[van-announce] Olympic events/meetings: Nov. 26, 28-29, 30, and Dec. 3

Tue Nov 24 01:16:05 PST 2009

Some upcoming Olympic events/meetings in Vancouver:

Thursday, Nov. 26, 5pm:  discussion and dinner on Olympics organising at UBC;
Thursday, Nov. 26, 7pm:  question (or mock) VANOC, VPD, VISU, and Vancouver Council on Olympic Security;
Weekend, Nov. 28 - 29, 10am - 6pm:  skills-share, discuss and network at Olympic Resistance Network workshops;
Monday, Nov. 30, 5pm:  social movement building, corporate culture and the Olympics with Garth Mullins at UBC;
Thursday, Dec. 3, 7pm:  help the 2010 Welcoming Committee build a public mobilization for Feb. 12, 2010!

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***  Thursday, Nov. 26, 5pm:

UBC SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRE - OLYMPICS DISCUSSION DINNER - THURS., NOV. 26, 5PM

* Please post to interested groups and individuals *

We would like to invite you and the members of your group to join us for dinner and discussion on Thursday, November 26th at 5pm, in SUB room 245. The discussion will be about the impact of the Olympics on UBC and the City of Vancouver and how we as students should address this.

Dinner will be provided free of charge to all those who attend. We welcome anyone who has an interest in these issues. Dinner will consist of pizza, veggies and desert, with Vegan and Vegetarian options.

If possible, please let us know roughly how many people from your group are attending. 

We hope to see you there, The Social Justice Centre

Olympics Discussion Dinner
Thursday, November 26th 2009 at 5pm
SUB room 245 (Resource Centre) 

ubcsjc at yahoo.ca 

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***  Thursday, Nov. 26, 7pm:

SECURITY, CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND THE 2010 OLYMPICS:
A Public Forum Hosted by the Impact on Communities Coalition

Thursday, Nov. 26, 7-9pm
SFU - Harbour Centre, Fletcher Challenge Theatre

David Eby, Executive Director, BC Civil Liberties Association
Stefanie Ratjen, Board member, Impact on Communities Coalition
Laura Track, Housing Campaigner, Pivot Legal Society
Alissa Westergard-Thorpe, Olympic critic
Bud Mercer, Integrated Security Unit
Geoff Meggs, Vancouver City Councillor
Steve Sweeney, Vancouver Police Department
Bill Cooper, Director of Commercial Rights Management, VANOC

Moderated by Am Johal, Impact on Communities Coalition

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*** Saturday Nov. 28 and Sunday, Nov. 29:

OLYMPIC RESISTANCE NETWORK - WEEKEND OF WORKSHOPS!

***** Please Distribute Widely *****

November 28th - 29th; 10am - 6pm

Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories)

In preparation for the convergence in February of 2010, the Olympic Resistance Network will be hosting a weekend of workshops on practical and important aspects of demonstrations and resistance. The workshops are
free, food will be served, and childcare will be provided. Unfortunately, the space is not wheelchair accessible.

SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER 28TH:

10am - 12/noon:     Media
A hands on crash course in answering tough questions by unfriendly media hounds. Learn how to keep your cool and how to stay on message. Manipulate the media before it manipulates you

12:30pm - 2pm:    Surveillance & Counter surveillance
A workshop on surveillance & counter-insurgency methods used by state security forces to repress social movements, and how to counter them.

2pm - 4pm:   Know Your Rights
Basic legal information and advice on your rights when interacting with the police.

4pm - 6pm:   Street Tactics
An overview of the different strategies used by protesters to protect themselves and meet their strategic goals.  A rough overview of manoeuvres used by anti-globalization protesters to overcome security forces.

SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER 29TH:

10am - 2pm:   Anti-Oppression
This is an open workshop for everyone interested in developing skills and tactics to understand and deal with oppression and domination. This workshop will specifically aim to help us improve our decision making practices, group power dynamics, and on the ground support and solidarity from an anti-oppression perspective. Come and gain these important skills as they will in many respects determine the strength and success of the 2010 convergence!

2pm - 6pm:   Medic
Introduction to Street medic training and basic first aid including:  What to bring, primary survey and scene assessment, working in pairs, chemical weapons and emotional response to stress.

For more info call 604-764-5103 or email orn-logistics at resist.ca

www.olympicresistance.net

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*** Monday, Nov. 30, 5pm:

OLYMPICS CRITICS AND ACTIVISTS SPEAK AT UBC

* Monday, Nov. 30, 5-6:30pm.  Local activist Garth Mullins on the Olympics, Corporate Culture and Social Movement Building in Vancouver and beyond.
* Please post widely.

"THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN MYTH AND REALITY" - FREE speakers series of Olympic critics and organisers ongoing most Mondays from Sept. 14 - Dec. 7, 5 - 6:30pm. Hosted by UBC's Green College at the Green College Coach House (6201 Cecil Green Park Road, north off of NW Marine Drive).  Map at www.maps.ubc.ca/?412

* Last two speakers in this popular series:

Monday, Nov. 30, 5pm:
"Understanding the Olympics as part of Corporate Culture and Social Movement Building.” Garth Mullins. Mullins is a Vancouver-based social justice activist and member of the Olympic Resistance Network.

This topic will show how the Games are not an anomaly, but reflect systemic forces in capitalist globalization. Resistance to the 2010 Olympics will be discussed as part of broader cycles of social movement mobilization with the potential for diverse communities to come together in a movement of movements. Common to these struggles is that while activists organize against various institutions, their right to speak and assemble is threatened. The talk will follow the arc of struggle from APEC in 1997 to the Olympics in 2010, tracking upturns and downturns, political opportunities, strategies, and tactical debates.
Monday, Dec. 7, 5pm:
“IOC Corruption: Would you take these people home to meet your loved ones?" Andrew Jennings. Mr. Jennings is the author of three books on the IOC.

The speakers begin at 5pm with time for questions (FREE, everyone welcome, no reservations). Optional dinner with speaker at Green College starts at 6:30pm ($12 for students and $16 for non-students; reserve a spot at 604-822-0912).

www.greencollege.ubc.ca 
contact:  alissawt at shaw.ca

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*** Thursday, Dec. 3, 7pm:

WELCOME THE 2010 OLYMPIC TORCH AND OPENING CEREMONIES WITH A MASS
DEMONSTRATION!

* Please post widely *

2010 Welcoming Committee
* next meeting:  Thursday, December 3, 7-9pm *
SFU - Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings Street), room TBA (and will be on lobby room listings)

The Olympic Resistance Network, StopWar.ca, Vancouver Status of Women, Anti-Poverty Committee, No One Is Illegal - Vancouver, Work Less Party, Social Justice Centre - UBC, subMedia, Pink Resistance, Student Christian Movement - UBC, Citywide Housing Coalition, VAN.ACT! and Streams of Justice have endorsed the 2010 Welcoming Committee and a mass demonstration to coincide with the Friday, February 12, 2010 opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games and the arrival of the Olympic torch from its Royal Bank and Coca-Cola sponsored cross-country relay.

As the Winter Olympics begin, we need to show the world our opposition and the negative impact the Games have on our communities and environment. During the Games there will also be an anti-Olympic convergence (Feb. 10-15, 2010) including a conference and days of action (organised by the Olympic Resistance Network and other groups) and the 2010 Welcoming Committee is building specifically for a mass demo on Feb. 12, 2010. The very act of demonstrating and marching has become more defiant in a context where many streets and public sites are turned over to the Games with bylaws that restrict speech, protest, and assembly.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE OLYMPICS?

Tens of thousands of police, military, security, and spies; exploitation of Indigenous land and resources; crackdowns on visible poverty; financial waste ($6 billion and counting) and crony corporate deals; restrictions on free expression (assembly, political signs, leaflets, street theatre, and voices) and public mobility; broken promises on social housing and shelter spaces; public video monitoring; gentrification, evictions, and rent increases; abuse of migrant labour; corporate sponsors funded by the tar sands, human rights violations, union busting, ecological destruction, and arms manufacturing; negative impacts on sex trade workers; commercialization of public space; forcing city employees to work for the Olympics; massive environmental damage and traffic expansion; and more.

HELP BUILD THE 2010 WELCOMING COMMITTEE!

We are planning a rally/festival, march, and protest on Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. The rally will feature games, street theatre, speakers, music, puppets, art, and a community celebration that is free and open to all - the opposite of the corporate propaganda imposed by the Games. We will continue our festivities with a parade march to BC Place to protest the negative impacts of the Olympic industry. The 2010 Welcoming Committee invites you/your group to join in organizing this event and asks for your input on creative resistance and protest, outreach, promotions, and building an inclusive and vocal public mobilization. We encourage a wide range of activist, Indigenous, social justice, environmental, anti-poverty, worker/labour, civil libertarian, anti-globalization, community, student, anti-war, women's and other groups and individuals to build a broad and accessible protest presence. This group is united by a social justice critique of the Olympic Games.

Contact: 2010welcoming at resist.ca
If you are unable to attend or are interested in being involved or endorsing, please email us so we can add you to the organizing list or connect you with specific working groups.

* Please post widely *