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Politics and Social Justice
1)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, March 3, 2010: VENEZUELA'S REVOLUTION - THE 2ND DECADE
7:30pm Wed. Mar. 3 @ 2994 Douglas (BCGEU Hall)
Profile of a People's Movement with author, journalist and political activist Federico Fuentes. Mr. Fuentes will give an overall and up to date picture of what the Chaves government has been able to accomplish in the last 11 years since it was elected into power. He will touch on issues such as women's role within the government and their accomplishments, the formation of Community Councils and what they represent for Venezuelan society, the threat of the new US military bases in Colombia, workers control over many sectors of the country's production and the Bolivarian Integration Alliance between a number of countries in solidarity with each other.
Admission by donation. Sponsored by the Goods for Cuba Campaign & the Island Solidarity Centre Society

Federico Fuentes

Federico Fuentes was born in Argentina in 1981 and grew up in Australia. He is a collaborator of the Fundacion Centro Internacional Miranda (CIM), linked to the Ministry of Popular Power for Higher Education in Caracas, Venezuela. He has been writing from Caracas for most of the last two years as a member of the bureau of the Australian Green Left Weekly and now as part of the board of directors of Venezuelanalysis.com. Together with Marta Harnecker, he heads up two of the lines of investigation in the CIM: “Political instruments for the 21st century” and “Popular participation in public management.”

As part of his research, he has co-published two books with Marta Harnecker, based on interviews with leaders of the Movement Towards Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples (Bolivia), and the Party of the Movement Towards Socialism (Paraguay). They are MAS-IPSP de Bolivia: Instrumento político que surge de los movimientos sociales, Caracas: CIM, 2008; and Conociendo al P-MAS, Asunción: Germinal, 2008.

Fuentes is currently preparing a book based on interviews with leaders of the Workers Party of Brazil and another on the experience of worker co-management in the electrical sector in Venezuela. He is a member of the editorial boards of the Venezuelan-based newspaper Marea Socialista and Luz y Fuerza, the newspaper of the Federation of Electrical Workers in Venezuela.

Fuentes’ articles are frequently published in Venezuelanalysis.com and, together with his bureau colleague Kiraz Janicke, in Green Left Weekly. He is the editor of the widely-read Bolivia Rising blog. Since 2003, he has regularly travelled in South America to report on events such as the 2003 World Social Forum and the election of Evo Morales in 2005.

Fuentes’ articles in English have also been published in Monthly Review, MRZine, Socialist Voice, The Bullet and Relay (Socialist Project, Canada), Links, ZNet, and Counterpunch. In Spanish, he has been published in Aporrea, Rebelion, America XXI and other publications and websites.

He is actively involved in the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network, of which he was a national co-convenor (2008-9), and has organized several solidarity delegations to Venezuela. He is also a member of the Socialist Alliance (Australia).


2)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 4, 2010: NATIONAL DAY of ACTIONS to DEFEND EDUCATION

The Bail Out the People Movement endorses the March 4 National Day of Actions to Defend Education.

Across the country, students, teachers, faculty and other workers, along with concerned parents, community activists and organizations, will be using the week of March 4 to strike decisively to defend public education and the right to pursue higher learning.

The effects of the economic crisis have been felt in all sectors. Hundreds of thousands have faced having their homes foreclosed on or being evicted. Millions have lost their jobs and have added to the ranks of unemployed, especially people of color. Many families face hunger on a daily basis.

The crisis has not abated but continues like a storm. Federal, state and local governments are now cutting back on vital social services; closing schools; defunding education, health care and other needs; and laying off more workers.

There has been an accelerated push to privatize public education under the guise of “school choice,” using the crumbling infrastructure of inner city schools as an excuse. This crumbling is due to decades of systemic underfunding.

Parents and their children are wooed by for-profit and even nonprofit charter schools as a way out. But the charter schools offer a clear and present danger to teachers’ unions and are not bound to provide English as a Second Language or special education services. Charters can be granted to companies or a group of individuals who ultimately select the students and control the curriculum and budget.

Besides the above, corporations and financial institutions would like to get their hands on the $800 billion a year spent on education.

The Obama administration has contributed to the race to privatize public education. It has dangled $4 billion in front of strapped state governments to compete for by devising a new plan for education. This “Race to the Top” program calls not only for diminishing or eliminating altogether the cap on charter schools, but also calls for the tying of teacher pay to performance, opening the door for the firing of teachers at “underperforming schools.”

