RACISM & NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS – Upcoming Events/Actions

Black July: From the Ashen Streets | 23 July 2010 – 6pm Scarborough Civic Centre – 150 Borough Drive, Scarborough | Canadian Tamil Congress

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FROM THE ASHEN STREETS

The violent events of July 1983 are poignant for the entire Tamil population around the world. Tamils were systematically targeted with violence in Colombo and many other parts of Sri Lanka between July 24th and 29th, 1983. Tamil homes and businesses were burned, looted and destroyed. Tamil people were beaten, killed and burned alive. It was in no doubt an unforgettable and utterly dark period for Tamil people characterized by torturous beatings, extreme violence and indiscriminate killings. Fearing persecution, thousands of Tamils fled the island of Sri Lanka.

At a time when Sri Lankan Tamils were seeking refuge from the violence and political persecution of Sri Lanka’s Anti-Tamil Pogrom of July 1983, Canada opened its doors to provide a safe haven. Join these Canadians on July 23, 2010 as Canadian Tamil Congress presents “From the Ashen Streets”, commemorating the 27th anniversary of Black July. The night will feature a must see documentary by young Toronto directors, V. Aaraniyan, V. Aadhi and V. Aara. These brothers ventured to understand the lives and wounds left behind by the events of Black July through the experiences of six brave Tamil Canadians. Their stories provide a lasting impression on the resilience of the human spirit which lies within the Tamil community and a fresh perspective on the Sri Lankan narrative. It will be followed by a play from the Asylum Theatre Group which will illustrate the parallels between the haunting survivor experiences of Black July to recent events in the island of Sri Lanka.

In addition, the evening will showcase work from local artists, archived photographs and articles which poignantly chronicles the turbulent history of Sri Lanka up until the days of Black July.

Come join the Canadian Tamil Congress in remembering the unforgettable.

Please visit www.blackjuly83.com for more information

Date: July 23rd, 2010
Location: Scarborough Civic Centre
150 Borough Drive, Scarborough

Time: 6 pm – Exhibit Open
7 pm-Black July Documentary Screening
8 pm- Play by Asylum Theatre Group

Celebrating July 26th CUBAN REVOLUTION DAY! | 26 July 2010 – 5:30pm to Midnight

Monday, July 26th
5:30 to Midnight

United Steelworkers’ Hall 25
Cecil Street (one block southeast of College & Spadina)

On July 26th, 1953 the Cuban people attacked the Moncada and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons, symbols of the tyranny and occupation of Cuba under the U.S. puppet regime of Batista. Although the attack was defeated, it raised the banner of struggle, which would lead to the victory of the Cuban Revolution. We celebrate with the added joy of seeing Fidel Castro, the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, in an ever combative but convincing exchange of ideas on international issues live.

A POLITICAL/CULTURAL EVENING WITH:

MASTER OF CEREMONIES - Fidelito
WELCOMING REMARKS - Raúl Delgado Concepción, the Honorable Consul of Cuba in Toronto
MUSIC & POETRY -
Poetic Voices/Voces Poéticas - Indigenous/Hispanic
Zuviri – Top finalist in the “Toronto Latin Star” talent contest
Arnold H. Itwaru - Poet, Former Director, Caribbean Studies-University of Toronto
…and last but not least! Live Cuban Band – The Clave Kings

Home-made Halal Food! and more… Admission: $1

While remembering the Cuban Five anti-terrorist political prisoners of the U.S. since Sept. 12th, 1998 who are heroically enduring their imprisonment with dignity for their beloved Cuba; this year’s July 26th is dedicated to Alicia Alonso, founder of the National Ballet of Cuba for her untiring commitment to the universal understanding of culture and the realization of Jose Marti’s saying that “Homeland is Humanity“.

ORGANIZED BY:

TORONTO FORUM ON CUBA – www.torontoforumoncuba.tyo.ca, torontoforumoncuba@rogers.com
LA ASOCIACIÓN DE CUBANOS JUAN GUALBERTO GÓMEZ – http://asociacioncubatoronto.blogspot.com, asociacion.jgg@gmail.com

SPONSORED BY:
LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY NETWORK (LASN)

Defend Civil Liberties | 10 July 2010 Rally and March @ Queen’s Park – 1pm

Jail Solidarity Rally: People of Toronto Condemn Police Violence | 28 June 2010 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm

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JAIL SOLIDARITY RALLY!

Toronto Condemns Police Violence

Monday, June 28th
5:30pm – 7:30 pm

Police Headquarters,
40 College Street (at Yonge Street)

Speakers:

Naomi Klein
Ben Powless
David McNally
Abeer Majeed

Testimonies from people who’ve been brutalized by police

Over the past two days, police have rounded and arrested up hundreds of people. They have been denied access to lawyers, telephones, food and water, and held in deplorable conditions in makeshift steel cages. Many have been beaten in the streets and in their homes; shot at with rubber bullets and tear gas; some have been sent to hospital with severe injuries. Hundreds are still in custody as of Sunday night.

