*Thursday and Friday, September 22 and 23, 2011*
*Student Union Building (“the SUB”), University of Victoria, unceded
Indigenous territory*
*1. About Earthfest*
*2. Participating Groups*
*3. Day 1 Details: Thursday, September 22nd*
*4. Day 2 Details: Friday, September 23rd*
*5. Accessibility Information*
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*1. About Earthfest*
Earthfest is a two-day long event featuring tabling, workshops,
conversations, poetry, music, and filmscreenings. Together, these will
address a wide range of issues relating to sustainability, environmentalisms,
and activisms.
Organised annually by the University of Victoria Sustainability Project
(UVSP), the aim of Earthfest this year is to create space for people and
groups to share a broad diversity of perspectives on how to confront,
resist, and challenge the many environmental, social, and colonial
injustices that continue to threaten the people, communities, lands, and
species of the Earth.
Taking place on unceded Indigenous territory of the WSANEC (Saanich),
Lekwungen (Songhees) and Esquimalt Peoples of the Coast Salish Nation, this
event is caught in an ongoing colonial process that has its roots in
relatively recent history that continues to this day. Exactly what this
means for campus sustainability is unclear; but we hope that by
acknowledging, listening, and learning to discuss this complex, systemic
injustice openly and publicly together, Earthfest participants will help
change how sustainability and environmentalisms are understood and approached
on campus and in our communities.
*If you are interested in volunteering at Earthfest contact Robyn at
uvicsustainability@gmail.com! *
*
*
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*2. Participating Individuals and Groups*
The list of workshop organisers and tabling groups includes:
- Harm Reduction Victoria
- Zoe Blunt and the VIC Forest Action Network
- Tria Donaldson and Western Canada Wilderness Committee
- Gordon O’Connor and the Dogwood Intiative
- The Anti-Violence Project
- Rita Fromholt Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability
- Sarah Webb and Nikki Elliott, Climate Action Program, Capital Regional
District
- Matt Christie and Underground Curriculum
- Jeanette Sheehy and Jesse Howardson
- goBeyond and the Campus Climate Network
- Henri Lock
- Nick Montgomery and Brendan Harry
- Vanessa Claxton
- Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group
- CFUV Campus Community Radio
- University of Victoria Student Society
- Capitol Regional District
- BC Sustainable Energy Association
- Wilderness Skills Club
- Business Sustainability Club
- Bicycle-Itis
Workshop topics include:
- Confronting the Climate Crisis
- Sustainability and Harm Reduction Services
- Wildlife Versus Sprawl at Juan de Fuca Park
- Farming, Allies, and Garlic
- Sustainability Discussion Circles for Students
- Resource Extraction in BC
- Violence in Activist Communities
- Climate Action: The Local, Global and the Grey Areas In-between
- Politics of Land-Use
- Exploring Settler Colonialism
- Creating a Sustainable UVic Campus
- Coalition Building in an Anti-Oppressive Framework
Workshops - there is no prior sign up, come early to secure a good seat.
Films include:
- A Mother’s Nature
- Gasland
Music and poetry by
- Compassion Gorilla
- Comrade Black
- Serina Zapf
- Matt Christie
- Matt Loewen
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*3. Day 1 Details: Thursday, September 22nd*
*Schedule:*
*10 am to 4 pm:* Tabling featuring many different campus and community
groups in front of the SUB’s Main Entrance.
*1 pm to 4:00pm*: Workshops!
*4 pm to 6 pm*: Music, Poetry, and Local Food Feast
*6 pm*: “Gasland” filmscreening followed by Q&A
*Workshop Descriptions*
*1:00-2:00pm*
Upper Lounge, Student Union Building, UVic
*Title:* Resource Extraction in BC: Where have we been, and where are we
headed?
*Description:* As the forestry industry collapses, the environment faces new
threats: mining, urban sprawl, fossil fuel extraction. This workshop will
explore the history of resource extraction in BC, give a breakdown on the
biggest environmental threats coming down the pipe and give space for a
facilitated discussion about what this means for environmentalists and for
rural communities.
*Presenter: *Tria Donaldson is a experienced facilitator and trainer with
several years of environmental and social justice campaigning under her
belt. She is passionate about dealing with environmental issues in a fair
and equitable manner that includes addressing systemic oppression and
inequality. She currently works for the Wilderness Commitee on several
environmental issues, including coal mining, fish farms, forestry and the
Site C Dam.
