Radical Pedagogy
CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF EDUCATION AND WORK – UPDATE 12th OCTOBER 2009
OUR MANDATE: The Centre for the Study of Education and Work (CSEW) brings together educators from university, union, and community settings to understand and enrich the often-undervalued informal and formal learning of working people. We develop research and teaching programs at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (UofT) that strengthen feminist, anti-racist, labour movement, and working-class perspectives on learning and work.
Our major project is APCOL: Anti-Poverty Community Organizing and Learning. This five-year project (2009-2013), funded by SSHRC-CURA, brings academics and activists together in a collaborative effort to evaluate how organizations approach issues and campaigns and use popular education.
To change your subscription settings, visit http://listserv.oise.utoronto.ca/mailman/listinfo/csewbroadcast
For more information about CSEW, visit: http://www.csew.ca
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NOW AVAILABLE! UPDATED & EXPANDED EDITION OF “INTEGRATING EQUITY, ADDRESSING BARRIERS: INNOVATIVE LEARNING PRACTICES BY UNIONS”
The Labour Education Centre is pleased to announce the publication of the updated and expanded new edition of the report “Integrating Equity, Addressing Barriers: Innovative Learning Practices by Unions”.
Available on LEC’s website: http://www.laboureducation.org Printed copies are available for $10 plus shipping / 25% discount for 10 or more copies.
The second edition features 11 new sketches as well as updates for most of the 35 sketches included in the first edition.
Original 2-4 page “sketches” provide a sampling of programs from different parts of Canada. The 46 sketches include programs from local, provincial and national unions, from central labour bodies at the labour council, regional building trades council, provincial and territorial federation and level of the Canadian Labour Congress. Some are joint union-management initiatives; some are community-sponsored. Each sketch outlines how the program started and evolved, impacts and what’s next, contact information and references. The 190-page report includes an introduction and additional references.
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THE POLITICS OF OLDER ADULT EDUCATION: POSSIBILITIES FOR TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICE
Marvin Formosa, University of Malta
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
12.00-1.30 pm
Room 7-162, OISE/University of Toronto
252 Bloor St. West, Toronto
In recent decades, late-life learning has developed into a global success story. Whether holding a ‘top-down’ administrative arrangement or embodying a culture of self-help, there can be no doubt as to the triumph of programs in meeting the educational, social, and psychological needs of older persons. However, a cautionary note must be warranted. Research has reported that in many cases programs of older adult education tend to function as yet another euphemism for glorified occupational therapy that is both conservative and oppressive. Moreover, practice models seem to be running the risk of becoming obsolete as societies embark on a ‘late-modern’ (as opposed to a ‘modernist’) model of the life course in which the sequential division between learning, work and retirement is becoming increasingly blurred.
This seminar puts forward the suggestion that older adult education must go through a cultural revolution to remain relevant to current ageing lifestyles as well as become an agent of transformative change. Seven possible directions are outlined: embracing a transformational rationale, ensuring that access overcomes class, gender and ethnic biases to become more equally distributed, guaranteeing that teaching and learning strategies are suited to older persons, promoting ICT knowledge whilst making greater use of e-learning techniques, extending its activities to frail and physically dependent elders including those in residential/nursing homes, and organizing activities that promote intergenerational learning.
Marvin Formosa (European Centre of Gerontology, University of Malta) is currently writing a handbook on ‘Lifelong Learning in Later Life’ (Sense, 2010). He has published on older adult learning in the journals Education and Ageing, Ageing International, Recerca, and Malta Review of Educational Research. His most recent publications include ‘Class Dynamics in Later Life’ and ‘Supporting Family Careers of Older Persons in Europe’. This year, Marvin Formosa is a visiting scholar in the Adult Education and Community Development Program, OISE/UT.
