[opirgyork] CHRY Meeting+ JFAAP + Tools for Change + MayWorks and More!

[OPIRG York]

Hey folks,

The warm weather is in full swing and so are events and programming in the
community!!! Check it out below! Also please see the special and important
meeting announcement to former volunteers and community members of CHRY
105.5 FM:
*Community meeting to discuss the gutting of CHRY 105.5 FM *
*on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 @ 6:30pm in Rm 313, Student Centre, York U (Keele
Campus)*

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
need volunteers! And stop by the OPIRG York office anytime -- Room 449C
Student Centre!

-- OPIRG York


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

*//////// OPIRG YORK \\\\\\\\\\\*
0.* May 12th: Invitation to former volunteers and community members of CHRY
105.5 FM*
1. *May 6th**: *JFAAP General Meeting
2. *May 25th: *OPIRG Ottawa Hiring!
3. *SERIES: *Tools for Change Spring Schedule!
4. *ONGOING:* Environmental Justice Global Divestment Day

*//////// COMMUNITY \\\\\\\\\\\*
5. *May 6th: *Pack the Courts - END INDEFINITE DETENTION
6. *May 7th: *OCAP Presents: Put Food in the Budget!
7. *May 7th**:* Butterfly Voices - Call for Submissions from Migrant Sex
Workers Worldwide
8. *May 7th : *Graphic Design Workshop: Co-Creating Images for the World We
Want to See (Mayworks 2015 Event)
9. *May 9th*: Rights Not Rescue: Resisting the Criminalization of Our Women
and Families
10. *May 12th: *Migrant Sex Workers Justice and the Trouble with "Anti
Trafficking": Research, Activism, Art
11. *May 12th: *Life on the Line: Women Strike at Eaton's 1984-85 (Mayworks
2015 Event)
12. *May 14th: *Toronto Premiere of Crude Gold with Special Guests
13. *May 21st: *3rd Annual Tommy Douglas Institute Presents: Education &
Activism - Rethink, Resist, Reclaim
14. *July 9th - 12th: *Cahoots Festival
15. *July 18th - 19th: *Anarchist Book Fair
16. *ONGOING: *OCAP Presents: Raise the Rates Week of Action: May 18th -
25th
17. *ONGOING*: 30th ANNUAL MAYWORKS FESTIVAL!

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

*0. Invitation to former volunteers and community members of CHRY 105.5 FM*

*Community meeting to discuss the gutting of CHRY 105.5 FM*
*Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2015*
*Time: 6:30pm*
*Location: Rm 313, Student Centre, York University (Keele Campus)*

Volunteers of CHRY 105.5 FM Community Radio Inc. were summarily dismissed
from their respective roles at the station at a volunteer general meeting
on Thursday, April 30, without explanation or reasoning. Whether someone
was volunteering on-air for 20+ years, or working in production or in
administrative capacities behind the scenes for 2 years; the staff took
unprecedented action by dismissing all volunteers regardless of their
status and performance within the organization.

In documents, emails, and an official press release, the station offers its
justification, while touting a new direction for the licence (now branded
as VIBE105 FM). These are quotes from a press release posted on facebook:
“VIBE FM is the market’s most dynamic ‘urban alternative’ station on the FM
dial”
“We are making professionalism a requirement"
VIBE105 emerges amidst a changed and fast-paced media environment where
opportunities on the FM dial must match the pliability of other media
options"
Look out for signature shows led by the best ambassadors for the specific
genres and cultural art forms we champion”
What will be deemed professional? Which specific genres and cultural art
forms are excluded from those championed by VIBE? What are the next steps
for volunteers whose contributions are disregarded by VIBE?  At the
volunteer general meeting, staff did not offer us a chance to discuss what
has happened amongst ourselves, so let’s begin that process.

Let’s share ideas: how do we direct our story-telling, music making, and
other talents? How can we support one another during this difficult
transition? How do we respond, and how do we mourn our losses? At the same
time, let’s remember and celebrate the remarkable achievements we made as
volunteers.

Other possible topics for discussion:
the status of community radio in Toronto
responding to the violation brought on by CHRY staff to our access to the
airwaves
migrating your programs to other platforms, and other stations
personal archiving and dissemination
advocacy, and supporting our fellow community broadcasters in Toronto and
across the country
For more information please contact us via email at:
yourcommunityradio1055 at gmail.com

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

*1. **JFAAP General Meeting*

*JFAAP* general meeting will be on *May 6th 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!

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


*2. **OPIRG Ottawa Hiring:*

*Due Date*: May 25th

Position Available

*Resource Centre Coordinator*

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group – University of Ottawa (OPIRG)
is seeking a permanent part-time (20 hours/week) Resource Centre
Coordinator.  OPIRG is a bilingual, student-funded and student-directed
volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to research, education and
advocacy in the areas of social, environmental and economic justice.

Responsibilities

   1. *Resource Centre:*

- Managing OPIRG’s resource centre, cataloguing all incoming material and
keeping the database up to date, as well as signing out and lending
materials to members and tracking them

- Maintaining, developing and purchasing new materials to ensure that
OPIRG's resource centre is relevant to the University of Ottawa campus and
Ottawa activist community

- Assisting resource centre visitors and recommending resources or
directing them to the appropriate campus or community groups or services

- Ensuring accessibility and bilingualism of OPIRG resources.

