2000
Students Against Sweatshops held an “SAS National Networking Conference” March 4-5. WPIRG helped promote the first international Car Free Day on September 21st, “KW’s biggest-ever critical mass.” WPIRG hosted a lecture by activist, author, and speaker Stetsuko Thurlow, who witnessed the tragic affects of the bombing of the residents of Hiroshima Japan in 1945. A 22-panel exhibit from the Ontario Black History Society was displayed, chronicling the story of Black history in Ontario. A diverse group of speakers also came to campus to talk about issues facing communities of colour in contemporary society. Christian Peacemaker Teams presented their experience being invited to be part of a violence reduction team at Esgenotetitj (Burnt Church) in the struggle for the recognition of their inherent rights to fish. Eight students from Mexico and Ecuador spoke on “Mexico, Ecuador, and the New Economy: Challenges Facing Latin American Youth and their Countries.” They discussed sustainable development, education, and culture in their countries. A WPIRG volunteer helped establish Engineers Without Borders at UW in fall 2000, which later grew to a national organisation.
2001
The third annual Peace and Conflict Studies Student conference, “Spheres of Action: Responding to Social Injustices in Canada,” was co-sponsored by WPIRG. WPIRG’s first annual queer film and video festival was held at UW Davis Centre on March 15-18, 2001. The festival was cosponsored by GLOW (celebrating its 30th year) and MathSoc. Students Against Sweatshops were successful in the University’s agreement to a code of conduct including disclosure of factory details for all products sporting a UW logo. Mike Nahhal, the Iraq Humanitarian Coordinator with the Middle East Council of Churches, spoke about sanctions and prospects for peace in Iraq. WPIRG helped organise a two-day teach–in against war and racism which took place in the wake of September 11th, attracting a high turnout as well as coverage in the Record. The Resource Centre crew at WPIRG began coordinating with the Womyns Centre and GLOW. WPIRG worked on an anti-racism initiative endorsing Power and Privilege workshps with Rozena Maart, founder of the first Black feminist organization in South Africa.
2002
With support from WPIRG, Metis speaker Ward Churchill delivered a lecture to an enthusiastic crowd of 300. WPIRG coordinated with the Womyn’s Centre in organising International Women’s Week March 4-8. The Rainbow Reels: Queer Film Festival was held March 15-17th at the Davis Centre. The Native Students Association of University of Waterloo and Renison College held a symposium on First Nations: Expressions and Impressions” on March 8th with the financial support of WPIRG. WPIRG gardeners “took campus by storm” this term with vegetables for Food Not Bombs planted in a plot on North Campus. WPIRG group Citizens’ Commitment to Cleaner Air (CCCA) began an Idling Reduction Education Campaign (IREC) targeted at schools, municipal services, corporate workplaces, and the community. WPIRG financially supported the Sustainable Campuses Conference held on campus September 26-28. In November, Students for Palestinian Rights started as an action group.
2003
Iced In Black film festival was held February 7-9th. On February 8th WPIRG hosted the first annual World Wide Nervous Breakdown, WPIRG After Party, where a variety of artistic expressions of activism were showcased. Rainbow Reels Queer Film Festival was held March 13-16th with 10 films. WPIRG, along with a number of other local groups organised under the banner “United Against Hate,” sponsored an Anti-Hate Conference on May 10th in response to attempts to organize anti-Muslim conferences in Waterloo Region. WPIRG action group Students for Palestinian Rights, along with the Noam Chomsky Fan Club and the FEDS Arab Students Association, hosted Palestine Week June 6-11. WPIRG, along with a number of other campus organizations, sponsored a lecture by Norman Finkelstein entitled “Israel and Palestine: Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace.” WPIRG celebrated its 30th anniversary with an open house, reunion dinner and keynote address by Stephen Lewis entitled “Global Citizens versus Global Problems: Yesterday, today, and Tomorrow,” to an audience of 300.
2004
The fourth annual Rainbow Reels Queer Film Festival was held March 11-14th. WPIRG continued its work on the International El Salvador Project. WPIRG was nominated by representatives from local governments and NGOs to be the lead agency to deliver the One Tonne Challenge program locally, and secured $140,000 in funding from Environment Canada. WPIRG financially supported the First Annual University of Waterloo Pow-wow entitled “Honouring Our Future Leaders,” held on September 25th. WPIRG launched its publication on migrant farm workers in Ontario in conjunction with presentations by Mexican migrant workers. WPIRG sponsored a presentation by Alex Mathias, the last Temagami native living outside of the reserves on his family’s ancestral land, speaking of his tireless advocacy for the protection of old growth forest against clear cut logging and development.
2005
On January 26th, David Suzuki launched the One Tonne Challenge with a talk at the Theatre of the Arts. Elise Harding-Davis, curator of the North American Black Historical Museum and Cultural Centre, spoke on “Rediscovering our Black Roots: Small Communities in Ontario,” in recognition of Black History Month. Avi Lewis spoke at Coutts Hall on March 1st on the idea “Students of the world unite: You’ve got nothing to lose but everything.” For International Women’s Week in March, WPIRG presented Rosemary Redshaw, chaplain of Kitchener’s Grand Valley Institution for Women in her talk “Women in Prison: A Life Before and After Crime”. The Rainbow Reels Queer Film Festival was held March 18-20th at the Davis Centre. WPIRG helped co-sponsor a public forum on June 3rd which included Don Samuel Ruiz, Bishop Emeritus of Chiapas, Mexico, peace mediator between the Zapatistas and the Mexican government and a three time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. WPIRG published Your Guide to the One-Tonne Challenge in Waterloo Region in October.
2006
A new action group Fair Voting was established. WPIRG helped support Laurier students holding a referendum in February to start a new PIRG. An all candidates meeting for the federal election, co-sponsored by WPIRG, was held at the Waterloo Recreation Centre and the Kitchener Public Library. WPIRG and UWSP (University of Waterloo Sustainability Project) collaborated with information booths during the university’s Canada Day event. The fourth annual Car Free Day Festival was held at Victoria Park on September 17th and on campus on September 21st, featuring live music, crazy bikes, kids’ activities, and bike maintenance workshops.
2007
The Internet Collective action group worked enthusiastically on projects such as the ireduce.ca website and new library software for WPIRG’s resource centre. David Suzuki spoke on campus on February 13th to a sold out audience in the Humanities Theatre as part of his “If you were Prime Minister” tour. In celebration of Black History Month, WPIRG organised a number of events such as Speakers of the Dead and Origins of Hip Hop. WPIRG organised a fair trade festival on February 13th with 10 booths participating. Rainbow Reels Queer Film Festival took place on March 8-11 in the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology on campus. WPIRG organised the Local Motion Fesvital on campus and in Kitchener’s Victoria Park to mark Car Free Day. In November, WPIRG hosted the Human Rights Conference.
2008
As part of the Black History Month Film Series, WPIRG and the One Waterloo Campaign presented In the Key of Oscar, an intimate portrait of Oscar Peterson on February 13th and Speakers for the Dead, the story of an early 19th century Ontario town founded by ex-slaves and Black Loyalists, on February 27th. WPIRG and the Women’s Centre featured Judy Rebick as the International Women’s Week keynote speaker in March. The 6th Annual Car Free Day Festival was observed with a documentary screening and displays at the Student Life Centre. On November 13th, WPIRG marked its 35th anniversary with a keynote speech by Ralph Nader. Nader spoke to a capacity crowd at the Humanities Theatre on the challenges of civil disengagement.