The state budget crisis, which grew out of the general economic crisis, has provided state governments across the country a pretext for further attacks on public education. As of December, 36 states have made higher education budget cuts, resulting in tuition increases and reductions in faculty and staff. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have cut aid to K-12 schools. Additional cuts across states are expected to be widespread in 2010.

In this climate of severe and relentless education cuts, March 4 is just the beginning of a movement to unite students, educators and other workers against the attacks on public education. That is why the Bail Out the People Movement is proud to stand up for public education on March 4 and raise the demand: “Money for Jobs and Education, Not for War and Incarceration.” As the struggle continues to grow post-March 4, it will be critical to link together the movements for jobs and education with the movement to stop the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For more information on the March 4 National Day of Actions to Defend Education:
Visit the Web site for more details at http://www.defendeducation.org.
Endorse the call by sending an email to march4nationaldayofaction@gmail.com.
Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=213637229312.


3)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 4, 2010: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse
19:00 - 21:00
The Vertigo Room, the Student Union Building
University of Victoria
Victoria, BC

Speaker, Ali Abunimah will talk about his book, One Country:A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse which proposes the idea of one democratic state shared by two peoples.

Admission by donation

4)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, March 6, 2010: Rally and Conference Celebrates International Women’s Day “Women’s Voices at the Table”
Rally from 12:00 – 1:00 pm: Rally at Vancouver Art Gallery, North Plaza (West Georgia)
Conference from 1:30 – 5:00 pm: Conference at Vancouver Public Library, Alice McKay Room, 350 West
Georgia

WHO: IWD Organizing Committee
WHAT: “Women’s Voices at the Table” Rally and Conference to celebrate
International Women’s Day
DETAILS: These events are free and open to the public.

Members of a variety of organizations including Oxfam Canada, Amnesty International, the We Can Coalition, unions, and local women’s organizations have teamed up to celebrate International Women’s Day with a rally and conference called, “Women’s Voices at the Table.” The “at the table” concept is part of a broadly-based Canadian and global civil society campaign to mobilize women to be heard and to declare our right to be “at the table” with leaders at the G8/20 meetings taking place in Canada this June.

The half-day kicks off with a noon rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery where participants will be treated to live musical performances and messages of solidarity from both local and international women speakers. The “Women’s Voices at the Table” conference follows at 1:30 pm in the Alice McKay Room of the Vancouver Public Library. Conference attendees will discuss a wide variety of issues related to women’s rights and gender equality, culminating in proposals that local women want heeded when Canadian leaders meet with their world counterparts at the G/8 and G/20. “We have made great strides towards gender equality here in Canada,” say conference organizers, “but there are needs yet to be met, so women want our voices heard at the table when important issues that impact us are discussed.”

Topics to be addressed at the “Women’s Voices at the Table” conference include: access to justice, labour rights, indigenous women, and climate change & food security, among others. There will be refreshments and live music at the conference.

5)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, March 8, 2010: International Women's Day "tents not guns"
7:00pm
2994 Douglas (BCGEU Hall)
Admission by donation
Dinner $10 served @ 6:00pm

Cuba for Haiti Fundraiser for the people of Haiti with dinner, speaker, live music and an update on the aftermath of the earthquake, the role women are playing and the conditions of life there.

Guest speaker: Cuban, Esperanza Luzbert, with the Cuban Institute in Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), will speak about the accomplishments of the Cuban doctors working in Haiti. Over one thousand Cuban doctors have volunteered in Haiti since the earthquake. Cubans have provided free healthcare for Haitians for eleven years.


6)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: THE TIME IS NOW - HAVE YOUR SAY!
4:00 - 6:45 pm
CRD Board Room, 6th floor, 625 Fisgard Street

A special PUBLIC MEETING is being held to provide opportunity for the public to speak to the Committee regarding procurement. This is your chance to stand up for public sewage treatment. Though the speakers list is now full (in fact so full that it triggered a second meeting for March 10 - see below) your presence is still vital to our message - PUBLIC SEWAGE TREATMENT. Please come out this Thursday to support the speakers, the process and the message. There are still spots for the March 10 meeting so please see the link below and register to speak.

Anyone can attend. However, those wishing to speak must either pre-register online or call 250-360-3001 to reserve a time slot.

