quote:

---

"Waves of Resistance!"

Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering!

11th, 12th and 13th of October 2008 – Montreal

GET INVOLVED!

We need your help to organize Waves of Resistance!
WANTED: Provincial Mobilizers!
Help us create this event!

We strongly wish to have as many young feminists as possible participate actively in the elaboration of the content for the gathering, and to the mobilization in your provinces, territories and communities.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE ORGANIZATION of the gathering

We are looking for a few young feminist activists from each province and territory willing to contribute further to the organization of the event, or to become "provincial mobilizers".

Provincial mobilizers will ensure the link between their region and the organizing committee for the gathering. They will facilitate the consultations on the content for the gathering and will support mobilization in their region. We hope to have a few "provincial mobilizers" per province or territory. More information below…

a) Organise a Provincial Mobilization Meeting with young feminists

The objective of this mobilization meeting is to gather as many young women and feminists as possible from your province or territory to prepare for the "Consulta" (information follows). It will allow you to reflect as a group on the issues that affect you as young feminists, to discuss your dreams and expectations for the gathering, and to identify the specific issues that you would like to discuss during the gathering.

b) Collectively identify two young women to represent your province/territory at the "Consulta" and:

After your provincial meeting, we ask that you identify as a group two young women that will represent your province or territory at a preparatory meeting, the "Consulta", which will help in the planning of the gathering.

SPEAK UP!
Would you like to contribute to the organization of the gathering? Do you want to be a "provincial mobilizers"? You would like to get involved, but are not sure how?

LET US KNOW YOU!
We are looking forward to meeting you! Please communicate as soon as possible with the Organizing Committee at info@rebelles2008.org
rebelles2008.org
514-876-0166 ext. 253.

---

Edited to add more contact info provided by Pride for Red Dolores, thanks!

[ 21 March 2008: Message edited by: bigcitygal ]

« Waves of Resistance »

On our way towards our

Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering!

11th, 12th and 13th of October 2008 – Montreal

Mobilize, network, energize, and deepen the roots of the young feminist movement across Canada!

Zone de Texte: REGIONAL MOBILIZATION MEETING IN MONTREAL! Monday, April 21 at 6:00PM At l'Amère à Boire, 2049 St-Denis (Métro Berri-UQAM)

You are invited to a regional mobilization meetig in Montreal in preparation for the Consulta (a preparatory meeting) for the pan-Canadian young feminist gathering, Waves of Resistance. Various meetings meetings are organized across Canada in the next few weeks in order to make sure that the Gathering is democratic and represents us well. In a relaxed and welcoming ambiance, we will hold the meeting for the region of Montréal, and the women present will collectively answer the following questions :

1. What is your vision for the "Waves of Resistance" gathering? What are your dreams? What do you expect from the gathering? What outcomes would you like the gathering to have?

2. What issues, do you think, should be discussed during the thematic workshops of the gathering?

3. How would you like to have introduced the issue of the rising influence of right-wing political views? Would you prefer the issue to be discussed globally (sharing our analyses and strategies of resistance and action) or under different axes (e.g. globalization, ownership of women's body, etc.)?

As well, we will be identifying a provincial representative for the Consulta for the Gathering that will take place the 2, 3 and 4 May, 2008. At the Consulta, two representatives from each province will bring with them the answers to the questions above to help guide the Organizing Committee to elaborate the content and shape of the Gathering in October to best represent the women who will be participating.

Looking forward to seeing you Monday, April 21!

Mobilizers for Waves of Resistance in Montreal

For more information regarding the Montreal meeting, please contact: emiliegendron@gmail.com

For more information regarding the gathering in general, please contact: info@rebelles2008.org

[ 19 April 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

quote:

---

Grand spectacle féministe

DIMANCHE 12 OCTOBRE POUR LE RASSEMBLEMENT PANCANADIEN DES JEUNES
FÉMINISTES Toujours RebELLEs!

Chères féministes de tous âges, de toutes régions et de tout acabit !

