art-media contest!

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.

not the malls

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.

end violence against women

To highlight the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women:

OPIRG ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE: DEC. 1st

Toy Drive for First Nations

Keep on the Sunny Side of Hamilton

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.

Lessons in Nonviolence

[participants playing the violence spectrum game]

Despite the obstacles presented by a last minute change of location, 20 people made it to the Creative Protest and Nonviolent Civil Disobedience workshop with facilitator Matthew Behrens, held in the comfy confines of the McMaster University Student Centre.

Lots of interesting discussion, with participants, from high school students to university professors, health care workers and university students, contributing much to the overall tenor of the workshop. Some shared their experiences with recent protests like the G20, and others sought ways to creatively address social justice in the workplace.

["Puppy Pile" method of protecting someone from attack, demonstrated by participants in Saturday's workshop.]

Much to think about, and hopefully a more detailed article to follow...

LAST MINUTE CHANGE OF LOCATION for WORKSHOP SATURDAY!

WORKSHOP: Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

Time	Begins at November 20th 10:00 AM, 2010 Ends at November 20th 04:00 PM, 2010
Location	NEW LOCATION! Atrium, McMaster University Student Centre
Organizers	opirg mcmaster
Posted by

Creative Protest and Civil Disobedience

A Hands-On Workshop on the Empowering, Transformative Power of Nonviolent Direct Action

Positive changes in the world have often relied on nonviolent civil disobedience to achieve their goals, yet very few people have a practical understanding of the tactics and methods of this dynamic and powerful approach to social change.
This day-long workshop will be a hands-on learning experience that participants will value as they think about ways to carry out their work in social and environmental issues - from workers' rights and global solidarity movements for justice, to climate change and a host of local issues, nonviolent civil disobedience broadens the scope of possibilites.
Learn about your rights, how to deal with opponents, how to protect one another, examples of creative protests using nonviolence, the arrest experience, and the courts, where many nonviolent practitioners have found success in winning case law to broaden the scope of nonviolent resistance in Canada and beyond.
This workshop is facilitated by Matthew Behrens of Homes Not Bombs, and the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada. Behrens has been described as "an inspiration" by legendary civil rights activist David Dellinger. Behrens has been arrested numerous times for bold and creative acts of nonviolent civil disobedience on issues of peace, social justice and the environment.
Please pre-register for this workshop by e-mailing randy.opirg@gmail.com - space is limited

Climate protest tomorrow

Hamiltonians are being urged to join a protest tomorrow against the killing of federal climate change legislation by the Canadian Senate. The Hamilton 350 Committee is organizing a demonstration outside the Federal Building at 55 Bay North for 12 Noon to call for “real action on climate change” by the Canadian government.

In an unusual move, Conservative members of the Senate, including recently appointed Burlington senator David Braley, defeated the Climate Change Accountability Act. The legislation had been passed 193 days earlier by the House of Commons with the support of all parties except the Conservatives. It’s the first Commons bill defeated by the Senate since 2002 and one of only six since 1947.

A similar Act had been passed in 2006 by the Commons, but died on the order paper when Stephen Harper called an election. It set ambitious targets for reduction of Canadian emissions of greenhouse gases and would have forced the government to produce plans for achieving these targets.

Yesterday’s surprise move to kill the legislation comes less than two weeks before the opening of the UN’s Cancun Conference on climate change – the follow-up meeting to the failed Copenhagen one a year ago. While US and Canadian officials are playing down the possibilities of a global agreement at Cancun, there is growing pressure from smaller nations and grassroots organizations to act effectively on the climate change danger.

 As of the end of October, 2010 was on track to be the hottest ever recorded. Record temperatures were set this year in an unprecedented seventeen countries – ranging from Finland to the Sudan, Pakistan to Russia. The climatic catastrophes were extreme in the latter two countries.

The wheat crop was devastated and total deaths in Russia climbed by 56,000 as the country endured temperatures a full 10 celsius degrees above normal. At least 2000 people also died in Pakistan in floods that affected 20 million and covered an area twice the size of Lake Superior. About 4 million remained homeless in early November.

There were also devastating rains and landslides in China that killed at least 3100 people by the end of August, and a drought in the Amazon judged to be the worst in over 100 years. Closer to Hamilton, the Atlantic hurricane season has produced the second highest numbers on record, and the Great Lakes were deemed ‘bathwater’ with Lake Superior 8 degrees warmer than normal.

The Hamilton 350 Committee has been a vocal opponent on the city’s aerotropolis plans and conducted a protest garlic planting near the airport on Thanksgiving weekend. They also organized a demonstration at the Federal Building in 2009 and a candlelight walk in conjunction with last year’s Copenhagen conference on a global climate treaty. Participants in tomorrow’s protest are being encouraged to bring their own signs.

