News, Events & Comments

War Resisters Update, Film Night and Fundraising Dinner

Despite enormous efforts by Canadians from coast to coast, U.S. Iraq War resister Kimberly Rivera and her family were forced to leave Canada on September 20.

Canadians are shocked and angered that our government did not allow Kim’s humanitarian and compassionate application to be processed before she was forced to leave. She is currently being detained and awaiting punishment at the hands of the U.S. military.

The callousness of the Harper government – who applauded the news of Kim’s forced return to the U.S. – has made many people more determined than ever to fight to ensure that no other Iraq War resisters suffer the same fate.

Please join the War Resisters Support Campaign for dinner, a campaign update and a screening of the film Soldiers of Peace by Denis Mueller.

MONDAY, October 1, 2012 Steelworkers Hall 25 Cecil Street, Toronto 6:00 pm Dinner; 7:00 pm Campaign Update and Film Screening

Soldiers of Peace is the story of veterans who courageously opposed wars ranging from Vietnam to Iraq. This counter-narrative includes Dewey Canyon III at the Miami 1972 GOP Convention demonstrations led by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. This riveting film explores the metamorphosis of veterans, from those who actually fought in wars, to becoming passionate critics against unnecessary wars.

$20 suggested donation • refreshments available





Organized by the War Resisters Support Campaign • www.resisters.ca

MOVIE: 2Revolucion
WHEN: Tuesday Sept.25, 2012 - 7pm

WHERE: OISE (252 Bloor St.W. Toronto) Room 2279
PRICE: Pay What You Can

SPEAKER: Paul Bocking, the movie director


Our 2012-13 TorontotheBetter movie series kicks off on Sept.25th with an original movie from Toronto teacher and union activist Paul Bocking. “2Revolucion” tells the stories of Mexcians impacted by The North American Free Trade Agreement. More bust than boom, they tell us. And they are fighting back. 2Revolucion tells us how. Join us in solidarity with our Mexican brothers and sisters in the "free trade" barrel. English and Spanish languages available.

This movie is part of our "Learning with Latin America" series and will be followed in October by Marmato: Manger of Gold, about the impact of Canadian mining company Gran Combia Gold on a Columbian community.

                                      www.TorontotheBetter.net
                                              416-707-3509
                                  postmaster@torontothebetter.net

TAKE ACTION TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR U.S. IRAQ WAR RESISTER KIMBERLY RIVERA!

Dear friends,
There has been a tremendous response from Canadians to the news that the Harper government plans to deport U.S. Iraq War resister Kimberly Rivera and her family on September 20.
Tens of thousands of people have contacted Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney in the past ten days, calling on him to allow Kim and her family to stay. Actions have taken place from Vancouver to Halifax and more are planned for this week. The fight is not over. We urge you to continue to act on behalf of the Rivera family.

Here are the planned activities for the days ahead:

Monday: - If you haven't already done so, please sign the online letter to Jason Kenney at change.org and make sure you forward it to your lists: www.change.org/LetKimStay
More than 18,000 people have signed so far. Let's push that over the 20,000 mark! -
If you're in Toronto, please attend the Federal Court hearing at 3:30 p.m. at 180 Queen St. West, when Kim's lawyer will be arguing her case.

Tuesday: - Call Jason Kenney's office, and urge him to stop the deportation of the Rivera family: 613.954.1064.

Wednesday: - Join a rally in support of the Rivera family. Bring your banners, flags, and signs in support of Kim and all of the Iraq War resisters.

In Toronto the rally will be held at the Federal Court, 180 Queen Street West, from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

For a list of rallies in other cities, go to http://resisters.ca/support-the-rivera-family/

In solidarity,
War Resisters Support Campaign
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Join the War Resisters Support Campaign:
http://www.resisters.ca/
http://www.twitter.com/WarResisters
http://www.facebook.com/WarResisters
http://www.youtube.com/WarResistersCanada

So, I received an email invitation indicating that the Green Enterprise Toronto GETSmart Speaker Series is being relaunched...Events will take place at 215 Spadina (at the Centre for Social Innovation),every second Wednesday of the month at 8:00 pm. Information for the next event follows:


Nature Clean: a green idea becomes a great business success story!

Featured speaker is the President of Nature Clean, Gina Conte.

You will learn how far Nature Clean has come in establishing a great business with people, planet and profit in mind.

