Events Community Calendar - August 4th edition NSPIRG Announcements 1) SeeMore garden workshops 2) Groovy Garden Gathering Other announcements 3) Community Meeting on Tenant Rights 4) CKDU Annual Barbecue & Picnic 5) Free BBQ and backyard party in recognition of Prisoner Justice Day 6) Theory by fire - third session - Anti-state communisms 7) V-Day Dalhousie Recruitment for 2010/2011 Vagina Monologue Production ****************************** NSPIRG Annoucements ****************************** 1) SeeMore garden workshops! We have some really exciting workshops/events coming up at the SeeMore garden! * August 6th- Community Garden Party- Stay tuned for details! * August 10th- Learn how to compost with Billy Lewis * August 17th- Poultice making with herbalist Savayda Jarone Our workshops are every Tuesday at 6:00pm at the SeeMore garden (1411 Seymore Street). Don't forget about our regular work party hours Tuesdays from 4pm-6pm and Thursdays and Sundays 2pm-5pm. Hope to see you there! Megan Tardif-Woolgar, Seemore Green Community Garden Coordinator Working Group of NSPIRG 1411 Seymour Street ***** 2) Come one, come all, to the Groovy Garden Gathering! August 6th. 7 - 9:30pm. Rain or Shine. (There will be tents in case of rain) At the Seemore Green Community Garden Collective (backyard of 1411 Seymour Street, on the Dal campus). With music from: It Kills Long Long Long Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers Bad Vibrations Also featuring vegetable themed games, such as a kale eating competition,bobbing for radishes, and more! Admission $5 (no one will be turned away for lack of funds). * All proceeds will go to support community gardens in the HRM* *************************** Other Announcements *************************** 3) Community Meeting on Tenant Rights Thursday August 5, 7:00 - 8:30pm Alderney Gate Library (attached to the ferry terminal building) Free, with coffee, tea and treats served The Tenants’ Alliance of Nova Scotia (TALONS) and the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (DLAS) would like to invite you to a Community Meeting on Tenant Rights being held at the Alderney Gate Library in Downtown Dartmouth on Thursday, August 5, from 7:00–8:30 PM. Please come and learn about what rights you don’t have under the Residential Tenancies’ Act in Nova Scotia—and what we can do to change the Act. Learn about: - Problems with the Legislation as it stands - Recommendations for change - How to organize to realize change There will also be an open discussion about Tenant Rights. The Government of Nova Scotia is proposing to reform the Residential Tenancies’ Act and we must make sure our voices are heard to ensure that tenant-friendly changes are made. We will be serving coffee, tea, and treats. This is a free event. Everyone is welcome to attend! For more information, call Kelsey McLaren at 423-8105 ***** 4) CKDU Annual Barbecue & Picnic! Sunday, August 8th, noon - 6pm Fort Needham Park FREE Fun for all ages! Featuring: *Kid-friendly games, build-yer-own-instrument, face painting, prizes -- noon-2pm *FREE BBQ 1pm-4pm * Performances by: Lovebutter (2pm) ... Sleepless Nights (3pm) ... Friendly Dimension (4pm) ... Hali Slam Team (5pm) ... CKDU DJs all day long! Eat up and enjoy the show ***** 5) Free BBQ and backyard party in recognition of Prisoner Justice Day Tuesday, August 10th at 7pm Roberts Street Social Centre, 5684 Roberts Street On Tuesday August 10th at 7pm the Anarchist Black Cross and Books Beyond Bars will host a free BBQ, with beer for sale, in recognition of Prisoner Justice Day. To find out more about Prisoner Justice Day see below, or check out prisonjustice.ca. As well, a new issue of Words Without Walls will be available at the event. From inside the walls of women's prisons in Nova Scotia, this is a book of poetry and art that challenges the nature of prisons to keep people isolated and silent. Women courageously share their first-hand experiences of living on the inside and the complicated situations that brought them there. Created by Books Beyond Bars, a grassroots organization that runs books exchange and writing programs in prisons in Nova Scotia. ***** 6) Theory by fire - third session - Anti-state communisms Saturday, August 14, 8pm Roberts St Social Centre, backyard around the fire pit (5684 Roberts Street) Discussions start at 8pm - short presentation to be followed by open discussions All Welcome ***** 7) V-Day Dalhousie Recruitment for 2010/2011 Vagina Monologue Production Vagina Monologues! We are looking for women interested in Producing, Directing, Staging, Performing, Fundraising and more for V Day (the organization running the monologues). If you are interested in getting involved on any level, stop in on Friday or set up an appointment with or shoot an email to me! Hayley Gray, one of the V Day Executive Officers (hy627880@da.ca). ************************************************************************************ Community Calendar - July 26 edition NSPIRG Annoucements 1) Fire Jason Kenney! A Panel Discussion on Migrant Justice, Anti-Occupation and the Neoconservative Threat 2) You are invited to the Grand Opening of the Edible Campus Project 3) SeeMore garden workshops! 