[Ost-announce] Everyone's Downstream II: November 22nd, 23rd

[Macdonald Stainsby]

**please forward to contacts who may have interest**

Everyone's Downstream II:  Stop Playing Games With Our Lives
To be held November 22nd, 23rd at

The Edmonton Native Friendship Centre
11205 101 Street NW (Edmonton, AB)

Both days to begin at 9am
cost for both days--suggested donation:

$0-$15-- unemployed
$10-$20-- under employed/student
$20-up-- full time,
$35-- NGO or otherwise represented.

**NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS**

This event is co-presented by OilSandsTruth.org [OST] with the
Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN]

And on Friday November 21, 2008 at the University of Alberta:

Dominion Launch of "State of Mine: An investigation of Canada's
extractive industries," presented by Apirg with help from OST.

please check back at the website for room, address & time of event.

***
Why Everyone's Downstream II?

In the words used by the oil industry, the “upstream” location of an oil
operation is where the oil is extracted. Everything else is
“downstream,” from pipelines to refineries or even an upgrader located
close by.

Everyone's Downstream II (November 22, 23 2008) is a conference designed
to explore “further downstream” than usual. From many refinery, pipeline
and proposed development locations we will hear the voices of front line
communities resisting further tar sands encroachments in many places
throughout North America. This will include locations in areas commonly
thought of as Central and Eastern Canada as well as several locations
throughout the lower 48 United States.

We will also go into depth with many of the peoples and issues being
resisted in both British Columbia and Alberta, in relation to the 2010
Winter Olympic Games and the Tar Sands respectively. From the
environment to war, housing and self determination both massive
developments not only are making human lives and ecological survival far
more difficult, but are also being carried out by many of the same
corporations, along with participants in the North American
Competitiveness Council (NACC).

Speaking with activists, scholars and front line community members from
both regions, Everyone's Downstream II will explore the links between
Olympic and Tar Sand development-- as well as commonality in resistance,
struggle and solidarity across many time zones, locations and identities
for both the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, and the
continent wide Tar Sands Gigaproject.

The night before Everyone's Downstream II, The Dominion: Canada's
Grassroots News Cooperative will be launching "State of Mine."

Canadian mining and exploration companies have created conflict from
Northern BC to Thailand to Congo and back to rural Nova Scotia. Around
the world, anti-mining networks have sprung up, spearheaded by
communities who realize they have more to lose than to gain from
open-pit megaprojects on their lands.

State of Mine: An investigation of Canada's extractive industries is the
collected work of dozens of independent journalists, our effort to
jump-start a much needed national debate about the future of mining. We
include stories from communities spanning the globe – more stories than
we could fit in this, our biggest issue ever.

Join Dominion editors Dru Oja Jay and Dawn Paley for the launch of State
of Mine, Friday, November 21 at the University of Alberta. Come out and
learn how you can participate in Canada's grassroots news cooperative!

State of Mine Launch is an Ap!rg/OST co-sponsored event. Please watch
for updates with room and time of the Dominion launch event.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Indigenous Environmental Network
[IEN] with OilSandsTruth.org [OST]

Currently confirmed panels (Please check back, panels subject to change):

**Downstream by River & Downstream by Industry**
(9:00am until 12:00pm)
Casey Camp, Ponca Nation. Tar sands refinery expansion in major refinery
"hub" of Oklahoma.

Kandi Mossett, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (territory of Mandan,
Arikara and Hidatsa), tar sands refinery plans.

Eriel Deranger, Rainforest Action Network [RAN] tar sands campaign,
Athabasca Chipewyan/Dene First Nation. Development of tar sands in
Northern Saskatchewan.

George Poitras, member, Mikisew Cree First Nation. Impacts of tar sands
develpment on Fort Chipewyan.

Dru Oja Jay, Editor, Dominion news cooperative (Montréal). Tar sands
expanding into Petro Canada refinery in Québec?

Dustin Johnson, Tsimshian Nation and coordinator of North Coast Enviro
Watch. Proposed Enbridge Gateway Pipeline, LNG Port near Kitimat, major
Container Port near Prince Rupert and super oil and gas tanker traffic.

Lunch Break

1:00pm- 2:30pm
2010 Winter Olympics and Tar Sands Development:
Stop Playing Games with Our Lives

Introduction to the Tar Sands and 2010 Games as issues that must be
connected.
--Clayton Thomas-Muller, Indigenous tar sands campaigner for the
Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN]

Trade Deals and massive developments:
--The Security and Prosperity Partnership [SPP] and Tar Sands Development.
Gordon Laxer, Director, Parkland Institute.

--The SPP and development around the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Garth Mullins, social activist and writer with the Olympics Resistance
Network (Vancouver)

2:45pm-4:00pm
Greenwashing and massive developments

--corporate greenwashing in the Alberta Tar Sands.
Petr Cizek, independent environmental consultant and PhD Candidate,
Faculty of Forestry, UBC & map designer for OilSandsTruth.org (by live
audio feed)
--The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) & Greenwashing efforts.
Dawn Paley, contributing editor with the Dominion news cooperative

4:15pm-5:30
Massive Developments and connections to Wars of Aggression

-- Tar Sands feeding the War on Iraq?
Ricardo Acuña, Executive Director, Parkland Institute
-- 20th Century Wars and their ties to Olympic Games.
Dustin Johnson, member Native 2010 Resistance, coordinator North Coast
Enviro Watch.

Sunday November 23, 2008.
9:00am-11:00am
labour, housing crises, gender violence and other social impacts of
massive developments.

-- Albertan Tar Sands Boom and the housing crisis.
Albertans Demand Affordable Housing (ADAH)
--Temporary Foreign Worker programs expanding throughout Alberta.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the struggles at the Maple
Leaf plant in Edmonton.
-- 2010 Winter Olympics and the housing crisis.
Carol Martin, Nisga'a/ Gitxsan nation, Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
(DEWC).

coffee break

11:15am-1:00pm
Impacts of massive developments on indigenous self determination

--Impacts of the tar sands on indigenous communities in the Athabasca
Region.
Mike Mercredi, community member, Fort Chipewyan
--Impacts of the 2010 Olympic Games on indigenous communities across
British Columbia.
Kanahus Pellkey, Secwepemc Nation and member, Secwepemc Native Youth
Movement.

Lunch Break

2:30pm- close:

Closing Panel: 2010 Olympics and Tar Sands Gigaproject: Where do we go
from here?

*********
Website home of Everyone's Downstream II:
http://oilsandstruth.org/everyone039s-downstream-ii-stop-playing-games-with-our-lives

EDSII Event Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42907433053

IEN Tar Sands Campaign:
http://www.ienearth.org/cits.html

Oil Sands Truth Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8351822347