[van-announce] Community Events Digest

[SFPIRG]

Community Events Digest 
==Social justice events happening around town == 

1) Bring Your Own Gender Performance Night (March 19, SFU) 
2) Up-Rize: A Surrey Urban Youth Project Fundraiser and Celebration! (March 20) 
3) Tar Sands Dialogue: A forum for discussion (March 25, SFU) 
4) Day of Action for Ancient Forests (March 25, SFU) 
5) Day of Action Against Transit Privatization (March 26) 
6) THE DRIVE TO RESILIENCE: Envisioning the Future of Commercial Drive (Mar 26) 
7) Rally for BC's Ancient Forests- Our Pandora! (Mar 27) 
8) A Day of Workshops about Collective Houses (April 11) 
9) Living Personal Truths Award (Due April 15) 
10) Job Postings: SFU Local Food Project, Coquitlam Farmers Market 




**compiled by SFPIRG, SFU's student-based social justice resource centre. 

http://www.sfpirg.ca. To have your event included in the next digest, send a text-based email announcement to sfpirg (at) sfu.ca. ** 



1) 
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Bring Your Own Gender Performance Night 

Friday , March 19th 
Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm, 

Bring Your Own Gender Performance Night - Highland Pub, SFU Burnaby 
Drag, burlesque, spoken-word, song and dance performances to entertain, games such as Melon Munching to excite, and lots of prizes to be won! And once the show's over, get ready to dance the night away! Admission is $3-6 at the door, but no one turned away for lack of funds! Invite all your friends and come join us for a night of gender-bending debauchery! 
Check out the Facebook event for BYOG here: 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=471928090485 
Organized by Out on Campus 


2) 
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Up-Rize: A Surrey Urban Youth Project Fundraiser and Celebration! 

Saturday , March 20th 
Doors 7:00pm, show starts 7:30 
Rhizome Cafe, 317 East Broadway, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories 
$5.00-$20.00 suggested donation. All funds will go directly towards 
supporting SUYP's work. 
No one turned away for lack of funds. 
Family inclusive. Childcare will be available on-site. 

Join us for an evening of film and performance celebrating the work of the Surrey Urban Youth Project featuring: 
Youth Performers from SUYP's current Making Bridges Out of Walls Program 
Vocalist, Khari McLelland 
Emcee, sara kendall 
Actor and Poet, Omari Newton 
Comedy and Spoken Word Duo, Man2Mannan 
Poet and Vocalist mia amir 
Singer, JR Guerrero 
BPM ( http://www.myspace.com/bpmsound ) a dirty fusion of Hip-Hop, Bhangra and 
Dancehall and more! 

About the Surrey Urban Youth Project: 
SUYP is free arts-based, youth-driven, empowerment program providing training in anti-oppression, facilitation, conflict transformation and community organizing for youth 14 and older; with a particular focus on engaging Indigenous, (im)migrant, refugee, and “at-risk” communities in Surrey. SUYP is a partnership program of the Pacific Community Resources Society and the Surrey Foundation. 

For more information contact 604.780.8463 / mia(at)suyp.org 



3) 
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Tar Sands Dialogue: A forum for discussion 

Thursday , March 25 
3-5 PM MBC 2290, SFU Burnaby 
Canada’s Tar Sands are the 2nd largest oil deposit in the world! 
Come, Learn and Participate in a student discussion on Alberta’s Tar Sands 
Organized by SFU students. Contact: Erin, eudal at sfu.ca 


4) 
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Day of Action for Ancient Forests 

Thursday , March 25th: 10am-3pm 
SFU Burnaby, Convocation Mall 

2PM: AERIAL ART (get into formation in the shape of a giant tree for a photo taken from above!) ***let's try to top the 50 people who participated in the aerial art last semester! Info on the ecological, political, economic and social aspects of the issue, petition drive and letter-writing (for cookies!) campaign, music & art, documentary screening: 'Our Living Legacy' and guess-the-tree-size contest. Facebook event link Organized by SFPIRG's Ancient Forests Committee 


5) 
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Day of Action Against Transit Privatization 

No to Fare Increases and Corporate Profiteering! 

