[opirgyork] Black Lives Matter + JFAAP & Demonstrate Dance Drum Against Poverty + Rebels Film Festival + MayWorks

Tue Oct 14 04:45:07 PDT 2014

Hey everyone!!!

First a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who helped put together this years
DisOrientation 2014 Fear of an Active Campus. It was a huge success! Hope
to see many more amazing events this semester!! This is OPIRG York's weekly
digest email ----> There's lots of upcoming community events and callouts
this week, check out the full list below. The YUBSA event *Black Lives
Matter: United by Any Means Necessary* was rescheduled for tomorrow
afternoon, so please come out to that! Full details below.  And on Friday,
an important event being put on by *Jane Finch Action Against Poverty *--
food will be served and come learn about and organize with the community!

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 are
always in need of volunteers! Stop by the OPIRG York office anytime -- Room
449C Student Centre! (We have cake...)

-- OPIRG York

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

*//////// OPIRG YORK \\\\\\\\\\\*
1. *ONGOING, Oct 20th Deadline*: YUFreePress “The Projected Future”
Submissions Callout!
2. *Oct 15:* Black Lives Matter: United by Any Means Necessary
3.* ONGOING:* Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty Meetings. (Next
meeting Wednesday
Oct 15)
4. *Rebels With a Cause Film Festival:* 4th Annual Rebels With A Cause Film
Festival (Oct 27-30th)

*//////// COMMUNITY \\\\\\\\\\\*
5. *May Works: *Call-out for submissions from artists for 30th annual
festival! Deadline October 15.
6. *ONGOING*: Support for Deepan Budlakoti
7. *JFAAP Presents **Demonstrate, Dance, Drum Against Poverty:* Event
on October
17th: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
8. *OCAP Raise the Rates: *Multiple events happening October 13-20th
9. *Petition: *Petition to support Chippewas of the Thames
10. *YFS Activist Assembly: *Wednesday October 29th

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

*1. **YUFreePress “The Projected Future” Submissions Callout!*

YUFreePress’ next volume will be “The Projected Future,” which will include
perspectives on how the world will be, and what the world will look like in
the near and distant future.

What will the world/'Canada' look like in 10 years?
What will the world/'Canada' look like in 20 years?
What will the world/'Canada' look like in 50 years?
Will there be a ‘Canada’?

*Submission Guidelines *

*Accepting*: News, features, artwork, poetry, fiction, editorials, and
reviews.
*Suggested Word Count : *300 - 2000 words
*Submission Deadline : *October 20th

*Please email submissions and inquiries to yufreepress at gmail.com
<yufreepress at gmail.com>*

Read YU Free Press <http://issuu.com/yufreepress> online!
Find us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/YUFreePress> & Twitter
<http://twitter.com/yufreepress>!

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

*2. **Black Lives Matter: United by Any Means Necessary*

*Wednesday, October 15th*
*Meet at YUBSA (436 Student Centre) at 4:15pm*
*FB*: https://www.facebook.com/events/710081952380408

York United Black Students’ Alliance cordially invites you to ‘We Rise’; a
memorial dedicated to the Black victims and survivors of police brutality.
We Rise as united peoples to speak up against the unjust systematic
pathological oppression and violation of basic human rights that the Black
community faces on a daily bases. We recognize the anti-black racism in
police brutality and the subjugation of Black bodies and will not tolerate
it any longer.

We invite you to join us on October 15th, 2014 for a peace demonstration,
‘Black Lives Matter’. We will then follow with a discussion in the Student
Centre where we will then conclude the We Rise gathering. We invite you as
allies to join us in our call for justice.

4:45pm – walk to designated location on campus
5:30pm – a few words will be spoken
5:45pm – we make our way inside to the Student Centre for refreshments and
follow up discussion.
7:00pm – we conclude

In Solidarity,

YUBSA Executive Board
Light refreshments will be served.

------

York United Black Students’ Alliance is a student run Pan-Africanist
organization that acts as a representative body on behalf of the Black
student population at York University, and that also operates as agents for
social, political and economic change for the Black community.

