APIRG Sponsored Projects and Events
Ongoing and Upcoming Projects and Events
Youth ARMI
Youth Access to Radio and Media Initiative (Youth ARMI)'s mandate is empowering youth through hands-on access to radio and media by providing educational workshops, technical training, and equipment to various youth programs, drop-in centers, and schools. Youth in this program will produce opinion pieces, conduct interviews, write news pieces, and produce radio plays and documentaries. The end product of the youth’s creative efforts will air on a regular program called “Say It Like You Mean It” on CJSR 88.5 FM. The additional aim of the project, therefore, is to promote the fair and accurate representation of youth voices by showcasing youthful perspectives on a variety of issues.
Youth ARMI encourages young people to become actively engaged in their communities, express their opinions, and develop leadership skills that enable them to take ownership of the project. Youth will be paired with media mentors; professionals in broadcasting and journalism who will provide workshops and/or one-on-one training and assistance with their productions. Go to the CJSR news website to listen.
SIHA
The Students’ International Health Association (SIHA) Local Projects is a student group of the University of Alberta. In partnership with HIV Edmonton, SIHA is committed to transforming primary health care philosophy into action. Our projects are based on the ideals of universal health care with principles of sustainable, community-based programming. This group of university students is dedicated to delivering information about HIV/AIDS and positive lifestyle choices to Edmonton high schools, youth organizations and youth shelters. The past three years have seen the successful implementation of our HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C Youth Education Project, “Think Positive. Test Negative,” as well as our new Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) curriculum, which aims to provide youth with information on a broad range of sexually transmitted infections. Go to the website.
Edmonton Anarchist Bookfair
This event will offer anarchists, other activists and progressive grassroots groups the opportunity to attend workshops, access alternative media, share knowledge and ideas, and make contacts. Previous workshops and tables have included offerings by Albertan anarchist, labour, environmental, feminist, animal rights and indigenous groups, as well as by groups from Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and British Columbia. Go to the website.
Aboriginal Health Speaker Series
The Aboriginal Health Speaker Series plans to make the health of Aboriginal people more aware in the eyes of university students. Monthly speakers on Aboriginal health issues and initiatives help improve an understanding of Aboriginal people and their health. Bridging the gap of research and practice is the ultimate goal of this series and hopefully, through a shared understanding students will become more competent in their understanding of Aboriginal people; thus, allowing for improved health outcomes for all. Email the organizers.
Past Projects and Events
This is just a sample of the many projects and events that APIRG sponsored over the course of the 2006/2007 academic year.
APIRG'S Production of "A Splice of Life: A Genetically Modified Musical" was a smash hit!
Thanks to all of those involved!
2nd Annual Western PIRG Conference
The second annual Western PIRG conference welcomed PIRG members from across Western Canada for a weekend of networking, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.
Through workshops, panel discussions, and skill shares, participants had the opportunity to engage in issues relevant to the PIRGs mandate of transforming social concern into action. Topics included media activism, dealing with burnout, fundraising, political theatre, and more.
WORLD WATER DAY
Alberta Legislature - Noon
Albertans and residents of the Northwest Territories gathered to call for a tar sands time-out at the Alberta Legislature.
Stanley Milner Library Theatre - 6p.m to 9p.m
Short films and a panel discussion highlighted water issues such as water as a human right, privatization of water supplies, water pollution and more.
Panelists included Dr. David Swann (MLA), Ricardo Acuna (Parkland Institute), Tom Unka (Deninu Kue First Nation), and Doug Ritchie (Ecology North).
Brought to you by:
- The National Film Board of Canada's CITIZENshift
- Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG)
- Sierra Club Prairie Region
- The Council of Canadians
- Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
Killercoke.org: Fighting Power with Power
In January 2007, Ray Rogers (founder of the Killer Coke Campaign) spoke to over 250 people as part of the University of Alberta's International Week.
Walk for Darfur
On April 22, 2007, a group of University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan students held a rally at Olympic Plaza in Calgary, which was organized by students and by David Swan, Calgary Liberal MLA. The rally was attended by around 200 people and in strong attendance was the local Sudanese community. The rally witnessed strong testimonials from former Sudanese citizens who were forced from their homes and had family members fall due to the violence in Darfur.
Thus began the walk on the shoulder of Queen Elizabeth Highway. We walked together everyday between 39 and 43 kilometers. Along the way, we spoke with High School students in every County we traveled through.