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VINCENZO PIETROPAOLO – HARVEST PILGRIMS EXHIBIT
Launch: Sunday, October 18
1-5 pm
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
51 Stuart Street
Hamilton, ON
905-522-3003
http://www.wahc-museum.ca
Acclaimed Canadian documentary photographer and social activist Vincenzo Pietropaolo has been photographing migrant agriculture workers and recording their stories since 1984 – in the process travelling to forty locations throughout Ontario and to their homes in Mexico, Jamaica, and Montserrat.
Pietropaolo has borne witness to these “harvest pilgrims” — tens of thousands of migrant workers who arrive in the spring, leave in the fall, are the backbone of the agricultural industry in Canada — yet continue to be denied many of the basic workplace rights that protect other workers in Canada.
Meet the artist at the book launch and photo exhibition of HARVEST PILGRIMS, Sunday October 18.
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TRANSFORMING CRITICAL PEDAGOGY: REFLECTIONS ON THE FREIRE CONFERENCE GATHERING IN SPAIN, OCTOBER 28
*Do you look at the world and feel that things need to change?
* Do you watch the news everyday in sadness and despair waiting for that one news item that would give you hope for the world you live in?
* Do you believe that another world is possible?
Then come join The Transformative Learning Centre at OISE for our 2009-2010 Dialogue Circles Series.
Upcoming events include:
*Transforming Critical Pedagogy: Reflections on the Freire Conference Gathering in Spain, Emear O’Neill, Wednesday October 28
* Buy-Nothing Day, Wednesday November 25
* Inter-faith Dialogue, Wednesday December 16
Everyone is invited!
Hosted in the 7th Floor Peace Lounge at OISE, 252 Bloor St. W (at St. George) from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, last Wednesday of every month, Sept 2009 to April 2010.
For more information, visit the TLC website at: http://tlc.oise.utoronto.ca
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ISRAEL / PALESTINE: FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM TO TEACH
A conference on elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education – rights and repression
Friday, October 16, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 17, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street, Toronto
Friday, October 16 Panel:
7:00-9:00: Sharing Stories of Repression and Fightback Panelists include Javier Davila, Adnan Husain, Golta Shahidi, and Palestinian educator, Saed Abu-Hijleh
Saturday, October 17 Programme: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
9:00 – 10:30 – Keynote addresses: Yafa Jarrar and Sherene Razack
11:00-12:30 – Sectoral Workshops
*Post-Secondary Faculty – Academic Research, Conferences, Publication and Organizing
*Post-Secondary Faculty -Teaching and the Curriculum
*Elementary and Secondary Teachers – The Classroom, the Curriculum and Finding Spaces within the Union
*Student Organizing
*Community
Lunch – 12:30 – 1:30 – vegetarian with vegan and gluten-free options (included in registration)
1:30 – 2:30 – Legal Context: Know Your Rights as Activists – Yutaka Dirks and Irina Ceric
2:45 – 4:00 – Plenary
4:00 – 4:15 – Closing Comments
Registration: $5–$30 sliding scale (incl. lunch with vegetarian, vegan,and gluten-free options)
For further information and to pre-register, contact us at freedomtoteach.registration@yahoo.ca.
*Organized by Educators for Peace and Justice, Faculty for Palestine, and Students Against Israeli Apartheid*
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INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY WEEK – TORONTO
Forums, art, performances and discussions supporting and celebrating the Indigenous struggle for land and sovereignty on Turtle Island
http://www.defendersoftheland.org/toronto
October 26 – November 1, 2009
Invited speakers include:
* Arthur Manuel, Secwepemc Nation
* Algonquins of Barriere Lake
* Shawn Brant, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
* Pauline Shirt, Plains Cree
* Russell Diabo, Mohawk Nation, Kahnawake.
* Grafton Antone, Oneida
* Vicki Monague, Beausoleil FN
Featured events:
* Opening Ceremonies with Men’s and Women’s Drum Circle, Youth slam poetry and speaker
* Dear Harper: A Canadian Colonial History
* Justice Redone
* Struggles for Land
* Haudenosaunee Storytelling
* The Great Indian Bus Tour. Exploring the indigenous history of Toronto
* Building the Circle Stronger: Traditional feast, Sharing Circle and Next Steps meeting
* and more …
Full schedule will be updated shortly. Please visit our website often.