 

CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) updates use transcripts and/or public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media. Detailed reports of City Hall meetings can be reviewed at www.hamiltoncatch.org. You can receive all CATCH free updates by sending an email to info@HamiltonCATCH.org.

 

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.

This Saturday - Nonviolence and Creative Civil Disobedience workshop

South of the Border Theatrical Trailer

McMaster Students for Social Justice working group present (tonight!)

FILM SCREENING:

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

by
OLIVER STONE

BSB 147 - 7:00PM

TONIGHT, NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Oliver Stone travels to South America to document the changing social, economic, and political scene.

actions speak louder, Saturday

http://www.actionsspeaklouder.ca/

Conference Saturday. Check it out!

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.

Call for Submissions!

It’s that time of the year again! OPIRG is coming out with our fall/winter issue of the OPIRG at McMaster newsletter, and we need your help. 

We are looking for articles, original poetry, and reviews on relevant books or movies from our library. In addition, we are looking for your creative and powerful artwork to include as illustrations, or possible cover options for the newsletter. 

As a newsletter bringing recognition to all the working groups and volunteers of OPIRG, we aim to find ways to get each group and volunteer connected with one another. We also strive to share each group’s work and experiences through OPIRG with other working groups and the McMaster community. 

All submissions are due 12 noon, November 29th, 2010. We look forward to receiving your work and are eager to make this issue a great one.

Send your submissions to the Newsletter Committee by e-mail to 

randy(dot)opirg(at)gmail(dot)com

The Future of Sudan

facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129070813814718 

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.

Grassroots Jerusalem

Social Work Beyond Borders Committee (SWBBC)
Brown Bag Speakers’ Series
International Social Work

Micha Kurz was born and raised in Jerusalem. He was active in the Israeli National Youth Movement for over ten years. Micha worked extensively on leadership programs with new immigrant communities in Israel, mainly with youth from Ethiopia and the Caucasus. He was one of the first to implement a leadership training curriculum with Bedouin youth.

At nineteen, he joined the Israeli Military as a combat soldier and attained rank of Master Sergeant. As a result of his army service, Micha co-founded “Breaking the Silence,” an organization of former Israeli soldiers which has collected hundreds of testimonies from Israeli soldiers describing the realities of controlling a civilian population under military rule. Today he directs Grassroots Jerusalem, a mapping and networking project connecting urgent issues from human rights and justice to environment and sustainability from East (Palestinian) to West (Israeli) Jerusalem.

The vague lingo regarding political struggles in the Middle East keep us disconnected from what is happening “on the ground”. Terms such as “One state” / “two states”, “separation barrier”, “terrorism”, “peace process”, “Abbas is meeting”, “Netanyahu”, and other terms used by mainstream media are not enough to describe the oppression in the region. Mainstream media rarely covers civil society and grassroots level organizations resisting Oppression, while creating innovative solutions to urgent issues.
Session 2 of 2

November 10, 2010
McMaster University, Burke Science Building Room BSB 120 Time: 5:30 – 7:00 PM

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.

what do you think about the Census?

TONIGHT!
Census of Canada Discussion Forum
November 9th 07:00 PM, 2010
Hamilton Hall Room 302, McMaster University
McMaster Students for Social Justice working group


The Federal government has decided to change Canada's census from being mandatory to voluntary. This change will have severe negative social effects on Canadian Society.

Join the discussion!

ground game

What is Aerotropolis? from Mike Jerome on Vimeo.

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.

A dose of Social Justice on campus

By Dorina S.

Previously known as Campus Choice and the group behind the Coca Cola Referendum, the newly named McMaster Students for Social Justice (MSSJ) OPIRG working group is no stranger to the university community.

Whether being praised for their successful rally to gather support for the Local 2 Service Employees International Union or being dubbed Socialists by the campus media, there is no doubt that this group is raising important and controversial issues.

Kerem Can Engin and Alex Ramirez, the founders, believe that we have “a very apathetic student population” at McMaster University and has made it MSSJ’s main objective to involve more students in social and political issues on campus and beyond. His most memorable moment of achieving this goal was getting the opportunity to talk to janitorial staff, most of who attended the organized rally for service employees. Speeches were given and a petition was signed to help these invaluable workers to inform the McMaster community about their struggles in obtaining a fair contract at the bargaining table.

After the G20 conference held in Toronto, the McMaster Students for Social Justice group held a discussion forum on the way protests were handled during this international event. MSSJ may have been criticized for asking the question “Is Canada a police state?” but Kerem makes a convincing argument that “you have to ask controversial questions to get conversations started.”