*2:30-3:45pm*
Upper Lounge
*Title: *Sustainability and Harm Reduction Health Services
*Description: *This workshop will link the anti-poverty and harm reduction
movements to sustainability, exploring how sustainability is about a
community's capacity to address their own issues, which includes safe,
effective, and equal access to health care services and housing. The
workshop will feature “Rig Dig”, a movie produced by Tamara Herman about the
work of S.O.L.I.D. (The Society of Living Intravenous Drug Users) and “rig
diggers” who collect and distribute harm reduction supplies in Victoria.
Following this, members of S.O.L.I.D will speak about their experiences
being involved in the anti-stigma project. Some anti-stigma role plays will
be shown followed up with an interactive dialogue regarding stigma,
sustainability, and drug use.
*Presenters: *TBA members of Harm Reduction Victoria (HRV) and SOLID. HRV is
a collective which practices sustainability through locally seeking to
ensure that the highest quality health care is made accessible to all those
who require harm reduction services. They believe that every person has the
right to consistent, nonjudgmental accessible health care and that harm
reduction is an essential part of health care provision.
SOLID is an organization of people who are current or former illicit drug
users in Victoria, BC. Since 2003, SOLID been committed to providing
support, education and advocacy to better the lives of people who use drugs.
*Music, Poetry, and Local Food Feast *
4:00-6:00pm, Upper Lounge
*Gasland Filmscreening*
*6:00pm, *Upper Lounge
*Film Title:* *A Mother's Nature*
*Description**: *A short film in which* *Florence James, Pene'luxuuth'
elder, of Kuper Island reveals how to heal the land, how to restore
ourselves, our people and our relationships through respecting and caring
for one another. Florence identifies with Indigenous connectivity to Land,
Sea & Sky through the sacredness of a Mother's relationship in Nature in
respect to the Earth.
*Film Title:* *Gasland, *presented by Sierra Club BC
*Description: *In Northeastern BC, the controversial use of hydraulic
fracturing (fracking) in natural gas production is rolling full steam ahead,
despite rising public concern over health, water and environmental impacts.
Join the Sierra Club and the University of Victoria Sustainability Project
for a special Earthfest screening of the Oscar nominated US documentary,
Gasland, followed by a Q&A about the impacts of fracking here in BC.
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*4. Day 2 Details: Friday, September 23rd*
*Schedule:*
*10:30am - 5:30pm*: Workshops!
*Workshop Descriptions*
*
*
*10:30-11:30am*, Upper Lounge
*Title: *Confronting the Climate Crisis: Working Together for Change
*Description: *Do you want to take action on climate change? Learn about how
you can target your efforts by first understanding the context, players and
issues that face us here on Vancouver Island. Learn how the UVic campus fits
into the larger equation and find out about opportunities and resources in
the broader community that can help you make a difference. This session will
cover topics like transportation, food, buildings, and waste. Bring a snack
and join in the conversation – this interactive presentation comes complete
with eco-friendly draw prizes.
*Presenters: *Sarah Webb and Nikki Elliott, Climate Action Program, Capital
Regional District
*10:30-11:30 am*, Room B110b (accessed through the Upper Lounge)
*Title: *(*Underground Curriculum presents) *Under the Green Veneer: Real
Sustainable Education
*Description:* At the heart, sustainability and education are inseparable
since both are the practice of our relationship to each other and the world
around us; yet institutions facilitate relationships that are impersonal,
generic and often mechanical. Come explore ways of rehumanizing our
education process and deepening our relationships.
The Underground Curriculum is an education system running parallel to the
conventional system. It is a network, resource, and series of workshops,
projects, field trips, discussions, meetings, social gatherings and general
educational experiences. Challenging hierarchy, oppression, credentialism,
professionalization of knowledge, homogenization processes, colonialism,
corporatization, and capitalism, the UC is based on true democratic
principals, equity, and individual and group empowerment. It explores
alternatives to mainstream education pedagogies, practices and systems.
