CONTENTS
CALLS TO ACTION
No More Weapons to Saudi Arabia
March 26 marks eight years of the brutal war in Yemen, a war that has killed over a quarter of a million people. Over 5 million people have been displaced because of the war, and a staggering 21.6 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, as 80 per cent of the country’s population struggles to access food, safe drinking water, and adequate health services.The Saudi-led coalition has bombed Yemeni markets, hospitals, and civilians, and yet Canada has exported over $8 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia since 2015, the year the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen began. It’s despicable for Canada to be profiting from selling billions in arms to Saudi Arabia.
canadians.org
EVENTS
Four Winters: A Story of Jewish Partisan Resistance
When: March 24 to April 1Tickets: $15 (members from $10)
“All I owned was my camera, leopard coat, rifle and a grenade in case I’m captured…the pillow was the rifle, the walls were the trees and the sky was the roof,” says Faye Schulman, one of over 25,000 Jewish partisans who fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators from deep within the forests of WWII’s Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Belarus. Against extraordinary odds, they escaped the Nazis, transforming from young innocents raised in closely-knit families to courageous resistance fighters. The last surviving partisans tell their stories of resistance in Four Winters, revealing a stunning narrative of heroism and resilience.
hotdocs.ca
Book Launch Webinar: Advocating for Palestine in Canada
When: March 30th, 8pmThis webinar will feature contributing authors from Advocating for Palestine in Canada to share their unique views and wide experiences advocating for Palestine in Canada, revealing a solid civil society movement in the face of strong institutional opposition. Our panelists share how they came to Palestine activism, why they continue and where they see the movement going.
rabble.ca | zoom.us
[Ottawa] Carceral Food Systems Summit
When: March 30 to April 1stWhere: Ottawa
On March 31st and April 1st we’re hosting a gathering to bring together individuals and organizations working within food justice and prisoner justice contexts and spaces. We hope to connect, share and learn the various ways in which food systems and carceral systems interconnect, and how we can work collectively to imagine and construct abolitionist futures through food.
The Summit will take place in Ottawa, on unceded Algonquin Territory at the Social Innovation Workshop (95 Clegg St). Attendance is free, and open to all who are activity working in these areas, or those who are interested in learning more – activists, scholars, community practitioners, students etc.
eventbrite.com
Folk Pathways
When: March 31st, 12pmDiversity in Song
Performances by Faith Nolan, Calle Sur and Tralain. Reflecting the rich cultural and diverse history of folk music in the Americas.
Live on YouTube
Fossil Fools Day Rally
When: Saturday April 1st, 11amWhere: Royal Bank Plaza, 200 Bay St
Join the day of action against RBC’s investments in climate-destroying fossil fuels and the ongoing violation of Indigenous sovereignty. As part of a massive wave of actions across the country, we will help shine a light on RBC’s toxic investments and ensure their customers know where the money is going.
act.leadnow.ca
Protest Against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Law
When: April 2nd, 3pmWhere: Dundas Square
Queers and allies! This is a call to action for LGBTQ2S+ rights everywhere!
April 2nd presents a critical moment for human rights as we come together to support the Ugandan diaspora in Toronto. Queer individuals and allies are rallying for action in support of Uganda and LGBTQ2S+ rights, as the country faces severe anti-homosexuality laws.
labourcouncil.ca
Canadian Foreign Policy Hour with Yves Engler
When: Mondays at 6pmJoin author Yves Engler on Mondays for a weekly news roundup and interactive discussion about Canada’s role abroad. This weekly session will delve into the latest developments on subjects ranging from military affairs and Canada’s role in Ukraine to its contribution to Palestinian dispossession and exploitation of African resources. Join Yves for a critical take on Canada’s foreign policy. Questions, comments and criticisms are all welcome.
zoom.us
Winning 100% Renewable Power for All
When: April 3rd, 7pm“Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.” These are the words of UN secretary general António Guterres on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which makes abundantly clear that wealthy countries like Canada have a responsibility to fast-track climate solutions.
zoom.us
Racial Capitalism: From Slavery to Trumpism
When: June 5th to 16thWhere: York University
Each summer the Graduate Program of Political Science (LAPS) along with the Graduate Program in Environmental Studies and Geography (EUC) co-sponsor the International Political Economic and Ecology Summer School (IPEE).
The guest Course Director this year will be Dr. David McNally. The topic will be “Racial Capitalism: From Slavery to Trumpism”. The course will be for two weeks (3 hours/day) from June 5 – 16 from 10:00 – 1:00. The application deadline is April 17th.
Prof. McNally was a faculty member in the Department of Politics until a few years ago. We are happy to be able to invite him back for the IPEE.
For more information, please see www.yorku.ca
ARTICLES
National Security and Democratic Rights?
An Open Letter to the Right Honorable David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur,Government of Canada.
We are deeply concerned that discussions of foreign interference and national security can quickly become toxic as we have already seen in the accusations that a respected Chinese Canadian senator and a newly elected mayor are agents of the Chinese government. Such accusations can quickly lead to gross violations of people’s democratic rights and personal security.
Source: The Bullet No. 2799
Anti-Colonial Labour Internationalisms
By Nithya NagarajanAs we enter the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila in Beirut, Lebanon, the phantoms of the 1982 Israeli-backed Phalangist massacre greet the visitor in the “cemetery of martyrs.” Beyond, we notice the jumbled wires of stolen electricity, mangled, crisscrossing, and cutting the skyline. Below, human bodies, generations of family persevering in their hope to return, are also mangled, one on top of the other in jungles of concrete.
Source: The Bullet No. 2800
Lowest-Paid Workers in LA Schools Walkout: Teachers by Their Side
By Sonali KolhatkarTens of thousands of Los Angeles teachers went on strike March 21-23, 2023, for the first time in four years, shutting down the USA’s second-largest school district for three rain-soaked days. But this time the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) did not walk out in order to demand better working conditions for educators. Rather, they were engaging in a remarkable act of solidarity with their lesser-paid colleagues – the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)’s support staff of about 30,000 people who are in their own union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99. It was the first time that the two unions – the largest two in Los Angeles – went on strike together.
Source: The Bullet No. 2801
The US and UK’s Submarine Deal Crosses Nuclear Red Lines with Australia
By Prabir PurkayasthaThe recent Australia, US, and UK $368-billion deal on buying nuclear submarines has been termed by Paul Keating, a former Australian prime minister, as the “worst deal in all history.” It commits Australia to buy conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines that will be delivered in the early 2040s. These will be based on new nuclear reactor designs yet to be developed by the UK. Meanwhile, starting from the 2030s, “pending approval from the US Congress, the United States intends to sell Australia three Virginia class submarines, with the potential to sell up to two more if needed.”
Source: The Bullet No. 2802