Search Results

Poverty Elimination: Programs Poverty Elimination Action Team Working towards a world without poverty The Poverty Elimination Action Team aims to improve the well-being of all people living in Newfoundland and Labrador. Email Us Poverty Elimination: Welcome SJC responds to City's no fault eviction of Shirley Cox Call For Equitable Pandemic Response Read Our Open Letter To Government Here Poverty Elimination: Image 2SLGBTQ+ Neighbouring Pod This group was created by Trans, Two spirit and Queer people to help out during the pandemic and beyond. We will share and connect people to resources, bring people essentials and host online workshops and social events. We have fundraised a small Community Aid Fund for folks needing essentials hampers, so please reach out if you're looking for support. Love and solidarity! If you'd like to support the Community Aid Fund you can do so, here: donorbox.org/caf2020 Please read the rules and contact our email if you need help or have questions: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com Join Our FB Group Email Us Basic Income Basic income is an opportunity to rebalance our province’s social and economic models, which leave thousands of people behind. Nobody in Newfoundland and Labrador should be forced to choose between vital medical care, heating their home, or having enough food to eat. There are many complex issues that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians face, and a basic income is not a solution for all of them - but largely eliminating poverty in this province would certainly be a good start. That is what a basic income would do. Read the recently launched policy paper on Basic Income by Basic Income NL. Learn more. Share your story. Become a signatory. Read the Policy Paper Email Us Poverty Elimination: About Us Partnerships Coalition Canada Basic Income Coalition Canada Basic Income is a cross-country alliance of basic income advocacy groups and networks. We are advancing the development of a national movement for basic income in Canada, building alliances and collaborating with advocacy groups, networks and individuals supporting a just recovery in Canada from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn More $15 and Fairness NL Do you support the motion to raise the minimum wage to a living wage for all workers in our province? If so, please join $15 and Fairness NL + and urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to legislate a $15 per hour minimum wage. We believe that a $15 minimum wage would be a good first step in improving health outcomes in this province. It is abundantly clear that there is a direct relationship between income, food insecurity, and health. Income is the leading social determinant of health and, as such, a living wage would provide significant health benefits to the 48,900 workers in Newfoundland and Labrador who earn $15 and hour or less. Email Us Poverty Elimination: What We Do News & Views Poverty Elimination: News Household Food Insecurity in Canada 2021: Report November 2022 Following the inclusion of food insecurity as an indicator for Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2018, the Canadian Income Survey (CIS) began the annual monitoring of household food insecurity. Drawing on data from the CIS, this report presents a portrait of household food insecurity in Canada in 2021, examining who is most affected and how food insecurity rates differ across the country. The report also uses CIS data to examine food insecurity rates in 2019 and 2020, providing a look at food insecurity before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report linked below is designed to provide a tool to describe the problem of food insecurity in Canada, monitor trends, and identify priorities for interventions to address this major public health issue. It builds on the extensive work of Health Canada and Statistics Canada in measuring and monitoring household food insecurity. Get the report NL CERB Clawbacks Push People into Poverty: Advocates July 3, 2020 In Newfoundland and Labrador, social assistance = $11,800/year. This is a poverty wage. If CERB is good enough for Canadians, it should be good enough for those on social assistance as well. Learn more The Stink of Poverty July 7, 2020 A beautiful and moving short story by our Co-Chair, Mark Nichols. Thank you for sharing this heart-wrenching yet powerful piece on poverty. Learn more Past Events Poverty Elimination: Past Events Is Our Healthcare on the Chopping Block? The Poverty Elimination Action Team organized an online chat about Health Accord NL on March 25, 2021. The Health Accord presents us with an opportunity to provide the provincial government feedback on our medical and health care systems. We talked about ways to engage and discussed the contracting of a private company (Change Healthcare), by our provincial government, to reduce our health care costs. We brought together participants to discuss through concerns about this approach, and ways to challenge austerity. Learn More Poverty Elimination: Pro Gallery PEAT TV Play Video Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs The Cost of Poverty in the Atlantic Provinces, Report Release Play Video Green New Drinks on a Living Wage Play Video Poverty Elimination: Videos