4) Groovy Garden Gathering Other Announcements 5) From the Margins - Show on Edible Campus Project versus the Dalhousie bureaucracy (food fight?) 6) Time of Dissent: film screening an discussion with director 7) Dalhousie Womens' Centre and Take Back the Night Volunteer Recruitment 8) The Urban Farm Museum Society of Spryfield invites you to an Evening in the Garden ******************************* NSPIRG Announcements ******************************* 1) Fire Jason Kenney! A Panel Discussion on Migrant Justice, Anti-Occupation and the Neoconservative Threat In Solidarity with the National Day of Action Against Jason Kenney (Details of Events in Other Cities Below) Tuesday July 27 6pm-8pm Halifax North Memorial Library 2285 Gottingen Street Featured Topics & Speakers Include: The Niqab and Bill 94 - TBA Migration & Global Apartheid - David Parker - CKDU journalist, solidarity activist and member of NOII-Halifax Palestinian Solidarity - Judy Haiven - Professor of Management at SMU, member of Canadians, Arabs and Jews for a Just Peace & Independent Jewish Voices War Resisters Movement - Roger Davies - Member of the war resisters support group of the Canadian Friends Service Committee Migration and LGBTQ Rights - Robin Metcalfe - Longtime LGBTQ rights activist, curator of book Queer Looking, Queer Acting “I plead guilty. I am a racist” - Jason Kenney, Montreal 2009. ***** 2) You are invited to the Grand Opening of the Edible Campus Project Wednesday July 28 @ 6:00 pm Location: Edible Campus Garden, next to the Dal SUB on Le Marchant Project unveiling, corn boil, live music and workshops. A Dalhousie-based student group, Campus Action on Food (CAF) is unveiling an unconventional and edible green space which will change the way people think about food in the city. Using a simple container garden model made from mostly recycled materials, students are converting underused concrete spaces at Dalhousie into an 'Edible Campus'. “We hope to create awareness of the environmentally and socially damaging modes of production and consumption cycles present in large-scale, outsourced food providers. Our project seeks to foster a reconnect between people and the food we eat. Moreover, this gardening method is great for students who don't have lawns or a lot of money but want to grow their own food.” says Kaleigh McGregor-Bales. Through both educational and practical initiatives, students and community members will gain an interest and knowledge of how to actively provide healthy, affordable, and sustainable food options. “It's about reclaiming space for participating in food production, and reclaiming student space on campus,” says CAF member Sonia Grant, a Dalhousie student. “Students and community need to have better access to local, healthy food, and a say in how and where their food is produced”. ***** 3) SeeMore garden workshops! We have some really exciting workshops/events coming up at the SeeMore garden! * July 27th- Natural pest control and ladybug release * August 3rd- Guerrilla Gardening and Moss Graffiti * August 6th- Community Garden Party- Stay tuned for details! * August 10th- Learn how to compost with Billy Lewis * August 17th- Poultice making with herbalist Savayda Jarone Our workshops are every Tuesday at 6:00pm at the SeeMore garden (1411 Seymore Street). Don't forget about our regular work party hours Tuesdays from 4pm-6pm and Thursdays and Sundays 2pm-5pm. Hope to see you there! Megan Tardif-Woolgar Seemore Green Community Garden Coordinator Working Group of NSPIRG 1411 Seymour Street ***** 4) Come one, come all, to the Groovy Garden Gathering! August 6th. 7 - 9:30pm. Rain or Shine. (There will be tents in case of rain) At the Seemore Green Community Garden Collective (backyard of 1411 Seymour Street, on the Dal campus). With music from: It Kills Long Long Long Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers Bad Vibrations Also featuring vegetable themed games, such as a kale eating competition,bobbing for radishes, and more! Admission $5 (no one will be turned away for lack of funds). * All proceeds will go to support community gardens in the HRM* **************************** Other Announcements **************************** 5) From the Margins - Show on the Edible Campus Project versus the Dalhousie bureaucracy (food fight?) Monday July 26, from 8pm - 9pm on CKDU 88.1 FM From the Margins (FTM) is a locally (HRM) produced radio show on CKDU, airing every Monday from 8pm - 9pm. It is hosted by Asaf Rashid, sometimes with guest collaborators. It offers a critical angle on local, regional, national and international issues. FTM operates on the understanding that social problems are mainly rooted in the socioeconomic system, capitalism, through which social relations are controlled. The show features live and recorded interviews, recordings of presentations and all that good stuff. For the most part, the show focuses on local / regional issues, but will venture outwards in the case of events that resonate nationally / globally, such as the economic crisis. But FTM will always try