Seeds of Resistance: Workshop Series
Seeds of Resistance is WPIRG’s ongoing series of awareness-raising, skill-building and analysis-developing workshops aimed at sowing the seeds of resistance, and providing participants with the tools, both practical and conceptual, to engage in struggles for social and environmental justice.
All workshops are free, and open to both students and community members. Food and bus tickets will be provided, and childcare is available upon request.
To register for a workshop, or for additional information email tammy@wpirg.org.
International Women’s Week 2012 Workshops
Got your back! Building Support and Healing into our Movements
Tuesday, March 6: 6-9pm @ Multi-Purpose Room- Student Life Centre (University of Waterloo)
Tired of seeing your friends and loved ones burn-out as they work for social change? Concerned about long-term sustainability of our movements? Feeling weighed down by crisis support and trauma work?
Join us as we explore how the systems we want to dismantle restrict our vision of what kind of ‘work’ counts as ‘organizing’, and what kinds of people are valuable agents for social change. We will take time to build strategies and visions that centre healing and sustainability in resistance and transformation.
About the facilitators: Marika longs for communities that integrate radical queer and anti-colonial politics. She believes that our healing is wrapped up in our political organizing, and that one is incomplete without the other. She works towards building communities rooted in decolonization on this land, that challenge systems of white supremacy, capitalism, misogyny, racism, homophobia, ableism and transphopia. Marika is an educator, organizer and nanny; she also enjoys cross stitching and painting her nails.
Mo dreams and works towards decolonization and body sovereignty. She fantasizes about movements collaborating to grow the strength to heal from the traumas of institutional and personal violences of colonialism, capitalism, ableism, misogyny, racism and queer and transphobia.
Class Struggle & Women’s Liberation: Developing an Anti-Capitalist Feminism
Wednesday, March 7: 2-4pm @ Multi-Purpose Room- Student Life Centre (University of Waterloo)
Capitalism structures, mediates and otherwise shapes almost every aspect of our daily lives. From how we survive in and interact with society and the environment, to our personal relationships and even how we come to conceptualize ourselves. Exasperating the oppressive realities of patriarchy (as well as white supremacy, colonialism, and ableism for that matter), capitalism is inextricably linked to the ongoing oppression and exploitation of women. This workshop will explore the gendered effects of capitalism, and outline the importance of integrating an anti-capitalist analysis into discussions of feminism and women’s liberation. Topics to be discussed include: the commodification of women’s bodies, the international gendered division of labour, unpaid work in the household, and income inequality.
About the facilitator:Tammy is an anarcha-feminist and social justice activist who holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from York University. She currently works as Volunteer and Programming Coordinator at the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group, and is involved in various anti-capitalist projects.
Herbal DIY Female Reproductive Health
Friday, March 9: 2-4pm @ Multi-Purpose Room- Student Life Centre (University of Waterloo)
This workshop will explore social/environmental impacts on female reproductive health, and ways in which female-bodied people can be empowered to improve health issues. We will share stories, experiences and remedies for everyday symptoms such as PMS, irregular menstruation, fertility, birth control, menopause, cramps and other hormonal issues.
About the facilitator: Emily of Guelph is a student of Herbalism for 8 years. She is interested in collective community health care, mutual aid, autonomy over our bodies, and getting to the root of our problems.
What’s a Zine? An introduction to the World of Zines and How to Make Them
Tuesday, March 13: 6-8pm @ SLC 2143 (Student Life Centre-University of Waterloo)
This 2 hour workshop will give a brief history of zines and the culture that surrounds them. Participants will learn the importance of layout and basics of imposition and also learn how to make a eight page mini zine. weather you are new to the zine world or if cut and paste is old hat this workshop will connect you to other zineters and maybe a little inspiration.
About the facilitator: Erin has be fascinated by zines since high school when she saw the senior class handing out a one sheet called QWERTY. Now she is the sole librarian at the Arrow Archive zine library in Guelph, runs ‘Look Mum!’ zine distro, and routinely makes zines to express herself.
