upcoming events and campaigns
- Details
- Published on Monday, 04 April 2016 16:30
- Written by editor
Dear Friends of SJS,
please check out this upcoming events and campaigns:
Thursday, April 7th
A reminder that SJS and IJV will be hosting Heidar Abu Ghosh, a Palestinian expelled from his village in 1967, one of 3 that were demolished to make way for ‘Canada Park.’ Please find attached the poster for the event which will be held at UVic on April 7 at 7 pm.
Also, please find a link to the event's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1030489123697619/
Paper dissolves or dies, but Facebook is always there: Street-involved youth and digital technology
Thursday, April 7 • 3:30-4:30 PM
Central Library Community Room
735 Broughton Street, Victoria
About the presentation:
Rapidly shifting technologies are challenging assumptions about access to the Internet as communities viewed as ‘marginalized’ find their way to social media and other forms of online connection. This presentation by Marion Selfridge, PhD (c) is based... on surveys and interviews with street-involved youth across BC and shares how youth aged 15-24 strategically use Facebook and texting to communicate with friends and family, keep important photos and memories, search out vital information and support each other through difficult and confusing times. Marion will also moderate a conversation about the opportunities and challenges youth experience in this new digital age where text messages and online social networking create incredible opportunities for connection and kindness as well as overwhelming negative comments - drama!
About the speaker:
Marion Selfridge, MSW, is a fourth year PhD student in the Social Dimensions of Health program at the University of Victoria. Her dissertation research focuses on street-involved youth’s use of social media to deal with grief and loss. For five years, Marion was a medical social worker at the Victoria Youth Clinic. She has worked with many youth, including youth who, for a variety of reasons, live close to or on the streets. She also works as a research assistant on Lisa Mitchell’s collaborative research project called More Than One Street, which foregrounds the experiential knowledge of youth who know the street in research and dissemination. She teaches dance to stay sane and get through grad school.
For more information, please contact:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 250-472-5445
The Victoria Council of Canadians -The Shiv Chopra Tour
In Victoria on Sunday, April 10, 7:00-9:00 pm.
At the University of Victoria in the David Turpin Building A104
(Formerly known as the Social Sciences and Math Building
it is the grey building next to the David Strong Building.)
The closest parking lot is lot 4 & Free Parking on Sundays!
Dr. Shiv Chopra, a world-renowned scientist is the author of numerous publications in science, society and religion. Dr. Chopra was employed as a senior scientific advisor at the Canadian ministry of health (1969-2004), where he refused to approve various harmful drugs for food-producing animals. He spoke out publicly, testified at Senate committees, and won many federal court cases against the Government of Canada. His contributions on food and public health safety are featured in many internationally acclaimed documentaries. His book, CORRUPT TO THE CORE: Memoirs of a Health Canada Whistleblower (2010) provides a bristling account of how corporate corruption endangers public safety. It also contains his famously illumined “Five Pillars of Food Safety”, which is a blueprint for the future establishment of global food security.
&
Alan Cassels has been immersed in pharmaceutical policy research for the past 22 years, primarily working on studies of how prescription drugs are regulated, marketed, prescribed and used. He has lectured and published widely on what he sees as the large gap between the marketing and the science behind prescribing. Alan is co-director of a consulting firm that advises unions on drug benefits issues and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria, in Victoria British Columbia. His latest book is “The Cochrane Collaboration: Medicine’s Best Kept Secret”.
Co-Sponsored by the University of Victoria Social Justice Studies! (see attached poster)
Homeless and Poverty Bashing in Victoria
On Saturday, the front page of the Times Colonist featured an article announcing the inaugural meeting of Mad as Hell, a new Victoria hate group opposed to social housing, Super InTent City, and the “ghettoization” of Victoria neighborhoods (http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/tent-city-foes-begin-to-gather-forces-1.2222558). This group will meet at Harbour Towers Hotel on Thursday, April 7 at 7pm.
While the group directs anger towards the Provincial government for not providing for its homeless citizens, Mad as Hell also uses hateful and discriminatory language to perpetuate myths and stereotypes, blame poor people for being poor, and attribute all neighborhood problems to visibly homeless people. One look at their Facebook page (and attached screen shots) and it is obvious where this line of thinking goes (https://www.facebook.com/madashellvictoria/).
Homes not hate. We believe that this group is harmful and will incite violence against residents of Super InTent City, and other low-income and homeless people in our community. In Maple Ridge, a minority hate group convinced the BC government to withdraw funding from a homeless shelter (http://globalnews.ca/news/2605055/opposition-to-maple-ridge-quality-inn-homeless-plan-grows/). Mad as Hell has announced that a guest speaker from Maple Ridge will be at their meeting on Thursday to share their strategies of “success” for removing homes from homeless people.
Hate against homeless and low-income people is not ok in ANY of our communities.
