The Life of Rachel Corrie

Tuesday, Dec. 4

McMaster University

7:30 P.M.

A glimpse of life inside Palestine, and

solidarity between progressives in the

West and Palestinians.

Rachel Corrie was an American college graduate who joined the International Solidarity Movement. She engaged in non-violent resistance training and peace demonstrations in the Gaza strip in 2003, and participated in Palestinian solidarity activism.

On March 16, 2003, Rachel was involved in an action to prevent Israeli bulldozers from carrying out house demolitions. She was killed in this action.

This film, “Rachel: An American Conscience” by Yahya Barakat chronicles the events of that day, and Rachel’s activism leading up to it. It contains footage of the tragic events of March 16, as well as rare interviews with Rachel and her parents – about what drove her activism.

“Rachel was not an Israeli, nor she was a Palestinian, but she was a member of the International Solidarity Movement and a member of the international civil society…She opposed non-violently the violence that occupation does to the Palestinians.”

Yahya Barakat | Director, “Rachel: An American Conscience”

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.

McMaster University

Ewart Angus Centre [Health Science Centre]

HS1A4

Free Admission – Donations Accepted

Parking for Health Sciences Centre:

Surface parking on campus $5

Underground parking $12

Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War – http://www.hamiltoncoalitiontostopthewar.com/

A poor peoples history of East downtown Toronto

Presented by: Gaetan Heroux

Photos by: John Bonnar

Thursday November 22

7:00pm

at the Brunswick Theatre-

296 Brunswick Avenue, 2nd Floor

$5 or pay what you can

In the 19th century East Downtown Toronto was home to several poor houses and by the turn of the century the slums of Cabbagetown housed thousands of factory workers who were employed by rich industrialists.

East Downtown Toronto in the 1950's was home to Canada's largest skid row and during the 1990's the corner of Dundas and Sherbourne became the site of some of most militant anti-poverty demonstrations in Canada. Now Toronto's oldest working class neighbourhood is disappearing. How did this happen? How can we fight back?

**

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6

416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca

**

October 30, 2007

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO SPEAK AT P.O.W.E.R. AGM - NOV 15TH

The timing couldn’t be better.  Just when people around the world are becoming more aware of Climate Change and wanting more information, Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (P.O.W.E.R.) has lined up one of the foremost experts on the subject.  P.O.W.E.R.  is pleased to announce that Dr. Gordon McBean, part of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will speak at their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Georgetown. Last month the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to the IPCC and Al Gore. 

“P.O.W.E.R. is thrilled to offer the community a free speaker of such high calibre on such an important topic,” said President Leslie Adams. 

Dr. McBean was a lead author of the IPCC assessments in 1990, which report lead to the UN framework on Climate Change, and again in 1995.  That report was used in the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol.  In 2007 he was a review editor for the IPCC’s assessment which will establish a framework for Kyoto 2. (The current Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.)  The fourth report, due before the end of November, will focus on solutions, which should be very welcome information.

Dr. McBean is currently a professor in the Department of Geography and Political Science at the University of Western Ontario and co-director of the University’s Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.  He has served on many national and international scientific committees and he plays a leading role in the IPCC.

The meeting will take place at Christ the King High School auditorium, 161 Guelph Street, Georgetown. Doors open at 6:30 pm, when the Silent Auction will start. The business portion of the AGM will begin promptly at 7 pm and there will be a short break before Dr. McBean speaks at 8 pm, followed by an opportunity to ask him questions. The community is welcome to attend both the AGM and to hear the guest speaker.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary, P.O.W.E.R. looks back on their many successes such as, leading the effort to stop the Acton Quarry from becoming a dump site, changing Niagara Escarpment legislation, bringing  independent information to our elected officials on issues such as incineration, and delivering successful environmental school programs involving over 13,000 students from both the public and separate boards.

