[KWPeace-groups] Thursday is last day of screening "Peace by Chocolate" join us for 4:30 pm screening + How to show love & solidarity for homeless encampment? & more

[Thomas W. Fraser]

Greetings all,

Tamara, thanks so much for sharing these important events! On the point of
the Victoria and Weber street encampment in Kitchener, I was recently in a
meeting with the Unsheltered Campaign and can provide some updates on
activity in that area.

A letter is currently being drafted for circulation among local groups and
organizations to demand a moratorium on encampment evictions. It is
currently unclear whether this will be done under the name of the
Unsheltered Campaign or a newly proposed coalition, the Coalition Against
Removal of Encampments (CARE). Discussion on this point is ongoing, and the
final decision should be reached early next week along with the final
letter. I will be sure to circulate the letter here for broader
dissemination and (hopefully) support. I was recently connected with Pax
Christi Toronto, and I'm wondering if it would perhaps be beneficial to
share it with them as well (perhaps this could put increased pressure on
Waterloo Region, knowing that others are watching and all).

As for showing love and solidarity, I haven't been to the encampment myself
since my recent job change. However, I could table this question in next
week's Unsheltered Campaign meeting to see if anyone has any suggestions.
If that doesn't work, we could always connect directly with Laura Hamilton,
Nadine Green from ABTC (she usually visits the encampment on Sundays, so
perhaps we could accompany her in a supportive way), Lesley Crompton from
SDC WR/519 Community Collective, or engaged frontline workers like Sara
Escobar or Jesse Burt (who, by the way, are wanting to plan another
Overdose Awareness Day event this year - be on the lookout for that).

What would be helpful from our end, I think, is if we could get a precise
sense of who here is interested in visiting and supporting the encampment?
What kind of support are we willing to give (assuming there is a 'we')?
Moreover, will this be regular and ongoing support? If not, then we should
be careful of promoting 'encampment tourism', as this can come with its own
complications.

Anyhow, in summary: local forces are rallying in response to the eviction
notice, more updates will be forthcoming next week, and I am willing to
table this with the Unsheltered Campaign if that will prove useful...

Any thoughts?
T.

On Wed, Jun 8, 2022 at 10:01 PM Tamara Lorincz <tlorincz at dal.ca> wrote:

> Hello KW Peace,
>
> Some things to bring to your attention:
>
> 1.
>
> Tomorrow is the last day of the screening of the film “Peace by Chocolate”
> – the true story of the Syrian family who came to Nova Scotia and started a
> chocolate company to spread peace and friendship. I used to live in Nova
> Scotia and bought their chocolate.
>
> The Princess Twin is doing their final screening of the film tomorrow –
> Thursday, June 9 at 4:30 pm:
> https://www.princesscinemas.com/movie/peace-by-chocolate
>
> Dwyer and I are going to watch the film if you’d like to join us. We will
> meet at 4:20 to buy tickets. Let us know and we will look out for you!
>
>
>
> 2.
>
> The homeless encampment in Kitchener has received an eviction notice for
> June 30:
> https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/where-would-you-go-kitchener-man-speaks-out-about-encampment-evictions-1.5937029
>
>
>
> I was wondering what we could do to show love & solidarity? I haven’t been
> there but I would like to go and do something. I was thinking about
> bringing coffee, cookies and apples to the encampment and talking with the
> people there about what more can be done to stop the eviction. Has anyone
> been to the encampment? Does anyone want to go with me to meet the people?
>
>
>
> 3.
>
> NATO, the US-led nuclear armed military alliance that provoked this
> terrible war in Ukraine, is having its big annual summit in Madrid at the
> end of June. There are big protests being planned in Europe and
> international day of action on Saturday, June 25 – June 30 – I’m hoping we
> can organize an action “Canada Out of NATO, No to NATO Expansion, End the
> War, Peace in Ukraine, Peace with Russia” during that time.
>
> Let me know if you’d like to help organize an action.
>
>
>
> 4.
>
> Project Ploughshares is doing an online workshop on Canada and the
> abolition of nuclear weapons tomorrow from 10:30 am-2:00 pm, more
> information and to register, go here:
> https://ploughshares-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvde-hqj8rE9N9nJi3C7iQLoFoCCg9ptxI
>
>
>
> 5.
>
> WEBINAR: Canadian Mining in Africa: Looting a Continent
>
> Sunday, June 12 at 12pm ET, register here:
> https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5ohwf0O_SA29lgm8eoJfRg
>
> Last month, 4 miners were killed at a Canadian mine in Burkina Faso. For
> decades, Canadian mining companies have caused devastation and displacement
> across the continent. The federal government has resisted serious measures
> to hold Canadian mining companies accountable for their human rights abuses
> and environmental destruction. Find out more and what you can do at this
> important webinar.
>
> Canada is a mining superpower in Africa. Hundreds of Canadian firms have
> nearly $40 billion invested in mineral extraction on the continent.
>
> Canadian companies have been responsible for significant rights violations
> and ecological damage across Africa. Ottawa often goes to great lengths to
> support controversial mining projects and in many African countries their
> primary diplomatic concern is advancing the profits of mining firms.
>
> Join speakers from MiningWatch Canada, The Canadian Foreign Policy
> Institute and Mining Affected Communities in Action (MACUA).
>
> SPEAKERS:
>
> Phyllia Ngoatje, Mining Affected Communities in Action (MACUA)
>
> Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canada
>
> Yves Engler, author
>
> Moderated by Bianca Mugyenyi, CFPI
>
> Organized by: Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
>
> Co-sponsored by MiningWatch Canada
>
>
>
> 5.
>
> Sign Petition: RCMP off Wet’suwet’en
>
> https://www.change.org/p/rcmp-off-wetsuweten-yinta?signed=true
>
>
>
> In solidarity for peace, earth and justice,
>
>
>
> Tamara
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Groups at kwpeace.ca
> http://kwpeace.ca/mailman/listinfo/groups_kwpeace.ca
>
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