Email iswtoronto@gmail.com for more.
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VIDEO: SOLIDARITY! RESISTANCE! CHANGE! ORGANIZING WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES
Steve Williams in Toronto, October 2 2009
Steve Williams is co-director of the California based group POWER: People Organized to win Employment Rights, which since the late 1990’s has been one of the most important Worker’s Action Centres in the U.S., and co-authour of the book Towards Land, Work and Power: Charting a Path of Resistance to U.S.-led Imperialism.
* Moderated by Stephanie Ross – Prof. Labour Studies, York University.
* Sam Gindin – Visiting Packer Chair in Social Justice at York University.
A Left Streamed Video: http://www.socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/
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PLANNING MEETING FOR DAY OF ACTION, CAMPAIGN FOR A POVERTY-FREE ONTARIO
On behalf of the over 300,000 members of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, we would like to invite your organisation to participate in and help shape the campaign for a Poverty-Free Ontario, bringing students, community and labour organisations together in a united call for the government to invest in people by supporting basic social services and standards. Your organisation has been contacted to participate because you have endorsed the campaign for a Poverty-Free Ontario or have expressed interest in doing so.
On October 15, we will be holding a planning meeting to discuss how we can coordinate our organising and build for the day of action. The planning meeting will be held on:
Thursday, October 15
12 pm
Ryerson Student Center
55 Gould Street, Toronto
We are pleased to invite a representative of your organisation to join us for a catered lunch and a discussion of how to effectively mobilise to challenge our government’s spending priorities and call for investment in people.
Please RSVP soon, and notify us of who is able to attend. We will be following up in the next few days to confirm participation. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.
In solidarity,
Shelley Melanson
Chairperson Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario
office – 416.925.3825 x 29
cell – 416.882.9927
http://www.cfsontario.ca
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ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR EMPLOYMENT EQUITY SEMINAR
November 9 & 10
Doubletree International Plaza Hotel
655 Dixon Road, Toronto
Mobilizing for equality rights makes our unions, the trades labour movement and communities stronger and better for everyone. To increase our actions the OFL is holding a seminar on Employment Equity.
Although the Employment Equity legislation was dismantled in 1995 by the Conservative Harris government, the labour movement has continued to push for employment equity gains through collective bargaining over the past decade.
The seminar will assist advocates through political action and collective bargaining, dispel myths and focus on the positive realities of employment equity and help overcome the challenges of implementing employment equity.
The registration fee is $150. The deadline for registration is October 26, 2007.
For more information or to register, contact Catherine Corcoran, Secretary
p: 416-443-7656, f: 416.441.0722, email: ccorcoran@ofl.ca
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FORUM – FROM CRISIS TO JUSTICE: LABOUR AND COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER FOR AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC FUTURE
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sheraton Centre Hotel
Toronto, Ontario
The population of Ontario is becoming more diverse. By 2011 most new entrants to the labour force will be peoples of colour. Yet in percentage terms, fewer and fewer peoples of colour are joining unions.
To bring about a deeper familiarity between unions and communities, unions must work in solidarity with peoples of colour on issues that are important to these communities, in order to build long lasting relationships of trust, respect and sustainability.
Why? The survival of the labour movement is at stake.
The Forum will:
* Link activists from unions and community organizations to advance a shared vision for social, economic and environmental justice in our workplaces and in our communities;
* Develop best practices and policies that can be implemented locally, provincially and nationally through collective bargaining and form the framework to lobby for effective provincial and national employment equity and for organizing legislation.
* Increase public awareness of the potential for “green-collar” jobs to provide equitable pathways out of poverty, curb global warming, and transform the economy.
The registration fee is $130 per delegate and cheques are payable to “OFL From Crisis to Justice Forum”. Delegates can register on-line at http://www.ofl.ca
Registration and payment must be received by November 1, 2009.
