THE LPIRG WEBSITE HAS MOVED TO:

2010-11-09T14:04:00.004-07:00

How Education Benefits the World Student Speaker Challenge

2009-11-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

How Education Benefits the World Student Speaker Challenge

Building on the premise that in a democracy, an informed public makes the best decisions, SACPAS (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs Society), LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group), and the ULSU (U of L Students’ Union) are collaborating to provide students with a forum to express their point of view on issues of significance. Recognizing that each individual has a unique perspective and an authentic voice, students will be given a chance to communicate their thesis to an audience and defend it, thereby gaining and honing skills in developing and exchanging new ideas.

This opportunity will take the form of a competition in which students will address the topic “What is the value of post secondary education to the world?” Your answer could include one or more of the following points: building stronger local and global communities, long term benefits for the public, contributing to the global quality of life, or dealing with major social and environmental issues. The speaker challenge will begin with 4 noon-hour sessions, each with 2 speakers addressing the topic and fielding questions on their thesis. A winner will be chosen at each of these sessions and will be promoted to the semi-finals. Two students will then go on to the final session where a sole winner will be selected to receive the final prize. Winners at each session will be determined by a panel of judges and an audience vote.

Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply and presenters will be paired according to skill level (as assessed from application form), year of study, and thesis. There will be a total of 8 participants with 4 of those advancing to further rounds and one final winner. Prizes will be given out to the top 4 participants - $100 for 2 students sharing third place, $300 for second place, and $500 for the winner. Out of the 8 contestants we will accept a maximum of 4 graduate students.

The format will be such that in the first round, two presenters will face off, each having 15 minutes to present their thesis. After a five minute break, the presenter will then be asked questions from the audience and the judges for 15 minutes. The total length of the session will be one hour and ten minutes.

How Education Benefits the World Student Speaker Challenge sessions are scheduled as follows.
Session 1 – Wednesday, January 13, 12:15 – 1:30 – Ballroom A, SUB
Session 2 – Tuesday, January 19, 12:15 – 1:30 – Ballroom A, SUB
Session 3 – Wednesday, January 27, 12:15 – 1:30 - Galileo’s Gallery
Session 4 - Tuesday, February 2, 12:15 – 1:30 - Galileo’s Gallery
Semi-Final Sessions – Tuesday, February 23, 4:30 – 6:00 – Galileo’s Gallery
Tuesday, March 2, 4:30 – 6:00 – Galileo’s Gallery
Final Session – Tuesday, March 9, 7:00 – 9:00 – AH100

Application forms are available at www.ulsu.ca or from the LPIRG office (SU242) in the Students’ Union Building. Applications must be submitted electronically to pirg@uleth.ca with ‘How Education Benefits the World’ in the subject line. The deadline for applications is Friday, December 4th.
For more information, please contact Sheila at pirg@uleth.ca, or 332-5243.

HOW EDUCATION BENEFITS THE WORLD STUDENT SPEAKER CHALLENGE
APPLICATION FORM

Name:
Email:
Year of Study:
Faculty/ Major:
Public Speaking Experience (class presentations, etc.):

Why are you interested in applying for this?

How would you address the topic – “What is the value of post secondary education to the world?

Please provide a short autobiography:

*Please note that personal interviews may be necessary in order to select and pair up speakers.

“You, Me and the SPP” Documentary Screens in Lethbridge as part of National Tour

2009-10-27T10:03:00.000-06:00

What do secrecy, police provocateurs, an assault on democracy and infringements on citizens’ rights have in common? The Security and Prosperity Partnership.

Filmmaker Paul Manly will be attending a Lethbridge screening of his documentary about the Security and Prosperity Partnership, ‘You, Me and the SPP: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule’ as part of a 34 city national tour. The screening takes place Wednesday October 28th, 7pm at the Lethbridge Public Library Theatre Gallery, 810 5th Avenue South. Admission by Donation. The screening, sponsored by the Lethbridge and District Chapter of the Council of Canadians, and the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group, will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmaker, Paul Manly. The full tour schedule is available online at www.youmespp.com

The Canadian government says “The Security and Prosperity Partnership is neither an agreement nor a treaty but a dialogue.” Following the shock of 9/11, right‐wing political and business leaders have pushed the SPP agenda. Negotiating away from public scrutiny, they say it is the way to keep trade flowing between the United States, Canada and Mexico. You, Me and the SPP exposes the corporate agenda of the SPP and reveals that this secretive agreement is about much more than trade.

Opponents of this secretive ‘dialogue’ claim that it is undemocratic and a direct threat to the sovereignty of the three countries involved, Canada, the United States and Mexico; it bypasses their parliamentary systems and places control of regulatory integration in the hands of large corporations. In addition to harmonizing health, safety, environmental, and labour standards, the SPP also includes deep integration of military and security structures between the three countries.

No proponents of the SPP were willing to take part in on‐camera interviews for You, Me and the SPP, which features interviews with Naomi Klein, Maude Barlow, Murray Dobbin and Joel Bakan, among a host of other opponents of the SPP including economists, lawyers, union leaders, and politicians. Manly also interviewed ordinary citizens who have been affected by the SPP agenda including a retired elementary school teacher who is on the no‐fly‐list; a citizen who refused to participate in the Canadian census because Lockheed Martin, the world largest arms manufacturer, is part of the census process; a mill worker who has been laid‐off because deregulation has allowed forest companies to close mills and export raw logs; and a mother of twins who is concerned about protecting her young children from contaminated products.

"Manly has created an extremely thorough introduction to a set of issues that will increasingly affect every Canadian. As the film progressed, I was shocked at my own ignorance about the SPP and TILMA and their implications and I am indebted to this film for the research and revelations it presents."
Mark Achbar – Manufacturing Consent, The Corporation

“What the SPP really represents is a parallel government, so that the important decisions are made outside of parliament and outside of legislatures ... democracy is slowly being gutted.”
Murray Dobbin, Canadian author, journalist

“The ultimate goal, quite obviously, is to create such tight integration that effectively we only have one North American political, security, military, and economic place ‐ that there really are no differentials between this country and the country next door.”
Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair, Global Politics and International Law, UBC

In August of 2009, the US government declared that the SPP is no longer an active initiative but almost all of the various parts of this corporate agenda have either been implemented or are moving forward under separate programs and it is widely anticipated that a more extensive rebranded SPP 2.0 will be unveiled soon. The SPP stands out as a prime example of the willingness of the corporate elite and their political cronies to sacrifice democratic principles and civil liberties in favour of corporate control and monopolization.

The national tour is sponsored by; the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives. The tour was launched with a screening on Parliament Hill on October 1, 2009. Information about the film, including a list of screening dates, the trailer, and additional videos can be viewed on the film’s website www.youmespp.com

Students Holding Funeral for Climate, Calling on Leaders to Commit to Global Climate Treaty at Copenhagen.

2009-10-22T14:34:00.001-06:00

A group of University students will stage a funerary procession through campus with a casket that will represent the Climate and what will happen if our leaders do not commit to a binding global treaty on Climate Change.

At 12:00pm on Friday, Oct. 23rd, students at the University of Lethbridge will be holding a public rally to call on the government of Canada to commit to a binding global Climate treaty at Copenhagen this December. A mock funerary procession will commence from the University Atrium up to the front of the Student’s Union Building, where a eulogy for the climate and call to action will be delivered to our political leaders.

Students will be calling on Members of Parliament to stop the delay in passing Bill C-311, the “Climate Change Accountability Act,” which, if passed before Copenhagen, would situate Canada as a nation committed to a binding, global treaty on climate change. A recent agreement signed between India and China indicates that Canada is behind the times and needs to step up its action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

This event is part of an international day of climate action being organized by environmental and public interest groups all over the world in anticipation of the Copenhagen Climate talks.

Copenhagen presents our leaders with an historic opportunity to meet the most urgent challenge of our time: climate change. It could be humanity’s last chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 350ppm (particles per million), which scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are around 390ppm.

This event is being organized by the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG). For more information on the international day of climate action, visit www.350.org.

International Repercussions of the Eco-crises: East Africa

2009-10-14T14:42:00.000-06:00

Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) - NOTICE OF SESSION

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building
University of Lethbridge


International Repercussions of the Eco-crises: East Africa

The UN FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) projects that the greatest
number of people in history will be starving this year, with over 1
billion going to bed hungry. In Eastern Africa, this reality is
exacerbated by persistent drought.

In a world threatened by simultaneous economic and ecological crises,
thousands of billions of dollars are made available on short notice for
banks and financiers. Should the poorest of the poor suffer even more
because of financial profligacy of the moneyed elite?

Justin Odera will talk about the plight of his Acholi people in the Sudan,
displaced by civil war and now coming home after 15 years from the Kenyan
and Ugandan refugee camps to face hunger, and a void in education and
medical care. Justin will also speak about those of his people who have
come to Alberta and how they are faring in this time of crises. In our
interconnected world, this is a story we should be told.

Speaker:        Justin Odera

Justin Odera was born in 1973, during a period of civil war. His Acholi
family hometown was Pajok in the Magwi district, eastern Equatoria
province, Southern Sudan. Justin lived through twenty-nine brutal war
years as well as the fragile life in refugee camps, before arriving in
Canada in 2001.

The Acholies have been living along the shores of East Africa’s rivers and
lakes for the past six centuries. The traditional territories of his Luo
speaking tribe are the borderlands of western Uganda, north-western Kenya
and Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria province.

Justin is the Program Director of Southern Sudan Canada Acholi Progressive
Education Association (SSCAPEA), an Alberta based, non-profit organization
dedicated to health, education, economic aid and community development
amongst war weary families hailing from the refugee camps of East Africa.


