celebrate bio-diversity

The Biodiversity Guild working group of OPIRG is holding a celebration, of all things...

There ARE free lunches after all!

Development & Peace Regional AGM & Community Open Forum
Topic: Farm Income Crisis, Sustainable farming & Organic Freedom
Plus Free Lunch!!

Guest Speaker: Alvaro Benturelli, of Plan B Farming, (http://www.planborganicfarms.ca/) will be discussing Farm Income Crisis, Sustainable farming & Organic Freedom, and how these issues impact our community and the developing world.

Where: Canadian Martyr's
38 Emerson St
Hamilton, ON
L8S 2X3
When: Saturday, May 08, 2010
Cost: Free

9:45-11:00 Presentation/Discussion
11:00-12:15 AGM Business & Lunch

Questions? RSPV? barbbishop@sympatico.ca, 519 826 0985

Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

go with the flow

Thanks to Rob at www.cartanova.ca OPIRG's Web Server is now 100 percent wind powered by the folks at canvasdreams.com

Harjot in Profile

BOARD PROFILE: Harjot Atwal

By Matúš Sámel

What is your academic background?

Well, I did my BA in Psychology here at Mac. Currently I am studying towards Honors BA in Religious Studies here. Next year, it will be my fourth year.

What are activities are you involved in?

I devote a lot of time to my hobbies, especially art and reading. Besides that I strongly feel about women’s issues and human rights. That is why I am currently an executive member in the Queers Students Community Center (QSCC). I also help to facilitate and organize the Vagina monologues. Recently, I’ve been working on illustration of a children book for McMaster Book-Writing Club for Children. Well, and the OPIRG Board is a big one.

How did you first get involved with OPIRG?

Actually that is a funny story: I used to walk down the hall quite frequently and I saw friendly-looking people in the office and wondered what they are doing, if I maybe should join them, but I never stopped to talk to them. However, once, I think it was Randy, who shouted from his office, that I should come in. We talked, and he convinced me to apply for a position in the Board of Directors. So I did.

So what is your role at the Board?

I am a general board member with all basic roles, because we are all on the same level in there. I guess I do not have any specific role. Well, actually I kind of do (laughs). I am a GLBT Liaison Rep, where I facilitate the contact mainly with the QSCC. Beside that I am also a Provincial Rep, where I basically represent the local PIRG at the provincial level. But these positions are very loose and all the decision-making in the Board is completely consensus-based and everybody helps everywhere they can. So I got involved with the resource library, CUPE strike, Creativity circle, various working groups, PIRGtopia and so on.

What is your experience with OPIRG?

Definitely eye-opening. I met lots of really amazing individuals, I became much more motivated to engage with issues I am interested in and learned much about the problems and issues in community, which were new to me. It has definitely broadened my horizons as it gave me an opportunity to get involved in many activities I would otherwise have never engaged with. The resource library is very important to me as well, as it offers numerous new, non-traditional, sources and perspectives. The most important lesson I have taken from OPIRG is that, you can be the change you want to be or see.

EARTH P.I.G. WINNER

OPIRG's Board of Directors and staff congratulate Julia Shulist, Geography and Environmental Studies, Level 3 for her winning proposal for the Public Interest Grant competition for her McMaster COMPOSTING Initiative - read the winning proposal here.

Thanks to all who submitted proposals this year!

PIRG RUTH

OPIRG McMaster BOARD PROFILE:
Ruth Green

By Matúš Sámel

[Ruth, pictured at left of photo, shares some laughs with OPIRG Volunteers at Annual General Meeting]

Can you tell me something about your personal and academic background?

Well, I grew up on a farm. My dad died when I was six and we moved to a small village, which was like a metropolitan city to me. We lived with my uncle, who became a successful businessman, so I had a wonderful life. I got my college education paid for. I was expected to work as much as I could, which I did at a childrens’ camp, where I helped with cooking. So my career took a form of cooking in a way. I gained my college diploma in nutrition and from there I went to teaching. After that I took university courses, because it meant more money. At that point of my life I was going after the money to become an independent woman. I also had four children. It was wonderful and I love teaching. Then, I was thinking about retirement. Many of my colleagues went back to teaching, but I wanted to do something different – I wanted to be outside. I was looking to do something meaningful. I also wanted to do something for myself. I had a traditional education and now I wanted to look at the issues from different perspectives, to get information from different sources. Things were not well documented or well researched, that was one reason I got connected with the university through OPIRG.