Promotions and Public Relations:


   -

   Publicizing the resource centre and OPIRG services on and off campus
   -

   Bottom line the OPIRG Newsletter
   -

   Update all social media sites


Administrative:


   -

   General reception duties
   -

   Sharing in the preparations for the Annual General Meeting

- Attending occasional Board Meetings

- Assisting the Board as necessary

- Participating in the organization and promotion of special OPIRG
projects, as required

Qualifications

   -

   MUST be bilingual in French and English
   -

   Experience with library or resource centre management, including
   knowledge of the Millenium  library management software,
   -

   Knowledge of social media and design software
   -

   Exemplary organizational, administrative and time management skills
   -

   Strong inter-personal and communications skills
   -

   Proven ability to be highly motivated, self-directed, flexible and adapt
   quickly to new and challenging situations, but also able to work and strive
   in a team environment while working under the direction of a volunteer
   board of directors
   -

   Ability to work under pressure, multi-task and meet deadlines
   -

   Ability to work within the framework of consensus decision making process
   -

   Knowledge of, and experience with social and environmental justice
   issues
   -

   Familiarity with the working environment of non-profit organizations and
   alternative book stores
   -

   Being able to identify activist specific resources for campus and
   community based groups and members
   -

   Knowledge of University of Ottawa campus and local NGOs, social and
   environmental organizations and community organizations an asset
   -

   Experience with anti-racism and/or anti-globalization work also an asset



   1. Benefits


− This is a unionised position under CUPE 1281

− Some flexibility in work schedule

− Starting salary $21.76 per hour.

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized
communities bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people,
people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented people,
single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and people with
disabilities to apply. We encourage applicants to describe the
contributions and experiences they, as individuals who identify with
marginalized communities, would bring to the OPIRG organization in their
cover letter.

Applicants who wish to be considered for employment equity should mention
this in their cover letter.

All applicants are asked to include a brief statement on their
understanding of power and oppression in our society, as it relates to
yourself, and the work environment.

Only those invited for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will be
conducted the week following the deadline for resumes.

DEADLINE for applications:  Monday, May 25, 2015 at 4:00p.m. The proposed
start date is June 15th, 2015.

Please submit ALL of the following documents to be considered as a
candidate:


   1.

   CV
   2.

   cover letter explaining how you meet each of the qualifications,
   3.

   a 3-4 paragraph statement explaining your understanding of power and
   oppression in our society, as it relates to yourself, and the work
   environment


Hiring Committee – OPIRG-Ottawa

85 University Private, Room 215D

Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5
or e-mail (pdf please) to: humanresources at opirg-gripo.ca


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




*3. Tools for Change Spring Schedule!*

*Tools for Change <http://www.toolsforchange.net/>   *workshops are free
for all OPIRG members, but please remember that *prior registration is
required*.


*Upcoming Spring Workshops: *



*Theatre of the Oppressed*

*Monday, May 11 | 6:00pm - 9:30pm | Greenpeace, 33 Cecil Street | Register
here <http://www.eventbrite.ca/o/tools-for-change-1382386439> *


This workshop is an introduction to improvisation exercises and August
Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. Designed to encourage embodied
learning, it will provide participants with consciousness-raising tools to
help broaden understandings of social injustice and oppression. the use of
interactive exercises will also help participants uncover and practice
conflict resolution and community-building strategies and will focus
especially on the importance of interpersonal communication skills,
team-building, and empathy.


Please note: There is limited space for this workshop (a maximum 12
people). Please register now to avoid disappointment. If when you register
the workshop is full and you want to be placed on a waitlist, please send
an email *laura.severinac at greenpeace.org <laura.severinac at greenpeace.org>*.


Trainer: Lauren Spring is a professional actor, educator, and development
worker. She is Creative Director of Extant Jesters Theatre ( a company that
strives to bring theatre to those who may not otherwise appreciate or have
access to it ) and has been facilitating theatre and improv workshops for
more than a decade for a wide variety of participants (ranging from grade 2
students in "priority" public schools, to government ministry staff, to
bank executives in office tours). Lauren Holds a BFA in Theatre and
Development, an MA in International Development and is currently pursuing a
PhD in Adult Education and Community Development at the University
ofToronto.   Lauren also works part time in the education department at the
Art Gallery of Ontario and is especially interested in the ways in which
art (both theatre and visual art) can help foster resilience after trauma.



*De-escalation and Non-violent Communication*


*Thursday, May 21 | 6:00pm - 9:30pm | University of Toronto campus, exact
location to be emailed to participants | Register here
<http://www.eventbrite.ca/o/tools-for-change-1382386439> *

The purpose of this workshop is to provide techniques for de-escalating
conflicts, and communicating in thoughtful, non-reactive ways, in order to
build healthy organizations and movements.  Topics to be covered include
conflict resolution styles, triggers and grounding techniques, and
de-escalation strategies.


Trainers: Joan Ruzsa is the coordinator of Rittenhouse, an abolitionist
organization that advocates for transformative justice and community
alternatives to incarceration.  She also works for PASAN (Prisoners with
HIV/AIDS Support Action Network) and is studying to become a
psychotherapist.


Cara Fabre also works with Rittenhouse part-time.  Her other projects
include making a documentary about the history of juvenile detention and
current alternatives to incarcerating youth, as well as interviewing
frontline prisoner support workers to find out the effects of Bill C10
(Conservative tough on crime legislation).



*How to build the right info graphic & easy-to-use tools to make your own
sharable images*

*Tuesday, May 26 | 6:00pm - 9:30pm | University of Toronto campus, exact
location to be emailed to participants | Register here
<http://www.eventbrite.ca/o/tools-for-change-1382386439> *


In the first half of this workshop we’ll look at the range of online
infographic and shareable image types that you can use to amplify your
campaign or group's messages. We will also explore which types of
infographics will be the most useful depending on your goals and what
information you want to impart. During the second half of this workshop
we’ll look at 3 easy-to-use online tools that will help the non-graphic
designer create professional shareable images.


Trainers: Riccardo Filippone is currently a Senior Communications Officer
at the national office of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Riccardo’s training and background in website management, graphic design,
email marketing and social media began as communications assistant in the
office of NDP MP Peggy Nash in 2006. He continued this work in many
electoral campaigns and numerous roles with the New Democratic Party,
including Staff Training Officer, Executive Assistant to Jack Layton,
 Interim Deputy National Director, and Campaign Director of the Peggy Nash
Leadership Campaign (2011-2012). Riccardo also worked at Public Relations
firm Navigator Ltd. in Toronto before joining CUPE.