Aside from critically examining the actions of corporations and the Canadian government, Kerem and his team hope to tackle more issues in the future. Although social justice activities can be viewed negatively by the campus press sometimes, this group is showing no signs of slowing down. With an upcoming discussion forum on the Canadian census debate on November 9th and a high possibility of the former British MP George Galloway giving a talk at McMaster, MSSJ is actively engaging the student body in relevant and exciting political issues.

In the future, the group will also be screening Oliver Stone’s South of the Border film on the recent political movements in Latin America. In order to make sure you don’t miss any of these informative and eye-opening events, or if you wish to get involved in social justice, email mcmastersocialjustice@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

day trippin' 12pm Friday Nov. 12

What: The Novice Cyclist Series: Commuting 101 – McMaster to Habourfront
When: Friday Nov. 12 @ 12pm (noon)
Where: Meet in front of Wentworth House

"Learn how to get from Point A to point B on your bike! This friendly afternoon bike ride will show you how to get from McMaster University to the Hamilton Harbourfront on two wheels. Meet in front of Wentworth House at 12pm (noon). We will start at Mac, go east on Sterling, east on King, north on Longwood and take the Harbourfront trail to the Williams Coffee Pub (maybe grab a bite there too!). Before the ride, we will review skills such as riding within traffic, signaling, stopping at stop signs, changing lanes, and making left turns. This is the first ride in the Novice Cyclist series. Beginner cyclists are especially welcome, but experienced cyclists are also encouraged to come out to help facilitate learning.

Presented by TLC (Transporation for Liveable Communities), The Novice Cyclist is a series of bike rides in Hamilton that is meant to foster learning. The ultimate purpose of these rides is to get more cyclists on the road and promote cycling as a viable method of commuting to get to work, school and other destinations. Participants will learn and practice essential skills (such as following traffic rules, changing lanes, and signaling) to break myths and fears associated with cycling on the road."

See you all there!
Davey

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.

food biz

A Swapping of ThreadWork

By Dorina S.

This new OPIRG working group is already making an impact with its do-it-yourself attitude that promotes sustainability and an alternative economy of buying less and reducing consumer waste. Despite the stigma of bed bugs and sanitation associated with used clothing, members collected over 700 pounds of garments that was displayed at the McMaster University Student Centre atrium recently.

There, individuals could use their swap points, obtained from donating their own used items, to get new (to them) items just in time for Halloween. Over the past month, ThreadWork has been collecting everything from shoes to t-shirts, which help you add to your swap points. These points will carry over to the next clothing swap in the Spring, if you didn’t get a chance to use them up this time around.

ThreadWork began in September with three members and already has an active volunteer group that helps out at events. Equipped with a small budget and a progressive idea, Davey Hamada, one of the core members, and his co-collaborators are happy to know that “people can make a change in their community from one idea.” They are currently working on a list of brands, retailers and thrift stores that are in line with the group’s core values of fair labour and community. This will allow students and Hamilton citizens at large to make use of their purchasing power and send a message that supports the fair trade of ethically sourced clothing. All of the items that are left over from the Clothing Swap event are being donated to a local charity, and members will also be holding Sewing 101 workshops to help students turn their large, ripped, and/or buttonless clothes into useable wears without mom’s handiwork.

If you want to stay in the loop or get weaved into the world of ThreadWork by facilitating a workshop, contact the group at macthreadwork@gmail.com.

ACT OUT AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: VAGINA MONOLOGUE AUDITIONS

Hello fellow students,

McMaster will be putting on the Vagina Monologues again this year and we need your help! We're looking for Actors, Fundraisers, Tech Crew, a Stage Manager...we need it all!

The Vagina Monologues is a performance under V-Day Campaign, which is a movement to stop violence against women and girls. Through this years performance we hope to increase awareness, raise money, and create a space for open dialogue about violence against women and girls. The Vagina Monologues is made up of a varying number of monologues read by a varying number of women and every monologue somehow relates to the vagina, be it through sex, love, rape, menstruation, masturbation, or the variety of names for the vagina.

The auditions for parts in this year's play are this week! Dates are as followed:

Thursday Nov. 4:
4:00 - 6:00PM - MUSC 302
6:30-8:00PM - MUSC 303

Friday Nov. 5:
5:00- 8:00PM - TSH 719

Saturday Nov. 6:
12:00- 3:00PM - TSH 719

There is also a facebook group- V-Day McMaster "The Vagina Monologues" 2011. If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact macvday2011@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Ashley Devenny
PS. We would love the assistance of male allies as well!

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.

WANTED: VOLUNTEER EDITORS!