What topics do you focus on in your personal research?

I was close to being seduced into a very comfortable way of life and not really thinking about people that are in a minority, that are suffering. So I wanted to bring that to my consciousness, because as a woman I feel as a minority. That is why I also feel strongly about the equality of women. As a woman, I felt it many times at a workplace and I wanted to speak out against sexism. I believe it is important that we explore it in a greater dimension to a greater depth, why there is inequality, why are women being raped, why is rape a war strategy, why are women and children being trafficked.

I think whenever a man disrespects woman or woman disrespects man, we both lose. I had my share of winning and my share of losing and I do not like either of them. That is why I do not like competitions. I much prefer sitting down, having a conversation and reaching a mutual understanding, because through cooperation there is always much more to gain.

How did you first get involved with OPIRG?

You know I cannot remember? (laugh) Well, I do a fundraising for Bottles for Africa, where we collect empty wine and beer bottles to raise money for development in Africa. We now have $12000, we built a school and now we are building another one. It started when I realized there were these empty bottles in my house and I really did not want to return them, and I realised there are many other people like me. My daughter went to Kenya and I realised help is much needed there, and there is a lot of money in the bottles. But for that we needed the neighbourhood to get involved, so I thought maybe OPIRG can help us in some way. And they have helped me a lot. And I started to be interested in what they were doing, what they were thinking. So I said sure, I want to be a part of this organisation.

What is your role in the Board?

I am not really sure (laughs). I am there to listen to and understand the agenda of all the proposals and ideas where people want some support. Then we discuss the people wanting support and the applications for the working groups. I believe it is my role to create conditions and get support for organisations which think along the same lines as I do. That is my role, to encourage wider support for OPIRG and bring forward its ideas. I do not think I make a huge difference, but I do try my best. (laughs)

How would you describe your experience with OPIRG?

My involvement in OPIRG has been a very positive aspect of my life. Meeting all the people here was been very beneficial for me. It makes a huge difference when you can discuss your personal research and conclusions with these people. That has been a very positive thing for me and it is nice to see that there are so many people out there, working on so many good causes. Moreover, it is very exciting to see that there are many young people actively involved. Because these people are going to be our future and they are taking their free time to be part of this wonderful organisation, which has a very positive impact on the local community.

shiny happy people

Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

trail contested

too late for dinner?

SATURDAY MAY 8, CANADIAN MARTYR'S CHURCH - 38 Emerson, Hamilton - 9:30am

Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

worried about CCDA

By Carolyn Konrad, April 2010 – Hamilton, On

Success Reaps Repression

Popular Guatemalan Peasant Movement Attacked

In February 2010, the CCDA (Campesino Committee of the Highlands, Guatemala) suffered a series of politically-motivated attacks. Following a wave of death threats, the National Coordinator, Leocadio Juracán and his family were forced to flee their country.

On March 30, Leocadio gave a public talk at the Skydragon Centre to a full and supportive crowd. This article is an overview of the event, interviews and conversations during his stop-over in Hamilton, Ontario.

Three Decades of Struggle

El Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA) is a rural Indigenous-peasant (commonly knows as campesino) organization which has struggled for 28 years to recuperate land, promote responsible agriculture, and defend human rights in order to bring about long-term social change for the rural (largely Indigenous) population of Guatemala.

Café Justícia … a means toward social justice

The CCDA has achieved much, and offers a real alternative for small-scale farmers through its Café Justícia project – a fair trade plus coffee (producers earn 60% more than the standard fair-trade rate), imported exclusively to Canada by social justice groups.

The coffee sales enable the CCDA to meet some of the most basic and urgent needs of rural families:

Leocadio proudly describes the construction of some 60 homes in the last 4 years: “These homes are made of block and wood for families that previously lived in horrible conditions sheltered only by plastic and sticks”. They’ve built a day care centre, funded educational scholarships, along with teachers’ salaries, health services; and remarkably, the CCDA will be inaugarating a small rural hospital – “a huge luxury for rural Guatemala”, he adds.

