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Choose your pricing plan Join $ 10 10$ Purchase a one-time $10 membership share in SJC Select Best Value Join + Grow $ 10 10$ Every month Join the SJC and help us Grow by donating monthly! Select One-time $10 purchase of one membership share in the SJC Monthly $10 donation to sustain the work of SJC Grow $ 10 10$ Every month Help us Grow by donating monthly! Select Fund the Revolution $ 50 50$ Every month Resources for Revolution Select Donate: PaidPlans

Acerca de Response to Theft in SJC Community Update Over the past few months, the SJCNL has faced one of the most significant challenges in the history of the organization. On March 5, 2023 the SJCNL Board notified its members, donors, and community partners that there had been a theft of our collective funds. This theft has seriously damaged the organization's capacity to attain our vision and meet our goals , as we have had to lay off our staff and halt funding important projects, such as our activity funds and mutual aid work. This theft has also laid bare serious oversights in the organization's governance and raised important questions and concerns about how policies are followed and decisions are made. As we have come together to face this challenge head on, we have been doing our best to center our values through this process, as outlined in the Revolution of Care . This means reclaiming care, by building a movement centered on compassion and kindness that gives space to heal, learn, and grow, and to use a collaborative, cooperative, consensus-based, decentralized approach to decision-making. In the spirit of the Revolution of Care, we held three meetings in April to share information about the crime that occurr ed and hear from members, donors, and community partners on how to move forward collectively. The board has carefully collected this information and is preparing a multi-faceted approach to responding to this feedback that considers the restitution of lost funds, strengthening financial and governance oversight, reparation of harm with community members, and developing a culture of accountability for the organization. As part of this approach, the board held a Special Members Meeting to vote on the creation of three committees that will support the organization's response. As a member-owned co-operative, we wanted to be true to our democratic values and ensure that the proposed path forward is supported by our members. The board is also looking for volunteers to join these committees and help us weather this storm. We were so heartened to have more than 100 members, donors, and community partners attend March's meetings and we are hoping that folks will come aboard to help us steer this ship to a safer place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the Special Member's Meeting held on May 2, 2023, the following committees were approved: Finance Committee Terms of reference: Develop a financial oversight policy that will be presented at Special Member's Meeting. Maintain financial oversight based on policy. Co-chaired by 2 members. Min 3 members and maximum 7 including only 1 board member and 1 representative of each organization/team with which we hold funds in trust. Only members and representatives on committee. Fraud Investigation Committee Terms of reference: Review bookkeeping, get exact figures for funds owed by the individual (including going through her receipts) and funds held in trust. Write an incident report Co-chaired by 2 members. Min 3 members and maximum 7 including only 1 board member. Only members on committee. The board member on the fraud investigation committee cannot sit on the finance committee. Transformative Justice Committee Terms of reference: To meet with the individual and develop and deliver a restitution plan. To propose ways to support a culture of accountability Co-chaired by 2 members. Min 3 members and maximum 7 including 1 board member. Only members on committee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the Annual General Meeting in September 2023, the committees provided updates on their activities and a financial oversight policy was approved by members. Financial Oversight Committee Finalized Financial Oversight Policy for the board to use. This is meant to be a living document and will be reviewed yearly. The document can be downloaded here. Proposed a few changes to the Treasurer's roles in the SJC by-laws, that were approved at the AGM. The next phase of the committee will be to prepare a Treasurer's Handbook, which will go into details on all the duties of the Treasurer and how they can best be conducted. Following this work, the committee will continue to review monthly Treasurer's reports as indicated in the Financial Oversight Policy and meet as required. Fraud Investigation Committee Identified 5 key initiatives and plans to have deliverables ready by the next AGM in Spring 2024. These initiatives are: “Retroactive Financial Reporting” “Diagnosing Past Inaccurate Financial Reports” “Detailing incident timelines” “Root Cause Analysis” “Recommendations” Transformative Justice Committee Preparing a plan on how to move forward. Focus right now on trust building within the committee and ensuring that no one is harmed doing this work. Are working with the Community Justice Connects program with the NL Human Rights Association to help guide their work. Have taken part in training sessions on transformative justice and will be hosting a few sessions to teach the SJC community about transformative justice in the Fall/Winter.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the Annual General Meeting in October 2024, the committees provided the following updates on their activities The Finance Oversight Committee has created a policy document for the board and members to adhere to. They also supported the creation of an Audit Team, which reviewed the organization's finances and provided recommendations. These documents can be found here: https://www.sjcnl.ca/our-finances The Fraud Investigation Committee presented its finding and is currently working on a public facing report. The Transformative Justice Committee has met with the person who stole the funds and is working on a plan for them to meet with members. They also held a Transformative Justice 101 workshop in May 2024 to help prepare members for this process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the 2025 October AGM, the committees provided the following updates on their activities The Finance Oversight Committee presented an updated version of the Financial Oversight Policy, which addressed concerns that were presented in the 2024 audit. Those documents can be found here: https://www.sjcnl.ca/our-finances Due to challenges with volunteer recruitment for financial administrative tasks and members of the committee being unable to continue their roles, the FOC has decided to dissolve. To maintain a high level of financial oversight on the SJC board, it is recommending that the renamed Financial Review Team meet quarterly to review the SJC's finances. The Fraud Investigation Committee handed out physical copies of the final report to members in attendance. They committed to sharing the report with all members and hold a meeting to share feedback in the near future. The Transformative Justice Committee shared an update to confirm that they are continuing to meet regularly but they are still not at the point where the person who has stolen the funds has been able to apologize face to face with a member. They reminded the room that this work is slow, and they asked for more help as there are only 2 members on the team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In January 2026, the Fraud Investigation Committee finished its report and the Board wrote a response with an action plan to complete its recommendations. They can be downloaded here. Board Response Fraud Report