Moderator:        Alex Masse

Date:                Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time:                 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Location:         Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building, University of
Lethbridge
Cost:                Free

This session is co-sponsored by SACPA, the University of Lethbridge
Students' Union (ULSU) and the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group
(LPIRG).

Visit the SACPA website: http://www.sacpa.ca

Delete & Prev | Delete & Next

LPIRG Opt Out - Deadline Oct 9

2009-09-22T10:31:00.003-06:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) is a student-run, student-funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education , and action in the public interest. LPIRG exists to provide students with resources to be active citizens.

Each year, LPIRG provides approximately $20,000 in direct grants to studentts as well as in-kind services, support, and training to student working groups, projects, events, and research. We also maintain an office and resource library which is open to all LPIRG members.

Undergraduates not wishing to pay the $5.00 LPIRG fee for the Fall 2009 semester may have that fee refunded. To opt-out, copy and paste the following form into the body of your email and send to pirg@uleth.ca by the opt-out deadline - October 9th. Your opt-out form must be sent via your personal uleth.ca web-mail account to be considered valid. Please note that in opting out you forfeit your eligibility for LPIRG funds.

Co-op students whose fees are not due until later in the semester must contact LPIRG by October 9th in order to make arrangements to have their LPIRG fee refunded.

________________________________________________________________

LPIRG Opt-Out Form
Deadline - October 9, 2009

I, ___________________________ (first and last name as you wish it to appear on your cheque) hereby opt out of the LPIRG membership fee for the Fall 2009 Semester. In doing so, I understand that I am no longer eligible for LPIRG funding. My reason for opting out is ______________________________. (Please provide a brief explanation for your refund request. You response will help LPIRG to beetter meet the interest of the student body.)

Student ID# _________________________
Mailing Address (where you want your cheque sent)
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

_________________________________________________________________

For more information, please contact LPIRG at pirg@uleth.ca, 403-332-5243 or stop by our office in the Students' Union Building - SU 242.

Opt Out

2009-09-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to the Fall Semester of 2009. Watch for our OPT OUT information, coming soon. The LPIRG Opt Out deadline is October 9th this semester.

LPIRG Application Forms

2009-05-07T15:15:00.007-06:00

Conference/Workshop Grant Application Form

Event/Project Grant Application Form.pdf

Research Grant Application Form.pdf

Working Group Guidelines and Application Form.pdf

Digging the Campus Roots Community Garden

2009-04-23T10:30:00.001-06:00

Update from the Campus Roots Community Garden: April 22, 2009.

For info or to volunteer, contact jamie.novlesky@uleth.ca

"Get ready to get dirty!"
The weather is looking OK for the weekend, so we're gonna GO FOR IT!

Just a reminder, if you have any "PPE" such as steel-toe boots or shoes, work gloves, safety glasses, please bring them with you. Everyone should at least be wearing shoes, no sandals please. It makes the safety guys who run the University a little bit happier about the project.

Another reminder, if anyone is qualified to use power tools (rototiller, drills) please wear long pants, and steel-toed boots or shoes. If you have safety glasses, bring those too but we should have a few if you don't have any.

Also, if you have tools to spare like rake, shovel, wheelbarrow, cordless drill, please bring! It's better to have too many than not enough, so that's an easy way to help out.

If you are able, come by
Saturday 9am-7pm, and Sunday 9am-6pm.

See you there!!
-----------------------------------

Original message:

We're counting down to the big day of garden building! Get ready to get dirty!

In case you haven't heard, a group of people have been working hard for the past few months trying to get a cooperative garden on campus, and it has finally become a reality. The garden will provide food for those who are involved, and it will also promote community and healthy lifestyles as people can come to the garden either to relax or to work on the garden. You'll meet those faces that you've seen in the hall but never knew their name. It's positive all around.

If you want to help out, or if you have anything to offer, let's hear about it! It could be anything from a truck to use for hauling materials to the site, shovels or rakes or other garden tools to help out with mixing the dirt and spreading mulch. Or maybe you just feel the urge to get messy sometimes and muck around.

As it's said, "many hands make light work" so let's make this as light as possible :)

There will be lots of people working towards a common goal, sharing, laughing, and working in the sun. Don't miss out!!!

Cuts to Health Care Don't Heal!

2009-04-23T10:14:00.003-06:00

Instead of cuts, Liepert should increase health-care spending

Delisting services boosts costs for businesses, consumers; threatens economy

By David Eggen and Diana Gibson, The Edmonton Journal

April 19, 2009

Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert has been very economical with the
truth on the health-care budget. He picked one of the few lines in the
budget that is up, while the overall budget for Health and Wellness has
actually been cut.

Infrastructure spending has been cut by almost $1 billion from what had
been budgeted in the capital plan and is down more than $600,000 from
last year. The total Health and Wellness budget did not get the
3.7-per-cent increase needed to account for inflation and population
growth. And now, delisting insured services has been raised.

While nations around the world are increasing spending to counter the
recession, Alberta is cutting. As part of its stimulus plan, China
announced it would spend $123 billion by 2011 to establish universal
health care for the country's 1.3 billion people, on the premise that
spending would put more money directly in Chinese consumers' pockets.
Even the United States, so infamous for its poor health care, has anted
up for increased health spending this year.

Instead of stimulus spending, the Alberta conservative government is
kicking the economy into what could be a serious tailspin. And if the
budget announcements were not bad enough, Liepert says he plans to delist
more services and may cut additional health-care infrastructure spending,
including much needed hospitals and long-term care beds.

Last month, Alberta lost more than 14,000 jobs, a trend that is likely to
continue. The $913-million cut from the capital budget will put 10,500
construction workers out of work. What better place for them than
building health-care facilities that will be much needed as our
population ages? Alberta is still recovering from shortages created by
the last downturn. The lack of long-term care beds continues to cause
backlogs and delays in hospital emergencies which have real
costs.

The infrastructure cuts have other costs as well. Currently,
infrastructure can be built at bargain prices. Delaying construction may
mean that the costs are much higher. Knowing the need is there and having
the workers in need of jobs, it is financially prudent to build that
infrastructure now and staff it now.

Other jurisdictions are also trying to bolster the economy by putting as
much money as possible into the hands of consumers and
businesses.

Liepert is doing the opposite, increasing business costs and taking money
out of the pockets of consumers. Delisting and de-insuring services
amounts to a direct transfer of costs from the province to businesses and
individuals.

Any service that is delisted or de-insured will be added to the long
growing roster of privately insured services paid for by employers,
causing rates to go up. Private insurance costs are already rising at
rates in excess of inflation.

It would also take money from consumers. Only about half of Albertans are
covered by workplace health benefits. For those who are not covered,
costs will also shoot up. The cap will be taken off of what professionals
can charge and they will raise fees to cover the loss of
patients.

Vision care is one of the services that has already been de-insured. This
resulted in a 17-per-cent jump in vision care costs in one year
alone.

Transferring costs out of the public health-care budget into private
insurance is not a path to sustainability. Australia provides a good
lesson on that front. In Australia, the subsidies necessary to get people
to enrol in the private health insurance cost more than if those services
had been kept in the public system.

This is not the time for Liepert to make his bottom line look better at
the cost of Alberta's employers, especially small business which would be
hit hardest. Those already struggling may be forced to lay off workers as
costs become prohibitive.

Alberta has choices for public health care. A pointless $4.5 billion in
subsidies were announced this year alone for oil and gas drilling,
despite the fact the both conventional oil and conventional gas peaked in
Alberta years ago. Also, according to government figures, Alberta is
forgoing between $10 billion and $18 billion in tax revenues every year
compared with other provinces. If there is anything that is not
sustainable, it is the tax cuts and drilling subsidies.

Investment in health care and the province's health-care budget will need
to increase as our population grows and ages. Polls show that Albertans
want public health care, not tax cuts, but what they get is tax cuts and
health-care cuts. A Nanos research poll showed that more than 55 per cent
of Western Canadians support deficit financing and two-thirds say it is
important "... that the government increase investment in public
services like health care, social services, the justice system and
education during a downturn." In addition, 71.1 per cent of
participants favoured "government investing in health care, social
services and education," compared with 19.9 per cent who wanted
"government financial support for businesses in the automotive,
forestry or mining industries."

David Eggen is executive director of Friends of Medicare and a former NDP
MLA for Edmonton-Calder. Diana Gibson is research director of the
University of Alberta's Parkland Institute

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

"Myths for Profit"

2009-04-02T10:09:00.000-06:00

The Council of Canadians, Lethbridge and District Chapter, and the Lethbridge Network for Peace team up to sponsor a screening of “Myths for Profit.”

Myths for Profit: Canada's Role In Industries of War and Peace

Wednesday, April 8th at 7pm

Lethbridge Public Library - Theatre Gallery

http://www.wideopenexposure.com/merchandise.php

On Wednesday April 8th at 7pm at the Lethbridge Public Library Theatre Gallery, Wide Open Exposure Productions, an emerging media activists production team, hosts a screening of their new film. "Myths For Profit’," is a documentary exposé which explores ‘Canada’s role in Industries of War and Peace’.

Through diverse interviews and case studies the 60 minute documentary unveils the specific interests and profits that are made by certain corporations, individuals and agencies within Canada. The Canadian government and the military would like us to believe that we are altruistic peacekeepers helping people around the world. But is this accurate?

'MYTHS FOR PROFIT' examines how these misconceptions are maintained and who stands to gain by perpetuating them. The documentary strives to help people understand the systems of power in Canada and provides tools in order to move forward in challenging how they operate and collectively create change.

Visit http://www.wideopenexposure.com/M4P.php
to view the 10 minute trailer.

Wide Open Exposure is a new production team based in Montreal made up of social justice organisers and media activists. We are neither a registered business, nor are we a registered not for profit organization. We work with organizers to enrich their on-going grassroots efforts with relevant, vital media. We work with educators to bring into the classroom critical independent film and video on issues of social and economic justice.