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


*4. Environmental Justice Global Divestment Day*

In order to avoid dangerous climate change, the world needs to redirect
investment from fossil fuels to alternative forms of energy that are
compatible with climate safety and social justice.

York University is invested in the fossil fuel industry. Governments and
organizations around the world have recognized that we are approaching the
threshold where climate change will become dangerous and irreversible.
Investment in fossil fuel corporations drives the consumption of fossil
fuel reserves, which must remain underground in order to avoid dangerous
climate change. In addition, the detrimental effect that extraction of
fossil fuels takes on the environment and surrounding communities cannot be
ignored. York plays a direct role in facilitating violent and dangerous
extraction techniques by funding
these fossil fuel companies.

York has divested before from companies for supporting investments contrary
to the mission of the University, and must do it again.

The York community plays a crucial role in the fight for fossil fuel
divestment. I call on York University to:
1. Freeze new fossil fuel investments immediately.
2. York University to commit to full fossil fuel divestment within five
years.
*https://divestyorku.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/fossil-free-york-petition*
<https://divestyorku.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/fossil-free-york-petition>





*https://www.facebook.com/fossilfreeyork*
<https://www.facebook.com/fossilfreeyork>



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

*5. Pack the Courts - End Indefinite Immigration Detention*

PACK THE COURTS - END INDEFINITE IMMIGRATION DETENTION
Wednesday, May 6th
10:30am
Ontario Court of Appeals (130 Queen st W, Toronto) 647-740-6446

Pack the courthouse on the morning of Wednesday, May 6th at 10:30am at the
Ontario Court of Appeals (130 Queen st W) for an important legal fight to
end part of the injustice of immigration detention.

A group of detainees indefinitely imprisoned in Ontario filed an
application in the Ontario Courts called a habeas corpus last December,
challenging Canada to prove that their long term detention is justified.
Michael Mvogo, one of the applicants has been jailed for nearly 10 years.
Glory Anawa, another one of the applicants, has been imprisoned for nearly
two years. Her son, Alpha, was born in an immigration jail and has spent
his entire life in prison. The Ontario Superior court recently declined to
hear the application. On May 6th, lawyers for the detainees are appealing
the decision insisting that the Ontario courts must assert jurisdiction.

While we urge our supporters to pack the courts, we know that justice is
rarely granted in them. Our struggles will not be legitimized by the same
system that continues to actively criminalize and displace indigenous,
racialized, dis/abled, queer, trans and poor people. However, winning this
appeal could eventually mean freedom for detainees, and an end to
indefinite immigration detention.

As you know, hundreds of migrants jailed indefinitely without trial or
charge, have been waging a courageous struggle against immigration
detentions and deportation in a max-security prison in Lindsay, Ontario
since September 2013. These migrants, most of whom are Black men, have gone
on hunger strike, boycotted their detention reviews, refused to enter their
cells and organized despite the violence and alienation of prisons.

To support their struggle, the End Immigration Detention Network has
organized rallies and petitions, gone to the United Nations, uncovered deep
discrepancies in the detention review process and in December of last year
launched a legal court challenge in Ontario’s provincial courts. In the
months to come, we will also be turning our attention to the Ontario
government that gets paid millions of dollars each year to support Harper’s
anti-immigrant agenda, and imprison migrants without trial or charge.

So come out, show your support on Wednesday, May 6th as we continue to
fight for an end to immigration detention!

Email us at migrantstrike at gmail.com to let us know your coming and we’ll be
in touch closer to the date to confirm what time we’ll meet at.

*Facebook Event Page: *
*https://www.facebook.com/events/840201809368493/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/840201809368493/> *


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

*6. OCAP Presents: Put Food in the Budget*

OCAP will join up with our allies from Put Food in the Budget! on
*Thursday, May 7th at 10AM* at the corner of Carlton and Church to stage an
information picket at the Loblaw's Annual General Meeting. Demand food
security and stability for all Ontarians!




*Information Picket at Loblaw's Annual General MeetingThursday, May
710AMMattamy Athletic Centre, 50 Carlton Street*

Hope to see you there!


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

*7. Butterfly Voices - Call for Submissions from Migrant Sex Workers
Worldwide*

*Submission Deadline:* *7 May 2015 (Thursday)*

A legend about butterflies:
They are silenced. But if you gently capture a butterfly,
whisper a wish to it and then let it go, your wish will come true.

We invite migrant sex workers* (based anywhere in the world) to participate
in the Butterfly Voices project where we collect voices of migrant sex
workers, who are often silenced because of the lack of understanding and
stigma in society. There are many myths and folklore about butterflies in
different traditions and cultures all over the world. All of which speak to
transformation. Some talk about butterflies’ migration out of survival. We
invite you to answer the following questions based on the myth that butterflies
make dreams come true:

1) What wishes would you whisper to a butterfly to make them come true?
2) What is empowering about being a migrant sex worker? How does sex work
help you achieve your dream?
3) How do migrant sex workers contribute to the society, clients, and your
community?

We welcome submissions in all forms such as writings, drawings, photos,
image making etc.
Submit written answers with this form:
http://goo.gl/forms/BImRfpHi1J
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2Fforms%2FBImRfpHi1J&h=0AQEO2HoV&enc=AZM5k4mYqmY_22vkpn8hhbkKde0wvI6_AM7yUt4u_IBk-PGDCBNUsKZkzgVn_CEbYfM&s=1>


Or email to *cswbutterfly at gmail.com <cswbutterfly at gmail.com>*.

Your voices will be published anonymously for Butterfly’s future projects
and publications. Thank you for your participation!

*People of all genders can contribute to this project. We especially want
to include trans folks in this conversation and encourage trans folks to
send in their contribution - either writing or a coloured butterfly or both!

