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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

Our Roots Our Roots: Welcome The climate crisis is here. Every day animals go extinct, more land is flooded or becomes too dry to grow crops, storms grow bigger, wildfires become stronger, and the ice caps are melting under our feet. The problem feels insurmountable but humans created this problem—and it’s up to us to fix it. The Social Justice Co-operative NL formed in 2013 to continue the 50+ year tradition of speaking out for social justice, connecting the local with the global, and working with like-minded agencies for common social change goals. Oxfam Canada set up a regional office in St. John’s in 1964 at the instigation of a group of local activists and with staff members dedicated to build support and connections between projects in developing countries and our own communities. Oxfam Canada focused on the needs and concerns of communities in the developing world. Increasingly this was challenged by NL people and communities demanding that Oxfam recognise the links between the struggles of communities in NL and in the so-called “developing world”. Spurred by questions and demands from the local grassroots, the local Oxfam office on Duckworth Street became the hub of activism and progressive thinking. The crucial ingredients of success were dynamic and well informed staff, strong support from the national office and an activist community in support. Faced with funding cuts and a Conservative government, Oxfam Canada closed down most of its regional offices and ceased their focus on the connections between local and global issues. The activist group in St. John’s argued vociferously against this change , while also pointing out that the building on Duckworth St had been bought and maintained by the community and should remain a community resource. The Social Justice Cooperative of NL was formed to take over the building and to continue what we saw as the most important work of Oxfam in NL - its focus on the urgent need for social justice for everyone and on the connections between local and global. The particular form of the SJC came about because of the Harper era strictures and limitations on the political work of “charities”. While it makes us somewhat of an “oddball” in the context of the formal structures of the Federation of Cooperatives, our membership in the Federation helps us to think seriously about what “cooperation” means in terms of equality and justice for everyone. Since 2019, the SJC has been leading a campaign to address the climate crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador by connecting with activists and organizing a wide range of actions with a vision of anti-racism, anti-colonialism, and international worker solidarity. In the past few years, we have done important groundwork to build a movement in our province around social and environmental justice by building strong and respectful partnerships with allied organizations, and creating space for new people to get involved and champion causes. By organizing around a broad issue like climate change, we have integrated many related issues into a cohesive vision for how to transform our province into a more environmentally and socially just place. A key aspect of our strategy is to let members lead our work and use our staff to support them. This has created space for volunteers to pursue their passions and take initiative organizing events or action teams. We are always looking for more people to get involved and if you would like to learn more about our work, please reach out at socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com . To strengthen our base and independence from government, we are also seeking individuals to donate to support our work. Please consider becoming a financial ally and supporting our Resources for Revolution campaign here . Our Roots: Text The climate crisis is not an easy problem and will need a multi-pronged solution to fix, but as this pandemic has shown, we can do hard things. By working together, we can overcome anything. Our Roots: Text

Social Justice Co-operative NL The Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador works to address issues of social, economic, and political inequality at home and abroad. Read About Us Home: Welcome New Year, New Blog! We're greeting the new year with a new blog to help free our communication with you from the shackles of major social media platforms. For the time being, we're still there and we'll cross post our blog there. But if you'd like to cut out the middle man, please give our blog a follow. Check it out below, and click on our username to navigate to our profile & follow. Go to Blog Community Update on Theft in SJCNL Fund The Revolution! Independent donors like you allow us an uncompromising political voice! We have accomplished a lot over the past couple of years but we need financial resources to bring about a Revolution of Care. The Social Justice Co-operative does not take money from corporations or governments for our activism and operations. To maintain our independence, we depend on grassroots funding from people like you. Please consider funding our work, be that as a one-time donation, or as a monthly donor, to help us keep momentum going by sponsoring our work. Donate

Migrant Justice: Status for All Email Campaign Sep 24, 2023 The SJC supports the Status for All campaign whole-heartedly. We believe in a world without borders and 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 an 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 of 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. If you'd like to let us know you've helped with this effort, please bcc us on your email or forward it along. We love to see it! Our email is: SocialJusticeCoopNL@gmail.com And be sure to join the Migrant Rights Network's nationwide call for Status for All at: https://migrantrights.ca/ Thank you all for taking action! Let’s keep it going until we win Status for All! Check out the speeches and photos from the recent Migrant Justice Week Kick Off Rally hosted by the Migrant Action Centre here: sjcnl.ca/migrantjustice Previous Next

A Feminist Recovery Means Full & Permanent Immigration Status for All Mar 8, 2021 We support the initiatives by the Migrant Rights Network on their pledge to build a #FeministRecovery that includes Full and Permanent Immigration Status for All . We honour the visible and invisible work of migrant, undocumented and racialized women. Sign the call here: https://migrantrights.ca/take-action/permanent-resident-status/ Previous Next

