[evoz] 23 upcoming public events for peace, earth and justice + 3 action alerts. Please circulate!

Details: Published on Wednesday, 07 June 2017 07:30; Written by editor

23 upcoming public events for peace, earth and justice + 3 action alerts. It’s a busy June! Please spread the word! Thank you!

*Please also put up this poster for Ban the Bomb on June 17 – we need 100 people wearing white to form a big peace symbol on the lawn of the legislature! Canada is shamefully boycotting UN talks for a new nuclear weapons ban treaty – we need to push our Prime Minister and our federal government to support international efforts for nuclear disarmament! Please bring the whole family!

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BIKES MEAN BUSINESS, WITH ELLY BLUE

Monday, June 5 at noon

All lectures run from noon to 1 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Elly Blue lives in Portland, Oregon where she... publishes books about bicycling and other radical topics. She is the author of Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy. Hosted by Mayor Lisa Helps and City Manager Jason Johnson. This lunch time lecture series explores city-making in the 21st century. What does Victoria look like in 30 to 40 years? How do we get there? Lunch Time Lectures at City Hall will provide doses of inspiration from near and far and will examine how, together, city hall, residents and businesses can seize the opportunities and challenges of being a leading-edge city in the 21st century.

http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/city/lunch-time-lectures.html

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WOMEN ORGANIZE FOR PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Tuesday, June 6 from 6-8 p.m.

Green Cuisine, 560 Johnson, Victoria

We have re-launched a chapter of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace in Victoria and we welcome new members. A women’s strategy meeting to discuss current political issues and to find ways to rise, resist and raise our voices! Some of the issues we will consider include nonviolence, nuclear disarmament, gender & climate justice, feminist foreign and defence policy, the military’s impact on the environment, linking militarism with the climate crisis, military sexual violence, implementing UNSC 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, gender equality and the new Sustainable Development Goals and environmental and economic justice. Let’s work collaboratively with other women and women’s groups across the country and internationally to amplify our voices and advance peace, equality and sustainability. Organized by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. Contact Tamara Lorincz: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. More info: www.vowpeace.org

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CIRCLE DANCING FOR PEACE

Date: Thursday June 8

Time: 10 AM to 12 PM (we start promptly!)

Place: CorUnum Yurt, 5990 Old West Saanich Road*

How: by donation to go to a cause of the dancers' choice.

On World Peace Day (September 2016), a group of us gathered at the Yurt to join dance celebrations for peace coordinated in Europe. Our experience was so pleasant and uplifting, we said to ourselves "let's do it again!"

We invite you to come, dance for peace, within and without. All dances reviewed. Soft soled shoes best. New dancers welcome. Louise, Betsy and Chris

*For directions, see http://corunum.ca/directions.htm.

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CONSUL GENERAL OF VENEZUELA SPEAKS IN VICTORIA

Thursday June 8 at 7pm

BCGEU Hall, 2994 Douglas St., Victoria

Wilfredo J. Perez Bianco, the Consul General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Vancouver, will be giving a presentation on the situation in Venezuela.

Sponsored by the Victoria Friends of Cuba

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SOLIDARITY COALITION MEETING

BCGEU 2994 Douglas St.

Friday, June 9th at 7:00pm

A meeting for representatives of civil society organizations in our community to work together for social justice and come together to explore the possibility of working closer together with our issues.

For more info, please contact Randy of the Victoria Friends of Cuba: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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MOZAMBIQUE BENEFIT CONCERTS WITH COCO LOVE ALCORN

Friday, June 9, 2017, at 7:30pm

and Saturday, June 10, 2017, at 7:30pm

with special guest: Coco Love Alcorn

generously sponsored by: Hollyhock, a benefit for: Caia District communities of Mozambique (learn more)

venue: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria

where to get tickets: online, via TicketFly.

Friday’s concert or Saturday’s concert in person from choir members

from Alix Golden Hall Box Office (900 Johnson, 250-386-5311) or from Munro’s Books, Ivy’s Books, James Bay Coffee & Book, or Dig This (in Broadmead Village)

More info: http://www.gettinhigherchoir.ca/concerts/

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WORLD OCEANS DAY

Sunday, June 11 11AM @ Fisherman's Wharf, 1 Dallas Road

Join Us to Celebrate Healthy Oceans around the planet and honour the body of water which links us all, for what it provides humans and what it represents. Be a part of this growing global celebration at Fisherman's Wharf. Join us this year on Sunday, June 11, for a fun-filled day of activities.

