August 8, 2006

Fredericton - As the Canadian government continues to condone the attacks on the defenceless Lebanese and Palestinian people, citizens across the country including Fredericton will be rallying on Saturday, August 12 to demand that the Harper government take every effort to achieve a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon and Gaza. The Fredericton rally will commence at 1:00pm at City Hall, 397 Queen Street.

“Harper said he supports a ‘measured’ response by Israel in its attack on Lebanon. This has outraged many Canadians who want to see Canada intervene to help stop the attacks on Lebanon’s neighborhoods and vital infrastructure,” stated Tracy Glynn, a rally organizer. “By voting against key UN humanitarian resolutions and putting sanctions on the Palestinian Authority after the Hamas victory, the Harper administration has clearly joined the U.S. and Israel in its aggressive, violent and unjust wars in the Middle East.”

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A rally in solidarity with the International Day of Action to Demand An End to the Assult on Gaza and Lebanon was held today in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Click here for articles on the current conflict.

Click here for images and reports of rallies in London.

10,000 to 15,000 protest in Sydney.

Click here for the Canadian Peace Alliance’s call to send a message to Harper.

The latest news is that Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon

Also, there are new reports of major US companies profiting off the killing of civilians (this is not really a new thing):U.S. Arming of Israel:

Click here for the report from CBC of today’s international action. There is basically a corporate media blackout on pictures.

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Call to Action - Saturday, July 22, 2006
END ISRAEL’S ASSAULT ON GAZA AND LEBANON

FREDERICTON ACTION - Saturday, July 22, 1pm, City Hall
Rally, information, speeches…
…a chance to stand and be counted amongst those opposed to the brutal assault on civilians

STATEMENT FROM CANADIAN PEACE ALLIANCE: Read the rest of this entry »

–CUPE Ontario has released a call to attend an emergency on Saturday to call for a cessation of the attacks.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick presents…

DR. SEUSS’S THE LORAX

An animated version of Dr. Seuss’s classic book about the environment and capitalistic greed. “Mister! he said with a sawdusty sneeze, I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I’m asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs –he was very upset as he shouted and puffed– What’s that THING you’ve made out of my Truffula tuft?” -The Lorax.

7:30pm, Monday, June 26
Underground Cafe, 732 Charlotte

Free film showing for children of all ages. 26 minutes. Open discussion follows video presentation.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -The Lorax.

Brought to you by the volunteers with the Acadian forest campaign, a campaign of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, and the Underground Cafe.

To find out more, email forest@conservationcouncil.ca or visit http://www.acadianforest.ca

The Labour, Student, Social Activist, Environmental, and Civil Society groups are all united against the Atlantica agenda. The agenda of the proponents of Atlantica is seen as little different than that of NAFTA and other so-called “free trade” agreements. These agreements have not helped, but have hindered, the economic and social situation of the people of the Atlantic region. Together we are bringing the Atlantica agenda into public view to counteract the undemocratic and elitist process going on right now at the Trade and Convention Centre in Saint John, New Brunswick.

There are protesters in the streets and conferences going on addressing why working people across the Atlantic region should be opposed to Atlantica. There is something for everyone looking to send our business elite and politicans a message: NO! To Atlantica!

More pictures here.

Important! the Gothic Arches (95 Wentworth St), a modified cathedral, is the free space to stay + convergence centre (Special Thanks to The Public Service Alliance of Canada for heavily subsidizing this). With kitchen and bathrooms. All welcome to stay Thursday and Friday night (June 8 to 9). Bring a sleeping bag and anything you may need. Information & updates will be available there. Free hot food provided by Food Not Bombs Fredericton.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 9

10 am -Gather at King Square for rally, speeches by Citizens Against
Atlantica, Council of Canadians, and Labour.

11 am –Beehive Design Collective presents picture lectures, Market Square
boardwalk.

12 noon – Gather at the Trade and Convention Centre/Harbour Station for
rally.

