Hey Folks,
So R & D UVic is soon to be breaking for the holiday season. We have each been delegated our tasks for the holidays to ensure that once the new year starts, we are as ready to go as possible for the Western Regional Event (which will be happening just two weeks after the beginning of school!) Kent and I have laid out the groundwork for our product scavenger hunt, Kat has booked a band for the saturday night show, we’ve nearly confirmed all the details of Sunday morning hike, and speakers are confirming one by one that they will be coming out to support the event. All very exciting! It should be early January when our schedule gets completed (with speaker names and all), at which point we will release it via this blog.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Jeremy

Hey folks,
The planning for the Western Regional Event is well underway. We’ve been able to compile in a beautiful table (thanks to our most organized of delegates – Jon) a somewhat firmed up schedule for the 3 day event. I say ’somewhat firmed up’ for the same reason that I am not posting the actual schedule here – we’re still making minor adjustments and do not want to put out any confusing posts. Regardless, I can happily report that we have confirmed 3 very exciting events as a part of the conference that I will talk about briefly here.
1) Kent and I had a brainjam-o-rama this past Sunday and were able to type out the plan for our product scavenger hunt that will be running on the Saturday afternoon of the conference. We will be sending 4 teams of 3-5 people (depending on numbers) out into the streets of downtown Victoria armed with knowledge, questions and a quest. Teams will be divided into: clothing, cleaning and chemical products, food and drink, and toys/other children’s items. We will be asking teams to put on their investigative outreach hats by asking employees and consumers questions about these products in a ‘field research’ setting. Questions will include: What do you know about how this product was produced? Where it was produced? Do you want or need this product? and etcetera. Once Kent and I have created our final drafts of the instruction/briefing pamphlets I will post them here.
2) Saturday night! Art, music and activism! The Fort St. Cafe has given us the privilege of using their truly awesome space on the evening of the 22nd. I recently attended the Visual Arts Student Association’s weekly meeting to ask them if they would like to submit art for the event that would inspire people around issues of resource extraction – so far we have had two students request that their work be submitted, and we couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve seen so far. We are still looking for a great band for the night, and for a performance art piece to be on display throughout the evening, but we are confident that those pieces will fall into place very soon. This is gonna be a night to remember…
3) Jordan River/Sandcut Beach excursion – This might be what I am looking forward to the most. Weather permitting (rain is okay) we will be putting our delegates and interested members of the public in vehicles and heading out on Sunday morning to Jordan River and Sandcut beach. These beautiful areas are currently under threat of development, a threat that multiple organizations in Victoria are fighting against. Kat, Eddie and myself all work as outreach officers for The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, which is the principle fundraiser for a Capital Regional District purchasing plan for these areas. Dogwood initiative has also taken a powerful interest in the areas. Gordon from Dogwood, who is heading up Dogwood’s campaign in these areas and who is an expert on them, has agreed to lead a educational excursion, and has also committed to finding a First Nation’s person who can add his/her people’s perspective on land use/development within the context of these beautiful natural ecosystem’s. Thanks so much Gordon! We are really looking forward to making this a public event, so that as many people as possible can be inspired and activated towards making a difference for Vancouver Island by supporting these areas to remain as they are for centuries to come.
So that’s what we have so far folks! Thanks for reading and we’ll talk soon,
Jeremy

Hey all,
This is a little late coming, but we wanted to create a record of our groups efforts in the fight to get bill c-300 approved in it’s third reading. We compiled a fact sheet which included information about the bill and where it was in the house, alongside contact information for local MP’s and MP’s nationally that were undecidided on the bill. Through the efforts of a team of delegates, we were able to distribute nearly 150 of these throughout Victoria. One of the most important names that came up on the list of important MP’s to contact was Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff, whose dissapointing leadership can be seen as one of the reasons the bill was not passed – he was absent at the vote, and did not appear to put any pressure on his MP’s to vote in favour of the bill. This bill was one of Canada’s best shots at restoring it’s international image in the extraction industry. Canada has more extractive companies working abroad than any other country in the world, and as such we are a natural leader on both economics and social responsibility in this area. Much of the criticism of bill C-300 was that it would force extractive companies out of Canadian jurisdiction, i.e. into less regulated territory. This is not the kind of ‘money-first’ attitude we can tolerate in Canada, and especially not through the implied apathy or direct approval of our elected politicians. Human rights and environmental standards should be first in line when it comes to the priorities of these companies. Please, consider the seriousness of this issue when the next election rolls around, and do research as to which politicians voted which way. Although it is now in the past, it remains a reflection of the values and priorities of MP’s in Canada.

