Nova Scotia Update!

Scotty (PEI), Sarah (NS) and Daniel (NFLD) Youth Reps!

The Nova Scotia area, Antigonish to be exact, has been keeping things upbeat.

This past week at ST.FX University students held a Sustainability Week with lots of presentations, booths and activities for students and the townspeople of Antigonish to get out and be informed at and to learn about what are the growing concerns today and what we need to work towards to improve our environment.

Each day held a different topic, Development and Peace helped out with Tuesday March 22^nd BOTTLED WATER FREE Day!!!

Getting the word out about our initiatives, what exactly we do as D&P and how we as a community can help to conserve water and stop using bottled water.

Here is just a quick glance of what the week entailed:

Monday, March 21 (Sustainability)

• 9:00 -11:00 am (Outside the library): Fair Trade Coffee & Sustainability Giveaways
• 5:00 – 6:00 pm (93.3 CFXU): Radio Ada
• Tune in to “Radio Ada” at 93.3 CFXU THE FOX for a special talk on “Sustainability & Climate Change”.
• 7:00 – 9:00 pm A Panel Discussion: “Do Canada’s oil sands contribute to building a sustainable society”?

Tuesday, March 22 (Water)

• March 22 is International Water Day, so the day’s events will be themed around good ol’ H2O.
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch & Learn – “Local Water Issues” with the Antigonish Harbour Watershed Association (AHWA).
• From 12-2pm: browse some displays from community and campus groups, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE WILL BE ON SITE!
•  With a fair trade coffee/tea and lunch, before and after the Lunch & Learn
• 7:00 – 9:00 pm FILM – “Blue Gold: World Water Wars”: Hosted by StFX Chapter of Cinema Politica: This documentary examines environmental and political implications of the planet’s dwindling water supply and asserts that wars in the future will be fought over water. Blue Gold also highlights some success stories of water activists around the world, and makes a strong case for community action.

Wednesday, March 23 (Food):

• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch & Learn – “Local & Global Food Security”
  From 12-2pm: browse some displays from community and campus groups with a fair trade coffee/tea and lunch, before and after the Lunch & Learn!
• 7:00 – 9:00 pm FILM – “The Garden”
  This is the story of the now demolished South Central Farm; a community garden and urban farm located in Los Angeles, California. It details the plight of the farmers who organized and worked on the farm. The owner of the lot decided he didn’t want to allow the farmers to use it anymore, and had the garden bulldozed.

Thursday, March 24 (Justice):

• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch & Learn – “Global Partnerships & Sustainability” With Wyanne Sandler, Breaking the Silence
• From 12-2pm: Browse some displays from community and campus groups with a fair trade coffee/tea and lunch, before and after the Lunch & Learn!
• 7:00 pm (SUB Cafeteria) “Green Gig Coffee House” Off-Campus is hosting the Second Annual “Green Gig Coffee House,” where you can sip some java, listen to some LIVE Local Music, and have a wondrous time on a Thursday evening.

Saturday, March 26 (Earth Hour):

• 8:30-9:30 pm (Everywhere!) EARTH HOUR: Join St. Francis Xavier University and millions of people around the world in turning off your lights to demand action on climate change.

Another Update as D&P rolls on in the East Coast: 

This Monday March 28^th, a presentation will be given to a local high school in Antigonish in two grade 12 classes, Sarah Cavan, Danny Gillis and Ann Cooke will be presenting the role D&P plays in Canada and what youth/students/communities and people in general can do to help with our topic this year…WATER FOR ALL.

The first class is an IB Global Issues Class, the second class is a combination of 3 classes (there will be about 40ish in total) two global history classes and one global geography class. We want to give youth the opportunity to brainstorm and show them how much they can do to help D&P in the future, to show students it’s the little things such as not buying bottled water that can help, a little goes a long way!

Agenda for our talk is as follows:

• Introduction and Consumer Perspective
• The Journey of Bottled Water Group activity (adapted from a 2011 THINKfast activity)
• Ethical Examination
• Action (Change for the future) and Ideas/Questions

Keeping the word spreading is just what we are doing on the East; D&P is working hard to making things happen. Keep up the great work everyone!!!

Sarah Cavan, Nova Scotia Youth Rep

THINKfast promo – our young leaders ROCK!

THINKfast season is full-on.

Media? Newspaper article in the Catholic Register about the Carleton University THINKfast

Still planning? Full THINKfast kit in an e-book format 

Promo? St. Thomas Aquinas in Brampton’s promo video for Bottled Water Free Zones

Videos to watch?

 http://youth.devp.org/2011/01/water-justice-movies/

http://youth.devp.org/2010/03/thank-you-videos/

http://youth.devp.org/tag/videos/

As always, send us in your photos, media, flyers and we will put them up!

D and P Makes a Difference!

This week is D and P Makes a Difference week!  March 10 – March 20 is your chance to make a difference with Development and Peace.

This special week is an initiative of D & P with the Canadian Catholic Student Assocation – and there are events across the country!

• Vancouver, Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s College at UBC: THINKfast on March 26‐27
• Victoria, University of Victoria: UVic THINKfast on March 12th
• Edmonton, St. Joseph’s College: Launch of Share Lent campaign by Development and Peace on March 19‐20
• Regina, Campion College:  Bottled Water Free Day on March 10 AND 
• Regina, Campion College: THINKfast on March 13th
• Saskatoon, St. Thomas More College:  St. Patrick’s Day pub sponsored by the D and P Just Youth group on March 17th
• Winnipeg, St. Paul’s College @ University of Manitoba:  THINKfast on March 11th
• London, King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario:  Social Justice Coffee House by King’s Development and Peace Group on March 15^th
• Ottawa, Carleton University:  THINKfast & Opening Prayer with Saint Paul’s University on March 11‐12th
• Ottawa, Carleton University: Development and Peace table Bottled Water Free Zone on March 15th
• Ottawa, Université Saint‐Paul/Saint Paul University:  Opening Liturgy co‐led with Carleton University RCC followed by THINKfast on March 11th
• Toronto, University of St. Michael’s College: Bottled Water Free campaign throughout the week
• Waterloo, St. Jerome’s University: Bottle Water Free Day on March 10th
• Fredericton, St. Thomas University: Development and Peace lecture on March 21st
• Fredericton, St. Thomas University: THINKfast on March 19th
• Charlottetown UPEI: Bottled Water Free Day on March 10

For more info on these events and contacts so you can join them, check out the Catholic Students Week listing on the CCSA website.

Article in the Catholic Register March 23, 2011!

Today is the Day! Go BWF!

Today is BOTTLED WATER FREE DAY!

March 10, 2011 actions are a collaboration between Development and Peace, Polaris, the Canadian Federation of Students, CUPE, and Sierra Youth Coalition.

By creatively planning events around the need to STOP the privatization of water, you can help build a community that recognizes the right to water. Let’s continue to create and support alternatives to bottled water! 

* Check out the Bottled Water Free Day website: http://www.bottledwaterfreeday.ca/english/  Check out the map of all the events taking place across Canada!

*And this amazing website Tap That Water! Teens Against Privitization of Water: http://www.tapthatwater.org/about. They have embedded awesome videos and documentaries on the right to water, so you can watch them too!

* On facebook, the Canadian Catholic Student’s Association is doing a facebook blast – with this passage “Let justice flow like a river” Amos 5:24. Post it as your status over the next 24 hours!

* Participate in an activity sending a message to Cedar Springs, who are trying to take over our day for themselves. Click here to participate in the phone and email blitz.

Genevieve Gallant, Development and Peace