11:15 am First Nations Blessing

11:30 am First Nations Dance Performance

12:00 am First Live Dive – Fish Eye Project

12:00 am – 3:00 pm Face Painting

2:00 pm Second Live Dive – Fish Eye Project

Participants: Fish Eye Project, Center for Whale Research, World Fisheries Trust, The Robert Bateman Centre, Gorge Waterway Initiative, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, Hillside's Sea Ranger Kids Club, Sea Change Marine Conservation Society, Ocean Wise, Seafood Watch, Dogwood Initiative, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, Parks Canada Agency, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Porpoise Conservation Society, The Surfrider Foundation Vancouver Island, Saturna Island Marine Research & Education Society, WWF Canada, CRD, Canadian Orca Rescue Society, Ocean Pollution Research Program.

Sponsored by: The Fish Store, Puerto Vallarta Amigos, Jackson's Ice Cream, Smoke and Anchor, Victoria Harbour Ferries , Barb's Fish & Chips. Presented by GVHA and Eagle Wing Tours

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldOceansDayFishermansWharfVictoriaBc/

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DOCUMENTARY: CALL OF THE FOREST: THE FORGOTTEN WISDOM OF TREES

Jun 12 7:00 & 9:00pm

Cinecenta Theatre

Student Union Bldg, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2

The film follows Diana Beresford-Kroeger as she investigates our profound biological and spiritual connection to the woodlands and explores the most beautiful forests in the Northern Hemisphere.

From the sacred sugi and cedar forests of Japan to the great boreal forest of Canada, Beresford-Kroeger relates the amazing history and legacy of these ancient forests while also explaining the science of trees and the irreplaceable roles they play in protecting and feeding the planet.

This beautifully photographed film also profiles the Engelmann Spruce and the Great Western Red Cedar from the remaining ancient coastal rainforest of Vancouver Island.

We meet some of the world’s foremost experts in reforestation and are introduced to the activism of the Anishinaabe people of Pimachiowin Aki in Manitoba and Ontario. While calling for massive, global action, the film at heart is a story of triumph, proposing that each of us can combat climate change by planting trees in our own yards and neighbourhoods.

http://www.cinecenta.com/default.aspx?PageID=1005&MovieID=1330

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PARTY OF PARTIES! GREENDP: WHERE TO GO FROM HERE? GRASSROOTS POWER AND POLITICAL CHANGE ON SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND

Tuesday June 13 @ 7:00 pm (Note *SEA members meeting at 5:30 pm)

The Victoria Event Centre @ 1415 Broad St, Victoria, BC V8W 2B2, Canada

The provincial election results have provided social movements on Southern Vancouver Island (Coast Salish and Nuu-chah-Nulth Territory) with a unique window on political power – investing citizens and community organizations with an opportunity to apply grassroots pressure on the New Democrat and Green legislative caucuses and party structures to achieve unprecedented progress for social and ecological justice.

The purpose of this free event is to convene an open discussion to identify demands and priorities and how we can collectively work to achieve them.

We hope you can join us – and help empower citizens and social movements with strategies and tactics that apply maximum leverage and move our communities forward.

Organized by the Social Environmental Alliance. Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1841231429531974/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D

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DOCUMENTARY: RISK: A STORY ABOUT WIKILEAKS' JULIAN ASSANGE

Jun 13 7:00 & 9:00pm

Jun 14 7:00 & 9:00pm

Cinecenta Theatre

Student Union Bldg, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2

However you look at Julian Assange — radical hero, martyr, Trumpist sell-out, probable rapist, victim of his cult of personality — there’s something in Laura Poitras’ documentary to confirm your point of view. You might not think there would be much left to say on this subject, but there is. For one thing, Poitras began making this film before her much-celebrated Edward Snowden portrait, Citiizenfour (2014), and had access to Assange as far back as 2011. This is not Citizenfour Part Two, though for both films Poitras gained intimate access to her subjects, especially here in long stretches of Assange’s house arrest. http://www.cinecenta.com/default.aspx?PageID=1005&MovieID=1358

