#KWVegfest Is Going Virtual! Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 July 2020

KW Vegfest 2020 | We're Going Virtual! | Saturday 4 July 2020 | Sunday 5 July 2020

Join the 3rd annual KW Vegfest!

This will be an Online Event, taking place on on Saturday July 4, 2020 and Sunday, July 5, 2020.

We will be sharing Sanctuary tours, cooking + zero-waste demos, speakers, a health panel and holding giveaways!

Stay tuned to the event page for more details!

The event is sponsored by Kitchener Waterloo Climate Save and the City of Kitchener, and powered by a group of hard-working volunteers. 🌎❤️🌏.

Online:

KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting: Thursday 12 March 2020

New Date: Due to many other events on the 19th, the KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting will be held on 12 March 2020 at 6:00pm in the Civic Hub

Potluck dinnerHello again KWPeace Groups organizers! The poll has spoken and the most popular date for the KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting is Thursday 19 12 March 2020.

It turns out the Civic Hub is very popular, and there are already two other groups using the space on that date and time (Hello, Extinction Rebellion and KW Our Time!) Hopefully we can all share the space together (and have increased participation in the potluck), but I’ve indicated on the Civic Hub booking request that our alternate date would be Thursday 12 March 2020. So, keep both dates open for the moment!

The Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting is just before the summer festival season begins. I know some groups are already busy planning their events for the summer, so this is a great time to let us all know so we’re not booking the same dates and we’re able to attend each others’ events.

Vegetables on a plate in the shape of a Peace sign
Peace
What: KWPeace Spring 2020 Potluck Dinner Meeting
When: Thursday 12 March 2020 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Civic Hub Waterloo Region
Location: 23 Water Street North, Kitchener, Ontario Map

To enter the Civic Hub at the doors on Duke Street; press the buzzer for Social Development Centre Waterloo Region to summon the doorkeeper.

And although the time for the actual meeting is 6:00pm to 8:00pm, there’s setup at 5:30pm and cleanup from 8:00pm to 8:30pm. Setup and cleanup assistance is greatly appreciated!

See you all at the Civic Hub!
–Bob.

@KWPeace Potluck Meeting for Summer 2018 — Agenda

Potluck dinner It’s time we held another information sharing and planning meeting, and have some wonderful potluck food.

Every few months the organizers of many different peace, social justice, environmental, political, and spiritual organizations from Waterloo Region come together to share what they’re doing in the community, invite each other to participate, and possibly collaborate on new ventures. Everyone is invited! It’s a potluck meeting, so bring some food or a beverage to share, and enjoy all the different dishes others have brought. The food is mostly vegetarian, some vegan, some gluten-free.

Many thanks to our hosts at the Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church for letting us use the Peace and Justice room again!

–Bob.
bjonkman@kwpeace.ca

What: KWPeace Potluck Meeting for Summer 2018
When: Thursday, 19 July 2018 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church
Location: 57 Stirling Avenue North, Kitchener, Ontario Map

Agenda

Please send brief updates and upcoming events to Mo at mo.markham@kwpeace.ca so we can include them in the minutes of the meeting. Thanks!

Updates of Our Groups
We’ll each give updates on our groups.
Upcoming Events
We’ll each share upcoming events.
WR Nonviolence Day In The Park
The Day In The Park is coming up this Saturday, July 21st, on Roos Island in Victoria Park, and many of us will be participating. Speak to Bob Jonkman or Matthew Albrecht if you have questions.
Photography At This Meeting
From Scott Cressman: Scott would like to take some photos at the meeting, if people are okay with this, but he will not photograph anyone who doesn’t want to be photographed. He is hoping to take some pictures to post on some of the social media sites, and he will explain more at the meeting.
Grant Applicant Needed
From Laura Hamilton (KW Peace): We need someone to apply to the city for an in-kind facilities grant for our October 27 Perspectives On Peace event. See below regarding the event, and contact Bob Jonkman or Mo Markham regarding applying for the grant. This is the application is at https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/grants.aspx
KW Peace Blog
From Bob (KW Peace): An invitation for all groups to post to the blog. http://kwpeace.ca/posts/
Civic Hub
From Aleksandra Petrovic (Social Development Centre Waterloo Region): We have a chance to move ahead with the idea of a Civic Hub and I can ask how important is that civic space to the groups that come to the potluck. If yes, I would have specific questions for the groups such as:

