[opirgyork] Campaign Planning + the Color of Labor + Divest from Fossil Fuels + Strawberry Ceremony

Wed Feb 11 06:16:41 PST 2015

Hey Folks!

Lot's of great things happening in and around the community this week!
Check it out below! Have yourselves and AWESOME reading week next week -
and don't forget to check out the Families for Families Rally in support of
Immigration Detainee's on Monday, Feb. 16th - it's Family Day but also part
of York's reading week - so go to the rally!! (Details below!)

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
<victoria.opirg at gmail.com>*. We always need volunteers! And stop by the
OPIRG York office anytime -- Room 449C Student Centre!

-- OPIRG York

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

*//////// OPIRG YORK \\\\\\\\\\\*
1. *February 18th**: *JFAAP Meeting
2. *February 11th: *York U RSM Mobilization
3.* February 11th & 25th:* The Colour of Labour
4. *February 12th:* Campaigning Planning 101

*//////// COMMUNITY \\\\\\\\\\\*
5. *February 12th: *Divestment from Fossil Fuels - A Faith & Justice
Perspective
6.* February 13th: *Shut Down Canada: No Justice On Stolen Land
7. *February 13th:* U of T March 24th RSM Mobilization Committee on St.
George Campus
8. *February 16th: *10th Annual Strawberry Ceremony
9. *February 16th: *Families for Families: Rally in Support of Immigration
Detainee's
10. *February 2nd - 27th: *Afrikan Liberation Month @ York
11. *N/A: *OCAP Callout/Statement

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

*1**. Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty Meetings*

JFAAP meets at 6pm at Seneca College in Yorkgate Mall (North West corner of
Jane and Finch) Room 218/219 (2nd floor of the mall) on the 1st & 3rd
Wednesday of every month; new members are always welcome!

*Next Meeting:*
*Wednesday, February 18th @ 6pm*

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

*2. York U RSM Mobilization*

*Date: February 11th*
*Location: *
*HNES lounge at the 1st Floor @ York Campus 4700 Keele*

Students of York University!
Rise-up! Mobilize Towards the Pan-Canadian Day of Action, March 24

We are calling for individual students, campus organizations and allies to
join the #redspring2015 mobilization committee.

*1ST MOBILIZATION COMMITTEE MEETING:WHEN: February 11, 2014, 4-6PMWHERE:
HNES lounge at the 1st Floor*

On the FIRST MEETING, we will discuss:
- our demands
(are these demands applicable to our context? do we have any additional
demands?)
- How to engage and outreach to the larger student population
- Our plans for March 24th

If you are interested but cannot join the meeting, email
*revstudentsyork at gmail.com
<revstudentsyork at gmail.com>*.

****

Despite the demographic of the York undergraduate population to be composed
mostly of working-class and racialized students, events in our campus have
shown that we have no say over our how the university can work for us.
Worse, Black and Brown students are racially profiled by increasing police
presence in campus! Student activists have been heavily targeted by
university administration for asking our university to divest from
apartheid regimes! Outside, our university is actively participating in the
gentrification of Jane and Finch and the displacement of its residents.

We, working-class and racialized students, understand that simply fighting
for lower tuition does not guarantee the full accessibility of
post-secondary education to our communities. Most of our peers drop out
even before their high school graduation! And some of us who manage to
attend post-secondary institutions fight tooth and nail to survive,
struggling to pay tuition, rent, and bills at the same time, struggling to
survive the alienation from a university built on the appropriation of
Indigenous land and the appropriation of the labour of colonized people!

The Revolutionary Student Movement is calling for a pan-Canadian day of
action against austerity and in solidarity with the Spring 2015 movement in
Quebec on March 24, 2015.We call for the creation of mobilization
committees on campuses across Canada with the intent of organizing actions
–strikes, demonstrations, walk-outs, etc. – on March 24.

Let’s use this opportunity to build a student movement that is not content
with simply begging the government for scraps by lobbying. And let’s use
this opportunity to build a student movement across Canada that is not
afraid to fight, and not afraid to win.

