[opirgyork] Rad Board Games, DisO 2014 Lineup & Volunteering, and much more!

[OPIRG York]

Hey Everyone!

OPIRG York is hosting a radical board games night this Wednesday evening--
come out to de-stress and play some fun games before the end of August
arrives! We'll have snacks and you can meet some rad people! Also check out
the line-up for DisOrientaiton 2014 -- a team has been putting together an
amazing lineup of events for you to attend in September- and also you can
volunteer by filling out the volunteer form below!! Also please take a look
at the research opportunity around the Pan Ams games in Toronto - intiated
by folks at OPIRG Toronto, York and OCAP!

If you're interested in volunteering at OPIRG York, or have any questions,
please get in touch with Victoria, at victoria.opirg at gmail.com. We always
are in need of volunteers! And stop by the OPIRG York office anytime --
Room 449C Student Centre!

-- OPIRG York


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*TODAY'S DIGEST:*

*//////// OPIRG YORK \\\\\\\\\\\*
1. *DisOrientation 2014: "Fear of an Active Campus" + Volunteer
Opportunities*
2. *Aug 27:* Board Game Cafe: Radical Edition with OPIRG York
3. *ONGOING*: University student researchers needed for Fall 2014 term!
(Toronto Pan Am Games Resistance Project)
4.* Sept 2 & ONGOING:* Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty Meetings

*//////// COMMUNITY \\\\\\\\\\\*

5. *Aug 26th:* A Community DIscussion: Line 9 and North York
6.* ONGOING*: Survey on Violence, Intersectionality and York U
7.* ONGOING:* “For the long haul” - Seeking activists to share experiences
of burnout & sustainability

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

*1. **DisOrientation 2014: "Fear of an Active Campus" + Volunteer
Opportunities*

Read about DIsO here: http://diso2014.opirgyork.ca/ -- tentative schedule
is posted!

For years on the York University campus, OPIRG-York, its allied
organizations and community members have put together an alternative
orientation week open to students and community members. By bringing
together a wide range of campus and community groups, DisO aims to draw the
links between the many different kinds of political, environmental and
social justice based organizing that exists on campus and in our
communities. This year, DisO 2014 is entitle FEAR OF AN ACTIVE CAMPUS! This
is to hightlight the ongoing and amazing activism that has been happening
at York over the years, and is a play on our Keynote, Aamer Rahman’s “Fear
of a Brown Planet” comedy night on September 23rd, “NIGHT OF COMEDY:
Dy-Stress, Dy-Colonize.”

This year’s DisOrientation is to be held on and near the York University
campus, from Monday, September 22nd to Friday, September 26th. Throughout
the week, OPIRG York and partner organizations will be offering a series of
amazing workshops, panels and teach-ins, filled with storytelling,
skills-sharing and art-making. DisO is fundamentally about sharing skills,
stories, and knowledge that demonstrate the vibrant talents and
capabilities we all possess! All are welcome! All events will be free and
wheelchair accessible!!

*********
*VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:*
*********

*Please sign up for Volunteer Orientation Training here:
**http://bit.ly/diso2014
<http://bit.ly/diso2014>*

We need volunteers for the following:

*Event Logistics Team:*
Well organized? Think on your feet? Wanna watch magic happen?
- Assist Programming Coordinator with event coordination
- Be the go-to person on the day of for workshops
- Participate in the DisOrientation events
- Ensure that facilitators have what they need

*Promotion/Outreach Team:*
Wanna meet people and have lots of energy? This is the team for you!
- Promote and give out DisOrientation programs
- Help staff give class talks
- Poster and leaflet handing out
- Table Schmoozing/chilling

*Media Documentation Team:*
Love Media? Recording? Video? Wanna learn about these things?
- Audio recording each event
- Film/Video recording each event
- Photographing each event
*All equipment and training will be provided

Anything Else!!

If you're interested and unable to attend, please email Victoria at:
victoria at opirgyork.ca &victoria.opirg at gmail.com

Thank You!

-OPIRG York
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724
opirg at yorku.ca

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

*2. Board Game Cafe: Radical Edition with OPIRG York*

*Date*: Wednesday August 27
*Time*: 5:30pm
*Location*: RM 307 Student Centre, Keel Campus York U
*FB*: https://www.facebook.com/events/312111908961003/

OPIRG- York will be hosting its first ever Board Game Cafe! Come join us
for a night of radical fun on the evening of Wednesday August 27 at 5:30 pm
in room 307 of the Student Centre at York University. We will be playing a
wide variety of games including Jenga, Monopoly, Jeopardy and more!

Food and drinks will be provided.
We hope to see you then!

