[opirgyork] OPIRG York Events Digest - Week of November 30

[OPIRG York]

Hey

This week's events digest includes some important events happening today if
folks are available to attend.   The rest of the week is also full of lots
of great events.  If there is any event related to a social or
environmental justice issue that you would like to see included in future
digests you can email me at naila.opirgyork at gmail.com.  We try to
prioritize events happening at York and in the Jane-Finch community as much
as possible.



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

-- OPIRG York

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

*TODAY'S DIGEST:*

*///////////YORK\\\\\\\\\\\\*

*1) OPIRG York Space committee *

*2) YUBSA Presents:  YORKU BLACKOUT – November 30, 2015 (TODAY)*

*3) YFS AGM:  Vote NO to online voting – November 30, 2015 (TODAY)*

*4) CUPE 3903 Day of Action in solidarity with UNITE HERE! Local 75 –
December 2, 2015*

*5) **YFS, USAY, and YUBSA Present:  Know Your Rights Workshop – December
2, 2015*

*6) The Human Library: Inclusion Matters – December 3, 2015*

*7) Toronto Youth Food Policy Council Presents: **FOOD JUSTICE OUT
LOUD: An Interactive Food Justice Workshop withSpoke N' Heard
– December 7, 2015*



*//////////COMMUNITY\\\\\\\\\\\*

*8) JFAAP General Meeting – November 18, 2015*

*9) The Phillipine Women Centre of Toronto presents:  Taking the
Revolutionary Road:  Ending Violence Against Women – December 5, 2015*

*10) **THRIVE: OUR VOICES RISING! *
* Forum for the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence – December 12,
2015*

*11) **TRACX Symposium Callout for Proposals – Proposal Deadline January 4,
2016*

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



*1) OPIRG York Space Committee*

The OPIRG York space committee is in the process of cleaning out the
office.  If you have any personal items in the office please come by and
pick them as soon as possible.  We are also creating policies around the
use of space at OPIRG.  If you have any input to provide you can email
Naila at naila.opirgyork at gmail.com.



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

*2) YUBSA Presents:  YORKU BLACKOUT – November 30, 2015 (TODAY)*

2pm

York University

Vari Hall

***Hatefulness such as Queerphobia, Transphobia, Misogyny/noir,
Islamophobia, Ableism and other forms of discrimination will not be
tolerated, period. We stand together with our kin, united by any means
necessary.***

WEAR ALL BLACK!

YUBSA will be staging a Student BLACKOUT! This is a silent demonstration in
solidarity with Missouri, Yale, student protests in South Africa,
Dartmouth, Boston, Ryerson, U of T, Guelph, Western and other Black student
bodies across the globe. Black communities require greater access to
education and representation in faculty and staff.

In the broader struggle for Black liberation, we must also extinguish the
problem of substance addiction, racist policing, housing, and illiteracy
that plagues our communities.

Initially, Blackout Day is a day where black people post, share, reblog,
like, and distribute other photos of black people on social media. This
year, we wil extend this to the real world where we will be taking up space
in Vari Hall. This is a statement for and with all Black lives across the
identity spectrum.

BLACKOUT

Art Installations will be up from 11 - 4PM. The Silent Demonstration will
begin at 2PM.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1480550592253407/



*3) YFS AGM:  Vote NO to online voting – November 30, 2015 (TODAY)*

5pm

York University

ACW 109

Come join folks from OPIRG York at the York Federation of Students' Annual
General Meeting. The meeting will be taking place in ACW 109 on Monday,
November 30th at 5 pm. At this meeting, students will vote on and discuss
many key issues including a contentious e-vote proposal to institute online
voting for the next YFS election in February and the salaries of YFS
members.

OPIRG York encourages students to attend the YFS AGM to VOTE NO to the
e-voting proposal which will establish online voting for YFS elections and
referenda. YFS needs to be moving towards more inclusion of students and
mobilizing students, however, e-vote is the wrong way to do it. We
encourage the YFS to move towards the grassroots democratic decision-making
that made the student strikes in Quebec possible, not resorting to the
expectation for students to solely vote online in order to make changes. We
need large general assemblies where students can voice their concerns and
mobilize through a mass democratic forum.

https://www.facebook.com/events/144277229266773/

*4) CUPE 3903 Day of Action in solidarity with UNITE HERE! Local 75 –
December 2, 2015*

11:30 – 4:30

Holiday Inn Express Toronto North York

30 Norfinch Drive

The Holiday Inn Express North York strike is fast approaching its seventh
week and members of CUPE 3903 will be holding a Day of Action on Wednesday,
December 2nd to show our solidarity and demand that Vrancor Group accept
the union’s demands!