6 pm - Regroup at King Square for the Big Clash.

All day –Falls Brook Centre’s Climate Change Bus, Market Sq boardwalk.

*Civil Society Room, Saint John Library open 10am –5pm both Friday and
Saturday. Providing water, films, workshops and educational materials. On
Friday: 11am –Union press conference, 1pm –Beehive Design Collective, 2
pm, Civil disobedience with John Price, 3 pm - A gendered perspective on
economic agreements with Johanne Perron, 4 pm - Essential Elements of a
Civil Society with Janice Harvey. For more info on the Civil Society Room,
call 449-0408.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 10

10 am - 12 pm, Multi-purpose room, Saint John Library
The Atlantica Initiative: A Local Piece of the Global Puzzle with Garry
Leech, the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network and professor at Cape
Breton University, and Dr. Jim Sacouman, professor at Acadia University.

1:30 pm - 3 pm Rally organized by Labour starting at the Lord Beaverbrook
Rink, Main St and marching to boardwalk at the Convention Centre. Hassan
Yusuf (Canadian Labour Congress), Michel Boudreau (NB Federation of
Labour), Wayne Lucas (CUPE Newfoundland), Ron Oldfield (St. John &
District Labour Council) and other speakers will address the crowd. For
more info, call the Labour Council office at (506) 635-1541.

http://www.stopatlantica.com

–It is not only Mainers that won’t be fooled again. We must stop the “Atlantica” project before it becomes policy. Join the many people protesting in Saint John this weekend.

FREDERICTON SOCIAL FORUM * A BETTER FREDERICTON IS POSSIBLE

June 2-4/06

Renaissance College, 811 Charlotte St., Fredericton

THE EVENTS ARE ALL FREE!!!

Interested in finding out what is being done in the city of Fredericton
and the province of New Brunswick to counter oppression, and
prioritized social and environmental needs of the public? If so, join us at the first ever FREDERICTON SOCIAL FORUM! Hear presentations and participate in discussions on a wide range of interesting topics. All events are open to the public and free including free child minding services.

Check for updates and modifications at:
http://forum.frederictonsocial.net/tiki-custom_home.php

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

For a PDF version of the Schedule with outline of events see here: FSF Schedule.pdf

FRIDAY, JUNE 2nd, the Underground Café, Charlotte St. Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte St.

6-9 pm Meet and Greet.

7:30 pm Networking Tips with Mary Ann Coleman from the New Brunswick Environment Network, a network of 70 citizens’ environmental groups across the province.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3rd, Renaissance College, 811 Charlotte St.

10-11 am Environmental Justice in New Brunswick: Contaminating
Belledune. With Inka Milewski from the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and Florian Levesque from the Stop Bennett Coalition-Environnment Vie. Including the short film screening of Nickel City about Port Colborne – a town connected to Belledune in struggle for environmental justice after decades of heavy metal contamination and human health impacts.

10-11 am The Revolutionary Class Struggle within Colombia: A Threat or Example of Social Change in Contemporary Times with Jim Brittain.

11 am-12 pm Free Open Source Software with John-Paul Arp from the Free Libre Open Source Software Society. This workshop will discuss the motivation, growth, organizational structures and applications of free and open source software.

11 am-12 pm The Fredericton Anti-Poverty Organization (FAPO) with Dan Weston. FAPO supports and advocates on behalf of the poor and the marginalized in the justice system, and provides numerous services to the community through its Anti-Poverty Distribution and Service Centre.

12-­1 pm Lunch

1­-2 pm Lawful Civil Disobedience with Vaughn Barnett from the Advocacy Collective. The Advocacy Collective strives to provide access to the justice system for the poor in Fredericton.

1-2 pm Workers Against the Imperialist Assault with Dr. Jim Sacouman, sociology professor at Acadia University.

2­-3 pm Building Civic Capital: Citizen Re-engagement with Greg LeBlanc. Disengagement is on the rise in many ways in modern democracies. What are the effects, and how can we reverse this trend? This presentation will look at the problem and propose policy and other solutions that will rejuvenate our communities.

