Punch Up Collective

Queer Death Salon - Advance Planning for End of Life
2024-09-24 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | Zoom
2SLGBTQIA+ people may face specific challenges in the legal and healthcare systems. You may need extra protections in advance care planning to ensure dignity and avoid conflict or discrimination.
Tuesday, September 24 at 7 p.m. EST
This month we are kicking off a 4-part series where we will discuss Advanced Planning for End Of Life as it relates to us in our communities. Over 4 sessions, we will together go over each section of the LGBTQ+ Advance Care Planning Toolkit published by SAGE (follow the link for the free download).
This month, we will review STEP 1 of the toolkit and discuss:
-health care proxy
-living will
-financial power of attorney
-last will and testament
-funeral pre-planning and disposition rights
There is no need to pre-read the materials. We will discuss the toolkit information together, and help each other work out questions and special considerations around these topics, to better enable us each to make the preparations that work best for us. Each of the 4 sessions is drop-in. There is no requirement to attend all sessions.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own questions, stories, and complexities to share.

Photo exhibition: daughters, mothers, grandmothers, and other sexual outlaws
2024-09-21 14:00 - 2024-10-19 17:00 | Gallery 101, 280 Catherine Street, Ottawa
A new photo exhibit co-curated by Inter Pares and three international social justice organizations documents sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) activism in Bangladesh, El Salvador and the Philippines.
daughters, mothers, grandmothers and other sexual outlaws showcases intergenerational efforts to advance sexual health and rights in contexts that are hostile towards bodily autonomy for girls, women and gender-diverse people. This work is essential—and comes with great risk.
The exhibit will launch in Ottawa on September 21st from 2:00 to 5:00p.m. at Gallery 101 and will be open for public viewing until October 19th. It features the talent of photographers Taslima Akhter (Bangladesh), Jessica Xiomara Orellana Ventura (El Salvador) and Lisa Marie David (the Philippines).
The exhibit aims to deepen understandings of what activism looks like around the world.
daughters, mothers, grandmothers and other sexual outlaws captures strength and creativity in the struggle for sexual health and rights. The exhibit aims to deepen understandings of what activism looks like around the world. We also hope it sparks conversations around longstanding and urgent struggles to access reproductive health services, both globally and in Canada.
Inter Pares, based in Ottawa, is a feminist social justice organization that believes in solidarity, not charity, as an approach to international cooperation. For nearly 50 years, Inter Pares has collaborated with courageous activists and inspiring organizations throughout the world to build peace, advance justice and globalize equality.
Gallery 101 is an artist-run-centre committed to exhibiting self-representations of decolonizing counternarratives.
The exhibit is part of a collaboration between Inter Pares and longstanding counterparts Nijera Kori (Bangladesh), La Colectiva Feminista para el desarrollo local (El Salvador) and Likhaan Center for Women’s Health (the Philippines).
For more information, please contact:
• Nathalia Santos Ocasio, Inter Pares, nsantosocasio@interpares.ca
• Kristina Corre, Gallery 101, office@g101.ca

2024 Ottawa-Gatineau Climate March
2024-09-21 11:00 - 13:00 | Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier, Ottawa
ABOUT THE 2024 CLIMATE MARCH – Exposing the Climate Culprits
For too long, the oil and gas industry has blamed ordinary Canadians for the causes and effects of climate change. We’ve been told to recycle, carpool, and reduce our carbon footprint – all while they lie and rake in record profits.
Individual action certainly has its place, but it has become absolutely clear: preventing the worst of climate change will require systemic change.
So it’s time to take aim at the root of the problem, the institutions and industries that produce the most emissions and try to prevent meaningful change: Canada’s climate change culprits!
Who are Canada’s Climate Culprits?
These culprits invest in and enable the fossil fuel industry, drag their feet on meaningful change, and try to block a just transition to clean energy.
They drive up the cost of living for ordinary people, cause wildfires across Canada, and worsen extreme weather right here in Ottawa-Gatineau. They put profit over people. Every. Single. Day.
Our 2024 Canadian Climate Culprits are:
❌ The City of Ottawa
❌ Export Development Canada (EDC)
❌ The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)
❌ The Province of Ontario
❌ Canadian Gas Association
❌ The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
❌ The Conservative Party of Canada
Join Us: https://www.fridaysforfutureottawa.org/get-involved/