We need to get our people out. We need to take our city back from the armed fortress that it has been turned into.

We will let the police know that we will not tolerate the arrests, beatings and attempt to intimidate the people of Toronto. Our community stands with the people whose lives have been disrupted by the G20, and by police violence. We will demand that all those arrested be released, and released now!

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The 3rd Annual Decolonizing the Spirit Conference: Rebuilding the Community & Re-claiming our Histories | Friday, April 16th & April 17th, 2010

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Friday, April 16th & April 17th, 2010

9 am to 6 pm

OISE – 252 Bloor Street W (at St George Subway)
Fifth Floor Room 280

Registration: General $50, Students/Non Profit/Community Agencies $30

$10 for Community presentation by Dr. Molefe Asante on Saturday, April 17th at 4:30 pm.

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The Centre for Integrative Anti-Racist Studies (CIARS)/ U of T will be presenting the 2 day conference on “Decolonizing The Spirit” – Re-building the Community and Re-claiming our histories.  Over the years the conference has provided a safe space in which radical scholars, activists, workers and other community members have discussed the possibilities of spirituality as a body of transformative knowledge, discourse of study, and anti-colonial resistance.  Featuring panel discussions and communivercity reasoning. In addition, the conference will also feature well renowned Afrocentric Scholars and authors: Dr. Molefe Kete Asante and Dr. George Sefa Dei.

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For more info, contact:

Aman Sium -  (647) 966-7486  /  amansium@hotmail.com

Sistah Donna – (416) 347-5623 /  donna.outerbridge@sympatico.ca

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Twelfth Annual Graduate Student Research Conference of the Department of Sociology and EquityStudies in Education, OISE/UT | Contested Spaces: The (Re)Organization of Schooling under Neoliberalism Saturday | April 3rd, 2010

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Twelfth Annual Graduate Student Research Conference of the Department of Sociology and EquityStudies in Education, OISE/UT

Contested Spaces: The (Re)Organization of Schooling under Neoliberalism
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

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Program

8:40am to 9:00am – Registration and Coffee/Tea, Treats (5th Floor)

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9:00am to 10:30am – SESSION A

A1:Labour & the Workplace
Room: 5‐230
Moderator: Zahir Kolia

Neo‐liberalism and its Implementation at York University
Xavier Scott, Social and Political Thought, York University

Studies on Female Migrant Workers in China: Enhancement of Social Equity and Security
Yongfang Jia, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, ‘Anomalous Zones’ and Inscriptions of Degeneracy
Chris Ramsaroop, Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW)

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A2: Rethinking Relationships of Inclusion and Exclusion
Room: 5‐240
Moderator: Ricky Varghese

Building Inclusive Conformity
Michael Ross, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Afrocentric‐Alternative Education: Building a Subaltern Counterpublic Against the Eurocentric Model of Education
Patrick Radebe, Society, Culture and Politics in Education, University of British Colombia

Race Discourses in the Canadian Public School System
Rebecca Nava, Immigration and Settlement Studies, Ryerson University

Transnational Feminism: Its Response to the Call of Indigenous Women
Rose Ann Torres, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

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A3: Alternative Epistemologies
Room: 5‐250
Moderator: Colleen McLay

What We’ve Lived and What We Can Know About It, As Teaching and Research
Chris Chapman, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Michal Er‐el, Social Work, York University

Research in Anti‐Poverty Organizing and Learning in the GTA: A Participatory Approach
Joseph Sawan, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Rakhat Zholdoshalieva, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Israt Ahmed, APCOL Community Researcher

“Living the Indigenous Ways of Knowing”: The African Self and a Holistic Way of Life
Ahmed Ilmi, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

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A4: When Governments Intervene
Room: 5‐260
Moderator: Anthony Briggs

Governing Mentalities of the Ontario Works Literacy Screening Assessment
Tannis Atkinson, Adult Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Funding Public Institutions with Private Investment: Canadian Federalism and Post‐Secondary Educational Institutions
Katrina Pollock, Public Policy and Public Administration, Concordia University

Recognizing International Medical Graduates’ (IMGs) Informal Learning in the Context of Medical Residency Retraining Programs
Cindy Sinclair, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Shifting the Discourse Around Undocumented Students and the Deficiencies of Implementing a Policy of Access
Francisco Villegas, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

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10:40am to 12:10pm – SESSION B

B1: Performing Bodies, Performing Spaces
Room: 5‐260
Moderator: Chelsey Lichtman

(Trans)gressive Bodies, Queer Movements: Resisting Imperialist Mappings of the Body Through Performance
Johannah Black, Immigration and Settlement Studies, Ryerson University
Inextricable
Alexis Mitchell, York University