Yet these urgent needs remain dire.

Leocadio informs us that in 2009, 252 People died of hunger – not a result of any disease or illness – they simply starved to death. He adds that 49% of children under five are chronically malnourished.

He asks: “What does this mean for future generations? We all know the connection between malnourishment and learning difficulties…it ensures that Indigenous people will continue to be subservient and enslaved.”

“Esto es injusticia – hay que cambiarlo – This is injustice – it must be changed”, says Leocadio.

… And a means toward land reform

Café Justícia is also the CCDAs base for their broader social justice and political struggle. The CCDA aims to change existing laws that have historically and perpetually exploited Indigenous people.

At heart is land reform.

“Not only does 2% of the population own 70% the land, but these wealthy land owners [or large corporations] have the enslavement of campesinos and since they have the state at their service, can act with total impunity.”

“Esto es injusticia – hay que cambiarlo”, Leocadio reiterates.

Thus far the CCDA has obtained 4500 hectares of land for some 1600 families.

But only structural-legislative changes will transform he concentration of historically-established land ownership.

In April of 2008, Leocadio and other associates achieved a huge success in signing the “Rural Development Framework Agreement” with the current Guatemalan President, Alvaro Colóm. The agreement was seen as a starting point to discuss land reform.

“We aren’t interested in land handed over as charity.” Leocadio qualifies.

“We want land accompanied by technical assistance. We need capital for social infrastructure (schools, housing, etc) and productive infrastructure (warehouses, irrigation and access to agricultural markets). These are the absolute minimum requirements, and with this we could be successful. Of course the oligarchy doesn’t like this. They want cheap labour and for the Indigenous population to continue to be subservient. To change this is to threaten their interests.”

Leocadio and his associates have been publicly critical of the Guatemalan Government’s refusal to proceed with land reform talks; they’ve also spoken out against corruption, human rights abuses and impunity.

The CCDAs success (with Café Justícia, land reform and empowering communities) along with outspoken denunciations has angered some powerful enemies. They’ve been the victim of increasing retaliation and persecution since 2008.

Repression Aimed to Break the CCDA

Only one day after the 2008 “Rural Development Framework Agreement” was signed, Leocadio was attacked by gun-fire. A dozen bullets were fired at his vehicle, narrowly missing him. “These bullets were meant to kill us”, he recounts. Two years later, no thorough investigation has been carried out. As usual in Guatemala, the attackers are free. This wasn’t the first act of repression, nor the last.

Esto es injusticia – hay que cambiarlo.

In February 2, 2010, the CCDA, as a member of the Labour, Indigenous and Peasant Movement (MSICG) published the report “Guatemala: The Price of Labour Freedom”. The report specifies (from 2008-2010) details of murders, kidnappings, rapes and attacks against the labour, and campesino sectors.

One week later, $35,000 of Café Justícia was stolen from the CCDAs processing plant – a huge loss for the organization, micro-coffee producers, and their families. The attack is seen as a way of destabilizing and undermining the CCDA through the destruction of its economic base, Café Justícia.

At the same time a series of death threats were issued to both Leocadio and his family. Within hours the Juracán family went into hiding.

With the support of the Canadian embassy, international labour movement and volunteer Canadians in Guatemala they fled to Canada.

On Tour and Taking Action!

While in temporary exile, Leocadio toured Canada with the objective of publicizing and condemning repression, promoting Café Justicia and raising funds to offset the huge loss the CCDA has suffered.

He meets with unions, churches, schools, social justice groups, NGOs, government officials, coffee roasters, and gives dozens of interviews. During his “down time”, he continues to talk about advances people and communities have made, about politics, about corruption, crimes and impunity.

He never seems to tire.

Leocadio says he wants to return to Guatemala. He says he’d hoped in a few months things would calm down so that he could return to his community and life work. But they haven’t.

More news from Guatemala: 4 more recent murders of rural popular organizers, one of them severely tortured. The persecution not only attacks the CCDA, but the entire rural popular movement.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

• Send letters to the Guatemalan authorities and to Canada's Ambassador to Guatemala. Suggestions and samples letters are at .
  To date, despite all attacks have been reported to the National Police, no serious investigation has taken place.
• Support Café Justicia: available at OPIRG McMaster, or by contacting Carolyn (joca@cogeco.ca).
• You can also sell Café Justicia as a means of fundraising for your own organization.
  Learn more about it at .