Project Nujio'qonik by World Energy GH2 Coalition for a Green New Deal: Who We Are What is Project Nujio'qonik? Project Nujio'qonik is also known as the Port-au-Port & Stephenville Wind Power & Hyd rogen Generation Project. It's a wind-to-hydrogen mega-project being proposed by Worl d Energy GH2 for construction on the Port-au-Port peninsula and in the area around Stephenville. The project, if approved, would see 164 wind turbines built on the Port-au-Port peninsula and a Hydrogen Generation Plant built in Stephenville. Who is World Energy GH2? World Energy GH2, founded in 2022, is a NL based subsidiary of a US company called World Energy LLC, one of the USA's biggest suppliers of biodiesel. The CEO of World Energy GH2 is Sean Leet, whose previous appointments include Director and CEO of two Maritime Transportation companies, KOTUG and Horizon Maritime. The chairman of Project Nujio'qonik is Nova Scotian billionaire John Risley, founder of Clearwater Seafoods. (Notice that no one here has any previous experience in wind energy or hydrogen generation) Members of the Social Justice Co-op NL, Council of Canadians, and Clean NL, rally for a Federal Impact Assessment of Project Nujio'qonik outside 10 Barter's Hill in St. John's on Friday September 22, 2023. Photo by Kassie Drodge Why are people concerned? A group of local residents called the E nvironmental Transparency Committee (ETC) outline many reasons for concern in their August 29th media release. Read the release in full by clicking here , or check out some highlights below: "We were already worried when this project was sprung on us last summer," says Marilyn Rowe, Chair of the Sheaves Cove Local Service District. "It was obvious then that trying to crowd 164 giant turbines onto our little peninsula would threaten our environment, our communities and ou r way of life. The preliminary work on roads and test towers has already caused significant destruction. The EIS [Environmental Impact Statement submitted by World Energy GH2] shows that the impacts will be even worse." The EIS, required by the Province, represents the proponent company's version of the impacts they anticipate and how they will address any problems. It is a massive multi-volume document detailing their technologically complex and economically questionable plan to use the area's wind energy to transform water into hydrogen and then into ammonia for shipment overseas from the port of Stephenville. Like Muskrat Falls before it, this mega-proposal suffers from an extreme form of optimism bias, apparently shared by the provincial government. The Port au Port Peninsula is home to some 4,000 people, a majority of Mi'kmaq descent, and is known for its relatively unspoiled natural environment, its rare and endangered species, and its unique blend of Indigenous, French and English cultures. A year ago when word began to spread there about the proposed mega-project, local people formed the Port Au Port Environmental Transparency Committee to demand a say in the decision-making and an end to the secrecy and conflicts of interest surrounding the project. "We've performed our due diligence, talked to the company, taken part in their staged 'consultations' and challenged their experts," says Nadine Tallack of the ETC. "All during that time, the proponent was continuing their preliminary work, while meeting with the provincially-appointed committee of government employees to make the drastic changes and additions to their original proposal that they have now entrenched in their EIS." With members locally throughout the Peninsula and supporters across Newfoundland and Labrador, the ETC has received formal letters of support from provincial and national organizations, including EnviroWatch NL, the Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador, CLEAN NL and the Council of Canadians. "This World Energy mega-project is not 'green energy' at all," says Helen Forsey of the Council of Canadians Avalon/NL Chapter. "Its construction alone will require huge amounts of fossil fuels and earth minerals, and its operation will rely on power from the provincial grid to cover fluctuations in the wind source. Moreover, nothing even partially 'green' will stay here in the Province: the ammonia will be shipped overseas to European markets, generating further emissions and wasting more energy to reconvert it to a usable form. Newfoundland/Ktaqmkuk will be left with the devastating environmental and social consequences of the whole profiteering venture." Read Full Media Release What are people asking for? The Environmental Transparency Committee, with the support of EnviroW atch NL, the Social Justice Co-operative of NL, CLEAN NL, and the Council of Canadians, are asking that Minster Stephen Guilbeault designate Project Nujio'qonik for a impa ct assessment through the federal Imp act Assessment Agency. The federal impact assessment process i s more comprehensive than the pro vincial one and provides for public participation . Trust has broken down between concerned residents and the provincial government, leading to a lack of trust in the provincial government's capacity to carry out an honest and sufficient assessment. Concerns about Premier Furey's connection to Project Nujio'qonik's billionaire chairman John Risley emerged after news broke last fall of Furey and Risley enjoying a fishing trip together in July 2021 at Risley's luxury cabin in Labrador. Concerns have also been raised about Furey's friendship with businessman Brendan Paddick , a director at World Energy GH2. These concerns have intensified since the Independent NL broke a story about the provincial government peddling the province on the international energy market as the 'World’s First Net-Zero Potential Energy Super Basin' and uncovered covert plans to const ruct a hydrogen transportation pipeline through unceded Innu lands in Labrador . Minister Guilbeault is to decide whether to designate Project Nujio'qonik for a federal Impact Assessment by October 3r d . A federal impact assessment will ensure the public has a chance to participate in considering the environmental impact of Project Nujio'qonik. Read SJC Letter of Support Update - September 29, 2023 The ETC worked hard to push Minister Guilbeault to designate the project for Federal Impact Assessment. Unfortunately despite the comprehensive case they made, and the many letters of support contributed by groups like the SJC, Council of Canadians, and the FFAW, the minister decided not to designate the project for a federal impact assessment. Instead he left the environmental and impact assessment in the hands of the province. The provincial process is not as comprehensive as the federal one and does not provide any funding for public intervenors, which is how concerned residents get their voices heard in the assessment process. The ETC is now considering setting up a parallel community-run impact assessment process. If you're interested in being involved in this shoot us an email at SocialJusticeCoopNL@gmail.com and we'll put you in touch. A second west coast based group working to ensure concerns about the potential negative impacts of Project Nujio'qonik and others like it get heard is the South Coast Alliance. We had the great pleasure of meeting with Brenda from the South Coast Alliance this week. They are advocating for a "six-month pause, with time extension possibilities, on approving industry projects on the Southwest Coast until proper Cumulative Effects Assessment studies and meaningful consultations are concluded". This includes the wind-to-hydrogen mega-project proposed by World Energy GH2, Project Nujio'qonik. If you're on Facebook, you can join their group "Protect NL " to stay updated on their activities. Brenda came all the way to St. John’s to bring flyers, petitions and protest signs to raise awareness. Send us a message at SocialJusticeCoopNL@gmail.com to get some flyers and petitions! You can also email the South Coast Alliance at ProtectNL@outlook.com