[Org4j-announce] Four volunteer opportunities

Thu Jan 6 17:30:46 PST 2011

So it's a new year, and usually we only send out very occasional messages.

But this will be the 2nd of 3 messages we're sending out in a burst.
- 1st was Social Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program: http://bit.ly/eWgaCi
- 3rd will be coming shortly, featuring a list of local January events

This one, is a few volunteer opportunities you can get involved with if you
are so moved.

~~

*The first opportunity is with Organizing For Justice.*

After the successful November gathering, we're ready to start preparing for
what's next.

We don't actually know what that may consist of - at our debrief meeting in
December, the possibility of a second annual MayDay event was mentioned. But
nothing's been decided, and everything is on the table.

So we're planning an initial meeting in the next week or two.

If you're interested in being involved, if you've got ideas or energy to
bring to O4j organizing, please get in touch:
org4justice at gmail.com or 613-656-5498

You can see more about O4J at www.organizingforjustice.ca
*(note: a security certificate message will probably show up, as we're
working on the forums section of the website, you are safe to accept the
certificate)*

The other three volunteer opportunities are with:
- Project Acorn (Ten Oaks)
- Forum on Police Violence, Incarceration and Alternatives
- Day of Information for a Lifetime of Action
*(details follow)*

~~

*PROJECT ACORN*

Project ACORN is looking for NEW Youth Advisory Committee Members

Building upon the successes and challenges of last year, we are looking for
several youth who are interested in joining the Youth Advisory Committee to
help plan Project Acorn 2011, a four day Leadership Retreat for youth in
LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, Queer)
communities run by the Ten Oaks Project.

http://www.tenoaksproject.org/events/yac-new-members-2011.aspx
Deadline to apply: January 10, 2011

~~

*THE FORUM ON POLICE VIOLENCE, INCARCERATION AND ALTERNATIVES*

In recent months much has been said and written in Ottawa and Ontario about
the relationships our communities have with police. We were all shocked by
the videos of police brutality that have recently surfaced in the case of
Stacey Bonds, as well as the accounts of the attack by an off duty police
officer on a taxi driver at the Ottawa airport. We were stunned by the
unprecedented police repression and arrests surrounding the anti-G20
mobilizations in June. We were saddened to hear of the shooting death of a
native man out west by a police officer.

Many among us are starting to understand that these are not just a few bad
apples, this is systematic. More than the high profile cases that we see on
the news, it is the institutionalized discrimination and day to day
operations of the police that worry us the most; The continued arrests,
criminalisation and harassment of sex workers, queers, panhandlers,
communities of colour and indigenous people. We are disgusted by the
impunity with which police seem to operate and many are feeling very alarmed
by the role that police have taken on in our communities.

As a reaction to this OPIRG-GRIPO is organizing a forum on police violence,
the role of prisons and incarceration and alternatives to current forms of
policing. This forum will take place March 18th and 19th, 2011.

Following in the footsteps of other organizations doing amazing work against
police brutality, we aim for this forum to create a launching pad for
dynamic local work to happen against police violence and incarceration.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

If you would like to help us organize this forum, please get in touch with
us at opirgrc at gmail.com

we will be needing lots of help to do this right, so please consider getting
involved and pass along this callout. A meeting will take place on Thursday
January 20th (more info TBA).

~~

*DILA: DAY OF INFORMATION FOR A LIFETIME OF ACTION*

This year’s conference will be taking place on Friday, February 25th, 2011.
The conference will bring together over 400 high school students and over 40
in practice teachers from almost every high school in Ottawa.  The
conference aims to Inform students of global issues, Inspire them to take
action, and give them the tools to Initiate positive change!

At this point there are two ways to get involved:
----

1) Facilitator – Time Commitment 20 hrs –Volunteers Needed 45 people

This position is essential to the day!  It entails leading a group of 20
students and 1 or 2 teachers through the day. Ice breaking games in the
morning and setting the mood for the day; instilling a sense of optimism;
that the students can make the world a better place.  Form their taking the
students to the keynote presentation, workshop presentation, lunch, action
planning session and group presentations at the end of the day.  This role
also entails staying in touch with the group of students after the
conference to facilitate the implementation their action plan that they
develop at the conference, and providing support and motivation where
necessary.

Time Commitments:
- 2hrs Saturday January 29th, 2011. 2:00pm until 4:00pm- DILA Training
Session
- 3hrs Early-Mid February 2011- Conducting a presentation at a local area
high school to staff and students about DILA
- 2hrs Thursday February 24th  , 2011 (any point during the day or evening)-
Helping to prep the lunches and packages for the students
- 8hrs Friday February 25th, 2011 8:00am until 4:00pm- Facilitating the
groups on the day
- 3hrs Mid-March- Following up with groups that attended from local area
high schools
**PLEASE NOTE THAT WITH EXCEPTION OF THE CONFERENCE DAY ALL OF THE OTHER
DATES AND TIMES CAN BE WORKED AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE**

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET INVOLVED AS A FACILITATOR:
A.   Email me confirmation that you would like to be involved, please
include a phone number where you can be reached.
B.   As early as possible please check your availability for the DILA
training session on Saturday January 29th, 2011, if you know that you cannot
make this time we will begin scheduling alternative training sessions on
other Saturdays and/or on week nights in late January.
C.   Get excited about what is sure to be a great experience and give
yourself a pat on the back for being awesome!

----

2) Teacher Guide Editor- Time Commitment 15 – 20hrs – Volunteers Needed 4
people

This position ensures that the impact of the day is sustained within the
schools, by providing teachers the resources to incorporate global issues
into the classroom.  The role entails meeting with various professors in the
faculty of education and identifying quality lessons plans for inclusion in
the DILA Teacher’s Guide.  Once the lessons plans have been receive they are
formatted into a standard layout and then sent to print!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET INVOLVED AS AN EDITOR:
A.   Email me your availability in early January to set a meeting, and
please include a contact phone number
B.   Get ready for a great experience preparing tools to help other
educators, and give yourself a pat on the back for being awesome!

----

If you have any further questions I can be reached via email at
businesses at sfuo.ca or on my cell phone at 613.227.7387.

I look forward to hearing back from you and towards making this year’s DILA
even bigger and better than ever.

Have a great day!
Jason Collard
DILA Conference Founder/Organizer
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