These mobilization committees will strive to be safe and accessible to all
people that wish to participate; in short, any sort of oppressive behaviour
(racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, national chauvinism, etc.) will not
be tolerated within these committees. The committees must strive to be
anti-colonial, feminist and LGBTQ2S+ inclusive, expressed in the
committees’ political leadership and in their actions.

We demand:

1. ABOLITION OF TUITION FEE AT ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION! CANCELLATION OF ALL
OUTSTANDING DEBT!
Students should no longer have to pay for education. Students who could not
afford post-secondary education should no longer be punished by
high-interest student loans.

2. OPEN ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL!
Free tuition alone cannot guarantee accessibility. We demand guaranteed
admission to every post-secondary institution for all students. Good
quality post-secondary education should not simply be for the elite;
everyone should have access to the schools and programs of their choice.

3. EDUCATION IN THE SERVICES OF THE PEOPLE, NOT PROFIT!
Education should serve the interests of people, not corporations or profit.
Research should be done for the benefit of all, not the benefit of private
firms. We demand that a democratic and scientific education should replace
the imperialist, settler colonial and patriarchal curriculum in
post-secondary schools. Education should prepare us to struggle for justice
and liberation, not simply prepare us to work.

4. ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANTI-COLONIAL ASPECT TO ALL PROGRAMS!
We recognize that Canada, as a settler colony, is built on stolen land and
the genocide of Indigenous peoples. Increased funding must be made
available for all indigenous people to have access to post-secondary
education, as well as for the creation of indigenous colleges and
universities. We demand that education preserves the cultures and languages
of indigenous people within post-secondary education, and a necessary
anti-colonial component to all programs.

5. DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS!
Universities and colleges should be run by the people they serve, not by
unelected boards of governors filled with representatives of the big banks
and large corporations. We demand the abolition of boards of governors, and
their replacement with representative bodies composed of students, faculty,
support staff, and members of the community. All representatives should be
determined by the university's community, and subject to recall at any time.

Facebook Event Page: *https://www.facebook.com/events/761695827253083/*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1585216231690287>

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

*3. The Colour of Labour*

*When: February 11th & 25th*
*Where:* *4400 Jane Street*

What is the relationship between the North American Labour Movement and the
Black Liberation Movement?

We will look at the historical and current points of unity and conflicts
between the two movements.

We'll explore how best the two movements can work together.

*Presented by* *Jane Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP)
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Finch-Action-Against-Poverty-JFAAP/132701496774939>*
 & *The Political Coversation Cafe*

*Supported by* *CUPE Ontario Racial Justice Committee and CUPE local 4772*

Childcare, Tokens and Refreshments are provided !!!
Facebook event page link: *https://www.facebook.com/events/1585216231690287*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/364518407054407/>

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

*4. Campaign Planning 101: Presented by OPIRG York & the Tool's for Change
Network*

This workshop will enable you to understand the basics of organizing a
winning campaign from choosing primary/secondary targets, choosing
strategies and tactics, and bringing people along to join the campaign
through fun and creative tactics. Come prepared to brainstorm and work
through real-life examples of how to overcome obstacles and the
ever-changing dynamics of a real campaign.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE:
*http://bit.ly/campaigns101
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fcampaigns101&h=YAQEdj638&enc=AZMADgqi4Srll7Yt0RPupJr1B9miuopvh3ABw-iWe1DiDXE8KI5IR1EB1VdgwRgkWgM&s=1>*

**York students can choose the "I am a member of a sponsoring organization"
option!*

*Time: Thursday, February 12, 2pm - 5pmLocation: York University, Keele
Campus, 4700 Keele St., Room 307 Student CentreTrainer: Jennifer Huang*
*Jennifer Huang* is an organizer with the Toronto & York Region Labour
Council. As a trained educator with both elementary audiences and adult
learners, she has worked with many different groups to lead workshops,
training sessions and strategic planning sessions all towards equity,
anti-oppression, and social justice. Some of her more recent campaign work
include TTCriders, Respect Scarborough, Campaign for Public Education and
the Stop Hudak Campaign.

Please contact Victoria @ *victoria.opirg at gmail.com
<victoria.opirg at gmail.com>* for more information about the workshop.