and make local parallels / connections. On Tonight's From the Margins, Campus Action on Food, a student group at Dalhousie University, is set for the grand opening of their Edible Campus Project, which is based on setting up container gardens in unused spaces on campus. The project faced a struggle against the Dalhousie Bureaucracy for months just to try and make it happen. This is a story about students trying to have more control over campus space and all the ways the Uni's bureaucracy would try to keep them in their place. Why would the university act this way over a ... garden? Hint: capitalism. But tune into the show to find out more? ***** 6) Time of Dissent: film screening an discussion with director Thursday July 29 6:30pm Room 224, Dalhousie Student Union Building (6136 University Avenue) Time of Dissent is a docu-drama about the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. Tobias is doing an internship at a small film production company when he gets an order to produce an insider report about the G8 protests. To get access to the activists, he pretends to be a film student. What starts as a job becomes turmoil for Tobias as he confronts his former apolitical life, and the society in which he lives. The more he knows, the more he is attracted to the activists – especially to Judith, who has a secret. Soon Tobias isn't the only one who has to make a decision. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, this feature-documentary intertwines actual events with a fictional narrative. The movie was shot with non-actors during the days of action in Rostock and Heiligendamm. Action is filmed at the Convergence Center, on the streets, at the blockades, and in the activist's camp at Reddelich.** About Miriam Fischer Miriam Fischer is a young German independent filmmaker and was involved in the founding of the People’s Global Action. One of Miriam’s strengths as a filmmaker is that she lets those in struggle tell their own story and does not insert herself into the narrative. Her internationally acclaimed films include: Oaxaca: Between Rebellion and Utopia (captures the Oaxaca rebellion in the faces and actions of the people); Time of Dissent (a docu-drama of the G8 in Hellingdam, Germany); Katrina’s Child (looking at an example of co-operative reclamation based on alternatives of solidarity); Blood of Panama (a moving look and re-enactment of the murders of Panamanian trade unionists in 2008). ***** 7) Dalhousie Womens' Centre and Take Back the Night Volunteer Recruitment Heelllooooooo to the loveliest volunteers in all of history, Guess what time it is again? Besides it being a wonderful Thursday afternoon, it is TIME TO GET READY FOR TAKE BACK THE NIGHT!! It will be happening on October 1st in the lovely Victoria Square Park yet again and we neeeed your help to make this empowering event live up to it's beautiful reputation. We'll need marshalls, speakers, logistics, allies, creative talents, shameless promoters, and anything you might think of that would be a great addition to TBTN. This is the first call for volunteers so if this sounds like something you would be interested in being a part of, please respond to this email and we'll keep you updated! Email your interest to dwc@dal.ca Thanks so much, Carolyn Rhynold TBtN Volunteer Coordinator ***** 8) The Urban Farm Museum Society of Spryfield invites you to an Evening in the Garden, Thursday, August 12, 6:30 PM to 8 PM. Enjoy music, ghost stories and local history at the Farm Field, near the corner of Rockingstone Road and Ardwell. All welcome, no charge. *********************************************************** Community Calendar - June 28, 2010 1) Appeal for broad political support for the G20 arrestees 2) From the Margins - The G20 report, an interview with a Halifax participant in the protests 3) SeeMore Green Collective Garden Upcoming Open Hours and Workshops 4) Nova Scotia & Canada at the Crossroads: Sustainability or Militarism? 5) Peaceful Picket II: No Harbour for War. End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Peace Economy Not Military Economy 6) Picnic - BBQ in solidarity with the Chaudhry Family 7) The Friday Picket - Solidarity With Palestine 8) Theory by fire - Session II - Marx’s theory of value 9) Film Screening: Martin Luther King & a Call to Conscience 10) Bryony House Volunteer Recruitment 2010 ******* 1) Appeal for broad political support for the G20 arrestees June 27, 2010 - 3:00pm | by movementdefence The MDC’s Summit Legal Support Project is appealing to the movements it supports to mobilize a show of political strength and solidarity for the nearly 500 people arrested in the last four days. The Toronto Police and the ISU appear to have lost control of their ‘prisoner processing center’, denying arrestees meaningful and timely access to counsel while beating and arresting those peacefully protesting their detention outside. Despite assurances to the contrary, only a handful of people have been released, including those held for many hours without charge. Arrestees are given incorrect information about the bail process they will be subjected