Sudbury Social Justice News - September 28, 2014

EVENTS & MEETINGS:

1) Wednesday, October 1: Palestine Solidarity Meeting
2) Wednesday, October 1: Good Green Town Hall
3) Saturday, October 4: Global March for Elephants and Rhinos - Sudbury
4) Monday, October 6: Meeting of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty
5) Monday, October 6: Raise the Rates Campaign Meeting
6) Thursday, October 9: Mayoral Town Hall on Seniors' Issues
7) Thursday, October 9: Screeing of "I Am A Girl"

8) Wednesday, October 15: Creating a Culture of Participation - Workshop & Presentation
9) Thursday, October 16: Sudbury "Raise the Rates!" Action

NEWS, ANALYSIS & CALLS TO ACTION:

1) "Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty Protests Wynne Government Cabinet Meeting in Sudbury"
2) "ISIS: Their barbarism... and ours" by Matthew Behrens

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Wednesday, October 1: Palestine Solidarity Meeting

Time: 7:30pm
Location: Offices of the Sudbury and District Labour Council (Suite 209 upstairs in 109 Elm Street, which is across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

In response to the latest horrific assault on the people of Gaza by the Israeli state, Sudbury, in mid-August, joined countless other cities around the world in mounting a vigorous protest to express opposition to the assault, to the siege of Gaza, and to the occupation. This meeting is to plan future events building on that hugely successful demonstration. Hope to see you there!

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Wednesday, October 1: Good Green Town Hall

Time: 6pm to 9pm
Location: St. Andrew's Place (111 Larch Street, Sudbury)

Meet-and-greet starting at 6pm with city council candidates for this fall's municipal election. A mayoral town hall will go from 7pm to 9pm.
Here's your chance to meet your candidates and ask your questions around green issues, climate change and citizen engagement!

This event on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1455737588030732/

 
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Saturday, October 4: Global March for Elephants and Rhinos - Sudbury

Time: noon
Location: Starting from Memorial Park in downtown Sudbury

It’s a trans-national business that funds terrorist organisations, fuels conflict in Africa, and poses environmental, development and security challenges. The illegal wildlife trade is also a lucrative business, generating an estimated USD$20 billion per year.

At the launch of the United for Wildlife “#WhoseSideAreYou” campaign, in June this year, HRH Duke of Cambridge said, “There are two thousand critically endangered species on the verge of being lost forever. It’s time to choose a side – between the endangered animals and the criminals who kill them for money. I am calling on people all around the world to tell us: whose side are you on?”

The answer will be loud and clear from the thousands of people in over 100 cities worldwide joining the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) on 4th October this year.  Dr Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, has given her support to the march, saying, “We must join forces everywhere to stop the slaughter of elephants and rhinos. They feel pain, they know suffering. We must stop people from buying ivory.” Support has also been given by English actor Ricky Gervais: "How can we allow the extinction of 2 magnificent creatures for the sake of the some morons owning tasteless trinkets or trying fake medicine?"

Also supporting the event, Joanna Lumley, OBE and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, says "If we stand by and watch the brutal extinction of rhino and elephant, the stain of shame on our human consciousness will never be forgiven or forgotten."

The organisers of the grass roots event to be held at Memorial Park Downtown, Sudbury Ontario, October 4th 2014 at 12:00 pm, say that, “only a truly global response will stop our globally iconic species being sold into extinction. World Animal Day this year must focus on action - individuals, peoples, governments - all of us must act to end the vile trade in endangered species.”

Officially acknowledged by United For Wildlife as an event that will raise awareness about the crisis facing the world’s wildlife, GMFER organisers hope the event will also help to reduce demand for endangered species ‘products’ and will be pushing for governments to ban all commercial trading of endangered wildlife and to put an end to wildlife trafficking.

“Individuals, and society as a whole, can choose to shun ivory, rhino horn, lion and tiger bones as commodities,” say event organisers, “but we need governments to play their part too, by increasing penalties for bribery, corruption and trafficking offenses, and by shutting down all retail outlets and ivory carving factories.” The Global March will also call on governments to publicly destroy their stockpiles of illegal wildlife products, to show “zero tolerance for illegal trading”.

In Africa four elephants are illegally killed for their ivory every hour, and estimates are that between only 250,000 to 400,000 survive today.  Illegally killed for their horn, it is estimated that less than 22,000 African rhino now remain.  As for lions, more survive now in captivity, where they are bred to be shot by hunters, than roam in the wild.

Their path to extinction is very clear and the causes are well understood. “Ivory, rhino horn, lion and tiger bones continue to be sold to feed a relentless and growing demand, largely in Asia, where the body parts of these endangered animals are still viewed as highly sought after products,” explain the march organisers.