For more info, contact sheila_rogers@shaw.ca

Fair Trade Gala

2009-04-02T10:03:00.002-06:00

April 7th 7:00 - 9:00pm
Lethbridge Public Library - Theatre Gallery
810 5th Avenue South
Tickets by donation
daniel.manson@uleth.ca

Fair, local, and organic trade are all helping to create new forms of sustainable exchange in which producers and consumers can be active participants. Come hear talks by Dr. Patrick Wilson, Perry Stein, Daniel Manson, and Starsha Battrick. Listen to some local music, and relax with a nice cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea. Donations and silent auction proceeds will be donated to an Ecuadorian Women's Cooperative.

Our Land, My People: The Struggle of the Lubicon Cree

2009-03-23T10:49:00.000-06:00

We're hosting a screening of the film "Our Land, My People: The Struggle of the Lubicon Cree" on Thursday, March 26th at 12:00 (noon) in room L1170A in the University of Lethbridge Library.

The documentary "Our Land, My People: The Struggle of the Lubicon Cree" follows Lubicon councillors, elders, and band members as they share with Amnesty International the impact of resource exploitation on their way of life and traditional economy. Over $14B has been extracted from Lubicon land; the Lubicon have seen not a penny.

Aaron Chubb from Friends of the Lubicon Alberta (FOLA) will be on hand at the film screening, to discuss FOLA’s campaign to promote awareness of the plight of the Lubicon Lake Nation and demand the federal government negotiate on three key Lubicon Cree demands:

1. Self-government
2. Land claim settlement
3. Restitution

Since the late 1970s, the Lubicon Cree, an Indigenous people in Alberta, Canada, have seen the land on which they depend transformed by logging and large-scale oil and gas extraction. Despite a 1990 decision by the United Nations Human Rights Committee that the human rights of the Lubicon Cree are being violated by the impact of natural resource extraction, the Canadian authorities have failed to bring about a fair resolution of the long standing land dispute.

"The many long decades of failure to respect the human rights of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation in Northern Alberta have become one of Canada's and Alberta's most notorious human rights failings on the world stage," said Alex Neve, secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada.

Amnesty International has launched a global initiative in support of the Lubicon Cree.

Link to Amnesty International Campaign:
www.amnesty.ca/amnestynews/upload/AMR200062008.pdf

Greening the Grid: Powering Alberta's Future with Renewable Energy

2009-03-13T15:02:00.001-06:00

Tim Weis (Pembina Institute)

Greening the Grid and Powering Alberta’s Future with Renewable Energy

Wednesday, March 18th at 7pm

Lethbridge Public Library Community Room

Tim Weis - Director of Renewable Energy and Efficiency Policy at the Pembina Institute, will be speaking on Greening the Grid and Powering Alberta's Future on Wednesday, March 18th at 7pm in the Community Room at the Lethbridge Public Library. This event is free of charge and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Council of Canadians, Lethbridge Chapter and the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG).

Tim Weis recently co-authored a report (with Jeff Bell, Policy Analyst for the Alberta Energy Solutions team with the Pembina Institute) titled Greening the Grid and Powering Alberta's Future. This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Alberta's power production and energy efficiency opportunities and demonstrates the dominant role that renewable energy and improved efficiency can play in seriously reducing pollution and meeting future power demand.

The report outlines two scenarios, one a “pale green” scenario that relies on renewable energy and energy efficiency to meet all new growth in Alberta’s electricity supply with clean technologies. The other, a more aggressive “green” scenario, shows how Alberta could move from 70 per cent coal to 70 per cent renewable energy in just 20 years. This isn't just analysis and complaints, they offer a real solution.

To read the full report, go to http://www.pembina.org/pub/1763

Tim Weis is a professional engineer and the Director of Renewable Energy and Efficiency Policy at the Pembina Institute. His research focus is on technical and policy options to advance efficient and sustainable energy systems in Canada. Tim has written numerous reports and manuals on renewable energy and energy efficiency on issues at national, provincial and municipal levels as well as issues specific to First Nations’ and northern contexts. He has assisted more than 20 communities at various stages of development of renewable energy projects. Tim is also currently completing his PhD at the Université du Québec à Rimouski studying wind energy development in remote Canadian communities. Tim has also worked as a renewable energy consultant examining wind energy challenges in Northern communities. Tim has a Masters of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Alberta where he studied ice adhesion to wind turbine blades.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge - Session 3

2009-03-04T12:26:00.002-07:00

Session 1 and 2 are complete. The judges and audience have chosen Jeff Henry and Trish Silk to move on to the semi-final round on March 17th.

Now it's on to round 3.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge - Session 3
Tuesday, March 10 12:15 to 1:30
Speakers - Jason Thorne and Joanna Waszkiewicz

The Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge is organized by SACPA on Campus which is a collaboration between SACPA (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs), the ULSU (U of L Students' Union), and LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group).

Recognizing that each individual has a unique perspective and an authentic voice, students will be given a chance to communicate their thesis to an audience and defend it, thereby gaining and honing skills in developing and exchanging new ideas.

A winner is chosen from each session to be promoted to the semi-finals. Two students will then go on to the final session where a sole winner will be selected to receive a prize of $500.

Winners at each session will be determined by a panel of judges and an audience vote.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge semi-final and final sessions are scheduled at the U of L as follows:

Semi-Final Session - Tuesday, March 17, 4:00 - 6:00 Ballroom A

Final Session - Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 - 9:00 Andy's Place (AH100)

Everyone is encouraged to attend and participate in this series of debates.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge

2009-03-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

The first session is over and Jeff Henry was selected to move on to the semi-final round on March 17 at 4pm in Ballroom A. Who will his rivals be?

Session 2
Student Speakers - Trish Silk and Josh Pollard
Tuesday, March 3 – 12:15 to 1:30
Ballroom A, Students’ Union Building

Admission is free, everyone is welcome to attend. Bring your friends and bring your critical thinking skills as you will have an opportunity to challenge the speakers on their theses.

The Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge is an initiative of SACPA on Campus, which is a collaboration between the ULSU, LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group) and SACPA (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs).

SACPA on Campus has a mandate to encourage thought and discourse outside of the classic lecture style to students and the university community at large. In keeping with this, SACPA on Campus has developed an interactive format that encourages discussion and open discourse with one another and with the presenter during events. This style gives students the chance to question and discuss what they have just learned and encourages a more open exchange of ideas.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge – Session 1 – Feb 24

2009-02-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Student Speakers have been selected! And now we get to hear what they have to say about Our Current Crisis: What Does Change Mean In Our World Today.

Session 1
Student Speakers - Jeff Henry and Salman Ashrafi.
Tuesday, February 24 – 12:15 to 1:30
Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building

Admission is free, everyone is welcome to attend. Bring your friends and bring your critical thinking skills as you will have an opportunity to challenge the speakers on their theses.

The Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge is an initiative of SACPA on Campus, which is a collaboration between the ULSU, LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group) and SACPA (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs).
SACPA on Campus has a mandate to encourage thought and discourse outside of the classic lecture style to students and the university community at large. In keeping with this, SACPA on Campus has developed an interactive format that encourages discussion and open discourse with one another and with the presenter during events. This style gives students the chance to question and discuss what they have just learned and encourages a more open exchange of ideas.

Opt-Out Deadline - Feb. 13

2009-01-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) is a student-run, student-funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education, and action in the public interest. LPIRG exists to provide students with resources to be active citizens.

Each year, LPIRG provides approximately $20,000 in direct grants to students, as well as in-kind services, support, and training to student working groups, projects, events, and research. We also maintain an office and resource library which is open to all LPIRG members.

Undergraduates not wishing to pay the $5.00 LPIRG dedicated fee for the Spring 2009 semester may have that fee refunded. To opt-out, copy and paste the LPIRG Opt-Out Form into the body of your email and send it on or before the opt-out deadline – Friday, February 13. Your opt-out form must be sent via your personal uleth.ca web-mail account to be considered valid. Please note that in opting-out you forfeit your LPIRG membership and therefore your eligibility for LPIRG funds.

Coop students whose fees are not due until later in the semester must contact LPIRG by the opt-out deadline, Feb. 13 in order to make arrangements to have their LPIRG fee refunded.

LPIRG Opt-Out Form

I, ________________(first and last name as you wish it to appear on your cheque), hereby opt-out of the LPIRG membership fee for the Spring 2009 semester. In doing so, I understand that I am no longer eligible for access to LPIRG funds. My reason for opting-out is __________ _________________. (Please provide a brief explanation for your refund request; your response will help LPIRG to better meet the interests of the student body.)
Student ID#: _______________
Mailing address (where you want us to send your cheque)

LPIRG Board of Directors Elections

2009-01-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) will hold elections for 7 Board of Directors positions in conjunction with the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union elections. LPIRG’s Board is elected annually and is composed of undergraduate students. All undergraduate students who have not opted-out of the LPIRG fee, are eligible to vote and to run for a position on the Board of Directors.

LPIRG ELECTION DATES
Nominations open: Mon, Feb 9 @ 8:30am
Nominations close: Thursday Feb 12 @ 4pm
Candidate orientation: Thursday Feb 12 @ 4pm
Campaigning begins: Sat. Feb 21 @ noon
Campaigning ends: Mon. Mar 2 @ 4:30pm

ON-LINE VOTING
Begins: Tue. Mar 3 @ 8:30am
Ends: Thurs. Mar 5 @3pm
Results: Thurs. Mar 5 @ 5pm in the Zoo

If you are interested in running for the LPIRG Board of Directors, please fill out the LPIRG Board of Directors Nomination Form (available from our office SU242). Completed nomination forms must be submitted to the Students’ Union office (SU180) by 4pm Thursday, February 12.