Musical Exclusions: Indigenous Musical Knowledge in the Academy
Juliet Hess, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

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B2: “The Dilema of the Black Intellectual”: The Threat and Imperative of Blackness in the Canadian University
Room: 5‐250
Moderator: Christopher Smith

White Feminist Supremacy: An Autoethnography
Samantha Peters, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Symbolic Proximity: The Contradictory Condition of Black Female Conformativity for Survival
Laurianne Wade, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Moving Beyond Gossip: Disciplining the Threat of the Black Feminine
Onyinyechukwu Udegbe, Toronto‐based Scholar and Artist

Doing Blackness Without Black People: Blackness as Intellectual Commodity at the University of Toronto
Darcel Bullen, Women and Gender Studies and Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto

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B3: In the Classroom
Room: 5‐240
Moderator: Jamil Kalim

Playing The Real Game: Reflections on Studying Neo‐Liberalism and Schooling
Kate Cairns, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

If You Think Schools Are (Re)organized Equally, Guess Again!
Jennifer Clarke, Social Work, Ryerson University

Schools as Obstructions: The Hidden Curriculum of Age‐Segregation Within Conventional Schooling
Jana Miller, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University

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B4: White Civility
Room: 5‐230
Moderator: Alisha Ticku

Tree Planting as Pedagogy: The Jewish National Fund’s Twinning Programs at Toronto’s Downsview Park
Corey Balsam, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

U.S. Education Reform: A Neoliberal Lesson in Civility
Mairi McDermott, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

White America and Post‐Racialism
Brandy L. Jensen, Michigan State University

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LUNCH 12:10pm – 1:00pm

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1:00pm to 2:30pm – SESSION C

C1: Accessing Education and Building Accessibility
Room: 5‐240
Moderator: Nancy Spina

Mothers in Schooling: Neoliberalism and the Enforcement of Inclusion
Patty Douglas, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Education Not Deportation: Neoliberalism and Citizenship
Ryan Hayes, No One is Illegal

Integration or Assimilation? Advocating for Socially Just Learning Environments in Quebec’s “Classes d’Accueils”
Gabrielle Breton‐Carbonneau, Concordia University

Experience of Racism in Social Work Education: A Critical Examination of Anti‐Oppressive Practice
Uppala Chandrasekera, M.S.W., RSW

Lahoma Thomas, M.S.W., RSW

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C2: Policing and Schooling
Room: 5‐230
Dicussant: Jason Kunin, Secondary Teacher, TDSB

Niraj Joshi, NOCOPS

Alok Premjee, NOCOPS

Ayderus Alawi, Osgoode Hall Law School, Beyond the Lyrics Youth Resource Centre (BTL)

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C3: Academic UnFreedoms: Repression and the (Neo)Liberal Policing of Praxis
Room: 5‐250
Moderator: Faraz Vahid Shahidi

Melanie Newton, History, University of Toronto

Noaman Ali, Political Science, University of Toronto

Yavar Hameed, Lawyer, Carleton University

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C4: The Struggle for Status under Neoliberalism: Building A Sanctuary City Ground‐Up
Room: 5‐260
Moderator: Omme‐Salma Rahemtullah

The Struggle for Status: Building a Sanctuary City
Fariah Chowdhury, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Food Committee Panel Participation
Yogi Acharya, No One is Illegal, Food for All

Shelter Sanctuary Status
Farrah Miranda, No One is Illegal

Migrant Health and Social Justice: Challenging the Discourse on Healthcare Research for the Undocumented and Uninsured & Movement Building
No One is Illegal, Health For All

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2:40pm to 4:10pm – SESSION D

D1: Security, Surveillance and Containment
Room: 5‐260
Moderator: May El‐Abdallah

Where Neoliberalism and Cynicism Meet: La Police du Quartier Reforms
Max Silverman, McGill University

Branding Security
Julie Gregory, Sociology, Queens University

Things Fall Apart: A Critical Examination of Human Rights Failures at the University of Windsor
Andrew Langille, Lawyer, Researcher and Activist

The “Walking Wounded”: The Crisis of Youth, School Violence, and Precarious Pedagogy
Jennifer Fisher, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University

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D2: Disposability and the Production of Disposable Bodies
Room: 5‐250
Moderator: Omisoore Dryden

Learning to Loathe: Orientating Affect Through ‘Fake Fat’
Kristen A. Hardy, Social and Political Thought, York University

H1N1 and Aboriginal Others: Disposability, Disease and the Making of the Canadian Nation
Lindsay Muir, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Raising the ‘Red Flags’ of Autism: Discipline, Development and the Education of the Human
Anne McGuire, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