• Editor OPIRG Newsletter
• Job description (llist all volunteer duties)
  Twice a year OPIRG publishes a print newsletter - PIRGSPECTIVES - your task is to work with the volunteer coordinator and other volunteers to assemble material (issue-based articles, photos, etc) from working groups and possibly other outside parties - edit, layout, proofread and print the newsletter - also make available online - help with distribution.
• Skills required (list all skills associated with this position)
  an interest and ability in basic editing (spell-checking) - an interest and ability in layout (have been using word) - interest in working collaboratively
• date volunteer required
  Wednesday, November 10, 2010 0:00:00 AM
• For mulitple dates and times, please list in the space provided
  The deadline will be decided based on availability (i.e. your availability) - we do a fall/winter and a spring/summer issue - previous examples can be found on the opirg web site at http://opirg.ca/pirgspectives
• Supervision provided?
  • Direct Supervision
• Training Required?
  • Yes, Minimal

Sound like something you would be interested in?

transportation for liveable communities meeting

TLC is meeting Thursday, November 4, 7:30pm at the McMaster University Student Centre room 224.

TLC is ten-years-old this year, and there is still a need for citizen action to ensure Hamilton gets the sustainable and accessible transportation system we deserve.

We need people to take on specific tasks so whether your strength is research, web, maps, public speaking, video editing, etc. you have a role to play.

www.tlchamilton.org

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 McMaster: FAIR TRADE FEST 2010

	November 3rd 10:00 AM,  to 5:00 PM
	McMaster University Student Centre: Marketplace

This holiday season, ensure that skilled artisans and labourers are paid a living wage by purchasing beautiful fair trade arts and products from around the globe.

OPIRG McMaster's Fair Trade Fest  will feature Faces of Fair Trade, a group of socially concerned individuals who support low income artisans around the world by purchasing and selling their crafts.  Their members represent co-ops from Bolivia,  Nicaragua, Rwanda, Cambodia, Nepal, Tibet, Mexico, Thailand, Guatemala, and many other countries.  Also, represented at the Fair Trade Fest will be local artisans selling everything from organic personal care products to jewellery.  Come check it out.

LUNCH AND LEARN SESSION

Wednesday, November 3 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Ken McGuffin will speak about Fair Trade as it relates to is volunteer work with Asociacion Maya and the Campesino Committee of the Highlands in Guatemala.

For more information call:  905-525-9140 ext. 27289 or email opirg@mcmaster.ca

Sailing to Gaza

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.

Free Your Schoolin

From Arabic to Qigong         

by Dorina S.

Hamilton Freeskool is an OPIRG working group that offers more than your average university curriculum. Working from a foundation of anarchist philosophy, egalitarianism and peace education, this group provides a self-sustaining, anti-oppressive and inclusive environment for learning that doesn’t involve buying doorstopper textbooks. In fact, Hamilton Freeskool’s price tag is in its name, free. With flexible schedules and intriguing course options, it is no wonder that some students are choosing to learn the ancient healing practice of Qigong instead of predrinking at home on a Thursday night. Plant identification, quilting and Spanish are just some of the eclectic options available for university students of all ages, as well as members of the Hamilton community interested in continuing their education.

Hamilton Freeskool promotes a non-hierarchical, participatory and open space where individuals can come together and discuss ways in which they can engage and learn about topics of common interest.

By now you might be asking where can I: Sign up? Get involved? Check out the courses?  If you simply want to take a class that doesn’t involve prerequisites or tuition, check out http://www.hamiltonfreeskool.org/courses. Don’t see anything you like? You’re in luck, because Hamilton Freeskool is always looking for new facilitators to teach courses. You can have a weekly, biweekly or even monthly session on anything from exploratory movement to a French talking circle. The best part? You don’t have to be an expert.  All you need is a passion for learning and one of the coordinators of this working group can help you set up.  Devon Ridge, a facilitator for the Practical Solidarity course and a Freeskool coordinator is constantly working with the freeskool organizer crew to make connections with community members and provide the space and materials required for running all of the available courses.

“We are going to be starting a course on storytelling so we are in the process of helping the facilitator find the space and develop a description that we can post on our website,” she said. 

Hamilton Freeskool is currently working on the “beautiful intention of decentralizing” commented Devon. Through her course she has made connections with the Six Nations Solidarity Network which course takers are helping to raise awareness about through their class activities. Further, collaborating with the St. Joseph’s Immigrant Women’s Centre, Freeskool is aiming to offer language courses in order to  expand  into all areas of Hamilton. 

Overall, the idea of Freeskool is catching on and students, as well as members of the community in Hamilton and in other parts of North America, are gathering to learn, share and participate in an inspiring way. Although Hamilton Freeskool is faced with challenges, Devon relishes in her experiences of taking a course on exploratory movement where she could explore all the planes in which her body could move. Although her fellow classmates seemed timid at first, Freeskool is about being “brave together to learn and try new things”.

To join the experience, contact hamiltonfreeskool@gmail.com or visit their website for details.