Vous êtes toutes cordialement invitées au grand spectacle féministe non-mixte le dimanche 12 octobre lors de la fin de semaine du Rassemblement pancanadien des jeunes féministes Toujours RebELLEs! qui aura lieu à Montréal.

Ce spectacle haut en couleur et en talent permettra à toutes les participantes de Toujours RebELLEs! et leurs alliées de 35 ans et plus de faire la fête ensemble ! Sur scène vous retrouverez des artistes de la scène canadienne en danse, en chant, en théâtre et en poésie ! Sous peu, vous recevrez la programmation de cette soirée inoubliable.
OÙ : Medley, 1170 rue St-Denis à Montréal - 514-842-6557

QUAND : Dimanche 12 octobre; Les portes ouvrent à 18h30; Le spectacle commence à 20h

QUI : Toutes femmes s'intéressant de près ou de loin aux valeurs féministes

COMBIEN : Les billets seront en vente à la porte en contribution volontaire suggérée de 11.50$, mais toutes femmes étant dans l'impossibilité de fournir le montant demandé peuvent faire une contribution volontaire du montant qu'elles désirent.

À noter que toutes les participantes étant inscrites au rassemblement ne paieront pas l'entrée pour le spectacle, les frais d'inscription comprennent les frais d'entrée au spectacle !

Si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter au 514-876-0166, poste 262.

---

[ 09 October 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

My workshop was Ecofemminism ,which given all the attention in the media of late, and the effects of Katrina on the African American women of New Orleans among other things, was something I wanted to learn about.The animators explained what ecofemminism was, handed out some interesting articles that explained the link between capitalism, sexism, racism colonialism and the environment, which we discussed in groups. The English/French was a bit of a problem, but the translation was good, and french Quebec women had some really interesting points. There was also some discussion about the lack of women of colour in environmental organizations. The lens through which we discussed it was reproductive health- for example the fact that women who live in polluted environments due to nuclear power plants, mining, etc give birth to children with birth defects- like the so called "jelly fish babies" of Japan. What is of equal importance to having access to birth control and abortion is a safe environmetn in which to raise our children.
We had a nice meeting outside UQAM on the grass beside this church afterward. The action we did or are going to do is an educational raise awareness one- we exchanged emails to keep in contact to this effect. Also, we said that given that the idea was to raise awareness that sitting and discussing the issue was an action in itself. One of the girls there who was in science, and suggested that we were like the spores that came out of mushrooms, so we decided that our "punch line" would be that we are all mushrooms. Which (even if a bit silly)translated well in french given that the word for mushrooms is close to the word champions. I wish though that our action had been a little more immediate and educational to the public, and taken more into account about racism and colonialism. There's another workshop tomorrow about the raise of anti feminism.

I will report again tomorrow !

[ 11 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 11 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 11 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 11 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

As fate would have it, I actually was in Montreal on Thursday and Friday but not able to attend the conference or do anything else fun or social due to a family crisis.

On Sunday morning we started off with some radical cheerleaders leading a cheer (AWESOME AND FUN !). After, the international speakers began. The guests were from the Philippines,Brazil and South African, and spoke about the situation in their countries, then a question period. The Philippina spoke about issues surrounding poverty, US army bases and their negative effects on neighborhoods and women, professionals leaving the country to become domestic workers in Canada and the resulting lack of professionals to run schools, hospitals & difficulties/abuse they sometimes suffer. The Brazilian guest spoke about the sexual objectification of Latina women and its effects, the general political situation of Latin America, the fact that abortion is illegal in Brazil. The South African guest spoke of the fact that although apartheid is gone, there are still division between the different groups (ethnic, gender), the fact that there are young women getting pregnant on purpose because there is a tradition that if a man gets a woman pregnant he has to pay her family- before in livestock but now in money. She also translated a kick ass expression- I don't recall it exactly, but it was something about slapping a woman is like slapping a rock- in other words, they are determined to make change, they will succeed regardless. I apologize for the fast description- I feel I should have taken notes now. However then entire thing was filmed, and maybe it will be available somewhere, it's really worth watching.
After a 15 minute break ( we were always slightly off schedule despite best efforts and the use of a time keeper due to the discussions were good!) we all went to our individual workshops on the rise of the right.My group discussed what the right wing was (Harper was mentioned of course), and its effects. We brought up abortion rights and access, the content of education, the authoritarian nature of the way kids are taught (I speak you listen), alternative education. A woman from the Miss G project was there and brought up the important related point that the way teachers are trained has to be changed as well. The subject of the right wing media was also brought up, and the value of alternative news media was brought up (i.e sites like rabble !). As for strategies for action- we definitely all agreed to vote !It was a good discussion, and I think I put in some good points
After lunch, we reconvened all together on the same topic, and what to do with the manifesto.