Additional information and forms can be found on the OFL website: http://www.ofl.ca or contact us directly by calling Paulette Hazel at 416.443.7667 – toll free 1.(800).668.9138 or e-mail phazel@ofl.ca
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HERE’S THE SKINNY ON WHY WAL-MART IS SO EVIL (AND HAS MADE SUCH A KILLING)
By David Moberg, In These Times.
Wal-Mart’s origins in the Ozarks created a patriarchal and religiously-tinged corporate culture that dominated the American marketplace.
http://www.alternet.org/story/143009/here%27s_the_skinny_on_why_wal-mart_is_so_evil_(and_has_made_such_a_killing)
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ORGANIZED AGAINST LABOR: ATTACKS ON UNIVERSITY UNION CENTERS
Source: Inside Higher Education
Conservative group has been filing information requests and complaints against university centers that work with unions; AAUP charges violation of academic freedom.
To read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/12/labor
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NEW REPORT! ALLIANCES FOR CHANGE: ORGANIZING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Workers’ centers, youth-based action groups, and urban justice organizations are among those changing the face of traditional community organizing. Many of these groups engage a range of approaches beyond targeted campaign work from service delivery to media ownership to voter engagement. This report looks at nearly a dozen examples of organizing efforts rising to scale and adapting to the urgent challenges and political opportunities at the beginning of the 21st century.
http://www.buildingmovement.org/news/entry/93
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MICHAEL MOORE WAS RIGHT: PROGRESSIVES DON’T WATCH ENOUGH TV
By Vanessa Richmond, AlterNet.
Why TV is ground zero for understanding American culture — the 9 best shows on air that you should be watching.
http://www.alternet.org/story/143178/michael_moore_was_right%3A_progressives_don%27t_watch_enough_tv
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REPORT – CANADA IS FALLING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES ON SOCIAL INNOVATION
Cross-sector collaboration needed to advance social innovation in Canada
October 8, 2009 – Canada is falling behind other countries, such as Australia, the UK and the US in recognizing the value of social innovation (SI) for addressing complex public policy issues.
A new report from Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN), Social Innovation in Canada: An Update by Mark Goldenberg, Wathira Kamoji, Larry Orton and Michael Williamson highlights the urgency of the social challenges before us, such as climate change, sustainability, poverty and globalization, particularly in the midst of a global economic downturn, and points to the importance of fostering SI as a solution.
The report notes that while governments in Canada have acknowledged the importance of social capital and the social economy, and have been relatively active in these areas in recent years, Canada has missed opportunities to encourage SI by failing to develop adequate models for public support, engagement and funding. The report calls on Canadian leaders to establish a cross-sectoral national strategy to advance SI in this country.
To read more: http://www.cprn.org/doc.cfm?doc=2057&l=en&utm_source=20091008&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
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MURRAY DOBBIN’S BLOG – THE VALUE OF TILTING AT WINDMILLS
It’s easy to get demoralized these days with so much going wrong around the world. So it is incredibly encouraging to see a campaign for justice and workers’ health and safety prevail against supposedly insurmountable odds.
That is how the “odds” would have been described a year and a half ago for anyone musing about taking on the asbestos industry in Quebec.
To read more: http://murraydobbin.ca/2009/10/08/the-value-of-tilting-at-windmills/
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REQUEST FOR PAPERS – COSMOPOLITANISM AND COLLECTIVITY: CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS VS. THEORIES OF COMMUNITY IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY
We are inviting paper proposals for an accepted seminar at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Comparative Literature Association (New Orleans, April 1-4). Please do not submit proposals directly to the organizers–see specific instructions for online submission below. Papers must be submitted before November 13. Note: seminars at the ACLA are typically held over the course of three days–participants are expected to attend all meetings.