LPIRG is a student led, student funded not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education, advocacy, and action in the public interest. LPIRG exists to provide students with resources to be active citizens.

LPIRG is a collective, following in the tradition of Public Interest Research Groups on other Canadian campuses, that combines student research, education, and action initiatives. LPIRG provides funding for undergraduate research, projects, events, and working groups in the public interest. We facilitate opportunities for skills development through educational events, public campaigns and partnerships with community organizations. It is our hope to transform social concern into effective action by providing administrative, informational, and technical support to students at the U of L.

The LPIRG Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing all of LPIRG’s operations. Board member duties include organizing events, setting annual priorities, reviewing funding applications, developing and maintaining policy, doing community outreach, and hiring staff. All board decisions are made by consensus.

For more information, contact us at:
pirg@uleth.ca
332-5243

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge

2009-01-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge

Building on the premise that in a democracy, an informed public makes the best decisions, SACPAS (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs Society), LPIRG (Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group), and the ULSU (U of L Students’ Union) are collaborating to provide students with a forum to express their point of view on issues of significance. Recognizing that each individual has a unique perspective and an authentic voice, students will be given a chance to communicate their thesis to an audience and defend it, thereby gaining and honing skills in developing and exchanging new ideas.

This opportunity will take the form of a competition in which students will address the topic “Our Current Crisis: What Does Change Mean in Our World Today?” You may approach the topic from any discipline or angle that is meaningful to you, such as economics, health care, environment, globalization, consumerism or all of the above. The speaker challenge will begin with three noon-hour sessions, each with 2 speakers addressing the topic and fielding questions on their thesis. A winner will be chosen at each of these sessions and will be promoted to the semi-finals. Two students will then go on to the final session where a sole winner will be selected to receive the final prize. Winners at each session will be determined by a panel of judges and an audience vote.

Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply and presenters will be paired according to skill level (as assessed from application form), year of study, and thesis. There will be a total of six participants with three of those advancing to further rounds and one final winner. Prizes will be given out to the top three participants - $100 for third place, $300 for second place, and $500 for the winner. Out of the six contestants we will accept a maximum of three graduate students.

The format will be such that in the first round, two presenters will face off, each having 15 minutes to present their thesis. After a five minute break, the presenter will then be asked questions from the audience and the judges for 15 minutes. The total length of the session will be one hour and ten minutes.

Changing the World Student Speaker Challenge sessions are scheduled as follows.
Session 1 – Tuesday, February 10, 12:15 – 1:25 Galileo’s Gallery
Session 2 – Tuesday, February 24, 12:15 – 1:25 Galileo’s Gallery
Session 3 – Tuesday, March 3, 12:15 – 1:25 Ballroom A
Semi-Final Session – Tuesday, March 17, 4:00 – 6:00 Ballroom A
Final Session – Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 – 9:00 Andy’s Place (AH100)

To apply, please fill out the following application form. Applications must be submitted electronically to pirg@uleth.ca with Changing the World in the subject line. The deadline for applications is Friday, January 30.
For more information, please contact Sheila at pirg@uleth.ca, or 332-5243.

CHANGING THE WORLD STUDENT SPEAKER CHALLENGE
APPLICATION FORM

Name:
Email:
Year of Study:
Faculty/ Major:
Public Speaking Experience (class presentations, etc.):

Why are you interested in applying for this?

How would you address the topic – “Our Current Crisis: What Does Change Mean In Our World Today?” Is change possible?

Please provide a short autobiography:

*Please note that personal interviews may be necessary in order to select and pair up speakers.

Cinema Politica

2009-01-19T14:15:00.002-07:00

The Cinema Politica films for this week will be 2 films by Montreal film maker Mary Ellen Davis called A DAY IN PALESTINE and TERRITORIES on Tuesday, January 20th at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. All are welcome, admission is free, and refreshments will be served. This screening is part of the Cinema Politica Film Series, presented every
Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. (See upcoming film schedule below.)

A DAY IN PALESTINE
Mary Ellen Davis /2007 /Canada /6 minutes

Deceptively beautiful, this Super-8 Kodachrome collection of vignettes of
everyday life for Palestinians under occupation has a dreamlike quality,
but the reality is anything but. A man picks olives against an azure sky.
Grandmothers plead with expressionless soldiers as excavators wait on the
hills behind them. Children and the elderly struggle to climb the brutal
concrete wall that divides their homes, schools, mosques and workplaces as
the film builds to a powerful indictment against oppression.

TERRITORIES
Mary Ellen Davis / Canada / 2007 / 64 min

A giant in the world of documentary photography, Larry Towell has garnered
several top-level honors, including the 2005 Priz Nadar and the first
Henri Cartier-Bresson Award. This program follows Towell as he uses his
camera to confront foreboding landscapes and shed light on struggling
communities—drawing parallels between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and
the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. Towell also reflects on the
creative process, offers insight into the photojournalist’s trade, and
describes his experiences as an eyewitness to the 9/11 attack on New York
City. His thoughtful commentary accompanies numerous examples of his work.

Cinema Politica Spring Semester Schedule:

January 27 – Between Midnight and Rooster’s Crow
February 3 – Yes Men
February 10 – Boy I Am and Girl Named Kai
February 24 – Fix, The Story Of An Addicted City
March 3 – King Corn
March 10 – SPIT: Squeegee Punks in Traffic
March 17 – No More Smoke Signals
March 24 – You Are On Indian Land

For more information on these films or the Cinema Politica film series,
please contact LPIRG at pirg@uleth.ca or 403-332-5243. You can also view
the Cinema Politica website at www.cinemapolitica.org.

Cinema Politica

2009-01-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

LPIRG has another exciting semester of Cinema Politica planned to keep you
informed and entertained. Join us every Tuesday evening at 7pm in
Galileo's Gallery for thought-provoking documentary films.

On Tuesday, January 13th at 7pm we will be screening "The Take", a film by
Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein, who both had speaking engagements on campus
last semester. (A synopsis of the film is below.)

Unfortunately, we placed an ad in the Meliorist announcing that the
January 13th film would be "Roadsworth," and then found out minutes after
the Meliorist went to print that Cinema Politica does not yet have the
screening rights to Roadsworth. We apologize for the misinformation. The
film on January 13th will really be "The Take."

We hope to have our full Cinema Politica schedule out soon for this
semseter. Films that we are hoping to screen include:

Between Midnight and Rooster’s Crow
Yes Men
Boy I Am
Girl Named Kai
Fix, The Story Of An Addicted City
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
A Day in Palestine
King Corn
SPIT: Squeegee Punks in Traffic
No More Smoke Signals
You Are On Indian Land
Five Ring Circus: The Untold Story of the 2010 Games

We hope to see you at our Cinema Politica films, every Tuesday.

The Take - synopsis
The Take opens in suburban Buenos Aires, where thirty unemployed
auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats
and refuse to leave.

All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act -
The Take - has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head.

A film which is almost guaranteed to make you alternately cry and laugh
and most of all leave the screening with an overwhelming desire to change
the world, The Take is a powerful manifesto to the power of ordinary
people to come together and achieve extraordinary things.

In the wake of Argentina's dramatic economic collapse in 2001, Latin
America's most prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of
abandoned factories and mass unemployment. The Forja auto plant lies
dormant until its former employees take action. They're part of a daring
new movement of workers who are occupying bankrupt businesses and creating
jobs in the ruins of the failed system.

But Freddy, the president of the new worker's co-operative, and Lalo, the
political powerhouse from the Movement of Recovered Companies, know that
their success is far from secure. Like every workplace occupation, they
have to run the gauntlet of courts, cops and politicians who can either
give their project legal protection or violently evict them from the
factory.

The story of the workers' struggle is set against the dramatic backdrop of
a crucial presidential election in Argentina, in which the architect of
the economic collapse, Carlos Menem, is the front-runner. His cronies, the
former owners, are circling: if he wins, they'll take back the companies
that the movement has worked so hard to revive.

Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy,
the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that
sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.

With The Take, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada's most outspoken
journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international
bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st
century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of
workers' lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity and the searing
injustice of dignity denied.

Cinema Politica and Write for Rights

2008-12-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

Here are the last events for this semester. Hope you can attend.
Details below.

1. Cinema Politica - BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS
Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 7pm
Galileo's Gallery

2. Amnesty International's Write for Rights
Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7pm
Penny Coffee House

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group presents a screening of the
film BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS on Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 7pm in Galileo's
Gallery. All are welcome, admission is free, and refreshments will be
served. This screening is part of the Cinema Politica Film Series,
presented every Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. The next film
will be on January 13th.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars
Sam Bozzo / USA / 2008

In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and
wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as
population and technology grows. The rampant overdevelopment of
agriculture, housing and industry increase the demands for fresh water
well beyond the finite supply, resulting in the desertification of the
earth.

Corporate giants force developing countries to privatize their water
supply for profit. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk
water export schemes. Corrupt governments use water for economic and
political gain. Military control of water emerges and a new geo-political
map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.

We follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic
right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N.
conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools.
As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A
line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive?

This screening of Blue Gold is a feedback screening. The film maker, Sam
Bozzo, is cutting a 52 minute television version of the film and would
love audience feedback as to what scenes to cut. Please go to the film's
website to contact Sam with your comments.

www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S WRITE FOR RIGHTS

Write for Rights is Now!

Join us to write letters on December 10 between 7-9 pm at The Penny Coffee
House.

Food, henna tattoos and fortune telling, plus crafts for kids! Musicians
performing are Dale Ketcheson, Richard Doerksen and Floyd Sillitoe - an
eclectic mix!

Help us write the most letters in Canada! We will be collecting donations
for the Red Cross for the refugees in the Congo.