CIRCLE UP: Mothers Seek True Justice for Their Murdered Sons - MOVIE NIGHT & DIALOGUE
2024-09-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Jules Morin Park Fieldhouse – 400 Clarence Street Ottawa, ON K1N 5R8, 400 Clarence Street, Ottawa, K1N 5R8
Come join us for a powerful evening at the Jules Morin Fieldhouse at 400 Clarence St as we watch a thought-provoking movie and engage in meaningful dialogue.
Come watch “Circle Up: Mothers Seek True Justice for their Murdered Sons” outside the criminal legal system due to failures within our current system. We will have a discussion afterwards about transformative justice and ways we can apply these practices in our communities.
This event organized by the Ottawa Transformative Justice Collective and the Lowertown Community Resource Centre.
Access notes: N95 Masks will be available but are not required. Light refreshments will be provided. This space is accessible to wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Registration preferred but not required.
Contact @ottawatransformativejustice on IG or email ottawatransformativejustice@gmail.com for more information.

WEN Presents: Take Back the Night Ottawa
2024-09-19 18:00 - 21:00 | Minto Park, 315 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Take Back the Night (TBTN) is an annual rally and protest against sexual and gender-based violence. The community comes together to celebrate, support and empower survivors, while creating safer communities and healthier relationships through awareness, activism and advocacy.

#TBTN2024 Ottawa will start with a rally in Minto Park (102 Lewis St) on 6pm. The march will start at 6:45 through Downtown Ottawa and end with an Info fair at Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier Ave W)
An accessible bus and ASL/LSQ interpreters will be available, so we welcome everyone to join us!

Barrhaven Transit Forum / Forum sur les transports en commun à Barrhaven
2024-09-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Charlie Conacher Building, 30 Wessex Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Welcome to the Barrhaven Transit Forum! Join us for an engaging discussion on all things transit in Barrhaven! Whether you’re a regular commuter or just interested in learning more about public transportation in our community, this forum is for you. Come share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with fellow residents who are passionate about improving transit options in Barrhaven. We look forward to seeing you there!
Bienvenue au Forum sur les transports en commun à Barrhaven ! Joignez-vous à nous pour une discussion intéressante sur tout ce qui concerne les transports en commun à Barrhaven ! Que vous utilisez quotidiennement les transports en commun ou que vous souhaitiez simplement en savoir plus sur les transports en commun dans notre communauté, ce forum est fait pour vous. Venez partager vos idées, poser des questions et rencontrer avec d’autres résidents passionnés par l’amélioration des options de transport en commun à Barrhaven. Nous avons hâte de vous voir !

Environmental Racism: From Community Stories to Union Action
2024-09-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
This virtual panel will bring together a diverse range of speakers active in communities impacted by environmental racism to generate conversation about the ways in which the labour movement can support resistance efforts.
Host: Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice President, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
Panelists:
Vanessa Gray, Anishinaabe, Land Defender from Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program at McMaster University
Taneeta Doma, Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW), lawyer with the Migrant Farmworker Legal Clinic
A question-and-answer period will follow the speaker presentations.
Join us in saying NO to placing polluting and toxic industries in Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities. You will have the opportunity to learn about the generational impacts of the Petrochemical industry in Aamjiwnaag First Nation, how migrant farm workers are affected by environmental racism with differential treatment in Ontario, the legacy of environmental racism and its health impacts in Indigenous and Black communities in Canada, and MORE!
This event will be a powerful call-to-action in support of human rights and environmental justice.
There is no environmental justice without racial justice.

Say No To Racism! Yes to Immigrant Justice!
2024-09-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Human Rights Monument, 220 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Right-wing politicians are scapegoating immigrants for the housing and affordability crisis, diverting attention from corporate greed and government policy failures. All workers, including migrants and immigrants, are suffering from decades of cuts to healthcare, housing, education, and social services. The elite want us divided—citizen against newcomer—so we don’t unite against billionaires, landlords, and climate criminals profiting from our crisis. The federal Liberals are mirroring Conservative tactics, shutting down immigration avenues. Regularization—permanent resident status for undocumented people—was promised in December 2021 but still has not been delivered, while migrants remain underpaid, exploited, and excluded.
Schedule:
– 2 pm: Start
– 2.15-2.30 pm: Speeches from migrant rights advocates and members of various unions and community organizations
– 2.30-3 pm: March to Parliament Hill
– 3.30 pm: Community Gathering at Major’s Hill Park
Ottawa shows up for migrants and says: No to racism! Yes to migrant justice!