**Like butterflies, migration can be cross-continent, cross-country, or
"internal" within state borders. We support folks to move away from the
state definition of "migrant" and define the word on your own terms.
Acknowledging the displacement of Indigenous communities, we encourage
Aboriginal sex workers to submit as well should this call speaks to them.

About this project:
Butterfly is a newly formed Asian and migrant sex workers network. In
organizing the Migrant Sex Workers’ Justice Forum (https://www.facebook.com/
events/1573800862907731/) to be held on May 12th, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario,
we are creating an art installation where we share a collection of stories
of migrant sex workers. Each butterfly, drawn by Toronto-based artist Sarah
Mangle and coloured by participants (including you!), represents the voice
of a migrant sex worker. Altogether we see a community of migrant sex
workers speaking for themselves.

For enquiry and submission, please email to:
cswbutterfly at gmail.com or call +1 (416) 906-3098
For more about Butterfly, please visit http://www.butterflysw.org/
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.butterflysw.org%2F&h=pAQFQW5w1&enc=AZOJHeF_ymvcFOzm6JyoCxTZMkGbsJjW0qbD58AAubpmuhZ5uO0oOB724xxrEkUfY-g&s=1>

.

Want to colour a butterfly as well?
Download Sarah Mangle’s drawing of six different butterflies and send them
back to us with your written answers!
http://bit.ly/1bbTHTN
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1bbTHTN&h=hAQH6eotN&enc=AZPhBt-Ai98kYvkrfmy8dX8wEgO7be4uLbSAPlbYkJTI-Hy6_-YLvYDqBL0Laf5a7KE&s=1>

 (Click and find the download icon on top | 3.7MB)

Credits for the banner image
Drawing: Sarah Mangle
Colouring: Elene Lam
Design: Alvis Choi
*Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/838996516182378/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/838996516182378/> *

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



*8. Graphic Design Workshop: Co-Creating Images for the World We Want to
See (Mayworks 2015 Event)*

*Admission: $10 PWYC *
Registration is required, space is limited. To register, email
registration at mayworks.ca as graphic designers, artists or illustrators,
with the subject line "Graphic Design";
as organizers or public, with the subject line "Graphic Public".

Our movements need more images! We have a wealthy visual vocabulary of
protest — fists, marchers holding placards, etc. — but we must depict the
world we are building, not just the forces we’re resisting. How can we
communicate concepts we hold dear, like interdependence, solidarity, love?

This workshop will bring together designers, artists, and organizers to
co-create images for the world we want to build. Working in small teams,
we’ll use a variety of fun techniques to brainstorm visual ideas, and then
collaborate on translating them into easy-to- use graphics. The workshop
was previously presented in April 2014 at Bento Miso Collaborative
Workspace in Toronto, resulting in 30 gorgeous icons. The icons from both
sessions will soon be made available in a free, open source online library.

The workshop will be co-facilitated by Azza Abbaro (azzaabbaro.com
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fazzaabbaro.com%2F&h=rAQE1KaPb&enc=AZNILMOttxrU8bzlnwJMRr647Re-_qLn9Vs0bUJS932NBiPyGbCJboEeZZCYEK4vSWU&s=1>)
and Una Lee (unalee.net
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Funalee.net%2F&h=HAQFg_a1-&enc=AZOAJXZAqWjxMu2CG9LKPEBecALwS1_2_1OkyiTP5X5mQ4OBYCzq_M1f3HA5J8VdIkQ&s=1>
)


Co-presented by Learning Labs <https://www.facebook.com/thisislearninglabs>


*Facebook Event Page: **https://www.facebook.com/events/1600889193457866/*
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1600889193457866/>



<https://www.facebook.com/events/1580676855513574/>

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



*9. Rights Not Rescue: Resisting the Criminalization of Our Women &
Families *

Rights Not Rescue: Resisting the Criminalization of Our Women and Families

Canadian (colonial) law is often engaged as a tool to combat violence
against women (including trans women), Two Spirit people and their
families. But what happens when the law does more harm than good--all in
the name of "saving" us? Muslim women, sex working women, Indigenous women
and many more are seeing an increase in the criminalization of our
communities but no reduction in violence. This panel will explore diverse
voices on what it means to listen to survivors of violence about the
harmful impacts of using surveillance, arrest, incarceration as well as
alternative solutions that build power, safety and self-determination for
women (including trans women) and Two Spirit people.

Moderator: Deepa Mattoo
Speakers:
Christa Big Canoe
Farrah Khan
Chanelle Gallant

Deepa Mattoo is currently a Staff Lawyer with South Asian Legal Clinic of
Ontario (SALCO) <https://www.facebook.com/SALCOntario?fref=ts>

 and has been Interim Executive Director in 2013-2014. She has her Masters
in Business specializing in corporate social responsibility from Leeds
Metropolitan University, UK. She has over 16 years of experience in
providing legal services, public education, advocacy and not-for-profit
governance. Deepa has been involved with various issues related to domestic
violence globally and has been a leading voice on the issue of forced
marriages in Canada.

As a First Nation woman, mother and lawyer, Christa Big Canoe aspires to
increase access to justice for Aboriginal people. Christa has been a Deputy
Clerk of the Court and an Administrative Justice of the Peace in and for
the Northwest Territories. Her first legal practice experience was with the
First Nation law firm Nahwegahbow, Corbiere. Christa was Policy Counsel for
Legal Aid Ontario and the lead on the organization's province- wide
Aboriginal Justice Strategy prior to becoming Aboriginal Legal Services of
Toronto’s Legal Advocacy Director.
Christa has been before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of
Canada, providing Aboriginal perspective and representation on issues that
most impact Aboriginal people in Canadian law. As the Legal Advocacy
Director, Christa has also made submissions before Parliamentary and Senate
Standing Committees regarding over-representation and criminalization of
Aboriginal people.