The Day of Action will take place on the picket line, which is located at
30 Norfinch Drive. There will be FREE food and drink, as well as
TRANSPORTATION from and to York U leaving from Atkinson parking lot at 30
past each hour between 11:30am and 4:30pm.

JOIN US on Wednesday, December 2nd at the picket line!

https://www.facebook.com/events/144277229266773/



*5) YFS, USAY, and YUBSA Present:  Know Your Rights Workshop – December 2,
2015*



4pm

York University Student Centre rm. 313



The Workshop will be facilitated by Knia Singh; President of the Osgoode
Society Against Institutional Injustice - OSAII
<https://www.facebook.com/TheOSAII/>

This workshop will give you some of the tools needed in dealing with
interactions with authority and law enforcement. Ongoing carding and
discriminatory practices of Police services have negative impacts,
especially on racialized bodies.

The Police are using the guise of "community engagement" to move forward
with the notion of racial profiling. Come out to the workshop and learn how
to maneuver around the discriminatory practices of Ontario's law
enforcement.

"Police Carding is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms because it is disproportioned and targeted to a specific group of
people" -Knia Singh

If there are any questions please email;
Mithilen Mathipalan: president at yfs.ca or Huda Alsarraj: vpequity at yfs.ca

*https://www.facebook.com/events/712712272196678/
<https://www.facebook.com/events/712712272196678/>*



*6) The Human Library: Inclusion Matters – December 3, 2015*

*In celebration of the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities*

11am-3pm

In the Collaboratory, 2nd Floor Scott Library



Approximately 20 “books” will be available to “borrow”
from 11am-1pm and 1pm-3pm for short (20-minute) conversations. These books
are not what one usually finds on a shelf, but are *people* who have
volunteered to share their contents (stories) with you, as an interactive
reader. As people they are part of a Human or Living Library; the first
Human Library took place in Denmark in 2000. Since its inception it has
gained an international presence providing opportunities for one-to-one
conversations across difference to occur. As such it provides a significant
opportunity for conversations that have the potential to develop new
understandings of disability and diverse embodiments.



Readers and books are provided with the opportunity to interact in a space
where the principles of dignity, respect, and the promotion of inclusion
and acceptance are enacted. The books in this library will be students
attending York University who live with visible and invisible disability
and difference. Examples of human book titles and topics include
experiences of intersections of identity, academic, activist, art &
advocacy pursuits, stories of accessing resources, navigating spaces with
embodied difference, and many more!

*7) Toronto Youth Food Policy Council Presents: **FOOD JUSTICE OUT
LOUD: An Interactive Food Justice Workshop withSpoke N' Heard
– December 7, 2015*

6-9pm

York University

HNES 109

CALLING ALL CREATIVE YOUTH!

Special guest Jordon Veira, Spoken Word Artist, entrepreneur and Co-founder
of Spoke N' Heard, will facilitate an evening of creation using the Art of
Metaphor, which will explore the topic of food justice through spoken word.

Food Justice is a process, movement and the revolutionary act of
communities exercising their right to grow, sell, and eat healthy food.
Healthy food is fresh, nutritious, affordable, culturally-appropriate, and
grown locally with care for the well-being of the land, workers, and
animals.

TYFPC will be exploring what this theme means to TORONTO YOUTH, and more
importantly to YOU! Join us for a night of collaborative conversation and
creation. BE HEARD!

https://www.facebook.com/events/561896997306905/



*8) JFAAP General Meeting – December 2, 2015*

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



*9) The Phillipine Women Centre of Toronto presents:  Taking the
Revolutionary Road:  Ending Violence Against Women – December 5, 2015*



University of Toronto, St. George campus

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

252 Bloor St. West

Room 5260

12:30 – 5pm



The event aims to provide a deeper understanding of systemic violence
against women, with a focus on Canada’s anti-woman policies and regulations
that perpetuate women’s exploitation and oppression. This public forum will
bring women leaders and organizers from various communities to share their
experiences and struggles in the fight to end violence against women,
particularly on marginalized women. In commemoration of all women victims
of violence, we hold this event as an important day as we advance the
movement for genuine equality, and liberation.