Free Palestine Rallies Jan 11, 2024 UPDATE: There are Rallies organized every Saturday by Palestine Solidarity - Newfoundland & Labrador to show solidarity with Palestinians and resist and condem the genocide the Israeli state is committing. Every Saturday at 2pm NT at Harbourside Park in St. John's Please come show your support and help spread the word. You can sign up for the Palestine Solidarity NL Listserv here: https://palestineactionyyt.beehiiv.com/subscribe This will be important for updates on how weather conditions are impacting rally plans. If you can't make it out, or if the weather keeps us from gathering, here's an action the Palestine Solidarity NL invites you to do from home: Birds of Gaza: Get creative and design your own bird in memory of a child martyred SATURDAY: ALL OUT FOR GAZA Organized by Palestine Solidarity - Newfoundland & Labrador Join in solidarity with the Health Workers of Gaza Date: Saturday December 16 Time: 2 PM (NT) Location: Harbourside Park, St. John's Return every Saturday until there is a ceasefire! Same time same place! SUNDAY AFTERNOON: SCREENING OF "THREE PROMISES" BY YOUSEF SROUJI Date: Sunday December 17, 2023 Time: 3 - 6pm NT Location: Memorial University Education Building, ED 1020 "While the Israeli army retaliates against the Second Intifada in the West Bank in the early 2000s, a mother films her family's daily life, punctuated by time spent shielding her family from harm in the basement. Now, her son revisits this past, delivering a heart-breaking portrait of the anguish of parents who are forced to choose between their children’s physical safety and the emotional upheaval of leaving home." Please wear a mask to this event to help protect each other SUNDAY EVENING: FUNDRAISER DINNER FOR GAZA Organized by Palestine Solidarity Action NL Experience Palestinian Culture & Performances Date: Sunday Dec 17 Time: 6 - 8 pm Location: Benevolent Irish Society, 30 Harvey Road, St. Johns $50 per ticket. Seating is limited. Reserve your ticket by emailing and please note any dietary restrictions. email: palestineactionyyt@gmail.com All proceeds benefit Islamic Relief Previous Next

Anti-Capitalist x Activist Book Club Reading is Revolutionary! Join our bi-weekly book club and explore leading and classic theorists, practitioners, and visionaries through critical, communist, anarchist, and Indigenous lenses. ---------------- Every two weeks we read 20-50 pages or listen/watch 30-60 minutes of content. Meetings take place online on weekdays. Monthly schedules are determined collectively but generally run from 7:30 to 8:30pm NT/ 7:00 to 8:00pm AT. Upcoming Books Join AxA Book Club! First Name Last Name Email Submit Thanks for submitting! We'll be in touch Upcoming Books This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible by Charles E. Cobb Jr. Past Readings/Content The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin The Ones Who Stay and Fight by N.K. Jemisin Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Hanley Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall Rosenberg How To Blow Up A Pipeline by Andreas Malm Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba Expect Resistance: A Field Manuel by Crimethinc How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paolo Freire. Wretched of the earth by Frantz Fanon The Red Deal by The Red Nation Mutual Aid - Dean Spade (2x) Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling - Esi Edugyan Class Power On Zero Hours - AngryWorkers Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence - Pam Palmatar Massey Lectures - Thomas King Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media - National Film Board Revolutionary Rehearsals in a Neoliberal Age - edited by Colin Barker, Gareth Dale, and Neil Davidson Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay - The Debt Collective This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color - edited by Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good - Adrienne Marie Brown Policing Black Lives - Robyn Maynard The Land Back Issue - Briarpatch We Do This Til We Free Us - Mariame Kaba Border and Rule - Harsha Walia Study and Struggle Curriculum Fall 2020 , including full or partial readings of Are Prisons Obsolete - Angela Davis Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paolo Freire Freedom Dreams - Robin D.G. Kelley We Are Our Own Liberators: Selected Prison Writings - Jalil Mutaquim Geographies of Racial Capitalism - Ruth Wilson Gilmore Combahee River Collective Statement Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha City of Inmates - Kelly Lytle Hernández Undoing Border Imperialism - Harsha Walia Freedom Is a Constant Struggle - Angela Davis Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward’s Gun Club - Megan Gail Coles As We Have Always Done - Leanne Betasamosake Simpso Caliban and the Witch - Sylvia Federici Radicalized - Cory Doctorow Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat - J. Sakai. Struggle Within : Prisons, Political Prisoners, and Mass Movements in the United States - Dan Berger Capitalist Realism - Mark Fisher Utopia for Realists: The Case for a Universal Basic Income, Open Borders, and a 15-hour Workweek - Rutger Bregman The State and Revolution - Vladimir Lenin Planet of Slums - Mike Davis Women, Race, and Class - Angela Davis