Project Nujio'qonik Incompatible with Revolution of Care SJCNL Volunteer Coordinator, Lea Movelle, opens Sept 22nd Rally for Federal Impact Assessment of Project Nujio'qonik by calling out provincial government for greenwashing, drawing parallels to Muskrat Falls, thanking Environmental Transparency Committee for raising their voices, and encouraging a Revolution of Care. Jude Benoit shares concerns about Work Camps, Noise Pollution, Environmental Racism Jude Benoit, longtime Two Spirit Mi'kmaq activist, co-founder of the Indigenous Activist Collective and member of the SJC shares concerns about the impacts of Project Nujio'qonik on their home and family. Helen Forsey says Current Assessment Process is largely Managed by and for the Proponent (World Energy GH2) Helen Forsey, with the Council of Canadians, says the Avalon chapter has been working with the Environmental Transparency Committee since January on effort to secure a Federal Impact Assessment for Project Nujio'qonik. Emphasizes that a Federal Impact Assessment would allow for more true public participation, both through funding for public intervenors, and a longer, more detailed and more independent process in place. Rally for Federal Impact Assessment for Project Nujio'qonik Ends in Group Chant: Protestors chant, "We're here to fight for the future we need, the elites won't save us from their own greed" Thanks to Kassie Drodge for capturing all of the photos and videos from the rally <3 Update - November 12, 2023 On November 1st, Minister Bernard Davis announced that the NL government would not be approving Project Nujio'qonik and asked World Energy GH2 for more information in their environmental assessment, including "potential and cumulative effects of the project." This is a huge win for groups across the province who have been raising questions about this mega project! On October 27, we joined protesters from the Environmental Transparency Committee in Port au Port who raised important questions about the project and are so excited that their efforts have been successful on this front. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/no-decision-yet-n-l-government-says-world-energy-gh2-proposal-needs-more-information-1.7015232

Status For All Rally Sept 24, 2023 Hosted by the Migrant Action Centre Scroll down for a digital action! The Social Justice Co-op NL believes in a world without borders. We are imagining and working toward a Revolution of Care , a future that puts care at the core of social organization, instead of profit. We dream of a future where the destruction of thriving ecosystems for profit is brought to and end, where everyone's needs are met, and everyone's dignity is respected, everyone's value is celebrated. Where colonial, capitalist governments no longer decide who is worthy of rights, services, or protections. We know this future is possible and is coming because people, particularly Indigenous, Black, Brown, Queer, Trans, Poor, Disabled, and Migrant feminists & abolitionist dreamers, organizers, and activists have been fighting and working for generations to bring it into being. Citizenship is a category that exists only to exclude, and reinforce the power of a colonial, capitalist state. It renders people who do not have it: excruciatingly vulnerable to brutally harsh exploitation by employers, without access to medical care, and other essential services, vulnerable to detention and deportation, The precarity a lack of status forces people into means that it is scarier and riskier for them to raise their voice against the inhumane treatment that is commonplace among people who are denied status. That is why it’s so important that we raise our collective voice, to speak up for people’s humanity and dignity. There is safety in numbers, and it is often unsafe for migrants to raise their voice and speak up for their rights alone. We must all join the call for Status For All, until none of our neighbours are forced to live without it. Last fall, the SJC attended a meeting with the Migrant Action Centre, Anti Racism Coalition NL, and the Worker Action Network with Minister Seamus O’Regan. He told us he was in favor of Status for All and that he would advocate for it in cabinet. He asked us to hold his feet to the fire on Status for All. And so we humbly ask for your help in doing so! Could you email Minister Seamus O'Regan? His email is: seamus.oregan@parl.gc.ca Ask him for an update on his efforts to advocate for Status for All in cabinet. Ask him if we can count on seeing the federal government move forward with Status for All, and when he expects this to unfold. Go to bit.ly/migrantrightsNL for a template email , which you're welcome to use in full or part. And then, Join the Migrant Rights Network's federal call at https://migrantrights.ca/ Thank you all for taking action! And let’s keep the energy and fight going all week, all year long. Let’s keep it going until we win Status for All! Email Minister O'Regan View Email Template Join #StatusForAll Migrant Justice Week Hosted by the Migrant Action Centre Sept 24 - Oct 1, 2023 Details at MigrantAction.ca

Challenging Car Culture: Welcome Challenging Car Culture: About Us A Bit About Us We advocate for accessible and active transportation, and for free, sustainable mass transit. We challenge the idea that cars are the default way to get around. Join the #ChallengeCarCulture Coalition and #ThinkOutsideTheCar with us. Private vehicles are not our future, and they do not serve our planet or our communities. While they've come to be thought of as the default way to get around, this hasn't been the case for most of human history and it's pretty obvious who's benefiting...the automobile and petro industries! We can do better. We can move as a community with free, accessible, public transit, and walkable, bikable, rollable neighbourhoods. Say Hi @ Our Monthly Meeting! Join us on Zoom on the 1st Monday of each month from 5:30-7pm NT for our monthly general meeting. All are welcome! Email us for the meeting link. Connect with CCC re: meetings Challenging Car Culture: Text Pop Up Crossing Guards A proactive response to pedestrian safety concerns: Challenge Car Culture members host "Pop Up Crossing Guard'' events around St. John’s. This initiative, launched early in 2023, sees volunteers hit the streets to help pedestrians cross safely, foster positive community interactions, and draw attention to the follies and dangers of car centric culture and neighborhoods. Equipped with high visibility vests and homemade stop signs, Challenge Car Culture volunteers pop up in areas known for their lack of safe crossings or stressful pedestrian experiences. Our first event took place at the junction of Military Road, Bonaventure Avenue, and Garrison Hill, helping people navigate the triangular crosswalks, where motorists often fail to stop appropriately. The second pop-up was during the NL Folk Festival, where the team set up at the intersection of Military Avenue and Bannerman Road, ensuring festival attendees could navigate the area safely. Reception from the community has been resoundingly favorable, with pedestrians expressing gratitude for the increased safety and reduced anxiety experienced during the pop-ups. The homemade stop signs have proven to be particularly effective, catching the attention of drivers and facilitating smoother interactions between pedestrians and motorists. Challenge Car Culture's Pop Up Crossing Guard initiative represents a practical approach to fostering people-centered neighborhoods, making a tangible difference in pedestrian safety and challenging the prevailing car-centric culture. Would you like to see us at a crosswalk or intersection near you, or join us on the streets for a pop-up? Don’t hesitate to get in touch. Connect with CCC re: Crossing Guards Wheatpasting Challenge Car Culture is all about action with a creative twist. Our recurring "wheat-pasting" events are a creative way to challenge car culture