Adams summarized, “P.O.W.E.R. has more opportunities to make a difference.  We are developing an advisory group or “think tank” of citizens.   People are needed for committees ranging from Energy and Climate Change to Fundraising.  We plan to have a new waste reduction committee.  So whether citizens have a little time or a lot, your help is needed.  You can write letters or post flyers, and know you have done something. ”

Contact: Leslie Adams, President of P.O.W.E.R. 905-877-4766  or

               Doris Treleaven, Director 519-853-9743

- 30 -

Israel and Palestine:

Roots of Conflict

Prospects for Peace

Dr. Norman Finkelstein

November 29, 2007

The Canadian-Palestinian Educational Exchange (CEPAL) invites you to attend its eleventh annual commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Keynote speaker, Dr. Norman Finkelstein will discuss roots of conflict and prospects for peace in Israel and Palestine.

For more information, please visit www.cepal.ca

November 29, 2007

6:30 PM (doors open 5:30)

OISE Auditorium, G162

252 Bloor Street West

Toronto, Ontario

Tickets (at the door):

Students: $5

General: $10

October 30, 2007

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO SPEAK AT P.O.W.E.R. AGM - NOV 15TH

The timing couldn’t be better.  Just when people around the world are becoming more aware of Climate Change and wanting more information, Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (P.O.W.E.R.) has lined up one of the foremost experts on the subject.  P.O.W.E.R.  is pleased to announce that Dr. Gordon McBean, part of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will speak at their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Georgetown. Last month the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to the IPCC and Al Gore. 

“P.O.W.E.R. is thrilled to offer the community a free speaker of such high calibre on such an important topic,” said President Leslie Adams. 

Dr. McBean was a lead author of the IPCC assessments in 1990, which report lead to the UN framework on Climate Change, and again in 1995.  That report was used in the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol.  In 2007 he was a review editor for the IPCC’s assessment which will establish a framework for Kyoto 2. (The current Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.)  The fourth report, due before the end of November, will focus on solutions, which should be very welcome information.

Dr. McBean is currently a professor in the Department of Geography and Political Science at the University of Western Ontario and co-director of the University’s Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.  He has served on many national and international scientific committees and he plays a leading role in the IPCC.

The meeting will take place at Christ the King High School auditorium, 161 Guelph Street, Georgetown. Doors open at 6:30 pm, when the Silent Auction will start. The business portion of the AGM will begin promptly at 7 pm and there will be a short break before Dr. McBean speaks at 8 pm, followed by an opportunity to ask him questions. The community is welcome to attend both the AGM and to hear the guest speaker.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary, P.O.W.E.R. looks back on their many successes such as, leading the effort to stop the Acton Quarry from becoming a dump site, changing Niagara Escarpment legislation, bringing  independent information to our elected officials on issues such as incineration, and delivering successful environmental school programs involving over 13,000 students from both the public and separate boards.

Adams summarized, “P.O.W.E.R. has more opportunities to make a difference.  We are developing an advisory group or “think tank” of citizens.   People are needed for committees ranging from Energy and Climate Change to Fundraising.  We plan to have a new waste reduction committee.  So whether citizens have a little time or a lot, your help is needed.  You can write letters or post flyers, and know you have done something. ”

Contact: Leslie Adams, President of P.O.W.E.R. 905-877-4766  or

               Doris Treleaven, Director 519-853-9743

- 30 -

"Women and war in Afghanistan"

A special public forum featuring Afghan MP, Malalai Joya

"Today we need security and liberation, but in the name of security, the foreign troops deprived us of our liberation. We need international support, but we don't want occupation." - Malalai Joya

Featuring:
Malalai Joya: Member of the Loya Jirga, Afghanistan's parliament

Other speakers:
Peggy Nash: Member of Parliament for Parkdale - High Park (New Democratic Party)
Carolyn Egan: President, Steelworkers' Toronto Area Council
Ausma Malik: Vice-president Equity, University of Toronto Students' Union (2006-07)

Tuesday, November 6
7:00pm
Steelworkers' Hall
25 Cecil Street
(1 block south of College, 1.5 blocks east of Spadina)

Tickets available at the door:
$10 adult
$5 students, seniors and unwaged

Parking available in rear parking lot.
Multi-faith prayer space available on site.