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D3: Assemblages of Power
Room: 5‐230
Discussant: Dr. Tanya Titchkosky

Accessibility Assemblages: Problematizing Solution
Laura Thrasher Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Eliza Chandler, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

The Legacy of the Enlightenment Thought: Some Reflections on Knowledge Production in the Academy
Tabassum Fahim Ruby, Women’s Studies, York University

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D4: Responsibilities of the Settlers: Building Solidarity with the Six Nations
Room: 5‐240
Moderator: Niki Thorne

Anti‐Native Organizing & the “Caledonia Crisis”: Countering Right Wing Backlash and Building Indigenous Solidarity in Settler Communities
Kate Milley, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto, OISE

Tom Keefer, Political Science, York University

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4:30pm to 6:00pm

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Contested Spaces: The (Re)Organization of Schooling under Neoliberalism
Room: 5‐250

Moderator: Dr. Rachel Berger, Department of History, Concordia University

Dr. Radhika Mongia
Department of Sociology
York University

Dr. Justin Podur
Faculty of Environmental Studies
York University

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All Out November 5th: No More Band-Aids or Bail-Outs For The Rich | OCAP

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As part of the Campaign for a Poverty Free Ontario Province-Wide Day of Action

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
1:30 pm
St. James Park (King St. East and Jarvis St.)

For years, they have been telling us no money exists for decent wages, proper housing, childcare, education or health care and, certainly, no money to ensure that poor people on assistance can pay the rent and eat properly. Yet when the banks and corporations ask for help, public money suddenly becomes available to them. This bail-out money is lining the pockets of CEOs, while thousands of workers are either laid off or forced to take devastating concessions.

For poor people in Ontario, this economic crisis has rubbed salt in our wounds. We’ve been living with too little for far too long. This downturn is unfolding in a context where social supports have already been cut back and devastated. All three levels of government have already made clear they will not put resources into social programs crucial to our survival. In fact, they will try to do the very opposite. As the downturn cuts into revenues, governments will try to cut vital programs in order to balance their books.

As this system moves into crisis, those in power move to profit once again at our expense. This is capitalism’s crisis – they broke it, and we’re not paying to fix it! For the needs of poor people, nothing will be provided unless we fight together. We will become a priority when we pose enough of a problem that that they have to treat us as one. Otherwise, we will be the ones paying for this crisis. Public money must be put into the hands of the people who need it. Join us on Thursday, November 5th!

We demand:
-Affordable and Accessible Housing: increased social housing and access to proper shelter supports
-Decent Income: Increased Social Assistance by 40%, Increased (Un)Employment Insurance and Minimum Wage
-Status for all immigrants and refugees: access to services without fear
-Justice For First Nations: stop economic warfare and recognize sovereignty

INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY WEEK – TORONTO | OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 1, 2009

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!  MARK THE DATES!!

Indigenous Sovereignty Week – Toronto

Forums, art, performances and discussions supporting and celebrating the
Indigenous struggle for land and sovereignty on Turtle Island

http://www.defendersoftheland.org/toronto

OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Invitees include
* Arthur Manuel, Secwepemc Nation
* Shawn Brant, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
* Ellen Gabriel, Kanesatake Mohawk Territory
* Vickie Monague, Beausoleil First Nation
* Grafton Antone, Oneida

Featured events
* Opening Ceremonies with Men’s and Women’s Drum Circle, youth slam poetry
* How we got to Now: (***or Yes Harper, a Candian History of
Colonialism)- Stories of local Resistance Movements
* Redefining Restorative Justice- Untangling impacts, and a way forward.
* Struggles for the Land- stories from communities drawing the line
* In Our Language- Haudenosaunee Storytelling with Interpretation to English
* The Great Indian Bus Tour- get on the bus! A real tour of the Indigenous
history of  Toronto
* Building the Circle Stronger- Traditional feast,  Sharing Circle and Next
Steps meeting
* and more .

Full schedule will be updated shortly. Please visit our website often.

Email iswtoronto@gmail.com for more.

Canadian Arab Federation’s Series of Fundraising Dinners for Canada’s Disowned Citizens: “DISOWNING CANADIANS ABROAD”

*** Please Circulate Widely ***

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Canadian Arab Federation’s Series of Fundraising Dinners for Canada’s Disowned Citizens:

“DISOWNING CANADIANS ABROAD”

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Join us for an amazing night of food, entertainment, and discussion as part of  The Canadian Arab Federation’s Series of Fundraising Dinners for Canada’s  disowned Citizens.