20 Years of Defending Civil Liberties from the Impact of Counter-terrorism
2024-09-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
Please join us for the launch of “Defending Civil Liberties in an Age of National Security and Counter-terrorism,” a new publication from the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) featuring 27 pieces from leading experts, activists and ICLMG members reflecting on the past twenty years and the challenges that lie ahead.
Wednesday, September 11, 20247:00PM ETPlease register for the webinar here: https://iclmg.ca/20-years-launch/
The launch event will feature a panel with four of our contributors:
– Dr. Brenda McPhail does research and advocacy at the junction of privacy and technology, and is the Director of Executive Education for the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program at McMaster University.
– Dr. Monia Mazigh is an academic, award-winning author and human rights activist. She was the ICLMG National Coordinator in 2015 and 2016.
– Dr. Pamela Palmater is a Mi’kmaw lawyer, professor, and human rights expert from Eel River Bar First Nation.
– Tim McSorley is the National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.
More details and registration at: https://iclmg.ca/20-years-launch/
Please share the event and invite your friends. Thank you!

Citywide Protest for Renoviction Protections
2024-09-10 18:00 | 110 Laurier Avenue W, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON, K1P 1J1, Canada
Evictions for renovations are often unnecessary or simply cosmetic so the owner can jack up the rent. That’s why we are protesting outside city hall so Ottawa city councillors CAN’T IGNORE the fact that we need REAL protections.

Join the BIG protest to demand city council stops corporate landlords from destroying affordable housing and protect tenants by passing a renoviction bylaw.

Community Rally in Defence of the Bank Block Tenants
2024-09-10 08:00 - 21:30
227 Bank St, Ottawa
Join the rally on Tuesday morning to help our neighbours fight back against our commodified housing system.
The Bank Block Tenants are also looking for donations for their legal defence fund:
Donate to the BBT Legal Defence Fund

more info on the Bank Block Tenants can be found on their website and on their Instagram

Return-to-office solidarity rally/ Rassemblement de solidarité contre le retour au bureau
2024-09-09 07:30 - 08:30
Let’s mark September 9 with a bang to remind the employer that we will not back down!
Join the biggest remote work rally to date alongside members from ACFO, CAPE, PIPSC, PSAC and other federal unions!
September 9 may be the beginning of the new three-day-a-week in-office mandate, but for all of us it’s also the point of no return when it comes to return to office.
All unions will be converging on IRCC – the department with one of the most developed interunion local organizing committees driving the telework campaign.
Let’s show the employer our collective resolve!
When: Monday, September 9
Time: 7:30-8:30 am ET – please be sure to still meet your in-office work hours – come for as little or as long as you can!
Where: 365 Laurier Ave W – in the quad between Jet-S & Jet-N towers
Refreshments: Coffee and donuts will be provided
Campaign apparel: Some unions will have return-to-office campaign forest green t-shirts to hand out if you don’t have one – feel free to wear your own green!
***Soulignons le 9 septembre avec éclat pour rappeler à l’employeur que nous ne reculerons pas!
Participez au plus grand rassemblement sur le télétravail à ce jour avec des membres de l’ACAF, de l’ACEP, de l’IPFPC, de l’AFPC et d’autres syndicats fédéraux!
Le 9 septembre marque peut-être le début de la présence obligatoire au bureau trois jours par semaine, mais c’est aussi le point de non-retour en ce qui concerne le retour au bureau (RAB).
Tous les syndicats se rassembleront devant l’immeuble d’Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada, le ministère dont le comité local d’action intersyndical est l’un de ceux qui ont le plus grand nombre de pétitionnaires dans le cadre de la campagne sur le droit au télétravail.
Montrons à l’employeur notre détermination collective!
Date : Lundi 9 septembre
Heure : De 7 h 30 à 8 h 30 (HE) – Assurez-vous de respecter votre horaire de travail au bureau – Joignez-vous à nous pour le temps que vous pouvez!
Lieu : 365, avenue Laurier Ouest, dans le quadrilatère entre les tours Jet-S et Jet-N
Rafraîchissements : Du café et des beignets seront offerts.
Vêtements de campagne : Certains syndicats auront des t-shirts vert forêt pour la campagne de retour au bureau à distribuer si vous n’en avez pas – n’hésitez pas à porter votre propre vert !

