Many Ways to Push for Change in Sudbury - Come to Challenge the City! and join the discussion

SUDBURY, ONTARIO, November 28, 2014 – Differences in focus and approach among social change groups are sometimes treated as a problem, but at the December 3rd Challenge the City! forum at The Laughing Buddha (194 Elgin St.), it is precisely these kinds of differences that will be used to build community strength.

Speakers from three groups – the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty (S-CAP), the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury(CLS), and organized labour – will be part of an interactive forum from 7pm to 9pm. They will share their experiences around strategies, tactics, failures, and successes in pushing for social change at the level of the city.

Scott Neigh is a member of the Sudbury working-group of The Media Co-op, which is hosting the event, and he said, “We hope this will be an opportunity for Sudburians who are already active in pushing to make this a more just and sustainable city, as well as those who are considering getting active, to have discussions, to build relationships, and to learn about diverse approaches that they can use to inform and support their actions in the future.”

The participants are hoping the event can accomplish a number of different things. “We'd like to share some of the practical lessons we've learned,” said Naomi Grant of CLS. “And I'm very interested in learning from others and having a frank and thoughtful discussion about how change happens and the collective impact of groups with diverse approaches.”

For Anna Harbulik of S-CAP, an important goal is to remind people that through collective action we can make change: “I think it's good to know that the collective power of the people is something undeniable. If we are united around something, we can make it happen.” And Christy Knockleby, also of S-CAP, added, “I'd like to hear from the other participants and attendees what it is that holds them back from doing more to challenge the city.”

The Sudbury working-group of The Media Co-op (http://sudbury.mediacoop.ca) is part of a national network of collectives in different cities committed to producing, circulating, and promoting grassroots journalism and other independent media. We believe that social change can only succeed if there are media alternatives that are not driven by profit, that focus on both accuracy and on a commitment to justice, and that prioritize voices that are often marginalized. As such, we not only make and circulate media, but we work to build media-related capacity in the community, and occasionally organize public events that foster dialogue and relationship-building.