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YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK 101

Wednesday, June 14 at 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Having your hours cut last minute? Unsure about overtime rules? Being bullied or harassed at work? Join the Retail Action Network for a free workshop that will equip you with practical information about your workplace rights. You will leave with a basic understanding of your legal rights under the Employment Standards Act and your rights in the workplace when it comes to harassment and bullying. The workshop is FREE and will run from 5:30-6:30 at the Victoria Event Centre (1415 Broad Street). Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or text 250 418 5082 to save your spot. If you haven't heard of the Retail Action Network, we are a group of workers and labour activists that fight for workplace justice, increased wages, and improved conditions in retail, food service and hospitality.

ACCESSIBILITY: Bus tickets are available by request.

For those with mobility restrictions, there is a lift in the Victoria Event Centre that is accessed from Pandora Street as well as reserved parking that is 30m away. At this time, there are no accessible washrooms at the Victoria Event Centre. As such, this venue is not considered to be wheelchair accessible. If you have any questions about accessibility, please send them this way.

TERRITORY: This event is taking place within Lkwungen Territory. In respect to this, we strive to maintain and sustain a decolonization framework while we challenge the institutions of capitalism.

More info: https://www.facebook.com/RetailActionBC/

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DOCUMENTARY: VANCOUVER: NO FIXED ADDRESS

Jun 15 7:00 & 8:45pm

Cinecenta Theatre, Student Union Bldg, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2

From Toronto to Sydney and from San Francisco to London the cost of housing in cities around the world is skyrocketing. Vancouver: No Fixed Address takes an uncompromising look at the drama unfolding in one such city, where multi-ethnic citizens fight to preserve homes as living spaces instead of global financial commodities. It is also a story about the very idea of home, what promotes or destroys one’s sense of belonging, and struggling to cope with the strange and often threatening economic and social forces at the start of the 21st century.

http://www.cinecenta.com/default.aspx?PageID=1005&MovieID=1359

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CITY OF VICTORIA: THE YEAR OF RECONCILIATION AND CANADA'S 150TH BIRTHDAY

June 13, 2017

7:00 PM- 8:30 PM

Description: Councillor Marianne Alto will review the city's responses to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and provide a preview of the rest of the year's commemorative actions and events. Register at GVPL.ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information. Registration begins May 15.

Library: Central Branch

Location: Community Room

More info: http://events.gvpl.ca/eventcalendar.asp

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ACTION: BAN THE BOMB! NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS; NO MISSILE DEFENCE

Saturday, June 17 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Legislature, 501 Belleville St, Victoria.

Wear white, join us to form of a big human peace symbol and be part of our action to Ban the Bomb! Historic UN negotiations are taking place among 130 countries for a new treaty to ban nuclear weapons. However, Canada is boycotting the talks. Tell Prime Minister Trudeau to work with other countries to eliminate these weapons of mass destruction, resist the dangerous US ballistic missile defense system, and create a culture of peace and disarmament. A moment of silence for the victims of wars in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan & Yemen etc and a song for peace. In solidarity with the global Women’s March to Ban the Bomb: www.womenbanthebomb.org

Organized by the Vancouver Island Peace & Disarmament Network, the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace and the Social Environmental Alliance. For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.vipdn.org

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1688310671464531/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2222%22%2C%22feed_story_type%22%3A%2222%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&pnref=story

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WORLD REFUGEE DAY: FILM SCREENING “WAREHOUSED”

World Refugee Day Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Tuesday, June 20 at 7 PM - 9 PM

Cinecenta Films

Student Union Bldg, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2

Film Screening of Warehoused:https://warehousedthemovie.com/

All seats: $4.75

Film will be followed by a panel discussion with the local refugee and refugee advocacy community.