Christa is legal counsel to a number of families engaged in the Ontario
Coroner’s process and death investigations. Her dedication in advocating on
the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW)
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missing-Murdered-Aboriginal-Women-in-Canada/313160025391260?fref=ts>

 is unwavering. She is known as a passionate advocate for First Nation
children and women's rights.


Farrah Khan is the co-chair of the Provincial Roundtable on Violence
Against Women, a counsellor and educator who has 16 years of experience
working to address gender based violence. She holds a Master of Social Work
from the University of Toronto and supports women who are survivors of
violence as a counsellor at the Barbra Schlifer Clinic. The clinic
specializes in the needs of immigrant and refugee women, and assists more
than 4,000 women a year. At the Clinic, she is the Coordinator of Outburst!
Young Muslim Women’s Project. Through Outburst Farrah has conducted
trainings across Canada on forced marriage as well as developed a risk
assessment and safety planning tool on forced marriage that is currently
being piloted nationally by community organizations. With Pomegranate Tree
Group, Farrah is the co-editor of Heartbeats
<https://www.facebook.com/honoryourheartbeat/info?tab=page_info>

: The IZZAT Project a book by forced marriage survivors and the forthcoming
Honour and Shame Related Violence in Canada. For her community work Farrah
has been presented with numerous awards, including the Canadian Council of
Muslim Women Award and the Toronto Vital People Award.

Chanelle Gallant has been an activist, educator and community builder in
feminist and sex working communities for over a decade in Canada, the US
and Thailand who's work has led to policy changes in the Toronto and NYC
police departments. She is the co-founder of the Migrant Sex Worker Project
in Toronto and co-director of sex work advocacy group STRUT. She is also
the co-editor of the prison abolition project everydayabolition.com
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Feverydayabolition.com%2F&h=wAQE73FAq&enc=AZN0qjYxPNp5LMi5mmeHBQenZR3c1l8D4dSXvQ3jjESVDIVzIlbERi6Of6Cr4uobPMg&s=1>

, on the board of the Harm Reduction/Transformative Justice Project and is
a public speaker and writer on the intersections of sex work. She also
answers to the names: rabble-rouser, fallen woman, comrade and sister.

*Facebook Event Page: *
*https://www.facebook.com/events/574546592687626/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/574546592687626/> *

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

*10. *
*Migrant Sex Workers Justice and the Trouble with "Anti Trafficking":
Research, Activism, Art*

Migrant sex workers justice and the trouble with “anti-trafficking:
Research, Activism, Art

Join us for an evening of discussion, story sharing and exhibition on
justice for migrant sex workers.

Presented by the Toronto Migrant Sex Workers Project



*May 12, 2015 Exhibition: 6:30pm Forum: 7:00 pm *

*Jorgenson Hall, Ryerson University, Room 250 *
*(follow the signs from 380 Victoria Street)*

*Speakers: *
● Elene Lam (Butterfly- Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
● Kamala Kempadoo (York University)
● Kate Zen (NYC)
● Alison Clancey (SWAN Vancouver )
● Chanelle Gallant (STRUT)
● Facilitator: Jean Macdonald (Maggie’s)

Story sharing and Exhibition: Voices of Migrant Sex Workers by Community
Artist, Alvis Choi

Free
Childcare provided onsite
wheelchair accessible

We are also be hosting a closed meeting earlier in the afternoon for
organizations wishing to connect around building migrant sex worker
justice. Please contact us if you would like information or to register
your organization cswbutterfly at gmail.com

Migrant Sex Workers Project (Butterfly, STRUT, No One Is Illegal--Toronto
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneisillegaltoronto/>

) with support from Maggie's <https://www.facebook.com/maggies.to?fref=ts>

 and SWAN Vancouver <https://www.facebook.com/SwanVancouver?fref=ts>

)
Department of Criminology, Ryerson University



*Facebook Event Page: *
*https://www.facebook.com/events/1608360672744349/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1608360672744349/> *

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

*11. Life on the Line: Women Strike at Eaton's 1984-85 (Mayworks 2015
Event)*

Life on the Line: Women Strike at Eaton’s 1984-85, is a play about the six
month long strike of 1,500 retail workers against the T. Eaton Company in
the grueling winter and spring of 1984-85.

The script is based on the actual words of the strikers from transcripts of
extensive interviews with them shortly after the strike ended. Interweaving
dialogue, chants and songs (both newly created and traditional union
songs), the story of this strike has been brought to life by playwright Pat
McDermott, and Vrenia Ivonoffski, director, co-playwright, and composer. It
offers an insight into the heart of a women’s strike and tells the story of
how standing up for themselves transformed their lives both personally and
politically.

*Admission:* *$10 / PWYC *
*Location: 25 Cecil Street Steel Workers Hall*

*Date: Tuesday May 12th from 7pm - 9pm*
Co-presented by Steelworkers Hall and Our Times Magazine
<https://www.facebook.com/ourtimesmagazine>.

Co-sponsored by Workers United Canada Council, an SEIU affiliate
<https://www.facebook.com/WorkersUnitedCanada>.

*Facebook Event Page: *
*https://www.facebook.com/events/849748788437711/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/849748788437711/> *


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



*12. Toronto Premiere of Crude Gold with Special Guests*Join us at the
Toronto premiere of Crude Gold, a series of short documentaries showcasing
4 pivotal cases of foreign-funded mining exploitation connected to Canadian
investors.

Director: Monica Gutierrez
Lead Researcher and Assistant Producer: Zoe Pepper-Cunningham
Editor: Galen Brown
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/121320854



This project is timely and urgent due to the violence experienced by
activists, union leaders and indigenous peoples who are in resistance to
profiled mining and petroleum extraction projects. Every year in Colombia
numerous union leaders, union activists and union members are assassinated.
Similarly, human rights defenders are targeted, threatened and murdered in
a fog of impunity and unanswered questions. The overwhelming majority of
crimes and human rights violations related to the armed conflict are
concentrated in regions with a major presence of mining investment.