Facebook event page link:
*https://www.facebook.com/events/364518407054407/*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/364518407054407/>

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

*5. Divestment from Fossil Fuels: A Faith & Justice Perspective*

A Faith and Justice Perspective: Divestment from Fossil Fuels

The York Student Christian Movement and Fossil Free York
*Date:* Thursday, February 12th
*Location:* 140 McLaughlin College; Senior Common Room
*Time:* 4pm-6pm

Come celebrate Global Divestment Day with the Student Christian Movement
and Fossil Free York from a faith and justice perspective as we discuss the
importance of divestment from fossil fuels. We welcome Professor Walter
Whiteley to host our discussion.

Professor Walter Whiteley, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Member
of the Graduate Programs in Mathematics, in Education, in Computer Science
Former member:  Board of Trustees, York University Pension Fund Member of
Divest York working group, Climate Justice Group, the Advisory Board of
York University Student Christian Movement.

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

*6. Shut Down Canada: No Justice On Stolen Land*

*When: 6am - 6pm*
*Where: Yonge & Dundas Square*

We have chosen to go with a peaceful & calm assembly with the purpose of
raising public awareness and sharing knowledge with passersby. WE WILL BE
HANDING OUT PAMPHLETS, SHOWING VIDEOS, ETC. ON THE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
DESTRUCTION WITHIN CANADA DUE TO CORPORATE PROFIT & CAPITALISM. There have
been many blockades, marches, rallies downtown within the last couple
months - we figured a change in tone would be nice, and we want to draw
people in rather than intimidate them. We want to be interactive,
interesting, and APPROACHABLE.

We are here to show our solidarity and support for the warriors who
continue to selflessly protect the lands of Turtle Island that are being
abused and molested for corporate profit. We acknowledge we are sitting on
unceded territory belonging to the Mississaugas of the New Credit First
Nation. We need to bring public awareness to the abuse that plagues Mother
Earth, the struggles that her protectors face, and the oppressions set upon
the Indigenous peoples of this country. We need to make these protests
heard loud and clear, and demand change before it is too late.

Original Canada-wide event page:
*https://www.facebook.com/events/452509068236441/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/452509068236441/>*

Toronto Facebook Event Page:
*https://www.facebook.com/events/817191038344641*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/703866506400035/>

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

*7. U of T March 24th Mobilization Committee**The Revolutionary Student
Movement* is calling for a pan-Canadian day of action against austerity and
in solidarity with the *Spring 2015 movement in Quebec on March 24, 2015*.We
call for the creation of mobilization committees on campuses across Canada
with the intent of organizing actions –strikes, demonstrations, walk-outs,
etc. – on March 24.

We are calling for individual students, campus organizations and allies to
join the *#redspring2015* mobilization committee on *St. George Campus at
the University of Toronto*.

*1st Mobilization Committee Meeting:WHEN: February 13th,
2014, 11:00-1:00PMWHERE: North Borden Building, Room 100*

At the first meeting of the St. George mobilization committee, we will be
discusses our demands with specific focus on the context of English Canada.
In addition, we will discuss possible action(s) leading up to and during March
24th, in solidarity with the upcoming Quebec student strike.

Students who are interested but cannot join the meeting, please email*
revolutionarystudentsto at gmail.com
<revolutionarystudentsto at gmail.com>*

Let’s use this opportunity to build a student movement that is not content
with simply begging the government for scraps by lobbying. And let’s use
this opportunity to build a student movement across Canada that is not
afraid to fight, and not afraid to win.

These mobilization committees will strive to be safe and accessible to all
people that wish to participate; in short, any sort of oppressive behaviour
(racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, national chauvinism, etc.) will not
be tolerated within these committees. The committees must strive to be
anti-colonial, feminist and LGBTQ2S+ inclusive, expressed in the
committees’ political leadership and in their action

*We demand:*

*1. ABOLITION OF TUITION FEE AT ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION! CANCELLATION OF
ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT!*
Students should no longer have to pay for education. Students who could not
afford post-secondary education should no longer be punished by
high-interest student loans.

*2. OPEN ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL!*
Free tuition alone cannot guarantee accessibility. We demand guaranteed
admission to every post-secondary institution for all students. Good
quality post-secondary education should not simply be for the elite;
everyone should have access to the schools and programs of their choice.