There will be Arab-themed music with traditional instruments as well as Speakers who will address our Theme of the evening – “Disowning Canadians abroad”

ll Confirmed Speakers ll

Mr. HADAYT NAZAMI

Mr. Hadayt Nazami is an experienced immigration and refugee lawyer based in Toronto. He was called to the bar in July 2004 and practices in the area of immigration and refugee protection law as an associate at the law firm, Jackman & Associates. Mr. Nazami has represented clients in a number of high profile cases involving Canada’s anti-terrorism laws and immigration security certificates. He was one of the counselors who represented Ahmad Abou ElMaati prior to and during the Iacobucci Internal Inquiry and has also represented British MP George Galloway and the Canadian Arab Federation in their cases against Conservative Minister Jason Kenney.

Ms. SUAD HAGI MOHAMUD

Ms. Mohamud is a Somalian-born citizen of Canada who was detained and Stranded in Nairobi, Kenya for three months. Mohamud was detained and her passport was seized when she attempted to board a flight from Nairobi to Toronto May 21. She had been barred from leaving Kenya after authorities said her lips did not look the way they did in her four-year-old passport photo. She arrived back in Canada on August 15, 2009 after being trapped in Nairobi since May 21 2009. Canadian consular officials branded her an “impostor” and accused her of using a false passport. Suaad was subjected to DNA testing in Canada from her son and ex-husband to confirm her identity.

Mr. FARAZ SIDDIQUI

Mr. Siddiqui is a 24-year old Canadian citizen of Pakistani background who was arrested in Lebanon for overstaying his visa, despite visa exclusions covering Canadians visiting Lebanon. He was suspected of terrorist activities due to his frequent visits to Palestinian camps on United Nations missions, where he was an intern. Throughout the ordeal, the Canadian consulate remained on the sidelines, refusing to investigate the allegations. He spent nearly a week in maximum security prison before being released without any charges.

Mr. ABOUSFIAN ABDELRAZIK

Mr. Abousfian Abdelrazik is a Sudanese-born Canadian citizen wrongfully accused of having ties to al-Qaeda in 2003. He was cleared of all charges following multiple investigations by the Sudanese government, CSIS and the RCMP. However, he was banned from returning to Canada for a prolonged period of time since he remained on the United Nations terrorist no-fly list. Canada refused to grant him travel papers and otherwise blocked his return to his home in Montreal even after he managed to find an airline willing to transport him, and despite the fact that the UN blacklist explicitly allows for him to return to a country of citizenship.

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ll Entertainment ll

Oud Player KARIM SULTAN

Poet BOONAA MOHAMMED

and more!

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009

Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Location: Blind Duck Restaurant, Student Centre, University of Toronto
Mississauga

Street: 3359 Mississauga Road North L5L 1C6

City/Town: Mississauga, ON
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On Facebook? RSVP for the Event by Clicking Here
<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168774958834#/event.php?eid=169701327
714&ref=mf>

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For directions please visit: http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/index.php?id=8709

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ll Ticket Prices ll

Student Rate: $20.00
General Rate: $50.00

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TO PURCHASE TICKETS:

1)      Call CAF at 416-493-8635

2)     Visit CAF’s office: 1057 McNicoll Ave. Scarborough ON

3)     Visit Palestine House: 3195 Erindale Station Rd. Mississauga ON

4)     Pay through Paypal
<https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=iXvfBZfxU5CBC2M4
6fp1yL9txGGXeLv-BFHa9dK2ZA_ZnO8mBjtf2JE1dE8&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1fb6947b0
aeae66fdbfb2119927117e3a6765c403f4977abcf> here (Please indicate that
payment is for “Ticket for CAF Fundraiser Dinner”)

This event has been sponsored and endorsed by the University of Toronto
Mississauga Students Union (U.T.M.S.U)
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CAF raises awareness of issues that affect the Canadian Arab community and achieves this objective through education, public awareness, media relations and non-partisan government relations

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LAUNCH OF “CODES OF MISCONDUCT” by ASHWINI TAMBE | 24 SEPTEMBER 2009 @ 7pm

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join us for the launch of .

CODES OF MISCONDUCT
by Ashwini Tambe

co-sponsored by University of Minnesota Press

THURS SEPT 24, 2009, 7:00pm
toronto women’s bookstore
73 Harbord Street (west of Spadina, south side)
free. all welcome. refreshments provided.
we regret that our washroom is not wheelchair accessible.

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Across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, legislators in Bombay passed a series of repetitive laws seeking to control prostitution. During the same time, Bombay’s sex industry grew vast in scale. Ashwini Tambe explores why these remarkably similar laws failed to achieve their goal and questions the actual purpose of such lawmaking.

Against the backdrop of the industrial growth of Bombay, Codes of Misconduct examines the relationship between lawmaking, law enforcement, and sexual commerce. Ashwini Tambe challenges linear readings of how laws create effects and demonstrates that the regulation and criminalization of prostitution were not contrasting approaches to prostitution but different modes of state coercion. By analyzing legal prohibitions as productive forces, she also probes the pornographic imagination of the colonial state, showing how regulations made sexual commerce more visible but rendered the prostitute silent.