Winter 2012 Workshop Series
Disability Justice
Tuesday, Jan. 17: 6-9pm @ SLC 2135
Disabled people are an important part of every community but noticeably absent in most aspects of community organizing. Not only do activist struggles fail to take up disabled politics as issues, but we often fail to make such organizing accessible. A true commitment to self-determination and social justices requires us to develop a radical disability politic and work in solidarity with disabled people.
This workshop will introduce people to radical disability politics, how disability is used in our society to maintain and perpetuate oppression and how to work towards making the organizing work we do inclusive and accessible.”
About the facilitator: AJ Withers is author of Disability Politics and Theory which will come out this spring as well as the “If I Can’t Dance is it Still My Revolution?” zine series and website.still.my.revolution.tao.ca
Campaign and Strategy Planning
Tuesday, Jan. 24: 6-9pm @ SLC 2135
Campaign planning and strategy workshop for grassroots and student activists focusing on reverse planning, alliance building and developing effective actions. Facilitated by Farrah Miranda and Syed Hussan, this workshop is ideal for groups of people already working together on projects or campaigns or groups considering starting new campaigns.
About the facilitators: Syed Hussan is an organizer and writer in Toronto working with undocumented and migrant peoples and in defense of Indigenous Sovereignty. Hussan believes in the freedom of movement for people, and is therefore opposed to war, environmental destruction and inequitable economic policies (aka capitalism) that displace people and destroy the land. He was involved in media and communications work during the G20 in Toronto and has continued to organize against the austerity agenda through his work in the Toronto Stop the Cuts Network.
Farrah Miranda is an immigrant rights and feminist organizer in Toronto who has organized against regressive immigration and security policies since 2002. Prior to joining No One Is Illegal – Toronto, Farrah organized high-school walkouts against Mike Harris’s policies in 1999 and was part of Project Threadbare, a grassroots coalition of activists formed after the August 2003 arrests of 19 Pakistani men arrested on National Security grounds. Farrah has been part of No One Is Illegal – Toronto’s successful campaigns to push immigration enforcement out of Toronto district schools and organized and won the removal of immigration enforcement from GTA anti-violence against women agencies.
Great Meeting Facilitation
Wednesday, Feb. 1: 5-8pm @ SLC 2143
A major part of social change work is lots of meetings. Meetings can be inspiring, hellish, or somewhere in between. The quality of a meeting depends a lot on good facilitation. Facilitators aren’t supposed to run the show, and they do more than keep track of who wants to speak. In this workshop you’ll learn and practice some steps, tools, techniques and approaches that can help you effectively facilitate meetings – and that includes those difficult meetings.
About the facilitator: Jessica Bell is a trainer and facilitator. She is a lecturer in the non-profit and voluntary sector management program at Ryerson University, and a trainer with Tools for Change and the Ruckus Society.
Fall 2011 Workshop Series
Activist Self-Care
Thursday, Oct. 13: 5:30-8:30pm @ SLC 2135
We need to recognize that the work that we do as activists and the experiences we have at the hands of the state (oppression, violence, surveillance, incarceration etc. etc.) and in our communities (violence, sexual assault, burn-out, alienation, isolation etc. etc.) can enormously impact our wellbeing. The sustainability of our movements depends on our abilities to take care of ourselves, and each other in long-term, meaningful ways. This interactive workshop will focus on strategies for self-care and community support – examining strategies we have, strategies we need to work on and some of the challenges that come up doing this work.
About the facilitator: Ali Sauer is a psychotherapist and an activist who does formal and informal support work within activist communities.
Permaculture Part 1
Tuesday, Oct. 18: 6-9pm @ MC 4046
The first workshop will begin with a short overview of what permaculture is, how the principles of permaculture have been implemented in different places and the importance of sustainable alternatives to the current predominant lifestyle in this part of the world. We will take a look at the negative impacts of our current water systems on our bodies and to the environment. This will make way for discussion on viable solutions that use the permaculture principles. Solutions that will be discussed include rain water harvesting, drip irrigation, composting toilets, blackwater and greywater systems as well as water filtration.
About the facilitator: Shabina holds a Permaculture Design Certificate, and has obtained knowledge of plants in Permaculture systems through the Traditional Herbalist programs at the Living Earth School of Herbalism.