Malalai Joya, 28, is the youngest member of the Afghan Parliament. She was elected to the Wolesi Jirga in September 2005, winning the second highest vote in Farah province. She has been the target of numerous death threats because of her outspoken criticism of warlords and drug lords in the central government. She was expelled from parliament on May 21, 2007 following an interview in which she publicly criticized the human rights abuses of her co-parliamentarians.

Malalai is currently on a speaking tour in Canada. She will make her first and only appearance in Toronto on November 6.

Malalai Joya speaks on women's rights in Afghanistan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rmWcw5eJ_A

Malalai Joya speaks on warlords in Hamid Karzai's government
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO7Zpm6mySo

Malalai Joya speaks on Canada's role in Afghanistan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOb6ASTOZB4
(If you can't click on the link directly, just cut-and-paste it into the address line for URLs)

The Toronto Coalition to Stop the War is Toronto's city-wide anti-war coalition,
comprised of more than fifty labour, faith and community organizations,
and a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance.
www.nowar.ca stopthewar@sympatico.ca 416-795-5863

Please donate! Send a cheque or money order payable to TCSW Canada to:
TCSW, 427 Bloor St W, Box 13, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1X7

peace is possible

"Building Peace Piece by Piece in the Horn of Africa."

John recently participated in a conference on a regional peace and security architecture in Eastern Africa, part of a 3-year project funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), that was organized by Ploughshares’ Nairobi-based partner, the Africa Peace Forum.   

Following his talk there will be time for discussion over tea, coffee, cookies etc.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 11,

2007

7:30 P.M.

IDEA BURLINGTON PRESENTS:

STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The school sisters of Notre dame will present a FREE interactive workshop on the sexual exploitation of women and children

4 MILLION PERSONS ARE TRAFFICKED INTO SLAVERY EVERY YEAR,

25-30% ARE CHILDREN; COME AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

NOTRE DAME CONVENT 1921 SNAKE ROAD

WATERDOWN, ON L0R 2H0.

DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 5 (Dundas Rd) to Waterdown. In Waterdown, turn right onto Main St. off Highway 5 (the Royal Bank is on the right). Drive to the end of Main St. and then turn left to go over the bridge. At the stop sign keep to the right. You are now on Snake Rd. The SSND Motherhouse is on the left. Parking is located in the Visitor Area or behind the building.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

7:00pm

The Centre for Peace Studies

McMaster University

presents

The Tenth Annual

MAHATMA GANDHI

Lecture on Nonviolence

Satish Kumar

Health Sciences Centre, Room HSC-1A1

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

Reception to follow the lecture in the Ewart Angus Centre Foyer

Open to the public

When he was nine years old, Satish Kumar renounced

the world and joined the wandering brotherhood of

Jain monks. At the age of 18, he became a campaigner

for land reform, working to turn Gandhi's vision of a

renewed India and a peaceful world into reality.

Since the 1970s, he has been the guiding spirit behind

a number of ecological, spiritual and educational

ventures in Britain. For over 30 years, he has been

Editor of Resurgence magazine. He has also served as

Programme Director of Schumacher College – an

international centre for the study of ecological and

spiritual values – since its founding in 1991.

The author of such works as the autobiographical No

Destination and, most recently, The Buddha and the Terrorist,

Satish Kumar was presented with the Jamnalal Bajaj

International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values

Abroad in 2001.

Gandhi in the Age of Climate Change

Admission is free

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25^TH

7:00 P.M.

Hamilton Chapter of the Working Group for the Federal Department of Peace.

Endorsed by the United Nations Association in Canada (Hamilton Branch), the Hamilton Culture of Peace Network, and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Anyone interested in exploring the matter further is invited to attend the next meeting to be held on at the Meeting House, 7 Butty Place, Hamilton.