Join the Social Justice Co-operative Join: Welcome INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP SJC BY-LAWS Co-operative Values & Principles Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice. Join: What We Do 1. Voluntary and Open Membership Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

RSVP HERE Saturday, October 18, 2025 / 10:30am - 2:30pm NT In Person: St. Mark's Anglican Church, 203 Logy Bay Rd, St. John's, NL This location is Wheelchair Accessible and scent free. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. For our purposes the bathrooms will be all-gender. Online: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87858446978 Meeting ID: 878 5844 6978 --- One tap mobile +17806660144,,87858446978# Canada +12042727920,,87858446978# Canada Join instructions: https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/87858446978/invitations?signature=-e1Kdh7R61-9kJYt_GB3e0DG4huJDerr1K5KsWrJcVY Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/zFPokV3uJTprB1yJ8 Attend Our AGM! RSVP HERE Wanna Help Out? We would LOVE to have a hand with: -Making food ($ provided!) -Meeting Facilitation and Note-taking! -Planning the evening social event Please reach out if you'd like to help out - socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP You must be a member to vote at our AGM! If you are not a member of the SJC but would like to join, please sign up here https://www.sjcnl.ca/join or send us an email at socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com Please email us at socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns. RSVP HERE

Expectations of Directors of the Board of the Social Justice Co-operative The Board of Directors of the Social Justice Co-operative is a 9-person board responsible for ensuring the fiscal, legal, political, operational and administrative health of the organization. The focus of the board role is on building the capacity of the co-operative to sustain the operations of action teams, working groups, and other campaigns. While board members are not required to lead or participate in action teams, working groups, or other campaigns; occasional appearances at meetings of these groups are always welcome. The SJCNL board is a working board . This means that our board members work as unpaid staff for the nonprofit co-op since we do not yet have the financial resources to hire professional staff in most day-to-day positions. However, the SJCNL board is also a governing board , one that provides the leadership for the co-operative, consults with members and volunteers to shape strategic direction and co-operative policies, as well as provides financial oversight and ensures adequate resources for expenditures. Key responsibilities that our board fills on a monthly basis: - taking a leadership role in equity initiatives - keeping up to date financial records and maintaining synchronicity with the Co-operatives Act - maintaining the website and social media accounts - managing internal and external communications - reviewing, discussing, and approving new spending decisions or financial commitments - hosting monthly membership meetings - reviewing and approving membership applications - discussing any issues arising from organizing activities that could have legal implications for the co-operative, its board of directors, its staff, its membership, and its volunteers - overseeing the work of the SJC staff and supporting SJC staff in their work - reviewing and discussing proposed partnerships with other organizations - developing policy and other proposals for the consideration of members and volunteers While contributing to these collective responsibilities, there are individual expectations on each board member. Generally, it is expected that each board member: - Participate in a monthly board meeting . This usually requires reading agendas ahead of time, and preparing for any topics to which you will be required to speak - Participate in e-mail conversations on a weekly basis. In between monthly board meetings, the board does conduct some important conversations and decisions over e-mail. Board members can expect to have to reply to such e-mails 2-3 times per week. - Attend a minimum of 4 monthly general membership meetings per annum . These are open to all members, and a key opportunity for members to raise and discuss matters of importance to them. Board participation in these meetings gives board members a full understanding of the issues and realities of our members and volunteers, ensuring board activity is representative and supportive. - Assume at least one ongoing board responsibility . Each board member should take on some responsibility, outside of participation in meetings, in a least one portfolio area. Co-chair positions require extensive board coordination and staff liaising, as well as internal and external portfolios of responsibility, and the organization/facilitation of one co-operative committee (such as the equity team or the activities fund committee). Only the secretary and treasurer roles undertake daily and weekly tasks; as a result, these two roles do not entail organization/facilitation of a co-operative committee. Other portfolios may include: education and training fundraising governance and policy membership recruitment, onboarding, and support communications Altogether, board members can expect the time commitment of all of the above to be at least 16+ hours per month. This is not a hard rule, and rather an estimate to help board members set expectations.

2SLGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Pod This group was created by Trans, Two spirit and Queer people with support of the SJC in 2020 , to organize mutual aid efforts during Snowmaggedon, and beyond. Our Community Aid Fund can be availed of for help with essentials including but not limited to: food, rent, utilities, gender affirming gear, etc. Our ability to help with a request depends on how much is in the fund, which fluctuates. We will do our best to help, but may not always be able to, even though we wish we could, because no one deserves to go without necessities. To request help from the fund, please email us at: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com The 2SLGBTQ+ or "Queer" pod runs a small Community Aid Fund, hosts events online & in person, and connects community members to each other to build solidarity and facilitate mutual aid. You can help make a difference by donating to the Community Aid Fund: If you'd like to support, you can do so, here: donorbox.org/caf2020 Want to get involved in organizing mutual aid efforts with the 2SLGBTQ+ mutual aid pod? We'd love to have you join us. Reach out via our email: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com for more information about getting involved, or to request a link for our next zoom meeting. All welcome! No experience expected :) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Publicly available community supports including helplines, mental wellness supports, COVID-19 information, and more. Start with 211 Looking for help navigating programs and services? 211 Website 211 is an Information, Assessment, Referral and Follow-Up service that can be the frontline in connecting people in Newfoundland and Labrador with valuable Government and Community-based programs and services, as well as the non-clinical health and social services. 211 can link people to supports for food, income and housing; seniors, people with disabilities, and newcomers; violence and abuse; mental health and addictions, and the list goes on. 211 is now another access point for the Public to find a naloxone distribution site near them! 211 is 24/7, 356 days a year, it can support over 150 languages, it is free and confidential, wait times are minimal, and we do warm transfers to clinical services and programs. All calls are answered by trained and certified professionals who are ready to listen, assess and advocate when needed. The 211 motto is: Help Starts Here. Domestic Violence Helpline If you're in an unsafe home situation or relationship, there is the Domestic Violence Helpline. The province-wide (Newfoundland and Labrador), toll free number is 1-888-709-7090. Call: 1-888-709-7090 Call Domestic Violence Helpline Did you know the Red Cross is offering support to self-isolators? If you don't have a safe place to isolate, or if you are isolating and need help with food or medication, give them a call and they can help you out. Call: 1-800-863-6582 Call Red Cross Domestic Violence Helpline Red Cross Helpline Bridge the gapP Mental Wellness online resources Bridge the gapp is an online resource designed to support mental wellness. You can visit https://bridgethegapp.ca to access age-appropriate programs and services that are available locally, confidential and free. Visit BridgeTheGapp.ca NL Public Health COVID-19 Information Take care of yourselves and one another, while following public health guidelines of course. You can find update guidelines from NL Public Health here: https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19 Visit gov.nl.ca/covid-19 GovNL.ca/Covid-19

statement < Back Statement in Solidarity with Palestine Jan 26, 2024 Free Palestine Action Team The Social Justice Co-op of Newfoundland and Labrador (SJCNL) Free Palestine Action Team recognizes that Canada and Israel are both settler colonial states built on stolen land. The struggle for social justice is not bounded by national borders; as we fight to dismantle colonialism in so-called Canada, we must also stand against colonialism abroad. In alignment with our principles of revolutionary care, we are committed to uplifting the voices of those most marginalized and we recognize that there is no justice or liberation without collective liberation. We organize in solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose struggle under a settler colonial system of domination has been ignored for too long. The Palestinian Territories—the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip—have been occupied by Israel since 1967. Israel imposes different legal, economic and security regimes on the people under its control based on their ethnicity, religion and place of residence. This system can only be described as Apartheid. Palestinians are denied many basic rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of movement and the right to vote. The ‘Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’ is not a conflict between two equal nation-states. Only one side has an army, an air force, and a nuclear arsenal. Only one side has self-determination, sovereignty, and international recognition. Only one side has the unconditional support of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. To remain neutral in light of this asymmetry would be to uphold an unjust and unequal status quo. The Gaza Strip is a walled off piece of land smaller than the City of St. John’s but with more than 20 times the population. The majority of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza are UN-registered refugees, the descendants of people who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel when that country was founded in 1948. Since 2005, Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade, destroying the territory’s economy. People and goods cannot enter or leave Gaza without specific permission from Israel. The unemployment rate is over 40%, and the majority of residents rely on humanitarian aid. As our members have called out in the past , Gaza is essentially an open-air prison. Israeli attacks on Gaza killed more than 5,000 Palestinians between 2005 and 2022; over the same period, Palestinian militants from Gaza killed some 180 Israelis. On October 7 th 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israeli communities and military bases near the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping over 200. In response, Israel’s bombing campaign has since killed over 25,000 Palestinians, including over 10,000 children. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have indiscriminately struck homes, apartment buildings, mosques, churches, hospitals, schools, and bakeries. Israel has also imposed a severe blockade, preventing most food, water, and medicine from entering Gaza. The humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip is growing more desperate by the day as people run out of the basic necessities of life. One atrocity cannot be made right by committing another; Israel’s "war" on Gaza will only perpetuate a cycle of violence whose root causes remain unaddressed. True peace can only be achieved when there is justice, equality, dignity, and freedom for all people living in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The longer the bombing, siege and occupation of Gaza continue, the farther away this prospect becomes. The current Israeli government is the most extreme in the country’s history. Israeli political leaders and military commanders have made repeated statements advocating for the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. These statements along with the indiscriminate violence unleashed on Gaza form the basis of the South African case against Israel, under the Genocide Convention, that is currently before the International Court of Justice. We welcome Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s belated call for a “sustainable ceasefire”, but that is not sufficient. In spite of everything that has happened over the past 110 days, Canada remains a staunch ally of Israel, making all of us complicit in Israeli actions. The Government of Canada must end this complicity once and for all. We call on the Members of Parliament for Newfoundland and Labrador to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire, a lifting of the blockade on Gaza, a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and an end to the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land: Ken McDonald (Avalon), Churence Rogers (Bonavista-Burin-Trinity), Clifford Small (Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame), Yvonne Jones (Labrador), Gudie Hutchings (Long Range Mountains), Joanne Thompson (St. John’s East), and Seamus O’Regan (St. John’s South-Mount Pearl). The world is watching, and failure to act now will not be forgotten. Free Palestine Action Team Social Justice Co-op of Newfoundland and Labrador In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, we wish to acknowledge that our website is hosted by Wix.com Ltd., a company we have since learned is headquartered in Israel. In solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, we are currently pursuing alternative webhosting options. Previous Next