If you can't make it, please send letters and e-appeals on your own. The
link to cases for letter writing and e-appeals is:

http://www.amnesty.ca/writeathon/actions/actions.php

Cinema Politica - World Water Wars

2008-12-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group presents a screening of the film BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS on Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. All are welcome, admission is free, and refreshments will be served. This screening is part of the Cinema Politica Film Series, presented every Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. The next film will be on January 13th.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars
Sam Bozzo / USA / 2008

In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as population and technology grows. The rampant overdevelopment of agriculture, housing and industry increase the demands for fresh water well beyond the finite supply, resulting in the desertification of the earth.

Corporate giants force developing countries to privatize their water supply for profit. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain. Military control of water emerges and a new geo-political map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.

We follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive?

This screening of Blue Gold is a feedback screening. The film maker, Sam Bozzo, is cutting a 52 minute television version of the film and would love audience feedback as to what scenes to cut. Please go to the film's website to contact Sam with your comments.

www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com

Cinema Politica - The Price of Sugar

2008-12-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group presents a screening of the film THE PRICE OF SUGAR on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. All are welcome, admission is free, and refreshments will be served. This screening is part of the Cinema Politica Film Series, presented every Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery.

THE PRICE OF SUGAR
Bill Haney / United States / 2007 / 90 Minutes

In the Dominican Republic, a tropical island-nation, tourists flock to pristine beaches unaware that a few miles away thousands of dispossessed Haitians have toiled under armed-guard on plantations harvesting sugarcane, much of which ends up in U.S. kitchens. They work grueling hours and frequently lack decent housing, clean water, electricity, education or healthcare. Narrated by Paul Newman, "The Price of Sugar" follows Father Christopher Hartley, a charismatic Spanish priest, as he organizes some of this hemisphere's poorest people to fight for their basic human rights. This film raises key questions about where the products we consume originate and at what human cost they are produced.

Featuring Father Christopher Hartley
Narrated by Paul Newman

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Speaks on Climate Change

2008-11-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Climate Expert to Bring Hard Realities to Alberta:

Talk to illustrate climate impacts on Canada and dangers of Athabasca Tar Sands development

Who: Dr. Andrew Weaver.

What: Lecture on Climate Change and its Effects on Canada.

When: Friday, November 28th at 1:00pm

Where: Ballroom A, Students’ Union Building, U of L

All U of L students and faculty are invited to an open reception, to meet Dr. Weaver, at Noon on Friday, November 28th in Ballroom A.

Andrew Weaver, author of the newly released book “Keeping Our Cool: Canada in a Warming World” is set to speak in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge on Nov. 26, 27, and 28th respectively. Weaver, lead author of "future predictions" section of the IPCC will bring a message of danger and opportunity to Albertans across the province. Weaver will outline the dangers of climate change, the threats the tar sands pose, and what a real turn around would look like.

Dr. Andrew Weaver is one of the world's leading authorities on global warming and climate change. Andrew Weaver is the author of numerous articles on climate change and has served as a lead author on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. Weaver is currently a professor in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria and holds the Canada Research Chair in Climate Modelling and Analysis. Dr. Weaver is also the co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore.

Dr. Weaver's visit to Lethbridge is sponsored by the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) and the Council of Canadians, Lethbridge and District Chapter

For more information, please contact: Sheila at LPIRG – 403-332-5243

Direct Action

2008-11-17T11:35:00.002-07:00

LPIRG is hosting 2 events this week on Direct Action. The first is a "SACPA on Campus" speaker session jointly presented by the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA), the ULSU and LPIRG.

SACPA on Campus - "Why Direct Action" with Mike Hudema
4:00 - 5:30 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008
Galileo's Gallery, SU building
Free. Coffee and snacks provided

And the second event is a Direct Action Workshop, hosted by LPIRG.

Date: Wednesday, November 19th
Time: 7pm to 10pm
Location: Ballroom A, Students’ Union Building
Workshop Facilitator: Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with
Greenpeace, Canada

To register for the Direct Action Workshop, please contact Sheila at
LPIRG. Space will be limited so register early. Registration deadline is
Monday, November 17th.
pirg@uleth.ca
403-332-5243
SU 242

Why Direct Action?

Direct action is a form of resistance that aims to derail offensive
practices to create more favorable ones using immediately available means.
Such actions include boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, letter-writing campaigns,
protests and sabotage. Direct action sometimes involves civil disobedience.

The uprising against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, Washington, in
November 1999 was the most visible and dramatic protest in the United States
since the Vietnam War.

It catapulted the concept of direct action and resistance into the North
American mainstream psyche, although direct actions and their participants
have been around since societies were developed. The historically innovative
tactics of environmentalists, abolitionists, suffragettes, and
nuclear-freeze advocates have resulted in a present-day thriving culture of
creative forms of resistance.

Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada will
discuss the role of direct action in bringing about social change. He will
take us through decades of experience working in Alberta and make the case
that direct action is often necessary for progressive change.

Mike Hudema has been a longtime dedicated and creative activist in Edmonton,
Alberta. He has participated in countless direct actions, the most
high-profile of which have included actions in the streets of Quebec City
for the FTAA protests, sleeping on the steps of the Alberta legislature to
protest rising tuition rates, and occupying Deputy Prime Minister Anne
McLellan¹s office to defeat Canada¹s anti-terrorism legislation. Hudema
gained his bachelor of education, majoring in drama, and most recently his
law degree, specializing in labour and environmental law. He co-hosts CJSR¹s
alternative news program Rise Up: Radio Free Edmonton, and is the author of
³An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism Away² published by Between the
Lines Press.

Mike currently works for Greenpeace, Canada fighting to stop the Athabasca
tar sands. He is also a climb trainer with the Ruckus Society and has held
activist training camps which teach aspiring activists skills ranging from
climbing to blockades.

2008-11-10T09:36:00.002-07:00

There will be no Cinema Politica film this week, due to the Rememberance
Day holiday. But, we are bringing in a speaker on Wednesday. Next week's events are also included at the bottom of this post.

Should Alberta be Kept Free of Nuclear Power?
Speaker: Adele Boucher Rymhs

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Location: Anderson Hall room AH 116, University of Lethbridge
Cost: Free. Coffee and snacks provided

A special session jointly presented by the Southern Alberta Council on
Public Affairs (SACPA), the U of L Students’ Union and the Lethbridge
Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG).

The wheels have been set in motion to build western Canada’s first nuclear
power plant. Bruce Power Alberta bought the assets of Energy Alberta
Corporation and filed an application with the federal government to build
a nuclear power plant earlier this year.

On the same day, Bruce Power Alberta also filed an application with the
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to prepare a site for the construction
of this nuclear power plant. The proposed plant would be built on private
land next to Lac Cardinal Lake, about 30 kilometres west of Peace River
and about 480 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Bruce Power Alberta is planning to build up to four reactors that could
produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity. Proponents say this could generate
enough “carbon-free” electricity to supply up to two million homes with
power.

Opponents point to a severe risk of radioactive contamination of the
Grimshaw Aquifer, the Peace River water system, and rich agricultural land
of the region. Residents have serious concerns about human and animal
health, and foresee problems with long term storage of nuclear waste.

Speaker: Adele Boucher Rymhs

Adele Boucher Rymhs is a former teacher and businesswoman, and was a
partner in farming and bison ranching for many years. She served on the
Executive of the Peace River Board of Trade, was President of Peace
Country Bison Association, and on the local Museum Board.

Boucher Rymhs ran for election as the NDP candidate in Peace River in the
recent federal election. Her platform strongly supported concerns for the
environment and sustainable alternatives to nuclear power. Adele was also
a candidate in the March 2008 provincial election, carrying the Nuclear
Free banner.

Adele Boucher Rymhs serves as Secretary of “Citizens Against Nuclear
Development” (CAND), a group of over 250 residents near the proposed
nuclear site at Grimshaw, AB. She is also V.P. of “Nuclear Free Alberta”
and a member of the Peace River Environmental Society.

Moderator: Thera Body

The Real Dirt on Farmer John
(Part of the Cinema Politica Film Series)

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 18
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Galileo’s Gallery

The Real Dirt on Farmer John will turn every idea you ever had about what it means to be an American farmer, or an American dreamer, on its head.

Why Direct Action?

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Location: Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building
Cost: Free. Coffee and snacks provided
Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada will discuss the role of direct action in bringing about social change. He will take us through decades of experience working right here in Alberta and will make the case that direct action is sometimes necessary in working for progressive change.
Mike currently works for Greenpeace, Canada fighting to stop the Athabasca tar sands. He is also a climb trainer with the Ruckus Society and has held activist training camps which teach aspiring activists skills ranging from climbing to blockades.

Direct Action Workshop

Date: Wednesday, November 19th
Time: 7pm to 10pm
Location: Ballroom A, Students’ Union Building
Workshop Facilitator: Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada

To register for the Direct Action Workshop, please contact Sheila at LPIRG. Space will be limited so register early. Registration deadline is Thursday, November 13th.
pirg@uleth.ca
403-332-5243
SU 242 (2nd floor of the Students’ Union Building, behind the food court)

Mike Hudema has been a longtime dedicated and creative activist in
Edmonton, Alberta. He has participated in a countless direct actions, the
most high-profile of which have included actions in the streets of Quebec
City for the FTAA protests, sleeping on the steps of the Alberta
legislature to protest rising tuition rates, and occupying Deputy Prime
Minister Anne McLellan’s office to defeat Canada’s anti-terrorism
legislation. He has gained his bachelor of education, majoring in drama,
and most recently his law degree, specializing in labour and environmental
law. He co-hosts CJSR’s alternative news program Rise Up: Radio Free
Edmonton, and is the author of “An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism
Away” published by Between the Lines Press.

Direct Action Workshop

2008-11-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, November 19th, from 7pm to 10pm, the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) will run a workshop on Direct Action.

Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace, Canada will lead the workshop.

To register for the Direct Action Workshop, please contact Sheila at LPIRG. Space will be limited so register early. Registration deadline is Thursday, November 13th.

pirg@uleth.ca
403-332-5243
SU 242 (2nd floor of the Students’ Union Building, behind the food court)

Direct Action is a form of resistance that aims to derail offensive practices to create more favorable ones using immediately available means. Such actions include boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, letter-writing campaigns, theatrical protests and sabotage. Direct actions often (but not always) involve civil disobedience.

The uprising against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, Washington, in November 1999 was the most visible and dramatic protest in the United States since the Vietnam War. It catapulted the concept of direct action and resistance into the North American mainstream psyche, although direct actions and their participants have been around since societies were developed. The historically innovative tactics of environmentalists, abolitionists, suffragettes, and nuclear-freeze advocates have resulted in a present-day thriving culture of creative forms of resistance.

Mike Hudema has been a longtime dedicated and creative activist in Edmonton, Alberta. He has participated in a countless direct actions, the most high-profile of which have included actions in the streets of Quebec City for the FTAA protests, sleeping on the steps of the Alberta legislature to protest rising tuition rates, and occupying Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan’s office to defeat Canada’s anti-terrorism legislation. He has gained his bachelor of education, majoring in drama, and most recently his law degree, specializing in labour and environmental law. He co-hosts CJSR’s alternative news program Rise Up: Radio Free Edmonton, and is the author of “An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism Away” published by Between the Lines Press.

Mike currently works for Greenpeace, Canada fighting to stop the Athabasca tar sands. He is also a climb trainer with the Ruckus Society and has held activist training camps which teach aspiring activists skills ranging from climbing to blockades.

Cinema Politica - Tuesday, Nov. 4

2008-11-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

LPIRG presents a screening of the film BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS on
Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. All are welcome, admission is
free, and refreshments will be served. This screening is part of the
Cinema Politica Film Series, presented every Tuesday evening at 7pm in
Galileo's Gallery.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars
Sam Bozzo / USA / 2008

In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and
wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as
population and technology grows. The rampant overdevelopment of
agriculture, housing and industry increase the demands for fresh water
well beyond the finite supply, resulting in the desertification of the
earth.

Corporate giants force developing countries to privatize their water
supply for profit. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk
water export schemes. Corrupt governments use water for economic and
political gain. Military control of water emerges and a new geo-political
map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.

We follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic
right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N.
conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools.
As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A
line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive?

Cinema Politica Film Series

2008-10-27T10:15:00.002-06:00

LPIRG presents a documentary film screening every Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. On Tuesday, Oct. 28th, the film will be Garbage Warrior.

Follow Michael Reynolds and his impassioned pursuit of sustainable architecture.

Garbage Warrior
Oliver Hodge / UK / 2007 / 86 Minutes

What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much unless you're renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing. For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of "Earthship Biotecture" by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony. However, these experimental structures that defy state standards create conflict between Reynolds and the authorities, who are backed by big business. Frustrated by antiquated legislation, Reynolds lobbies for the right to create a sustainable living test site. While politicians hum and ha, Mother Nature strikes, leaving communities devastated by tsunamis and hurricanes. Reynolds and his crew seize the opportunity to lend their pioneering skills to those who need it most. Shot over three years and in four countries, Garbage Warrior is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st century.

Upcoming Events - Oct. 20 - 24

2008-10-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

Public Hearing - Lethbridge Native Women's Transition Home
Monday, Oct. 20 at 4pm
City Council Chambers - City Hall

Come and support the City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Native Women's
Transition Home Society's plan to move in to Netherlands Reformed
Congregation Church located in the northside of Lethbridge, thereby
providing a permanent centralized location for essential services
supporting women and children in transition.

Cinema Politica Film - A Jihad for Love
Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7pm
Galileo's Gallery
Hosted by LPIRG and GALIA (Gay and Lesbian Integrity Association)
All are welcome, admission is free, and refreshments will be served.

A Jihad for Love is the world’s first feature documentary to explore the
complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. For more
info, check out the U of L notice board posting or www.ajihadforlove.com.

Amnesty International Club - first meeting/film
Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7pm
Galileo’s Gallery
Snacks and refreshments provided, all are welcome.

There will hold a brief brainstorming session followed by a video
screening and discussion of the film "Cry for Justice." Amnesty Canada's
television show, "Cry for Justice" is an inspiring and informative
introduction to Amnesty International's human rights work. The stories
illustrate realities that most of us will never experience. But they
provide us with an awareness that will hopefully lead us to make decisions
in our lives that can make a difference.

Congratulations to the Student Action Collective (LPIRG's newest Working Group) on their "Take Action on Poverty" events last week. 140 students/staff/faculty participated in the Stand-Up, Take Action Against Poverty event and over $150 was raised to go towards Bridges of Hope and the Lethbridge Native Women's Transition Home. Further action was taken in the form of 30 letters written to the federal
government on international aid, 8 postcards sent to the provincial
government supporting community organizations, and 53 people signed the
petition in support of the Lethbridge Native Women's Transition Home.

Stand Up Against Poverty, This Week

2008-10-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

The Student Action Collective is putting on this two-day event this October
to raise awareness and provide opportunities to take action around poverty.
The events will run Thursday October 16th and Friday October 17th

The highlight of the event will be:

The STAND UP event at 12:30 sharp on Friday October 17th in the Atrium.
Everyone will be invited to Stand Up for one minute as part of a global
action calling on all of our governments to take action to end poverty now.
In 2006, 20 people participated in the U of L's STAND UP event, and in 2007
120 people participated – let's make it at least 200 in 2008! For more info
on the global event: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/

Everyone is encouraged to wear white to show support for ending poverty.
White strips of fabric will be available for those who are not wearing
white, and white shirts and wristbands will be on sale at the event.

Other events include:

Poverty in the Lethbridge Area Round Table
-Thursday October 16th, 1:30-2:55pm in Galileo's Gallery
-Several experts on various aspects of poverty will engage in a discussion
about the realities of poverty in the Lethbridge area. Once the prepared
questions have been discussed, all audience members will be welcome to ask
their own questions, make comments, or share their own experiences. All are
welcome.

The Banish Poverty Bash – A Benefit Concert for Poverty Awareness
-Thursday October 16th, 7pm at the Zoo
-$1 or a food bank donation to the SU food bank will be encouraged at the
door
-Featuring local artists NotNed's iPod
-Joint event by Student Action Collective and LPIRG

Take Action Tables
-The Student Action Collective will have tables in the SU building and the
Atrium on Thursday October 16th, and in the Atrium on Friday October 17th
-Learn about poverty and the Millennium Development Goals
-Several easy ways to take action, including: letter writing,
click-to-donate sites, free donation games (eg: Free Rice), sign a petition,
donate spare change

Atrium Displays and Performances
-Several clubs and community organizations related to poverty will have
displays in the atrium on October 17th, where you can learn about their
group and take some action to help eliminate poverty
-Performances of various types (poetry, music, dance) will take place in the
Atrium from 10am to 12:15, leading up to the Stand Up event

White Band Event
-On October 17th, following the Stand Up event, anyone who wishes to stay
will line up down University Hall wearing white (white strips of fabric will
be provided, and white shirts will be on sale) as an additional depiction of
our commitment to ending poverty.
-Last year approximately 75 people participated in the White Band event –
let's beat that this year!

Pre-Event:

Film Screening: Family Motel
-Tuesday October 14th, 7pm in Galileo's Gallery
-Part of LPIRG's Cinema Politica film series
-Film screening followed by a discussion. All are welcome. Refreshments will
be provided
-For information about the film itself:
http://www.nfb.ca/webextension/family-motel/

The Student Action Collective is a group of students who care about social
and environmental justice issues and want to make a difference at the
University of Lethbridge. We see too much apathy in the face of so many
pressing issues, so we have decided to take action, and encourage other
students to take action! Some of the many issues that concern us are:
poverty, racism, homophobia, war, HIV/AIDS, environmental issues, democracy,
and sexism.

The funding for this event is provided by LPIRG.

Events Oct 7-10

2008-10-06T10:46:00.001-06:00

Here are the LPIRG and CKXU FUNdrive events for this week. CKXU is a
Working Group of LPIRG and is co-sponsoring our Cinema Politica film
screening this week.

Cinema Politica - Manda Bala
Tuesday, October 7th at 7pm
Galileo's Gallery
Admission is free, refreshments will be provided.

Brazil is known for its beautiful beaches, lush rain forests, and vibrant
culture. However, in recent years, the country has developed more of a
reputation for corrupt politicians, kidnapping, and plastic surgery.

MANDA BALA (Send a Bullet) artfully connects these seemingly disparate
elements and conducts a dazzling, yet harrowing, examination of the tragic
domino effect that has reshaped the face of the country and created an
entire industry built on corruption. From its unlikely opening on a
money-laundering frog farm, MANDA BALA displays a strikingly distinctive
tone. Featuring a stylish score and articulate interviews with kidnappers,
kidnap victims, and the people who profit from them, as well as the
paranoid people whose lives they impact, it looks and sounds more like a
stylized fiction film than a heavy political documentary.

Speaker Presentation - Impacts of Sexual Violence
Wednesday, October 8th at Noon
Galileo's Gallery

Kristine Cassie of YWCA Lethbridge will be discussing domestic violence
against women with a focus on university aged women. Cassie will also be
discussing the impacts of sexual violence, give information on the Sexual
Violence Action Committee (SVAC), discuss upcoming events, and
date/acquaintance sexual assault. (Part of CKXU's FUNdrive.)

