[opirgyork] Media training TODAY Social Justice Fair TOMORROW & Community Research Thursday + More!!

[OPIRG York]

Hey Everyone!

Here is a digest of OPIRG events and Working group events for this week!
There is lots going on-- make sure you stay in touch with us- you can
follow OPIRG York on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/opirgyork

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

-- OPIRG York


****************
*TODAY'S DIGEST:*

1. *TODAY*: Online Organizing & Making Social Media Count 101
2. *TOMORROW*: OPIRG York Social Justice Fair
3. *THURSDAY*: Research in Action: Building Accountable Community Research
4. Art For Justice: New Members Meeting
5. 9th Annual Strawberry Ceremony in Honour of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women - York Event on February 6th, and annual event February
14th!
6. FREEDOM FRIDAYZ 3YR ANNIVERSARY!
7. Students for a Free Tibet Winter Ball
8. FCYA/UKPC Lecture Series Part 1: The Filipino Canadian Community's
Current Situation, Struggles and Resistance


****************
*1. TODAY: Online Organizing & Making Social Media Count 101*

This workshop explores how to engage in effective online campaigning &
maximize social media strategies in your projects and campaigns.
Participants will explore the benefits and challenges of different online
and social media tools, be given useful information about managing online
campaigns & social media platforms as well as mobilizing different
audiences and tracking results. Workshop attendees are encouraged to bring
project plans and proposals with them to maximize hands-on learning on
actual campaigns.

*Facebook Link:* https://www.facebook.com/events/503796879734135

*Date*: Tuesday, January 28th
*Time*: 5-8pm
*Location*: Room 311B Student Centre
*Trainer*: Syed Hussan is an organizer and writer in Toronto working with
undocumented and migrant peoples, in defense of Indigenous sovereignty, and
against counter intuitive programs like war and capitalism.


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

*2. TOMORROW: OPIRG York Social Justice Fair*

Come check out some of OPIRG York’s Working groups and learn about more
ways to be involved! You can also check out tables by different community
groups that we support and do ongoing work with!

*Date*: Wednesday, January 29th
*Time*: 10-4pm
*Location*: Vari Hall, Vari Link and Central Square tables
*Featuring*:

Featuring Opirg York working groups:
* Ukpc York
* Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University
* Students for a Free Tibet Canada
* Environmental Justice @ York U
* Revolutionary Student Movement- York University
* YU Free Press
* Incendies
* Revolutionary Literature and Arts
* Queer and Trans Womyn Without Borders
* Art for Justice

AND

- Jane Finch Action Against Poverty
- West-Side Arts Hub
- Rebels With A Cause Film Festival
- and other community and York allies.

If you are interested in participating, please get in touch with our
Volunteer Coordinator, Victoria, at victoria at opirgyork.ca.

**Please note- there is limited tabling space and OPIRG working groups +
community groups are already being accommodated, but there are a few extra
spaces available. Note some of the tables will be shared to be able to
accomodate more groups.

*On Facebook (please share):*
https://www.facebook.com/events/201595660030084/



****************
*3. Research in Action: Building Accountable Community Research*

What does community based research look like? What would it mean for
academic institutions, faculty and students to take leadership from
community groups, and facilitate education and research in the interest of
social change? How can we ensure that community groups will truly benefit
from this research? There are important concerns around the ways in which
educational institutions situate themselves in communities, and take up
community issues as research interests, without ever consulting with the
communities themselves.

The Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGS) at both the University of
Toronto and York University are very interested in interrogating these
questions and addressing these concerns by creating links between the
University and the community that highlight the importance of community
based research. Similar programs at other PIRGs across Canada, namely
SFPIRG's Action Research Exchange (ARX), OPIRG-Ottawa's Community Research
Project (CRP), and QPIRG's Community-University Research Exchange (CURE),
serve as important models.

In keeping with our mandate to direct resources and research towards
anti-oppressive, social and environmental justice projects, we want to
educate students about participatory (action) research and community
organizing, to provide support and resources for community groups, and to
work to transform the privilege and resources of the academy into socially
relevant, community-based research and political action.