These videos explore foreign investment conflicts, and the role and impacts
to trade union members in a country that is labelled as the most dangerous
place in the world to be a trade unionist. Each story highlights local
activists who are confronting injustice. These brave individuals engage in
union resistance, demand justice for human rights violations and raise
awareness for these important issues, often at great personal cost. Working
in collaboration with members of McGill Research Group Investigating
Canadian Mining in Latin America (MICLA) filming took place in the summer
of 2014. All footage and interviews were filmed in the affected communities.

The screening of these films will be followed by a panel discussion with
special guests Yanira Cortez Estévez (Deputy Attorney for the Environment
for the Salvadoran Human Rights Ombudsman office) and Marcos Gálvez
(President of the National Executive of the Association for the Development
of El Salvador and a founding member of the National Roundtable against
Mining in El Salvador).

Martin Ayala will also be joining us via Skype, as his visa was denied. Mr.
Martin Ayala is the coordinator of investigations at COS-PACC, the Social
Corporation for Community Advisory and Training Services (Corporación
Social para la Asesoría y Capacitación Comunitaria — COS-PACC). He was
forcibly displaced during the armed conflict, and has since been
contributing to the elaboration of community development plans in the
oil-producing regions of the Orinoco basin. Specifically, Mr. Martín Alaya
has been facilitating the organization of various social fora on the mining
and energy sector issues where community, labour, farmer, and indigenous
organizations come together to coordinate common responses to mega-projects
that impact their communities. He is interviewed in one of the videos in
theCrude Gold series.

Children are welcome at this event (craft table provided). Spanish-English
and English-Spanish translation will be provided. Beit Zatoun's entrance is
wheelchair accessible, but its washrooms are not. Please let us know if
there are any other ways that we can make this event accessible for you!

*Facebook Event Page: *
*https://www.facebook.com/events/927356313952859/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/927356313952859/> *

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


*13. The 3rd Annual Tommy Douglas Institute Presents: *

*Chris Hedges Speaks at The 3rd Annual Tommy Douglas Institute - Education
& Activism: Rethink Resist Reclaim*


*CHRIS HEDGES*: Activist, writer and public intellectual
featured keynote speaker

*WHEN: Thursday May 21st, 2015, 9:30am – 4:00pm / Anniversary Reception to
follow*
*WHERE: George Brown College (St James Campus) - 290 Adelaide St. E., 4th
Floor*

*FEE: $55 (regular)*  /  $20  (with student/low wage subsidy)* *
**Lunch/refreshments included*
*Online Registration / Detailed
Program:http://georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute
<http://georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute>*


The 3rd annual Tommy Douglas Institute at George Brown College is pleased
to announce celebrated writer, activist and public intellectual Chris
Hedges as its keynote speaker on Education & Activism: Rethink Resist
Reclaim on *Thursday May 21st, 2015*.

The one-day event of provocative discussions, thematic roundtables,
interactive exhibits and a closing community forum, featuring an
intergenerational panel of activist-educators, will bring together
activists, students, faculty, community organizations, admin., communities,
and the public in looking at the impacts of neoliberalism on post-secondary
education. A special anniversary reception will follow.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their thoughts in a range
of roundtable sessions: Aboriginal Perspectives: Decolonizing
Post-Secondary Education; From Access to Inclusion: Rights-Based Approaches
to Post-Secondary Education; Community Partners and Post Secondary
Education: Breaking Down the Walls; Faculty Perspectives on Critical
Pedagogy and Educating for Change; Is There a Better Way? Policy
Alternatives in Post-Secondary Education; Student Perspectives: From
Consumers to Learners - Reversing the Trend; Labour Perspectives: Work with
Dignity in These Times; Beyond Classroom Walls: Popular Education,
Engagement and Activism; The Legacy of Tommy Douglas.

>From its beginnings neoliberalism has entailed the systematic dismantling
of social welfare, leaving more and more communities neglected, excluded
and often devastated.

Our colleges, schools and universities are by no means exempt. In 2015 we
see the frustrated, largely contract faculty of two major Ontario
universities go on strike. A private college abruptly closes its doors
leaving faculty, students and support workers out in the cold. Students in
Montreal have taken to the streets in protest against austerity, in
recognition that the impacts on education is only part of a much greater
problem.

As decreased funding, rising tuitions, disappearing job security, and
regressive policy agendas attempt to transform students into "consumers",
teachers into contract workers and curricula into extensions of competitive
commerce, we ask:

Are we witnessing a tipping point in higher education?
As neoliberal principles burrow into the very heart of our educational
centres, how do we preserve these spaces of public debate, discourse and
dissent that have always been so essential to our democracy?

A more humane and accountable society requires educational institutions
that are ethical, critical, rigorous and robust defenders of social justice.

Join us in discussing EDUCATION AND ACTIVISM as we…
RETHINK the role of education in these times …
RESIST neoliberal incursion into teaching and learning, and…
RECLAIM our educational institutions as vital democratic centres of
thought, inquiry, community-building and advocacy for the common good.


*Contact Us: tdouglasinstitute at georgebrown.ca
<tdouglasinstitute at georgebrown.ca>  /  416-415-5000 ext. 2555
<416-415-5000%20ext.%202555>*
*Facebook: facebook.com/TommyDouglasInstitute
<http://facebook.com/TommyDouglasInstitute>*

 *Twitter: @TDIGBC*

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


*14. Cahoots Festival*

Cahoots is a Festival of Faith, Justice and DIY happening July 9 – 12,
2015. There will be workshops, skill sharing, music, art, and more - all
nestled together at Liebenzell Mission in Milton, Ontario. This will be the
second year for Cahoots!

