Sudbury Social Justice News - October 29, 2012

EVENTS & MEETINGS:

1) Tuesday, October 30: Meetings of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty
and the Raise the Rates Campaign
2) Wednesday, October 31: Zombie Apocalypse Flash Mob at Laurentian University
3) Thursday, November 1 and Friday November 2: Three Talks on *Haiti's
New Dictatorship* at Laurentian University
4) Friday, November 2: Special Organizing Meeting Against Cuts to the
Community Start-up Benefit
5) Monday, November 5: Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury Working Group Meeting
6) Tuesday, November 6: Canadian History Through the Stories of
Activists -- Two Book Launches and Talks
7) Tuesday, November 13: Eat Local Sudbury's All Member Local Food Challenge Dinner

NEWS, ANALYSIS, & CALLS TO ACTION:

1) New Community Committee on the Chromite Smelter

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Tuesday, October 30: Meetings of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty and the Raise the Rates Campaign

Time: S-CAP -- 6:30pm; RtR -- 7:30pm
Location: Sudbury and District Labour Council Office, the second floor of 109 Elm Street (across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

Matters to be discussed include planning actions against the cuts to the community start-up fund, and our ongoing direct action support work. At 7:30 it becomes a joint meeting with the organizing group for the Raise the Rates Campaign, which will be evaluating the results of the Anti-Poverty Town Hall that was held on October 10. Everyone welcome. Children are welcome to attend, or childcare support is available upon request at sudburycap@gmail.com.

S-CAP is a direct-action anti-poverty organization based in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We provide direct-action support work assisting individuals in their struggles with welfare and ODSP, housing, employers, and others who deny people what they are entitled to in order to meet their needs. In addition, we mount campaigns against and support educational work about regressive government policies as they affect working people and people living in poverty. We believe in the power of people to organize themselves.

S-CAP on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/257339454351403/

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Wednesday, October 31: Zombie Apocalypse Flash Mob at Laurentian University

Time: 10:15am to 2pm
Location: Student Centre étudiant, Laurentian University

Make-up and other prep at 10:15
Walk starts around 11

Maquillage et préparation dès 10h15
La marche commence à 11h

** le français suit **

We know, fees suck right? So for Halloween we want to get the message across that we're just *dead* tired of it all. Come meet up with us on Wednesday, October 17th in the Student Centre so we can all get organized. The whole thing goes down on Halloween day!

We'll get dressed up as zombies and romp the way zombies do all over campus. Don't know how? No problem! We've got zombie experts who are ready to show you how to act like the indebt-- er... undead.

For more info, shoot a PM to one of the Facebook event hosts!

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/126109820871651/

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On le sait, les frais c'est de la marde! Donc, pour l'Halloween on veut passer le message qu'on en a *mort* du tout. Venez nous rencontrer le mercredi 17 octobre au Centre étudiant pour qu'on puisse s'organiser. Le tour se jouera la journée même de l'Halloween!

On se déguisera en zombies et on marchera comme seulement peuvent marcher des zombies partout sur campus. Vous ne savez pas comment faire? Pas de soucis! On a des experts qui peuvent vous montrer comment agir comme des endettés-- euh... emmerdés? Comme des morts!

Pour plus d'infos veuillez envoyer un message à un des hôtes de l'évènement Facebook!

Cet évènement a Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/126109820871651/

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Thursday, November 1 and Friday November 2: Three Talks on *Haiti's New Dictatorship* at Laurentian University

Talk #1: Thursday, November 1
Title: “International aid, empowerment and disempowerment: The case of
Haiti's New Dictatorship.”
Time: 2:30pm  
Location: Room T-250 (Thorneloe University), Laurentian University

Talk #2: Thursday, November 1
Time: 7pm
Location: Room A-226 (Arts building), Laurentian University

Talk #3: Friday, November 2
Time: 1pm
Location: Room C-306 (Classroom Building), Laurentian University

In 1804 Haiti became the world's first independent Black republic following a slave revolution. 200 years later, ravaged by colonialism and violence, it was placed under UN military occupation.

A new book by Justin Podur, *Haiti's New Dictatorship: The Coup, the Earthquake, and the UN Occupation*, charts the country's recent history, from the 2004 coup against President Aristide to the devastating 2010 earthquake, revealing a shocking story of abuse and indifference by international forces. Podur unmasks the grim reality of a supposedly benign international occupation, arguing that the denial of sovereignty is the fundamental cause of Haiti's problems.

A powerful challenge and wake-up call to the international NGO and development community, *Haiti's New Dictatorship* is essential reading for anyone concerned with justice in the global south and progressive development policies.

Author and activist Noam Chomsky has written of the book, “The centuries-long torture of Haiti, and the courageous resistance of its people, is one of the most dramatic and compelling stories of modern history. It is vividly brought to life in this highly illuminating study, which also provides valuable lessons about western power and ideology.”

Join author Justin Podur for three talks at Laurentian University.

Justin Podur is an associate professor of environmental studies at York University. He is a writer on political conflicts and social movements, and has reported from numerous countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Haiti and Israel/Palestine.

All three events are open to everyone. Although the talks are in English questions and comments in French are welcome. Contact Gary Kinsman at ext. 4221 or at gkinsman@laurentian.ca. The events are sponsored by the Laurentian University Sociology Department and the Women's Studies Department at Thornloe University.