Ottawa Labour Day March and Picnic
2024-09-02 12:00 - 16:00 | Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier, Ottawa
March leaves Ottawa City Hall (Lisgar Street side) at 12:00pm sharp.
March Route: South on Elgin Street to Gladstone Avenue, West on Gladstone Avenue to McNabb Park (corner of Gladstone Avenue and Bronson Avenue).
Picnic commences when March participants arrive at McNabb Park (approx 12:45pm).
Picnic includes: BBQ (Hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob, melon pieces, drinks). Live music, face painting, bouncy castle, wading pool with life guards. Everything free.

International Day of Protest Against ABA 2024 - Ottawa
2024-08-31 17:00 - 18:00 | Human Rights Monument, 220 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
August 31st will once again mark the 7th International Day of Protest Against ABA. An international day of action for Autistic self-advocates and allies to organize in their opposition to Applied Behaviour Analysis.
Applied Behaviour Analysis was pioneered in the 1960s by Ole Ivar Løvaas, who spoke at length about his dehumanizing perspective on Autistic people, oftentimes physically assaulting, electrically shocking, and restraining Autistic children. ABA takes behaviours, oftentimes harmless cultural differences such as eye contact avoidance and stimming, and provides rewards and punishments accordingly. Even in its gentlest forms, it is Skinnerian manipulation that teaches a child to place the approval of their peers and authority figures over their own well-being. Many Autistic people refer to ABA as “Autistic Conversion Therapy”, and for good reasons. Ole Ivar Løvaas co-authored a study with George Rekers on gay conversion therapy, and Autistic people are disproportionally LGBTQ2S+.
For these reasons and the lived experiences of Autistic people, we will be hosting a protest on August 31st outside the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights at 5PM EST to make our voices heard, and call upon Ottawa City Council to make the following actions:
1. Prohibit businesses from providing Applied Behaviour Analysis to minors within city limits.
2. Cease the Mayor and members of Ottawa City Council’s associations with organizations that will defend the use of Applied Behaviour Analysis.
3. Implement further measures to work towards the abolition of ABA in the City of so-called Ottawa
In the event that Ottawa Police show up, here is a document detailing your rights when interacting with police: https://ccla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Know-Your-Rights-Booklet.pdf

International Overdose Awareness Day - End the Stigma
2024-08-30 11:00 - 13:00 | Human Rights Monument, 220 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Join us Friday – End the Stigma!

Anatomical Venus Book Launch
2024-08-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Perfect Books, 258 Elgin Street, Ottawa, K2P 1L9
Join us at Perfect Books to launch Courtney Bates-Hardy’s new book, Anatomical Venus. It’s a visceral collection of poems that invoke anatomical models, feminine monsters, and little-known historical figures.
Featuring readings by Christine McNair and Margo LaPierre. Hosted by Frances Boyle.
Courtney Bates-Hardy is the author of Anatomical Venus (Radiant Press, 2024), House of Mystery (ChiZine Publications, 2016), and a chapbook, Sea Foam (JackPine Press, 2013). She has been shortlisted for the Elgin Award and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is queer, disabled, and one-third of a writing group called The Pain Poets.
Christine McNair has published two collections of poetry –Conflict (Book*hug, 2012) and Charm (Book*hug, 2017). She is the winner of the Archibald Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the City of Ottawa Book awards. Her hybrid literary non-fiction memoir Toxemia is forthcoming with Book*hug in fall 2024. She works as a book doctor in Ottawa.
Margo LaPierre is a freelance literary editor and writer of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Her second poetry collection is forthcoming with Guernica in Fall 2025. She won the 2021 Room Poetry Award and the 2020 subTerrain Fiction Award and was shortlisted for Editors Canada’s 2024 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence. She is Arc Poetry magazine’s newsletter editor and a member of the Ottawa-based poetry collective VII.