  • the need for the space (meetings, work, events, etc.)
  • the times the space would be mostly used (evenings, weekends… )
  • other logistics needed in the space for the first while (telephone, Internet, printing, scanning, storage, etc.)
Blanket Workshop
from Hannah Enns: Blanket workshop taking place on July 25th at Seven Shores Community Cafe… Register at http://www.sevenshores.ca/events-1/2018/7/25/blanket-exercise. Tickets: $25/settler (non-indigenous); $15/student/low-income/refugee; Free for Indigenous folks. What does it mean to be a treaty person today in Kitchener-Waterloo? What is the untold history in Canadian society about colonization and movements of resistance? How do you push yourself to unsettle the settler within?
Perspectives On Peace
Laura Hamilton has arranged for KWPeace to use the Rotunda at City Hall on Saturday, 27 October 2018 from noon to 2:00pm (setup at 11:00am). Tamara Lorincz will be the speaker, and I believe Food Not Bombs will provide snacks. All KWPeace groups are invited to have display or information tables around the rotunda. …we’re calling the event “Perspectives on Peace” or “KWPeace Connections”.
KW Peace co-sponsor film?
From Tamara Lorincz: She’s wondering if KW Peace would “co-sponsor” a screening of the film A Bold Peace: Costa Rica’s Path to Demilitarization that she is hoping to screen at Conrad Grebel with Project Ploughshares this fall (likely early November) as this year is the 70th anniversary that Costa Rica abolished its army. The movie is a very powerful. It wouldn’t cost KW Peace anything to “co-sponsor” just to add “moral” support. (Tamara can’t be at the meeting on Thursday.) More info about the film is at http://aboldpeace.com/

Trudy Beaulne, Executive Director of the Social Development Centre, has passed away

Trudy Beaulne
Trudy Beaulne in January 2016
I am very sorry to hear that Trudy Beaulne has passed away.

Trudy was the Executive Director of the Social Development Centre, a community leader, and a dear friend.

I first met Trudy at Connect with TransitionsKW, SPCKW and Leadnow where she spoke passionately about community involvement. We met again during the election of 2015, when she invited me to the New Hamburg debate and several educational opportunities for candidates hosted by the Social Planning Council of KW. Our paths crossed again and again at social justice events, when Trudy was speaking at the Basic Income consultation, and when I was invited to speak on election reform at a meeting of ALIVe.

Most recently Trudy joined KWPeace at our potluck in the spring. As a result of that meeting, Trudy started to work with some KWPeace groups on setting up a community hub, intended to provide meeting space and to provide guidance in getting funding for community groups.

Trudy was an inspiration to me, and taught me much about social justice. I will miss her.

–Bob Jonkman

In The News

Trudy Beaulne’s Funeral

Visitation: 10:00am to 2:00pm, Friday 12 January 2018
Sharing Memories: 2:00pm, Friday 12 January 2018
Where: Henry Walser Funeral Home
Location: 507 Frederick Street, Kitchener Map
Phone: +1-519-749-8467

Cropped from Aleksandra Petrovic Graonic & Trudy Beaulne (Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region), © 2017 copyright by Laurel L. Russwurm and used under permission of a CC BYCreative Commons — Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Global Climate March — Sunday, 29 November 2015

Join us to send a powerful message of encouragement and hope in support of decisive action in COP21
Poster
This year a massive coalition of environmental, social justice, faith, labour, community, student and indigenous groups, as well as families and concerned citizens are building an unprecedented global mobilization in support of climate justice.

On Sunday, 29 November 2015 people from across Waterloo Region will join with voices from around the world to show our support for ambitious and real action against climate change at COP21, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, is our most important climate conference yet.

Come together with neighbours and friends to send a powerful message of encouragement and hope in support of decisive action at COP21. Sound your drums and raise your voices in solidarity with people from around the globe. Be part of an historic event at this most important juncture in the climate movement.