The Canadian Department of Peace website is: www.departmentofpeace.ca

Sunday April 29, 2007

2-4:30 pm

The Hamilton Interfaith Group and IDEA Burlington present an interfaith panel to illuminate

THE GREEN RULE

DO UNTO THE EARTH AS YOU WOULD HAVE IT DO UNTO YOU

Buddhist, Christian and First Nations Perspectives on Faith and Ecology

Come share YOUR faith’s perspective on the earth!

Quaker Meeting House, 7 Butty Place

off Lower Horning Rd. in West Hamilton

Speakers: Walter Cooke (First Nations),

Ted Reeve (Christian),

Dave Gould (Buddhist).

Opportunity for discussions in small groups

Refreshments

O Great Spirit...help us learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

Native American Prayer

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man. Acts17:24

Cut down the forest of desire, not the forest of trees.

The Buddha, Dhammapada 283

>>DATE: 11:30AM - 5:00 PM Saturday, March 31st, 2007

>>LOCATION: Hamilton Horseshoe Club - 170 Brockley Dr

>>DIRECTIONS:http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=170+Brockley+Dr.,+Hamilton,+ON&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=43.23895,-79.739799&spn=0.057526,0.215263&om=1

Community Friends for Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, a grass-roots coalition of community and labour activists is hosting this meeting in order to create a place for trade union activists in southern Ontario to come together to build union support for the Six Nations reclamation. From the beginning of the reclamation, the trade union movement has issued statements of support and made financial donations.

However, this support needs to be sustained as well as extended into the rank-and-file of the union movement, as we at the grassroots work consistently to build bridges between the common values and interests of the trade union movement and those of indigenous peoples.

Members from the following unions will be present at the workshop: CAW 707, CAW 555, CAW 88, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3906, CUPE 1281, CUPE 4400, CUPE 5167, USWA 1005, and USWA 1998.

11:30am SHARP Welcoming session:

- people from Six Nations welcome union activists to the event

- representative from Community Friends explains the purpose of the meeting

- go around and introductions of everyone present

12:00pm - 2:00pm "INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY AND HAUDENOSAUNEE RELATIONS WITH THE BRITISH CROWN AND THE CANADIAN STATE: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT OVER THE 'DOUGLAS CREEK ESTATES'".

The purpose of this session is to provide people with the historical and political background to the struggle going on and to provide people with the tools to convince their fellow union members about the justness and righteousness of the Six Nations cause. Speakers include Hazel Hill from the reclamation site, Ruby Monture, and Rhonda Hill - mother of Six Nations political prisoner Christopher Hill. Other speakers TBA

2:00-2:30pm snack break

2:30pm - 5:30pm "WHY (AND HOW) SHOULD TRADE UNIONS SUPPORT INDIGENOUS RIGHTS? HOW DO WE ORGANIZE WITHIN UNIONS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF INDIGENOUS ISSUES AND MOBILIZE THE RANK-AND-FILE TO GET ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY?"

Some people argue that trade unions exist for the purpose of defending their membership from their bosses and should only be limited to working around workplace issues. Other people argue that "an injury to one is an injury to all" and that trade unions are powerful vehicles for social justice and solidarity on a wide range of issues not limited to the workplace. This panel discussion will address the question of how trade unions have related to indigenous struggles in the past, how they do so today, and why the union movement can be an important ally for indigenous peoples across the country. The second part of this session will focus on the nuts and bolts issues of how we can work within the union movement to build support for indigenous sovereignty in general and concrete support for Six Nations in particular and address the kinds of problems and challenges we might face in doing this work.Speakers: Lindsay Hinshelwood, CAW 707; Tom Keefer, CUPE 3903; Joanne Webb, CUPE National Aboriginal Council, and others TBA from the Trade Union Movement.
************************************************************************

REGISTRATION FORM: UNION EDUCATIONAL MEETING IN SUPPORT OF SIX NATIONS

>>Please email form to tom@tao.ca or call 416-526-4255 for more information.

