University of Victoria Delegation

End of the year – thanks everyone!

delegation_victoria — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:31:55 +0000

We are officially closing the 2010-11 school year, and so too will the Rights and Democracy UVic delegation take the summer holiday. This has been an incredible year. We hosted the Western Regional Event in January, we supporting open discussion of the use of local lands in our Juan de Fuca development proposal panel, we provided a venue for LiNK on their journery across North America, just to name of few of the events we put on or supported. We are looking forward to having another great and busy year next in 2011-12 – anyone interested in becoming part of the delegation then (and possibly travelling to Montreal to visit the Rights and Democracy Headquarters) should contact either Kat Zimmer (kathrynzimm@hotmail.com) or me, Jeremy Bally (paynebally@hotmail.com).

Thanks again for a great year everyone,

Jeremy

March 28 – LiNK (Liberty in North Korea)

delegation_victoria — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:26:01 +0000

Hey Everyone,
On March 28 we hosted three ‘nomads’ from the American organization Liberty in North Korea (http://www.linkglobal.org/). The nomads are one of a number of small groups representing LiNK throughout North America, by driving from town to town armed with the documentary ‘Hiding’, a whackload of merchandise, and a powerful message – North Koreans deserve freedom, and we have the power to support them, both as nationals and as refugees. It was a great, educational evening for everyone, and the nomads raised over $200 towards helping a North Korean refugee find safety. Great night.

Jeremy

Nomadic People’s in Colombia Facing Extinction – Photo Exhibit

delegation_victoria — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:11:49 +0000

In early March we were honored to display a beautiful and moving photo exhibit by Juan Pablo Gutierrez. The nomadic Nukak Maku tribe of Colombia is one of many Indigenous groups in Colombia who are facing extinction as a result of the long standing conflict between government troops and the FARC. The exhibit was displayed in the upper lounge of the SUB building, and we hope that it drew attention to this issue which is not discussed often enough.

Jeremy

Juan de Fuca Panel a huge success!

delegation_victoria — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:50:42 +0000

Thanks everyone who made it out to the Juan de Fuca panel last Wednesday, March 2. By my count we had around 70 people there – not bad! Thanks to our speakers Gordon O’Connor, Terri Alcock, and Bill Jones of the Pacheedaht Nation. There was some heated debate around the best way to act on the issue, which I personally found inspiring. Here’s some points that I found particularly touching:

1) Our surfer friend Daryn, whose unforgiving passion for the trail and Vancouver Island creates an absolute smorgasbord of energy in the room, committed himself mind, body and spirit to the issue. Keep it up, Daryn – your energy inspires us all.
2) There was some debate around the best way to conduct oneself, with the word ‘thuggishness’ created some contraversy. Although I only speak for myself, I will say that when dealing face to face with people, giving them respect is the best road to self-fulfillment as well as results. However, civil disobedience, be it drumming in the streets or chaining yourself to a tree, is a powerful tool that has gotten a lot done in the past. Just be aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it, and know that there are many tools in the activist’s toolbox, each of which is best suited to different kinds of situations. Keep your head about you!

And the fight goes on! Here are some links to follow for information on the issue and upcoming events:

http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/campaign-spotlights/juan-de-fuca-blight?portal_status_message=Changes+saved

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/campaigns/not-for-sale

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-sprawl-in-the-juan-de-fuca-forestlands/

In solidarity,
Jeremy + R&D team

Not For Sale: Panel and Discussion on Development on Juan de Fuca Trail This Wednesday!

delegation_victoria — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:06:52 +0000

Hey Everybody,
Just wanted to send a reminder out that THIS WEDNESDAY MARCH 2 FROM 7-9PM we are hosting a Panel and Discussion on the proposal for over 250 cabins to be built alongside 17km of the Juan de Fuca trail. This will be a great opportunity to learn about multiple impacts of this proposal, and through that education to become a more effective advocate for your position on it. Bill Jones, an elder of the Pacheedaht Nation, Gordon O’Conner from Dogwood Initiative, and Terri Alcock, and resident of Shirley, will all be present and speaking from their points of view about the proposal. Free drinks and snacks as well as childcare will be provided. Wheelchair accessible, too! See ya there!
Jeremy

