Featured Events

Opirg Mcmaster Events Listing

Canada Summer Jobs Position with OPIRG McMaster

Begins at June 4th 12:00 AM, 2007 Organized by OPIRG McMaster

Reweaving a Life:  Art of Women Weavers of Palm – Their Struggle with Poverty, Water and Pride –

Project Assistant

Description:

The “Reweaving a Life” Art Project portrays the daily reality of women who are basket weavers living in acute poverty, both economic and spiritual, and who are caught in a complex web of social disintegration coupled with environmental degradation.  Today, these indigenous women of Tlamacazapa, Mexico struggle to recreate s sense of worth and identity through a reweaving of perception of self and inner strength.  Canadian artists are contributing their time and talent to capture this process.  Yar Taraky of Hamilton and Karen Kulyk of Halifax have joined Mexican artists, Alejandro Gonzalez Aranda and Maya Saenz Romero on the project.  The project is a joint initiative between the Ontario Public Interest Research Group McMaster and Caminamos Juntos Para Salud y Desarrollo (Walking Together for Health and Development) Mexico.  Caminamos Juntos is an external presence that is stimulating a process for change in rhythm with the people of Tlamacazapa, helping them to recover and recreate their cultural identity and a more meaningful way of life.  A group of nine women participants from the village have opened their hearts and their homes to enable the production of a series of paintings each portraying aspects of their lives and the coming social changes, with basket weaving as a consistent theme.  The art (including the palm baskets made by the women participants of the project and photographs adding context to the exhibition) debuted at the prestigious National Museum of Popular Culture in Mexico City, a museum dedicated to indigenous culture and cosmology.  It has traveled throughout Mexico and is scheduled to arrive in Canada in August of 2007.  The Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario has invited the women weavers to Canada for their Indigenous Market Place, a festival that employs traditional artists to celebrate the Indigenous spirit and will to survive.  The Tlamacazapa women weavers will be highlighted as indigenous artists, demonstrating an ancient art form that has been preserved over centuries.  The Reweaving a Life exhibit will be exhibited in Hamilton following the Indigenous Market Place in Brantford.  The weavers will be invited to offer weaving demonstrations and deliver public talks.  The exhibit is scheduled for the Glenbow Museum in Calgary for April – June, 2008.  Other Canadian venues are being explored.

Description of Work Tasks of Canada Summer Jobs Employee:

Seek funding support

Assist in venue set-up

Communicate with Reweaving a Life project members in Mexico

Locate billeting for the women weavers while in Hamilton

Prepare publicity and promotion of events in Hamilton

Assist when requested with publicity etc. related to the events at the Woodland Cultural Centre

Link with arts, native, and church organizations

Plan a schedule of weaving demonstrations and public talks for the women weavers

Plan an opening night gala

Assist with setting up a display unit of baskets and other fair trade items in OPIRG office

Update the Mexico Working Group page on the OPIRG McMaster web-site

Assist in locating other appropriate venues for the exhibit in Canada

Research how multi-national agencies are set-up in terms of infrastructure (policy and program planning) and report to Caminamos Juntos for use as a template for their organization

The project assistant will work for 9 weeks, 35 hours per week at a rate of $12 per hour. Please send a cover letter and resume to OPIRG McMaster by Monday, June 4, 2008.

 

Unexpert Lecture Series

Begins at June 4th 07:00 PM, 2007

Ends at June 4th 09:30 PM, 2007

Organized by Students for a Renegade Society

We don't need legitimacy to be wise!  Three "unexperts" share their ideas about things that they care about in a non-hierarchical, open space.  Past lectures have included topics like squatting, sustainable living, industrial beauty, the education system, and more... This month, look out for lectures on Smiling, Botch Cookies, Six Nations Experiences, Menstruation, and more!  Everyone is welcome, no PhDs necessary!!

Join us at the Skydragon Community Development Cooperative, 27 King William Street, 7pm on

Monday June 4th.

Email srs@ecologyfund.net for more info, or to schedule your own unexpert lecture!

Guatemalan Gala – Dinner and Dance

Begins at June 23rd 06:00 PM, 2007

Organized by Guatemala Working Group

An evening of traditional food and Latin dancing in support of community initiatives in rural Guatemala.

