Ottawa RebELLEs: 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Reclaiming our Bodies: Painting in Resistance *** Réclamer nos corps: peinture en résistance

(English follows)

Dans le cadre des 16 jours d'activisme contre la violence faite aux femmes, les RebELLEs d’Ottawa organisent un événement de collecte de fonds de peinture sur corps. L’événement aura lieu le dimanche 5 decembre 2010, de 19h00-21h00 à Venus Envy (320 rue Lisgar) et les billets peuvent être achetés à la porte au coût de $3 (ou payez ce que vous pouvez).

Il s'agit d'un événement de peinture sur corps pour célébrer et réclamer nos corps contre la violence sexuelle. Notre vision est une de contraste et de résistance à la violence –physique et autrement— perpétué contre les femmes et les personnes qui rejettent la bipolarité du genre. Nous cherchons également à célébrer nos corps à travers la peinture et la photographie dans un espace positif.

Vous pouvez aussi choisir d’avoir votre corps photographié par les photographes professionnels au coût de $5. La peinture sera fournie pour la peinture corporelle et la peinture d'affiches. Comme divertissement, il y aura musique et paroles par Michelle Blackburn.

Vos bobettes sont obligatoires - mais tous les autres vêtements sont optionnels.

Les fonds collectés à partir de l'événement (à la porte et par les photos) seront remis à Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre (Coalition pour un Centre d'agression sexuelle à Carleton). Venus Envy se trouve à 2 blocs sud du Transitway vous pouvez vous y rendre par autobus (numéros 1,4 et 7). Venus Envy est accessible par une rampe, mais ne dispose pas de salles de bains accessibles.

Tous sont les bienvenus ! Nous espérons que vous allez nous rejoindre pour nous aider à «réclamer nos corps » et pour peinturer notre résistance contre la violence sexiste.

En toute solidarité,
RebELLEs d'Ottawa

**********************************

“Reclaiming our Bodies: Painting in Resistance”
As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the Ottawa RebELLEs are hosting a fundraising body- painting event Sunday, 5 December 2010, 7:00-9:00pm at Venus Envy (320 Lisgar St.) $3 at the door or pay what you can.
This is a body painting event to celebrate and reclaim our bodies from sexual violence. Our vision is to contrast and resist the violence- physical and otherwise- perpetuated on womyn’s bodies and bodies that reject gender binaries. Our vision is also to celebrate our bodies through paint and photography in a body-positive and sex-positive space.
You can also have your body photographed by professional photographers for $5.

Painting supplies for body painting and poster painting will be provided. Music and spoken word by Michelle Blackburn will entertain us.

Party panties are mandatory – but all other clothes are optional

The funds collected from the event for the door and photos will be donated to the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre.

You can get to Venus Envy by bus 1,4,7 and is 4 blocks south of the transitway. Venus Envy is accessible by ramp but does not have accessible bathrooms.

All are welcome and we hope you'll come out to help us "Reclaim our bodies" and paint our resistance against gender violence.

In Solidarity,
Ottawa RebELLEs

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Women and Retirement

A financial wake-up call for women

"What financial experts and academics told me over and over again was that women aren’t being socialized properly about money... investing for retirement doesn’t begin to be a priority until it is forced. In other words, many women don’t pay attention to investing until they divorce or their spouse dies. Only then do they begin putting together a financial plan."

Obviously, this article is a financial piece and lacks any feminist analysis, but it peaked my interest and I thought I'd share it. Any feminist perspectives on why there would be such a divide between men and women in planning for retirement?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

16 days against Gender violence Campaign, November 25 - December 10

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence falls between the dates November 25- International Day Against Violence Against Women- and December 10- International Human Rights Day- in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

This year in Ottawa, many local organizations will be holding events during the 16 days to raise awareness on gender-based violence. These community actors will come together on November 24th at the Amnesty office to share their events and vision for this campaign. More info on the event can be found on the poster below.
The Ottawa RebELLEs are definitely planning an exciting event for the 16days, in final stages of planning.

We'll keep you posted!!

For more info on the 16 days campaign:
Center for Women's Global Leadership

pour une version FRANÇAISE, cliquez ici.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Indigenous Sovereignty Week Oct 27 - Nov 4, 2010 - Ottawa / unceded Algonquin Territory

Here is information on Indigenous Sovereignty Week taking place on land we call Ottawa, forwarded by Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement of Ottawa (IPSMO).

Hope to see you at some of the events!

This is the 2nd annual Indigenous Sovereignty Week, a pan-Canadian event intended to solidify the commitment of our communities with Indigenous Peoples. We will hold a number of events in Ottawa on unsurrendered Algonquin territory, as a first step in enriching our reciprocal relationships, localizing our struggles, and a continuance of the journey in deepening understanding, addressing issues and strategizing next steps.