Vancouver Island – Not For Sale! Panel: March 2

delegation_victoria — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:27:15 +0000

Hey Everyone,
We hope you can all come out to panel we are hosting March 2nd regarding a proposed resort development along the Juan de Fuca trail west of Victoria, BC. This panel is being held in order to further the connections made with Gordon O’Connor of the Dogwood Initiative during the Western Regional Event. As a panel participant, Gordon’s articulation of the issue will be framed in an anti-poverty perspective. This proposed project is of a type which has been strongly linked to the rise of homelessness and the lowering of standards of living for marginalized people. Likewise, Elder Bill Jones of the Pacheedaht Nation expresses the impacts this decision will have on his people in terms of the violation of their collective land rights and the duty to consult. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada has recently signed, affirms that “Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use.” Panelist Terri Alcock will articulate the concerns of the local community of the impact the proposed development will have on democratic and responsible resource governance, which is necessary to ensure fair access to resources and a healthy environment to meet the basic needs of the community. All talks will highlight the issue of the right to participation, as public consultation on the human impacts of the proposed resort has been sadly lacking. An open space forum and reception following the event is intended to explore these points in further detail and to nurture ideas of how to meaningfully reclaim the right to participation on the issue.

The panel will be held on March 2, from 7-9pm in Hickman 105. Drinks and Snacks provided. See ya there!

Jeremy

Global Engagement Showcase

delegation_victoria — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:23:32 +0000

Hey Folks,
R & D UVic recently held a table at the Global Engagement Showcase held at UVic. We also participated in the lovely development drinks that were held afterwards. Below is a description of the events:

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT SHOWCASE: VANCOUVER ISLANDERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
9 February 2011, 2:30PM – 4:30PM
Upper Lounge, Student Union Building, UVic

DEVELOPMENT DRINKS: A TOAST TO VANCOUVER ISLAND GLOBAL CITIZENS
9 February 2011, 5 pm. Felicita’s, Student Union Building (UVic)

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) and the Centre for Asia-Pacific
Initiatives (CAPI) are hosting Global Engagement Showcase. Celebrating
International Development Week, organizations and student groups will
inspire awareness and participation in the global movement for social
change. Sponsored by the BC Council for International Cooperation, the
event will engage local youth and community members with spotlight
speakers and global sounds.

We were able to talk to some local and national organizations that are doing great work. I was particularly impressed by Results Canada, a letter-writing organization that combines well-informed research with people power in getting lots of letters on pertinent issues to the Canadian Government. I encourage everyone to check them out.

Cheers,
Jeremy

Western Regional Event Over!

delegation_victoria — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:09:17 +0000

Hey Everybody,
The Western Regional Event officially came to a close yesterday as our delegates and mentors all said their goodbye’s on the highway beside a hidden trailhead onto the Juan de Fuca Trail. We are so grateful to everyone who came out and participated, whether as speakers or presenters, delegates, mentors, or (and actually especially) our very own UVic team. I give a special shout-out to those on the UVic team because the success of this weekend is entirely due to the incredible teamwork of everybody involved. Congratulations and well done! Here’s some of what I considered highlights of the weekend:
– Tom Sampson, Tsartlip Elder, joined us for the entire day on the Friday, not only opening up the conference with a touching and thought provoking talk on his experience, but also participating in a panel later in the afternoon on the topic of ‘owning a resource’ and what happens when we try. We were honored to have Tom be a part of the weekend, and we thank him again for his participation and support.
– On Saturday afternoon our delegates got out into the streets of Downtown Victoria and engaged both consumers and employees on issues of ethics and sustainability in products. I was surprised and delighted by just how much our delegates stepped up to the plate and out of their comfort zone by talking to strangers and asking some difficult questions around where products come from and why we feel we need them. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in that.
– Saturday evening was our ‘For the Common Good’ show at the Fort Cafe. I am blown away by our total for the evening – $500 dollars for The Land Conservancy’s Wild Hills and Beaches Campaign – Awesome! Thanks so much to everyone who came out and supported us and also to all of our musical performers – Torrey Archer, Zumbido Collective, The Party on High Street, and also a big thanks to Logan Ford and Quinn Gilligan for donating their time and their talent to painting a piece together that evening which added $55 dollars to our total. All in all it was a great evening for a great cause and we couldn’t be happier about how it went.
– This next thing was my personal favorite part of the weekend. Gordon O’Conner from Dogwood Initiative volunteered his Sunday Off to be our personal tour guide on an incredible hike on the Juan de Fuca trail. He was able to provide us with the current political, business and human context for the area, which allowed the hike to be not only beautiful but also thought provoking. Thank you so much Gordon!

