Tag: actions

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To Cancel or Not to Cancel?

(16+)

with Isaiah Ritzmann

Cancelling, shunning, social boycotting – call it what you will, this tactic for accountability has gone mainstream over the last decade. As the practice has grown it has attracted both controversy and confusion. Is it ethical? Is it effective? This workshop explores cancelling as one tool within our social change toolbox & considers the right contexts for its use. By looking at its history of use both within liberation struggles and religious communities we navigate the tricky questions about how to use social boycotts in morally unproblematic and strategically mindful ways.

about the facilitator

Isaiah Ritzmann (he/him) has been part of the Cahoots “extended family” since the inception of the festival in 2014. A facilitator of community-based learning on sustainability, democracy, & degrowth in Kitchener, Ontario (Haldimand Tract), he also helps coordinate a home-based hospitality network called Open Homes that serves newly arrived refugee claimants. A deep believer that effective nonviolent strategies exist that can help us avoid climate catastrophe, he is excited to explore these in conversation with others.

promotional image for a workshop at a radical festival called cahoots. the picture is of a male presenting person with a light beard and glasses, and the title - to cancel or not to cancel - is made to look like a rainbow
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CPJ’s Advocacy Toolkit for Non-Partisan Political Advocacy

(12+)

with Natalie Appleyard + Rena Namago

Want to be empowered to influence policy and legislation in Canada? Join us for a dynamic, interactive workshop where you will learn how to make your voice heard in the political arena! We will be using Citizens for Public Justice’s Advocacy Toolkit as our guide: a comprehensive resource designed to help you influence policy and legislation in Canada through effective and non-partisan advocacy. You will learn about various methods of advocacy, when to use each, and how to craft a powerful message that makes an impact. While we will primarily focus on advocacy related to poverty, refugee & migrant rights, and climate justice at the federal level, the principles and strategies covered in this session can be applied to any issue or level of government. Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or just starting out, this workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn and grow!

about the facilitators

Rena is the Public Justice Intern at Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ). She is co-authoring a chapter in CPJ’s upcoming book discussing refugee and migrant rights through an anti-oppressive lens. Natalie (she/her) is the Socio-Economic Policy Analyst at CPJ. She grew up and lives today in the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People. She feels a strong connection to these lands and a deep gratitude for the people who have cared for them since time immemorial. She now shares her love for the outdoors with her husband and two children.

promotional image for a workshop at a radical festival called cahoots. the picture is of the two facilitators, female presenting, and the title is made to look like a rainbow
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Cookie Mining: How the Canadian Mining Industry Is Destroying the Planet and What We Can Do About It

with Dean Dettloff + Emily Lukasik + Kiegan Irish + Luke Stocking

Mining and extractives are some of the most dangerous industries for land defenders and the environment around the world. Around 75% of mining companies are headquartered in Canada! This hands-on workshop starts with ‘Cookie Mining’, an easy all-ages activity that illustrates mining’s impact on land and homes. Then the group will split off into deeper, age-appropriate discussions about mining, its impacts on communities (especially in the Global South), and what people of faith can do about it in Canada.

about the facilitators

Dean is the Central Ontario Animator for Development and Peace, a section editor at Geez Magazine, and adjunct faculty at the Institute for Christian Studies. He is also co-host of The Magnificast, a podcast about Christianity and leftist politics, and has a cool story about Christian anarchists making short shorts out of roadkill. Emily is the East Ontario Animator for Development and Peace and a professional stage actor. She is a master crafter and knows a lot about making buttons and screen-printed tees. Kiegan is the West Ontario Animator for Development and Peace. He has worked in frontline services for unhoused people. He can play guitar and knows a lot about niche mid-00s hardcore music. Luke is the Public Engagement Director for Development and Peace and a columnist for the Catholic Register. He is also really good at Bananagrams.

promotional image for a workshop at a radical festival called cahoots. the picture is of a mining organization and the title is made to look like a rainbow
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Migrant Workers Exploitation: Learn and Act

(12+)

with Varka Kalaydzhieva + Sabrina Chiefari + Leah Watkiss

For years, migrant workers coming to Canada have been subjected to exploitation by employers, landlords, supervisors. Many are underpaid, overworked, abused. This experiential exercise leads participants to experience the exploitation migrant workers face when they arrive in Canada. Through a role-play, participants are guided through some of the exploitation workers experience at various stages of their migration, such as recruitment debt, dangerous work conditions, unlawful pay deductions, and crowded and unsanitary living conditions. After a debrief, the participants are asked to engage in various forms of support, advocacy and reflection.

about the facilitators

Varka is Project Manager in the Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto (CSJ). She has in interest and experience in various social justice issues, including migrant justice and human trafficking. Leah is Ministry Director of the CSJ Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care. She holds an M.A. in Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego. Sabrina is a Catholic Environmental Educator from Tkaronto/Toronto. As Creation Care Animator for the CSJ, she’s a long time proponent of Deep Ecology and Integral Ecology. She holds a certificate in Community Arts Practice and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from York University.