Codes of Misconduct engages with debates on state control of sex work and traces how a colonial legacy influences contemporary efforts to contain the spread of HIV and decriminalize sex workers in India today. In doing so, Tambe’s work not only adds to our understanding of empire, sexuality, and the law, it also sheds new light on the long history of Bombay’s transnational links and the social worlds of its underclasses.

Ashwini Tambe is assistant professor of women’s studies and history at the University of Toronto.

The Second Annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival | September 26 – October 2, 2009

York University Black Students’ Alliance Presents… BLACK TO YORK: Rally and Festival | 28 September 2009 @ 3pm

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York University Black Students’ Alliance Presents…

BLACK TO YORK:

Rally and Festival

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What:  Awareness Rally

Where:  York University, Student Centre

When:  Monday, September 28, 2009, 3 PM

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On September 28, 2009, we welcome back all Black students and our allies to York University with a rally and cultural celebration. The purpose of this awareness rally is to raise consciousness on the adverse impact of rising tuition on Black students; to politicize and inspire Black students on this campus to engage in social justice activism; and to build for the November 5 day of action for a Poverty-free Ontario. We will culminate our peaceful assembly with a march to our annual Blackfest celebration. Blackfest is an opportunity for all Black students on campus to congregate in peace and unity and to celebrate the multiplicity of cultures which makeup our communities.

Given the 40% high school drop out rate among this city’s Black students and given that the median economic income for Black families in the G.T.A. hovers at the poverty line, we are particularly concerned by the implications of unaffordable fees and by our under-representation in all levels of the university. Blackfest provides a platform for us to congregate amidst unfavourable social conditions and to celebrate despite enduring systemic barriers which prohibit our full participation in higher education.

We also wish to use this congregation as an opportunity to express our solidarity with the people of Gaza. Israeli Defense Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. We hosted Cynthia McKinney (2008 U.S. Presidential candidate) at this year’s Black Voices Conference and were alarmed by this turn of events. We call for the release of all political prisoners and refugees in Israeli detention centres and an end to the siege on Gaza.

Join us September 28 to kick-off the year with consciousness, culture and action.

With special performances, lively speakers and drumming

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disOrientation 2009 – Shoot Me! I’m Political | 14-18 September

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disOrientation 2009 – Shoot Me! I’m Political
September 14th – 18th
University of Toronto – St. George Campus
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disOrientation is a week of events being organized by the University of Toronto Students’ Union (U.T.S.U) and the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Toronto. This week will focus on engaging the student body in political activism through an introduction to anti-oppression and social justice work being done on and off campus.

All events are free and open to both students and community members. All locations are wheelchair accessible.

Workshops we will be hosting during the week:
*Anti-War and Tamil Solidarity
*Palestine Solidarity
*World Poverty
*Local Poverty
*Justice for Migrants
*Queer Radicalism
*Colonialism 101
*Justice for Indigenous Communities

Events we will be hosting during the week:
*Radical Campus Tour
*Free Commuter Meal
*Film Screening of “Walk-out”
*The really, really, Free Market: Block party!
*Free Iftar meal at sundown for those observing Ramadan
*Words of Resistance – Performance Night
*Keynote address with Robert Lovelace
*Film Screening of “Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance” at
Philosopher’s Walk
*Community BBQ

Please see the attached schedule for the exact times and locations of
the workshops and events.

Join DisO on facebook :
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=123742574146

disOrientation 2009:
Brought to you by your Students’ Union(U.T.S.U) and OPIRG – Toronto
Visit: http://www.opirguoft.org / http://www.utsu.ca

Contact for more information: opirg.toronto@gmail.com/ vpexternal@utsu.ca
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Schedule of Workshops and Events

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Monday, September 14th: EDUCATION

Radical Campus Tour
12 Noon – 4pm
Location: Meeting @ the OPIRG Toronto Office (563 Spadina Ave – North
Borden Building, on the east side of Spadina Circle)

Get to know your campus from a whole new light: radical history, important services and organizations to visit, buildings you will want to protest – its all here in a guided tour!

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Community BBQ
5pm
Location: on the lawn of U.T.S.U (Hart House Circle)

At the end of the Campus Tour, join us for a free BBQ and discussion.
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Outdoor Film Screening: ‘Walk Out”!
8pm
Location: on the lawn of U.T.S.U ( 12 Hart House Circle), or rain location TBD

A film about Student activists tired of being treated unequally, decide to take action and stage a walkout at five East Los Angeles high schools in 1968 to protest educational conditions anti-Mexican educational bias along with some 10,000 students.

An inspirational film, not to be missed!

