What: People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

When: Saturday December 4th, 2010, 9:30am-5pm

Where: Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George St, SS2118

Cost: PWYC (breakfast and lunch included)

On June 23rd 2010, in advance of the G20, Toronto held its first People’s Assembly in community response to the climate crisis. Now on December 4th, 2010, activists, groups, community organizers and neighbourhood participants will gather for the second Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice.

Faced with the illegitimate and false solutions promoted through the UN climate talks, La Via Campesina has called for the creation of a thousand Cancuns to counter the next round of negotiations in Mexico from Nov. 29th to Dec. 11th. For Dec. 4th, the Global Climate Campaign has initiated an international day of action, and the national call-out by the Council of Canadians to hold countrywide assemblies on the same day has been answered by communities across Canada. The second Assembly, as a manifestation of these calls to resistance, will serve as the launching point for a series of regular Assemblies in an effort to build a united movement for Climate Justice inToronto.

The challenge of the climate crisis can only be met with a coordinated response that will bring forth our power in numbers. It also requires that we confront the root causes of the crisis and not just the symptoms. Through a horizontal people’s process, the Assembly will seek to create a space where we can work together to share experience, knowledge, and resources in order to build a local response to a global crisis. The Assembly hopes to work towards this objective through channels of collective dialogue and community empowerment.

Our goal is to generate new possibilities and new hopes in order to bridge the gap from separately operating groups, communities, and individuals, to converge into one diverse, united movement. We must equip ourselves with the tools we need to fulfill our potential as an effective Social and Climate Justice community.

The Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

http://www.torontopeoplesassembly.wordpress.com

peoplesassembly.toronto@gmail.com

647-869-6496

Sponsors: Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, OPIRG-Toronto, Ryserson Student’s Union, Toronto Climate Campaign, Toronto Bolivia Solidarity

Endorsers: Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Canadian Animal Liberation Movement, Canadians for Action on Climate Change, Community Solidarity Response Toronto, Earth Rangers, ecoSanity, Environmental Justice Toronto, Greenspiration, Indigenous Environment Network, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Polaris Institute, Science For Peace, Toronto Vegetarian Association, Zoocheck Canada

The aims of the “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day” are:
to disseminate information on the concept, aims and purposes of sustainable development so that it can be understood by a broad public, and will include elements relating to its environmental, social, economic and policy aspects;
to raise awareness among university students on the complexity of matters related to sustainable development and the need for personal engagement and action;
to provide an opportunity to introduce projects and other initiatives on sustainable development that are being undertaken at international, regional and local level by schools, universities, government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders;
to discuss the problems, barriers, challenges, opportunities and the potential achievements with regard to implementing sustainable development, globally, regionally and locally
 
Target Groups

 
The "World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day" will reach a broad audience, comprising:
University students of all subjects;
University lecturers and professors;
NGO members, industrialists;
Interested individuals.

Format   
 
The “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day” consists of:
A set of 50 lectures in English prepared by some of the leading experts on sustainable development,
A set of videos on the scientific, economic and social aspects of sustainable development, which can be downloaded and
A discussion forum which will be on-line for 24 hours during the initiative.
The lectures are divided into four categories:
o        Category A: lectures on the theory and practice of sustainable development;
o        Category B: lectures on environmental, social, political and economic aspects of sustainable development;
o        Category C: lectures dealing with education, communication and training on sustainable development;
o        Category D: lectures describing local (i.e. at campus level) and regional initiatives, practical projects and other efforts involving different groups and stakeholders whose approach/methods may be replicable, transferable or likely to be of interest to a wide audience.
 

The following institutions are Partners of the “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day”:
AASHE - Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Disciplinary Associations Network for SustainabilityProf. María Novo, UNESCO Chair in Environmental Education and Sustainable Development, National University on Distance Education, Spain
Partnership for Education for Sustainable DevelopmentUNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO

Please join us for the 2nd annual PhD Research Matters Symposium.  This symposium will be an excellent opportunity to appreciate how Environmental Studies is being (re)defined by our PhD students, to hear directly about their diverse research, and to exchange experiences and interests. Tentative program
9:00-9:15          Coffee 9:15-9:30          Welcome (Stefan Kipfer, PhD Coordinator and Symposium Organizers)
9:30-11:00         Session 1: What the Space Reveals (Stefan Kipfer, Chair)Catherine Ady Bell
White Picket Fences and Abandoned Paper StreetsThorben Wieditz
Where regulation meets labour geography
Michael Classens
Contesting community development: Theorizing community gardens through space
11:00-12:30       Session 2:  Environments and Health (Sarah Flicker, Chair)Ellen Sweeney
Breast Cancer as a Contested Illness
Gloria Wenyeve
Forget Genetics: Social Inequalities Produce Vulnerability to Ill-Health and Health DisparitiesCarlie WienerFriendly or Dangerous Waters: A Social Approach to Understanding the Problem with Dolphin Tourism and Human Interactions 12:30-2:00        Lunch (provided to presenters) and Lunch DiscussionPhD Students + Faculty Members
2:00-3:30          Session 3: Narratives of Identity and Inclusion (Noel Sturgeon, Chair)Peter Hobbs
Epistemology of the Bunkhouse: Lusty Lumberjacks and the Sexual Pedagogy of the Woods
Amanda Di Battista
“The body will not tell”: Landscape and trauma in Canadian Fiction
Michaela McMahon
Identity, benevolence and belonging: Charitable giving and the construction of the “Canadian Canadian”Emily Porth
Social Inclusivity in Natural History and Science Museums: Questioning Dominant Narratives within Collection and Display 3:30-5:00          Session 4: Transitions in the Global South (Chair, TBC)Sonja Killoran-McKibbinHybrid Politics and Plural Policies: Theorizing Bolivia’s new development modelTania Hernandez-Cervantes
The conflicting process of conversion from traditional agriculture to organic farming

All Students and members of the University Community are invited to a presentation on recent developments of Responsible Investing at U of T.
This will include a brainstorming discussion with you, the university community on how U of T can better incorporate environmental and social issues into their investments
Host:     Responsible Investing Committee
Date:     Tuesday, November 16, 6-8pm
Location: Junior Common Room (JCR) University College, 15 King’s College Circle
Snacks and refreshments served!
 