and nudge people toward alternative thinking – all while having a good time. Armed with impactful posters and a sense of camaraderie, Challenge Car Culture members hit the streets, transforming dull walls into thought-provoking canvases. These posters disrupt the status quo, urging folks to reconsider their car-centric habits and explore more eco-friendly ways to get around. But it's not just about serious messages – these events are also about fun. Laughter fills the air as posters go up, creating a sense of community and shared purpose. The process itself becomes a statement, showing that change can be enjoyable and engaging. Challenge Car Culture's wheat-pasting events serve a dual purpose: they spark conversations and actions while also injecting a dose of enjoyment into activism. So, keep an eye out for our posters – they're more than decorations, they're invitations to join a movement that's steering us toward a more sustainable future, one paste-up at a time. Want to join us next time? Please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you Connect with CCC re: Wheatpasting Near Hits Project We want to hear from people who have been nearly hit while walking, cycling, using a mobility aid, or pushing a stroller. We are building a map of areas, and a list of issues, that are dangerous for non-motorist and need to be addressed. Learn More Slippery Sidewalk Open Mic Last year (Nov 2022) we hosted an open mic at the BIS, where we invited people to rant, roar, rap, scream, scowl, weep, sing, speak, plead (non-exhaustive) into the mic about experiences with snow, icy, slippery, or unsafe sidewalks! Are you sick of the slip? Do you have something you want to get off your chest about slippery sidewalks? Click the button and use the form to share your story with us. Share your Sick of the Slip Story Challenging Car Culture: Pro Gallery Advocating for Accessibility On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Dec 3rd, 2020, we gathered in honour of those who have been injured or killed trying to navigate our inaccessible, dangerous sidewalks. We gathered to bear witness for those who are isolated in their homes for half of the year, every year, due to negligent sidewalk clearing. Access is a right not a privilege and our city is failing to safeguard the rights of People with Disabilities in even the simplest, most basic ways. We gathered with three asks: 1. Clear our sidewalks with the same priority as adjoining streets. 2. Use a Universal Design approach in all further developments, including the Kelly's Brook Shared Use Path: consult Universal Design experts and community members with diverse lived experiences and accessibility concerns. 3. Reverse the recent cuts to Metrobus. (We won this one!) Advocating for Accessibile Sidewalks! We Demand Safety! Support the Kelly's Brook Shared-Use Pathway The Kelly's Brook Shared-Use Pathway is going ahead with asphalt trail surface! This is a big win for inclusivity in our city! Thanks to everyone who supported this project! Get to Know the Kelly's Brook Trail Take a tour with Elizabeth Yeoman on her blog Meet the Trail Here Engage with City St. John's! The ‘What We Heard’ (WWH) document summarizing feedback from the Kelly’s Brook Shared-Use Path public engagement process is now available. Read The Report Brunch and Learn for Kelly's Brook Trail with St. John's City Councillors Brunch and Learn to discuss the upcoming vote to INDEFINITELY DEFER funding for Phase One of the Kelly's Brook Multipurpose Trail project. Watch Video here Action Archive Mobility Justice Discussion with the Human Rights Commission Presentation by and discussion with the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, Carey Majid. The focus was on mobility justice, especially lack of sidewalk clearing, as a human rights issue. We explored the details and process of launching a human rights challenge on the matter. Email Us for More Information Challenging Car Culture TV Play Video Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs Street Skeets present: Stairway to Inclusion Play Video Residents protest state of sidewalks in St. John’s Play Video Protestors Shut Down Traffic to Demand Accessible Sidewalks Play Video Challenging Car Culture: News News & Views City of St. John’s 2021 Budget an Act of Deliberate Negligence Toward Residents ‘It traumatized me’: St. John’s woman tells about being hit by car after being forced onto road in her wheelchair Dec 8, 2020 Statement Dec 03, 2020 The Telegram Return of the U-Pass: This Time Bringing Students On Board Show your support for sidewalk snow-clearing! Oct 22, 2020 The Indepeendent Sept 28, 2020 Statement Investing in a Walk-able City Pays for Itself Some residents hope to make a case to bring Metrobus service to C.B.S August 21, 2020 The Independent Feb 15, 2020 CBC Reduce Speed Limits in the City of St. John's Speaking as a Car-Owner: It’s Time for a War on Cars Jan 25, 2020 Statement Sept 9, 2019 The Independent

Tent City for Change Demands Housing for All Apr 9, 2024 APRIL UPDATE Hey Community! 💐 As we've been working through these last tidbits of winter, it seems we've also worked through most of the TC4C coffers. With 20 protestors on the ground we're barely able to keep up with propane costs let alone food and medicine. Could you help us out? Donate here: linktr.ee/tentcityforchange PS: Stay tuned for some really cool fundraising projects we have on the go! 'Tis the season for spring cleaning! Here at Tent City for Change, we are working to get about 15 new folks settled in with everything they might need this spring, which, in Newfoundland, means lots of tarps to keep everything dry as possible! We are also looking for tents, lanterns/flashlights, coleman stoves, sleeping bags, bedding, pillows, and batteries. So if you're cleaning out some of your old camping gear, or just supplies you've had kicking around for too long, consider dropping them to Downtown Comics where a volunteer will pick them up to distribute to the Resident Protestors as needed. But wait, there are even more ways to help! We're still accepting recycling donations thru the Green Depot. Just use the account number to direct your recycling refunds our way: 738 2933 Interested in getting involved? We are looking to grow our volunteer team! As we gear up for spring, we expect to see more residents who need more support. To increase the capacity of our on the ground work, we are looking for a few individuals who can dedicate their efforts to fundraising campaigns, cooking meals when we can't source them elsewhere, and helping manage our social media and communication channels. Reach out if you would like to join our amazing team! You can reach us on social media @tentcityforchangestjohns on facebook and instagram . Following us on social media is also the best way to stay in the loop with us and be the first to receive our updates! Learn More about what Resident Protestors at Tent City for Change are Fighting For: Here's a quick intro to what Resident Protestors at TC4C are calling for. Get the facts on the right to housing here: https://maytree.com/publications/we-cant-let-myths-about-the-human-right-to-housing-hold-us-back/ If you believe housing is a human right - please support the Protesters fighting for everyone's right to have a safe and dignified place to call home - Donate here: linktr.ee/tentcityforchange Frequently Asked Questions More about Mutual Aid You can reach us on social media @tentcityforchangestjohns on facebook and instagram . Following us on social media is also the best way to stay in the loop with us and be the first to receive our updates! Content below this line is archival & contains info that is outdated. JANUARY 11 UPDATE The provincial government has recently announced the opening of temporary transitional housing at the site of the Comfort Inn. While TC4C advocates celebrate this announcement as proof of the power of community organizing, we nonetheless have concerns