Ottawa Run for Palestine 10th Annual Charity BBQ
2024-08-25 13:00 - 20:00 | Vincent Massey Park, Heron Road, Ottawa
Join us on Sunday, August 25 @ Vincent Massey Park (sections C & D) for our Annual charity BBQ in collaboration with the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC), the Palestinian Student Associations’ at both Carleton University and Ottawa U and the Palestinian Student Coalition!
Halal BBQ for sale: prepared and served by Sultan supermarket & meatshop.Join us on August 25, 2024 (new date!), from 1-8 PM at Vincent Massey Park (Sections C and D) for our Annual Charity BBQ, where all proceeds go towards helping Gaza through numerous Isalmic relief projects.
Enjoy BBQ (Mashawi) by Sultan Supermarket and Meatshop, Refreshments and coffee and tea station by Second Cup,a knafeh station, Cotton candy and Popcorn for salefacepainting and HennaSports games and activities for the kids,And most importantly, a registration station for the Ottawa Run For Palestine 9th Annual 2K, 5K, 10K walk/Run taking place on Sep 14th @ Hogs Back Park)

Bring your friends and family for a day of delicious food and community spirit.
**Please note that due to the genocidal war on our people in Gaza, we will not be holding our yearly dessert competition, any Palestinian entertainment, or bouncy castles for our kids We will provide sports activities and coloring stations with a mepeoplessage of hope to the people of Gaza, in particular to children.It will be an opportunity for our community to spend some time in solidarity, gather, heal, bond, and reflect.**
Let’s make a difference together!

Justice for Workers Ottawa Summer Camp!
2024-08-24 09:30 - 15:00
Struggling to get your workplace organized? What makes a good organizer? What strategies have been proven to win time and time again?
Want to learn how to make your efforts unstoppable?
Skip the sunburn Saturday August 24th and join Justice for Workers Ottawa’s ‘Summer Camp’ at 233 Gilmour St. from 9:30am-3pm for a day full of workshops specific to worker organizing! Learn about building a fighting labour movement, practical strategies, writing resolutions, effective outreach and follow-up, and much more!!
Program:
9:30am-10:00am:
Welcome and registration
10:00am-11:00am:
How do we build a fighting labour movement?
In order to win demands we need a strong multi-racial working class movement that unites union AND non-union workers. How do we get there?
11:00am-12:00pm
Rise together!: Transnational labour solidarity
Workers’ lives don’t end when they leave the workplace. Sometimes workers deem it necessary to take collective action outside the workplace. What are practical steps workers can take towards this?
12:00pm-1:00pm
LUNCH
1:00pm-2:00pm
Dotmocracy: Justice 4 Workers Demands
Learn about the 10 demands that guide Justice4Workers in fighting for decent work for unionized and non-unionized workers.
2:00pm-3:00pm
Building capacity: Effective outreach & follow-up
If movements don’t grow they can’t successfully leverage collective power to win their demands. Outreach and follow-up are critical in bringing people into the movement. What are the practical steps we can take to bring people into the fight for decent work?

Ottawa Trans March
2024-08-23 18:00 | Bank & Gladstone
Please join us on August 23rd at 6pm for the 2024 Ottawa Trans March!
More details – including a community meeting to discuss our demands, speaker announcements and other details will be announced in the coming days and weeks!

Training Session - Speak out Against LRT Cuts!
2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
We need to pack the Transit Commission meeting in September with as many people as possible speaking out against the new LRT schedule cuts!
Learn how to craft and deliver a public delegation and how to sign up to speak at our training session – R.S.V.P. today!

Pride is Political: Harm Reduction & Transforming Justice
2024-08-19 10:00 - 17:00 | PSAC Building, 233 Gilmour Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Final workshops: Engaging in Practices of Harm Reduction Using Liberation Frameworks AND/OR Transforming Justice As an Everyday Practice
Access considerations:
😷 Masks required- designated area for eating/ masks off
Wheelchair accessible
Water/ snacks available
Hybrid event/closed captioning for virtual attendees
👥 Peer support