As an initial step in the #homesnothate campaign, we are asking your support in phoning or writing a letter to Harbour Towers Hotel to request that they not support the sentiments of Mad as Hell and not host an event that perpetuates discrimination and hate against low-income and homeless people.
#homesnothate
In solidarity with the struggles for homes and against displacement in Maple Ridge
************************************************************
Tracey Sims, General Manager
Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites
D: 250-480-6575 F: 250-480-6590
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
cc Sales & Catering
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or fill out the form at http://www.harbourtowers.com/contact-us/contact-us.htm or
Dear Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites,
This upcoming Thursday April 7, "Mad as Hell Victoria" will be meeting at Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites. We urge you to reconsider hosting this event at your establishment as this group perpetuates discrimination and hate against low-income and homeless people.
From the Mad as Hell Victoria Event Facebook page (link):
"The community meeting on Thursday April 7 is from 7 to 9 pm and is free. It will be at Harbour Towers in James Bay. The meeting is intended for people who are Mad As Hell about what is going on around the tent city, Mt. Edwards and the homelessness debacle. We will hear from residents and businesses who have been negatively impacted. Mike Morden, from Maple Ridge, will be speaking about their successful campaign to get the government to back down and not impose no restriction housing in residential neighbourhoods. People will be given information about who to contact to get the government to change their mind on this issue in Victoria. We hope politicians will be in the audience to listen as there has been no consultation to hear concerns."
This event is for individuals who want to rid their neighbourhoods of existing shelter and housing for homeless and low-income individuals. One look at their Facebook page (and attached screen shots) and it is obvious where this line of thinking goes (https://www.facebook.com/madashellvictoria/). This event is clearly discriminatory against homeless and low-income people and perpetuates the belief that homeless people are not part of our community.
By hosting this event the impression is being given that Harbour Towers supports the sentiment of the 'Mad as Hell' organizers. Many people in our community are extremely concerned about hate against vulnerable low-income and homeless people and do not want to support businesses that participate in this kind of discrimination and hate-mongering. For this particular event the location has already been widely publicized by media and the 'Mad as Hell' group and we expect that given the concern about hate there will likely be a peaceful protest outside the event, which will bring further negative media and public attention to Harbour Towers in connection with this hate group.
Should Harbour Towers elect to continue to host the event we will be letting our community, professional, and personal networks know of this decision.
Thank you,
[name]
More Than One Street Book Launch
Sunday April 17th
7-9pm
Solstice Cafe 529 Pandora Avenue
Street-involved youth work with UVic researchers to
create book project
Interacting with police. Dealing with the death of a friend. Finding a place to crash. These are just a few of the topics explored in More That One Street, a collection of art, stories, poetry and resources written by and for former and current street-involved youth, in partnership with three researchers from the University of Victoria. Its launch will be celebrated with an evening of spoken word, music and celebration at the Solstice Cafe, 7pm Sunday, April 17.
The More Than One Street book is the work of the collaborative project of the same name. What began as a research project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, exploring how youth living close to or on Victoria's streets think about and care for their bodies and their health blossomed into a fruitful collaboration between former street-involved youth and a University of Victoria research team. Meghan Ignatescue, Meagan Gabriel, A Strong Man and Eva Masek Graham met regularly with anthropologist Lisa M. Mitchell (PhD) and her graduate students Marion Selfridge (PhD(c)) and Thayne Werdal (MA) to discuss their experiences of life on the street and how to share this with the larger public. The project's final phase offered a chance for the youth to work with the researchers—and each other—to develop resources that might be of assistance to street-involved youth.
"Creating this book was like riding a rollercoaster. Just when we thought we were finished, we went for another loop around the track. The process was full of laughter, tears, and so much cheese. I hope that the finished product, which contains little pieces of all of us, is a beacon of hope and inspiration. Both for current/former street youth, and everyone else who comes across these pages." Meghan Ignatescue
The youth researchers were the driving force behind the book, imagining its existence, writing all of its content, creating all of its artwork, and doing all of the layout themselves. The UVic research team was on hand to provide encouragement and support. More Than One Street hopes that this book will shed light on youth’s diverse perspectives, including the stories they tell about the experiences that brought them close to the street.
“We are really excited to showcase talented youth at our Book Launch! We’ve invited youth with experience of the street and other talented musicians and spoken word artists to come and perform. It should be an excellent evening and we hope all kinds of folks will come to check it out!” Marion Selfridge
Media contacts:
Marion Selfridge (Social Dimensions of Health) 250 857 4784 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Lisa Mitchell (UVIc Dept of Anthropology) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Margo MatwychukDirector
Social Justice Studies ProgramUniversity of Victoriaweb.uvic.ca/socialjustice/@UVicSJS on TwitterUVicSJS on FacebookUVicSJS on YouTube
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