Please come join us and explore ways in working together to resolve our colonial history and work for a feasible world for our future generations.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Wednesday Oct 27, 7:00pm

Film - Schooling the World: The White Man's Last Burden

at PSAC building

JK Wylie boardoom, 233 Gilmour

Friday Oct 29, 7:00pm

Seeking Justice: A National Call for an Public Enquiry for the Murdered

and Missing Women

featuring speakers:

* Sharon McIvor, successful challenger of sex discrimination in the Indian Act

* Laurie Odjick, mother of Maisy Odjick (missing since Sept 2008)

* Yasmin Jiwani, Concordia University

at Lamoureux Hall room 122, University of Ottawa

Saturday Oct 30, 9:00am-5:30pm

Indigenous Sovereignty Symposium

featuring: Clement Chartier, Clayton Thomas-Muller, Marcelo Saavedra-Vargas, Ben Powless, representatives from the Algonquins of

Barriere Lake, Native Youth Sexual Health Network, National Association of Friendship Centres, and more.

* opening and closing ceremonies

* plenaries: Climate Justice, Defending the Land

* concurrent sessions: Indigenous Peoples Space, Working as an Ally,

Indigenous Sovereignty in an Urban Context, Reclaiming Indigenous Youth

Self-Determination, Land Conservation and Indigenous Sovereignty . at

Lamoureux Hall (1st floor), University of Ottawa

Tuesday Nov 2, 5:00pm

Undermining Indigenous Rights: Conflicts with Mining Companies in Canada and Guatemala with Ramsey Hart of MiningWatch . venue to be confirmed (on campus of Carleton University)

Wednesday Nov 3, 11:30am-2:00pm

The Oka Crisis - 20 Years Later: Is Reconciliation Possible?

featuring speakers: (note this is a bilingual event)

* Ellen Gabriel, Présidente, Femmes autochtones du Québec

* Francine Lemay, Traductrice agréée, "À l'orée des bois" | "At the Wood's Edge"

* Pierre Trudel, Chercheur, Peuples autochtones et gouvernance, CRDP Université de Montréal\CEGEP Vieux-Montréal

* Jessica Yee, Chair, National Aboriginal Youth Council, Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network

at Desmarais Building room 3120, University of Ottawa

Thursday Nov 4, 7:00pm

Film - A Windigo Tale Ottawa premiere,

with director Armand Garnet Ruffo in attendance . at National Library and Archives auditorium,

395 Wellington St

Contact: ipsmo@riseup.net, 613-656-5498, www.bit.ly/iswottawa

See bottom of this page for list of ISW organizing partners and sponsors.

Also, please help us promote ISW in Ottawa:

- Print off and hand out flyers (1/4pg, doublesided)

- Print off and display: colour poster ~ b&w poster (yellow prints white)

- Send the ISW press release to media

- Share the link www.bit.ly/iswottawa with your friends/networks (or use this callout to send an email)

~~~~To be kept up-to-date as details are finalized (and to receive future

messages), please join the IndigSol email announcement list, the IPSMO

facebook page, and/or the IPSMO facebook group.

For more info on ISW 2010 (nationally), please see this call from

Defenders of the Land, the cross-Canada network of Indigenous activists

who initiated ISW. (Note that in Ottawa, we are holding our ISW earlier

than the official dates of late November).

For more info on the issues, please see the Defenders of the Land website,

www.DefendersOfTheLand.org . also please see our RESOURCE LIST of books,

films, articles, websites and more Click here to see the lineup of LAST

YEAR's inaugural ISW in Ottawa.

And click here to go to IPSMO's VIDEO ARCHIVES page, with footage from

some of last year's ISW events as well as other videos.

~~~~

Organized by: Defenders of the Land; Indigenous Environmental Network;

Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Ottawa (IPSMO); Bolivia Action

Solidarity Network; MiningWatch; Project of Heart; Public Service Alliance

of Canada

Sponsors: Canadian Union of Public Employees; Public Service Alliance of

Canada; Canadian Union of Postal Workers; OPIRG/GRIPO-Ottawa; PSAC NCR

Aboriginal Action Circle; PSAC National Women's Department; CUPE Local

4600 (at Carleton University); Carleton University Graduate Students

Association; PROMdemonium Fund; Canada Council for the Arts

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pro-Choice Call to Action

Dear Pro-choice Supporters,

Please send a letter to your MP asking them to vote against the private member's bill C-510, "an act to amend the Criminal Code (coerced abortion)." The bill was introduced in April and is scheduled for 2nd Reading vote on Nov 1.