Please join us to discuss and share knowledge and skills around community
research exchange. This discussion will move from the concept of community
led research to developing ideas for proposals on what this research would
involve, using examples from other successful PIRG Community Research
Programs. Research coordinators from other PIRGs with these programs will
be on hand to talk us through the elements involved in this work, the value
of it and the challenges to starting this type of project in Toronto.
Community Organizations, students, faculty and PIRG members will all have a
chance to engage in fleshing out potential projects together.

Thursday January 30th
7 PM
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, room 2211
252 Bloor Street West
*This event is free*
*This event is wheelchair accessible*
With
- Jaggi Singh, Community University Research Exchange (CURE), QPIRG
Concordia
- Maria Basualdo, Community Research Project, OPIRG-Ottawa
- More speakers to be announced!

All students, faculty, and community organizations interested in community
based/directed research are encouraged to attend.

Please contact OPIRG-Toronto or OPIRG-York with any questions, concerns or
accessibility requests.
OPIRG-Toronto: opirg.toronto at gmail.com
OPIRG-York: opirgyork at gmail.com


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

*4. **Art For Justice: New Members Meeting*

*Date*: Tuesday February 4th, 2014
*Time*: 2:30 pm
*Location*: CFA Building 3rd floor (Look for signs)

Join us for a new members meeting to learn about what we have planned for
2014 and how you can plug in. We are always looking for new ideas and
projects to collaborate on.

Art For Justice aims to bring a radical and progressive approach to
art-making within student and community organizing. We utilize different
sorts of art not only to provide materials for movement, but also as a
movement itself.

GOALS

(1) Share skills and resources by organizing accessible arts-based
workshops for students and community members

(2) Work in collaboration with other OPIRG working groups and
student/community organizations that mobilize for social and environmental
justice


*Email/Contact information:*
Sanaslm at yorku.ca, victoria at opirgyork.ca.

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

*5. 9th Annual Strawberry Ceremony in Honour of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and those who have died Violent Deaths by Colonialism
--- Seeking volunteers!*

*Postering*: Help spread the awareness and pick up posters near you! OPIRG
at UofT, OPIRG at York and ASAY

Friday, Feb. 14, 2014 from 12 – 3pm: We are seeking approximately 30
volunteers
Volunteer shift :
Entirety of Event: 12:00pm – 3pm.
Strawberry Ceremony: 12:00pm until 1:30pm at 40 College St at Bay (Police
HQ)
Walkers/Food Servers/Clean Up Crew: 1:30-3:00pm at 519 Church St, Toronto,
ON

*What*:
Strawberry Ceremony in Honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and
those who have died Violent Deaths by Colonialism

You will be helping distribute water and strawberries at this ceremony.

Please RSVP directly to Jolene John at: johnjolene7 at gmail.com


If you cannot volunteer, but are available to participate, the ceremony
will take place at 40 College Street at Bay for Ceremony (Police
Headquarters) from 12:30pm-1:30pm.

This event is organized by No More Silence, The Native Youth Sexual Health
Network, Sistering and other agencies.


Details about the ceremony:
https://www.facebook.com/events/578758638867662/?source=1

Strawberry Ceremony with Wanda Whitebird begins at 12:30 Police
Headquarters 40 College Street at Bay, Toronto

Community Feast catered by NaMeRes at the 519 Church Street Community
Centre; 519 Church Street following the rally.

Please leave your agency and organizations signs and banners at home and
make some in honour of women who have died instead.

Tokens will be available at the rally.

Three Indigenous women have died violent deaths in Toronto since last
year's ceremony. This has led No More Silence to create a community owned
database to document and investigate such deaths in collaboration with
Families of Sisters in Spirit and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network

We continue to raise our voices in denouncing the racism and complicity of
state institutions and we support the demand for a national public inquiry
led by Indigenous grass roots women and supported by a United Nations
Investigation into Missing & Murdered Indigenous women in Canada

According to research conducted by the Native Women Association of Canada
(NWAC) under the Sisters In Spirit Program, over 600 Indigenous women have
been murdered or gone missing, most of them over the last 30 years.