Traditional Guatemalan Dinner

Free Salsa Lesson

Dancing

DJ Ronny D

Silent Auction

50/50 Draw

Keynote Speakers:

Rebekah Shoop, Coordinator Alianza

Sheny Rodriquez, Founder of Escuela

Padre Tiziano Sofia

Location:  Union Hall, 350 Kenilworth Ave. North

Date:  Saturday, June 23, 2007

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Cost:  $30 per ticket

Tickets sold in advance

Please contact:  905-525-5865 or the OPIRG office at 905-525-9140 ext. 27289

Co-sponsored by the OPIRG McMaster Guatemalan Working Group

 

Cartoons Speak!

Begins at June 23rd 07:00 PM, 2007

Organized by OPIRG McMaster

CartoonsSpeak!

A Celebration and Exhibition of the Afghani political cartoons of Said Shiragha Rahimi who was tragically killed in a car accident in Hamilton.

This is a fundraiser in support of the Rahimi Family.

Join us on Saturday, June 23rd, Reception: 7 to 10 at The Pearl Company

MC for the evening will be Jeff Goodes, Host of CBC’s ‘Fresh Air’

With Special Guests: Terry Mosher (aka Aislin) of the Montreal Gazette    

Brian Gable of the Toronto Globe & Mail

Graeme MacKay of the Hamilton Spectator

Roy Carless local political cartoonist

Talk by these renowned Canadian political cartoonists: 8:00pm

Tickets: $30.00 - available at Bryan Prince Bookseller, The Carnegie Gallery, Arts Hamilton, La Jardinere (Locke St),The Pearl, Immigrant Culture and Art Association, OPIRG McMaster

Afghani hors d’oeuvres!  Door prizes!  Live music!

Questions?  Call The Pearl at 905-524-0606 or email: cartoonsspeak@gmail.com or

opirg@mcmaster.ca

NETO project

Begins at July 13th 12:00 AM, 2007 Ends at July 15th 12:00 AM, 2007

Organized by Anti-Poverty Working Group

*NETO project*

Begins at July 13th 12:00 AM, 2007 Ends at July 15th 7:00 PM

Organized by Anti-Poverty Working Group

The Anti Poverty working group is currently supporting a new project called Neto, at the Six Nations on River Road. Neto means People Living Here. The project which was initiated by Larry Green will involve a community garden.

The Anti Poverty working group is planning a weekend camp out at Larry's farm for July 13, 14, and 15 in order to help out at the farm. In the old way of doing things, community got together to help each other. The Anti Poverty working group would like to support this traditional way of thinking by inviting everyone to participate.

Volunteers are needed to help with the garden and horses, the fire and and food preparation. On the first day there will be a potlatch dinner. In the evenings there will be drumming and singing and a sacred fire. Have the time of your life!

If you are interested please e-mail: ah735@hwcn.org

Food Not Bombs Servings

Begins at April 1st 04:30 PM, 2007 Ends at January 1st 12:00 AM, 2008

Organized by Food Not Bombs!

FOOD NOT BOMBS will be serving free vegetarian meals every Sunday in Gore Park, starting between 430 and 5pm. Free food unconditionally!

If you want to help with food collection, cooking, serving and/or clean up, you're most welcome, and we're always looking for more food and utensil donations, if you can help out (especially if you have contacts in grocery stores or bakeries).

Email: ahamiltonfnb@gmail.com for more info, or come visit us in the park any and every Sunday. We'll also be serving at various radical events in the community, when the opportunities arise - give us a shout.

Recycle Cycles

Begins at May 5th 12:00 AM, 2007 Ends at May 6th 12:00 AM, 2008

Organized by Recycle Cycles

Hamilton's first and only all volunteer-run, community-based non-profit bicycle repair workshop     * Location - 19 Pearl Street North, Hamilton, Ontario (basement of Erskine Presbyterian Church - enter off Morden Street)

    * Hours -

    * Open to the public - Saturday's 9am to 12 noon; Volunteer shop hours Tuesday's 6-9 pm

Recycle Cycles Goals: to prevent unused bikes from being discarded/to promote cycling as a non-polluting transportation option/to make bicycles and bicycling accessible/to empower individuals with bicycle maintenance skills/to promote bicycle safety

    * What do we do? RC accepts community donations of bikes and bike parts/provide fixed bikes in exchange for a donation/operate a workshop where we provide advice and tools for bike repair, in exchange for sweat equity or a donation/organize special events to promote cycling in the Hamilton Community/donate bikes to humanitarian causes

Contact - 905-577-7753.

Since 1998! Recycle Cycles is associated with the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) McMaster