*3. EDUCATION IN THE SERVICES OF THE PEOPLE, NOT PROFIT!*
Education should serve the interests of people, not corporations or profit.
Research should be done for the benefit of all, not the benefit of private
firms. We demand that a democratic and scientific education should replace
the imperialist, settler colonial and patriarchal curriculum in
post-secondary schools. Education should prepare us to struggle for justice
and liberation, not simply prepare us to work.

*4. ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANTI-COLONIAL ASPECT TO ALL PROGRAMS!*
We recognize that Canada, as a settler colony, is built on stolen land and
the genocide of Indigenous peoples. Increased funding must be made
available for all indigenous people to have access to post-secondary
education, as well as for the creation of indigenous colleges and
universities. We demand that education preserves the cultures and languages
of indigenous people within post-secondary education, and a necessary
anti-colonial component to all programs.

*5. DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS!*
Universities and colleges should be run by the people they serve, not by
unelected boards of governors filled with representatives of the big banks
and large corporations. We demand the abolition of boards of governors, and
their replacement with representative bodies composed of students, faculty,
support staff, and members of the community. All representatives should be
determined by the university's community, and subject to recall at any time.

Facebook Event Page:* https://www.facebook.com/events/1557715594491292*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1557715594491292>

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

*8. 10th Annual Strawberry Ceremony*

*Sat. Feb 14th @ 12:30 pmSt. Stephens in the Field Church103 Bellevue Ave
(On College, just west of Spadina Ave, north end of Kensington), Toronto*

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

*Community Feast at the central YMCA on Grosvenor Street* - following the
ceremony. Food provided by Na Me Res Native Men's Residence.

*Please leave your agency and organization banners at home and instead make
signs in honour of women, girls, Trans and Two Spirit people who have died
violent and premature deaths.*

Singers, song keepers and drummers please bring your drums for the
ceremony. Drummers from the organizing committee, with the direction of
Wanda will be leading songs. Jingle dress dancers are also called to join
on the march. Please contact us if you can participate so protocols can be
observed.

We recognize that February is out of season for a ceremony involving
strawberries, but the violence we are experiencing is also a disruption in
our traditional ways of life.

*************
*Accessibility info:*
It will be COLD! Please dress for the weather and we will endeavour to keep
ceremony to 1 hour.
Some tokens will be available
There will be a sound system.

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

There has been unprecedented media and public attention to this issue since
we gathered last year but Indigenous women are still going missing and
being murdered. *No More Silence
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/No-More-Silence/126403794094498>* has been
working hard to create a community owned database in collaboration with
Families of Sisters in Spirit and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network

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 10 years ago. 3 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 now made up of *The Native Youth Sexual
Health Network
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Native-Youth-Sexual-Health-Network/154777717651>*,
Sistering,* Maggies TO <https://www.facebook.com/maggies.to>* and other
feminist and Indigenous community organizations.

Please message us if you would like to volunteer, or add to the list of
endorsements!