*Presenters: *Matthew Christie is an education student at the University of
Victoria. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, he has spent the last four
years exploring a variety of models of educational alternatives both
formally and informally. He co-founded the Victoria Youth Paddling Club (a
non-profit athletics society aimed at inspiring physically active lifestyles
in youth). Matt has developed his teaching practices while working as: the
environmental studies teacher at Oak and Orca Bioregional School; as a
special-needs aid at Sundance Out-of-school care; as an assistant teacher at
Windsor House in North Vancouver; and a participant in the Purple Thistle
Youth Collective. In addition, Matt has lived with infants, children, and an
eclectic mix of all ages in an 11-16 person collective/cooperative house. He
started the Underground Curriculum 3 years ago and continues to challenge
educational paradigms contending that all education is inherently political
and wants to see a shifting of paradigms that allows cultures to flourish.
*12:00-1:00pm*, Upper Lounge
*Title: *Sustainability Discussion Circles for Students: Orientation Meeting
*Description: *Concerned with sustainable living? Join a small, visionary,
and informative student discussion circle to explore practical strategies
for living sustainably with our natural environment. Discussion group topics
include voluntary simplicity, reconnect with the earth, and choices for
sustainable living.
*Presenter: *Henri Lock is the United Chaplain at UVic, and through the
office of Multifaith Services, his role is to support students integrate
spirituality into their experience. He teaches meditation and facilitates
spirituality discussion groups. He has a particular passion for
contemplative practice, ecological sustainability, spiritual diversity,
nature mysticism, and social activism. He can be reached at hlock@uvic.ca.
His office is in the Campus Services Building, next to the Bookstore.
*12:00-1:00pm*, Room B110b (accessed through the Upper Lounge)
*Title: (*A Conversation) Exploring Settler Colonialism
*Description: *Contrary to popular belief, colonialism is still alive and
thriving in Canada. Like it or not, non-Native people (Settlers) are
involved in this ongoing process simply by living on unceded Indigenous
lands. This conversation will seek to consider how Settlers can challenge
and resist colonial processes and what this means for environmentalism.
*Presenters: *Nick Montgomery and Brendan Harry are Settler people who have
been visiting Coast and Straight Salish territories for the past 3 and 2 ½
years respectively. The are not experts on the topics of settler
colonialism, decolonization, Indigenous-Settler relations, or any related
matter. As such, they hope to facilitate a space where participants feel
comfortable contributing to the conversation.
*1:30-2:30pm*, Upper Lounge
*Title: *The Politics of Land-Use
*Description: *Following heavy engagement in recently successful campaigns
to block urban sprawl from consuming fertile farmland in Central Saanich and
ravaging the Juan de Fuca region, Gordon O’Connor will reflect on how trends
in land-use mirror and influence patterns of privilege, inequality, and
other social trends in our communities.
*Presenter: *Gordon O’Connor is a community organizer whose work focuses on
the intersections of environmental, anti-poverty and anti colonial
struggles. Since moving to Victoria in 2009, he has volunteered for No2010
and VCAP and is employed as the Vancouver Island Campaigner got the Dogwood
Initiative.
*1:30-2:30pm, *Room B025
*Title: *Working with Diverse Communities: Coalition Building in an
Anti-Oppressive Framework
*Description: *This workshop will look at community organizing and coalition
building through a anti oppression framework, with a specific focus on
practical tips for working with diverse stakeholders to achieve campaign
goals.
*Presenter:* Tria Donaldson is a experienced facilitator and trainer with
several years of environmental and social justice campaigning under her
belt. She is passionate about dealing with environmental issues in a fair
and equitable manner that includes addressing systemic oppression and
inequality. She currently works for the Wilderness Committee on several
environmental issues, including coal mining, fish farms, forestry and the
Site C Dam.
*1:30-2:30pm*, Room B028
*Title: *A Mother's Nature: Interactive Exploration of Traditional Teachings
of Indigenous Concepts of Sustainability
*Description: *Pene'luxuuth' elder Florence James and Salish storyteller
Vanessa Claxton will screen their short film “A Mother’s Nature,” which
reveals how to heal the land, how to restore ourselves, our people and our
relationships through respecting and caring for one another. The screening
will be followed by a Q&A period.
*Presenters: *Florence James and Vanessa Claxton
*3:00-4:00pm*, Upper Lounge
*Title: *Wildlife Versus Sprawl at Juan de Fuca Park
*Description:* Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park is only 90 minutes from
Victoria, and it is home to elk, sea lions, mink, bears, otters, and dozens
of other iconic species.The current push by real-estate developers would
open up former public forestlands to massive private development and cause
havoc with the Regional Growth Strategy. Other consequences include
permanent loss of forestlands, wildlife, water resources, and food security,
and downloading the cost of services, roads, and carbon emissions.