Moustache Rock
Friday, October 10th at 9pm
The Slice Bar and Grill-314 8th St S

-a fun night with nine local bands playing covers from the “Moustache
Rock” era. Tickets are $8 or $5 with a 2008 Friends of CKXU card and will
be available at CKXU or Blueprint Entertainment. (Part of CKXU's
FUNdrive.)

For more information on FUNdrive, feel free to contact Silvana Campus,
FUNdrive Coordinator by e-mailing fundrive@ckxu.com, by listening in at
88.3 FM, or by stopping by the CKXU first floor of the Students' Union
Building (SU 164).

LPIRG Fee Opt-Out Deadline - Oct. 17

2008-10-01T10:02:00.003-06:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) is a student-run, student-funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education, and action in the public interest. LPIRG exists to provide students with resources to be active citizens.

Each year, LPIRG provides approximately $20,000 in direct grants to students, as well as in-kind services, support, and training to student working groups, projects, events, and research. We also maintain an office and resource library which is open to all LPIRG members.

Undergraduates not wishing to pay the $5.00 LPIRG dedicated fee for the Fall 2008 semester may have that fee refunded. To opt-out, copy and paste the LPIRG Opt-Out Form into the body of your email and send on or before Oct. 17. Your opt-out form must be sent via your personal uleth.ca web-mail account to be considered valid. Please note that in opting-out you forfeit your LPIRG membership and therefore your eligibility for LPIRG funds.

Coop students whose fees are not due until later in the semester must contact LPIRG by the opt-out deadline, Oct. 17 in order to make arrangements to have their LPIRG fee refunded.

LPIRG Opt-Out Form

I, ________________(first and last name as you wish it to appear on your cheque), hereby opt-out of the LPIRG membership fee for the Fall 2008 semester. In doing so, I understand that I am no longer eligible for access to LPIRG funds. My reason for opting-out is ____________________________. (Please provide a brief explanation for your refund request; your response will help LPIRG to better meet the interests of the student body.)
Student ID#: _______________
Mailing address (where you want us to send your cheque)
_________________
_________________
_________________

LPIRG and Community Events - Sept 29 - Oct 4

2008-09-30T10:26:00.002-06:00

1. Our Cinema Politica Film Series is now showing every Tuesday evening at 7pm in Galileo's. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided.
This weeks film is Leila Khaled: Hijacker
Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7pm
Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building

LEILA KHALED: HIJACKER: In 1969 Palestinian Leila Khaled made history by
becoming the first woman to hijack an airplane. As a Palestinian child
growing up in Sweden, filmmaker Lina Makboul admired Khaled for her bold
actions; as an adult, she began asking complex questions about the legacy
created by her childhood hero. This fascinating documentary is at once a
portrait of Khaled, an exploration of the filmmaker’s own understanding of
her Palestinian identity, and a complicated examination of the nebulous
dichotomy between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter."

When Makboul tracks Khaled down, she finds Khaled living an ordinary life
in Jordan, still firm in her belief that her actions were necessary and
fully justified. The film weaves together scenes with Khaled, archival
footage, and interviews with the people who were on the planes Khaled
hijacked. Makboul searches for a way to reconcile her understanding of the
Palestinian national narrative - which now includes Khaled’s actions -
with the negative image she encounters from the rest of the world of
Palestinians as bloodthirsty terrorists. At the same time, she comes to
know Khaled for the very real person that she is as they talk, travel
together, and share meals. The result is a multi-dimensional film unlike
any other in its skillful handling of the complexities that arise when
liberation movements incorporate violence as a tactic.

2. Media Relations Workshop
Thursday, Oct 2 from 4:30 to 6:30pm
Galileo’s Gallery, Students’ Union Building
Please register by contacting LPIRG – pirg@uleth.ca or 403-332-5243

This 2 hour workshop will cover:
• how to promote an event (effective posters, handbills, etc)
• how to write a press release
• effective media relations (give them what they want)
• building a diverse and inclusive membership
• how to pull off a great event (BIG or small)

The workshop will take place on Thursday, October 2nd from 4:30 – 6:30 in
Galileo’s Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Students’ Union Building.
Refreshments will follow. Space is limited so sign up now! Completely
FREE!

Shannon Phillips will conduct the workshop. She is an experienced
journalist, campaign/ event organizer, and activist. She is the former
Director of Communications at the Alberta Legislature for the Alberta NDP,
has worked as a TV producer for CBC and Al-Jazeera English, is a frequent
contributor to Albertaviews magazine, and is currently the Public Affairs
Coordinator for Canadian Red Cross and Project Coordinator for Womanspace
Lethbridge. Shannon holds a Masters degree in political science from the
University of Alberta.

3. Sisters in Spirit Vigil
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7pm
Galt Gardens, Downtown Lethbridge
A candlelight vigil to remember the missing and murdered aboriginal women
of Canada and to end violence against all women. Everyone is welcome.

LPIRG Events! September 15th - 21st

2008-09-15T09:00:00.004-06:00

Hello! Here's what LPIRG is up to for this week.

-----TUESDAY, September 16th-----

LPIRG Open House
10AM-3PM, LPIRG Office
Want to know how you can get involved with LPIRG, how to access the services and funding we provide or what events we've got coming up? Drop by our office to find out and enjoy a cup of coffee and baking during the hours listed. LPIRG board members will be stopping in throughout the day to talk with students about what LPIRG can do for them and Shelia will be there all day. Bring your own coffee mug!!

Cinema Politica Screening: The Future of Food
7PM, Galileo's Gallery
The first offering in this semester's Cinema Politica series is The Future of Food, an independent film about the prevalence and significance of GMOs in the North American food system today. It "offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade." A facilitated discussion will follow the film and refreshments will be provided.

-----WEDNESDAY, September 17th-----

LPIRG Open House
10AM-3PM, LPIRG Office
To ensure that we reach as many stuents as possible the Open House discussed above will occur over two days. Bring your own coffee mug!

LPIRG Events! September 8th - 14th

2008-09-08T07:33:00.004-06:00

Woo, first full week of classes! Better get to the Library and leave you stuff on a computer station now, otherwise you'll never get one!...don't actually do that, I hate it when people do that.

We actually only have one thing going on this week, so this will be a brief post. There are several events happening next week, like a film screening and LPIRG open house (free baking!), but I'll post the info on those events later. Ignore the timestamp on this post, it's totally still the 7th.

-----MONDAY, September 8th through THURSDAY, September 11th-----

Rush Week
9AM-2PM, Atrium

All this week LPIRG will have a table set up in the Atrium as part of the Rush Week recruitment blitz. Shelia and various board members will be there throughout the day to take your questions on what LPIRG does for students as well provide information on current social justice campaigns and issues. We'll also have sign-up sheets for a couple events we have coming up that require volunteers, like the Great Canadian Shore Clean-Up. Come say hello to us, ask about the Campus Community Garden Committee and be sure to check out all the club tables too!

Welcome Back!

2008-09-01T21:13:00.003-06:00

Hello, and welcome to the fall semester here at the University of Lethbridge. My name is Cody Sharpe and I'm one of LPIRG's board members. If you're a new student, let me take a minute to explain just what LPIRG is.

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group is a non-profit society dedicated to encouraging students to pursue their own research interests and take their post-secondary experience beyond the classroom in creative and inventive ways. We provide direct funding for students to use in conducting research, organizing events and attending workshops and conventions. We also offer logistical and organizational support for activities spearheaded by students. LPIRG's funds come from a $5 levy collected from every full-time undergraduate student, and funding is available only to members of this group. All projects which apply for funding must somehow serve the public interest, which is defined as educating the public on social justice issues and encouraging them to act on this education. LPIRG also organizes events for students to participate in. In the past, we've put together film series, speaker nights, concerts, conventions and workshops. In short, LPIRG combines a do-it-yourself work ethic, secure and sustainable resources and a belief in the possibility of positive change to assist students in achieving their educational goals.

On this website, you'll be able to keep up with the events being put together by LPIRG as well as other opportunities and activities happening around Lethbridge. We maintain contacts with many other local volunteer organizations here in town, and most of the board members are involved with several different groups. I update this site every Sunday evening with a list of the week's events and occasionally during the week with updates on other topics of interest.

If you have questions about LPIRG, our services, how to become involved with us or anything else at all, please feel free to write me directly at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com. You can also drop by our office - located in Galileo's Gallery in the SU Building - to speak with Shelia, LPIRG's executive administrator. While there, check out our library of books and movies available to undergraduates to borrow. The first events update will be going up this coming Sunday, the 7th of September.

LPIRG Events! March 17th - 24th

2008-03-16T11:56:00.008-06:00

Hello again everyone! My apologies for missing last Sunday's update, I simply forgot to note down that it needed updating in my daytimer. If you ever come by this site looking for the update, and I've forgotten to post it, please send me a reminder at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com. You can also contact me there with event info, comments, questions, or anything else you think I should know. Now, on to this week's events!

----------------------------TUESDAY, March 18th----------------------------

Free Student Lunch
11AM-2PM, Atrium

LPIRG isn't affiliated with the Health Center here on campus, but this event is a great idea and I want to help promote it. Be sure to stop by the Atrium around this time to enjoy a nutritious free lunch and to receive information on how to stretch your limited food budget. For more information, contact Dianne Carter at the Health Center at dianne.carter(at)uleth.ca.

Foreplay/The Vagina Monologues
5:30PM, Atrium/8PM, University Theatre, $20 Students, $30 General Admission

These two fundraisers have been organized by the University of Lethbridge Women's Centre and are sponsored by LPIRG. Forplay is a fun and interactive event - taking place in the Atrium - featuring a talent show, activities, and various local business. Following this free event in the University Theatre is the Women's Centre's production of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, which features U of L staff, faculity and students and is intended to raise money for the Lethbridge YWCA Harbour House & Kainai Women’s Shelter. Tickets can be purchased at the U of L Box Office, located on level 5 of the University Centre for the Arts. You can call the box office directly at 403-329-2616 for more information.