Black Mutual Aid Gala Raises $5300! Sending Heartfelt Thanks to All! Apr 10, 2024 The Black Mutual Aid Gala Team has great news & lots of gratitude to share! We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone who contributed to our fundraiser Gala. Your unwavering solidarity, generous donations, ticket purchases, and active participation in our auction items showcase have made a profound impact on our community. Together, we raised an incredible $5,300, surpassing our initial goal. This remarkable achievement underscores the power of collective support and solidarity in driving positive change. Your generosity will enable us to implement vital service and project-based initiatives that uplift and empower our community. Mutual aid is more than just charity; it's a powerful expression of solidarity and collective care. Studies show that mutual aid initiatives strengthen communities, foster resilience, and promote equity. With your support, we are building a brighter future rooted in solidarity and compassion. These funds will be managed collectively by the Black community, ensuring transparency, accountability, and ethical distribution to those in need . Together, we are creating a more just and equitable society for all. We're also excited to announce that this is just the beginning of our efforts to create positive change in our community. Stay tuned for more events and initiatives, especially as we approach Juneteenth in June. We invite you to continue supporting our cause by reaching out to us at BlackMutualAidNL@gmail.com . Your involvement and commitment make a significant difference, and we look forward to working together to make a meaningful impact. A special thanks to the incredible team of volunteers who worked diligently together to bring this event to life. We’d also like to thank all of people and organizations who donated and made the launch of this fund surpass our expectations! Special thanks to the Social Justice Cooperative NL for sponsoring the event expenses, contributing staff hours to support organizing, and to the members and volunteers who stepped up to help make the event a success. Heartfelt gratitude to The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour , and The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Cooperatives for your generous contributions to the cause. And huge thanks to everyone who donated via event tickets, the auction, and donorbox. And a special thanks and shout out to all of the fabulous community members who donated their items, services, artwork, experiences, and more, making a fabulous auction possible! Together, we are stronger! In summary, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. We love you! Please feel welcome to share this announcement. 🎊 P.S. The Black Mutual Aid Fund is still live and continues to accept contributions at donorbox.org/blackmutualaid All photos courtesy of Tania Heath of Project Power Back Photography - thank you for volunteering your time & talent to capture the moment. Previous Next

The Team Who We Are Nintendo's betrayal of Sony Write a bio for each team member. Make it short and informative to keep your visitors engaged. 123-456-7890 info@mysite.com Ashley Jones Tech Lead Write a bio for each team member. Make it short and informative to keep your visitors engaged. 123-456-7890 info@mysite.com Tess Brown Office Manager Write a bio for each team member. Make it short and informative to keep your visitors engaged. 123-456-7890 info@mysite.com Lisa Rose Product Manager Write a bio for each team member. Make it short and informative to keep your visitors engaged. 123-456-7890 info@mysite.com

Climate Petition Challenge Petition to Declare Provincial Climate Emergency Join us and demand that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador declare a climate emergency. How does it work? 1. Download the petition package below 2. Fill in your name and information. Know others who want to sign? Get their information too! 3. Return your completed package to the Social Justice Co-Op (details on the form) That's it! Quick and easy! Why do I have to download a form? In order for a petition to be presented in the House of Assembly, it has to be on paper. But don't worry! You collect the signatures and send us the forms, we do everything else, including cover the postage fees (contact us for details). Download the form and show your support today. Every signature counts! Print & Sign The Petition Climate Petition Challenge: Who We Are Right to Left: Lela Evans (PC), SJC member Rosie Myers, and Jim Dinn (NDP) posed for a selfie after Rosie delivered the petition to Confederation Building. What have we done so far? Taking the first steps towards progress In 2019, a team of SJC members put together this petition and set out into their communities. Over the course of a few months they collected over 2,000 signatures from citizens demanding the province declare a climate emergency Unfortunately, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that signature collection had to stop. The petition was put on hold until it was safe to venture out again. In June, 2021, the Coalition for a Green New Deal NL and DecarbonizeNL teamed up and breathed new life into the project. They contacted all the seated parties and four MHAs - Lela Evans (PC), Jim Dinn (NDP), Jordan Brown (NDP), and Paul Lane (IND)- agreed to present the petition to the floor. From June 16th to the end of session, our petition was presented every day! Our Labrador MHAs spoke to witnessing climate change firsthand, and all demanded the province take action. We are now collecting signatures again, with the intention of presenting a second batch of petitions in October when the House resumes. This is where we need you! Download the form and get out into your communities. Stay safe, collect signatures, and get us the support we need so we can demand the government take the climate crisis into account with every deicion they make. We can do this! 2073 SIGNATURES COLLECTED, AND COUNTING! Sign the petition to declare a climate emergency! Join the Climate Petition Challenge Climate Petition Challenge: Quote Climate Emergency Declaration: Petition to the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador We, the undersigned residents of the Province of NL, bring the attention of the House of Assembly to the following: THAT, WHEREAS: According to the document “The Way Forward on Climate Change” the province is already experiencing the effects of climate change; NL joined the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change in 2016, but is not on track to meet its 2020 targets; Financial costs resulting from climate change will unequally impact municipalities due to responsibilities set out in the “Municipalities Act 1999” THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon the House of Assembly to urge the government to: Declare a CLIMATE EMERGENCY Establish a task force on decreasing the effects of the climate crisis while building community resilience Consider climate in all policy & decision making Download, print and sign the climate petition now! Climate Petition Challenge: Who We Are Climate Petition Challenge: Get Involved

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

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

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.