In Solidarity with the Sovereign Wet'suwet'en Nation Feb 27, 2020 The Social Justice Cooperative declares our complete and unconditional solidarity with the people of the sovereign Wet’suwet’en nation in their ongoing resistance to Canadian colonialism, as well as with all those who have taken action in support of the Wet’suwet’en nation following invasion by the RCMP. We demand an end to violence against Wet’suwet’en people and their allies in Wet’suwet’en territory and the immediate evacuation of Coastal GasLink. We demand that the RCMP leave Wet'suwet'en territories. We demand that all Wet’suwet’en land defenders, supporters and journalists who have been arrested in the past week be immediately released and all charges dropped. From all perspectives, the actions of the RCMP and Coastal Gas Link, supported by the BC and Canadian government, are illegitimate, immoral and unacceptable. Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law) all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal Gaslink/TC Energy to do work on Wet’suwet’en lands. In addition to violent and blatant ignorance of the law and consent of Wet’suwet’en, the actions of the RCMP and Coastal Gas Link represent a clear rejection of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People and a clear violation of the spirit of past commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. It is unconscionable that the governments of BC and Canada are taking this action. Over the past decade, the Wet'suwet'en people have been providing people across Turtle Island with leadership in the fight against climate change and proper stewardship of lands and waters. Meanwhile, colonial governments across Turtle Island have consistently acted in the interest of the oil and gas industry, which will result in nothing but climate disaster of unimaginable devastation. We wish to express deep gratitude to the Wet’suwet’en people for the formidable vision and strength with which they have defended their people and territories from pipeline development. It is clear that your strength and commitment is unwavering and we support you completely . We also encourage people across Turtle Island to actively support the Wet’suwet’en people at this time of attack from colonial governments. We call on everyone to take any actions of solidarity you can, as often as you can, until the demands of the Wet’suwet’en people are met. Donate to Wet'suswet'en Unistoten Camp: https://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/ Unistoten Camp Solidarity Toolkit: https://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/ Unistoten Needs List: https://unistoten.camp/support-us/wishlist-needslist/ P.S. Check out this coverage of the "pipeline building" demonstration that the SJC participated in at Minister O'Regan's office in February of 2020: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/supporters-protest-pipeline-1.5477873 Previous Next