However, local residents and park users are pushing back. A coalition
of students and community groups is taking on the developer and working for
a better land-use vision on the South Island.
*Presenters: *Zoe Blunt was inspired to become an environmental and social
justice advocate while growing up in a poisoned town with alcoholic parents.
She is the founding director of Vancouver Island Community Forest Action
Network and WildCoast.ca and she has earned an impressive arrest record
defending old-growth forests in British Columbia.
*3:00-4:00pm*, Room B025
*Title: *Violence in Activist Communities
*Description: *Violence is embedded in our society and in our daily lives,
and our chosen families and activist spaces do not escape perpetration of
violence. How do we build the fiercely loving communities we want now, while
simultaneously striving together for environmental justice? This workshop
will begin to take a honest look at the silenced dynamics of violent
behaviour in activist communities, while RE/framing violence and healing as
a community act and
responsibility.
*Presenters: *Soumya is a South Asian born, Tamil queer woman and a recent
visitor to Coast Salish land. To decolonise, to transform
individual-centered paradigms into community-based ones, to celebrate
sexuality and end gender-binary based violence: what does this look like in
thoughtful concrete action? She challenges herself and invites others to
engage with her through resistance and love in this enterprise.
Annie Banks identifies as a white settler woman and a visitor on unceded
Lekwungen and WSANEC homelands. Currently a coordinator at the Anti-Violence
Project and a student at the University of Victoria, Annie is also many
other things. She is deeply committed to unlearning her own oppressive
thoughts/behaviours and striving to connect and work with people in
liberatory ways.
*3:00-4:00pm*, Room B028
*Title: *Creating a Sustainable UVic Campus
*Description: *Join UVic’s Office of Campus Planning & Sustainability for an
information session on what’s happening around campus regarding
environmental sustainability, energy & water conservation, our new Revolving
Sustainability Loan Fund, etc. Find out how you can get involved to make
our campus greener.
*Presenters: *Rita Fromholt is one of two Sustainability Coordinators at
UVic whose job it is to act as a facilitator in “greening” the university
campus in all aspects of its regular operations. Rita works with students,
staff and faculty with a focus on communications, outreach, waste reduction,
sustainable transportation, food and purchasing, to move the university
towards achieving our sustainability commitments and making our campus a
model of sustainable practices. Rita brings many years experience with
environmental non-profit groups to her job including Ecotrust Canada, the
Dogwood Initiative, the Rainforest Solutions Project and the David Suzuki
Foundation, as well as having worked on many political campaigns. She holds
a BA (first class honors) in Communications from SFU and an Accounting
Technologist Diploma from the CMA.
*4:30-5:30pm*, Upper Lounge
*Title:* Farming, Allies, and Garlic: An explicitly *anti*-capitlist,
decolonizing, queer-friendly talk, workshop, and discussion with local
farmers & organizers Jeanette Sheehy and Jesse Howardson
*Description: *If you eat food, you should attend this workshop. A talk and
discussion on our experiences and thoughts on the importance of local
farming, and our frustration with the academicization of farming, farmers,
and food politics. The second half will be a hands on workshop on garlic
(how to grow it, why we should grow it, why it costs so much, and the
importance of buying local).
*Presenters: *Jeanette Sheehy and Jesse Howardson
*4:30-5:30pm*, Room B025
*Title: *Climate Action: Local, Global, and the Grey Area In between
*Description: *A workshop on sustainability initiatives from the local scale
to the global level. An opportunity to learn the fabric of the
sustainability community and the opportunities that are available for one to
become a part of it. From organic cotton to local wool, from student groups
to international conferences, we hope to provide some tangible and
demystifying connections and opportunities for students to get involved in
whatever role they want to develop.
*Presenters: *Joty Dhaliwal and Melissa Kendzierski, goBEYOND Campus Climate
Network
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*5. Accessibility Information*
Earthfest seeks to be an accessible event.
All events are located in wheelchair accessible facilities.
Childcare services will hopefully be provided during workshops but, for
liability reasons, cannot be offered in the Student Union Building (SUB). We
are exploring nearby childcare options. If you require childcare please
email uvicsustainability@gmail.com to find out where we are at with this.
Bus tickets will be made available upon request.
Please contact us with your specific needs at:* uvicsustainability@gmail.com
