Where: TEL Building
When: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Come by and learn about your rights as an employee! Feel free to pick up your Factsheet or help us spread the word while checking out prospective employers. Volunteer shifts are open to anyone who wants to join in on the Know Your Rights Campaign. Please message WLSSA exec at wlssa@yorku.ca if you are interested.
For more information please visit: http://www.yorkulssa.com/
In the spirit of change, I thought I would take this opportunity to write a positive blog by expressing my appreciation for the YU Free Press, our Yorku alternative newspaper. It is run purely by volunteers at the undergraduate and graduate level whose mission is to, “challenge the mainstream corporate media model and to provide a space for critical analysis and commentary of the news around us – both on and off campus – to a community of students, faculty, and staff alike.” They maintain a strong standard of anti-oppressive practices, striving for a vision of social justice by publishing labour, union and activist-positive material.
One of the strengths of the newspaper is that one does not have to be a member of the collective to publish. It is run completely by volunteers and functions solely through the support of the Yorku community. One can express their opinions without as many restrictions since they are not affiliated with the Yorku administration. In essence, if you are pissed off at the university, the Free Press is the place to publish it.
There are also no restrictions on writing about something you are involved in. The Excalibur considers this a conflict of interest, banning it from publication. The YU Free Press is a space where you can express what you are passionate about even if you are involved in the organizations that are a part of the story you are covering. This is intuitive because if you are interested in a story, you usually have a connection to it.
The paper is currently looking for new volunteers and contributors for their next issue. The next issue will follow the theme, Indigenous Sovereignty but it is not limited to Aboriginal issues. You can find the YU Free Press across campus in newsstands or download the material online.
The YU Free Press is a critical and self-reflexive view on what is happening on our campus. For an informed and alternative voice to the events that affect the York community be sure to pick up the next issue this January!
Every year for the past 19 years the Toronto Environmental Alliance
(TEA) has held the Ecobunk Awards that honours adverstising excellence
in greenwashing. The who's who of the environmental community gets
together to laugh, network and have a good time. In return, TEA gets
some needed money that helps us campaign on important environmental
issues at City Hall.
This year marks the 20th Anniversary Ecobunk. It's on February 2nd at
the Lula Lounge (details here).
Tickets are $40 each or $320 for a table of 8. In return, you get a
great evening's entertainment, you get to meet fellow Torontonians who
care about the environment, and you get to help TEA continue our work.
Finally, as you all know, the new Mayor and his supporters are wanting
to dismantle some of the important environmental accomplishments we've
won in the past few years. We need your help to make sure this doesn't
happen. Coming to Ecobunk is one way you can do this.
For more information: www.torontoenvironment.org
A Seminar
Presented by the Accessibility Community Equity Committee (ACE) and The Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES)
January 25th, 2011
12:30 – 2:30pm
Health Nursing & Environmental Studies building Room 140
What is environmental racism?
Can the environmental movement in Canada continue to organize on an agenda of primarily green politics, devoid of any critical engagement with issues of colonialism and race?
How are racialized communities mobilizing around environmental issues?
Taking from their lived experiences and professional work, panelists will critically discuss Canada's longstanding history of colonialism and racism, with a focus on Canada's claim of multiculturalism.
Moderator: Dr. Ellie Perkins, FES, York University
Panelists:
Cheryl Teelucksingh, Sociology, Ryerson University
Ann Phillips, PhD, Faculty of Environmental Studies
Robin Cavanagh, FES, York University
Beenash Jafra, PhD candidate, Women Studies, York University
For more information please visit:
https://sites.google.com/site/raceseminarseries/homeor contact ciann.wilson@gmail.com
Thursday, January 20, 7 p.m.
Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street
(East of Spadina, South of College)
Speakers:
• Andrea Harden: Energy Campaigner, Council of Canadians
• Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu: JustEarth, Toronto Climate Campaign, Post Carbon
Toronto
• John Dillon: Economic Justice Program Coordinator, KAIROS
• Statements by Bolivia's Ambassador, Pablo Solón (video)
and by Gerry LeBlanc, USW Injured Workers' program (video)
• Daniel T'seleie, Canadian Youth Delegation, hopefully by skype
• See video footage of Cancún protests (by Allan Lissner)
Moderator:
• Dorothy McDougall, Ecological Justice Program Coordinator, KAIROS
Over 190 countries, developed and developing, met late 2010 at COP16 in Cancún to come up with an agreement to respond to the world climate crisis. Come and listen to the reports of Canadian experts who went there to protest or to witness the negotiations. Vigorous protests inside and outside the conference spoke for the world's peoples in our struggle for climate justice.