Cahoots will explore how faith communities struggle for justice. How do we
stay resilient and strong to oppose injustice while building a new world?
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in this age of injustice, cuts
to essential social services, destruction of our land and the poisoning of
our water by multinationals, deportation of migrants and refugees, and the
further industrialization of our prison system?

At Cahoots, we will ask questions together, listen to unique and remarkable
people, sing freedom songs, practice skills, and create together as a
diverse community of faith.
http://www.cahootsfest.ca/





The Student Christian Movement is offering a subsidy for York University
Students hoping to attend the festival. Students can email
york at scmcanada.org for more information!

Thank you!

<victoria.opirg at gmail.com>
-- 
*STUDENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT*
*AT YORK UNIVERSITY*

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


*15. Anarchist Book Fair*

*The 2015 Toronto Anarchist Bookfair – July 18-19*



*Callout for Tables and Workshop Proposals*

Whether you’re new and curious about anarchism, or you have been an
anarchist for decades, come join us for a jam-packed weekend of books and
zines, workshops and discussions, good food, good friends, and more.  On
Friday July 17, the night before the bookfair, we’ll meet up for games
night in the park. July 18-19, the sixth annual Toronto Anarchist Bookfair
takes place at the Steelworkers’ Hall at 25 Cecil Street just south of the
University of Toronto main campus.



All anti-authoritarians are urged to get involved to make this year’s
Bookfair a success. We need to hear from you about:



·       *TABLES* – if you are an anti-authoritarian publisher, a zine
creator or distributer, an artist, an activist group, a community
organization, an infoshop, a distributer or none of the above who has
something to share, get in touch. Let us know if you want to reserve a
table at the Bookfair for one day or both. You will be able to store your
books and materials overnight in the locked Steelworkers Hall if you’d like.

·       *WORKSHOPS* – if you have an idea for a workshop or conversation
that you would like to facilitate, please email us a title and a short
description.  We will accept as many as we can fit. Workshops are
90-minutes long. Our goal is to have one stream of “introductory” workshops
and one stream of “in-depth” workshops running simultaneously. Please let
us know which stream you think your workshop would fit better in.

*The deadline for workshop proposals is Sunday June 15.*

·       *PROMOTION *– is there an event going on around the same time that
you’d like us to promote? Can you help promote the bookfair? Let us know

·       *HELPING OUT *– if you have some time to help out with the
Bookfair, from postering to food prep, please give us a hand!

Contact us at toanarchistbookfair at gmail.com

We are committed to making the Bookfair as accessible and welcoming as
possible: The Steelworkers’ Hall is wheelchair accessible; there will be
childcare and kids programming; there will be a People of Colour space. And
as always the Bookfair will abide by our Safer Space and Sexual Assault and
Consent policies (which you can read about on our website
<http://torontoanarchistbookfair.wordpress.com/>).

If you have other ideas or suggestions for improving the accessibility of
the event please let us know and we will try our best to accommodate you.

In Solidarity,

The Toronto Anarchist Bookfair Collective
Email: toanarchistbookfair at gmail.com

Website: ttp://torontoanarchistbookfair.wordpress.com/

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


*16. OCAP Raise the Rates Week of Action: May 18th - 25th*

Raise the Rates Week of Action Against the Liberal Government’s ‘Invisible
Austerity’ War on the Poor

The Raise the Rates Campaign is calling on local communities to challenge
MPPs during the week of May 18. During that week, they will be in their
constituency offices and this is an ideal time to challenge the austerity
and growing poverty that is being imposed in this Province.

The Liberals have long tried to present themselves as a kinder alternative
to the Tories but, in reality, they are imposing a range of cuts on poor
people and communities. In a recent announcement, the Government cynically
presented a reduced commitment to funding anti homelessness initiatives as
an infusion of new cash. This highlights the stealthy and misleading
Liberal approach that can be described as ‘invisible austerity’. We are
putting forward a series of demands that address this:

• Suspend the ODSP medical reviews that are now underway until a properly
functioning computer system is in place and the backlog of people waiting
to be moved from OW to ODSP has been cleared. Make the reviews simpler and
less intrusive and ensure all who face them have been properly notified
and provided with the medical and advocacy services they nee to complete
the process.

• Stop the elimination of the $100 a month work related benefit for people
on ODSP

• Scrap the SAMS computer system as a failure that continues to impose
misery and hardship on people on social assistance and creates intolerable
conditions for ODSP and OW workers.

• Fully restore the Special Diet and Community Start Up (CSUMB) so that
people in poverty can have the chance of eating a healthy diet and
remaining housed

For more information or to sign on to participate in the Week of Action,
contact via the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP):



*E-mail: ocap at tao.ca <ocap at tao.ca>Phone: 416-925-6939
<416-925-6939>Twitter: @ocaptoronto*

---







*Ontario Coalition Against Poverty157 Carlton St #201Toronto, ONM5A
2K3Phone: 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: @OCAPtorontoFacebook: facebook.com/OcapToronto
<http://facebook.com/OcapToronto> *

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

*17. 30th ANNUAL MAYWORKS FESTIVAL*

*MAY 1 - 14, 2015 | TORONTO*
Festival Program: On Website
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001zbgrszGWc4Qu_J3bbnEj-zZG0fJ653ME8idqRAT-ugXGFyZ339zFw-J_usGasGXk8vmjCUcPmmb5qiChuyK54-CnKadqIXa38KlxwRLvPo3UTJ9QhTZ57eMjCZ7YWBXqL5ctRFKBqbnKTeMwXgQBDFaxq5_9LSo4F47dTN-QtJOf8sYUY5dP6VDDixazvr_s&c=hzNhb-Gkq4aQe-7qotH25-d9A3GCSUJWkfWR7QjnHZvmneUSjCSX6w==&ch=3PguTHW4kMn0vNZOytnqjO-cbVzuq8QnywkMDMK7XjSzGNv0Riw1wg==>