to, and friends and family members gather hours early at the courthouse, located far from the city center and inaccessible via transit. Our lawyers call in and are told that there is no one available to make decisions or wait for hours at the detention centre, only to be denied access to their clients. Almost 500 people are in custody and we know from experience that the vast majority of those charges will disappear and yet the cell doors remain shut. We need to step it up and build a political response. We need many more voices – especially prominent ones – to say that the abuse and incompetence at 629 Eastern Avenue must stop. We must demand that all levels of government take control of the police forces under their command. We need to ensure that courts and crown attorneys act to enforce constitutional rights rather than collude in their violation. Free the Toronto 500! The Movement Defence Committee _______________________________________________ community.mobilize mailing list community.mobilize@masses.tao.ca https://masses.tao.ca/lists/listinfo/community.mobilize ***** 2) From the Margins - The G20 report, an interview with a Halifax participant in the protests Monday June 21, from 8pm - 9pm on CKDU 88.1 FM From the Margins (FTM) is a locally (HRM) produced radio show on CKDU, airing every Monday from 8pm - 9pm. It is hosted by Asaf Rashid, sometimes with guest collaborators. It offers a critical angle on local, regional, national and international issues. FTM operates on the understanding that social problems are mainly rooted in the socioeconomic system, capitalism, through which social relations are controlled. FTM supports the interests of poor and working people in its coverage and analysis. For the most part, the show focuses on local / regional issues, but will venture outwards in the case of events that resonate nationally / globally, such as the economic crisis and the World Cup. But FTM will always try and make local parallels / connections. This episode, through an interview with a Halifax participant at the Toronto G20 protests, will offer a critical analysis of what happened and its broader significance. Some topics may vary, but here is a general idea of the kind of content that will be focused on ... the skewed coverage of the mainstream media; varied participation in (or support of) the more confrontational actions (it wasn't just "Black Bloc anarchists"); the situation of the arrestees; police violence; discussion on the "security" apparatus and what the State might have been trying to accomplish through hosting the event in Toronto; about the value of giant summit protests in general ... * For other locally produced news on CKDU, listen to Operation Wake - up every Monday - Friday, from 8am - 9am. New Collective website: http://ckdu.ca/ ***** 3) SeeMore Green Collective Garden Upcoming Open Hours and Workshops Gardeners old and new are invited to garden together and learn from each other during our open hours! The garden is located at 1411 Seymour St., on the Dal campus. TUESDAYS 4:00 pm-6:00 pm followed by a workshop! from 6:00-8:00pm THURSDAYS 2:00-5:00 pm SUNDAYS 2:00-5:00 pm Also check out our garden workshops, every Tuesday from 6-8pm, in the garden! Contact garden@nspirg.org for more details. ***** 4) Nova Scotia & Canada at the Crossroads: Sustainability or Militarism? Tuesday, June 29 7:30-9:00 p.m. Room 224, Student Union Building, Dalhousie University, 6136 University Avenue, Halifax Free public lecture. Join us in a critical dialogue about the troubling rise of militarism in our country and our province and how this threatens the progress we are trying to make on sustainability. Come to learn about the doubling of Canada's military spending and the Canada First Defence Strategy but the federal government has cut environmental and climate change programs. Learn about US weapons manufacturers lobbying our federal and provincial governments. What should be our defence and foreign policies? What is the appropriate role for our military? How can we create a culture of peace and sustainability? ***** 5) Peaceful Picket II: No Harbour for War. End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Peace Economy Not Military Economy Wednesday, June 30, 5-6 pm HMCS Dockyard, Corner of Barrington St. and Upper Water/Cornwallis St., Halifax This peaceful picket is timed to coincide with the US Ambassador to Canada's reception on the USS WASP, a horrendous US amphibious assault ship that carries missile systems, machines guns and cannons. Please bring signs calling for a green, peace economy not a war economy, warships not welcome and no harbour for war. We will pass out brochures. ***** 6) Picnic - BBQ in solidarity with the Chaudhry Family Thursday July 1 2pm-4pm George Dixon Centre (Upper Field) 2502 Brunswick St. Some BBQ food provided, people are encouraged to bring a dish to share All are welcome! A family-friendly picnic-BBQ in solidarity with the Chaudhry family, a family of 5 from Pakistan fighting to stay in Canada. The event will offer the opportunity to meet the family, learn about the case, sample some of their delicious food (they have a business plan for opening a Halal restaurant in Halifax), sign a letter of support, and enjoy a fun holiday picnic. This July 1st, come show your support to those who are suffering the injustices of the Canadian immigration system. About the Chaudhry Family: The Chaudhry family are a family of five living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Well-established members of the broader community, they are facing an imminent deportation order to Pakistan, where they face violence, or death. We need to collect support letters from as many community members as possible to improve their chances of winning an application to stay on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds. For more information about the family's case please visit: http://chaudhrysolidarity.wordpress.com/ Presented by No One is Illegal-Halifax, http://noii-halifax.blogspot.com/ For more information please contact: jane@nspirg.org ***** 7) The Friday Picket - Solidarity With Palestine End the Siege of Gaza * Let the Ships Pass * End Canadian Collusion with Israeli State Terrorism Harper / Layton-Ignatieff : Occupation Is A Crime Fouth Weekly Picket, Friday, July 2, 2010, 4-5 p.m. Maritime Centre (foot of Spring Garden at Barrington), Halifax The Friday Pickets lead up to the 5th Anniversary of the Palestinian Civil Society BDS Call on Friday, July 9th, International Media & Disinformation Day Canada Palestine Association * Ad Hoc Committee to Defend Palestine * Canadian Union of Postal Workers * Pan Canadian Bil'in Solidarity Network * NSPIRG * Canadians, Arabs & Jews for a Just Peace. To endorse or for more information: E-mail: shunpike@shunpiking.com * Tel: 902.477.0470 ***** 8) Theory by fire - Session II - Marx’s theory of value Saturday July 3 @ 8:00pm Roberts Street Social Centre (5684 Roberts Street- little red house) In the backyard, around the fire pit (but will go inside if weather not cooperative) All Welcome Discussions start at 8pm. there will be a short presentations to be followed by open discussions ***** 9) Film Screening: Martin Luther King & a Call to Conscience Tuesday, July 6 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Room 224, Student Union Building, Dalhousie University, 6136 University Avenue, Free. This powerful documentary delves into one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s greatest speeches, "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence," which he delivered on April 4, 1967, in New York. Today this speech is acknowledged to be one of the most powerful ever written by Dr. King and filmmaker PBS Host Tavis Smiley deconstructs the meaning of the speech, as well as put it in a contemporary context, particularly in light of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is an important critique of militarism. A must see. Hard copies of the speech will be available. Free, public event. All welcome. Organized by the Halifax Peace Coalition For more information, please visit: http://www.hfxpeace.chebucto.org/ ***** 10) Bryony House Volunteer Recruitment 2010 Bryony House has several new volunteer opportunities! Below are volunteer job descriptions for newsletter writers and public education committee members. Email volunteer@bryonyhouse.ca for more information or visit our website. 1) Newsletter Writer Description of the Position: Bryony House publishes a quarterly newsletter to keep staff, volunteers and community partners informed about the work and initiatives of of organization. This project is volunteer based and can be shared between volunteers or taken on as an individual project. Responsibilities: 1) Liaise with the volunteer coordinator, fund development coordinator, executive director and a shelter representative to identify potential topics for the newsletter. 2) Compose a series of brief stories and reports about Bryony House activities, taking your own photos when appropriate. 3) Work individually or with a team to design an attractive newsletter layout. 4) With the support of Bryony House staff, identify a distribution list for the newsletter and distribute the finished product. Benefits to the Volunteer: This position provides volunteers with an opportunity to engage in hands on public education, to develop journalistic skills and to use their creativity. Qualifications: -excellent communication skills and strong spelling and grammar skills -ability to work well independently or on a team -attention to detail -photographic and design skills -strong interpersonal skills Location: Volunteers can work in our office, at 3399 Novalea Drive or can work remotely from home, a cafe, etc. Time Commitment: Ideally, we'd like to attract volunteers who would be able to assist us with the quarterly newsletter on an ongoing basis. The work is largely independent and the work load is dependent upon how many volunteers share the project. Volunteers must have good time management skills. How to apply: Please send a resume and cover letter in PDF format to: Lizzy Hill Volunteer Coordinator Bryony House volunteer@bryonyhouse.ca *Feel free to phone (902) 429-9008 with any inquiries about the position.