The Conference Was a Success!

Thank you so much for your participation in Why Green Isn't Enough: An Anti-Racist Anti-Colonial Environmentalism Conference. The conference was a major success in every way, with over 50 people attending each talk. In addition, two of the conference organizers, Muna and Yazmin, are planning to revive the Anti-Racist Environmental Coalition (AREC) at Trent in Fall 2008! If you would like to join them in mobilizing the ideas discussed at the conference, please send your contact information to whygreenisntenough@gmail.com and they will get back to you.

The conference schedule will remain posted at the bottom of this page for future reference. Please check back for periodic updates on local and global environmental justice struggles.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Rally to Demand Justice for Fort Chipewyan!

Dear Friends and Allies,

Please join with members of Fort Chipewyan this Saturday to demand justice for their community.

Out of control tarsands development is having disastrous impacts on the environment and health of people throughout Alberta. Increasing numbers of the small aboriginal community of Fort Chipewyan (downstream from the Alberta Tar Sands) are being diagnosed and dying from rare cancers and other auto-immune diseases. A recent water study confirmed that the water in Fort Chipewyan had increased levels of arsenic, mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and was not safe for consumption, particularly in the fish eaten by local residents.


The study further supports the Mikisew Cree's recent call for a moratorium on tar sands development.

But as stated by Councillor Russell Kaskamin of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, "The Federal and Provincial governments are continuing to issue approvals for projects despite all of the uncertainties with the true environmental effects of oilsands development.
This analysis suggests that we can no longer continue to exercise our rights to harvest foods due to the uncertainty of potential health risks."

Demand Justice for Fort Chipewyan!!!
Rally at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton
March 1st, 1:00 pm

And Vigil at Parliament Hill in Ottawa
March 1st, 7:00pm

And, if you can’t make it either of these events, you can still take action by signing a letter to both the Alberta Government and Canadian Government to demand that they take action. Please sign on here.

It is time to demand justice for the Mikisew Cree and the residents of Fort Chipewyan.

Contact: George Poitras at george.poitras@shawbiz.ca, Lindsey Telfer at Lindsay@sierraclub.org or Mike at mhudema@greenpeace.org for more information about the Edmonton action, or Jessie at jessie@polarisinstitute.org for more information about the action in Ottawa.

And, if you haven’t done so already please join 37 Alberta based organizations, 31 national and international groups, prominent individuals like Stephen Lewis, Dr. David Schindler and Reverend Bill Phipps and over 2000 individuals who have signed on to a pledge stating NO NEW APPROVALS on tar sands development!

Jessie Kalman

Tar Sands Watch Campaigner

Polaris Institute

jessie@polarisinstitute.org

(613) 237-1717 ext. 106

mobile (613) 698-8222

www.tarsandswatch.org

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Conference Schedule ~ March 14 & 15, 2008

FRIDAY, MARCH 14

7:00-9:00 pm
Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer Street North)
Keynote Address: “Stories Less Told: Environmental Justice and Racism in Canada”
A panel discussion with:
*Andil Gosine (York University), author of Environmental Justice and Racism in Canada: An Introduction
*Karen Okamoto, Environmental Justice and Racism in Canada contributor

9:00 pm-1:00 am
The Red Dog (189 Hunter Street West)
Beats 4 Justice! Fundraiser for the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
 A night of spoken word, Afro-soul, down-tempo electronica, and beats ~ featuring:
*DJ Sheena
*The Unity Singers
*Dave Hudson
*Hesper Philip-Chamberlain
*LAL

$10 waged/$5 unwaged, or pay-as-much-as-you-can.

SATURDAY, MARCH 15
Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer Street North)

12:00-12:15
Welcoming remarks

12:15-2:15
“Environmental Racism and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program”
A panel discussion with:
*Chris Ramsaroop (Justicia for Migrant Workers)
*Janet McLaughlin (PhD Candidate, Anthropology, University of Toronto)
*Allan, participant in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program

2:15-2:30
Refreshment break

2:30-4:30
“Impacts of Energy Extraction and Climate Change on Indigenous Peoples”
A panel discussion with:
*Paula Sherman (Co-Chief, Ardoch Algonquin First Nation)
*Leanne Simpson (Past director of Trent University's Indigenous Environmental Studies Program)
*Clayton Thomas-Muller (Indigenous Environmental Network)

4:30-4:45
Refreshment break

4:45-6:00
“Where Do We Go From Here? Organizing for Structural Change”
A workshop with:
*Clayton Thomas-Muller (Indigenous Environmental Network)
*Chris Ramsaroop (Justicia for Migrant Workers)

**********

The conference is free and open to all members of the public. No registration is required. Resource booklets on anti-oppressive environmental activism will be available to conference participants (suggested donation: $5). Everyone is welcome to attend!

Sponsored and supported by:

Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough; Fair Trade Trent; CUPE Local 3908; Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Native Studies; Kawartha World Issues Centre; New Canadians Centre Peterborough; OPIRG-Peterborough; Peterborough-Kawarthas Chapter of the Council of Canadians; Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty; Roy Brady; Sustainable Trent; T.E.W. Nind Fund; Theatre Trent; Trent Central Student Association; Trent Centre for Community-Based Education; Trent Environmental Students Society; Trent University Faculty Association; Trent University's Canadian Studies, Environmental and Resource Studies, Indigenous Studies, Politics, Sociology, and Women's Studies Departments; Trent University's Champlain, Gzowski, Lady Eaton, Otonabee, and Traill College Cabinets; Trent University Graduate Student Association; Trent University's Anti-Racism Issues, Environmental Issues, and Women's Issues Commissioners; Trent Women's Centre; and UFCW Canada.