Co-organizers: Toronto Climate Campaign; Council of Canadians (Toronto Chapter); Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
Date: Monday, January 24th - Toronto, Ontario
When: 5:30 pm - 9:00/9:30 pm,
5:30 - 7:00 pm - Animating Good Food Ideas, Exhibit and Reception
7:00 - Introduction to the film and screening
8:30 - Panel discussion
Where: New College, William Doo Auditorium, University of Toronto; 45 Willcocks Street, in the basement of the New College Residence (Enter the William Doo Auditorium through the door at the Southeast corner of Willcocks Street & Spadina Avenue).
Movie Topic: illuminates the worldwide movement for economic localization including the small scale and urban farming movement, i.e. Food Security, Local Food, Local Economies, Ecological Economics, No-Growth
Recommended By: Profs Peter Victor and Brian Milani
Website: http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org.
Presentation partners: Sustain Ontario; New College (University of Toronto); Equity Studies (New College, University of Toronto); Office of Residence and Student Life (New College, University of Toronto); Hart House (University of Toronto); Hart House Social Justice Committee; FoodShare Toronto; Local Food Plus; Toronto Food Policy Council; The Stop Community Food Centre; Meal Exchange; and Sheridan College.
On January 28-29, 2011, a new NGO - the Alliance Against Modern Slavery (AAMS) is celebrating its launch by bringing together international experts, government officials, law enforcement personnel, survivors of slavery and more to York University’s campus for a freedom concert and conference.
There are a staggering 27 million slaves in the world today. This number is equivalent to the entire population of Canada in the early 1990s. Slavery in the 21st Century is a $32 billion global industry on par with drug trafficking and illicit arms sales. While most nations have anti-human trafficking laws, enforcement is erratic and, in some countries, non-existent.
Public awareness of modern slavery is low, enabling traffickers to lure thousands of victims into forced labour situations. Canada, for instance, is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. According to the United Nations, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked internationally each year, with as many as 17,500 people trafficked into the United States alone.
The vision of AAMS is to combat modern slavery in Canada by collecting resources, building programs, and creating alliances among a network of local and global partners so that every person has the opportunity for sustainable freedom. Co-founder, President and CEO Karlee Sapoznik says “Modern-day slavery is arguably the most underpublicized human rights crisis of our time. As a historian who studied the slave trade and the Holocaust, I was shocked to learn that practices that I thought died out centuries ago continue today. The more I learned about modern slavery, the more compelled I was to start doing something about it. The Alliance Against Modern Slavery targets this scourge on our society.”
The NGO’s launch on January 28-29 will bring together survivors of modern slavery, politicians, law enforcement officials, activists and academics.
On Friday January 28th AAMS will be holding a benefit concert to raise funds of this new NGO. Well-known President of Free the Slaves, TED Speaker and consultant to the United Nations Global Program on Human Trafficking Kevin Bales will be the keynote speaker along with survivor testimony by Natasha Falle and music by Kate Todd, Jeff Gunn, Janelle Belgrave, and Samba Elegua drummers.
The conference will feature presentations by Marty Van Doren (RCMP Human Trafficking Awareness Coordinator for Ontario), MP Joy Smith (Conservative – Kildonan – St. Paul, Manitoba), MP Glen Pearson (Liberal – London North Centre, Ontario – Video Message), Peggy Nash (NDP Federal President).
The Alliance Against Modern Slavery was created by graduate students in York University’s Department of History. Kevin Bales and Paul Lovejoy, an accomplished historian of slavery and director of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples, sit on the organization’s board.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Karlee Sapoznik at (647) 637-6350 or babazada@yorku.ca;karleesapoznik@yahoo.ca
EVENT SPECIFIC INFORMATION
FREEDOM CONCERT
When: January 28, 7:00-10:00pm
Where: Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre,
Accolade East Building, York University
Cost: $19 or $14 for students
Tickets can be picked up at the York University Box Office
Box Office Information: http://www.yorku.ca/perform/boxoffice.htmBox Office Phone Number: 416-736-5888.