Session description: “Cosmopolitanism and Collectivity: Cultural Representations vs. Theories of Community in the 20th and 21st Century”
This panel intends to interrogate the relationship between collectivity and cosmopolitanism by studying the disjoints between the accounts of both concepts produced by culture on the one hand and theory on the other. The ultimate goal of this panel will be to complicate our understanding of the possibilities and limitations of contemporary forms of collectivity in relation to a renewed interest in the category of the universal in general and concepts such as cosmopolitanism in particular. Furthermore, this panel seeks to trace the historically and materially concrete determinations that link current conceptions of collectivity and cosmopolitanism. However, it strives to do so not by focusing on the harmonic parallels but rather on the contestations and differences between theoretical and cultural versions of thinking/representing the collective.
Proposals should not be submitted directly to the organizers but via the ACLA website prior to November 13, 2009: http://www.acla.org/submit/index.php.
When submitting a proposal, be sure to select the correct title of the seminar to which you are applying in the dropdown menu immediately following the field for the proposal text.
General information about the conference topic and logistics can be found on the ACLA 2010 website: http://www.acla.org/acla2010/
Please feel free to contact us any time with questions or concerns–all best,
Emilio Sauri (University of Illinois at Chicago), esauri1@uic.edu
Mathias Nilges (St. Francis Xavier University, Canada), mnilges@stfx.ca
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CO-OP WEEK: A TIME TO CELEBRATE!
Co-op Week– October 11-17 — is here, and co-operators across Canada are preparing for next week’s celebrations.
Co-op Week is a time for co-op and credit union members across Canada to reflect on the achievements of the co-operative sector and the contribution our sector has made to the lives of Canadians and their communities.
This year Co-op Week themes focus on the advantages of co-operatives and credit unions in an uncertain economy. Co-op Week 2009 is highlighting three of these advantages:
Co-operatives are…putting people first
Co-operatives are…creating sustainable jobs
Co-operatives are…investing in communities
In addition, International Credit Union Day — which will be celebrated this year on Thursday, October 15 — will have its own theme “Your Money, Your Choice, Your Credit Union”.
A calendar of Co-op Week events activities can be found at http://www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/CoopWeekEvents
If your event isn’t listed, please contact Donna Balkan at communications@coopscanada.coop and it will be posted as soon as possible.
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CALL FOR ADVISORS – BEST START RESOURCE CENTRE
Over the past few years, the Best Start Resource Centre (http://www.beststart.org), a program of Health Nexus, has produced a number of brochures and booklets on topics related to preconception, pregnancy and child development. These documents have generally been produced in French and English and have mainly been distributed in Ontario.
Health Nexus (http://www.healthnexus.ca) has recently received funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ontario Region, to translate eight of their existing resources for the general public into other languages. Our standard resource adaptation process includes input from advisors as well as testing with end users, to ensure that adaptations meet the needs of the various linguistic and cultural groups. To this end, Health Nexus is seeking two Advisors for each of the following languages:
1. Arabic
2. Tagalog (Filipino)
3. Spanish
4. Punjabi
5. Urdu
6. Hindi
7. Tamil
8. Simplified Chinese
At least one Advisor per language will be a service provider working in reproductive health or child development. Advisors will review the identified resources, provide insights on adaptations needed to make the resources linguistically and culturally appropriate, and help ensure proper wording. Advisors will review the completed translations. An honorarium will be provided to each Advisor.
This project begins immediately, and is to be completed by March 31st, 2010.
If you are interested in being an Advisor, please send a brief (300 words or less) letter of interest outlining your background and experience by October 14, 2009 to:
Subha Sankaran
Health Promotion Consultant
Health Nexus
s.sankaran@healthnexus.ca
http://www.healthnexus.ca
http://www.beststart.org
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JOB POSTING: PROJECT COORDINATOR – COLOUR OF POVERTY CAMPAIGN
The Colour of Poverty Campaign seeks to hire an individual committed to racial justice to help coordinate a province wide project to increase awareness of and efforts to mitigate the impact of racialized poverty and racial inequities. The project aims at building community capacity through various activities in six communities across Ontario, namely, Hamilton, London, Peel, Ottawa, Toronto, and Windsor.