about various shortcomings in government plans thus far. TC4C continues to support 4-6 Resident Protestors to meet their basic needs everyday. But did you know that we also continue to support former Resident Protestors who have since received “shelter” or “housing”? Aside from having a roof over their head, many of these folks continue to be failed by government - many of their basic human rights are not met, including the Right to Food. We’re asking the community for donations of Strawberry Ensure (or financial support to purchase it) because many of the folks we’re supporting have lost dangerous levels of body weight while surviving harsh winter conditions. We’ll be accepting donations of Strawberry Ensure at Downtown Comics, and financial donations through our DonorBox, which you can find at: linktr.ee/tentcityforchange We want to send out our heartfelt gratitude to the greater community who has continued to support Resident Protestors. As we continue to push our elected representatives to do better, TC4C will remain a steadfast site of protest and resistance to privatized shelters, exploitative slum lords, and the denial of housing as a human right. You can follow Tent City for Change on social media for more frequent updates. Occasional updates will continue to be added to this webpage, but following on socials is a good way to stay in the loop day-to-day. You can donate to Tent City for Change here: https://donorbox.org/tent-city Follow Tent City for Change on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tentcityforchangestjohns Follow Tent City for Change on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tentcityforchangestjohns Tent City for Change Website: https://tent-city.vercel.app/ Tent City for Change Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/tentcityforchange OCTOBER UPDATE In October, residents of St. John's sick of the unsafe shelter system mobilized and set up tents on Confederation Hill as a visual representation of the housing crisis in this city. Immediately, members of the SJC mobilized and began showing up to see how they could help. Understanding that the encampment would need financial support, we started a fundraising campaign. Members also encouraged resident protesters to move their occupation to Bannerman Park, where they would have access to a bathroom, a greater array of non-profit services, and more shelter from the constant wind. These members along with other concerned citizens formed what became the Tent City 4 Change collective. From October 10 to December 3, Tent City 4 Change has offered essential aid and support to resident protesters. We've raised $5,000.76, and have spent $4,491.20, leaving $509.56 to cover upcoming costs. One of our ongoing contributions has been helping provide hot breakfasts and dinners to resident protesters. Volunteers are offered $40 for breakfast and $50 for dinner to cover expenses associated with making a meal for around 20 people. We have volunteers signed up to bring breakfast for the next 7 days ($280) and dinner for the next 17 days ($850). We do not currently have the funds to cover these costs but hope that the daily donations we are receiving will continue. Donations also help provide essential supplies (bags, hygiene items, medicine), warmth (blankets, hand warmers), utilities (firewood, stove repairs), and crucial harm reduction items, including cigarettes, cannabis, and small amounts of alcohol. We understand not everyone appreciates the necessity of these harm reduction items, but we believe they are a critical part of fostering dignity and safety. Resident protestors are under extremely stressful circumstances living outside in all kinds of weather, and we believe they deserve to have what they need. Tent City 4 Change has also mobilized community donations and connections. The collective has collected clothes, tents, tarps, blankets, food, firewood, and many other items to support camp life. Members are also supporting resident protesters as they are moving into new homes, including collecting and delivering furniture. Most recently, we were able to secure a port a potty after the City of St. John's ruthlessly shut down the Bannerman Park bathroom with no notice. We appreciate that this decision has since been reversed and the bathrooms are now open 24/7 thanks to community advocacy. How You Can Help! Donate Today Your contribution directly assists in providing meals, supplies, and essential aid to the residents of Tent City. https://donorbox.org/tent-city Spread the Word Share our cause with friends and family. Together, we can make a substantial collective impact. Donate items or join the hot meal train More information on what is needed and how to sign up to bring hot meals can be found at: https://tent-city.vercel.app/ We deeply appreciate the generous contributions from Abi, A, Alison, Allan, Amanda, Angela, Ayla, Brandon, Cate, Caitlin, Chloe, Dawn, Elizabeth, Erin, Gregory, Hannah, Hanna, Janet, Jeremy, Jillian, Kaitlyn, Kale, Karen, Katie, L, Lauren, Mandy, Mark, Mary, Maxine, Melanie, Michael, Nathalie, Paige, Paul, Rachelle, Renée, Robin, Ruth, Sarah, Selina, Shaye, Stacey, Stephanie, Tiffany, and Y. Your support has been instrumental in our efforts to bring about positive change. Gratitude and solidarity to everyone showing up to support the resident protestors. We keep each other safe. "How to Fix the Housing Crisis? And why im/migrants are not responsible." It's crucial that we are loud and clear that the housing crisis is a problem of capitalist greed . It is not a problem caused by migration or immigration. Dividing communities and turning people against one another is a key tactic of the rich to hold unto their wealth and power. Check out and share the panel discussion linked below, hosted by the Migrant Rights Network, to spread the message loud and clear of who is and isn't to blame, and what can be done to fix the housing crisis. https://migrantrights.ca/events/oct18/ Previous Next

Our Vision: Text Save Our Oxfam Centre Letter by Phyllis Artis At the first meeting of Save the Oxfam Centre (SOS) April 3, 2012, we were invited to speak about our involvement in the St. John’s Oxfam Centre and what it means to us. Since that meeting someone asked on our website: How did it begin? I said a few words at the meeting on both: where we started and what Oxfam means to me. Here I will repeat and add to what I said at that time. I hope it and all other letters sent to this site will be read carefully by Robert Fox, who we hope to see tonight, and to the National Board of Oxfam Canada. This is my Oxfam story as I remember it today. Phyllis ------------- I’ve been involved with Oxfam since 1970. I was living in England at the time, where my husband and I were on leave from Memorial. He was doing a graduate degree and I was caring for our two young children. Television pictures of starving babies in Biafra moved me to take part in my first Oxfam initiative, an appeal to collect ‘Blankets for Biafra.' In 1973, back home in St. John’s, I joined a small Oxfam Committee, which up till then had focused mainly on fundraising for famines and other disasters overseas. Around the world Oxfam continues to raise money for overseas relief, but in St. John’s and elsewhere in Canada, Oxfam was becoming more interested in the root causes of poverty, and in particular its links with oppression. We wanted to work to promote long-term changes and not stop at charity. We, the St. John’s Oxfam Committee, decided we needed a permanent base in the city for our meetings, staff, resources and expansion of our activities. We found a shabby downtown building used to store furnace parts, persuaded a sympathetic businessman to buy it for us, signed a mortgage (using our own homes as collateral), and proceeded on weekends and holidays to dig out the filthy, oily cellar space, tear down walls, clean, paint, install shelves, scrounge, and spend endless hours writing grant applications, and developing linkages with schools, churches, unions, university, arts organizations, and other Oxfam groups in Atlantic Canada, and more. Upstairs at the Oxfam Centre we created offices and a comfortable meeting room. I remember many gatherings there. I especially remember Friday afternoon study sessions on Paulo Freire’s, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, maybe other texts too, but the discussions on Freire provided a frame of reference for many of our discussions of education, development and political activism. According to Freire ‘If [leaders] are truly committed to liberation, their action and reflection cannot proceed without the action and reflection of [the people].’ Leaders must be followers, and followers must be leaders; similarly with teachers and learners, thinkers and doers, those who donate funds and those who receive the funds. We must act together through dialogue, and avoid the dichotomies in language and living that reflect the prescriptive methods of the dominant elites. These ideas helped shape our projects, and my thinking ever after. Downstairs we opened a store for fair-trade crafts (though we called them something else then), a lending library, free books and pamphlets on development (vital resources before the internet) and some books and magazines for sale. Our idea was to educate the public; find outlets and fair prices for crafts produced in co-ops around the world; encourage the public to drop in and learn about us and our work; attract volunteers, and bring in some income to help sustain our Oxfam Centre at 382 Duckworth St. Financially I don’t think the Oxfam shop was ever very successful, but it made us visible in the city: a welcoming space where people could drop in to learn more about Oxfam and 'third-world' countries, and where any activist groups without a home could meet. Throughout my years on various St. John's Oxfam Committee boards and committees we had amazing, inspirational, well-informed, dedicated staff. First we hired Rich Fuchs and Anne Manuel, recent graduates of Memorial, to do administration, outreach and education, and shortly after that Sean McCutcheon to research the illnesses of miners in St. Lawrence. And then we brought in (after much letter-writing and red tape) Juan Ruz, a refugee from Chile who fled for his life after Allende’s assassination. We provided room and board for Juan and very modest salaries for Juan and the other three staff members. We were a mixed group: students, professors, retirees, artists, unemployed, some from this province and some from elsewhere, old and young, a few with a lifelong record of social activism and others with little or no experience of this kind. We came from differing cultural, religious, political, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Of the active members from my earliest days, the movers, shakers and visionaries who made things happen, the first to come to mind are Rosemary and John Williams and David Thompson, and shortly after that Frances Ennis, Lorraine Michael, Dorothy Inglis, Lois Saunders, Tony Berger, Rod Singaraya and Keith Storey. We partnered with schools, university, community groups, unions and more; we invited guest lectures, organized workshops, and protested with placards in front of banks with investments in South Africa; we boycotted South African wine and we invited a South African friend living in St. John’s to report on his impressions of life under Apartheid when he returned from a family visit to South Africa. We elected representatives from the St. John’s Oxfam Committee to sit on Oxfam Canada’s Regional and National boards, and to travel to the UK for training in building emergency shelters for disaster relief. We had heated debates on funding priorities, ways of increasing awareness of injustice in the world, and ways of addressing these injustices, of contradictions between the principles we believed in and the ways we raised our children and conducted our lives. We were always short of money but we had enough determined, hardworking, optimistic volunteers and staff to keep the centre alive as a vibrant force in the community. And we debated everything. Was it ethical for Oxfam Canada to use the funds it raised, in part from impecunious Newfoundlanders, to pay what seemed to us exorbitant consulting fees to Mel Watkins to help negotiate land claims for the Dene Nation? Should we accept the offer of a local author of bestselling booklets of Newfoundland humour to organize a fundraising drive for us? (We liked him but had mixed reactions to his sense of humour). How could those of us who taught in schools and universities engage students in a Freirian dialogue about inequities around us without engaging in ‘the prescriptive methods of the dominant elites'? I believe the debates and dialogue did much to keep the organization alive and growing over the decades. We also plotted, planned, lobbied, and did whatever had to be done, from meetings at the Centre that extended late into the night, to the hard physical labour of operating the Centre and programs. We learned to think globally as we as tried to act locally. And we had fun. We cooked and ate together, played soccer, took care of each other's kids, worked on a quilt one winter (though I’m not sure we ever finished it). In short we developed a community that is still strong. . . and growing. Of course individuals have come and gone. I am less active in Oxfam now than I used to be. But many of my close friendships date from that Oxfam group of the 70s. Although all my biological family live elsewhere, I decided to retire here in part because of the Oxfam community that provides opportunities to live and work and dialogue with people who share so much of my history and so many of my values. I continue to participate in many of Oxfam's public meetings, celebrations, and fundraising events, and am always made to feel welcome, a part of this extraordinary community. I have been a substantial monthly donor to Oxfam Shareplan (or its predecessor) for over thirty years, I contribute to special fundraising events conducted by Oxfam at other times, and most of my Christmas gifts are now from Oxfam's Gifts Unwrapped. I have willed a portion of my estate to Oxfam. For decades the extraordinarily dedicated, brilliant team of Linda Ross and Bill Hynd led the way at the St. John's Oxfam Centre, keeping oldtimers informed and involved, while opening doors to new volunteers and new projects here and overseas, providing opportunities for the community to get together to raise funds, celebrate, mourn, demonstrate, and act in a thousand ways to promote social justice at home and abroad. Then Linda moved on and Bill seemed to take on the double load without missing a step. I will never know where he finds the energy, efficiency, compassion, intelligence, insight and unflappable good humour to accomplish all he does. But I will be forever grateful to him for carrying on, in spite of what seems to me callous and most undialogic, undemocratic treatment from the National Board and staff at Oxfam Canada. He is an inspiration to all of us. It is unthinkable that the St. John's Oxfam Centre, which we bought and developed, with our own bucks and blood, should be sold summarily, and Bill Hynd fired, without consultation with local staff, board or community. It is also unthinkable that anyone in this province who has supported Oxfam in the past will ever do so again if this threat is carried out. Our Vision: Text

Fund Reimbursement Are you applying for a community aid fund? Is the SJC holding funds for your org in trust? Have you paid out-of-pocket for supplies or services supported by SJC? Click the link below for the Expense Claim form for reimbursement! Expense Reimbursement Claim