Friday , March 26 @ Main Street SkyTrain Station 
12 – 5 Actions against privatization and fare increase 
5pm Rally and speak out 

The privatization of public transit through high fares, privatization projects that hand public money to private profiteers, and gutting of democratic input and accountability are robbing us of our right to mobility. Join the Bus Riders Union day of action to defend our right to affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly transit for all. 

Contact the BRU at busridersunion at gmail.com 604-215-2775 http://bru.vcn.bc.ca 

What the Privatization of Public Transit in Vancouver looks like : 
-Spending on privatized megaprojects like the Canada Line and Golden Ears Bridge that generate income for big business 
-Starving the bus system which carries the vast majority of public transit riders, resulting in over-crowding, pass-bys, and limited or no service in many outlying areas 
-Fare increases that shift the burden of paying for transit onto those least able to pay it- low income bus riders- instead of paying for transit through general tax revenues as a public service that benefits the whole region. 
-Replacing the previous Translink board of elected Mayors and Councillors with an appointed board of "experts" who have no responsibility to the public. 

Translink by numbers: 
-Fare increases since 2000: 5 
-% fare increase since 2000 (1 zone cash fare): 66.66 
-% Cumulative inflation in Canada since 2000: 18.72 
-Added cost for a 1 zone bus pass after April 1, 2010 : 8$ 
-Cost of a 3 zone bus pass after April 1, 2010 : $151 
-Cost of Canada Line: $2 - 3 billion 
-Estimated annual loss on Canada Line until at least 2025: $14 - 21 million 
-Democratically elected directors on the Board of Directors of Translink (a publicly-owned and funded corporation): 0 
-Pay to directors per 4 hr board meeting: $1,200 (on top of $25,000 annual retainer) 
-Busses promised in 2000 Strategic Transportation Plan: 1600 by 2006 
-Buses on the road today : 1100 

Public Transit is a Right! 
-For low-wage workers and low-income families, people with disabilities, youth, seniors and many others, accessible public transit is a necessity for us to live an independent and dignified life 
-Everyone benefits from the positive environmental and air quality impacts of public transit 
-As transit dependent people- low wage workers, women, immigrants, refugees, migrant workers, the unemployed, people with disabilities, and low-income seniors and students- we are already facing the most under the economic crisis and recession. While corporations and banks go back to posting big profits and reaping the benefits of government bail-outs we get low wages, unemployment and cuts to public services. 

... We need more public services not privatization and fare increases! 



6) 
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THE DRIVE TO RESILIENCE 
Envisioning the Future of Commercial Drive 

What: Public dialogue on the resilience of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood. 
When: March 26, 2010 , 10.00 am - 3.30 pm 
Where: The Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street (at Victoria Drive), Coast Salish Territory (Vancouver, BC). 
Admissions: By donation. No one turned away for lack of funds! 

Resilience is about understanding our changing world, and taking action to enhance the strength of our communities to cope with environmental, social and economic challenges. What does resilience mean for Commercial Drive? How do you envision the neighbourhood evolving to better be able to adapt to adversity, and what practical actions can be taken to enhance the resilience of the community? 

The Spring 2010 Semester in Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, in partnership with the Commercial Drive Business Society, invites you to participate in a creative and action-oriented dialogue on the resilience of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood. 

This public event will be an opportunity to speak your mind and heart, and to explore what resilience means for this neighbourhood. Representatives from the Business Society are excited to engage with community members and receive input on future projects. This will give you a chance to share your ideas and find ways to translate them into action. 

A lunch that celebrates the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood, as well as refreshments, will be provided. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will be available. If you have mobility needs, or require childcare, please let us know and we’ll make arrangements for you. 

