We're excited to invite community members and Carleton students to our Annual General Meeting online on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:30pm!

Our AGM includes a board of governors election and annual reports covering September 2022 - August 2023 from OPIRG-Carleton and our Working Groups.

Your attendance is welcomed and encouraged, please register for the Zoom link here. Board nominees also need to register for the Zoom link!

Not a Carleton University student and want to support OPIRG-Carleton as a Community Member? Fill out this form and set up a payment with us or contact our current Board of Directors to waive fees.

Community groups will provide an update on their lawsuit against the Ottawa Police Services board, including new evidence supporting their amended claim.

March 25, 2024 3PM EST at the Human Rights Monument, 120 Lisgar St. at Elgin St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Contacts (English):

Robin Browne
Co-lead, 613-819 Black Hub
613-252-4232

Jeffrey Bradley
Member, CPEP
705-920-6915

Media Contacts (Français):

Sam Hersh
514-867-0799

Legal Counsel:

Yavar Hameed
613-627-2974

Supported by:

613-819 Black Hub

Black Student Leaders Association des Leaders Étudiants Noirs

Coalition Against More Surveillance

Criminalization and Punishment Education Project (CPEP)

OPIRG-Carleton

OPIRG-GRIPO

Dear members,

We are excited to invite you to the 65th anniversary celebration of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and the birthday of José Martí. This is a momentous occasion for Ottawa-Cuba Connections and OPIRG Carleton and an opportunity to honor the legacy of the revolution and the contributions of José Martí.

The event will be held on January 23 at 7:00 pm. We have planned an exciting program including a speech of His Excellency Ambassador Hector Igarza, cultural performances, and a commemorative ceremony. It will be a chance for us to come together, reflect on our solidarity, and renew our commitment to  the people of Cuba.

We kindly request your presence and participation in this important celebration. Your support and commitment is greatly appreciated

Please register so that we can make the necessary arrangements for the event. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at ottawa.cuba.connections2023@gmail.com and VOC@opirgcarleton.org 

Thank you for your dedication and continued support. We look forward to celebrating with you.

Sincerely,

OCC Steering Committee

Come hang out with us, visit the library, get ice cream and snack with us!

Ken Rubin will first talk about several challenging key consumer and community issues to be met and then provide examples of his investigative and FOI experiences. This will be followed by questions and a discussion on why activism and investigative work matter.

Ken Rubin is an Ottawa investigative public interest researcher, a citizens’ advocate, an author, a civil libertarian, and an organic farmer. He is a very well known commentator on the access and privacy legislation in Canada. He has filed and analyzed thousands of requests for public and personal information. His work has resulted in hundreds of media stories. He has written and published many articles and reports on government secrecy and privacy and surveillance practices. He has acted as an access consultant to a variety of media, public interest groups, political parties, labour unions, research groups, trade associations, and individuals. Many of his Federal Court actions for freedom of information are referred to as benchmark cases. He has helped promote improvements in freedom of information and privacy protection legislation in Canada, including amending the federal access act to penalize officials for record alteration violations. He has appeared before numerous parliamentary committees and is a columnist for the Hill Times. For over 50 years, he has been involved in a wide range of regional and national public actions that include food and air safety, health and environmental protection issues and telecommunications.

Register online here: https://bit.ly/InvestigativeWork

OPIRG-Carleton and our Working Groups will be tabling at the University Centre atrium. Stop by, say hello and get more information from us!

Protest, strike and rebellion in Canada’s Capital with Brian McDougall

Click here for more information on locations and points of interest on the tour. The group will be meeting in front of the Chateau Laurier Hotel at approximately 5pm. Dress for the weather and get ready to walk!

This tour is completely free and is cross-promoted with CUPE Local 4600 and our Working Groups. We plan on providing a free snack at the end of the walk, please register here.

Members of CPEP and a coalition of plaintiffs will hold an in-person and online meeting to discuss their lawsuit against the Ottawa Police Services Board.

The plaintiffs will be discussing the violations of their right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for which they seek $27,500 in damages.  Afterwards the plaintiffs will take questions from the media and the public.

In-person at Ottawa University (Fauteux Hall – Room 401)
Zoom registration: https://bit.ly/In TheFaceofPower

For more information about the event and contact information, view our official press release and posters here:

Poster (Full Size)
Press Release Pg.1
Press Release Pg.2

On Saturday, February 18 from 5:00-7:30 PM EST, join us for a teach-in on Canadian Imperialism in Haiti facilitated by longtime writer, radio host and activist Jafrikayiti (Jean Saint-Vil), followed by a film screening of Haiti Betrayed.