Fierte dans la Capitale Pride 2024
2024-08-17 - 2024-08-25 | Various
Listen. Learn. Act.
Capital Pride’s Four foundational pillars are to Educate, Advocate, Celebrate and Connect. For our 2024 festival, we have decided to highlight our pillar of advocacy, focusing on listening, learning, and taking action.
Listen – To listen is to recognize the importance of acknowledging the diverse experiences within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, thus fostering understanding and empathy. This inclusive approach acknowledges intersecting identities and unique challenges, enhancing solidarity and effective advocacy.
Learn – to learn is to acknowledge the invaluable contributions and sacrifices of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, whose resilience and activism have driven progress. Honoring this legacy preserves our history, offers inspiration, and highlights the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.
Act – to act is to bring attention to the ongoing fight for equality, justice, and inclusion by amplifying marginalized voices and advocating for their rights. It encourages active participation in advocacy to create a more equitable society where everyone can live authentically and without fear of discrimination.
Ultimately, “Listen. Learn. Act.” serves as a call to action for all individuals to actively engage with the past, listen to the voices of those who have been marginalized, and work together towards a brighter and more inclusive future. It embodies the spirit of resilience, activism, and hope that defines the 2SLGBTQIA+ community’s journey towards liberation and collective empowerment.

Pride is Political: Homecoming
2024-08-14 15:00 - 23:00 | Parkdale Public Market, 366 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1G8, Canada
A space to celebrate and center the voices and existence of QTBIPOC folks. Ending the night with an outdoor screening of Paris is Burning.

Event Schedule
Wednesday, August 14th, 2024
3 – 4:30 pm Wellness Space

3:00 – 3:45 – Aly
3:45- 4:30 – Jacqui

4:30 pm – 5 pm break/ chill time

Individual activities/ compression time
Julia, Amira, and Mars from YSB hosting
Face painting, button making, art station

5 pm – 9 pm Music provided by Parkdale Park concert series
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Banner Making Workshop with Casper (Masks required)
9:05 pm – 10:35 pm: Outdoor Film Screening: Paris is Burning (Directed & Produced by Jennie Livingston)

Pride is Political: Community Care and Outreach
2024-08-12 12:00 - 18:00 | Kind Space, 400 Cooper St., suite 9001, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Community Care and Outreach Using Anti-Carceral Practices Within Anti-Violence Movements
12 PM – 2 PM
This workshop offers a collaborative space for participants to engage deeply with anti-carceral organizing and co-create effective strategies to counter systems that harm and oppress communities. It explores how institutional systems, including those that claim to offer care, can perpetuate harm and co-opt community-based initiatives and movements. By connecting these issues to broader social movements, such as Pride, the workshop fosters an interactive environment where participants can engage with the content, share their experiences, and collectively develop actionable strategies to advance anti-carceral and abolitionist goals, focusing on mutual support and care.

Co-create strategies to challenge harmful systems through anti-carceral organizing
Examine how institutions, including those offering care, perpetuate harm and co-opt community initiatives.
Emphasize mutual aid, support, care, and most importantly, joy in organizing

Access considerations:
😷 Masks required – designated area for eating/ masks off
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
💧 🍫 Water/ snacks available
👂 Peer support and space available

Re-politicizing Queer Activism: Perspectives on Collective Action and Radical Inclusion
4 PM – 6 PM
Speakers:
Mars and Caprice from Youth Services Bureau (YSB) Queer Youth Action Committee
Sinda Garziz from Centretown CHC/ LGBTQIA Newcomer Group
Menasheh from Queers 4 Palestine
Community Solidarity Ottawa
Join us for an engaging panel discussion:
“Re-politicizing Queer Activism: Perspectives on Collective Action and Radical Inclusion.”
This event will delve into the current state of community activism, advocacy work, rights-based movements, anti-fascism, and their intersections with queer activism.
Topics include:

Personal experiences of advocacy and the importance of global solidarity in local movements

Reflections, thoughts, and experiences from various activists
The current state of queer organizing and the challenges faced

Reflections on what works, what doesn’t, and how these movements intersect with other social justice causes

Strategies for organizing with diverse groups
The meaning of collective action, solidarity, and what liberation entails
Inclusion of migrant justice perspectives and reflections on representation in activist spaces
Strategies for engaging younger people in activism, centring queer joy and advocacy, and making activism more accessible

Join us to explore these critical issues and more in an inclusive environment.

Solidarity Softball
2024-08-11 14:00 - 17:00 | Brewer Park, Brewer Park, 210 Hopewell Ave, Ottawa, K1S 2Z5
Softball game to raise fund for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. This event includes the game and a social picnic after. Family and pet (well trained and leashed) friendly event! Bring your own picnic snacks, drinks will be provided.

