January 10th

Today, Frequency Feminisms heard clips from the vigil held in rememberance of the four migrant construction workers who plummitted to their deaths on Christmas eve. A fifth worker was severely injured and will likely be hospitalized for life. The speakers at the vigil stressed the need for status for all, immediately upon landing in Canada. They talked about the role of undocumented (non-status) workers in the so-called underground economy. Migrant workers work in the construction, agriculture, hospitality sectors amongst others. In this instance, the workers were provided faulty safety harnesses as they worked on a swing stage that broke, to repair the 13th floor balcony of a building on Kipling Avenue. The issue of non-status workers needs to be made a priority within the organized labour movement. The issue of status is at the heart of this tragedy that could have been prevented. The only way to ensure that all workers are assured their rights and know to ask for their rights without fear of reprisals is to ensure status for all. The speakers stressed as well that this was a moment to continue the fight as well as to mourn. Our collective continued the discussion, providing a history of immegration practices in Canada, talking about the role of women and the impact on the community. In a few weeks, please tune in for an interview with some of the women organizing with J4MW.

The vigil was organized by Justicia for Migrant Workers and No One is Illegal.

Music by Neena Simone

January 3rd

Today, we heard part of a lecture given originally in Febuary 2009 at the University of Minnesota by renowned ecofeminist, activist, author and scientist, Dr. Vandana Shiva. She discusses the global crisis in food production; the long-term adverse impact of World Bank investment strategies; the biopiracy attributed to large corporations and structural adjustment policies and consequences of liberalization of the seed sector. Shiva draws on examples of rural communities in India and talks at length about the violence engendered by the Green Revolution. Her talk is ultimately a call to live sustainably and she focuses on local (often women-led) struggles that reclaim natural biodiversity and challenge the monopoly of large corporations. Her complete talk can be found at here.

In the second half of the show, our collective talked about how feminism and feminists are perceived by young women in highschool. We examined responses to a recent study where women were asked if they considered themselves feminists. We talked about the need to incorporate feminisms into the curriculum and the largely negative perceptions associated with feminisms as somehow relating to male bashing and as an outmoded way of thinking. We went on to discuss at length the need to reclaim feminism(s) and the many ways in which it still remains relevant to us all. Feminisms don`t just relate to `women`, its an approach to the world; a way to think through issues of oppression and inequity through the lens of race, class, ability, immigration status, sexuality and other facets of interlocking oppressions.

Music was the Re-Education of Lauryn Hill mixtape you can check-out here.

December 27th

Frequency Feminisms discussed the resistance to the Olympic torch as it moves across Canada and onto First Nations territories.

We listened to the Toronto March in Honor of Harriet Nahanee, an interview with Mellisa Elliot from Young Onkwehonwe United (AW@L Radio) and a talk by Helen Lenskyj, author of 3 books about the Olympic industry, who spoke in Vancouver against the 2010 Olympics.

• Anti-Olympic Protesters bring their message of resistance across Canada: Announced the Rally in downtown Kitchener on Sunday Dec 27th. In the coming weeks, dissenters are also expected to converge in Calgary, Edmonton, Stratford, and Guelph.
• Thurs, Dec, 24, London- people gathered at the main gate to Victoria Park to protest the Olympic torch relay. Large banners were held up, free food was provided by 'Food Not Games', and speakers.
• Tues, Dec 22, London, ON - A road blockade was set up by protesters leading up to the Oneida First Nation (Oneida of the Thames reserve). VANOC in conjunction with the RCMP said in a news release: “We will not visit Oneida as a faction of the community has pledged to disrupt the relay and prohibit us from entering the community,”. The torch was successfully rerouted to a community centre on the outskirts.
• Mon, Dec 21, ON - Six Nations community members declared that the Olympic Torch will not pass through their territory, they successfully stopped the torch from going into the "heart" of their territory. The Declaration by the Onkwehonwe (people) of the Grand River Territory states “This land is not conquered. We are not Canadian… We hereby affirm our peaceful opposition to the entry and progression of the 2010 Olympic torch into and through our territory.”
• Thurs, Dec 17th, ON - In downtown Toronto, over 250 people took to the streets, blocking major intersections and forcing the cancellation of the Torch in parts of downtown Toronto. A banner dropped directly across the stage with “No Olympics on Stolen Native Land” in Anishinaabemowin. Before entering Ontario at least four communities in the province of Quebec opposed the Torch Relay: Sept-Iles, Montreal, Kanahwake First Nations, and Quebec City.
• Dec 10, in Montreal - over 200 people converged and delayed the relay as well as the main ceremonies and concert.