welcome submissions that critically
engage in topics and questions related to journalism, media-industrial
complexes, activism and alternative media. We are interested in alternative
media, understood broadly as alternative knowledge production, including
but not limited to alternative education, autonomous broadcasting,
 activist blogging, community arts, and critical knowledge & skill sharing
practices. Please send us your writings, reviews, art, photography, poetry,
and other creative works, especially if they are relevant to our issue’s
theme.

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/374335099364170/
Suggested Word Count : 300 - 2000 words
Submission Deadline : Sunday Oct 13
Please email submissions and inquiries to info at yufreepress.org

*9. Its time to ACT! Support 191 migrants on strike over detention
conditions! #MigrantStrike*

www.facebook.com/events/727200713961040

Nearly 200 undocumented immigrants have been on strike in Lindsay prison
for the last 10 days and they need your support. On Friday, September 27th,
phone, email, tweet and share your support for striking immigration
detainees!

These migrants are kept locked in cages for 18 hours a day, some of them
for up to 7 years because Canada cannot deport them but refuses to release
them. They are being punished for being arbitrarily deemed a risk, and for
the crime of being born elsewhere.

But that’s not even why they are striking. In the last two months, these
immigrants were shuffled from other jails in the Toronto area and moved two
hours away to the Central East Correctional Center, a maximum security
prison in Lindsay, Ontario. There they face lockdowns, limited access to
telephones and worse food than that served to other inmates. They are being
denied family and legal visits.

*** Immigration detainee Erik Kusi on strike speaks from Lindsay jail
https://soundcloud.com/moominamur/interview-with-erik-kusi ***

Showing unbelievable courage and organizing, 191 migrant prisoners launched
a strike that entered its 10th day today. For the last four days they have
also been on hunger strike, yet their demands have not been met.

Here is where you come in. At 3pm on Friday, September 27th, wherever you
are, take action to support this strike.

CALL

Jail Superintendent Neil Neville: 705-328-6009
Deputy Superintendent Craig Hillen: 705-328-6014
Immigration Enforcement Deputy Director Anna Guida: 905 612 6070

(Remember you can make anonymous calls from your computer:
http://abt.cm/1bHfcK5 - See below for what to say)

TWEET

Madeline Meilleur, Minister in-charge of provincial jails: @m_meilleur
Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety immigration enforcement:
@MinStevenBlaney

#MigrantStrike #CdnImm #OnPoli

Sample tweets: http://bit.ly/D10MigrantStrike and
http://bit.ly/D10MigrantStrike2

SIGN THE PETITION & EMAIL

https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/meet-the-demands-of-striking-immigrant-detainees

Email addresses: craig.hillen at ontario.ca, neil.neville at ontario.ca,
anna.guida at cbsa.asfc.gc.ca

SHARE THIS IMAGE ON FACEBOOK

http://on.fb.me/14LMh3f

WHAT TO SAY

#MigrantStrike demands:
- Better access to medical care and social workers
- Cheaper phone calls and access to international calling cards (many have
family overseas)
- Access to better food, like the food on the non-immigration ranges
- An end to constant lockdowns
- Keep the improved canteen program going
- Better access to legal aid and legal services
- Granting of specific requests to move individuals to facilities nearer to
their families, legal resources, and social services.

Be sure to also express your opposition to and desire to see an end to all
detentions and deportations.

In spite of some of the most dehumanizing and isolating conditions imposed
on them, these migrants have chosen to resist rather than be beaten. It is
now our job to answer their call.

If you are a past immigration detainee or a family member or friend of a
migrant in detention, get in touch at nooneisillegal at riseup.net

More information and frequent updates:
http://endimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com

*10. No Line 9!  No Tar Sands Pipelines!  Rally at the NEB hearings*

When: Saturday, October 19th, Noon
Where: Toronto Metro Convention Centre (255 Front Street West)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/231888730295797/

Enbridge is trying to pipe tar sands bitumen through Southern Ontario and
Quebec, threatening the health and safety of our communities and waterways,
and allowing for the expansion of the most destructive project on the
planet, the tar sands. Enbridge’s Line 9 is a 38-year old pipeline that is
almost identical in build and age to the Line 6 pipeline that ruptured in
the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.  In total, Line 9 passes within 50 km of
an estimated 9.1 million people, including 18 First Nation communities, and
directly through 99 towns and cities.
But instead of opposing or even carefully considering Enbridge’s proposal
to send tar sands through aging infrastructure, the project is being pushed
through without as much as an environmental assessment.  In fact, the
National Energy Board (NEB) is doing everything it can to shut out voices
from the public in the approval process, while First Nations communities
say that they have not been consulted. From October 16 to 19, the National
Energy Board will hold hearings in Toronto, but only pre-approved
intervenors are allowed to speak.
When our voices are muted by government, the streets become our megaphone.
Indigenous communities, environmentalists and labour groups have united to
oppose the tar sands pipelines going west and south, and we need a
similarly impressive display of mass opposition to any such proposal to
transport tar sands east. Stopping the Line 9 Pipeline Reversal and moving
toward a clean energy economy with green jobs would be a multiple “win” – a
win for communities, jobs, farms, the environment, public health, and for
our long-term energy security. Join us October 19th outside the NEB
hearings as we say "No Line 9! No Tar Sands Pipelines!".

Background
With the Kalamazoo River and countless other spills, we have witnessed the
devastation caused by bitumen spills to homes, wildlife, waterways, and
people's health. Chemicals specific to the transport of bitumen poison the
air, while the heavier bitumen sinks in waterways, making it nearly
impossible to clean-up.
Beyond the very real threat to our communities and waterways, pipelines
allow for the expansion of the tar sands. At every level of production, tar
sands is a disaster. From the extraction of bitumen, to the transport and
refining of the thick toxic substance, this industry is creating sacrifice
zones everywhere it operates. In particular, operations in Northern Alberta
are poisoning surrounding people, land, water, and animals, threatening the
health of many Indigenous communities, some of whom are experiencing high
rates of rare cancers.  What's more, the tar sands giga-project is Canada's
largest source of greenhouse gases, accelerating climate change, which is
leading to droughts, floods, and other extreme weather conditions.
For more information on Line 9, please see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tK83lr7doA

For inquiries: NoLine9rally at gmail.com

*11. October 11: OPIRG York + CWTP @ York Volunteer Training*

Come to our volunteer training with the Centre for Women and Trans People
at York and OPIRG York!
Share on FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/396069120520182

The training will take place:

Oct 11, 2013 from 11 - 6 pm
Location: Room 313 Student Centre, York U Keele Campus

Details:
11-2pm: Anti-Oppression Training
2-3pm: Lunch!
3-6pm: Trans 101 Training

Please REGISTER to confirm participation. Please note that attendance is
capped.

REGISTER:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pcRtjMZCWURXsAmWz9EbRNdhunFjgjy5biyKjvzJKfc/viewform

For CWTP volunteers, please make sure you complete a volunteer training
application:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8GLghhke5mNdFJ4NzZLTXJzMzQ/edit?usp=sharing
Hard copies are also available at CWTP, Room 322 in the Student Centre,
York University.

Remember to sign in when you attend the workshops! :)

-- 

-OPIRG York
--
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724
opirgyork at gmail.com

There are many ways to get involved at OPIRG. Apply to be a working group:
http://opirgyork.ca/working-groups
Contact victoria at opirgyork.ca for further information.

We also have two collectives: PrOPIRGanda Radio and the Radical Reading
Room. You can contact us about ways to get involved in these collectives:
opirgyork at gmail.com.

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