As most of us know, the "Protecting the Home of Treaty Education Live-In" has
come to a finish, after students, staff and supporters bravely, and proudly
lived in their university for over 71 days. The continuous campaigning
brought forward by the students and all supporters will be recognized at a 'Thank You/Victory BBQ', Wed. June 23, from 4:00pm - 7:30pm.
Besides free food, there will be speeches from FNUniv President Dr.
Shauneen Pete, U of R President Dr. Vianne Timmons as well as other supports and
students that lived-in the FNUniv. Also, look forward to presentations and other
entertainment such as face-painting and live music! The FNUniv students,
faculty, Elders, and supports extend the invite for you and your family to join
us tomorrow in celebrating the FNUniv, and thanking each and every person who
donated and supported the fight to save the FNUniv!
Condo conversion meeting
Written by Trish Elliott
Monday, 21 June 2010
The City of Regina is hosting a public consultation Tuesday evening to discuss condo conversion policy in Regina. A review of the policy comes after rising propery values caused some property developers to come down with a case of condo-mania last year. In the ensuing conversion applications, some renters felt they were being pushed out the door, and various neighbourhood and anti-poverty groups raised concerns about the potential loss of affordable housing stock. Property developers argued that rules to restrict conversions were unfair to them. The prairie dog has followed the issue closely and is a good source of information. This article provides a general run-down of the issues.
The consultation will be held Tuesday, June 22, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre, 2900 13th Ave. Anyone with an interest in housing issues should attend. Interested parties may also send written comments to
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.
Aung San Suu Kyi's 65th birthday
Written by IMC Sask
Monday, 21 June 2010
On June 19, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the legally elected leader of Burma, spent her 65th birthday under arrest. Let the Burmese military junta know that a light still shines for freedom and democracy even in their darkest prisons. Sign Amnesty International Canada's petition for her release by clicking here.
Iraqi River Impacted by War and Dying
Contributed by Jim Elliott
Saturday, 19 June 2010
From the biblical site of the Garden of Eden, one can see a river in trouble. The Shatt al Arab, that part of the river after the Tigris and Euphrates rivers converge, is full of garbage and the government of Iraq is powerless to clean it up, reports Steven Lee Meyers of the New York Times.
Article summary:
Being the dumping place for dictatorial mismanagement and the brunt of the decades of neglect and war, this river is a river in name only. Coming through a very arid part of the continent, there are increasing pressures to take all of the water out of the river leaving not a lot going into the Persian Gulf.
The decreasing quantity of water flowing down the river also compounds the quality issue. The Karun River which meets the Shatt south of Basra has only begun to run again as Iran shut it down for 10 months. What is also happening is that the ocean is moving further back up the river, impacting the fresh water fisheries, livestock and agriculture in the area. This area famous for date palm groves has forced thousands of farmers to question their ability to recover from the continued onslaught of war.
Photo: Fetid, garbage-filled water in Basra. Holly Pickett for The New York Times
This short documentary film will be debuted at the On To Ottawa anniversary celebration at Regina's Turvey Centre, June 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Scenes from the smudge walk
Written by Trish Elliott
Sunday, 06 June 2010
An estimated 1500 people filled the streets for blocks in the fourth annual North Central Smudge Walk, held Friday, June 4. The walk brings mixed emotions from its participants - from sorrow for those who have passed away, to feelings of hope and celebration for the future.
Regina memorial for Indigenous people killed in Peru
Written by Amnesty International
Thursday, 03 June 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010, at 11:00am - at Victoria Avenue in front of Regina City
Hall there will be a memorial for the Indigenous Peoples kllled in Bagua, Peru,
one year ago. Security forces opened fire on unarmed people and their
supporters who were engaged in a peaceful blockade in the Amazon. The estimated
number of people who were killed by the security establishment of the Peruvian
State is estimated at more than 25 with around 160 people injured.
The
goal of this event is also to raise awareness about Canadian mining companies
operating overseases. Dorato Resources is responsible for using the local
population's land as a sight for callous resource extraction. Canadian mining
companies are at the forefront of this grave imposition; nearly 40% of all
mining activities in Peru are undertaken by Canadian based mining
entities.
Amnesty International is urging everyone to support BILL
C-300. This private member's bill, represents the best chance for urgently
needed regulation of Canadian mining companies operating overseas. It is
currently being reviewed by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign
Affairs and International Development.
Thailand's red shirts are not who you think they are
Written by Trish Elliott
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Because I have journalistic and research connections to Thailand, a number of friends have asked me about the red shirt protests that rocked Bangkok for several months and are now spreading underground around the country. Many are surprised when I mention some of the extreme right wing
language used by the protest movement’s political leaders.
Most Canadians have come to understand the crisis by following western media coverage. For the most part, this coverage has presented a political crisis stripped of its politics. Instead, we’ve been given a broad-brush, easy-to-explain narrative of ‘rich versus poor.’ As a result, many of my progressive friends assume the recent protests fit under the same tent as Tiananmen Square, Burma’s democratic resistance, or Thailand’s pro-democracy movement of the early 1990s. The reality is far different.
A workshop exploring theatre for community engagement will be held June 10 in Regina. If you would like to explore issues of power and the "isms" (racism, linguicism,
sexism...) through the lens of the theatre of the oppressed, rejuvenate your
active spirit, and develop/strengthen community alliances, then this is the
workshop for you. This workshop was created for community organizers,
facilitators, activists, and educators as well as individuals who are seeking to
become engaged and active within the community. You do not need to have previous
experience with community development or organizing in order to participate. The
workshop will be led by Dr. Warren Linds, a former Regina resident who now teaches at Montreal's Concordia University.
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