Monday

Monday morning started with the manifesto committee presented the draft of the rebelles 2008 manifesto. The rest of the conference was dedicated to making the manifesto as inclusive as possible via input from discussion in Anglo/francophone groups and then coming back together after lunch going paragraphs by paragraph. There was allot of discussion and dissent, and we finished 2 hours late. The document as I understand it should be on the website, in French and English by the end of this week.

One of the main challenges of this conference i think was the English/French translation issues provided some real difficulties. I wouldn't have thought that there was such and English/French divide in Canada in 2008, or even Quebec but this conference has convinced me otherwise. Another challenge I think was time- would that the conference had been a day or two longer, or even in the summer would have been great, our discussions would not have been so rushed, and there would have been more participants, although of course those registered already exceed expectations. The gathering was pretty diverse, and the final version of the manifesto hopefully reflects that- if it is to be the voice of young feminists across and a political tool in Canada, it must be.
This conference was great, it enabled me to talk to to other young feminists whom I would otherwise never have met, and exchange emails with one or two that may be useful later on. I really hope that the website of this conference becomes a meeting place of discussion as planned, an information exchange on organizations and actions to keep things going.

[ 14 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 14 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

quote:

---

The feminist movement in Canada recently got a new boost of energy and inspiration from the Waves of Resistance Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering which took place from October 10-13, 2008 in Montreal. Over five hundred young women from Canada and Quebec gathered to discuss, share, and organize collectively against sexism, racism, and the rise of the right.

During workshops at the gathering young women explored a wide range of issues that affect their lives from the intersections of sexism and racism to motherhood and feminism to women‘s sexuality. Every workshop was followed by a creative resistance workshop, in which the participants planned – and undertook – a public direct action The actions ranged from street theatre to sidewalk chalk denouncing lack of access to abortion to radical cheerleading. The streets of Montreal crackled that evening with the energy of feminist action.

The gathering also featured representatives of World March of Women from South Africa, the Philippines, and Brazil. One of the strongest messages that came from the international speakers was the need for international solidarity between feminists. When asked how white women from North American can be allies of women of the south, the speaker from Brazil responded, “Don’t feel guilty feel indignant!”

One of the most important things to come from the gathering was a strong commitment and desire from the participants to continue the work of the gathering. A Young Feminist Manifesto was adopted by participants which declared (among other things) “Down with Colonialism, Rebelles against capitalism, Rise against Patriarchy”. The specific demands of the manifesto were drawn from in-depth discussions held at the gatherings about the way participants lives have been affected by the rise of anti-feminism and the growing strength of the political right. An overwhelming message from the discussion groups was that in order to change our lives, we must work to change the world. - Source

---

[ 31 October 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

quote:

---

TOUJOURS REBELLES: WAVES OF RESISTANCE: For all those who think feminism is dead: the young feminists are far from silent! The first pan-Canadian young feminist gathering, “Waves of Resistance,” was held October 10-13 in Montreal. More than 500 young women who invaded the classrooms of UQAM for 3 days to reaffirm the relevance of feminism and to act collectively on issues including the feminization of poverty, hypersexualization and racism. The meeting concluded with the adoption of a pan-Canadian young feminists’ manifesto, a document that will be a political tool for all the young feminists in their communities.