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

*3. 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 Meeting:*
*Wednesday, October 15th @ 6pm*

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

*4. **4th Annual Rebels With A Cause Film Festival*

*October 27-31, 2014*
at West-Side Arts Hub, York Woods Library Theatre
1785 Finch Ave W Toronto ON M3N 1M6

The 4th Annual Rebels With A Cause Film Festival kicks off soon! Rebels
With A Cause is a FREE annual 5-day film festival that showcases artistic
reflections of social justice issues and critical documentations of unsung
community work. All our screenings are followed by panels consisting of
filmmakers, curators, and community organizers who unpack the works, share
their experiences and discuss strategies in creating real social change. We
are happy to be able to present this years festival in a more community
orientated location at the West Side Arts Hub! This years festival runs
from October 27-31.

Follow us on Twitter @RebelsFilmFest and Like our Facebook page Rebels With
A Cause Film Festival

For more information, please contact us at info at rebelsfilmfest.org

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

*5. *

*May Works Call-Out for Submissions*
May works Toronto is pleased to invite submissions for its 30th annual
festival season.Applications are accepted from groups and individuals in a
range of disciplines, including: visual art, music/ poetry, film, video,
interdisciplinary, and theatre.

*To Apply*

   - Review the 2015 Mayworks Festival Open Call for Submissions
   <http://mayworks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mayworks-Festival-2015-Call-for-Submissions.doc>
   .
   - Download the 2015 Mayworks Festival Submissions Form
   <http://mayworks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mayworks-Festival-2015-Submission-Form.doc>.
   Complete submission form and support material and send to festsubmissions@
   gmail.com by October 15, 2014.

*Artistic Vision*
Mayworks Festival is a multi-disciplinary arts festival that celebrates
cultural production working class culture. We seek to showcase high calibre
art by artists at all stages in their careers that are politically and
socially engaged with labour realities. Mayworks Festival is especially
committed to providing a platform to support the underrepresented labor of
Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, migrants, women,
queer-identified people, people of color, and youth

*Timeline*
Submissions are due no later than October 15, 2014. Proposals selected will
be notified by email by December 2015. The festival dates (TBD) will be in
early May 2015.

*Wednesday October 15th is the deadline for submissions!*
*For Inquiries *Please contact Dianah Smith at performance at mayworks.ca.
http://mayworks.ca/about/submissions/

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

*6. **Support for **Deepan Budlakoti*

We contact you today to request that your organization endorse and support
the Justice for Deepan campaign whose goal is to support Deepan Budlakoti's
struggle to reclaim his Canadian Citizenship.

In 2010, while Deepan was in jail, the Canadian government decided that he
was not a Canadian citizen despite being born in Canada. In December 2012,
after he had fulley served his sentence, they decided to further detain him
in immigration detention for several months while they attempted to deport
him to India where his parents were born. Yet, Deepan has lived in Canada
all his life, was issued a Canadian passport and has no other citizenship.
Deepan is effectively stateless at the moment.

Deepan was later released from immigration detention with strict conditions
after India refused to issue him travel documents. Since then, he has been
fighting to regain his Canadian citizenship. Most recently Deepan has
brought his struggle to Federal Court where he has launched a charter
challenge to reclaim his citizenship. A decision is due on this matter in
the fall of 2014.

Currently the Justice for Deepan committee is trying to amass political
support from as many community groups as possible and fundraise for his
legal defense fund.

So, the reason we are contacting your group today is to request your
support for the following three things:

1) That your group endorse the  sign-on statement to denounce double
punishment and to demand that his citizenship be immediately restored (To
confirm an endorsement, please send a confirmation email to
justicefordeepan at gmail.com)
2) That your organization share information about Deepan’s case over email
lists and social media (like this article, or this article, or this flyer;
Or simply share/like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter)
3) That you donate to the legal defence fund within your means. $100-$1000
would be very much appreciated as we have upwards of $40,000 to raise in
the coming months to pay for legal expenses related to the charter
challenge in federal court. Organizational contributions vary from $200 to
$2000 thus far. (Contact us for mailing address for cheques)

If you have any questions, we will also be happy to answer them. If you
have suggestions of other groups we should reach out to, please help us by
passing the word and forwarding information to us.