 For information, please contact:
John Maiorano
Graduate Student
Centre for Environment / OISE
jmaioran@gmail.com

Advancing Democracy and Social Justice in Canada: The Next 30 Years

When: November 18, 2010, 9am to 7pm

Where: University of Ottawa, Tabaret Hall Room 112, 550 Cumberland Street, Ottawa

For 30 years, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has been giving voice to progressive ideas. In an era of shrinking progressive think tanks and growing right-wing think tanks, we’d like to celebrate our three decades of accomplishments.

We hope you will be central part of the celebration. On November 18, we celebrate 30 years with a gala dinner and a conference entitled Advancing Democracy and Social Justice in Canada: The Next 30 Years.

The conference and gala dinner, hosted by inveterate Canadian actor Eric Peterson, will be a who’s who of progressive thinkers, activists, politicians as well as CCPA staff, research associates, board from across Canada.

Agenda

Conference: University of Ottawa, Tabaret Hall Room 112, 550 Cumberland Street, Ottawa

Welcome: Bruce Campbell, Executive Director, CCPA, 9:00-9:15 a.m.

Session One: The Erosion of Democracy and Equality in Canada: What to Do  9:15-12:00p.m.

Chair: Gerry Caplan

• Alex Neve, Director, Amnesty International-Canada
• Olivia Nuamah, Executive Director, Atkinson Foundation
• Professor Paul Saurette, University of Ottawa
• Kate Rexe, Director, Sisters in Spirit, Native Women’s Association of Canada

Lunch speaker: Linda McQuaig

Session Two: The Economy: From Recession to Recovery to Transformation:, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Chair: Mike  McCracken, Chairman and  CEO, Informetica  Ltd

• Dean Baker, Co-director, Centre for Economic and Policy Research-Washington
• Jim Stanford, Economist, Canadian Auto Workers
• Armine Yalnizyan, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
• Iglika Ivanova, Economist, CCPA, BC Office

Evening Gala Dinner: Chateau Laurier Ballroom

Cocktails: 6:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.

Featuring a wide variety of prominent speakers paying tribute to the CCPA.

Location: 89 Roncesvalles, Tinto Coffee House

Time: November 17th, 7 – 9 pm,

With commentary by: Anna Zalik and David Szablowski, York University Professors, Eduardo Nunnink, Director of Planning and Development, Organization of the Shuar of Ecuador (OSHE) and Javier De Leon, Association of Integral Development, San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Guatemala

The experience of community members of San Miguel Ixtahuacan represents the struggles of many communities struggling to assert their self-determination in the face of violence, threats to health and economic survival related to an exploitative mining industry. Local communities from around the world are resisting these threats by initiating local referendums, public protest, using legal frameworks and proposing alternate forms of development. Many community members have learned from one another and linked their struggles and continue to articulate a new way forward. Come and learn from community members and be part of the discussion and the solution!

About the artist: Allan Lissner is an independent photojournalist based in Toronto, Canada. Allan's ongoing project, "Someone Else's Treasure", examines the social and environmental impacts of the global mining industry on indigenous communities around the world. Some of the organizations Allan has done work with include Amnesty International, Oxfam Canada, Make Poverty History, Norwegian Church Aid, the Ontario Council for International Cooperation, and the United Nations Development Program.

All money raised will go to: ADISMI (spanish acronym), the Association of Integral Development of San Miguel Ixtahuacan, a grass-roots community-led group that has carried out more than 40 community consultations in San Marcos Guatemala.

Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=138311416219215
For more info, please email: Susana.caxaj@gmail.com

Organized by Canadians Against Mining in El Salvador and Community Solidarity Response Toronto

“Spills, Recalls, Collapses and Recoveries: Institutional Resilience in an Age of Crisis”

When:                 November 23, 2010
Time:                  2:30 pm to 5:30 pm (includes a post-presentation reception)
Location:           Gowlings, Lafleur, Henderson, LLP 16^th floor,  100 King Street West

Organizers:      The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and The Hennick Centre, York                  University (an outreach centre in business and law).

Purpose: The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research is interested in stimulating public discourse in Canada on topics of importance to Canadians. In order to do this they are creating a series of public sessions where top researchers present on a current event with some persistence in the media. In this case, elaborating on recent crises by BP and Toyota, Dr. Diermeier will discuss how institutions manage crisis situations, how such situations reflect critical leadership skills of top executives and how public institutions and society adapt to these catastrophes.  

Overview of Session

The daily news is filled with stories of environmental disasters, security breaches and institutional failures.  Crisis management, or the ability to be resilient in the face of a major incident that threatens to harm an organization, has become a critical leadership skill. The damage from such crises can be severe, and the impact has spread beyond the affected companies, transcending corporate boundaries to shape the very society in which we live.

 If you are interested, you can register for the event by visiting https://kmb.cifar.ca.  Seating is limited so your timely reply is recommended. 

 Thank you again for your interest and I look forward to seeing you on November 23, 2010.

 Sincerely,

 Chaviva Hosek
President & CEO