2­-3 pm Issues of privatization with Raymond Léger from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

3­-4 pm Deep Integration and Atlantica with Charles Fournier from Citizens Against Atlantica. The ramifications of the Atlantica agenda promoted by elites in the region to economically, socially and politically integrate Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec with the Northeastern United States will be presented.


3-4 pm Aboriginal and Worker Issues in New Brunswick with Dr. David Bedford, political science professor at UNB.

4­-7 pm Potluck

9 pm Live Entertainment at the Alden Nowlan House, 676 Windsor St. Music provided by The Trick and more.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4th, Renaissance College, 811 Charlotte St.

10-­11 am Pay Equity: A Human Right. Presentation by Elizabeth Blaney and Elizabeth Coburn from the Coalition for Pay Equity. Pay equity will be defined, and the current situation of pay equity in New Brunswick, and what the Coalition for Pay Equity is and does will be presented.

11 am-­12 pm Grassroots Promotions. With Asaf Rashid of the Promotions Committee of the Underground Café, independent local promoter for social justice events, and promoter of local musician Scott MacDonald. Details on promoting events on a low budget…grassroots style. What things to keep in mind for postering, changing messages according to audiences, etc.

11 am­-12 pm Community Kitchen and Its Purpose in the Fredericton Community with George Piers.

12 -1 pm Lunch

1-2pm: Six Nations and Countering Racism in the Media with Willi Nolan.

1-2 pm Six Nations and Countering Racism in the Media with Willi Nolan, Aboriginal Rights Coalition -Atlantic and Six Nations supporter. Willi Nolan has recently returned from Caledonia, Ontario, where on March 3rd, 2006, members of the Rotinoshon’non:we (Iroquois) people set up camp on the Haldimand Tract on Six Nations territory to peacefully defend their land from further incursions by the federal and provincial government.

1-2 pm Maritime Solidarity with Guatemala with Miriam Iquique from the Katchekul Project, a Guatemalan women’s weaving collective, and Judy Loo from the Breaking the Silence Network and Oxfam Fredericton.

2-3 pm Puppet Theatre Exploring Global Climate Change with Falls Brook Centre.

3-4 pm Discussion: Atlantica and Civic Engagement. Discussion facilitated by members of the Fredericton Social Network.

Organized by the Fredericton Social Network.

Sponsored by the Fredericton Social Network, CUSO, the New Brunswick Nurses’ Union, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

For more info -
Contact: Michelle LeBlanc at: michelle [at] frederictonsocial.net
Visit: http://forum.frederictonsocial.net/tiki-custom_home.php

Rally for Pay Equity
In front of the Legislature, 12:30 pm, Thursday, May 25th.
Show your support for proactive pay equity legislation.
For more info, contact: 506 458-7378 or visit: http://www.equite-equity.com

If you haven’t done so already, read the “Declaration Against Atlantica” and post your name at the bottom of the article if you agree with what you’ve read. In Solidarity.

CITIZENS’ PRESS! GET YOUR CITIZENS’ PRESS RIGHT HERE! Asaf Rachid has published an editorial on the upcomming Atlantica protest / counter summit. His analysis involves a long term strategy for opposition to global capital. He’s right, we can’t just let this huge gathering be just a huge gathering. It must be a starting point for citizen engagement in our politics. From what I’m hearing so far, with the organizations and ammount of people involed, this could be an event of historic significance. I urge everyone to come out on June 8 - 10th and display your solidarity with others from all over Atlantic Canada.

STOP ATLANTICA! event:

TIME and DATE: Tuesday, May 9th, 7PM @ the Underground Cafe and Alternative Bookstore (www.ugcafe.org)

PLACE: The Underground Café is located in the Charlotte St. Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte St. (big mold red brick building adjacent to Charlotte and St. John st.).

