[opirgyork] Jane Finch- Political Conversations (TODAY) + Youth Led Rally (FRIDAY)

[OPIRG York]

Hey Everyone,

Two important events in the community-- tonight is Jane-Finch Political
Conversation Café: Building Group Norms, Values, and Vision, and this
Friday is the A JANE-FINCH YOUTH-LED RALLY CALLS FOR ACTION AND AWARENESS
TO SAVE A VALUED COMMUNITY PROGRAM.

Please check out the details below and attend these events! OPIRG York
works in partnership with Jane and Finch Action Against Poverty as well and
community members in Jane and Finch, and community outreach, organizing and
support is an important way to get involved and for community building!

-OPIRG York

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*Jane-Finch Political Conversation Café: Building Group Norms, Values, and
Vision*

*Date*: Wednesday, June 25th (TODAY)
*Time*: 6pm
*Location*: Driftwood Community Centre, 4401 Jane Street, Toronto, Ontario
m3n29p

This is the second session of an ongoing series. During the first session,
we discussed our ideas for what these series of Conversation Cafés could be
about, the format they might take, etc. The second session will be led by
Bfly Rose Flower and Alex Fawkes and will focus on establishing group
norms, and build the ground for a collective vision as we move forward with
our series of Cafés.

Newcomers are welcome.

Childcare, TTC tokens, and food will be provided.

The Jane-Finch community stands in a socially disadvantaged space in
relation to much of the rest of Toronto. We have a high proportion of low
income residents and our unemployment rate is among the highest in the
city. Our marginalized position means that we have relatively little
influence over the political processes that affect us. But at the same
time, we should be more interested than most in coming to understand and
intervening in these processes. The Political Conversation Café will bring
interested community residents together to explore and share analysis and
political thought, and develop collective ways that can be used to create
progressive social change.

The Conversation Café meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every
month for about ninety minutes in a safe, friendly and welcoming
environment to discuss readings, view documentaries, hear presentations and
explore ideas and actions for social change.


*A JANE-FINCH YOUTH-LED RALLY CALLS FOR ACTION AND AWARENESS*
*TO SAVE A VALUED COMMUNITY PROGRAM*
*FRIDAY JUNE 27th 2014 (3:30-6:30pm) at 15 San Romanoway, Jane-Finch*

Questions swirl around the sudden closure of a successful and valued youth
program in Jane-Finch by a local organization, resulting in a cry from
youth in the community calling for transparency, accountability, and
dialogue. The organization has not responded to requests from the youth for
communication around the closure of a space that is supposed to be
"youth-led and youth-driven". After more than a month with multiple
requests for a meeting and not receiving any responses from the Executive
Director and the Board of Directors, and having exhausted all other
possibilities the youth are now publicly calling for support from media,
politicians, community leaders, residents and allies to bring attention to
this issue to try and bring back this valuable resource for youth in the
community.

*THE FACTS:*
On April 30th 2014, the San Romanoway Revitalization Association (SRRA)
located on the North-East corner of Jane-Finch, suddenly closed the Youth
‘N’ Charge Studio located at 15 San Romanoway and ended a popular youth
music program called the Palisades Media Arts Academy (PMAA).
In June 2011 the SRRA was APPROVED for $344,500.00 IN FUNDING from the
Ontario Trillium Foundation to run the Palisades Media Arts Academy Program
(PMAA) for THREE YEARS
The program did NOT begin until 2012, and ONLY 2 YEARS of ACTUAL
PROGRAMMING WAS DELIVERED before the program was abruptly shut down on
April 30, 2014.

The PMAA Program was being operated out of the Youth 'N' Charge a space at
15 San Romanoway defined by the SRRA as a "youth-led, youth-driven
initiative"
The youth participants approached the SRRA for dialogue around closure but
after over a month, have still received no response.
The youth, are taking action to raise awareness around the issue, and have
started a PETITION which can be found here:
<https://www.change.org/petitions/stephnie-payne-as-youth-of-jane-finch-and-participants-of-youth-n-charge-ync-we-demand-transparency-and-accountability-from-san-romanoway-revitalization-association-regarding-ync-and-to-re-open-the-pmaa-studio>

The youth have also started a WEBSITE/BLOG to help supporters follow the
progress of the movement: www.savepmaa.ca
On May 9th the Youth organized their first rally.  There is a short 10
MINUTE VIDEO that has been created from the first rally:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSq_zi_vsTQ

ON JUNE 27TH, 2014 FROM 3:30-6:30 OUTSIDE OF 15 SAN ROMANOWAY, THE YOUTH
ARE ORGANIZING A RALLY, THE PLACE WHERE THEIR BELOVED YOUTH SPACE USED TO
BE.

CONTACT: etpcampaign at gmail.com - +1(647) 773-0692

-- 

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



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