>>NAME:

>>

>>UNION:

>>

>>PHONE #:

>>

>>E-MAIL:

>>

>>ADDRESS:

The Frente Popular Francisco Villa is a powerful and deeply rooted social movement in Mexico that traces it origins back to the grass roots challenge to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and the bloody repression that was directed against it. They are at the forefront of fighting neoliberal restructuring and mobilize poor communities to resist.

Recently, they contacted us and invited us to send a couple of our members down to an important convention they are holding next month that takes place every four years and brings in delegates from across the Country and beyond.

To say the least, we are honoured that such a movement of resistance in an oppressed Country would have heard of our little skirmishes here in Toronto and would want us to come to their meeting. They are proposing that we develop joint campaigns and develop an ongoing working relationship that will include activist exchanges. It is a huge opportunity to develop international solidarity and learn so much.

OCAP's delegates will be housed and fed by the members of the FPFV but we have to come up with airfare costs that seem to be roughly $1,000. We consider making with link a priority but would greatly appreciate any and all assistance supporters might be able to give us.

If you can help us defray this cost, please send a cheque to:

OCAP

10 Britain Street,

Toronto, ON

M5A 1R6

**

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6

416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca

Contributions by:

Haudenosaunee Confederacy representatives
as well as Janie Jamieson, Hazel Hill and Dawn Smith

Thursday March 29
7pm-9pm
MDCL 3020

MCMaster University, Hamilton

The struggle of the Six Nations of the Grand River to reclaim the land called Kanonhstaton near the town of Caledonia, Ontario is coming up to the first anniversary of the re-occupation of the land by members of the Six Nations community. The dispute has had effects not only in the town of Caledonia and other parts of Canada, but also most notably in the Six Nations community itself. Overwhelmingly, the public and private media have focused on the economic and to a lesser extent the social impacts of the conflict in the community of Caledonia itself. Somewhat disturbing is the fact that media coverage has been much less, if not non-existent, on the impact on the Six Nations community.

Often the effects of these kinds of conflicts are revealed best through the eyes, the feelings, and the experiences of women. Women have played a prominent leadership role in the occupation of Kanonhstaton itself. The decision by governments to involve the Six Nations Confederacy in the negotiations after decades of suppressing their activities and denying their existence has highlighted the role of clan mothers as leaders in the Haudenosaunee governing system and their responsibility to care for Mother Earth. And whenever there is trauma in a community as has occurred during this dispute, this trauma is often felt most directly by women, whether as mothers of young children denied places in schools or sports teams, as community members faced by anger and violence that arises from frustration from the conflict, and as persons feeling such stress to the point of undermining their mental and physical health.

This forum will explore some of these issues with remarks being offered by selected women from the Six Nations Community and their experiences of the Land Reclamation Dispute.

This event is sponsored by the Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, the McMaster Public Forum and the Indigenous Studies Program.

For more information or directions, please visit: http://globalization.mcmaster.ca/women

The Ipperwash Inquiry's Report, two years in process, is to be released next month. The Inquiry asked, not who killed Dudley George (the unarmed Aboriginal protestor in 1995 occupying Ipperwash Park), but who sent the OPP into the provincial park armed with riot gear?; the history of the Park's takeover under the War Measures Act; and how such a disaster/murder/confrontation could be prevented in future? For extensive background go to the Ipperwash Inquiry's website.

Our seminar, with several distinguished guests, will look at the aftermath and implications of the Inquiry's report and the media coverage of the Dudley George 'era' (1995-2007).

WHEN: Friday, March 30, 11:15am - 1:30pm

(since that's lunch time, we'll serve some modest food!).

WHERE: North Campus Building 293

WHO:

--Sam George, brother of Dudley George, who sued the ON Harris goernment, withdrew suit when the Inquiry was called by McGuinty government.

--Peter Edwards, Toronto Star reporter covered story since 1995, UWO history grad, author of One Dead Indian book

--Jean LaRose, CEO Aboriginal Peoples TV Network, in 1995 Communications Director for the Assembly of First Nations Chief Ovide Mercredi

--John Miller, Ryerson Journalism faculty, UWO J grad, has done an analysis of media coverage of the Inquiry

--Dan David, founding News Director APTN, presently First Nations Technical Institute

SPONSORS:

Diversity Journalism 791 and the CanWest Global Fellow

HAMILTON (ON) – March 21st, 2007 – A peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict near Caledonia can only be achieved if the federal government lives up to its obligations and negotiates in good faith with Six Nations. That’s the message a group called Hamilton Solidarity with Six Nations is hoping to spread at an information demonstration at McMaster University on Wednesday March 21st.

“The Federal Government can’t try to pass the buck by pretending that the Provincial or other levels of Government, or the Band Council, are responsible for negotiations.” says Dr. George Sorger, a spokesperson for the group. “We believe the authorized representatives of the Federal Government and the Six Nations Confederacy are the ones who will make the critical decisions and have to be at the negotiating table, because they are the ones who inherited the authority from those who made the treaties and agreements in the first place.”

The group is made up of a wide variety of people from the
Hamilton area: high-school teachers, trade unionists, community organizers, and university students and professors.

“Our group, along with a number of other solidarity groups in the region, want to send a clear message that this dispute isn’t about natives versus non-natives.” says Sorger. “We all have a stake in seeing this conflict and all land claims resolved and it is evident that the Federal government’s present approach isn’t leading to a timely solution that is acceptable to all parties.
The power to resolve this rests with them and as Canadians we should insist that our government act in good faith.”

This is the second Hamilton event where the group will be
asking the public to sign petitions and letters to the Prime
Minister to insist the federal government halt all development on lands in dispute and work to settle Six Nation’s claim with respect and integrity.

Free soup and coffee will be served.

“The response to our last information demonstration in
Downtown Hamilton on the 28th [of February] was incredible,” says Alyson McCready, a spokesperson for the group. “People are hungry for information and they’re angry the Federal government isn’t living up to its obligations.”

“We’re coming to McMaster because many of us live and work in and around McMaster and this and other land claim disputes really aren’t on the agenda in Canada’s education system.” McCready continues. “Canadians need to know more about what’s going on so we can hold our government to account.”

The information demonstration will take place from 11am-2pm in the courtyard between the Student Centre and the Library at McMaster.

Please contact:
Dr. George Sorger & Alyson McCready
Retired Professor of Genetics Chair,
CUPE Local 3906 Political Action Committee
sorger@mcmaster.ca
alyson.mccready@gmail.com
905-525-9140 x24852 905-525-9140 x24852

WHOSE WATER? A CITIZENShift Screening

Tuesday March 20, 7:00pm

60 Minutes of new documentary material with panel discussion on the Right To Water from various perspectives

Featuring:

Tim Morris, Sierra Club of Canada: "Ecological Approaches to the Right to Water"

Eduardo Sousa, Council of Canadians: "Global Water Justice Responses to the World Water Crisis"

Sara Stratton, KAIROS - Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives:

"Bottling the Right to Water"

Moderator: Stephen Scharper, Author and Professor - University of Toronto

Location: Innis Town Hall - Innis College, University of Toronto

(1 block south of Bloor St. West; TTC: St. George Subway Station)

FREE!

For more information contact:

Denise Hastings, CITIZENShift/NFB (citizen.nfb.ca), 416.952.5092 or

d.hastings@nfb.ca;

Eduardo Sousa, the Council of Canadians (HYPERLINK www.canadians.org

www.canadians.org), 416.979.5554 or esousa@canadians.org;

Sara Stratton (HYPERLINK www.kairoscanada.org www.kairoscanada.org),

416.463.5312 x 241 or sstratton@kairoscanada.org

(Please contact tom@tao.ca or call 416-526-4255 or visit

www.honorsixnations.com for more information. Please be in touch with us to register if you’re planning to come to the event.)

