3:45PM
Struggle For The Land: Communiques from Autonomy and Sovereignty Movements
5:30PM
People’s History of Kanada, Chapter 1: A Story Written In Blood
2:00pm
Laws, Labels & Liberation: Exposing The Labeling of Social Liberation Movements & Activists As “Terrorists”
Sherman Austin
Sherman is a revolutionary hip hop MC and political activist from Los Angeles who was targeted by the U.S. government for his community work and political beliefs. Read more about him.
Declan de Barra
Declan is a musician and artist from Ireland, whose work highlights the struggle for social justice. Read more about him.
Khaled Barakat
Khaled Barakat is a Palestinian community activist born in Ramallah, Palestine. He is a member of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition and the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat and Palestinian Political Prisoners. He is a writer whose work has been published in various Arabic newspapers and publications and he is the editor of Al-Shorouq, a Vancouver-based Arabic language community newspaper.
BCCHRRP
The B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (BCCHRP) was founded in 1982 in solidarity with the Filipino people and their struggle for genuine democracy, social justice, human rights and peace in the Philippines.
Facilitator: May Farrales
3:45pm
Struggle For The Land: Communiques from Autonomy and Sovereignty Movements
Lindsay Bomberry
Lindsay Bomberry is of the Onondaga Nation, Eel clan of the Haudenosaune Confederacy League of Peace. She is an activist, performer, artist and youth worker and has been involved with indigenous and community politics for most of her life. She is currently on her journey towards carrying the clan beads of her family as a traditional clanmother and maintains a strong voice and presence within the grassroots across turtle island. She is working to strengthen community ties and form east/ west relationships here on Coast Salish Territory with indigenous allies after returning last summer from the frontlines of the Six nations Reclamation on Grand River Territory in Ontario.
Rezgar Omer
Born in Kurdistan in 1970, Rezgar began to publish articles in Kurdish newspapers and magazines in 1988. Prior to the uprising of 1991, he was publishing his articles in Peshang magazine under the name Kamal Aziz and then after the liberation of Kurdistan, Iraq he started to publish his articles in Regay Kurdistan, Hawlaty, and Media newspapers. Between ‘91-‘96 he participated in numerous left wing activities in Kurdistan such as May Day and International Women’s Day. He then immigrated to Canada in 1998, where he has since been publishing articles as an independent writer in Kurdish newspapers and websites. He is also one of the administrators of a Kurdish secular website known as “Dengekan Voices”.
Shenpenn Khymsar
Shenpenn was the first Khymsar son born in exile from Tibet in 1974. Fifteen years ago he left India for the West and became the first Tibetan to form a heavy metal band, Shangrila, in Toronto. Khymsar now resides in Vancouver and is an independent musician, filmmaker and political activist.
Facilitator: Vikki Reynolds
5:30pm
People’s History of Kanada, Chapter 1: A Story Written In Blood
Emily Aspinwall
Emily Aspinwall co-produces Stark Raven Radio and has worked with the Prison Justice Day Committee and Joint Effort (a woman in prison support group) since 2000. Stark Raven tackles issues of incarceration and criminalization and can be heard the 1st three Mondays of each month from 7-8 pm on Vancouver Co-op Radio, 102.7FM. Podcast, prison news and related info at www.prisonjustice.ca. The Vancouver Prison Justice Day Committee organizes annual events for August 10th - a day to honour women and men who have died behind bars in Canada.
No One is Illegal
No One is Illegal is a grassroots anti-colonial migrant justice group with leadership from members of migrant and/or racialized backgrounds. We strive and struggle for a world in which no one is forced to migrate against their will and for a world where people can move freely to live and flourish with dignity. We actively organize against national security and anti terror policies; increasing detentions and deportations; and racist and exploitative immigration policies.
Sid Chow Tan
Born in China, Sid Tan is a 35-year resident of Vancouver, who is best known for his over two decades of volunteer work in community media and Chinese head tax redress. An anti-racism, human rights and social justice activist, Sid’s current community service includes: national chairman of the Chinese Canadian National Council, president of ACCESS Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, founding co-chairperson of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada, vice-president of the Firehall Arts Centre and a director of the National Anti- Racism Council of Canada, B. C. Environmental Network Educational Foundation, Independent Community Television Victoria, Community Media Education Society and the Coalition of Progressive Electors, a civic political party. Sid is also a member of CUPE1004 working in social housing with the Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association.
Alaina Tom (NYM St’at’imc Nation)
Native Youth Movement is a grassroots Liberation Front whose members are from many Sovereign Nations of Original Peoples of Turtle Island, united for the defence of Indigenous Lands, Territories, People, and Spiritual Ways. NYM is in opposition to all foreign and colonial forms of government. Our intentions and goals are to educate ourselves as well as all Native People on our current situations as a colonized people. So we can unite to liberate the Earth and return to our ways and directions given to us by the Creator. Our peoples are oppressed in many ways, and we fight on every level to combat this oppression. NYM is a spirituality based movement committed to resurrecting traditional ways and Natural Law. Our goal is of absolute freedom.
Facilitator: No-One Is Illegal