The ivory and rhino horn trade is particularly cruel and gruesome – not only do poachers indiscriminately slaughter adults, babies or whole herds alike, but often hack off an elephant’s tusks or rhino’s horns while they are still alive.  “When it comes to choosing between saving the elephant, rhino and lion from extinction or slaughtering them for some mythical medicinal property or for an expensive carving, the choice is clear,” GMFER event organisers say.

Don’t stand on the sideline, “Whose side are you on?” Find a march near you:
Website: http://www.March4ElephantsAndRhinos.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/March4Elephants
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EleRhinoMarch Email:March4ElesAndRhinos@gmail.com

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Monday, October 6: Meeting of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty

Time: 6:30pm
Location: Offices of the Sudbury and District Labour Council (Suite 209 upstairs in 109 Elm Street, which is across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Children are welcome to attend, or childcare support is available upon request. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. If you arrive late and doors are locked, please call the S-CAP phone (249-878-7227).

Matters to be discussed include: municipal election intervention; access to Handi-Transit; the S-CAP 9; and our direct action support work.

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 effect working people and people living in poverty. We believe in the power of people to organize themselves. We believe in the power of resistance!

La coalition contre la pauvreté de Sudbury (S-CAP) est un organisme d’action directe luttant contre la pauvreté. Elle se trouve à Sudbury en Ontario.

Le travail de la coalition se base dans l’action directe et consiste à apporter de l’aide aux individus dans leurs luttes pour l’assistance sociale, l’invalidité, le logement, l’emploi et à les aider à faire face aux gens qui leur refusent ce à quoi ils ont droit pour rencontrer leurs besoins. De plus, la coalition fait des compagnes de sensibilisation et de dénonciation par rapport aux politiques gouvernementales régressives quant à leurs effets sur les travailleurs et travailleuses et les personnes vivant dans la pauvreté.

La coalition croit au pouvoir des personnes de s’organiser elles-mêmes; elle croit au pouvoir de la résistance!

Please call us 249-878-7227

Email us at sudburyCAP@gmail.com

Website http://sudburycap.com/

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

 
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Monday, October 6: Raise the Rates Campaign Meeting

Time: 7:30pm
Location: Offices of the Sudbury and District Labour Council (Suite 209 upstairs in 109 Elm Street, which is across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Children are welcome to attend, or childcare support is available upon request. If  you arrive late and doors are locked, please call the S-CAP phone (249-878-7227).

The Raise the Rates campaign which is sponsored by the Canadian Union of Public Employees - Ontario and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is organizing a raise the rates week of anti-poverty action this coming Oct. 13-17th. The week is calling for the raising of social assistance rates by 55% to bring buying power back to what it was before the Harris government initiated the war on the poor; raising the minimum wage to $14 an hour indexed to the cost of inflation;  reinstating the vital provincal Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB); and ending the reviews that are designed to push people off of ODSP.

The event in Sudbury is being organized for Thursday, October 16th, starting at 1:30pm with a free meal which will be followed by music, speakers, and a march to the Provincial Building. We are currently organizing meeting with MPPs France Gelinas and Joe Cimino to try to get them to support the Raise the Rates demands.  

For these plans to happen we need more people to get involved. We need your ideas, skills and energy. We also need your organizations to endorse the event.

For updates visit raisetherates.ca or like Raise the Rates on facebook

If you want to be part of an action in your community during October or want to help build one, email raisetheratescampaign@gmail.com, oe call OCAP at 416 925 6939

 
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Thursday, October 9: Mayoral Town Hall on Seniors' Issues

Time: 1:30pm to 3pm
Location: Parkside Older Adult Centre (144 Durham Street, Sudbury)

All candidates for Mayor in the forthcoming municipal election on Oct. 27th have been invited to meet with interested citizens at a special event sponsored by Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury, the local chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) in conjunction with the Older Adult Parkside Centre.

A similar event was held at the same location during the last election and was well attended, and will be moderated again by well know Sudburian Gerry Labelle.

Candidates will be given the opportunity to present their platforms and answer questions, particular to, but not necessarily related to seniors issues.  While the event which will take place from 1.30 p.m to 3.00 p.m. Thursday Oct. 9th will be of particular interest to older citizens those citizens of other ages available at this time are also invited to attend.

No other recent local election has raised as much interest as the current contest and is of such significant importance.  As Sudbury’s older adult population continues to grow there is considerable concern with respect to the direction our municipality is moving with regards to accommodating Seniors issues, particularly in the areas of increased taxation, affordable housing, maintaining infrastructure and quality of life matters including health care etc.

Those interested should be present at the Older Adult Parkside Centre in the Centre for Life 144 Durham Street prior to the 1.30 p.m. start of the meeting on Thursday Oct. 9th.  Refreshments will be available.
 