Warehoused sheds light on the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing refugees across the globe through an intimate glimpse into daily life at Dadaab, Kenya -- the world’s largest refugee camp. Featuring commentary by the UN Refugee Agency workers who courageously provide desperately needed aid during the protracted crisis. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1872656799625703/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22page%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22page_upcoming_events_card%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D

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DECOLONIZATION POTLUCK PICNIC: NEXT STEPS IN SETTLER SOLIDARITY

Tuesday, June 20 from 5-9pm

Location: Garry Oak Room (Fairfield Gonzales Community Assoc)

1335 Thurlow (near Moss and Fairfield)

This potluck, picnic and meetup is taking place at the Garry Oak Room on traditional Lekwungen territory, home to the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

Building on the momentum of our facilitated workshop in March and in anticipation of a larger solidarity event in September, ISWG will be kicking off what we hope to be a monthly casual evening meetup sharing food and conversation focused on devising plans of action as settlers in support of Indigenous-centred community initiatives. We will discuss what are some of the concrete measures we can take, individually and collectively, to actualize decolonization in our daily lives and move beyond metaphor, concept and mere tokenism. We will also further consider group accountability – who we should be accountable to and who do we approach to clarify this. This will be an opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas you may have had for actions that can propel the work of decolonization even further. A potluck will precede the conversation, so please bring along a tasty dish! By Donation. Proceeds will go to local Indigenous-led community initiatives.

What is the ISWG?

The Indigenous Solidarity Working Group (ISWG) aims to connect groups and individuals into a coalition of allies to support, facilitate and stand in solidarity with Indigenous initiatives. This includes actions ranging from fundraising to administrative support to front-line action. We are committed to a process of decolonization and peaceful coexistence between Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, communities, and nations through creative co-resistance to colonialism and its manifestations of patriarchy,capitalism, racism, heterosexism, ableism, western privilege and corporate hegemony.This may take the form of talking circles, informal meet-ups, discussion panels, social gatherings, sharing food together, teach ins, resurgence action and creative decolonization projects.

The ISWG started as a group of individuals perceiving a space needed for allies to critically engage with the violence of colonial oppression and work to end it. Some previous work involved actions such as supporting the WSANEC nations in reclaiming the name of PKOLS, and direct action to oppose the construction of a house on Grace Islet. Our immediate goal is to begin fostering relationships with Indigenous communities on the south island to listen and learn about what we can do to advance the process of decolonization and indigenous resurgence here. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/682338278629017/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22upcoming_events_card%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22dashboard%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22[]%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22upcoming_events_card%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22dashboard%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22[]%22%7D%2C%7B%22surface%22%3A%22dashboard%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22calendar_tab%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22[]%22%7D]%2C%22source%22%3A2%7D

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CELEBRATE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS DAY AT ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 21

Watch the Sneq'wa e’lun Canoe Challenge on the lagoon, enjoy Indigenous food and participate in Indigenous craft workshops and field games for all ages to celebrate National Indigenous Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 21 at Sneq’wa e’lun (Blue Heron House). Local vendors, Indigenous artists and the Songhees Seafood and Steam food truck will be on site during the event. Other National Indigenous Day activities taking place throughout the day onthe Royal Roads campus will include tours on Charlie’s Trail with Cowichan Elder Kenneth Elliott starting at Sneq’wa e’lunand an opportunity to learn about and visit the Button Blanket project in the Library. The event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available on site. More info: http://www.royalroads.ca/event/national-indigenous-day

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NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY PADDLE

Wednesday, June 21, 10am

Tseycum elders have invited Saanich Inlet Network to partner with them in a National Aboriginal Day Paddle with neighbours standing together to protect the Saanich Inlet. Meet at WJOLELP (Tsartlip) boat ramp for 10am blessing, following which we will paddle across to the proposed LNG plant at Bamberton. return to WJOLELP at about 1pm. WSÍKEM (Tseycum) invite you to a potluck picnic at WSÍKEM Longhouse from 2 pm on. Bring your canoes, kayaks & paddles, regalia, songs, potluck contribution, and smiles. To reserve a rental kayak or paddle board, please call nearby Pacifica Paddle Sports : 250-665-7411

Kayak rentals: $28 - proceeds to Saanich Inlet Network.

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VANCOUVER PEACE AND DISARMAMENT NETWORK (VIPDN) MONTHLY MEETINGS

Wednesday, June 28 from 4:00-5:30 p.m., Room C168, Sedgewick Building, University of Victoria.