Online Ticket Purchase: https://secure1.tixhub.com/yorku/procurement
SLAVERY IN THE 21st CENTURY CONFERENCE
When: January 29, 9:00am-5:30pm
Where: Founders Assembly Hall, Founders College,
York University
Register: http://allianceagainstmodernslavery.org/confreg
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Keven Bales’s talks at TED 2010: http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_bales_how_to_combat_modern_slavery.html
Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples: http://tubman.apps01.yorku.ca/
When: Every Monday of the term (with the exception of February 7th and 21st) , 5-7 p.m
Where: Student Centre room 307 but location may change based on availability.
The Justice Cafe is a place for like minded seekers of justice to meet, network, socialize, learn and teach. We do our best to create a safe and anti-oppressive space for people to share ideas, dialogue and debate.
Join Us! The Justice Cafe is weekly event. For more information please visit: http://www.yorku.ca/gyn/Global_%40_York/Justice_Cafe.html
The Health and Environment Committee of the Aamjiwnnaang First Nation,
in partnership with several researchers, will host an innovative and
inspired "Community Forum on Pollution and Action" in Sarnia on
February 10 and 11, 2011. The Forum will consist of speakers,
workshops and break-out sessions focused on community mobilization and
knowledge-sharing for Aamjiwnaang community members, including youth,
neighboring First Nations, and allies in relation to environmental
justice organizing around pollution, environmental health and legal
remedies.
The event will include a keynote address by George Poitras of Mikisew
Cree First Nation on Mobilizing Indigenous Youth for Environmental
Justice.
When is it?? The Forum will begin on Thursday, February 10th at 5:30
pm and will end on Friday, February 11th at 4:45 pm.
Please consult the website for updates, location and agenda :
http://www.aamjiwnaangenvironment.ca/
Who is invited?? Community-members from Aamjiwnaang First Nation,
Walpole Island, Stony and Kettle Point, indigenous leaders and youth
activists, advocates for environmental justice, municipal and regional
environmental health authorities, and interested policy-makers from
all levels of government.
The Friday morning workshop sessions are geared primarily towards the
Aamjiwnaang community and the nearby First Nations. Limited
participation of interested ‘outsiders’ will be facilitated as space
allows. Please indicate your interest on the registration form.
How much does it cost? There will be no cost to members of the
Aamjiwnaang community and the nearby First Nations. For participants
from outside these communities, we will be selling tickets to the
Thursday night dinner and keynote at the door. There will be no set
price; a donation of $20 is suggested.
Who is organizing it? ?A collaborative research team, supported by the
Aamjiwnaang Health and Environment Committee, Professor Dayna Nadine
Scott at York University, and several other researchers. For more
information, please contact the project coordinator Sarah Wiebe at:
aamjiwnaangforum@gmail.com or 613.301.3055
This event has been made possible by generous grants from the Law
Foundation of Ontario’s Access to Justice Fund, the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research and the Dreamcatcher Foundation.
I don’t usually read the Excalibur, but last semester I grabbed an issue off of the racks and was fairly impressed by the editorial piece by the managing editor, Brent Rose. The article was concerning the health care services at York, specifically Appletree Medical in York Lanes.
Rose cites numerous cases where profit was chosen over York students’ wellbeing at Appletree Medical. The registered nurse that was working at Appletree was replaced by a ‘medical assistant’ that is able to do a fraction of what a registered nurse could do at the clinic. International students had to start paying $15 for every visit, even though they are covered by the York health care plan, and pay for it yearly. One of the doctors has left because he became disgruntled by the lack of concern for student’s health. Lastly, they fired the only chiropractor in the area because it was not an ‘essential service.’ The worst part is that no chiropractors can open up a practice in York Lanes since Appletree has exclusive rights to provide health care at York.
Natalie Livshitz photo from Excalibur article
On November 30th, Appletree Medical posted an update stating that soon there will be an Appletree Wait Timer program to download on your Iphone which will notify you of how long you will have to wait before seeing a doctor. This application is absolutely pointless. One of the many issues at Appletree is not being unsure of how long we have to wait rather it is the long wait time itself. Last week I sat in Appletree for two hours with a friend who needed an appointment that should have taken five minutes. After two hours of waiting, and no reassurance from the staff, we left without her seeing a doctor.
The Excalibur article concludes by voicing a concern for the rampant apathy surrounding how healthcare is offered at this campus. My only hope is that I will still be at Yorku when Appletree’s choice to disregard student’s health needs in the pursuit of profit is no longer ignored.