DATE: 11:30AM – 5:00 PM Saturday, March 31st, 2007

LOCATION: Hamilton Horseshoe Club - 170 Brockley Dr

DIRECTIONS:http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=170+Brockley+Dr.,+Hamilton,+ON&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=43.23895,-79.739799&spn=0.057526,0.215263&om=1

Community Friends for Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, a grass-roots coalition of community and labour activists is hosting this meeting in order to create a place for trade union activists in southern Ontario to come together to build union support for the Six Nations reclamation. From the beginning of the reclamation, the trade union movement has issued statements of support and made financial donations.

However, this support needs to be sustained as well as extended into the rank-and-file of the union movement, as we at the grassroots work consistently to build bridges between the common values and interests of the trade union movement and those of indigenous peoples.

Members from the following unions will be present at the workshop: CAW

707, CAW 555, CAW 88, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3906, CUPE 4400, CUPE 5167, USWA

1005, and USWA 1998.

11:30am SHARP Welcoming session:

- people from Six Nations welcome union activists to the event

- representative from Community Friends explains the purpose of the meeting

- go around and introductions of everyone present

12:00pm – 2:00pm “INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY AND HAUDENOSAUNEE RELATIONS WITH THE BRITISH CROWN AND THE CANADIAN STATE: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT OVER THE ‘DOUGLAS CREEK ESTATES’”.

The purpose of this session is to provide people with the historical and political background to the struggle going on and to provide people with the tools to convince their fellow union members about the justness and righteousness of the Six Nations cause. Speakers include Hazel Hill from the reclamation site, Ruby Monture, and Rhonda Hill – mother of Six Nations political prisoner Christopher Hill. Other speakers TBA

2:00-2:30pm snack break

2:30pm – 5:30pm "WHY (AND HOW) SHOULD TRADE UNIONS SUPPORT INDIGENOUS RIGHTS?

HOW DO WE ORGANIZE WITHIN UNIONS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF INDIGENOUS ISSUES AND MOBILIZE THE RANK-AND-FILE TO GET ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY?"

Some people argue that trade unions exist for the purpose of defending their membership from their bosses and should only be limited to working around workplace issues. Other people argue that "an injury to one is an injury to all" and that trade unions are powerful vehicles for social justice and solidarity on a wide range of issues not limited to the workplace. This panel discussion will address the question of how trade unions have related to indigenous struggles in the past, how they do so today, and why the union movement can be an important ally for indigenous peoples across the country. The second part of this session will focus on the nuts and bolts issues of how we can work within the union movement to build support for indigenous sovereignty in general and concrete support for Six Nations in particular and address the kinds of problems and challenges we might face in doing this work.

Speakers: Lindsay Hinshelwood, CAW 707; Tom Keefer, CUPE 3903; Joanne Webb, CUPE National Aboriginal Council, and others TBA from the Trade Union Movement.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May will be in Mississagua on April 26th as guest speaker at the Sierra Club's Earth Week Special Event. For details please read the info below from Peter Orphanos of the Sierra Club of Canada - Peel Region, and the linked pdf file for the event flyer.

Dear Peel Group Members of the Sierra Club of Canada,

We are fortunate to have been able to get Elizabeth May to be our guest speaker at our Earth Week Special Event. It will take place on Thursday, April 26, 7:00 p.m. at the H.J.A. Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario Street, Mississauga. The flyer with all information is attached. The cost is $20. Mail your cheque along with your name(s) and email address(es) to Peter Orphanos, 5372 Drenkelly Court, Mississauga, ON, L5M2H4. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt which you can present at the door. If you do not have email, include your phone number where we can contact you. Your name will be on a list of those who have paid which will be at the entrance reception area. You will then receive your ticket. Please try to support this major fundraiser which is sure to create much excitement. It will be the major gathering of environmentalists in 2007 for Peel and beyond - a great opportunity for networking and learning.

cheques for payment of tickets are to be made out to Sierra Club of Canada - Peel Region.