the title of the workshop - migrant workers exploitation learn and act - in a rainbow design with the photos of the facilitators (3 women) in the background
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Throwing Hands For Good Discussions

with Peter Haresnape

Do you struggle to be heard in a meeting? Have you noticed that sometimes you can’t remember the outcome of a debate? We need good tools to have good discussions leading to good outcomes – come and develop some skills and tools to express yourself, hear others, and arrive at consensus together! We’ll practice some hand signals that help us communicate in another dimension and use some different methods to make decisions.

about the facilitator

Peter Haresnape is a co-founder of the Cahoots festival. He serves Toronto United Mennonite church as a pastor and is studying theology at Conrad Grebel University College. He learned a lot of group discussion practices in anarchist circles in the UK and is excited to practice them in Turtle Island.

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Engaging Settlers in Solidarity Action with Indigenous Land Defenders

with Layla Staats + Skyler Williams + Erik Lankin + Scott Morton Ninomiya (moderator)

This conversation led by Indigenous Land Defenders involved in the 1492 Landback Lane movement will explore the possibilities for engaging Settlers in this work. We will hear how Settlers can act effectively in solidarity with Indigenous Land Defenders responding to colonial violence from the systems funded with Settler taxes. Includes a moderated Q&A. This session is designed to engage and equip Settlers for action. Participants are welcome to sign up for a subsequent training session on direct action delivered by Christian Peacemaker Teams.

about the facilitators

Layla Staats is a Haudenosaunee Land Defender who has supported a variety of Indigenous sovereignty movements. Skyler Williams is a Haudenosaunee Land Defender who has served as a spokesperson for 1492 Landback Lane. Erik Lankin is a settler ally who has supported the Landback movement and worked to communicate with and recruit other settlers. Scott Morton Ninomiya is a settler working with Mennonite Central Committee on matters of Indigenous solidarity.

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Take To The Streets

with Rachelle Friesen + Julie Brown

DESCRIPTION TO COME

about the facilitators

Rachelle (she/her) trained with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in 2017. Since then she has been the Canada Coordinator for CPT which has allowed her to do accompaniment work in Iraqi Kurdistan and at the US Mexico Border. She is also the coordinator for the Turtle Island Solidarity Network that focuses on Indigenous solidarity. Prior to working with CPT, Rachelle spent 5 years in Palestine doing peace work. Rachelle has a passion and background in nonviolent direct action, decolonization, and local peacemaking. Julie trained with CPT in 2015 and spent four years on the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan field team before taking a position as CPT’s Outreach Coordinator.

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Wet’suwet’en: An Indigenous Community’s Struggle For Justice

with Esther Kern

We begin with stories from Wet’suwet’en, a community taking action in opposition to Coastal Gas Link constructing a pipeline through their unceded territory, without consultation or prior consent. As a settler seeking to be in solidarity, Esther will share her experiences as part of a team offering on-the-ground support, and we will explore what solidarity can mean in each of our contexts.

about the facilitator

After a 34-year career as a Registered Nurse, Esther took early retirement and joined Christian Peacemaker Teams in 2004 as a “second career”. This commitment has taken her to Iraqi Kurdistan, Palestine, Colombia, the USA/Mexico Borderlands, and to many Indigenous communities on Turtle Island, to stand in solidarity with their struggle for justice. Social justice and activism have been an integral part of her life beginning in 1969, when she came to Canada with her War Resister fiance to seek asylum and to be able to live in freedom with one’s conscience. In addition, Esther has participated in humanitarian aid missions to Russia, Cuba, and has joined a Medical Team to Honduras on sixteen occasions.

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Migrant Workers Exploitation: Learn and Act (16+)

with Leah Watkiss + Sabrina Chiefari + Varka Kalaydzhieva

For years, migrant workers coming to Canada have been subjected to exploitation by employers, landlords, supervisors. Many are underpaid, overworked, abused. This experiential exercise leads participants to experience the exploitation migrant workers face when they arrive in Canada. Through a role-play, participants are guided through some of the exploitation workers experience at various stages of their migration, such as recruitment debt, dangerous work conditions, unlawful pay deductions, and crowded and unsanitary living conditions. After a debrief, the participants are asked to engage in various forms of support, advocacy and reflection.

about the facilitators

Leah is Ministry Director of the Sisters of St Joseph of Toronto’s Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care. She has over 10 years of experience working for social justice with Christian non-profits. She holds an M.A. in Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego. Sabrina (she/her/elle) is a Catholic Environmental Educator from Tkaronto/Toronto. As Creation Care Animator for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, she’s a long time proponent of Deep Ecology and Integral Ecology. She holds a certificate in Community Arts Practice and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from York University. Varka is Project Manager in the Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. She has in interest and experience in various social justice issues, including migrant justice and human trafficking.

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