*Contact*: opirg.spevents at gmail.com

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

*2. **University student researchers needed for Fall 2014 term! (**Toronto
Pan Am Games Resistance Project)*

OPIRG’s Toronto Research and Action Community Exchange (TRACX) is looking
for 1-3 university unpaid students to work on a community-based research
project on the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan American Games in collaboration with
the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). A detailed project
description is listed below. The timeline and deliverables are negotiable
depending on the number of researchers selected for the project.

This research should begin in the 2014 fall term and may be completed for
credit as an independent study course, or as an independent project with
faculty supervision. This research may also be featured at a TRACX
symposium in the 2015 winter term.

Please send a letter of interest and resume to opirg.crep at gmail.com.

*NOTE*: There is no deadline for application, but the research positions
will be filled as soon as possible. Please contact us early and indicate
your availability.

For more information on TRACX and OPIRG Toronto, please visit our website:
opirgtoronto.org

*Toronto Pan Am Games Resistance Project*

*Organization*
*Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)*

Project Description
Hosting large sports events such as the Common Wealth Games, the Olympics,
the Pan Am Games, and the World Cup have long, well-documented histories of
violence and dispossession. While these games create wealth for large
corporate sponsors, they come as a huge cost to the general public,
particularly indigenous, immigrant, and poor communities residing within
the host cities. As Toronto prepares to host the Pan Am & Parapan American
Games in the summer of 2015, OCAP wants to help these communities prepare
and fight back.



This project is intended to:
• Research the general recent history on community resistance to large
sports events, drawing particularly on the Brazil World Cup, Glasgow
Commonwealth Games, and the Vancouver Olympics.
• Research the various locations where Games facilities are being built.
Focusing specifically on understanding the impacts of the “Athlete’s
Village” on the Toronto downtown east end.
• Research how Games preparation impacts service provision and housing in
poor communities.
• Find out more about the Pan Am & Parapan American Games corporate
sponsors and funding agreements/arrangements.
• Develop a “money trail” of public and private spending on the Pan Am &
Parapan American Games.
• Investigate any changes in policing and surveillance strategies leading
up to the Games, including changes in policy, training, and
equipment/weapons/gear.

Research Methodology
This project builds on previous research on the general historical context
of the impacts of large sports events and community resistance to them.
This included:
• A media analysis of games coverage—particularly focusing on alternative
media sources.
• An academic literature review.
This project has two focuses:
 (1) Research impacts of Games on Toronto downtown-east end.
• Consult urban planning reports to understand what changes are being made
in communities to accommodate the Games—in particular, gentrification
schemes.
• Interview services providers to better understand the pressures Games
preparations might be placing on services users or community-based
organizations.
(2) Research changes in surveillance and policing strategies.
• Retrieve reports from Police Service Board. Look for anything related to
“Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games,” “Olympics,” new training, new toys (e.g.
tasers, rubber bullets, riot gear), new policies and bills around
protesting or criminalization of homeless people and/or service users.

Timeline
Data Collection – September – December 2014.
Dissemination – Winter 2015.

*OCAP Deliverables*
• The final write-up should be in clear, easy-to-understand bullet points
that are organized in terms of importance and priority. OCAP will take make
pamphlets, etc. out of these bullet points.
• OPIRG-Toronto will publish a write-up on initial historical research in
OPIRG Toronto’s Action Speaks Louder newsletter.
• Research will be featured at a TRACX symposium in the 2015 Winter Term.
Research may also be published in an online journal.
• Potential collaboration with the Radical Design School (
radicaldesignschool.net) to make comics about the findings.

*Required Skills and Qualifications*
• Registered as an undergraduate or graduate student, preferably at
University of Toronto
• Able to work collaboratively with and take some direction from a
community organization
• Self-motivated
• Committed to social justice
• Some background in community organizing
• Can politically analyze and prioritize large quantities of diverse data.
• Can deconstruct information and then put it forward for campaign
development
• Can deliver useful information in a limited timeframe.
• Some experience with community-based research preferred
• Knowledge of Toronto’s downtown east end and/or existing knowledge of the
negative impacts of large sports events on poor communities preferred

*Description of organization*
“OCAP is a direct-action anti-poverty organization based in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. We mount campaigns against regressive government policies
as they affect poor and working class people. In addition, we provide
direct-action advocacy for individuals against welfare, ODSP, public
housing and others who deny poor people what they are entitled to. We
believe in the power of people to organize themselves. We believe in the
power of resistance.” Website: ocap.ca


*4. Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty Meetings*

JFAAP meets at 6pm at Seneca College in Yorkgate Mall (North West corner of
Jane and Finch) Rom 218/219 (2nd floor of the mall) on the 1st  Wednesday
of every month ; new members are always welcome!