Despite clear evidence that this is an ongoing issue, the federal
government decided in the fall of 2010 to end funding to Sisters in Spirit.
Instead monies in the amount of $10 million have been dedicated to a
central RCMP missing person centre. The same institution - who, along with
the Vancouver Police Department, failed to properly investigate Pickton in
1997 - was at the centre of a public inquiry in Vancouver. The sham inquiry
into the failed Pickton investigation has since been completed with no
consequences for any guilty parties and was boycotted by 20 of the 21
groups who were granted standing due to the denial of adequate funding for
legal defense.

Pickton, who was convicted for six murders, has admitted to killing 49
women. A total of 18 murders occurred after he was arrested and released
for the attempted murder of a sex worker in 1997. This is blood on police
hands, yet RCMP officers testifying at the sham inquiry state “there are
few things they would change about how they did their work.”

It should come as no surprise that the Committee to End Discrimination
Against Women at the United Nations has visited the country to investigate
Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women.

On February 14th we come together in solidarity with the women who started
this vigil over 20 years ago in Vancouver's DTES, and with the marches and
rallies that will be taking place across this land. We stand in defense of
our lives and to demonstrate against the complicity of the state in the
ongoing genocide of Indigenous women and the impunity of state institutions
and actors (police, RCMP, coroners' offices, the courts, and an indifferent
federal government) that prevents justice for all Indigenous peoples.

No More Silence began holding ceremony at police headquarters on February
14th 9 years ago. 2 years ago we formed the February 14th Organizing
Committee in an effort to broaden community participation in the planning
of the event - the committee is made up of The Native Youth Sexual Health
Network Sistering and other feminist and Indigenous community organizations.

Endorsed by: Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women against Rape;
Toronto Bolivia Solidarity;DAWN Ontario DisAbled Women's Network Ontario,
OCAP, Centre for Women's Studies in Education at OISE, Native Women's
Resource Centre of Toronto Maggies TO Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural
Centre, Anduhyaun, Ontario Aboriginal HIV Strategy, Toronto Council Fire
Native Cultural Centre

Printing by Opirg York and the Aboriginal Students' Association at York

List of Feb 14th Memorial Marches in other communities:
http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/national

*Also AT YORK:*

Allies of No More Silence Presents...

*REMEMBER: Honouring Canada's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women - Film
Screening, Panel Discussion + Art Making!*

*Date*: Thursday, February 6th
*Time*: 10am - 3pm
*LOCATION*: 430 Student Centre (GSA), York University Keele Campus
*Note: the details will be confirmed shortly and posted on the Facebook
page!!*

Free breakfast snacks and refreshments to be served!

We will be holding a film screening of "Go Home Baby Girl" which is the
story of one Indigenous family's struggle for justice in the murder of
their daughter Norma George.
Producer/Director Audrey Huntley

We will be also hearing from guest speaker Laureen "Blu" Waters, an
Aboriginal Elder who will be discussing the National Day of Action. To be
followed is a discussion, and banner/placard making session for the
ceremony that will be next on February 14th, 2014 @ 12:30pm at the Police
HQ on College at Bay. (Full details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/578758638867662/)

Please like February 14 National Day of Action - No More Silence to stay
updated on the No More Silence ceremony happening in Toronto and check out
their website at http://nomoresilence-nomoresilence.blogspot.ca/

Please come out, support and demand action from the Canadian government
into the many missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.

Please follow to stay updated: http://instagram.com/alliesofnomoresilence

*****
Presenters:

Audrey Huntley

Audrey Huntley is the co-founder of No More Silence, a documentary
filmmaker and writer/producer of mixed Indigenous and settler ancestry.

Laureen "Blu" Waters
(Istchii Nikamoon- Earth Song)

Cree/Métis / Mi'kmaq Wolf Clan

She is a mother of 3 and a grandmother, Sun dancer and a pipe carrier.

