Episode 8 - The Mining Injustice Solidarity Network

The Telephone Booth Gallery, 3148 Dundas St. W, Toronto

LISTEN 59:52

Sakura Saunders and Brendan Soares, from the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, sat down with Jim and I at the Telephone Booth Gallery. We used the personal journeys that led them to become mining activists as a road into discussions of Canadian foreign policy regarding mining, some of the sad consequences of it, and the need for homegrown awareness and activism in response.   It's quite a story for this Californian whose passion of justice led her to Toronto and drummer/co-songwriter who's life changed when he went to the Philippines to help change the lives of its inhabitants. 

Sakura Saunders: Sakura Saunders is an organizer for ProtestBarrick.net, an all-volunteer online network of groups researching and organizing around mining issues, particularly involving Barrick Gold. Sakura also co-founded the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network in Toronto which focuses on creating a platform for mining-impacted communities to share their stories in Toronto. 

Brendan Soares: Brendan Soares is the drummer/co-songwriter for the Toronto based politically driven prog-rock band SLYDE. Brendan has been interning with Mining Injustice Solidarity Network since September 2012 and is currently in his final semester in the Community Worker program at George Brown College.

Visual Residue features recent paintings by Paolo Fortin and print 
works by Tim Laurin that explore the ephemeral qualities of 
recollection and memory, transience and isolation. 

The Telephone Booth Gallery: Established in 2010, Telephone Booth Gallery is located in the Junction, a bourgeoning west end Toronto neighbourhood.  The gallery exhibits contemporary Canadian and international artists.  The Gallery Director, Sharlene Rankin, has a keen interest in nurturing emerging talent, with a focus on materials and process-oriented works.



Song List:
Lies by Slyde
Bling is Dead by Test Their Logic

Links:
Mining Resistance SPRING INTO ACTION
Mining Injustice Solidarity Network
The Telephone Booth Gallery
Global Youth Volunteer Network

Outtakes 11:13

Episode 7 - Building Community through Art, Culture and Politics

LISTEN: 62:28

Beit Zatoun is a cultural centre, gallery and community meeting space in downtown Toronto that promotes the interplay of art, culture and politics to explore issues of social justice and human rights, both locally and internationally. Through music, poetry, film, public forums, visual art, conversations and more, Beit Zatoun contributes to an understanding of social and political issues in ways that strengthen and connect both communities and individuals interested in bringing about change.  We spoke to founder Robert Massoud on site.

Songs
Oil Harvest Song - Arabic folkloric from Palestine
"Oh Palestine" by Jim Page
"Where Are All the Children" by Diem Lafortune "Mama D"

Episode 6 - Investigative Poetry Night

Join us at La Revolucion when actor and cheeky writer Andy Boorman is our guest host for a night of investigative poetry - think investigative journalists who are poets. Each poet will introduce a song, performed live, after reading their poems of history and social consciousness.

ATC co-Host and York U professor of philosophy Jim Vernon will provide an introduction to the history of Investigative Poesy, as envisioned by Ed Sanders.

Line-up:

-Poet/Writer Mike Spry with musician Indira Nanavati Cadena Topic: D.B. Cooper
-ATF co-Host/Writer Louis Marrone with musician Ian Goodtimes - Topic: 2002 Senate Report on Cannabis
-Poet Ryan Boggs with musician Richard McCarthy Topic: first nations rights and current living conditions on reservations

The poetry readings will be followed by more live music.

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Episode 5 - Must Teachers Sacrifice to Put Students First?

Laura McCoy is a teacher in downtown Toronto and a union steward for the Elementary Teachers of Toronto. She has been teaching in Toronto for 15 years. Laura has two school aged children who greatly benefit from a strong public school system, and remind her that it's worth fighting for.  We recorded this interview with kind permission at The Rustic Owl.

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Episode 4 - Next Steps in a Student Revolution

Hugo Bonin is a spokesperson for CLASSE, one of the 3 main student unions in Quebec. He was studying at Concordia University and is now a student at York U. We interviewed him in the wake of the Parti Quebecois' victory in the last Quebec Election.  We interviewed him from Quebec via Skype.

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Episode 3 - Peoples' Media, Peoples' Struggles

Steve da Silva is one of the founders of BASICS Community News Service, a former editor with the media organization for three years, and continues to serve as a people's journalist with the organization in Toronto, where he has spent most of his life. da Silva also represents the organization in one of the alliances it participates in, the Canadian chapter of the International League of People's Struggles, where he is serving an 18-month term as its Vice-Chairperson. da Silva is also doing a doctorate in political economy at York University, and he's also a new father to little Rosa Leila.

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Episode 2 - Mining Rights vs. Human Rights

Tara Scurr is Amnesty International Canada`s Business and Human Rights campaigner.Since 1993, she has worked with social justice movements in Central America on issues related to human rights defenders and corporate accountability. In 2006, she joined Amnesty`s Business and Human Rights team and in the last few months participated on two Amnesty International research missions to Guatemala to investigate the impact of extractives industries on Indigenous peoples. She no longer wears the Canadian flag on her backpack while travelling there.


LISTEN

Guest Links:
www.amnesty.ca