Permaculture Part 2
Tuesday, Oct. 25: 6-9pm @ MC 4046
The second workshop will examine different ways to implement the permaculture principles in your garden by using things like ground covers, nitrogen fixers, insectaries, dynamic accumulators, perennial vegetables, chickens, living mulch, forest gardening layers, etc. We will also look at how to work with barriers like poor or contaminated soils, creative ways to make the most of a small plot, how to work with shade and how to grow a garden with little time.
About the facilitator: Shabina holds a Permaculture Design Certificate, and has obtained knowledge of plants in Permaculture systems through the Traditional Herbalist programs at the Living Earth School of Herbalism.
Web Research Skills for Activists
Thursday, Oct.27: 5:30-8:30pm @ SLC 2135
This workshop presents the skills and techniques that investigative journalists and private-eyes use to do deep digging research on the Internet. It show people how to use google in ways most people are unaware of and how to access the wealth of information on the Internet that Google can’t find. Jammed packed from edge to edge, this session will be a chance for novice and expert researchers alike to pick up skills they can use everyday.
About the facilitator: Tim Groves is a Toronto based investigative reporter and freelance researcher. He first developed his research skills doing land titles searches for activist groups that were squatting abandoned buildings. After attending the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in 2007 he became inspired develop a wider range of research skills and techniques, and find ways to share those skills with others.
Summer 2011 Workshops:
Anti-capitalism 101
Thursday July 7: 5-8pm @ SLC 2135
There are many things wrong with the world today, and a corresponding number of entry points for social justice activists interested in making a difference. From actively challenging the environmental destruction that threatens to submerge entire cities, to opposing the wars and occupations that kill civilians indiscriminately; from combating patriarchy in daily life to fighting poverty in your communities; from buying local, to boycotting corporations- there are countless ways to change the world for the better, and activists generally don’t content themselves to focusing on just one. Many of the overlapping injustices that inspire people to take action can be traced back to a social system that values profits over people, champions greed at the expense of cooperation and seeks endless growth in a world with finite resources. That system is, of course, capitalism. Come learn about how adopting a more robust anti-capitalist outlook can help strengthen existing social justice efforts, by providing a comprehensive analysis of the scope of the challenges we face and by identifying alternative visions for the new world we hold in our hearts.
Racism in Our Communities: Anti-Racism Practices
Thursday July 14: 5-8pm @ SLC 2135
This workshop will be facilitated by a white-identified organizer who has worked in the indigenous sovereignty, migrant justice, queer, feminist, environmental, sex worker and anti-capitalist movements. Using creative and embodied exercises and facilitation techniques, the workshop will open spaces to ask questions and share skills and perspectives about issues and challenges that arise in the context of organizing in activist spaces.
Grassroots Facilitation
Thursday July 21: 5-7pm @ SLC 2135
A major part of movement building is lots of meetings. Meetings can be inspiring, hellish, or somewhere in between. The quality of a meeting depends a lot on good facilitation. Facilitators aren’t suppose to run the show, and they do more than keep track of who wants to speak. Come learn and share strategies for fostering good communication, equity, active listening and effective decision-making for meetings of all shapes and sizes.
Alternative Media
Thursday, July 28: 5-7pm @ SLC 2135
This workshop will discuss activities and operations of recent alternative media centres established during the G20 and anti- Olympic convergences, and media co-ops (Dominion, Toronto Media Co-op, Alternative Media Centre) and look at the growing accessibility of independent/radical journalism. While providing a brief overview of the current media structures in canada, this workshop will also present press release creation and media engagement ideas, review some hardware and software options, and discuss the place of alternative media and social media in social and ecological justice movements. It is the aim that by the end of this workshop, participants will have a few new tools and ideas to help tell or present the stories of resistance.
Canadian Mining Injustice
Thursday, August 4: 5-8pm @ SLC 2135
Home to 75 per cent of the world’s mining and exploration companies, mining issues amount to Canada’s largest contribution to global injustice. The Canadian government has admitted that there are no laws in Canada that ensure that Canadian corporations respect human rights abroad. Meanwhile, the government continues to support and subsidize projects at home. This workshop will go through the attempts that have been made within and outside of Parliament- and in front-line communities within Canada and around the world- to end corporate impunity, respect indigenous sovereignty, and expose the true nature of the Extractives industry worldwide.