 Festival Program: On Facebook
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001zbgrszGWc4Qu_J3bbnEj-zZG0fJ653ME8idqRAT-ugXGFyZ339zFw-J_usGasGXk_0UMBshcCzU-nmtlgGncvs5jQUBdO4_QjWpScF3FFCzdJNyS-PCKfk6S3Ag0W5dTvDv0m6pcdhnV1JLv6hR_5ekxRupfYUvKHDur0UP8G3R1OBYqZZFzrCpTpfFIhOYxowy7e4emeVbKD2rZZf8G7Zz4cR5BYpZoBdIgk7i5_jlU7J4etmksOZmKiRtOZnExAhtOQ7PkWf9sV1S8qYFnB2sXcf1kmrLnDXblQvLOQyh6WdtUZKRv0ZtuZJWuQuyu&c=hzNhb-Gkq4aQe-7qotH25-d9A3GCSUJWkfWR7QjnHZvmneUSjCSX6w==&ch=3PguTHW4kMn0vNZOytnqjO-cbVzuq8QnywkMDMK7XjSzGNv0Riw1wg==>


The 30th annual Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts will take
place from May 1 – 14, 2015 at various GTA locations.* This year’s
multidisciplinary program features visual arts exhibits, a walking tour, a
film screening, theatre performances, concerts, and interactive community
workshops.
*Some events have earlier start dates, and some events continue past the
end of the festival period.
To view program visit:
*http://mayworks.ca/festival-program/
<http://mayworks.ca/festival-program/> *



*WELCOME TO THE 30th ANNUAL MAYWORKS FESTIVALMAY 1 – 14, 2015 | TORONTO*

Aiming to provide a forum where arts-positive unionists and union-positive
artists can create and dialogue, Toronto’s Mayworks Festival has held its
ground as an independent, grassroots, and community-oriented festival for
thirty years. Mayworks continues to carve out a space for artists, cultural
workers, and trade unionists working in a range of mediums to engage with
the common struggles of artists and labourers.
The 30th annual festival launches with silkscreen printing workshops
facilitated by members of the Justseeds Artists’ Collective. At these
workshops participants are encouraged to print materials for Toronto’s
annual May Day rally. The evening of the rally, we are celebrating with the
United May Day Committee at a concert featuring worker-positive
performances. Later in the festival we are presenting the Toronto premier
of the album Work Songs about an activist and organizer’s struggles to
remain hopeful while attempting to reach personal and political goals.
Closing our festival Mayworks Rising: 30th Birthday Party and Concert is a
musical co-presentation with BOLD As Love, a series dedicated to uniting
racialized and Indigenous artists and communities.

We are featuring three visual arts exhibits exploring a range of themes.
Portrait of Solidarity is showcasing how five artists with a rich history
with Mayworks have taken up the issue of migrant labour; Like Flesh and
Blood draws on the historic figure Joseph Emin to speak to the similarities
of indentured labour in the 18th and 19th century and global migration
patterns of contemporary, and often racialized, labour forces; and the
research-heavy Do what with less? visual arts exhibit highlights challenges
faced by over thirty interviewed workers in the cultural sector.

We are also presenting three theatre performances: including What Ails Your
Soul – a culminated performance of a series of theatre workshops in which
Jane Finch Action Against Poverty members, community artists and residents
share the stories of their lived experience of poverty; the one-woman
multidisciplinary play The Erasable Woman takes up the issue of invisible
labour and transgenerational trauma; and the theatre piece Life on the Line
– recounts the six-month women’s strike at Eatons in the winter of 1984-85.
Along with these theatre works, we are excited to be screening Deux Jours,
Une Nuit (Two Days, One Night) – a 2014 Oscar-nominated film about a female
worker fighting to keep her job.

Our co-presentation with Jane’s Walk, is featuring a walking tour of
downtown Toronto that informs participants about the labour movement’s
anti-war positions against World War I. And our co- presentation with
Turtle House Art and Play Centre, an art-based organization programming
activities primarily for children and families from refugee backgrounds, is
providing a free drumming workshop open for all. Another workshop we are
proud to host is Co-Creating Images For The World We Want To See, teaching
participants how to design images that reflect the significant work of
artists, social justice organizers, and labourers.
Reflecting on the festival’s artistic direction over the years, one can see
that Mayworks’ programming reflects the diversity of our city’s unionized,
migrant, un-waged, and precarious workers while building links between
precarity in the art world and broader patterns of precarious work in the
city, and globally. We hope you enjoy the 30th annual festival!
—————————————————————————————————————-

*#MAYWORKS30 ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN:GIVE $30 FOR 30 YEARS OF ART, LABOUR &
SOCIAL JUSTICE*
As part of the 30th year celebrations, Mayworks has launched its first-ever
crowdfunding campaign.  We are asking Mayworks’ friends and supporters to“*Give
$30 for 30 years of Art, Labour and Social Justice*
<https://fwyc.ca/campaigns/mayworks-festival-working-people-and-arts>


“.
Your crowdfunding donation will help preserve:

A space where artists, workers and community members gather to share
creative labour and struggles
Artists being fairly paid for their work
Opportunities for young, diverse, marginalized and emerging artists
Good wages & benefits for unionized Mayworks staff
Partnerships with unions, community groups & artists’ organizations
A festival where most events are free or pay what you can
Community-based, accessible venues
How to support the #Mayworks30 anniversary campaign:

Please visit our crowdfunding site and make a donation to join our 30 for
30 campaign:
*https://fwyc.ca/campaigns/mayworks-festival-working-people-and-arts
<https://fwyc.ca/campaigns/mayworks-festival-working-people-and-arts>  . *
Please *share the link
<https://fwyc.ca/campaigns/mayworks-festival-working-people-and-arts> *on
social media and over email with friends, family, co-workers and encourage
them to join the 30 for 30 campaign.

-- 

-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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