WHAT’S HAPPENING:
Info session (with film) to learn about the proposed “free trade” zone called Atlantica that would surround the Atlantic region of Canada and the Northeastern States. The info session will include a showing of the 2000 film “This is What Dmocracy Looks Like”, which shows what happened when the economic agenda of the WTO conflicted with the interests of the people. It will also include a presentation by local activist, member of the Fredericton Young New Democrats, Chuck Fournier, who has been studying the issue independently.

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–The march was a success. We marched from Fredericton High School all the way to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency building. The march was to show our support and solidarity with the billions of workers around the world and the millions of immigrant workers in the US that are all going to be in the streets today (pictures here). Today is a day of solidarity, justice, and the movement towards an international democratic socialism! Celebration continues of International Workers’ Day!

By Asaf Rashid: >>
In Fredericton, there has no group any time within memory that has hoisted up the slogan, “No One is Illegal”, no group that has taken a stand definalty in public to challenge deportations, detentions and violations of basic rights of imigrants, refugees and all non-status people. The hope is that with today’s action, there are the beginnings of a No One is Illegal or Solidarity Across Borders in Fredericton.

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Fredericton - Juan Tema from the Guatemalan community of Sipakapa will be speaking in Fredericton on Wednesday, April 26th at 6:30 pm, about his community’s resistance to an open-pit gold mine owned by the Canadian/U.S. mining company, Glamis Gold. His presentation “Sipakapa is Not For Sale” will take place at the Underground Café, Charlotte St. Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte St. The hour-long public presentation with documentary clips of his community will be followed by a reception at Cocuy, the Latin American Cultural Centre located on the first floor of the Charlotte St. Arts Centre.

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–I have been saying this for years. The problem is the advertising that is coming from the softdrink industry that sells bottled water. Instead of competing with that advertising why don’t they just reign it in?

EVENT IN FREDERICTON

Building Sustainable Community in Times of Declining Oil Stocks
Maritime Speaking Tour - Fueled by Vegetable Oil

PEI organic farmer and Vietnam War Resister Gary Clausheide is touring the Maritimes in late March to discuss the topic of “Building Sustainable Community in Times of Declining Oil Stocks”

Tuesday, March 28 at the Underground Cafe, 732 Charlotte Street (basement - follow signs)

6 PM - Converting Diesels to run on vegetable oil (intro, discussion, and examination of a veggie-mobile).

7 PM - Building Sustainable Community in Times of Declining Oil Stocks.
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–The meeting will take place at 7: 30 in the Charlotte Street Art Centre auditorium. I have been told that everyone is welcome to attend.

Colombian community leader and activist José Julio Pérez talks about
the forced displacement of his community to provide cheap coal to fuel a
New Brunswick power plant.

7pm Tuesday March 21
Underground Café, Charlotte St. Arts Centre @ 732 Charlotte St.

Sponsored by the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN), the
United Church of Canada, Public Service Alliance, IBEW, CUPW, CAW and Peace Brigades International - Canada

For more information visit www.arsn.ca

“Women as a force for change in Canadian politics” is the theme of this year’s Women and the Law conference to be held at UNB Frederciton’s Law School over March 15th and 16th. This two-day event will look at women’s participation in Canadian politics from a personal and from a systemic perspective.

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Underground Café Promotions

Time and date of speaking event
March 10th, 5:00 PM

Place
The Underground Café and Alternative Bookstore, located in the Charlotte St. Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte St.

Subject
“If Canadians are correctly informed about Haiti, it will be more difficult for the government of Canada to engage in policies that constitute a violation of Haiti’s hard-won sovereignty….”—Patrick Elie, Feb. 20 (courtesy of Canada Haiti Action Network)

Follow this link to more on Haiti

Click here for more information on the talk Read the rest of this entry »

March 6, 2006

A panel discussion and photo exhibit will explore the issue of “ethical
images” of the Third World and their use for fundraising purposes, as part
of an awareness campaign coordinated by the Atlantic Council for
International Cooperation

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