*10) THRIVE: OUR VOICES RISING! *
* Forum for the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence – December 12,
2015*



9:30-3:30



Metro Hall, 55 John St (King St. W. and John St), Room 308/309

Open to those who identify as women, trans* and/or gender independent or
non-binary.

http://www.metrac.org/events/thrive-our-voices-rising/

Time: 9:30am-3:30pm

FREE EVENT – lunch included

ASL, note-taking, childminding, gender neutral washrooms available

Keynote – Workshops – Panel Discussion

RSVP by FRI DEC 4, 2015
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/thrive-our-voice-rising-forum-tickets-18520369925

Join THRIVE on Saturday Dec. 12, 2015 to LEARN, DISCUSS and ADDRESS the
various ways gendered violence impacts our lives and the ways we can
resist. LEARN about the work of different groups who are engaged in
resisting colonization, racism, environmental degredation, etc. ENGAGE in
discussion circles, tool building and different well-being activities. And
CONNECT with other community members and people working towards positive
change.

Schedule
9:30-10:00 Registration
10:00-10:30 Opening
10:30-11:00 Keynote Speaker
11:00-12:00 Workshops
12:00-1:00 LUNCH
1:00-1:10 Activity
1:10-2:10 Workshops
2:10-2:30 Workshop Report Back
2:30-3:20 Panel
3:20-3:30 Closing

For more information:
Email thrive.forum at gmail.com | Phone 416-392-3031



https://www.facebook.com/events/1658821114358942/





*11) TRACX Symposium Callout for Proposals*


*Playing the Race Card OPIRG-Toronto Symposium on Social and Environmental
Justice*

Saturday March 5, 2016

University of Toronto



The Toronto Research and Action Community Exchange (TRACX) works to promote
research on social and environmental justice from students and community
members, and facilitates connections between campus resources and community
organizations working for social change. In spring 2016, join us to
showcase research with a community organizing focus. How do we highlight
research led by community organizations? What research is needed for
current social justice campaigns? Our second annual symposium will again
feature community-based social justice research by community groups and
students, research projects and presentations on social and environmental
justice issues and workshops on current organizing work.



This year, join us as we focus on how we resist racism, in our
relationships, in our workplaces, and in the institutions and systems that
govern our daily lives. This year’s symposium will include both a
skills-based component for developing the practical tools for conducting
and disseminating research, and a thematic set of panels, workshops and
presentations on anti-racism. This symposium is motivated by a need to
reflect on our understanding of anti-racism. How do we cultivate an
understanding of what anti-racism means, and how do we employ it in our
organizing work? The current political climate is ripe with racist tropes,
but also with resistance, transformation and movements for liberation.



This is not an academic conference. We want to problematize and challenge
people’s perspectives on research, encourage social investigation and
engage in collective, creative problem solving and skills sharing around
community concerns. How do you organize against discrimination and
injustice in your own life? What movements do you participate in that
confront racism? Whether you’re a student, non-student, activist or someone
curious about activism, everyone is encouraged to participate and attend!



This is not just a paper presentation. We want to create space for
roundtables, breakout groups, interactive activities, zines, art and much
more! We welcome ideas for organizing panels, workshops, multimedia
presentations, etc. On March 4th, the day before the symposium,  we will be
organizing an art show on work focused on activist movements. Get in touch
with us at opirg.tracx at gmail.com for more information!



Possible topics to explore could include:

·         Resistance to police violence and racial profiling

·         Anti-racist movements and movement building

·         Prison abolition/prisoner solidarity

·         Anti-Black racism in organizing spaces

·         Racism and education

·         State suppression of organizing for racial justice

·         Racism in government policies and programs

·         Gentrification and neighbourhood based resistance

·         Creating safer spaces/BIPOC caucuses

·         Resisting the right and racist movements

·         Indigenous struggles and land sovereignty

·         The politics of allyship

·         Using white privilege to combat racism
·         The challenges of identity politics



Please email a short description (150-250 words) on how you are interested
in engaging in the symposium, including the *format *(art, presentation,
etc.) *length*, and the *topic* by the deadline included below to

  opirg.tracx at gmail.com.



Please also let us know any by email any needs, accommodations and any
other questions or concerns.



*Deadline for Proposals: Monday January 4, 2016*



Volunteer!

Are you interested in helping organize the conference? We will be meeting
throughout the fall and winter to put together the schedule and other
logistics. Email us at opirg.tracx at gmail.com to get involved!



Check out www.opirgtoronto.org/tracx for more information on the research
program.
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