For more information, to sign or petition or to get support for speaking notes visit our website or check out the following links:

www.greatervictoriawaterwatchcoalition.ca
www.victoriacouncilofcanadians.blogspot.com
www.smellsfishy.ca
www.wastewatermadeclear.ca

Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition

Workshops and Seminars
7)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ see dates/times below ]: Strategies and Practices for Changing the World
A series of engagements with leading activists

March 9, 2010
North-South Solidarities in Practice
Carlos Flores (Central American Support Committee), Lynn Thornton (Victoria International Development Education Association)

March 23, 2010
Feminisms and their Intersections
Manjeet Birk (Antidote), Sean Brown

All sessions are in the Strong Building, Room C116
(map: http://www.uvic.ca/buildings/dsb.html)

7:30 - 9 pm

Everyone welcome!
Presented by Social Justice Studies, University of Victoria Web.uvic.ca/socialjustice

Earth and Environment
8)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, March 3, 2010: Last Chance to Protect the WFP Lands from Sooke to Jordan River
19:00 - 21:00
SJ Willis Auditorium
923 Topaz Avenue (between Blanshard and Quadra)
Victoria, BC

Come out and help protect these lands.

On March 8 Western Forest Products is putting 5200 acres of private lands up for sale from Sooke to Jordan River - our Wild Coast. Let's help protect waterfront lands at Sandcut Beach all the way to the surfing beaches at Jordan River, the Sooke Potholes lands and other extensive forest lands and watersheds in the area. First Nations sacred sites are at risk from development.

The provincial government now has an opportunity to support UBC's proposal to purchase these lands as an educational and research forest. The CRD must be supported in their efforts to protect these lands.

Come have a say in the future of our coast.

Speakers include:
Chief Gordon Planes - T'Sou-ke First Nation
Arnie Campbell - Otter Point and Shirley Residents and Ratepayers Association
Terri Alcock - Shirley Education and Action Society
Calvin Sandborn - Legal Director, UVic Environmental Clinic
Vicky Husband - Spokesperson, Jordan River Steering Committee

More information:
Contact Vicky Husband
Email: vickyhusband@gmail.com
Phone: 250-478-0388
Website: http://dogwoodinitiative.org/media-centre/news-stories/urgent-gathering-to-celebrate-and-protect-juan-de-fuca-lands

9)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, March 6, 2010: Springridge Commons Work Party
15:00 - 17:30
Corner of Chambers and Gladstone
Fernwood
Victoria, BC

This coming Saturday is the best kind- a Springridge Commons work party!! Think about the goodness of getting hands in the dirt once again, smelling the soil, munching the miner’s lettuce, admiring the blossoms already out on the Oregon grape and Indian plum.... and learn about what the heck hugelkulture is and what we can do about it!

Springridge Commons is a food forest - permaculture site – community gathering space – one of the hearts of Fernwood! Please come and help it grow!

Saturday, March 6th at the corner of Chambers and Gladstone, 3:00-5:30. Feel free to bring tools if you have them, friends if you fancy, wood chips if you can, or none of the above but your smiling self

Arts, Film, Music and Media
10)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, March 8, 2010: Heroes
09:00 - 18:00
Pendulum Gallery
885 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC, BC
Map

Twenty artists from across Canada explore the meaning of "heroism" from a disability perspective.

Free

Website: 20 Canadian visual artists explore “heroism” from a disability perspective.

News Releases

Send us some News Releases!

Upcoming Events
11)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 11, 2010: Blue Gold: The Tsilhqot’in Fight for Teztan Biny (Fish Lake)
19:00 - 21:00
David Lam Auditorium
UVIC
Victoria BC , BC

Blue Gold: The Tsilhqot’in Fight for Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) expresses the Tsilhqot’in peoples’ rejection of Taseko Mines Ltd.’s proposal to
drain Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) in order to stockpile mining waste. Their voices ring clearly through the same valley Taseko hopes to gut for gold: “We do not want Teztan Biny destroyed.”

The Tsilhqot’in hold proven Aboriginal hunting and trapping rights in the area Taseko wants to mine, located approximately 600 kilometres north of Vancouver. The proposed mine’s two kilometre- wide open pit will destroy the entire sub-alpine ecosystem around Teztan Biny, a lake sacred to the Tsilhqot’in Nation.

Teztan Biny sits at the headwaters of the Taseko River (and ultimately the Fraser River). The permanent destruction of the lake and watershed
cannot be compensated ecologically. Please raise your voice against destroying our fresh water, for the future of all Canadians.

12)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, March 13, 2010: The Sorcerer - A Gilbert and Sullivan Production
Two locations (below)
Victoria, BC

The Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Canadian Pacific Ballet will be performing the hilariously funny and satirical musical production, the Sorcerer, throughout the month of March.