Laureen’s family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve And
Bra’dor Lake, Cape Breton Nova Scotia. Laurie grew up with her grandmother
and learned about traditional medicines performing extractions, healings,
and care of the sick.She studied landscaping and Horticulture for four
years and has studied herbal medicine. Laureen’s gifts include House
cleansing, giving traditional spirit names, hand drumming, song writer,
creative writer and is a Full moon conductor She has been a traditional
counselor for most of life.

This event is being put together by:
Opirg York , SASSL, Cwtp At York , YUGSA, YFS, CUPE 3903 Trans Feminist
Action Caucus, Aboriginal Students' Association at York , Center for
Aboriginal Student Services @ York.

*Share on facebook:* bit.ly/yorkfeb6

Note- we will have a York contingent meet-up at the Feb 14th celebration.
We are encouraging folks to attend this event at York to help promote Feb
14th, but if you cannot make it on February 6th, please attend the February
14th event. Details are here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/578758638867662/


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

*6. FREEDOM FRIDAYZ 3YR ANNIVERSARY !*

*Date*: Friday, January 31, 2014
*Time*: 6:00pm until 9:30pm
*Location*: 1785 Finch Avenue West Yorkwoods Public Library

January 31st marks Freedom Fridayz 3yr anniversary. Come and celebrate with
us as we enjoy:

Performances
Live Art
Free Food
Good music
Prizes
Beautiful People
and Endless possibilities...

Doors open at 6:00pm :)

♥
****************

*7. Students for a Free Tibet Winter Ball*

SFT York is a political club that raises awareness of the cultural genocide
and the human rights issues of Tibet on York University's Keele Campus.
Tibet used to be an independent country until it was colonized  by China in
1959. In this continous fight for freedom, Tibetan students along with
other student members from different countries at York hope to reach out
more people on campus to know about the issue of Tibet and help us make a
difference by joining our club, helping out with our events and campaigns,
etc.

To plan various events and campaigns, we have several fundraiser events,
gatherings and parties. Our first fundraiser event for 2014 is the SFT
Winter Ball. We are having a semi-formal for all SFT members who have
worked hard over the past year and also to other members to come out,
support us and mingle with us.

Tickets are $20 in advance
                   $25 at the door.
With one free complimentary drink.
Location: 25 Cecil Street, United Steelworkers Hall

Please contact sftyork at gmail.com if your interested and if you would like a
ticket to attend.

You can RSVP via facebook or check out more details there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1436872919863052/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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

*8. FCYA/UKPC Lecture Series Part 1: The Filipino Canadian Community's
Current Situation, Struggles and Resistance*

Toronto, ON – The Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang
Pilipino sa Canada – Ontario (FCYA/UKPC-ON) is gearing up once again for
another round of political education at York University and University of
Toronto. The political education will be presented through a lecture series
focussing on the Filipino Canadian community’s history, current situation,
struggles and resistance. Despite being Canada’s third largest visible
minority group numbering over 500,000, the Filipino Canadian community
continues to be at the social, political and economic margins of Canadian
society. The lecture series aim to expose Canada’s neoliberal agenda by
concretely showing its impacts on working class and communities of colour,
such as the Filipino Canadian community.

‘As the future of our community, it is crucial for us youth to educate,
mobilize and organize ourselves and to fight for social change in our
community and the broader Canadian polity.’ says Bastian Leones of UKPC @
UofT.

The first lecture titled “The Filipino Canadian community’s Current
Situation, Struggles and Resistance,” will be held on January 30th at
University of Toronto and February 6th at York University and will be
presented by Kristoph Cles Aban, an executive member of UKPC-ON

*At University of Toronto: Thursday, January 30, 2014, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM*
15 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 3H7
University College Rm. 148
*At York University: Thursday, February 6, 2014, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM*
(Room TBA)

For more information, contact:
Kristoph Cles Aban
(416) 519-2553
ukpc-on at magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org
Facebook: Ugnayan Ontario
Twitter: @ugnayanontario
-- 

-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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