Thank you for your time,

www.justicefordeepan.org

facebook.com/JusticeForDeepanBudlakoti

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

*7. **JFAAP Presents: **Demonstrate, Dance, Drum Against Poverty on October
17th: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty*

Demonstrate, Dance, Drum Against Poverty on October 17th: International Day
for the Eradication of Poverty

*Date: Friday, October 17, 2014Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMLocation: South East
Corner of Jane & Finch*

Join Us on Friday, October 17th for:
Eradication of Poverty
Dancing
Drumming
Food
Good people
Fun & Celebration

Jane-Finch and other Communities living in poverty know from bitter
experience that the reality we face is very different:

• The minimum wage has been set at a level that leaves people in poverty
• Those on Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP are living on incomes that leave
them unable to feed themselves and pay the rent
• The real value of social assistance payments has fallen by some 55% since
1994 and people have continued to get poorer during the years the Liberals
have been in office despite all promises
• The vital Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefits that kept people
housed has been taken away
• Many people on ODSP are now facing medical reviews that threaten to take
away their income

We demand:

-Raise the rates! (raisetherates.ca)
-Raise the Minimum Wage to $14 Now! (raisetheminimumwage.ca)
- An end to racial profiling and targeting of people of color and youth
-Affordable: decent housing, healthy food, prescriptions, childcare, transit
-An end to environmental racism in our community and a stop to the Line 9
pipeline
-Status for all, and an end to immigrations raids and deportations
-Free education and health care, safe working conditions and benefits for
all
- End tax cuts benefiting the rich: higher tax rates for the rich and
corporations

Six years ago JFAAP was formed on the corner of Jane and Finch. We, along
with many other community members and allies, have fought back and made
many gains, but poverty still prevails and has got worse. Our community
continues to be facing serious social and economic inequities making it the
most systematically excluded and disadvantaged neighborhood in Toronto.

Come and join us to celebrate the victories, and to challenge all levels of
government to do more to eradicate poverty and put an end to the systemic
oppression of people of color, new immigrants, and low income communities.

Bring your drums, banners, and signs!!!

JFAAP.wordpress.com <http://jfaap.wordpress.com/>
janefinchactionagainstpoverty at gmail.com
Organized by Jane Finch Action Against Poverty and Allies

Endorsed by: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, OPIRG York, Community and
Legal Aid Service Program (CLASP), Advocacy for Change, York Federation of
Students, No One is Illegal Toronto, York United Black Students' Alliance
<https://www.facebook.com/YorkUnitedBlackStudentsAlliance>,

- – – – – – – – – – -

*Email janefinchactionagainstpoverty at gmail.com to endorse! Or post on the
FB wall that your group endorses!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1508544179384461/?fref=ts

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

*8. OCAP Raise the Rates! Events October 13-20th*
Join the Raise the Rates Provincial Week of Action to Confront Poverty in
Ontario: Raise Welfare and Disability Rates Now!

Wynne Government Talks About Justice But Delivers Poverty
Raise the Rates Provincial Week of Action: October 13 - 20th

**List of Events Below**

MPPs will be going back to Queen’s Park on October 20 but during the week
before they will be in their local communities and in their constituency
offices. Doubtless Liberal MPP’s will be feeling quite smug after their
election win and telling people about how committed to ‘fairness’ and
‘social justice’ they are.

Communities living in poverty know from bitter experience that the reality
they face is very different:

•       The minimum wage has been set at a level that leaves people in
poverty
•       People on Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP are living on incomes that
leave
them unable to feed themselves and pay the rent
•       The real value of social assistance payments has fallen by 55% since
1994 and people have continued to get poorer during the years the Liberals
have been in office
•       The vital Community Start Up benefit that kept people housed has
been
taken away
•       The Special Diet benefit that put food on the table for thousands
has
been slashed
•       People on ODSP are now facing medical reviews that threaten to take
away
their income

The Raise the Rates Campaign, a coalition of poor people fighting back
along with community and union allies, is not buying into Kathleen Wynne’s
‘social justice austerity’. We are demanding living wages, decent income,
the reversing of cutbacks and adequate and secure ODSP benefits.

>From October 13-20th, we’ll be going to MPP’s offices and Liberal events
with our demands and holding events throughout Ontario. The Wynne
Government is going to have to understand that people in poverty are
fighting back.