Join us on 21 and 22 November 2015 to make posters and art for the march (location to be determined).

WHAT: Peaceful family-friendly march in advance of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, 30 November to 11 December 2015.

WHEN: Sunday, 29 November 2015 2:00pm

WHERE: Start at Waterloo Public Square, 75 King St S, Waterloo Map
End at 22 Willow Street.

Register at Avaaz: Peoples Climate March Waterloo Region to receive updates about the march and the art build, or to volunteer.

This event was forwarded to me from several sources; this text was taken from the Divest Waterloo Events web page.

If you’re on Facebook, you can join the event at Global Climate March – Waterloo Region | Facebook.

–Bob.

Amnesty International: Write for Rights — Saturday, 5 December 2015

Write For Rights -- Amnesty International
Amnesty International — Write For Rights
Here is the poster for the December Write for Rights event of Amnesty International Group Nine. Please distribute it as widely as you can, either electronically or in printed form.

The seven cases upon which we will be focusing this year can be found at www.writeathon.ca. If you want to bring printed letters with you to Seven Shores on the 5th, we’ll be happy to mail them for you. If you send them yourself, either by post or electronically, please let us know so that we can get a count of the total sent from Group 9 (Amnesty Canada asks us for this).

Many thanks to all,

David Lubell and Margaret Jackson


What will you be doing to change a life?

Write For Rights - Amnesty InternationalI will be writing letters of solidarity to prisoners of conscience on International Human Rights Day

Join Amnesty International’s Write for Rights letter writing event and your words can change a life.

Time and Date: December 5th, Noon to 4:00pm

Location:
Seven Shores Cafe Map
10 Regina Street North, Waterloo

Contact: groupnine@gmail.com
Facebook: Amnesty International Kitchener Waterloo Chapter, Group 9

Take Part: www.writeathon.ca

Kitchener Waterloo Peace and Social Justice Community Symposium, 29 October 2015

Minutes of the Symposium are now online!

20 Oct 2015: Note from Emily Mininger:

We are pushing the symposium back a half hour because of a book launch that Project Ploughshares is hosting. Project Ploughshares and the Centre for Peace Advancement are presenting the launch of Ernie Regehr’s book, “Disarming Conflict: Why peace cannot be won on the battlefield.” This event is on the 4th floor of the Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel in the gallery space. Feel free to stop by before our symposium event!

The symposium will be held from 5:30-7:30, also on the 4th floor of Conrad Grebel in the Centre for Peace Advancement, in the Fretz Seminar Room.

Who’s involved in the Kitchener-Waterloo Peace and Social Justice community? And do we all know each other? Emily Mininger from PeaceQuestKW wants to meet us all, and is hosting a Peace and Social Justice Symposium:

From: Emily Mininger <e.mininger@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 20:40:54
Subject: Kitchener Waterloo Peace and Social Justice Community Symposium

Hello!

You’re invited to a Peace and Social Justice Community Symposium. We’re inviting different groups active in the area of peace and social justice in the KW community to come together, share their work and experiences, and brainstorm about future possibilities for collaboration in an effort to obtain a “snapshot” of the KW Peace and Justice community as it is currently. We have many people in the KW community working for peace and justice, and there is a wealth of knowledge to be shared. Come participate in this community conversation and help us learn together.

This event is taking place at Conrad Grebel University College on October 29th. The program of the evening will run from 5-7pm 5:30pm – 7:30pm and include introductions, a brief roundtable about who people are and what work they do, discussions about challenges and strengths of working in the KW community, and brainstorming common goals and possible avenues for collaboration.

Please RSVP to Emily at peacequestkw@gmail.com by October 22nd.

A light dinner of vegetarian chili and bread will be provided free of cost — please let me know if you have any dietary restrictions.

Cheers,

Emily

Emily Mininger
PeaceQuest KW Affiliate Facilitator

Email: e.mininger@gmail.com
Phone: 519-568-3879
Twitter: @PeaceQuestKW
Facebook: PeaceQuest.ca | Facebook
Website: http://peacequest.ca/

I’m planning to attend — hope to see you there!