Endorsed by:Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto, *Toronto Council Fire Native
Cultural Centre <https://www.facebook.com/Toronto.Council.Fire>*,
Aboriginal Student Services of George Brown College, Anti-Colonial
Committee in the Law Union of Ontario, Muskrat Magazine,*Chocolate Woman
Collective
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chocolate-Woman-Collective/196619490348856>*,
Toronto Conference Living Into Right Relations Circle, OCAP, AWCCA - George
Brown College, LEAF, The Centre for Women and Trans People at the
University of Toronto, OPIRG-Toronto, Toronto Rape Crisis
Centre/Multicultural Women against Rape, The Department for Social Justice
Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of
Toronto, OCAP, SASSL, Independent Jewish Voices, NOII-Toronto, Bureau
Kensington, Legal Strategy Coalition on Violence Against Indigenous Women
(LSC), The Redwood, Toronto York Region Metis Council, Church of the
Redeemer, Avenue Rd & Bloor, Community Action Centre of the Student
Association at George Brown College, CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity
Working Group at York, Shameless Magazine, UTSC Women and Trans* Centre,
Red Pepper Spectacle, Bold as Love, Aboriginal Studies Program at UofT, Law
Union of Ontario, CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity Working Group, The
Church of St Stephen-in-the-Field, Law Practice of Mary Ebert, Socialist
Action, Black Lives Matter Toronto, El-Tawhid Juma Circle Mosques, Bathurst
United Church, DAWN Ontario, Rojava Solidarity Collective, Bad Subject,
Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP, Sack Gold Blatt Mitchell LLP, Rising Tide
Toronto, 2 Spirited People of The 1st Nations, GTAC Greater Toronto Area
Council of Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Students Against Israeli
Apartheid at York University, International Womens Day 2015 organizing
committee, , Steelworkers Toronto Area Council, CUPE Ontario, CUPE Local
3906, OPSEU Greater Toronto Area Council, *Toronto350.org
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FToronto350.org%2F&h=bAQH2uVS6&enc=AZPTRWR8cqaawQMN2qs7j0oi1mRgEVtTA3Q7bnLgtQPw5N8P0AbBRZmizbVa6ijcShE&s=1>*,
AWID (Association for Women’s Rights in Development), Infinite Reach- Métis
Student Network at U of T,* Aboriginal Students' Association at York (ASAY)
<https://www.facebook.com/AboriginalSAY> *, The Public Witness Circle of
Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, Sam Gindon Chair at Ryerson University,
Idle No More, Toronto, Aboriginal Law Students' Association, The Indigenous
Student Association at Ryerson, Trinity-St. Paul's, The Community Action
Centre at George Brown College, The Aboriginal Law Club at the University
of Toronto, University of Toronto Faculty of Law Aboriginal Law, Ontario
Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (OFIFC), Trinity-St. Paul's, The
Zeitgest Movement Toronto

Financial support by: Community Action Centre of the Student Association at
George Brown College, The Redwood, CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity
Working oGroup at York, CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity Working Group,
Law Practice of Mary Ebert, Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP, Sack Gold Blatt
Mitchell LLP, GTAC Greater Toronto Area Council of Ontario Public Service
Employees Union, OPSEU Greater Toronto Area Council, Public Witness Circle
of Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, Sam Gindon Chair at Ryerson
University,* Barb
Nahwegahbow <https://www.facebook.com/barb.nahwegahbow>*, Ontario
Federation of Indian Friendships (OFIFC)

Facebook Event Page: *https://www.facebook.com/events/703866506400035/*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/703866506400035/>

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

*9. Families for Families: Rally in Support of Immigration Detainees*

*When: Sat. Feb 16th @ 12:30 pm*
*Where: **4:00pm (buses leaving from Toronto, Peterborough, Guelph –
registe**r at** http://endimmigrationdetention.com/2015/01/28/reunite/
<http://endimmigrationdetention.com/2015/01/28/reunite/>*

Immigrant detainees are being held indefinitely and without charge or trial
in Lindsay’s maximum security jail. Unlike many of us, this Family Day,
they will not be reuniting with their families. In fact, they are unable to
see their families on most other days because Lindsay is inaccessible by
public transport.

On February 16th, bring your family, young and old – sisters, fathers,
sons, grandmothers and friends – and stand in solidarity with hundreds of
families that are impacted by indefinite migrant detention, and the 100,000
more separated by detention over the past 8 years.

*Where: The Central East Correctional Facility in Lindsay
Ontario**When: 4:00pm (buses
leaving from Toronto, Peterborough & Guelph. Register here
<http://endimmigrationdetention.com/2015/01/28/reunite/>!)*

Everyone should be able to be with the people they love every day!

Canadian Immigration policy divides families. Only 5,000 parents or
grandparents are admissible under family sponsorship, and their families
must meet a minimum income bracket which is extremely high. Migrant workers
come here to work, but cannot bring their families with them, even those
that come to take care of children here in Canada. Parents held in
indefinite detention are given the impossible choice of either giving their
children up to social services or keeping them in detention. Federal
immigration’s limited definition of what a family is means that many of us
can never unite with those we love and call family. Families are torn apart
by by indefinite detention and deportation – often times families are not
even given a chance to say goodbye before a deportation.