Here is one of the many Urgent Action letters (by a 6 year old) sent to the Guatemalan government during Leocadio’s tour.

TEXT OF HANDWRITTEN LETTER (above):
Dear Guatemalan Government: I am worried about the CCDA. Please find out who stole the coffee. Please give them some land so people can build houses and grow food. And stop mining. And please stop war. Please throw out guns. My name is Natalia and I am 6 and I care about Guatemala. I live in Canada. Stop bad thing. Thank You.

scenes from a marsh

An excellent turn-out in primo spring weather for the OPIRG McMaster/Restore Cootes Volunteer Marsh litter clean-up Saturday.

A group of Katimavik youth began their clean-up by prying a long-dumped couch out of the soggy banks of the marsh, while McMaster students from the Biodiversity Guild waded into the deeper waters of the marsh to pull out everything from fire-extinguishers (five of them!) to rusted paint cans and pregnancy testers.

Families from Dundas joined the fray, and with the assistance of Steve and Ron with their trucks, moving the long-stashed garbage and recyclables to the end of the lane where city workers will remove to the waste transfer station on Monday was a breeze.

Special thanks to Joanna Chapman and the office of Russ Powers for supplying bags and gloves.

Random catches:

• est. 40 people helped
• 2 hours
  
• Well over 50 bags of garbage removed, plus recycling and household hazardous waste
  
• 19 Car tires
• 5 fire extinguishers
• 1 microwave
• 1 pregnancy tester
• various furniture

Hopefully this clean-up will not have to be a yearly event at this Marsh - an access road is now blocked to vehicles which should prevent the use of the marsh as a dump.

NEED TO KNOW: Household hazardous waste can be disposed of safely by dropping off at the Dundas Waste Transfer station (and other municipal sites). Bulk items - such as the tires found in the marsh - can be picked up for free by the city. For more information on these programs, check out the city web site.

Remember that the opirg office is a drop-off point for used batteries. More info on battery recycling at McMaster here.


Photos by Bronwyn "Menace" Kay

taking care of business

The OPIRG McMaster AGM went off smoothly with the new budget accepted by the membership, the new (and returning) board members accepted for the next year, some working group reports, the Public Interest Grant winner announced, and then a fine meal shared with music. A fine end to a fine year, and a nice way to start to prepare for the year ahead.



A big thanks to all the volunteers who make OPIRG McMaster a going concern!

Soil Seekers

Joe gets his green thumb into action at the Gardening Workshop with Urban Farmer Russ Ohrt with his hand on the plough. The room was filled to (over)capacity for this hands-on workshop hosted by OPIRG McMaster.


Missed the news about this? Join our e-mail events list and stay in the OPIRG loop.

cycle security

Security & Parking Services have agreed to offer parking space in the Secure Bike Storage Facility for FREE for the duration of the 2010 calendar year. Even the deposit for the swipe card has been waived.
There is currently a Worth Mentioning story up on the Daily News, and more information on the Office of Sustainability website.
http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/worthmentioning.cfm?ID=5677
http://www.mcmaster.ca/sustainability/at_bike.html

Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

opirg attacked by UFOs

Or, maybe it was something else...regardless, some of you may have encountered our web site over the weekend, in which case you would understand that SOMETHING attacked it, a spambot is what I heard. Long story short - it's fixed. Yes, OPIRG.CA is once again keeping the world safe for positive contributions to the betterment of all planetary citizens, at least in this galaxy.

So, no need to panic. (But please, do come to our AGM tomorrow - the food will be "out of this world")

work your inner creature from the black swamp

Join us in some hands-on litter pick up at this nearby wetland. Saturday, April 10, 11am to 1pm.
Dress for wet weather, bring those hip-waders if you've got 'em! (there are drier areas to work as well as some watery bits) - tires, old computers, broken plastic chairs, plastic bags, and other assorted junk await your eager arms.
While you are there, check out some neglected natural areas along the historic Desjardins' Canal, and wander over to Spencer Creek, or hit Dundas for a drink/eats.
Minutes from McMaster! VOLUNTEER MARSH! (here's a map)

and the winner is...