Prisoners’ Justice Day 2024
2024-08-10 11:00 - 13:00 | University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave East, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N6N5, Canada
Location: Room 215D, Jock Turcotte University Centre, 85 University Private (University of Ottawa), Ottawa

This year CPEP, the Millhaven Lifers’ Liaison Group, Mothers Offering Mutual Support, and OPIRG/GRIPO have come together to commemorate Prisoners’ Justice Day (PJD) with a teach-in about its history, how it has evolved, and how the demands could be met today.
We invite all members of the Ottawa communities to come and talk, share stories, experiences, and learn from each other.PJD has always been a day of mourning and somber reflection for some, and a day of action and inspiration for others. It is in this spirit that we invite everyone to come together with us, on this particular day.
Background:On August 10th, 1974, Eddie Nalon, a prisoner and advocate, died in the segregation unit at the Millhaven Institution (a maximum security prison built in 1971 just outside of Kingston, Ontario). His death sparked outrage among the prisoners at the penitentiary, as well as hunger strikes, and prison reform initiatives. On the one year anniversary of his death, the first Prisoners’ Justice Day was organized, sparking what has become an international day of condemnation and commemoration of deaths in custody and segregation, as well as national campaigns for prisoners’ rights across prisons. Many people around the world have been inspired by the political action of these prisoners and organized for a better world.
On August 10, 2024, we plan to commemorate and reinvigorate the struggle for prisoners’ rights inside and outside prisons, by talking about the history of PJD and what it meant for people then, how it has evolved over the years, what it means for people now, and what we want it to be moving forward. We also hope that this event can also serve as the first planning meeting for the 50th anniversary of PJD in 2025. If you are someone who thinks deeply about the carceral/police state, or are interested in how to get involved and explore alternatives to caging humans, we invite you to join us for a thoughtful discussion amongst community members.
We gratefully acknowledge that this event is happening on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Anishinaabe and Algonquin people. We also acknowledge the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island in the criminal justice system. This system also disproprotionately affects many marginalized individuals and negatively impacts all communities.

Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival 2024
2024-08-06 16:00 - 2024-08-11 21:30 | DARC Microcinema, 67 Nicholas St, Ottawa, K1N 7B9, Canada
Celebrating Indigenous Arts in Algonquin TerritoryOttawa, Canada • August 6-11, 2024@ Club SAW, Arts Court Theatre & Studio, Gallery 101, DARC, Axeneo7
Asinabka Festival13th EditionAUGUST 6-11, 2024
Highlights:•.60+ Indigenous Films @ Arts Court Theatre• Opening Night Outdoor Concert & Film Screenings @ Club SAW• Art Gallery Crawl @ Gallery 101 / DARC / The Asinabka Office• Indigenous Music Showcase @ Art’s Court Theatre & Black Box Studio• Filmmaker Q&A’s, Artist Talks, Industry Events, and Free Events
The 13th annual Asinabka Festival is excited to present the best contemporary Indigenous film, music, and arts from Canada and around the world. The Festival takes place in person over 6 days and with 17 separate film programs, including 8 feature films, and over 50 short films.
The FULL SCHEDULE available on our website now!:asinabkafestival.org
See the following sites for accessibility and visitor information:https://asinabkafestival.orghttps://artscourt.ca/visitor-info-enhttps://g101.ca/gallery101https://axeneo7.qc.ca/en
Chi-Miigwech / Thank You to The Canada Council for the Arts for their ongoing funding and support. We’d also like to thank all of our festival partners including the Arts Court, ICCA, SAW, DARC, Gallery 101, AXENÉO7, CHUO, LiVE 88.5, Carleton University, Wairoa Festival, Ottawa Festivals, and the Embassy of Mexico.