Cynthia D’Cruz of Rights and Democracy has recently published an article about the upcoming Western Regional Event on the Rights and Democracy Website – check it out here:

http://dd-rd.net/en/nouvelles/levenement-regional-de-l%E2%80%99ouest-2011-le-partage-de-ressources-en-commun-acces-democratique-aux-ressources

Thanks so much Cynthia for putting this together. We are now finished with the Pacific Wayfinders Conference and will be focusing 100% of our clubergy (club + energy – does this work?) on the upcoming regional. Expect regular updates from us here at UVic as we cement our schedule, including speakers and events. If you have any interest in presenting at or attending the event, please email us at rduvic@hotmail.com.
Happy Living,
Jeremy

Hey Everybody,
The Pacific Wayfinders conference was an incredible success. I was particularly moved when Claytus, a chief from Papua New Guinea, shook hands and connected with local First Nations Chief Terry. Both had expressed concerns about how resource extraction has affected and continues to affect their communities. The cross-cultural connection was beautiful to witness. Rights and Democracy’s movie night was also a huge success. We were able to raise $190 for flood relief in Wasior district of West Papua. More can be read about the flood at these links:

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/10/indonesian-ministers-blame-heavy-rain.html

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=56339

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69A1GS20101011

http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/52132/2010/09/12-113620-1.htm

Although we didn’t get an official head count, I estimate an attendance of around 80-90 people, which means that many minds were newly exposed the the human rights crisis currently facing West Papua. Representatives from West Papuan civil society organizations were also present, and answered questions after the movie from the crowd. This direct perspective was incredible, and we are so grateful for the attendance of those from West Papuan, who continue to risk their personal safety every day fighting for human rights in their homeland.

We also screened ‘The Land Has Eyes’ – an exploration of Indigenious justice and gender roles on the Fijian island of Rotuma. The director, Vilsoni Hereniko, and one of the producers, Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, were in attendance. We are grateful for their presence and we thank Vilsoni in particular for being available to answer questions and give a fascinating first hand context for the film.

Overall the night was wonderful. We thank everyone for their help and attendance. Now on to Western Regional!

Rights and Democracy UVic, in conjunction with local NGO Pacific Peoples Partnership, will be hosting a movie night next Thursday, November 11 – Remembrance Day. We will be showing two movies, as well as hosting special guests who will be available to answer questions about the movies and the issues they present afterwards.

First, we will be showing Strange Birds in Paradise, a powerful documentary documenting the struggle of Indigenous people in West Papua to rise above oppression and colonization. Director and narrator Charlie Hill-Smith shows us how music and art can be used as passionate, non-violents means of popular resistance. Representatives from L3PBH, a West Papuan civil society organization offering legal advocacy, will be present to answer questions about West Papua and their work in the Manokwari Region.

Second, we will be showing The Land Has Eyes. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004, and Fiji’s official submission to the Academy Awards in 2006, many of the actors in this film had never before seen a movie, much less acted in one. As one reviewer describes,

“Go see this movie if you have ever cringed over an outsider’s misinterpretation of island culture. Go see this movie if you have ever cried over the systemic injustice visited upon poor, honest families. Go see this movie if your heart needs to hear that justice can prevail and that a force greater than all of us is watching and keeping score. Go see this movie if you want to be reminded that hard work leads to success. Go see this movie.”

Director and Professor of Pacific Studies at the University of the South Pacific In Fiji Vilsoni Hereniko, as well as his wife and producer of the film Jeanette Paulson Hereniko will be in attendance and available to answer questions after the showing. This will be the Western Canada premiere of this film.

Food will be provided by local restaurant Caribbean Village, and available by donation.

http://www.pacificpeoplespartnership.org/

http://www.strangebirds.com.au/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Land_Has_Eyes

Hey Folks,

Looks like the 2010-2011 school year is off to a bang.  Me and Eddie are in Montreal at the retreat.  Lots of great ideas are being tossed around, and we are super excited for the coming year.  We’ll be brainstorming the regional event, which we’ll be hosting this year, in about an hour.  Updates on that to come.  Keep it real fellow democracy-right folks.

Check out an informational video of Rights and Democracy here

Rights and Democracy information video

See online : UVic women drop their panties: Rights and Democracy asks students to join the fight against female oppression in Burma

Project and Activity list for the 08-09 Season

Potential expansion on ideas will arise….thus, the list is going to change as more ideas are implemented

1. Setting up pen pals from local Victoria school with school in Brazil and presentation on human rights. Setting up fundraising for local schools on human rights issue of their choice.

2. Fair-trade awareness days. Fair trade coffee and chocolate tasting. Workshop on how fair trade works and how to make good decisions on fair trade products. Fair trade coffee shop crawl with proceeds going towards fair trade rights groups in developing countries.

3. Salsa Dancing Workshop for fundraising purpose, organization yet to be chosen.

4. Human Rights Arts and Music festival. Encouraging local students to submit artwork for presentation in the UVic art gallery. Would have a grant to provide materials for a project the following year. Hope is to become an annual event on campus.

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