Marking May Day with the Worker Action Network May 1, 2022 🌹 May Day Party 🌹 "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too" - Rose Schneiderman (1882 - 1972) Workers deserve fair and equitable working conditions, but they also deserve joy, art, and beauty. On May Day, 2022 we gathered with the Worker Action Network at Bannerman Park for a celebration of workers rights. Check out the Rose Photo Project we did in partnership with Tania Heath of Project Power Back. All photos by Tania. View photos here: https://www.sjcnl.ca/may-day-party Previous Next

Event Organizing Kit Want to organize an event but not sure where to start? Missing some supplies? Check out our organizing guide! Get in touch with lea@sjcnl.org with questions or for help. Open Event Kit

Community Partners Anti-Racism Coalition The Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador (ARC-NL) actively works to counter all forms of racism. The main objective of the ARC-NL is to promote and support a culture of anti-racism within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Learn More Fridays For Future St. John's The Youth Led Local Branch of Fridays For Future St. John’s, Newfoundland Grassroots movement #FridaysForFutureStJohns #ClimateJusticeIsSocialJustice Learn More Memorial University Climate Action Coalition The Coalition is a collection of students, faculty, staff, and community members with the shared interest of pursuing climate action at Memorial University Learn More

We Are The Movement Learn more about the people who make up the SJC Sarah Sauve (she/her) Where does Sarah call home? Sarah was born in Hull, Quebéc, which is now Gatineau, but as a teen moved to Nova Scotia, then Newfoundland and Labrador, completed grad school in London, England, and has since found her way back to YYT. When asked about her origins, Sarah contemplated, “I think of myself as a bit of a nomad – I really enjoy travel, moving around, and I haven’t stayed in one place for more than a few years in my adult life. Thinking about staying in one place for longer than a few years still kind of makes me uncomfortable (though less than before). I feel like there’s so much I’ll miss out on if I stay in one place.” It is SJC that has given Sarah a sense of belonging here. She considers Newfoundland & Labrador her home “and it’s because of the Co-op” she states. “I feel like I’ve found a community with which I can put down roots.” Sarah’s Life Experiences all Led her Toward Social Justice Work Sarah’s path to social justice started around age 16 when she attended the CISV Canada National Camp, an organization promoting cultural understanding and global leadership. A ten-year commitment to the organization honed Sarah’s ability to organize events on a local, national and international level. The ethos of CISV is to promote self-reflection, communication and the knowledge that people can truly affect change. Sarah recalls her experience of working with youth in China through her work with CISV. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme, with its focus on physical fitness, skill, service, and adventurous journeys also cultivated leadership and determination in Sarah; she impressively completed gold, which is not an easy task! Through her multitude of experiences, Sarah ended up completing Grad school in the UK and even sailed partway around the world. All of these life experiences, coupled with her recent membership in the anti-capitalist x activist book club, have influenced Sarah to engage in social justice with great commitment. Sarah reflects, “[The book club] has been instrumental in fundamentally challenging and changing my worldview and, I think, made me a better activist because of my increased understanding of structural issues like capitalism, the prison industrial complex, border imperialism and settler colonialism to name a few, and how they interact.” All Roads Lead to SJCNL Sarah: “It was kind of a no-brainer for me. When I first moved back to NL, I had decided that from then on, I would focus more on myself instead of giving so much of my time to activism – things like Argentinian tango and friendships new and old. Over time, however, I couldn’t keep not doing anything about the global problems I kept coming up against. When a friend brought me to a Green New Drinks event, I knew I’d found my people here. ”Let’s Talk Core Beliefs Sarah: “I identify as a feminist, anti-capitalist, abolitionist, anarchist, white, cis-gendered, highly educated, middle-class, neuro-typical woman. I essentially identify my sources of social privilege, which help frame where I’m coming from.“ Sarah Explains the Facets of her Ideology: Feminism to me means equity between all genders. I’ve also read feminist critique of scientific research which is much more widespread as a politic than just equal access to opportunity, but I haven’t looked into it enough to articulate that particular politic properly. Feminist science is a whole scientific epistemology. Anti-capitalism is taking action against capitalism. Though none of us can really live outside of it, we can do many small things in our everyday life to chip away at it (like reading radical literature, discussing and dreaming different futures with friends, refusing plastic wherever I can, refusing to buy what isn’t necessary). Abolition is about removing prisons, policing and surveillance from our society and in its place, building communities based on care where everyone’s needs are met. It sounds like a utopia, but it really needn’t be. We’ve been tricked into believing that hardship and violence are necessary to a functioning society but we don’t need those things to be happy and safe. Abolition is about building a new future just as much as it is about taking down the prison industrial complex. Alternatives to cops and prisons will be different for each community based on its needs and there will be mistakes made, but we need to try hundreds of different experiments and just do it until we get there. Those are all lessons learned from Mariame Kaba’s We Do This ‘Til We Free Us. Anarchy to me doesn’t mean fire, violence and chaos, as I’ve seen it portrayed in the media my whole life. It means community-based leadership and deep democracy, where we all have a say in what affects us. It’s decentralization and a focus on the local context. Interested in Joining SJC? Sarah feels that “feminism, anti-capitalism, abolition and anarchy are closely related politics and work together to combat systems of oppression and also build a better world. If this sounds at all appealing to you, check out the SJC’s Revolution of Care manifesto. ”Though joining was a no-brainer for Sarah, she recalls, “it took me a while to get used to the SJC’s structure; To understand the difference between the Co-op, the Coalitions, the board and membership. It took me a whole year after being involved to actually become a member; this is even though I’d been working with teams already. Once I got used to the decentralized organizational structure, I started to feel more comfortable and knew that this is where I can build community. This is where I can really both make a difference and put down roots.” What Makes this Work Worth it Despite the Challenges? Sarah: “The relationships I’ve built through my social justice work have been everything. I think it’s because being involved in leadership and social justice work has allowed me to be myself unapologetically, and I’m very open to new people. I’m happy to share all of myself, and I try to be as open and non-judgemental as I can and accept all of someone else. ”Are There Wins? “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the small wins we achieve through our work. An event, protest, march, or campaign might not have the desired effect on the seats of power that we want to influence immediately, but if we’ve brought one more person on board to the Revolution, it’s a win. In Mariame Kaba's book, she states that our ‘losses’ aren’t really losses because we are learning things and building momentum through our organization all the time.” How Does this Fit into the Big Picture? One day, we’ll