Manifesto of the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering

We are the young RebELLEs who have answered a feminist call and we are proud to call ourselves feminists. We recognize that there are multiple interpretations of feminism and we celebrate and integrate this diversity. We are committed to the continual expansion of the plurality of our voices. We are committed to an ongoing process of critical self-reflection to inform and transform our movement. We acknowledge the historical exclusion of “Othered” women by the majority Western feminist movement. We strive to learn from the past, honour the struggles of our foremothers and continue to dream for the future. We value the allies of feminism who support us in our fight for equity and justice.

We are women of diverse abilities, ethnicities, origins, sexualities, identities, class backgrounds, ages and races. Among us are employed, underemployed and unemployed women, mothers, students, dropouts, artists, musicians and women in the sex trade. We state that transfolks, two-spirited and intersexed people are integral to our movement and recognize and respect gender fluidity and support the right to self-identify. Our women-only spaces include everyone who self-identifies and lives as a woman in society.

We are told that feminism is over and outdated. If this were true then we wouldn’t need to denounce the fact that:

In reality, many of the demands of our feminist mothers and grandmothers remain unmet. Women continue to be the victims of sexual violence. Our communities are haunted by the silence that follows these assaults. Throughout Canada, in spite of our right to it, access to abortion services remains insufficient. Across Canada as well, colonized, marginalized, racialized and disabled women are coerced and/or forced to undergo unwanted or uninformed abortions, forced to use contraception and are subjected to forced sterilization. The hyper-sexualization of women in the media has taught us to view women as sexual objects rather than complete human beings. Getting off, lesbianism and being queer are taboo and a women’s choice to seek sexual pleasure is seen as negative. Our identities are eroded as we are taught, from the time we are children, and through television and magazines, that how we should look, dress, and act is determined by our sex. Violence is normalized, sexual abuse eroticized. Our sexual health education is inadequate and our reproductive rights are disrespected. Our needs are not being met.

In reality, women still represent the majority of the underprivileged. Our government steals children from poor and Aboriginal women. Capitalism exploits working-class women and confines middle- and upper-class women to “consumer” roles. We are told that equality has been achieved, but still the wage gap persists. Immigrant women are denied acknowledgment of their academic credentials and are forced to endure intolerable work environments in order to stay on Canadian soil. We lack affordable and accessible childcare. Women remain underpaid, underappreciated, and undervalued in the work force. We have gained the right to vote, yet gender-based discrimination keeps women virtually unrepresented in political office.

In this globalized world, we must construct international feminist solidarity. The actions of Canadian political and economic elites harm women around the world, and in a way that is specifically gender-related. War, genocide and militarization are characterized by the use of rape as a war weapon, femicide, and the sexual exploitation of thousands of our sisters. Free trade contributes to women’s increasing social, economic and cultural insecurity. In response to Canadian imperialism, we will globalize our feminist solidarity.

In this so-called post-feminist world, our roles in society are still defined by traditional views on gender. Religious and political forces aimed at maintaining the pillars of power in our society silence us from voicing our rights. We denounce the current rise of right-wing ideology in Canadian society and the steps backward in women’s rights that this has caused. We are being stripped of rights for which those who came before us fought hard. Geography marginalizes women, with remote, northern and rural women lacking access to basic services. Showing solidarity with our sisters means trying to understand all of the issues we face - including race, class and gender - and standing together against oppression.

Finally, we denounce the dismissal of the feminist movement as redundant. Our struggle is not over. We will be post-feminists when we have post-patriarchy.

Feminists Unite!