***Announcing Raise the Rates Week of Action Events!***
(More events to come - stay tuned!)

Toronto:

Join community members in Weston-King
Tuesday, October 14th, 5:30pm
Weston-King Neighborhood Centre: 2017 Weston Rd (at King St)
Meal and Discussion on Raise the Rates

Join Educators for Peace and Justice
Wednesday, October 15th, 5:00pm
Ministry of Education, Bay and Wellsley
Poverty is an Education Issue: installation / street theatre and flyering

Join the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Thursday, October 16th 12:00PM
George St. South of Gerrard
Meal then March to Glen Murrays office
ocap at tao.ca /www.ocap.ca / 416-925-6939

Join Jane Finch Action Against Poverty
Friday, October 17th 4-7PM
Southeast corner of Jane and Finch
Dancing, food, Rally
https://www.facebook.com/events/1508544179384461/
janefinchactionagainstpoverty at gmail.com

———-

Ottawa:

Join Poverty Makes Us Sick Ottawa
Friday, October 17th 12:00 PM
Cdn Museum of Nature park (O’Connor and Argyle)
Meal and Rally and March
raisetheratesottawa at gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/599647510147620/

———–
Sudbury:

Join Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty
Thursday, October 16th  1:30PM
Memorial Park
March to provincial building Sudbury Coalition Against
Poverty:https://www.facebook.com/groups/257339454351403/

———

Kitchener-Waterloo:

Join Poverty Makes Us Sick KW
Thursday, October 16th 5:00 PM
Food and MARCH
Kitchener City Hall
200 King Street West, Kitchener
https://www.facebook.com/events/535255453285044/

———–

Guelph:

Join OPIRG Guelph and the Raise the Rates Campaign
Thursday, October 16th, 7pm
Panel and Discussion: Poverty in Guelph, Raise the Rates of Welfare and
Disability Now!
10 Carden St, Downtown
______

Cobourg:

Join the Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty
Tuesday, October 14th, 7:00PM
Delegation to City Council on Homelessness
https://www.facebook.com/groups/northumberland.cap/

For more updates visit raisetherates.ca

 or like Raise the Rates on
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaiseTheRates

If you want to be part of an action in your community during October or
want to help build one, email raisetheratescampaign at gmail.com, call OCAP
at 416 925 6939

--

*Ontario Coalition Against Poverty157 Carlton St #201Toronto, ONM5A 2K3*
*Phone:* 416 925 6939
*Fax:* 1 855 714 0566 (toll free)
www.ocap.ca

*Twitter: @OCAPtorontoFacebook*: facebook.com/OcapToronto

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

*9. Petition of Support for the Chippewas of the Thames*Hey all,

Rising Tide just launched a petition to support Chippewas of the Thames.
Please share far and wide!

http://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/demand-the-neb-respect-indigenous-rights-sign-to-support-chippewas-of-the-thames-first-nation

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

*10. YFS Activist Assembly & Angela Davis + Bobby Seale*

The YFS Activist Assembly is a daylong series of workshops that will
address issues including access to education, environmental justice,
racism, gender- based violence and more!

*WHEN: Wednesday October 29*

*Registration: 8:30AM – 9:30AM*

*Workshops: 9:30AM – 6:45PM*

***Keynote Speakers Bobby Seale & Angela Davis: 7PM – 10PM*

The whole event will be free and will include lunch and dinner. The YFS
Activist Assembly is open to York Students and anyone around the York/Jane
& Finch Community.

 **Keynote tickets will be sold separately for $2 for York Students and $5
for community members. Tickets can be purchased at the YFS Member Services
Office located in room 106 of the Student Centre

*Sessions will include:*

·      The Hikes Stop Here

·      Effective Organizing: How to Fight the Power & Win

·      Un-blurring the Lines: Combatting Rape Culture & Gender-Based
Violence

·      BDS & the Palestinian Struggle for Self-Determination

·      Know Your Rights: Activism & the Law

·      People Before Profit: The Movement for Fossil Fuel Divestment

·      Rise Up! Anti-Racism Organizing

*RSVP* by October 15th at: http://bit.do/YFSActivist

*For more information contact*: Mithilen Mathipalan, Vice President Equity
| vpequity at yfs.ca | 416-666-8491

Please send accommodation needs and dietary requirements to campaigns at yfs.ca.
We will do our best to accommodate all needs

-- 

-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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