achieve the big changes we want to see, but we have to keep working at it. ‘Do it with others –nothing worth doing is done alone’” (Mariama Kaba). In addition to reading Mariama Kaba’s We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, Sarah highly recommends that we all read Pollution is Colonialism by Max Liboiron. Anne Malone (she/her) Q: Where do you call home? A: I call St. John's, NL home. I have spent a lot of time in Costa Rica but have never had residency there. I love Costa Rica because the country is so environmentally focused and they have a very socialized approach to education and health care. The University of Peace is there and they are in general an incredibly progressive county. Q: Tell us about how your background and life experiences have led you toward social justice work. A: I was always drawn to social justice issues but had never aligned myself with a specific organization. I was part of Project Ploughshares, which formed in the 1970’s and is a group who worked with governments, and civil society, in Canada and abroad, to advance policies and actions to prevent war and armed violence and build peace. For me I connected with them when world peace was an idea in the 1980’s anti-nuclear movement . Then I focused on child rearing and in 2008 I acquired a disability. My sight loss was something that I could not ignore and my status in the world had changed. Opportunities evaporated. I experienced chronic unemployment. That, coupled with all of the barriers, led me to advocate for an accessible urban environment. From there I moved my focus on pedestrian rights and I began to encounter barriers one by one. As my vision decreased, I understood intimately how moving through an urban environment with ease and safety was paramount. Then the next barrier that came with my vision loss was to print media. Through that experience, I learned two things: It was important to advocated for accessibility in our municipalities I realized that many people who have disabilities struggle with poverty because of under employment and lack of government support. They struggle with discriminatory bias and that is significant particularly for people who need assistive technology to read. Those technologies are not free, they are very expensive; for example, a screen reader costs over $2000.00. Having a disability affects everything in your life. It must be noted that people who have disabilities are often caught in a poverty loop. One of the most devastating aspects of sight loss is that barriers to print. We have advancements with computer technology, but for people with sensory disabilities, you need a technology which will enable you to actually access the technology such as the internet. You feel so isolated. Q: Why did you join the SJCNL? A: I joined the SJC when I was connected with Dr Elizabeth Yeoman. In 2012 she was working on a short documentary called ‘Honk If You Want Me Off The Road' which was about the difficulties pedestrians encountered in St. John’s in the winter. And around that time a group emerged at the SJC, called Challenge Car culture, which was advocating for year-round sidewalk accessibility in St. Johns. It was through Elizabeth that I became aware of and joined the SJC. Q: What are your core beliefs and how do they influence how you participate in the SJCNL? A: My core belief is that we live in a world of abundance with very poorly distributed resources. Therefore, my heart always goes to support people who are living with a burden of poverty and the kind of inaccessible connection between poverty, race poverty, gender poverty and disabilities. I began to understand that these things are not coincidences but rather the result of systems and institutions that were constructed to elevate certain groups of people while oppressing other groups of people. I believe that to be morally wrong in every way. Q: What was the moment you realized joining the SJCNL was a good move for you? A: I realized that, I think it was in Dec of 2020, on International Day for Persons with Disabilities, when a large crowd of disabled and non-disabled people gathered on the steps of City Hall and demanded that the city revise a budget that would have reduced public transit in the city… and they met our demand. It worked! It made me and every other disabled person in that gathering feel seen and feel heard. I also realized that as a minority, we tend to think that the people who we have to win over are people in positions of power, but what I learned was, it is far more important to win the solidarity of the voter, not the politician. Because the voter will determine who holds those positions of power. It was pouring rain that evening and watching the Go Buses pull up and the wheelchairs roll out was incredible. It was dark outside, but the steps of City Hall were illuminated with lights from the media . I was gobsmacked. People were telling their personal stories in front of a mic and a camera. This was really happening! I was crying! Had it not been for SJC it would not have happened. Q: Is there anything that we have not asked that you would like to tell us about? A: Next steps in disability awareness could be the acknowledgement of Disability Pride month, which is in July of every year. I would like to see the month of July internationally. I would like to see our community elevated during disability pride month in particular. And I would like to see events that are accessible and public to increase the visibility and amplify the voices and experience of people who have disabilities in our province. Particularly for people who live on the intersections of race and disability and indigeneity in disability and poverty and disability. Q: What makes this work worth it despite the challenges? A: What makes it worth it , is that every step towards our goal is a step. Every statement that is made publicly by a person with a disability is another chink in the armour . Visibility matters, representations matters and being recognized as a member of a community matters. Q. Is there anything that you are reading, watching or listening to that you would recommend to people for SJC learning and sharing? A. I am reading two books right now. One book is called There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness by M. Leona Godin. It is a combination of memoir and the history and culture around blindness. It is written by a woman who experienced loss of her eyesight in her late 20s. It is on the New York Times Best Seller List. It gives so much insight into the invisible struggles of people who live with sight loss. We begin to understand why things are the way they are in the 21st Century, and we begin to understand how the bias that exists today comes from superstitions that formed during the Middle Ages. For example, the term ‘legally blind’ is a throwback to a time when people with disabilities had no other way to support themselves other than to literally beg for alms in public places. To earn the right to do that, people who had invisible disabilities, like blindness, had to appear before a magistrate and undergo certain tests that certified that the disability was valid. If they passed the test, they were declared to be legally entitled to charity and they were now ‘legally blind’. They would wear a licence on a string around their neck. So even though it is antiquated, this is a term that is still used by doctors, organizations and legalized forms. The other book is called Ain't I a Woman? by bell hooks. I got to know her name from my critical disability theory study group. It’s a study of black feminism. Her language is very conversational and very easy to digest. I am having one ‘Eureka!’ movement after another as I read this book. I am also very drawn to black women and women of colour, and I am so inspired and informed by their activism and their advocacy. We owe them a debt of gratitude in helping to inform us of activism in disability justice.