Please check out the following link to some media coverage:
"Abortion vote inevitable, MP says"
For more info on the bill, see the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada's press release in:

English, and
Français

How you can help defend women's rights?

Below is a sample letter that you can copy and paste into an email or a letter. Feel free to edit the letter or write your own. Address your email to your MP.

Look up your MP HERE.
________________________________
Sample Letter/Email:

Subject: Please vote against Bill C-510

Dear [insert your MP's name]

I'm writing to ask you to please vote against Bill C-510, an act to prohibit "coerced abortion", which is slated for a 2nd reading vote in Parliament on Nov 1.

Bill C510 is a private member's bill that would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit coercing a woman into an abortion via physical or financial threats, illegal acts, or through “argumentative and rancorous badgering or importunity”. It was introduced on April 15 by anti-abortion Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South), who chairs the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.

I'm pro-choice and part of Canada's pro-choice majority. I believe this is an unnecessary bill that promotes abortion stigma, paternalizes women, and puts providers at risk. The bill is redundant because threats and illegal acts are already illegal under the Criminal Code, and counselors at clinics already screen for possible coercion in women seeking abortion. However, the anti-choice movement falsely believes that clinics coerce women into abortions, so we fear this bill may encourage frivolous charges against providers, as well as harassment and violence. The bill patronizes women by implying they are frequently coerced into abortion, but the vast majority of women make their own decision to have an abortion and take responsibility for it. If the intent is really to protect women from abusive partners, we need better and more comprehensive solutions than this bill.

The bill is supported and promoted by Canada's anti-abortion movement. It represents their latest attempt to get a foot in the door towards recriminalizing abortion. The bill refers to a fetus as a “child,” making it another Trojan Horse for smuggling fetal rights into law. As you may recall, the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" from 2008 (Bill C484) passed 2nd reading
because its deceptive language fooled a number of pro-choice MPs.

Thank you in advance for voting against Bill C510.

Sincerely,

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Inspiring and brilliant action from la Marche Mondiale des Femmes du Québec!!

Way to go la marche mondiale des femmes!! Bringing back Guerrila style activism to feminism...absolutely brilliant.
Yesterday, 11 feminist activists occupied the office of the Minister of the Status of Women of Québec.

On est très inspiré de voir des actions si concrètes et provocatrices pour avancer la lutte féministe.

Hier, 11 militantes ont occupé le bureau de la Ministre de la Condition féminine à Montréal.

La version complète de l'article suit, incluant des liens médiatiques.

See full article below Including media coverage links (unfortunately the articles in English are very superficial). English follows.

Des FÉMINISTES OCCUPENT LE BUREAU DE LA MINISTRE - Action historique de la Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec

par Feminists Rebelles, 15 octobre 2010, à 18:14

(SVP, diffuser largement dans vos réseaux. Merci.)

ACTION HISTORIQUE de la Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec hier

11 militantes occupent le bureau de la Ministre de la Condition féminine à Montréal

Photo : Annik MH De Carufel - Le Devoir

11 militantes de la Marche mondiale des femmes (MMF) ont occupé hier le bureau de la ministre de la Condition féminine du Québec durant plus de 8 heures, exigeant des réponses positives aux 8 revendications de la MMF 2010. Parmis elles, trois RebELLEs ont occupé le bureau. Neuf d'entre-elles - dont deux RebELLEs - ont été arrêtées, font maintenant face à des accusations et sont criminalisées pour avoir lutté contre la pauvreté, la violence et les politiques racistes, patriarcales et capitalistes du gouvenement provincial de droite, le gouvenement Charest.

SVP, exprimez votre solidarité avec les actions de la MMF 2010 et les arrêtées en écrivant directement aux organisatrices à apierre@ffq.qc.ca, c.c. info@rebelles.org. MERCI!

Vous pouvez consulter les revendications de la MMF 2010, lire les réponses de la ministre et suivre la couverture médiatique de l'événement en cliquant sur les liens suivants (ci-bas). Voici un court vidéo capté par les militantes durant leur occupation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWD6R1Mtz8

LUTTONS POUR GAGNER!

Luttons avec autant de coeur que de rage!!

Féministes, VIVA!

Barbara Legault, l'une des 11 occupantes

Coordonnatrice du Secrétariat pancanadien du Mouvement RebELLEs

info@rebelles.org

Sarah.k Granke, l'une des 11 occupantes

Membre du Comité organisateur du rassemblement RebELLEs 2011 à Winnipeg (20-23 mai)

rebelles@femrev.org

Photo: Barbara Legault

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Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec - Toute l'information

La faible réponse de la ministre aux revendications de la MMF

Une partie de la couverture médiatique et autres liens

Photo: Sarah.k