2023 in Review

Our Team: Meet the Team BOARD OF DIRECTORS Daniel Miller - Co-Chair Brenda Walsh - Co-Chair Kerri Claire Neil - Treasurer Anne Malone - Director at Large Renee Dumaresque - Director at Large Laurel Huget - Director of Communications STAFF Our Team: Team Members Lea Mary Movelle They/them Volunteer Coordinator Lea grew up in a rural NL fishing family & has an educational background in political science & sociology from Memorial University. They've been the VC at the SJC since mid 2020. They are passionate about the power of community, friendship, mutual aid, & radical care to undermine the agonizing individualism of capitalism. Working for the SJC brings so much magic into their life & they couldn't be more grateful to the monthly donors who make their employment in the Revolution of Care possible! Lea recently moved back to their hometown on the Burin Peninsula, where they treasure a slower pace of life & time with family, including 4 precious nephews that bring so much joy & fun into their routine. Lea loves to read with the Anti-Capitalist x Activist Book club, grow veggies & flowers in the garden, play the ukulele, paint for the therapy of it, take wandering walks away from the bustle of traffic, sing out loud while washing the dishes, snuggle up with their 20 pound pur-monster, & dance to live music with loved ones.

Statement in Solidarity with Palestine Jan 25, 2024 Written by the Free Palestine Action Team The Social Justice Co-op of Newfoundland and Labrador (SJCNL) Free Palestine Action Team recognizes that Canada and Israel are both settler colonial states built on stolen land. The struggle for social justice is not bounded by national borders; as we fight to dismantle colonialism in so-called Canada, we must also stand against colonialism abroad. In alignment with our principles of revolutionary care, we are committed to uplifting the voices of those most marginalized and we recognize that there is no justice or liberation without collective liberation. We organize in solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose struggle under a settler colonial system of domination has been ignored for too long. The Palestinian Territories—the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip—have been occupied by Israel since 1967. Israel imposes different legal, economic and security regimes on the people under its control based on their ethnicity, religion and place of residence. This system can only be described as Apartheid. Palestinians are denied many basic rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of movement and the right to vote. The ‘Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’ is not a conflict between two equal nation-states. Only one side has an army, an air force, and a nuclear arsenal. Only one side has self-determination, sovereignty, and international recognition. Only one side has the unconditional support of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. To remain neutral in light of this asymmetry would be to uphold an unjust and unequal status quo. The Gaza Strip is a walled off piece of land smaller than the City of St. John’s but with more than 20 times the population. The majority of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza are UN-registered refugees, the descendants of people who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel when that country was founded in 1948. Since 2005, Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade, destroying the territory’s economy. People and goods cannot enter or leave Gaza without specific permission from Israel. The unemployment rate is over 40%, and the majority of residents rely on humanitarian aid. As our members have called out in the past , Gaza is essentially an open-air prison. Israeli attacks on Gaza killed more than 5,000 Palestinians between 2005 and 2022; over the same period, Palestinian militants from Gaza killed some 180 Israelis. On October 7th 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israeli communities and military bases near the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping over 200. In response, Israel’s bombing campaign has since killed over 25,000 Palestinians, including over 10,000 children. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have indiscriminately struck homes, apartment buildings, mosques, churches, hospitals, schools, and bakeries. Israel has also imposed a severe blockade, preventing most food, water, and medicine from entering Gaza. The humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip is growing more desperate by the day as people run out of the basic necessities of life. One atrocity cannot be made right by committing another; Israel’s "war" on Gaza will only perpetuate a cycle of violence whose root causes remain unaddressed. True peace can only be achieved when there is justice, equality, dignity, and freedom for all people living in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The longer the bombing, siege and occupation of Gaza continue, the farther away this prospect becomes. The current Israeli government is the most extreme in the country’s history. Israeli political leaders and military commanders have made repeated statements advocating for the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. These statements along with the indiscriminate violence unleashed on Gaza form the basis of the South African case against Israel, under the Genocide Convention, that is currently before the International Court of Justice. We welcome Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s belated call for a “sustainable ceasefire”, but that is not sufficient. In spite of everything that has happened over the past 110 days, Canada remains a staunch ally of Israel, making all of us complicit in Israeli actions. The Government of Canada must end this complicity once and for all. We call on the Members of Parliament for Newfoundland and Labrador to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire, a lifting of the blockade on Gaza, a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and an end to the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land: Ken McDonald (Avalon), Churence Rogers (Bonavista-Burin-Trinity), Clifford Small (Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame), Yvonne Jones (Labrador), Gudie Hutchings (Long Range Mountains), Joanne Thompson (St. John’s East), and Seamus O’Regan (St. John’s South-Mount Pearl). The world is watching, and failure to act now will not be forgotten. Free Palestine Action Team Social Justice Co-op of Newfoundland and Labrador In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, we wish to acknowledge that our website is hosted by Wix.com Ltd., a company we have since learned is headquartered in Israel. In solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, we are currently pursuing alternative webhosting options. Previous Next