[VegChat] Special events Aug. 23, 24, 25 and Sept. 22, and Activism Course!

[Edelweiss D'Andrea]

1) August 23: Iraqi feminists speak in Ottawa on the dangers to women’s
rights in Iraq at the Ottawa Public Library Auditorium,120 Metcalfe at 6:30
pm.

Shimeran Odesho is the Secretary General of the Iraqi Women’s Union and
Fatima Jassim is the General Secretary of Iraqi Women Rising.  Both groups
have been organizing for women’s rights despite the dangers facing them in
this work.  Shimeran was the target of an assassination attempt only three
weeks ago.  They are on a brief tour that will include Toronto, Ottawa and
Montreal.

Well-known Canadian feminist Judy Rebick will chair the meeting. It is
co-sponsored by Alternatives, the Canadian Council of Moslem Women and the
CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice at Ryerson University.

“We never hear about what is happening to women in Iraq,” said Ms. Rebick.
“This will be a unique opportunity to cut through all the propaganda we hear
about Iraq and find out what is actually happening to the people there.”

2) August 24: Concert for Lebanon 7:30 pm at the Bronson Centre, 21 Bronson
Ave. This event is a benefit for humanitarian aid to Lebanon, and is open to
all communities. We hope that, for at least one evening, people can put
their differences aside and come together for a wonderful evening of music.
Kevin Dooley and friends will play traditional Celtic/Irish music; Tito
Medina, a singer-songwriter and an icon for Guatemalan revolutionary music
will play music in solidarity with peace movements worldwide; and Orient
Express, an ensemble of local musicians and artists, will draw inspiration
from traditional Lebanese songs in their performance.

3) August 25: Critical Mass bike rally for Climate Justice in Confederation
Park at 5:30. Leave at 6pm. Critical Mass is a worldwide movement of
bicyclers reclaiming the streets. Bring bikes, skateboards and other human
powered vehicles, banners, signs, costumes, puppets, clever chants,
donations for Katrina relief funds, and dreams of an oil-free world!

This ride also marks the emergence of Ottawa Earth First!, a collective of
individuals in the capital region dedicated to no compromise, direct action
oriented environmental organizing. To get involved, hit up
ottawaearthfirst at resist.ca. Rising Tide North America - working to support
and encourage people and grassroots groups in taking action against the
causes of climate change. www.risingtidenorthamerica.org

4) September 22: James Howard Kunstler (interviewed in the film End of
Suburbia) will speak in Ottawa at the Adult High School, 300 Rochester
Street at 7:30pm on Sept. 22, which is International Car Free Day. Admission
is $10 (figure to be confirmed).  Don't miss this opportunity to peer into a
possible future for Ottawa in which oil supplies have dwindled, and to learn
how we can change our city to make it more sustainable while maintaining a
reasonable quality of life.

5) Fall 2006: weekly Activism Course at the University of Ottawa. Open to
all, no fees, credit or free auditor.

Last fall (2005) an experimental activism course was a great success among
students and community  members:
http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=8094
http://www.alternativevoices.ca/

Through sustained student pressure, the experiment led to the creation of a
permanent activism course at the University of Ottawa. Consider the brief
description (below) for this unique university course. IMPORTANT: If you
would like to attend all or any of the fall 2006 classes please get on the
new course e-mail list as soon as possible: dgr at physics.uottawa.ca

Possible themes of the course (to be decided by the students) include:
 - Activism movements and non-corporate cultures
 - Critical examinations of the university and science as institutions that
serve power
 - Activist perspectives, strategies,  motivation, goals, etc.
 - Civil society, resistance and defiance, activism in the workplace
 - Foreign policy, globalization, democracy,  environment, social justice,
minority rights, first nations rights, peace
 movement, anti-war movement, fair trade
 - Personal and  community benefits of activism, risk, change, involvement

Some characteristics of the new activism course:
 - evening classes, 7-10 pm, once a  week, probably Tuesdays
 - associated optional Friday documentary film or speaker and discussion
(AVS series)
 - outstanding weekly speakers, activists and researchers

If you would like to attend even just one class and to receive registration
information and speaker announcements, please  get on the fall 2006 course
e-mail list: dgr at physics.uottawa.ca. (We only ask that non-participating
observers identify themselves to the course coordinator.)


Edelweiss D'Andrea
edandrea at magma.ca
613-247-9575