All are welcome to attend our group meetings to help us plan for peace, disarmament, nonviolence and social justice. Representatives from the Raging Grannies, Physicians for Global Survival, Victoria Peace Coalition, Peace One Day, the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, and more! All welcome to join us to create a culture of peace in our city, country and world. For more information about our meetings, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Visit www.vipdn.org

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OH! (DECOLONIZE) CANADA 150

July 1 – July 3, all day!

British Columbia Parliament Buildings

501 Belleville St, Victoria, British Columbia V8V 2L8

Hosted by Social Environmental Alliance

Sliammon Elder Rose Henry says: Come Crash Kanada Day: 150 years of colonization! Drum circle. Potluck Food-sharing. Summer Camping. No fire Ban applicable. All nations gathering. Celebrate indigenous resurgence! Concerned about confronting angry white natonalist and racist mobs? This is something indigenous peoples deal with every day! So come show solidarity in decolonizing this country for a better 150 years than the last! No time like now, wait not a second more! The beauty of Indigenous Turtle Island awaits us all--perhaps the only life-boat from the scourge of capitalism and colonialism. Kanada is after all STILL all Indian Land! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1204436532998590/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%22106%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D

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VANCOUVER PEACE AND DISARMAMENT NETWORK (VIPDN) MONTHLY MEETING

Wednesday, July 26 from 4:00-5:30 p.m., Room C168, Sedgewick Building, University of Victoria.

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HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI REMEMBERED

Wednesday, August 9 from 6:30 PM – 9 PM at Esquimalt Gorge Park, 1070 Tillicum Rd., Esquimalt

The annual lantern ceremony, marking the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan will be held at Esquimalt Gorge Park (off Tillicum Road just south of the Gorge Waterway). We join in the global call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Never Again! Organized by the Vancouver Island Peace & Disarmament Network, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details. Visit www.vipdn.org

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The Paddle will take place over five days and four nights, from August 9-13, 2017, beginning at Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island and proceeding to Salt Spring and Pender Islands for special cultural, recreational and educational programming. Camping and dinners have been arranged for paddlers on all islands, and are included in the participant fee of $95 per person over 15 years (subsidies available, please contact us, and consider donating an extra $20 with your fee to help fund a fellow paddler).

https://www.facebook.com/events/240382766424833/

This year’s 4th Annual Turning the Tide: Peoples’ Paddle for the Salish Sea promises to be another exciting and meaningful family-friendly journey, uniting people from across the Salish Sea in community and solidarity for people and the planet. This year’s theme is “Solidarity Across the Salish Sea.” With the federal government’s recent approval of the Trans-Mountain pipeline expansion project, and the election of one of the most regressive presidents in American history, our movements need to strengthen and grow. Now more than ever, we need to stand up and build a culture of solidarity and resistance on both sides of the border.

Sponsored By Turning the Tide And The Social Environmental Alliance.

Happy World Environment Day June 5th!

In solidarity for peace, earth and justice,

Tamara

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THREE ACTION ALERTS!

Three important Canadian petitions to sign on to and share widely (will take 1 minute of your time):

1. The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace’s petition to appeal to the Trudeau government to join the UN ban talks – the petition is directed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and copied to Conservative MP Peter Kent, NDP MP Hélène Laverdière, NDP leader Tom Mulcair, and Green MP Elizabeth May. Please sign on here:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/its-time-to-ban-the-bomb?source=direct_link

2. No to the 2% NATO target for military spending petition: https://www.no2percent.ca/

This Canadian campaign started before the NATO summit in May and is running until the federal government announces the new defence policy next week. There is a coalition of peace groups across the country involved including VOW. Check out the web site and the petition text: “I don't want Canada's military spending increased by $20 billion. Use available public dollars to improve social programs, to conserve the environment, and to build peace.” Please sign on here: https://www.no2percent.ca/

3. The Broadbent Institute has launched a major petition in support of Cindy Blackstock and The First Nations Child and Family Care Society of Canada. We're calling on Justin Trudeau and the Government of Canada to fully comply with the orders handed down from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal before this year's Canada Day. While this government is planning a coast-to-coast party to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, young First Nations children are living in 3rd world conditions. That must end. Please help us put pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government to act immediately. Help us to meet our goal of 100,000 signatures by sharing this petition far and wide. Please sign on here: http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/fn_chrt?utm_campaign=jun2_17rs_pet&utm_medium=email&utm_source=broadbent