–Bob.


Conrad Grebel University College Map
140 Westmount Road,
Waterloo, Ontario

Film about Missing Mexican Students — Cinema Politica, Wednesday, 23 September 2015 at 7:00pm

Almost missed this. Via e-mail:

Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2015 13:24:09 -0400
Subject: Film about Missing Mexican Students
From: Group Nine <groupnine9@gmail.com>

Here’s an event not to miss: Cinema Politica is showing Ayotzinapa: Chronicle of a State Crime in room 301 of the RCH Building at the University of Waterloo on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 at 7:00pm. This film is an exposĂ© of the Mexican police and military authorities in the armed kidnapping and disappearance of 43 students. This is one of the cases that Group 9 featured at our table this summer.

Ayotzinapa: Chronicle of a State Crime | cinema politica


This is the official Group Nine e-mail address.

Group Nine is the local chapter of Amnesty International Canada in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. We normally meet at 7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month in Room 4224 (The Fretz Seminar Room) at Conrad Grebel College, University of Waterloo (140 Westmount Road North, Waterloo N2L 3G6). Please confirm by email or on our Facebook page.

www.amnesty.ca
groupnine9@gmail.com

Project Ploughshares: Canada and the Global Arms Trade – Monday, 21 September 2015

Project Ploughshares, in partnership with the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement, Conrad Grebel University College and St. Jerome’s University, presents

Canada and the Global Arms Trade

How weapons exports may fuel human rights violations and armed conflict

Chair: Cesar Jaramillo, Project Ploughshares

Panelists

  • Hilary Homes, Amnesty International Canada
  • Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail
  • Kenneth Epps, policy advisor to Project Ploughshares

When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, 21 September 21 (UN-established International Day of
Peace
)

Where: Theatre of the Arts Map,
Modern Languages, University of Waterloo

See Canada and the Global Arms Trade | Project Ploughshares for more information.

March for Jobs Justice and the Climate, Sunday, 5 July 2015 in Toronto

People marching in the street
March for Jobs Justice and the Climate
A large rally is planned in Toronto for jobs, justice and the climate.

If you would like to attend but don’t want to drive, there is a bus going from Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph.

Read more about the rally and sign up for the bus on the Facebook page March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate. More information is available at March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate web site.

Canada needs a new economy that works for people and the planet

From Alberta to the coasts, Canada is ready for an economy that creates good jobs for all, protects the air, land and water, and tackles climate change.

We don’t have to choose between the economy or the environment. By taking climate action, we can create an economy that is more fair and equal and generates hundreds of thousands of good green jobs. It means supporting the labour that takes care of people and the planet — education, healthcare, childcare and the protection of the land, much of it done by women. It means expanding localized agricultural systems to use less fossil fuels and provide affordable, nutritious food for everyone in Canada.

We want an economy in which workers earn a living wage – starting with a $15 minimum – and which prioritizes people who are unemployed, struggling in precarious, temporary, or non-unionized jobs or in industries being shut down. Which honours Indigenous peoples’ rights and recognizes their role in protecting the land, air and water for everyone. Which guarantees migrant and undocumented people are not excluded and receive full immigration status. Which ensures that black and brown lives matter as much as white ones and are free of racism and police violence. Which respects the limits of the environment made clear by climate science.

Climate action means protecting and expanding public control over our energy systems to ensure cheaper rates and a transition to clean energy sources. It also means building affordable, energy-efficient housing and better public transit.

This July, Toronto will host a Pan American Climate Summit and an Economic Summit, where politicians will face a choice: listen to corporate leaders from across the Americas gathering to advance an economic austerity agenda that is increasing inequality and causing a climate crisis felt disproportionally in the global south – or listen to the people.

On the eve of those summits, let’s make sure they hear our demands: a justice-based transition to a new energy economy, in which corporate polluters pay and ordinary people benefit.

The only way to overcome a small, powerful group who have a lot to lose is to build a massive movement of people with everything to gain.

On Sunday July 5, join the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate in the streets of Toronto.