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Tuesday, September 15th: INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

Commuter Brunch with Hot YAM
11am
Location: U.T.S.U Lawn @ 12 Hart House Circle

For those who have to travel to get to campus, and for those who are not inspired by campus food and can’t afford anymore crappy  starbucks…Commuter Brunch with the Hot Yam! The Hot Yam! is the University of Toronto’s all-volunteer lunch party – once a week they cook up a delicious, mostly local, mostly organic and entirely vegan lunch all for affordable prices.
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Workshop: Anti-War from Afghanistan to Sri Lanka
3pm
Location: BA 1210 Bahen Centre (19 Russell St)

An introductory workshop to understanding Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka’s war against the Tamil people. Saying NO to racism and war!

Featuring:
*James Clarke: Toronto Coalition to Stop the War
*Tamil Students in solidarity
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Workshop: Apartheid 101 and Palestine Solidarity

Tuesday, September 15th – 6 p.m.
Bahen Centre (19 Russel Street) – BA2175

An Introductory workshop on the issues of Israel-Palestine, and on the situation facing Palestinian students under occupation and apartheid.  Join us as we talk about ways of how we can stand in solidarity with Palestinian students.

Featuring:

*Alan Sears: professor at Ryerson University. He is a member of Faculty for Palestine, a coalition of university professors raising awareness about Israeli Apartheid and Palestinian human rights.  He will be talking about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

*Ilaria Giglioli: graduate student at the University of Toronto.  She is a member of Students Against Israeli Apartheid, has recently returned from a month-long trip to Palestine, and will be talking about the Right to Education Campaign.
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Wednesday, September 16th: POVERTY and THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

Workshop: Global Poverty and the Crisis
12 Noon
Location: University of Toronto Art Centre (UTAC) @ 15 King’s College
Circle (University College)

Understanding global economic structures like the WTO, G8, and Free Trade. Looking at the current economic crisis and the affects of poverty on the Global south.

Featuring:
*David McNally: Professor of Political Science at York University, social justice activist,  and Author of ‘Another World is Possible’.

*S.K Hussan: organizer with No One is Illegal and part of the ad-hoc G8 organizing committee.
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Workshop: Local Poverty and the Crisis
3pm
Location: University of Toronto Art Centre (UTAC) @ 15 King’s College
Circle (University College)

From local struggles for income security, access to education, and housing, this workshop will look at issues facing poor communities in Ontario.

Featuring:

*Gaetan Heroux: Streethealth and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)

*AJ Whithers: OCAP and Disability Action Movement Now (DAMN 2025)

*Campaign for a Poverty Free Ontario – Canadian Federation of Students

*Kelly O’Sullivan – CUPE 4308 and community activist

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EVENT: The Really, Really, Free Market: BLOCK PARTY!
6pm
Location: U.T.S.U Lawn (12Hart House Circle)

MUSIC, ART, PERFORMANCES, COMMUNITY GROUPS and MORE!
An Outdoor party in the heart of Campus – and its really really FREE!
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Thursday, September 17th: RESISTANCE to OPPRESSION
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Workshop: Justice for Migrant Communities
12 Noon
Location: ES B149 Earth Sciences Building (5 Bancroft Ave)

An introductory workshop on the issues facing migrant and non-status communities; from immigration raids to racist immigration policy more broadly. Come hear about how local organizations are fighting back!

Featuring:

*Chris Ramsaroop from Justicia for Migrant Workers: a volunteer run political non-profit collective comprised of activists from diverse walks of life. Justicia strives to promote the rights of migrant farmworkers (participating in the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the Low Skilled Workers Program) and farmworkers without status.

* Joy Sioson from Philippine Women Centre of Ontario: a non-profit community based organization that advances the rights and welfare of Filipino women. Joy will talk about the plight of Filipino women and migrant workers and the community’s struggle for genuine settlement and integration.

* Yogi Acharya from No One is Illegal Toronto: a group of immigrants, refugees and allies who fight for the rights of all migrants to live with dignity and respect.
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Workshop: Building On A Radical Queer Politic
Thursday, September 17th – 2 p.m.
University of Toronto Arts Centre (UTAC): 15 King’s College Cirlce

This facilitated discussion will examine the struggles that have shaped queer radicalism. We will explore the histories of queer movements, strategies queer communities have employed in the past, and new directions that queer radicalisms are taking today.

Featuring:
*Mujeres al Frente is a Support Group for Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersex, Queer Women and Trans People of Latin-America.

*Tim McCaskell is a co-founder of AIDS Action Now and former member of the Body Politic Collective, the ground-breaking Toronto radical queer newspaper.