Cost: $12.00, students free. Refreshments included.

When: Wednesday September 12, 2012, 8:00 p.m.

Where: 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, M5T 2C7, main floor.

Contact Shirley Segev at gettoronto@bell.net to register.

TAKE ACTION! CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE DEPORTATION OF WAR RESISTER KIMBERLY RIVERA AND HER FAMILY!
Dear Friends of War Resisters:
As you all know, U.S. war resister Kimberly Rivera, her husband Mario Rivera, and their four children, have been ordered to leave Canada by September 20. While Kim and her lawyer pursue all legal avenues to challenge this, we must take to the streets, to the phones, and to our keyboards, to show that Canadians say:
WAR RESISTERS ARE WELCOME HERE.
Here are several actions you can take in your own community to support the Riveras. We need you to organize in your own community to amplify this message in towns and cities from coast to coast to coast.

1. Friday, September 14 -- DAY OF ACTION
In Toronto: Join petitioning and leafletting at the following locations: • Carrot Common, Danforth Ave • Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor Street West (near Spadina) • Queen Street West and Dunn Avenue (Parkdale)

Across Canada: Organize local pickets, petitioning, and leafletting! See our website for materials to help get you started. Fill in your own information and hit the streets! http://resisters.ca/support-the-rivera-family/

2. Wednesday, September 19 -- DAY OF ACTION
In Toronto: From 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., join a peaceful demonstration at the following location to call on Jason Kenney to halt the deportation of Kim Rivera and her family: • Federal Court Building, 180 Queen Street West, Toronto

Across Canada: Organize a similar demonstration at the same time! You don't need a lot of people. This is the day before the Riveras' removal date. We must raise our collective voice to loudly say: LET THEM STAY.

3. EVERY DAY: Call Jason Kenney
Call Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Tell him you support war resister Kim Rivera and you want the government to allow her to stay in Canada. A suggested script for this phone call will be on our website:
http://resisters.ca/support-the-rivera-family/
This takes only a few minutes. Call every day! Office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: 613.954.1064 (9-5 EST)

4. Write Jason Kenney If you haven't done so already, sign a letter to Jason Kenney and your MP. The letter is here:
http://resisters.ca/support-the-rivera-family/letter-to-jason-kenney/
You can write your own letter and send it to: The Honourable Jason Kenney Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism 325 East Block House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Email: minister@cic.gc.ca,
jason.kenney@parl.gc.ca
Fax: 613.957.2688

5. Write a letter to your local newspaper in support of Kim Rivera and all war resisters
Letters to the editor are an effective way to get our message out. Letters to the editor in support of Kim are already popping up in major newspapers. Keep the letter short and simple, and you can reach thousands of people.

6. Donate. THANK YOU to every supporter who has so generously given funds so we can mount this public campaign. If you can, please donate either online or by cheque. To donate online, go to:
http://resisters.chipin.com
To donate by cheque, please make a cheque payable to the War Resisters Support Campaign and mail it to: War Resisters Support Campaign Box 13, 427 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON M5S 1X7 CANADA

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. We have only two weeks to make this campaign as visible and as loud as possible. Kim Rivera risked so much for peace. Now it's our turn to fight for her and her family.

LET THEM STAY!

The Centre for Study of Education and Work is back with their weekly email announcements...a few items of interest I think:


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Fall 2012 Assembly of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly (GTWA)

Sunday, September 16, 2012; 9:00am until 5:00pm

Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St. Toronto, Ontario

Registration required. All members and supporters are encouraged to attend
and bring guests. Please register as soon as possible to help us plan.
Childcare and lunch provided. Please note your childcare needs upon registering.

Register online here


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The Marikana massacre: a turning point? by Martin Legassick from Facts for Working People

The massacre of 34, and almost certainly more, striking mineworkers at
Marikana (together with more than 80 injured) on 16 August has sent waves of
shock and anger across South Africa, rippling around the world. It could
prove a decisive turning-point in our country’s post-apartheid history. A
recent report also states that autopsies reveal that most of the workers
killed at Marikana were shot in the back. That is, they were escaping. A
further blow to the initial police story that they fired because they were
being attacked by an armed mob.


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Rethinking Common vs. Private Property

Introduction: Outline of the argument
The purpose of this paper is to suggest a rethinking of the
common-versus-private framing of the property rights issue in the Commons
Movement.