All in all we couldn’t be happier with how the weekend went, and we are excited now to focus on our next project – a photo exhibit on the last nomadic people of South America (details forthcoming).

Thanks everyone for your hard work and participation,
Jeremy

Western Regional Event 2011 Program

delegation_victoria — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:20:25 +0000

Here it is – the final program for the Western Regional Event 2011, coming up next week!

We are really looking forward to meeting all of the delegates and we hope you enjoy the program we have put together for this event.

A reminder that all students and members of the general public are welcome to attend all of the speakers and workshops on January 21st and 22nd at the University of Victoria at no cost.

Thursday, January 20th:

2:00-7:00 Hostel check-in at Ocean Island Backpackers’ Hostel, 791 Pandora Ave. (delegates meet in lobby at 6:30)

7:00-9:30 Network Meet & Greet at The Reef Restaurant, 533 Yates St. Appetizers provided

Friday, January 21st:

8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast
Michele Pujol Room (MPR) located in Student Union Building (SUB)

9:00-10:00 Opening Remarks and Welcome Ceremony with Tom Sampson, Tsartlip Elder
Opening Panel: Our Commons, Our Rights
What are our global commons? How do they play a role in the realization of human rights? Why is fair and democratic access to resources a human rights issue?
Danika Littlechild, L.L.M. Candidate, University of Victoria
Kahina Ouerdane, Rights & Democracy Programme Officer, Economic and Social Rights

10:00-11:00 UBC Delegation Presentation: Water Access (MPR)

11:00-11:15 Health Break

11:15-1:00 Workshop: Non-Violent Communication with Michele Favarger (MPR)

1:00-2:30 Move to David Strong Building for lunch; Campus and Traditional Places Tour with Nick Claxton, Tsawout Nation

2:30-4:00 Panel: Commodification of Nature (David Strong Building/DSB C108)
Can anyone “own” a resource? What happens when we try?
Tom Sampson, Tsartlip Elder
Nick Claxton, Tsawout Nation, UVic Indigenous Education Department
Dr. Darlene Sanderson, Cree, Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Water and Peace
Sabina Singh, UVic Political Science Department

4:00-4:10 Health Break

4:10-5:30 Documentary and discussion: Refugees of the Blue Planet (DSB C108)

6:30 Network Dinner at the Canoe Brewpub, 450 Swift St.

Saturday, January 22nd

9:00-9:30 Continental Breakfast in David Strong Building C112

9:30-10:00 Laughter Yoga with Jeremy Bally

10:00-1:00 Vancouver Island University Workshop: Human Rights Impact Assessment of Foreign Direct Investment (DSB C112)

1:00-2:00 The Right to Eat: an Open Space workshop (DSB)
An informal workshopping opportunity on the broad theme of the Right to Food. As we eat lunch, let’s think about where it came from and why food security is a human rights issue.