The action takes place in a small quaint village, think Oak Bay, where life is placid and boringly predictable, until John Wellington Wells, an employee of a respectable firm of sorcerers, think Harry Potter's grandfather, turns their predictable little world upside down. He successfully tricks the villagers into drinking a magic potion from a large teapot, resulting in everyone falling in love with the first person they see with hilarious consequences.

Music direction is under the baton of Rick Underwood, stage direction by Wendy Merk, and choreography by Scott Vannan. In addition, the Canadian Pacific Ballet adds an interesting and visually delightful element to the whole presentation.

The cast features Josh Lovell as Alexis, who was featured as a young artist at Symphony Splash last summer. Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan favourite, Adrian Sly, who appeared as Pooh Bah in last fall's sell out performances of the Concert Mikado will place John Wellington Wells.

Performances will occur at the following times and locations:

Charlie White Theatre, Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney
March 13 & 20, 8:00pm
March 14 & 21, 2:00pm

$31 general, $29 seniors, $20 students & children

McPherson Theatre
March 27, 8:00pm
March 28, 2:00pm

$37 general, $35 seniors, $20 students & children

Website: www.gilbertandsullivanvictoria.ca

13)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 11, 2010: Call-Out for Performers

Have you heard the rumor? It's true! On Saturday March 20, 2010 the Homospun Collective is hosting another fabulous night of dancing and performance. This time we are teaming up with Harm Reduction Victoria (HRV) to present a variety show which we hope will feature local talent in song and dance, performance and art.

This is a chance for you to get up in front of an adoring crowd and show off your talents! Do you have a new song you want to sing? A performance piece? A poem? Or maybe you want to shake your booty on the stage in a burlesque number?

We aim to showcase a diversity of themes, styles and talents and welcome all types of performance not limited by any theme. All performers must read the Anti-Oppression Policy (see attached) and submit a proposal for review. We aim to make this event a safer space for performers and audience members. Please consider your privilege in whatever form(s) it takes. No obnoxious, objectifying louts are to be tolerated, and all performers are to be adored as the strong, radical, sexy, powerful people that they are.

The deadline for proposals is: March 15.

Proceeds raised from this event will benefit Harm Reduction Victoria, the folks who stand in solidarity with people who use illicit drugs and seek to ensure the highest quality healthcare is made accessible to all those who require harm reduction services.

Please send proposals to: jennie.applejuice@gmail.com

14)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 18, 2010: The Native Plant Study Group presents: "Back to the Future: The Re-storying of Camas Landscapes" with Dr. Brenda Beckwith
7:00pm
MacLaurin Bldg, Rm D116
University of Victoria

Dr. Beckwith will discuss pressing issues about the future history of the Camassia spp., also known as the blue camas lily of the Garry Oak Meadow ecosystem. An expert in ethnoecology of this edible root foot, she brings with her over 20 years of experience in ecological restoration and ethnobotanical gardening.

Non-member drop-in fee: $3. More info: http://www.NPSG.ca

Media Contact:
Valerie Elliott
Co-Chair, Native Plant Study Group
Victoria BC
tel: 250 598 1999

15)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, March 20, 2010: Brentwood Bay Healthy Living Healthy Planet EXPO!
12 - 3 pm
Brentwood Hall
7082 Wallace Drive. (near Tru Value).

Drop in on the Community Action at L.E.A.D.'s first Healthy Living Healthy Planet EXPO!

50 Exhibitors, Local Food, & special guest Guy Dauncey from 1 - 1:15.

FREE Admission. Fun stuff for kids!

For more info: Helen @ 544-2064

16)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 25, 2011: Dining Out For Life Vancouver Island
Restaurants across the island!
Vancouver Island, BC

Breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Participate in Dining Out For Life, with proceeds going to AIDS Vancouver Island. Dine out to fight AIDS!

On Thursday March 25th, thousands of people will fill their plates to fight AIDS. Nearly 70 restaurants across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and several in the Comox Valley, will donate 25% of your food bill to AIDS Vancouver Island, who provide services for people who are living with HIV.

As well, Stella Artois will donate $1 from every sale of their beer in Dining Out For Life participating restaurants on March 25. For a complete list of restaurants participating in your area visit www.diningoutforlife.com. We’re also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=249696924299&ref=ts

Website: www.diningoutforlife.com/vancouverisland