*Natalie Kouri-Towe is a former organizer with the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) and is currently organizing with Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.
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EVENT: Free Iftar meal for those observing Ramadan sponsored by the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU)

Sundown
Location: U.T.S.U Lawn (12 Hart House Circle)
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EVENT: Words of Resistance
Spoken Word against Oppression

6pm
Location: Arbor Room @ Hart House (7 Hart House Circle)

Had lips tied? Rights denied?
Seen silence amplified?
They may draw boundaries on my home, my neighborhood, my people and me
But they will never, ever stop me from speaking out.
They will never take away my
WORDS OF RESISTANCE

Come to listen, to speak and to share. Open mike, short plays, spoken word and performances.

Featured Artists include:

Nomanzland
Unknown Mizery
Anu Radha Verma
Gitanjali Lena
Kenji
Amai Kuda
Jorge Vallejos
Jean-Marc Daga

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Friday, September 18th: INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY

Workshop: Colonialism 101 and Solidarity
12 Noon
Location: University of Toronto Art Centre (UTAC) @ 15 King’s College
Circle (University College)

An introductory workshop to the history of colonialism within North America and the movements for solidarity with First Nations communities demanding justice.

Featuring: Tyendinaga Support Committee and Barriere Lake Solidarity Committee

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Event: Justice for Indigenous Communities
Featuring:  Robert Lovelace
2pm
Location: International Students Centre – Cumberland Room (33 St. George St.)

Robert Lovelace is a retired Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. He is an Adjunct Lecturer in Global Development Studies at Queen’s University and a professor in Ecosystems Management at Sir Sandford Fleming College. He has written about community development and social reform as a de-colonizing strategy. On February 15, 2008, Robert Lovelace was sentenced to 6 months in prison for contempt of court. His crime was taking a leadership role in securing Algonquin land and refusing to permit exploration for uranium near Ardoch,
Ontario. Lovelace will be speaking on Colonialism vs. The Future – adapting to the finite world means the end of colonialism.  He will speak to the need for education to take on a very strong anti-colonial character in preparing the next generation for the environmental and economic changes and challenges ahead.
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Outdoor Film Screening: ‘Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance’
8pm
Location: Philosophers Walk @ 80 Queens Park
Rain Location: Arbor Room at Hart House

Alanis Obomsawin, 1993, 119 min 15 s
On a July day in 1990, a confrontation propelled Native issues in Kanehsatake and the village of Oka, Quebec, into the international spotlight. Director Alanis Obomsawin spent 78 nerve-wracking days and nights filming the armed stand-off between the Mohawks, the Quebec police and the Canadian army. This powerful documentary takes you right into the action of an age-old Aboriginal struggle. The result is a portrait of the people behind the barricades.
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GET INVOLVED!

University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is YOUR students’ union. Representing over 41,000, we are governed by a Board of Directors elected from every college, campus, professional faculty and second-entry program. Our aim is to provide money-saving services and events to educate and enhance your university experience. www.utsu.ca

Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) is a volunteer campus-based group with a mandate for Action, Education, and Research on issues of social and environmental justice. We have over 25 years of commitment to social justice and organizing at the University of Toronto.

www.opirgufot.org

_______________________________________________
OPIRG-uoft-l mailing list
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http://list.web.net/lists/listinfo/opirg-uoft-l

Apartheid 101 and Palestine Solidarity | 15 September 2009

***Please Post Widely***

Apartheid 101 and Palestine Solidarity
A workshop hosted by Students Against Israeli Apartheid – U of T. Part of dis/Orientation 2009 – a week of radical, anti-oppression and social justice initiatives.

Tuesday, September 15th – 6 p.m.
Bahen Centre (19 Russel Street) – BA2175
(map: http://tiny.cc/ZuRhR)

Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at the University of Toronto is a network of students connected to the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.  We work towards raising awareness about Palestine and Israeli Apartheid as well as the need to sever economic ties between our campus and Israel until it complies by international law.

1 – An end to the occupation of all Arab land and the dismantling of the Apartheid Wall.
2 – The right of return for all Palestinian refugees, as stipulated under UN Resolution 194.

3 – Recognition for the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality.

These are the three demands presented by Palestinian civil society in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions international call of 2005.

Join us this Tuesday, September 15th at 6 p.m., as we explore these three demands, how they relate to the context of our campus community, and the ways in which we can stand in solidarity with Palestine.

This event will be facilitated by Alan Sears and Ilaria Giglioli.

Alan Sears is a professor at Ryerson University. He is a member of Faculty for Palestine, a coalition of university professors raising awareness about Israeli Apartheid and Palestinian human rights.  He will be talking about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Ilaria Giglioli is a graduate student at the University of Toronto. She is a member of Students Against Israeli Apartheid, has recently returned from a month-long trip to Palestine, and will be talking about the Right to Education Campaign.

*Admission is free.  Everyone is welcome.  This venue is wheelchair accessible.*

For more information, please contact saia@riseup.net

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SAIA is an action group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group.

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