...come to the opirg annual general meeting and hear the winner of the $1000.00 OPIRG McMaster Public Interest Grant announced.

(and eat free vegetarian food and elect the new Board of Directors)

Annual General Meeting of OPIRG McMaster

OPIRG McMaster AGM and Board Election
Date: Friday, April 9, 2010
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Room 318, McMaster University Student Centre

An opportunity to reflect on a year of action while preparing for the next year's activities at the OPIRG Annual General Meeting.

You are invited to attend and help elect our new board of directors, and say thanks to our outgoing board volunteers.

We will hear brief reports from our working group volunteers on their activities in the pursuit of their goals.

There will be middle eastern vegetarian food provided.

We urge our community membership and anyone interested in our mandate of social justice and the environment to attend.

For more information, please contact the OPIRG office at opirg@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 27289

See you there!

OPIRG Ottawa Job

Position Available

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group – University of Ottawa (OPIRG) is seeking a one year contract, part-time (20 hours/week) Campus Relations Coordinator to begin May 3rd, 2010 and end April 8th, 2011. OPIRG is a bilingual, student-funded and student directed volunteer organization dedicated to research, education and advocacy in the areas of social justice, the environment and health.

Campus Relations:

- Maintaining good working relationships with the SFUO (undergrad student association), GSAÉD (graduate student association), groups, administration, professors and media (i.e. Fulcrum, La Rotonde, CHUO, etc.) on campus.

- Keeping up and improving our visibility on campus through the administration, the staff and the students (i.e. keeping all sectors of the university up to date on who we are and what we do)

- Collaborating with other organizations and services on campus to plan events and campaigns, based on OPIRG priorities

- Coordinating communications with students through website updating and biweekly email newsletters.

Administrative:

- General administrative and office duties

- Sharing in the preparations for the Annual General Meeting

- Attending occasional Board Meetings and assisting the Board as necessary.

Programming:

The Campus Relations Coordinator will be responsible for organizing three major projects

- Alternative 101 Week: Organize progressive and dry activities to welcome new students to the University of Ottawa

- OPIRG research grants: Help develop and coordinate the research grants at OPIRG by gathering application and acting as liaison for the selection committee.

- Coordinating OPIRG workshops that are offered to students and to the community

- There is an expectation that the coordinator be available at the end of August and beginning of September to coordinate Alternative 101 Week. The Coordinator is also expected to work additional hours during the coordination of that event.

Essential Qualifications

- MUST be fluently bilingual (French and English writing and oral comprehension)

- Keen ability to network, plan events & campaigns, create promotional material.

- Ability to work under stressful conditions, multi-task and meet deadlines.

- Knowledge of, and experience with social and environmental justice issues and non-profit organizations.

- Exemplary organizational, administrative and time management skills; strong inter-personal and communications skills.

- Proven ability to be highly motivated, self-directed, flexible and adapt quickly to new and challenging situations.

- Familiarity with social justice issues and experience with anti-oppression framework.

Preferred Qualifications

- Efficiency with computer applications, ability to maintain a basic website.

- Knowledge of University of Ottawa campus and local NGOs, social and environmental organizations and community organizations.

Benefits

- Progressive unionized work environment and salary

- Dental and health plan

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and people with disabilities to apply.

We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter.

All applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power and oppression.

Applicants who wish to be considered for employment equity may mention this in their cover letter.

Each applicant is responsible for making sure the hiring committee has received his/her resume, his/her cover letter and his/her statement of power and oppression.

Your application needs to include:

1. Cover Letter

2. Resume

3. Statement on Power and Oppression

We regret that the OPIRG office is not currently wheelchair accessible.

DEADLINE for applications: Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at 5:00pm.

Only those invited for an interview will be contacted.

Hiring Committee - OPIRG Ottawa

631 King Edward Ave., 3^rd Floor

Ottawa ON K1N 7N8

Fax: (613) 230-4830

Or e-mail to: opirg.embauche@gmail.com

--
Organisational Development and Financial Coordinator/ Coordinatrice des finances et du développement organisationnel
OPIRG-GRIPO Ottawa
613-230-3076 ext 1
opirgripo@gmail.com