Emancipation Day March/Marche de Jour de l’émancipation
2024-08-01 11:45 - 13:00 | Human Rights Monument, 220 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
August 1 is Emancipation Day, a time to reflect on the legacy of the enslavement of Black and Indigenous peoples in Canada, celebrate the strength and perseverance of Black communities across the country, and demand an end to ongoing anti-Black racism in Canadian society and in the federal public service.
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) will join the Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in a march from the Human Rights monument on Elgin Street in Ottawa to the offices of the Privy Council on the corner of Sparks and Wellington to demand accountability after recent reports detailing the persistent culture of anti-Black racism in the highest civil service office in the country. This is a critical moment in the fight against racism in our society.
Join us and bring your colleagues and friends!
Date: August 1
Location: Meet at the Human Rights Monument by Ottawa City Hall on Elgin Street to march over to the Privy Council offices
Time: 11:45 am
Other union members and members of the public at large are also invited to join in to show their solidarity for Black federal public sector workers.
***Le 1er août est le Jour de l’émancipation, une occasion de réfléchir à l’héritage de l’esclavage des Noir·es et des Autochtones au Canada, de célébrer la force et la persévérance des communautés noires partout au pays et d’exiger la fin du racisme anti-Noir·es dans la société canadienne et dans la fonction publique fédérale.
L’Association canadienne des employés professionnels (ACEP) et l’Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada (AFPC) se joindront au Secrétariat du recours collectif noir (SRCN) et à la Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (Coalition des syndicalistes noir·es) pour marcher du Monument des droits de la personne, rue Elgin à Ottawa, jusqu’aux bureaux du Conseil privé, à l’angle des rues Sparks et Wellington, afin de demander des comptes au gouvernement à la suite de la publication de récents rapports détaillant la culture persistante du racisme anti-Noir·es à la plus haute instance de la fonction publique du Canada. C’est un moment crucial pour la lutte contre le racisme dans notre société.
Joignez-vous à nous et amenez vos collègues et vos ami·es!
Date : 1er août
Endroit : Rendez-vous au Monument des droits de la personne près de l’hôtel de ville d’Ottawa sur la rue Elgin pour marcher jusqu’aux bureaux du Conseil privé.
Heure : 11 h 45
D’autres membres de syndicats ainsi que le grand public sont également invité·es à se joindre à la marche pour manifester leur solidarité envers les travailleuses et travailleurs noirs du secteur public fédéral.

Harmony Circle for Palestine with Albert Dumont and Yipeng Ge
2024-07-25 18:30 - 20:00
Register for the event here:
https://forms.gle/NoHkLqvzhfwseScr5
EVENT DETAILS
Join us for a conversation about Palestine, between Spiritual Advisor and Elder Albert Dumont and Dr. Yipeng Ge, primary care doctor and public health practitioner. In November 2023, Dr. Ge was suspended from his medical residency at the University of Ottawa for pro-Palestinian social media remarks critical of Israel. A petition demanding his reinstatement received over 65,000 signatures, indicating widespread support for Dr. Ge and raising concerns about free speech and the right to criticize government policy without risking professional repercussions. You can read more about this here.
After the formal conversation, we will open up the meeting for a Sharing Circle where all participants are invited to ask questions or share what is on their heart.
With this Harmony Circle, we want to create a safe space for people, especially youth, to:
* learn more about the current genocide happening in Palestine
* express their pain at the injustice of the situation
* feel that they have a voice and are not being silenced
* dive deep into the practice of unlearning and learning
* create harmony within our communities
We will end the Harmony Circle with concrete social justice actions we can take to help. This is an invitation to do something in a time of great suffering, devastation and emotional turmoil.
To register for this free, online event, please fill out this Google form:
https://forms.gle/NoHkLqvzhfwseScr5
The event will take place over Zoom. A link will be sent to you the day of the event.
Session Standards:
* This event is for people who are curious, open to learning and unlearning and believe in social justice
* There will be zero-tolerance for violent, abusive, or racist comments
* Everyone in attendance agrees that first and foremost, we stand to defend a human being’s right to live in a peaceful and secure space

Collaborative zine making night at the Ottawa Trans Library
2024-07-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Ottawa Trans Library, 1104 Somerset St. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 3C8, Canada
Come work on zines with us as we work on the next issue of The Dragon Flyer, the Ottawa Trans Library’s community zine. Write, draw, scan, cut, and paste with us on our community zine or your own project, or just come hang out with us. We are collecting stories, jokes, poems, art, and more from the trans and non-binary community in Ottawa and our friends and families.
The zine workshop is a collaborative event to discuss, share, and work on zines together.
Come tell your story.We will provide paper, templates, and whatever art supplies we have. No experience necessary. All ages welcome, children under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
Masking and testing the day of the event is encouraged. Accessibility note: There are two stairs at the door entrance. We have a ramp we can bring out for the door on request. There’s a washroom but it’s not large enough for many mobility devices.