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Friday, November 2: Special Organizing Meeting Against Cuts to the Community Start-up Benefit

Time: 5pm
Location: Sudbury and District Labour Council Office, 2nd floor, 109 Elm Street (across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

People opposed to the cuts to the Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit for people on social assistance -- cuts that will leave many more Ontarians at risk of homelessness -- will be meeting to discuss the possibility of a civil disobedience action to oppose the cuts.

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Monday, November 5: Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury Working Group Meeting

Time: 7pm (Community revitalization) and 8:30pm (Shoreline)
Location: Environmental Resource Centre (176 Larch Street, back entrance)

7 p.m.:  Community revitalization working group – time to brainstorm some great doable sustainable community revitalization projects and select a few to pursue
8:30 p.m.:  Shoreline working group – standing up for our shorelines. If you are interested in taking part in either of these exciting new working groups, please come out!  Come to one or both.

Can’t make it, but want to join a working group?  Contact us at clsudbury@live.com.

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Tuesday, November 6: Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists -- Two Book Launches and Talks

Time/Place:
        3 pm -- Brenda Wallace Reading Room, J.N. Demarais Library, Laurentian University
        7 pm -- Fromagerie Elgin, 5 Cedar Street (entry off Elgin), downtown Sudbury

Join Sudbury-based author and activist Scott Neigh for one of two events on November 6, as he launches new books published by Fernwood Publishing: *Gender and Sexuality: Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists* and *Resisting the State: Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists*. Hear about some of the many struggles that have shaped the Canada of today, and talk about new ways of relating to the past as we struggle for a transformed tomorrow.

At 3pm he will be speaking in the Brenda Wallace Reading Room of the Demarais Library at Laurentian University. His talk will be "Active Remembering and History From Below."

At 7pm he will be talking about "Our Movements and Our Histories" at the Fromagerie Elgin (5 Cedar Street, entry off Elgin) in downtown Sudbury.

Sociology professor Gary Kinsman of Laurentian University, who wrote the Foreword for the books, will also be speaking at both events.

To learn more about the books and the project of which they are a part, and to read and hear excerpts from the interviews around which the books are organized, visit http://talkingradical.ca/.

Scott Neigh is a writer, parent, and activist based in Sudbury, Ontario. He blogs regularly on political topics at
http://scottneigh.blogspot.com/.

The event at the Laurentian University is sponsored by the Centre for Humanities Research and Creativity and the Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy. Both events are sponsored by Fernwood Publishing.

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/117089138443547/

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Tuesday, November 13: Eat Local Sudbury's All Member Local Food Challenge Dinner

Time: 6pm
Location: contact RSVP below for inforamtion
Open to: Members of Eat Local Sudbury Co-opreative (anyone can join!)

Lets get together and do what we love: Eat Local Food!! Create a tasty local dish and bring to to be shared. All those who bring a local dish will be entered in a raffle to win a special prize.

You are cordially invited to an All Members Meeting and Potluck!

Come spend some time together as a co-operative family to chat about what’s happening with the co-op, where we are going, and how the co-op can best reflect members’ priorities.

One of the goals of the current Board of Directors is to increase membership engagement at the co-op. The Board wants to try as best it can to reach out to the membership and to foster the co-op’s sense of community. After all, co-ops exist to serve their members! To that end, we would like to invite co-op members to an All Members Meeting and Potluck on Tuesday, November 13th.

Please take a look at the agenda below – there are a number of exciting topics we’d like to discuss as a membership, including some that may be voted on if that is appropriate.

Agenda
6 – 6:45 pm
Potluck and Brainstorming
Do you like how things are at the co-op? Ideas for improvement?
      * Are there ways that you would like to be involved?
       
6:45 – 7:45 pm
Discussion of ELS’s current structure and business plan

7:45 – 8:45 pm
Proposed changes to legal documents (Articles of Incorporation - Would require vote by Members)
Allow us to take on debt (e.g. line of credit)
      * Allow us to specify membership fees in the by-laws[1]
      
8:45 – 9 pm
“Housekeeping” items related to our legal documents (time permitting) According to Ontario’s Co-operative Corporations Act, co-operatives must operate on a one member = one vote basis. The Board is supportive of continuing household memberships, but each household is only entitled to one vote, no matter how many people share the membership. A change to our by-laws is required to reflect this.
       
PLEASE RSVP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND!
(Just in case we need to book a bigger space …)

Kate Mackenzie (Chair of the Board)
katherine.mackenzie@utoronto.ca
If you can’t attend we would still love to hear from you! Please contact Kate or another Board member or staff person.

NEWS, ANALYSIS, & CALLS TO ACTION:

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New Community Committee on the Chromite Smelter

On October 15,  a community citizens committee was established to deal with all aspects of Cliffs proposed Chromite smelting operation north of Capreol. The community Committee will focus on ensuring that the Cliffs operation (if it materializes) is safe and healthy for its workers, the surrounding communities and the environment.

On the executive are Elie Martel  (Chair), Bob Johnson (Secretary), John Rutherford  (Treasurer)
 
For more information, or to be added to the contact list for the committee, contact RH Johnson, robjohn4@gmail.com