For more information on the film, check out https://haitibetrayedfilm.com/#synopsis.

ABOUT OUR FACILITATOR

Jafrikayiti (Jean Saint-Vil) is an Ottawa-based author, radio host and social justice activist. Co-founder of self-help organizations AKASAN and Jaku Konbit, he also hosts several radio programs and is a featured political analyst on Canadian and international media.

He continually calls on Canada to stop interfering in the governance of his native Haiti. To learn more, visit: https://jafrikayiti.com/

Free, online event. Open to everyone. Register for the Zoom event now..

Tell your friends, your professors, your colleagues, your coworkers!

Tune into this FREE virtual training on Confronting Anti-Black Racism facilitated by Brieanne Berry Crossfield via Zoom on Wednesday, February 15 from 4-6 PM EST.

This session focuses on addressing and dismantling anti-Black racism in a Canadian context. This workshop will provide a general overview of anti-oppression theories and principles, including concepts of power, privilege, positionality and intersectionality.

Free, online training, open to everyone. Register for the Zoom event now..

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Brieanne Berry Crossfield (she/her, Brie) is a Jamaican-Canadian writer, communications specialist and public educator with a focus on equity, research and public education.

Over the last decade, Brie has held various roles within higher education, non-profit organizations and grassroots movements dedicated to embedding the principles and practices of anti-racism, anti-poverty, and anti-sexual violence in everyday life.

Brie holds her BA in Communication Studies and Women and Gender Studies and M.Ed in Social Justice Education. Her work is influenced by her deep commitment to Black Studies, Anti-Racist and Feminist Theory, as well as the belief that there is always a possibility for changing the world as we know it.

On Thursday, February 9 from 5:00-6:30 PM, join us over Zoom for a *closed workshop* for African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) community members.

Our facilitator Keosha Love will be guiding participants through reimagining their relationship to wellness outside of inaccessible, westernized and commercialized approaches to care. The space will provide you with resources on strengthening your emotional and mental well-being and close with a creative writing prompt encouraging folks to think about your relationship with self-care and wellness practices differently.

RAFFLE ANNOUNCEMENT

All attendees will get the chance to win 1 in 5 gift cards, valued at $50, for use at a local Black business of their choice. From face and skincare to gratitude journals to good good food to giving yourself all the flowers, we have many options for you to choose from to support your self-care and wellness practices. More info to come.

ABOUT OUR FACILITATOR

Keosha is an award-winning artist, activist, educator and the founder of Toronto non-profit Our Women's Voices. She works to create spaces for wellness and collective liberation in marginalized communities.

As a poet and writer, Keosha is notable for centering self-actualization, womanism and joy as rebellion in her work. She closely explores the diverse narratives and identities of Black and racialized people to champion their stories and culture.

Free, online event. Register now for the Zoom workshop..

Register online at bit.ly/decolonize-workshop

Come watch this documentary exploring the establishment of the Israeli state and the displacement of Palestinians as seen through the eyes of the people who lived it.

In person at SAW Gallery 67 Nicholas St.

Hosted by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.

Register online at bit.ly/anti-islamophobia

Free online workshop with Brieanne Berry Crossfield.

Register online at: bit.ly/making-it-about-race

Watch this 1954 film following the story of Mexican-American workers protesting the unsafe working conditions and unequal wages while working at New Mexico’s Empire Zinc mine.

Film viewing and discussion in person at GSA Lounge (University Centre 600, Carleton University) or online on Twitch.tv.

Register

This workshop will offer opportunities for organizational leaders & community organizers to explore the intersections of cultural practice within community serving agencies. We will consider varying definitions of justice held by varying stakeholders & consider how to manage these tensions while growing Transformative Justice practices within the parameters of laws & policies that inform NPF governance. We will aim to bring curiosity, creativity & practical applications through dialogue & skill sharing together.

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This workshop will explore principles and practices of Transformative Justice that can be used in our everyday lives to keep each other safer and to build mutual power in our communities. We will unpack our understandings of ‘Justice’, consider what it looks like to transform harm & the roots or harmful behaviors, while reviewing different TJ tools in response to realistic conflict scenarios. We hope participants will leave this workshop with new ideas about how they can contribute to community healing & accountability processes!

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