DOWN WITH the colonial legacy of genocide and assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, particularly of Aboriginal women
DOWN WITH the sexism and racism of the Indian Act\
DOWN WITH dishonoured treaties
DOWN WITH assimilation
DOWN WITH racial profiling
DOWN WITH Canada’s fake multicultural policy
DOWN WITH warmongers & military power
DOWN WITH racist child welfare policies
DOWN WITH stereotypes in the media
DOWN WITH genocide and femicide
DOWN WITH stealing women and children
DOWN WITH COLONIALISM

RebELLEs AGAINST banks for hijacking the world
RebELLEs AGAINST drug companies for institutionalizing women’s health
RebELLEs AGAINST public spaces that don’t accommodate all bodies
RebELLEs AGAINST development that destroys nature
RebELLEs AGAINST the class system that keeps us impoverished and deprives us of safe, affordable housing
RebELLEs AGAINST the state that forces other countries to adopt the capitalist system
RebELLEs AGAINST the devaluation of women’s paid and unpaid work
RebELLEs AGAINST corporations for making money off our backs
RebELLEs AGAINST the advertisers who destroy our self- esteem and then sell it back to us
RebELLEs AGAINST CAPITALISM

RISE AGAINST the industries that cause us to hate our bodies and our sexuality
RISE AGAINST heterosexism that makes it seem that there is only one way of living, loving and being sexual
RISE AGAINST the socialization of children in gender binaries, race categories and colonial erasures
RISE AGAINST the education that reinforces the heteronormative nuclear family
RISE AGAINST the religious Right and its influence on State policy and legislation
RISE AGAINST rape and violence against women
RISE AGAINST the objectification and control of women’s bodies
RISE AGAINST all anti-choice bills, laws and strategies
RISE AGAINST the sexual division of labour
RISE AGAINST poverty and women’s economic disadvantage and dependency
RISE AGAINST income support programs based on family status instead of individual status
RISE AGAINST masculinists, their false claims and demagogic arguments
RISE AGAINST sexual exploitation
RISE AGAINST PATRIARCHY

We envision communities committed to:

* Eradicating all forms of violence – including sexual, institutional, emotional, economic, physical, cultural, racial, colonial, ageist and ableist
* Challenging all forms of oppression, power and privilege
* Recognizing that others’ struggles against oppression cannot be separated from one’s own, because all people are intrinsically; and being conscious of how one fits into the different structures of oppression while fighting to eliminate them all
* Freeing our children and ourselves from the gender binary
* Building institutions and structures that promote the principles of Justice, Peace & Equality
* Eliminating economic inequality
* Funding and supporting affordable, accessible childcare, and the economic freedom to mother in the way we choose
* Learning and teaching true herstory and histories of our victories and struggles, especially those of women of colour and Aboriginal women
* Fighting the stigma and shame of mental health and psychiatric survivors and supporting their struggles

We will: Change our attitude: get pissed off, refuse, resist, walk out, speak up!
We will: Transform our daily lives and relationships: actions can take place in small interactions
We will: Encourage people to learn about, care for and love themselves and their bodies
We will: Support safe and accessible space for individuals to define and express themselves without fear of judgement
We will: Create alternatives, write poetry, articles, letters, make art
We will: Join with others, find common ground, build community, create feminist spaces and gatherings, raise awareness, educate, spread the word
We will: Believe that a better world is possible and work to achieve it
We will: Organize and struggle: build alliances with existing feminist groups and create new ones, fight together in solidarity, be seen and be heard, disrupt, trouble, destabilize established powers, become culture jammers
We will: Build solidarity based on the commonality of our diverse struggles and perspectives
We will: Value people rather than profits
We will: Demand massive State reinvestment in social programs and the end of privatization
We will: Organize pan-Canadian decentralized days of feminist action against the rise of the Right
We will: Protest and resist sexist bills and laws that threaten our reproductive rights, racist immigration laws, war, free trade, repression, the criminalization of political movements, corporate exploitation and plunder of the earth, and violence against women
We will: Champion safety, respect, justice, freedom, equality and SOLIDARITY!

This manifesto was adopted at the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering Toujours RebELLEs / Waves of Resistance, Montreal, October 13, 2008.
It is a call to action! Find out more, get involved!

www.rebelles2008.org
info@rebelles2008.org

---

P.S. Thank for talking aboput the PAR-L list serv- I just signed on and it looks great !

[ 06 November 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

http://www.jesuisfeministe.com/?p=222

[ 08 November 2008: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]