2:00-3:00 University of Alberta Presentation: Tarsands/Northern Gateway Pipeline (DSB C112)

3:00-6:00 Blending the bottom line: Scavenger hunt survey (Downtown)
In teams, delegates explore downtown to hunt for ethical/unethical products, using non-violent communication for engagement on ethical products and socially responsible investing

7:00-7:30 Meet at the Fort Cafe, 742 Fort St. to debrief scavenger hunt activity

7:30-12:00 For the Common Good: a night of arts, music and awareness to celebrate our global Commons at the Fort Cafe. Proceeds to support TLC’s Wild Hills and Beaches campaign Music with Torrey Archer, The Party on High Street, and the Zumbido Collective; poetry, live interactive art, and art showcase!

Sunday, January 23rd

8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast at Ocean Island Hostel

9:00-3:00 Saving Public Space
A hike with Gordon O’Connor of the Dogwood Initiative to underscore the importance of preserving wild and agricultural spaces to ensure democratic control of resources, including food and water, and public access to natural spaces. Delegates will explore the “Wild Coast” while exploring the role of a healthy environment in human well-being and the human right to a healthy environment. This will highlight the increasing interrelatedness between environmental justice and social justice – human rights can never be realized if people are displaced from the land and the natural world becomes commodified and privatized.

Happy New Year! + Western Regional Event Schedule

delegation_victoria — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:29:47 +0000

Hey Everybody,
Welcome to 2011 from everybody here at Rights and Democracy UVic. It was a fantastic break, and we’re hitting the ground running now with the Western Regional Event just two weeks away! Below is a copy and pasted version of the nearly totally complete schedule of events for the weekend:

Rights & Democracy Student Network
Western Regional Event
for Delegations in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

“Sharing the Global Commons:
Ensuring Democratic Access to Resources”
January 20-23, 2011— University of Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia

Event Program

Friday, January 21st:

9:00-10:00 Opening Panel: Our Commons, Our Rights
Michele Pujol Room (MPR) located in Student Union Building (SUB)
What are our global commons? How do they play a role in the realization of human rights? Why is fair and democratic access to resources a human rights issue?

10:00-10:50 UBC Delegation Presentation: Water Access (MPR)

10:50-11:00 Health Break

11:00-12:45 Workshop: Non-Violent Communication with Michele Favarger (MPR)

12:45-2:00 Lunch; Campus and Native Plant Tour

2:00-3:30 Panel: Commodification of Nature (David Strong Building/DSB C108)
Can anyone “own” a resource? What happens when we try?
Sabina Singh, UVic Political Science Department
Dr. Darlene Sanderson, Cree, Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Water and Peace
Tom Sampson, Tsartlip Elder

3:30-3:40 Health Break

3:40-5:00 Documentary and discussion: Refugees of the Blue Planet (DSB C108)

Saturday, January 22nd

9:30 – 12:30 Vancouver Island University Presentation: Human Rights Impact Assessment of Foreign Direct Investment (DSB C126)

12:30-1:00 Laughter Yoga Break with Jeremy Bally

2:00-3:00 University of Alberta Presentation: Tarsands/Northern Gateway Pipeline (DSB C126)

7:30-11:30 For the Common Good: a night of arts, music and awareness to celebrate our global commons. Music with Torrey Archer and the Zumbido Collective; poetry, live interactive art, and art showcase! Fort St. Cafe, 742 Fort St.

Sunday, January 23rd

9:00-2:00 Saving Public Space
A hike and beach excursion with a representative from the Dogwood Initiative to underscore the importance of preserving wild and agricultural spaces to ensure democratic control of resources, including food and water, and public access to natural spaces. Delegates will explore the “Wild Coast” while exploring the role of a healthy environment in human well-being and the human right to a healthy environment. This will highlight the increasing interrelatedness between environmental justice and social justice – human rights can never be realized if people are displaced from the land and the natural world becomes commodified and privatized.

We’re just finalizing the last couple of details and are really now just looking forward to having it happen. We’ll see everybody soon!