*Next Meetings:*
*Wednesday September 3rd @ 6pm*
*Wednesday, September 17th @ 6pm*

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

*5. **A Community DIscussion: Line 9 and North York*

*Date*: Tuesday, August 26th
*Time*: 7pm
*Location*: Yorkwoods Library, Room 2

Enbridge's Line 9 runs through the community of Jane and Finch. The flow of
the almost 40-year-old pipeline is being reversed, and Alberta tar sands
bitumen is going to be carried through it. There are already thousands of
cracks in the pipeline and it’s impossible to ensure that none will result
in a leak. Join us for a public meeting to discuss the risks the Line 9
reversal poses to the community and what we can do about it.

The event will feature a panel discussion moderated by Rosemary Frei with
speakers Lana G Brite, Umair Muhammad, and Errol Young.

Lana is an activist, member of Rising Tide Toronto, and a civil
disobedience veteran.
Umair is the author of 'Confronting Injustice'.
Errol is a former school trustee, photographer, and member of the Jane
Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP).

This event is being organized by the Community Response Unit for
Decontaminating our Environment (CRUDE) and Toronto350.org.

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

*6. **Survey on Violence, Intersectionality and York U*

Hey! My name is Alyssa and I'm collaborating with the Centre for Women and
Trans People (CWTP) on a working doc that will be accessible to the
community around the theme of “intersectionality, safety and violence”.
Please note here “violence” can mean systemic violence – where social
structures harm us (e.g. Workplace racially profiling you) or interpersonal
violence (someone physically harming you) Our aim is to have conversations
with students, staff, and community members in the York U and surrounding
area in order to survey a wide perspective of the different meanings of
what safety looks like and does not look like; how safety is navigated
within the realms of systemic institutionalized power, and how “safety”
discourse is interpreted and plays out in and around York U. To be clear,
when we talk about "safety", we mean instances that make you uncomfortable,
that make you feel unsafe, or that are actively violent - these often
relate to our identities as marginalized people.
Of course, we know these conversations aren't new and have been happening
historically. The CWTP sees it as a pressing goal to attend to the high
student turnover, burnout and isolation that prevents us from knowing each
other's stories and to compile a widespread analysis of power dynamics and
marginalization.

*SURVEY LINK:* https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K82Q3MC

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

*7. **“For the long haul” - Seeking activists to share experiences of
burnout & sustainability*

Greetings, fellow activists, organizers, warriors, advocates!

My name is Kathryn, and I’ve been doing social and environmental justice
organizing in Kitchener-Waterloo for a number of years now. I’m also a
student in the Independent Studies program at UWaterloo, and for my thesis
project I’m doing research on activist burnout (from an anti-capitalist,
disability justice perspective), under the supervision of Dr. Lisbeth
Berbary and Dr. Mark Havitz of the Recreation & Leisure Studies Department.

I’ve come to understand “burnout” as the physical, mental, emotional and/or
spiritual exhaustion resulting from a person’s fulfillment of their chosen
role(s) in life, to the point that they are experiencing significant
negative effects from sustaining that type or level of activity - even if
they keep at it. Although burnout can be experienced by people in all lines
of work, and for a variety of reasons, I’m interested to:

find out what burnout looks and feels like for activists;
hear how activists deal with such experiences, personally or collectively;
explore the dynamics between experiences of burnout and the intersecting
systems of oppression that are (re)produced in both mainstream society and
social movements (capitalism, colonialism, ableism, racism,
hetero/cis-sexism, etc); and
learn if there are unique risk factors for burnout that are specific to
participation in social movements or grassroots organizing - in particular,
environmental justice activism here in Southern Ontario.

My hope is that, with better understanding of how and why burnout may
develop for activists in our movements, we will be better equipped to
support ourselves, friends, and allies in struggle - for the long haul. In
order to do so, I’m seeking a variety of environmental justice activists
from Southern Ontario (land defense, climate justice, organizing against
fossil fuels, fighting environmental racism, animal lib, etc.) who are
willing to be interviewed about their experiences of doing this work and
the (inter)personal consequences, including burnout, that they have faced
as a result. Interviews will be unstructured - more of a conversation,
sharing of stories - and can take 2-4 hours for each participant, depending
on their availability. I'm also prepared to travel to other cities to meet
with participants living outside of KW.

All folks interviewed will remain anonymous in the final project, which
will take two forms: a theatre script and a more formal report. Both will
be made freely available as a contribution to the current dialogue on
making long-term involvement in our movements more accessible and
sustainable. (This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance
through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee.)

If you’re interested to participate, or if you’d like more information
about the project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Interviews will
be taking place from August to mid/late September. Finally, if you know
anyone else who might be interested, please pass this callout along! I’d be
stoked to hear from them too.

With thanks, in solidarity,

Kathryn Wettlaufer
Email: kmwettlaufer at uwaterloo.ca

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


-- 

-OPIRG York
--
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724
opirg at yorku.ca



*There are many ways to get involved at OPIRG. Apply to be a working
group: **http://opirgyork.ca/working-groups
<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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