There were definitely a fair share of blisters along the way, but the team was incredibly unified in the walk and supported each other step by step. We were welcomed by all the local Mayors and we slept in Schools and Churches along the way. Our Logistics team ensured we were well fed and had water breaks every 5 kilometers along the way. They did an incredible job!
The walk came to an end on April 29th, when we reached Edmonton. We rallied 300 people and walked from IKEA to Churchill Square. We finished with a rally hearing from Warchild Canada, a member of the Sudanese community and a couple of the walkers. Although somewhat rainy, the day could not have gone better.
The help Walk for Darfur received from APIRG was greatly appreciated. Thank you very much APIRG and we look forward to continuing to spread the message that genocide and human suffering is not acceptable.
Climate Action Rally
The Climate Action Rally on March 11, 2007 at Churchill Square was a great success. An opening ceremony blessing mother Earth conducted by Elder Taz McGillis helped ground the event as four hundred people gathered to listen to empowering speeches by Barb Allard, Lindsay Telfer and George Poitras. Interspersed throughout the program were great performances by local musician’s Asani, Terry Morrison, The Raging Grannies and Tyler Collins. There were also some wonderful interactive moments that got the crowd going throughout the afternoon. About three hundred and fifty postcards were filled out during the rally. The postcards are addressed to Stephen Harper pushing for more action on Climate Change in three distinct steps.
Kamit African Carribean Society Discussion Night
On the 28th of February 2007, The Kamit African Caribbean Society organized a “discussion night” sponsored by APIRG at the International Centre on the University of Alberta campus.
There were about 20 students from various academic and cultural backgrounds in attendance, in celebration of Black history month. It was a 3 hour program during which we served free popcorn, drinks and sandwiches to all attendees.
The debate topic for the night was: “The Media Versus Africa". We conversed amongst our selves about the portrayal of Africa and Africans by the media globally. It was a mentally stimulating debate, there were many bodies of thought, as different students expressed their views passionately about the topic.
Issues brought up included: problems of African apathy, the stereotypes propagated in western media, the causes and history of these stereotypes, the truth of African situations and accuracy of their portrayal in Western news, the acceptance of traditions and the global mis-understanding of these traditions, the advantages of having information and awareness raised on various African problems.
Afterwards we watched a thought provoking movie; "Cry Freedom" which is the story of Steve Biko a charismatic South African Black Consciousness Movement leader, who was murdered while in police custody and his friend Donald Woods, the white editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper. Woods changed from a liberal newspaper editor with only a moderate concern for apartheid, to an internationally significant figure who endangered his and his family's safety to expose the gross injustices he discovered. The movie is an example of how the media can be wielded as a powerful tool in overcoming injustices in our society.
Informed Ignorance: The Effect of Today's Global Media
With slashed budgets and greater media conglomeration, especially in Canada, the media is failing to prod the issues to the extent expected in a democratic country. We are concerned that this sort of surface-level news is fostering an ignorant society, which we view as a threat to a basic tenant of democracy, an informed and participatory citizenship. As students we are the future of tomorrow. As such it is our responsibility to remain as informed as possible. Media is a main if not the main source of information for most students and the general public. It follows that a healthy, critical discussion regarding the production and selection of media by the major news networks is inherent to this process if we are to fully understand the information we are being fed.
JHR-University of Alberta is thrilled to report that Informed Ignorance surpassed our expectations. The conference was a huge success that would not have been possible with the generous support of the Alberta Public Interest Research Group.
APIRG contributions funded a variety of avenues for the successful execution of the conference. Monies were allocated to:
- Panel discussion and Keynote venue space: The two venues—Power Plant and Engineering Teaching and Learning Centre respectively—offered superb settings for relaxed engagement and discussion with the speakers.
- Car rental: Funding was also allocated toward a car rental which allowed us to assist our guest speakers to and from the airport as well as run the much needed last-minute errands which always arise in events such as theses.
- Promotional concert venue space: This concert, held in December, was essential in spreading the word about the upcoming conference. The huge success of the event was largely due to the venue, the Starlite Room, which JHR would not have been able to afford had it not been for APIRG. The venue and event assisted JHR in founding a recognizable organization in the community which in turn raised interest and excitement in the conference which followed.
- Poster design: A strong poster is crucial to advertising especially when posters become the number one form of mass advertisements. With the assistance of APIRG we were able to higher a professional, local designer who produced quality work for both posters and new advertisements. Numerous conference participants commented on these two forms as the key for drawing them to the conference.