Peter Orphanos - Chair

Sierra Club of Canada

Peel Region Group

may-flyer.pdf

2)Stop the Brutality Evening of music and Spoken word: March 17th

3)Queering the Fight for Status Rights: March 18th

4)WORLD WATER DAY Screenings with the NFB: March 20th

Also, for MORE events happening around the city updates for Action Group meetings visit our website: www.opirguoft.org

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1) Troops Out Now! Rally

Saturday, March 17 at 1:00pm

United States Consulate

360 University Avenue

(TTC: Osgoode or St. Patrick)

Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan! Bring them home now!

Rally - march - giant peace sign

On the four-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, join the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War and people all over the world to demand: "Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan: bring them home now!"

We don't want to wait for the Canadian equivalent of the Iraq Study Group to tell us what we already know now: that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been a total disaster and it's long overdue that we bring the troops home.

Join us for a rally featuring special guest speakers and performers, a march through the streets of downtown Toronto and - at the end of the march - the formation of a giant peace sign made up of thousands of people. More

details to follow!

Organized by the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.

Issued by the Canadian Peace Alliance and Collectif Échec la guerre For updates, please visit www.acp-cpa.ca and www.echecalaguerre.org.

Toronto Coalition to Stop the War

TCSW is Toronto's city-wide anti-war coalition,

comprised of more than fifty labour, faith and community organisations, and a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance.

www.nowar.ca stopthewar@sympatico.ca  416-795-5863

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2) STOP THE BRUTALITY!

The Cat's Eye

Saturday, March 17

7pm

Cat's Eye 150 Charles Street

(TTC: Exit Museum Station, walk a few meters East on Charles St. and it's on the left side of the street)

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FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY:

*LAL

*Logikal Ethix and Unknown Misery

*Mr. Bones

.... and many more

Everyday across the city, immigrants, poor people, indigenous people and people of colour are confronted by the violence of the Toronto Police.

In our schools, near our workplaces and in our neighbourhoods, on our streets, we are met with racial profiling, random identification checks, beat downs and shake downs. People without status face the worst of it:

racist targeting and deportation!

Despite the horror of these intimidation tactics, we refuse to remain quiet. We continue to organise for justice, dignity and respect.

Join us as we celebrate our power and our resistance with a night of hip-hop, singing and spoken word.

Organised by: No One Is Illegal-Toronto, OPIRG-Toronto, No One Is Illegal-Brampton

For more info contact: nooneisillegal@riseup.net

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3) No One Is Illegal ? Toronto and CUPE 3903 and Trans Feminist Action Caucus present:

Queering the Fight for Status Rights: Trans and Queer Immigrants Speak Out!

Sunday, March 18th

2:30 at 5pm

The 519 Community Centre

519 Church St.

with:

Rocio Velasquez, No One Is Illegal ? Toronto

El-Farouk Khaki, Salaam

Alvaro Orozco, currently fighting for refugee status

Yasmeen Persad, Trans Access Project @ the 519

Suhail AbualSameed, Supporting Our Youth

Immigrant and refugee activists from local organizations speak on key issues facing trans and queer immigrants and refugees fighting for status in Canada. Multiple barriers face trans and queer people living without legal immigration status as they seek access to services in the Toronto area, such as housing, health care, legal representation, employment, and others. In their fight for status rights, immigrants and refugees encounter the transphobia, heterosexism and racism of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Rocio will speak on the broad issues facing queer and trans immigrants in Canada. El-Farouk will provide a more in-depth criticism of the Canadian immigration system.

Alvaro will explain his encounters with the Immigrant and Refugee Board, who judged him 'not gay enough' for refugee status. We'll hear Yasmeen discuss the need for access to services for newcomer and non-status immigrants living in Toronto. Suhail will address the need for broad com