Responsibilities:
* Overall coordination of the project, meeting timelines and deliverables
* Liaison with and support of the six lead partners at the 6 project sites
* Research, writing and development of new tools
* Assist in organizing the web content, working with the webmaster to make the site the go-to site in the province for racial equity work and analysis as it relates to racialized communities, particularly with respect to poverty reduction and eradication
* Help organize training for community animators for the 6 communities
* Help organize the first community meeting in each of the 6 communities
Qualifications:
* Post-secondary degree from a recognized university related to education, social work, political science, community development or interdisciplinary studies.
* Knowledge and experience conducting public education, outreach, community development, and policy analysis
* Experience working with community groups, non-profit agencies, advocacy or activist groups
* Experience with campaign strategy and grassroots mobilization
* Experience in event planning, conducting workshops, training and facilitation
* Ability to take initiative and problem solve with minimal supervision
* Excellent facilitation, organization, writing and communication skills
* Knowledge and understanding of anti-oppression and anti-racism frameworks
* Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is an asset
* Must be able to attend meetings on evenings and weekends
Duration: 1 year contract – Full Time 35 hours per week
Salary: $45,000 pa (including statutory benefits)
Deadline for application: November 20, 2009
Anticipated start date: January 2, 2010
Please send cover letter, resume and writing sample in confidence to the Colour of Poverty Campaign Steering Committee c/o the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic at 180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1701, Toronto, Ontario. Fax: (416) 971-9674 or email: goa@lao.on.ca
The Colour of Poverty Campaign is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from members of racialized communities, First Nations People, women, and people with disabilities. We thank all applicants but only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.
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JOB POSTING: KAIROS PARTNERS AND NETWORKS ASSOCIATE
KAIROS, the national social justice of eleven national churches and church related organizations, is seeking a Partners and Networks Associate to join our outreach team.
The Partners and Network Associate works to strengthen KAIROS’ relationships with partners from the Global South, Canadian ecumenical activist networks and the general public. S/he collaborates with partnership staff in coordinating the visits of Southern partners to Canada, and plans special events with partners to engage donors, foundations, government and networks. S/he also facilitates general promotion of KAIROS and promotion and distribution of KAIROS print resources The Partners and Networks Associate is on the front line for information and support to KAIROS activists, and shares reception responsibilities.
If you are a creative, energetic individual with a passion for engaging people in social justice, please apply.
To read the complete posting, click here: http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/who-we-are/job-opportunities/
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ONLINE JOURNAL ARTICLES
* Addressing the underemployment of persons with disabilities: Recommendations for expanding organizational social responsibility
Karen S. Markel, Lizabeth A. Barclay
Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t0087r34h1000720/
* First approaches toward understanding Mexico City’s culture of consumption
Steven B. Bunker
Journal of Urban History published 8 October 2009, 10.1177/0096144209349894
http://juh.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0096144209349894v1
*All the world’s New York, all New York’s a stage: Drama, draft riots, and democracy in the mid-nineteenth century
Hilary Moss
Journal of Urban History published 22 September 2009, 10.1177/0096144209347095
http://juh.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0096144209347095v1
* Private equity and American labor: Multiple, pragmatic responses mirroring labor’s strengths and weaknesses
Larry W. Beeferman
JIR 2009;51 543-556
http://jir.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/51/4/543
* Sin city or suburban crucible? Searching for meanings in the new Las Vegas
Lawrence Culver
Journal of Urban History published 15 September 2009, 10.1177/0096144209347100
http://juh.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0096144209347100v1
*Book Review: DeRienzo, H. (2008). The Concept of Community: Lessons From the Bronx. Milan, Italy: IPOC di Pietro Condemi
Angela M. Eikenberry
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 2009;38 905-907
http://nvs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/38/5/905
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Posted here by Glenn Rikowski
The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk