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Thursday, October 9: Screeing of "I Am A Girl"
 
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: Sheridan Auditorium, Sudbury Secondary School (154 College Street, Sudbury)

LEAF Sudbury will celebrate Person’s Day 2014 with the documentary, "I am a Girl" on Thursday, October 9, 2014 in the Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School. The film presentation will start at 7:00 p.m. followed by a reception and refreshments.

I AM A GIRL, directed by Rebecca Barry, is an inspirational feature length documentary that paints a clear picture of the reality of what it means to be a girl in the 21st century. Feminism may have promised equality and sought a better and fairer world for women but the reality is that girls make up almost a quarter of the world’s population yet still face the greatest discrimination of any group in the world. Yet in spite of many obstacles, girls have found extraordinary ways to persevere and in this documentary we hear their stories of strength, hope, courage and a refusal to be second best.
Tickets will be sold at, The Apollo restaurant, Gloria’s, Laurentian University Bookstore and at the door. Tickets are $25. There will be free parking.

Contacts: Carol Stos. 705 675 1151, X 4273, Tannys Laughren 705-586-6915

This event on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/669472923142033/

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Wednesday, October 15: Creating a Culture of Participation - Workshop & Presentation

Time: Workshop -- 1pm to 4pm
      Presentation -- 7pm to 9pm
Location: Holiday Inn (1696 Regent Street, Sudbury)
Cost: Workshop -- $30
      Presentation -- $15

In celebration of our 25th Anniversary and to launch our Social Enterprise Division the Social Planning Council Sudbury is excited to invite you to join us on October 15th for what promises to be a fun, informative and entertaining event!

Dave Meslin will lead us in a participatory workshop in the afternoon practicing skills to Creating a Culture of Participation (More details to follow but geared to leaders and front line staff).

In the evening our very own Stef Paquette will set the tone and Dave Meslin will illustrate an optimistic picture of what's possible at City Hall, within the non-profit sector and in our communities.

Workshop: $30
Presentation: $15
Workshop + Presentation: $40
Sponsorship is available.  Please contact us for more information.
events@spcsudbury.ca
705-675-3894

Book on-line: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-a-culture-of-participation-tickets-...

Call out for cool ideas to feature at this event!  Contact Annette at events@spcsudbury.ca, 705-675-8891, ext. 213, to book your free spot to promote YOUR ‘cool’ idea.

 
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Thursday, October 16: Sudbury "Raise the Rates!" Action

Time: 1:30pm
Location: Starting from Memorial Park in downtown Sudbury

As part of the province-wide week of action organized by the Raise the Rates campaign, the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty and the local Raise the Rates organizing committee are organizing a free meal, rally, and march against poverty starting at 1:30pm on Thursday, October 16th at 1:30 pm in Memorial Park as part of a province-wide week of anti-poverty action. We hope you will join with us. More details to follow.

NEWS, ANALYSIS & CALLS TO ACTION:

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"Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty Protests Wynne Government Cabinet Meeting in Sudbury"
A media release from the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty
(Published here: http://sudbury.mediacoop.ca/blog/grassrootssudburymedia/31766)

For Immediate release – Sept. 25, 2014

Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty Protests Wynne Government Cabinet meeting in Sudbury. Rather than talking to people in poverty Wynne and cabinet dine with the rich.

Members of the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty (S-CAP) have just learned that Premier Kathleen Wynne and most of her cabinet are meeting here today in Sudbury. While Wynne has described herself as a ‘social justice’ premier what she and her government has delivered to people living in poverty across the province, and here in Sudbury, has been more misery and distress. It is under the Liberal government that the Special Diet program for people on social assistance has been massively cut back and the vital Community Start Up and Maintenance benefit (CSUMB) was abolished. For people on Ontario Works to get back the buying power they had in 1995 before the current war on the poor started they need an immediate 55% increase. Currently many people on the Ontario Disability Support (ODSP) program are facing unfair medical reviews that seem to be designed to push them off benefits.  And the Wynne government has ignored calls from anti-poverty advocates and the union movement for raising the minimum wage to $14 an hour indexed to inflation. Both people on social assistance and low-income workers continue to face worsening conditions of poverty. To add to this insult Wynne and cabinet members rather than talking to people living in poverty will be attending a $1,750 a plate fund-raising dinner with their wealthy friends and supporters this evening which entirely excludes people living in poverty.

S-CAP and the Province-wide Raise the Rates campaign continue to call for real social justice and anti-poverty action.

·         Re-instatement of the CSUMB and the ending of the cuts to the Special Diet program.

·         Raising the basic social assistance rates by 55% to bring them back to 1995 levels.

·         Ending the unfair medical reviews for people on ODSP.

·         Raising the minimum wage to $14 an hour, indexed to inflation.

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"ISIS: Their barbarism... and ours"
by Matthew Behrens
(From Rabble.ca: http://rabble.ca/columnists/2014/09/isis-their-barbarism%E2%80%A6-and-ours)