This Family Day weekend, join us outside Lindsay jail with your families
and friends to demand an end to an immigration system that criminalizes
refugees, imprisons immigrants, exploits migrant workers, punishes poor
people of colour, tears families apart, and prevents communities from
reuniting. Demand the immediate establishment of a non-discriminatory,
non-punitive, full and comprehensive immigrant regularization system.
Demand freedom for the wrongly jailed, and an end to indefinite, arbitrary
detention, with a 90 day maximum holding period for immigrant detainees
pending deportation. Demand an end to maximum security holds, and a fair
judicial review process.

Watch a video of *16 month old Alpha who has been in immigration prison his
entire life <http://endimmigrationdetention.com/2014/12/15/glory/>*; hear
from *fathers who are separated from their children and families
<http://www.truthaboutdetention.com/>*; and *learn more about the Campaign
to End Indefinite Detention <http://endimmigrationdetention.com/faq/>*.

*Coordinated by the Youth Committee of the End Immigration Detention
Network*
*http://www.endimmigrationdetention.com
<http://www.endimmigrationdetention.com/>**www.fb.com/EndImmigrationDetention
<http://www.fb.com/EndImmigrationDetention>*

Facebook Event Page: *https://www.facebook.com/events/828057040573722/*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/828057040573722/>

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

*10. February 2nd - 27th: Afrikan Liberation Month @ York*

*Date: February 2nd - 27th*

Presented by* York United Black Students' Alliance
<https://www.facebook.com/YorkUnitedBlackStudentsAlliance>* keep your eyes
open and check back often on the facebook event page as programming is
added for a month packed with celebration of Black power and the struggle
for liberation!

*https://www.facebook.com/events/990908527604886/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/990908527604886/>*

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

*11. OCAP Callout for Support of the 5 Women Arrested Nov 25th*

*Dear* friends and comrades,

We need help raising funds to support the women arrested on November 25th,
2014! On this day, an OCAP delegation of five women went to a Shelter and
Housing Support office of the City of Toronto while a rally of hundreds
gathered in the adjacent park. These women were demanding that the City
act on its promises to reduce overcrowding in the shelters and, in
particular, to open two 24-hour safe space drop ins for homeless women and
trans people who face an especially high threat of violence on the
streets.

The struggle for a 24-hour drop in space for women and trans people began
in September 2013 when a woman was raped by two different men in one night
as she slept on the steps of a community agency in the Dundas and
Sherbourne area. After many deputations, meetings and rallies, the city
promised that it would keep shelter occupancy below 90% capacity and open
a 24 hour drop-in for women and trans people in 2014. Lamentably, efforts
to open new shelter beds and a 24-hour drop-in were stalled and nothing
was set in place for the Winter of 2014/2015. Ten days into January of
2015 four men died on the bitterly cold streets of Toronto as a
consequence of inadequate shelter space.

While the city has promised, again, to put the 24-hour drop in on the
Spring budget, and create more shelter beds in 2015, this was not without
great struggle and determination on behalf of community members. Still,
shelter spaces are dangerously over crowded and unfit to meet the complex
needs of those without shelter.

We would greatly appreciate your support. Funding from your donation will
go to support the legal costs of those 5 women who were arrested on Nov.
25th for daring to demand safe shelter, and decent, accessible and
affordable housing for all. In the event that we surpass our goal, all of
the remaining funds will go to future anti-poverty and homelessness
organizing efforts.

* To donate by credit card or online banking, please go to our Go Fund Me
page:*

* http://www.gofundme.com/kc0i70 <http://www.gofundme.com/kc0i70>*

To donate by cheque

*Cheques can be made out to The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty with the
earmark 'Legal support.' You can mail cheques in to the OCAP office:*

*157 Carlton Street, Unit 206. M5A 2K3 Toronto, Ontario*

Thank you for all of your support, financial and otherwise.

OCAP

--
                **
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
157 Carlton St #201
Toronto, ON
M5A 2K3
Phone: *416 925 6939 <416%20925%206939>*
Fax: *1 855 714 0566 <1%20855%20714%200566>* (toll free)
*www.ocap.ca <http://www.ocap.ca>*
Twitter: @OCAPtoronto
Facebook: *facebook.com/OcapToronto <http://facebook.com/OcapToronto>*

-- 

-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
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<http://opirgyork.ca/working-groups>*
Contact victoria at opirgyork.ca for further information.

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