RSVP by Wednesday , March 24, using our online form at http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/52572817 . Feel free to bring your organization's promotional materials for our display table, and to invite anyone you know in the community who might be interested in attending. 

Contact info: 
phone: 778-782-7917 
email: drivetoresilience at gmail.com 

website: http://www.sfu.ca/resilience 
acebook event link Organized by SFPIRG's Ancient Forests Committee 


7) 
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Rally for BC's Ancient Forests- Our Pandora ! 

Saturday March 27th, noon 
Avatar-themed: come in costume (or just in blue!). Help send out the message that our temperate rainforests are just as incredible as the Pandora that everyone has been raving about! 12 noon: meet at Gordon Campbell's constituency office (Canada Place). March to the Vancouver Art Gallery for speeches and more! Organized by SFPIRG's Ancient Forests Committee and the Ancient Forest Alliance. 


8) 
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A Day of Workshops about Collective Houses 

The Vancouver Collective House Network presents: 
A Day of Workshops about Collective Houses. 
What are they? How do they work? Why are they so important? 

Join us April 11, 2010 to learn more about Collective Living. 
Hosted in two Collective House located one block apart in the Grandview-Woodland area. 

What is a Collective House? A residence where people share food, space, stuff, housework, some amount of money though that varies by house, and some values, though again shared values vary from house to house. Most houses in the Vancouver Collective House Network are centered around social and environmental justice values. Mutual support of life in the domestic realm results in stronger individuals and stronger communities. 

Workshops will cover: 
-How to Start and Sustain a Collective House: The hows and whys of community living. 
-The Beauty of Eating Together: Priorities and systems for sharing food. 
-Buying a House Collectively: Exploring models of home ownership and financing to create lasting and secure collective households. 
- Conflict and Communication Workshop: learn about, discuss and practice effective communication styles, tips to avoid common pitfalls, and conflict resolution techniques. 
-The Collective Housing Connection: a participatory workshop aimed at connecting like-minded individuals who are seeking to start a collective house or have an existing house they’re looking for others to join. 
-Eco-tour: How collective living minimizes urban footprints. 

Free workshops, donations accepted to cover costs. 
Delicious vegan lunch provided. 
Come to one workshop or to the whole day. 
RSVP (so we know how many to expect for lunch) by April 8th to VancouverCHN at gmail.com 
after April 8th please telephone hosting house 'The Beehive" to confirm space availability at ( 604) 569-4697 

For more information and complete workshop descriptions see http://tinyurl.com/vancollective 



9) 
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Living Personal Truths Award 

Sponsored by Out On Campus, the award is given to a student in any faculty who has demonstrated a significant contribution to reducing discrimination and/or increasing awareness of sexual orientation and gender diversity. Applications must include a letter and resume form the student and a supporting letter from an individual who can speak to their achievements. Nominations or applications should be forwarded to Financial Aid and Awards by April 15th . Application forms and information can be found at http://students.sfu.ca/financialaid/awards/index.html . 


10) 
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Job Postings with the SFU Local Food Project and Coquitlam Farmers Market Society 

The SFU Local Food Project and Coquitlam Farmers Market Society have several job opportunities available! We are looking for some fabulous new staff to join our team. Please see below for more information. 

Positions Available with the SFU Local Food Project: 
1. SFU Harvest Box Coordinator (1 position available) - Apply by March 31st, 2010 
2. SFU LFP Communications Interns (2 positions available) - Apply by March 31st, 2010 

Positions Available with the Coquitlam Farmers Market Society: 
1. SFU Pocket Market Site Coordinator (1 position available) - Apply before April 9th, 2010 (this position is in collaboration with the SFU Local Food Project; SFU students encouraged to apply!) 
2. Coquitlam Farmers Market Society Job Postings (5 additional positions available) - Apply before April 9th, 2010 

To view the positions, please download attachments or visit www.sfulocalfood.ca.