----------------------------WEDNESDAY, March 19th----------------------------

Film Screening: Heavy Metal in Baghdad
6PM, Galileo's Gallery

Like the free student lunch provided by the Health Centre, LPIRG has nothing to do with putting together this event. I'm really excited about it, however, so I want to help get the word out. I had a long description of the film written out, but the trailer says it all.

Here's Acrassicauda's MySpace, the Facebook event page for the screening and the movie's homepage. I strongly encourage you to attend, especially if you're not a metalhead. I think this movie will explain the attraction to everyone, even those who aren't fans. By the way, the movie's title is written in the Iron Maiden font. \M/!

----------------------------THURSDAY, March 20th----------------------------

Events and Community Outreach Committee Meeting
Noon, LPIRG Office

Want to get involved with LPIRG? Here's your opportunity. This week's meeting of the Events and Community Outreach Committee is open to all students and will provide you with a chance to tell us what sort of activities you'd like to see LPIRG, as well as volunteer to help out with events already under construction. If you'd like to attend or want more information, please contact me at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com

Project Porchlight Lethbridge Orientation Meeting
6PM, Galileo's Gallery

Over the next several weeks, Project Porchlight will be giving away over 20,000 free compact fluorescent lightbulbs to residents of Lethbridge. There are three different orientation session happening this week, but this is the only one taking place on campus. If you'd like to volunteer to drop off bulbs, please attend one of these sessions or sign-up online at Project Porchlight's homepage.

LPIRG Events! Mar 3rd - 9th

2008-03-02T16:26:00.005-07:00

What's going on this week? I will tell you what is going on this week. I will do so with efficiency.

MONDAY, March 3rd
Community Garden Petition & Info Table
The Community Garden Committee will have a table set up in the Atrium, the SU Building and the Wellness Center from 10AM 'till 2PM. We'll have a petition for supporters of the Community Garden to sign, copies of the proposal available to read over, and free apples! Please stop by to check out this student-driven initiative.

Provincial Election
Obviously, LPIRG didn't organize this one. If we had, we wouldn't have appointed personal supporters as Chief Returning Officers. Still, you should take part. If you don't know where you're supposed to vote, or if you still need to register, head over to Elections Alberta's website.

TUESDAY, March 4th
Community Garden Petition & Info Table
Same deal as above, save that on Tuesday we will only have tables set up in the SU Building and the Wellness Center. We'll still have apples though!

WEDNESDAY, March 5th
Community Garden Information Session
Held at noon in Galileo's, this session will give you more information on the proposal for a Campus Community Garden and how it will benefit the students and community. You'll also find out how you personally can get involved in its creation and management.

SU & LPIRG Voting Opens
You should receive an email from The Powers that Be with a link to the voting website on the morning of the 5th. Click it, decide to who to vote for, click vote. Simple. If you haven't decided who to vote for yet, head over to this SU page to learn about your choices.

FRIDAY, March 7th
SU & LPIRG Voting Results
The results of this year's SU and LPIRG elections will be announced in the Zoo around 4PM. It's Happy Hour all day Friday up there, so you've got two reasons to go.

LPIRG Events! Feb 25th - Mar 2nd

2008-02-24T13:25:00.008-07:00

Welcome back everyone! I hope you're well-rested and ready to get back to it. There are quite a few things happening on campus and off this week that you should know about, including a film screening and a few political debates.

Before I list this week's events, however, I'd like to put you all on notice that LPIRG will be organizing the first of a new series of events which will start on Saturday, March 8th. We're calling them Political Cafes, and they'll be casual discussion groups for anyone and everyone interested in political and social issues to come together and talk about what's going on in our communities and the broader world. This ties in to LPIRG's mandate to promote social education and awareness. To facilitate discussion I'll provide a small handful of topics every week, along with a short list of background readings for those who're unfamiliar with the issue. Where the discussion goes is up to the participants, however. My personal role will only be to gently keep discussion on-topic and prevent free-for-alls. I first organized Political Cafes back when I was President of the Political Science Association, and their success has provoked me into bringing them back. I'll post the first list of topics next weekend, though if you have any suggestions please feel free to make them in the comments section below, or email me at cody.sharpe(at)uleth.ca.

Now, on to the week's events!

WEDNESDAY, Feb 27th
Town Hall Speeches
Were you aware that elections are now on for all Students' Union positions? If you'd like to meet the candidates for the Executive positions, as well as those running for the General Assembly, ensure you stop by the Atrium at noon. For more information you can email allan.hall(at)uleth.ca.

The Fourth World War
From the film's homepage:

While our airwaves are crowded with talk of a new world war, narrated by generals and filmed from the noses of bombs, the human story of this global conflict remains untold. The Fourth World War brings together the images and voices of the war on the ground. It is a story of a war without end and of those who resist.

The product of over two years of filming on the inside of movements on five continents, The Fourth World War is a film that would have been unimaginable at any other moment in history. Directed by the makers of This Is What Democracy Looks Like and Zapatista, produced through a global network of independent media and activist groups, it is a truly global film from our global movement.

LPIRG will be screening this film, free of charge, in Galileo's Gallery this coming Wednesday at 7PM. Refreshments will be provided, and an open group discussion will follow. If you're not interested in this, then there's something else you can check out on the same night...

Provincial Election Forum on Environmental Issues and Sustainability
Organized by Lethbridge College, SACEE, SAYEE and Public Interest Alberta, this forum will see the Lethbridge candidates in the provincial elections answer your questions on their parties' environmental policies. It begins at 7:30PM and will be taking place in the LaValley Theater at Lethbridge College. This event is also listed on Facebook.

THURSDAY, Feb 28
Executive Council Debate
At this event you'll hear the candidates for the Students' Union Executive Council discuss and defend their plans for the offices they're running for, as well as ask them questions about their plans. This event is taking place in the Atrium at noon, so be sure to come down and check it out over lunch.

LPIRG Events! Feb 10th - 16th

2008-02-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Midterm, midterm, paper, presentation, midterm, meeting, paper, proposed bibliography made up of the first 10 hits on JSTOR, midterm...this is going to be a very long week.

Which is why you should take a break and come to this week's film! Just so you know, there won't be any events posted over Reading Week, but there will be an update the Sunday before classes resume. We're working on some pretty interesting events, so be sure to drop by then.

Be sure to check the below post for info on LPIRG's elections. Nominations close on the 14th!

WEDNESDAY, February 13th
Seeds of Change: Farmers, Biotechnology and the New Face of Agriculture

This film is the result of three years of effort by an University of Manitoba PhD candidate, Ian Mauro, U of M professor Stéphane McLachlan, and independent videographer Jim Sanders. Though the film was completed and ready for release in 2002, screenings were blocked by the U of M administration until 2005, at which point the three men responsible for it went public with what was being done to their film. The creators frankly state that "the video is explicitly critical of crop genetic modification technology as a whole, and of biotech giant Monsanto" but claim that their critique is legitimate and that the U of M was acting to protect its close relationship with that company.

The screening will take place in Galileo's Gallery at 7PM and will be followed by an open discussion. All are welcome to attend.

LPIRG Election Info

2008-02-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group will hold elections for 7 Board of Directors positions in conjunction with the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union elections. LPIRG’s Board is elected annually and is composed of undergraduate students. All undergraduate students are eligible to vote.

If you are interested in running for the LPIRG Board of Directors, please fill out the LPIRG Board of Directors Nomination Form (available here or from our office in SU242, just off Galileo's). Completed nomination forms must be submitted to the Students’ Union office (SU180) by 4pm Thursday, February 14 at 4pm.

LPIRG is a student led, student funded not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education, advocacy, and action in the public interest. LPIRG exists to provide students with resources to be active citizens.

LPIRG is a collective, following in the tradition of Public Interest Research Groups on other Canadian campuses, that combines student research, education, and action initiatives. LPIRG provides funding for undergraduate research, projects, events, and working groups in the public
interest. We facilitate opportunities for skills development through educational events, public campaigns and partnerships with community organizations. It is our hope to transform social concern into effective action by providing administrative, informational, and technical support
to students at the U of L.

The LPIRG Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing all of LPIRG’s operations. Board member duties include organizing events, setting annual priorities, reviewing funding applications, developing and maintaining policy, doing community outreach, and hiring staff. All board decisions are made by consensus.

IMPORTANT DATES
Nominations Open: Monday, February 11 @ 8:30 a.m.
Nominations Close: Thursday, February 14 @ 4:00 p.m.
Orientation Meeting: Thursday, February 14 @ 4:00 p.m.
Campaigning Begins: Saturday, February 23 @ 8:30 a.m.
Campaigning Ends: Tuesday, March 4 @ 8:30 a.m.
Online Voting Open: Wednesday, March 5 @ 8:30 a.m.
Online Voting Close: Friday, March 7 @ 3:30 p.m.
Results: Friday, March 7 @ 4:00 p.m.

LA Transit Article

2008-02-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

This is an article I wrote for the February 7th edition of The Meliorist on the recent transit fare hikes, LA Transit's reasons for them and the Students' Union's response to them. The full interview I did with John King, Transit Manager and Wade Coombs, Manager of Transit Planning and Schedules, can be listened to by clicking here. The first person you hear answering a question is King, followed by Coombs.
- Cody

As of January 1st, LA Transit has a new fare schedule. With it, ticket and monthly pass prices have gone up for all user groups, with post-secondary students seeing the largest single increase in their monthly pass price. Students will now be paying $58.50 for a monthly pass, the same monthly price as an adult pass. Why has this happened? Were students consulted? Is the increase “an attempt to strong-arm the student body into [supporting U-pass] the next time around,” as recently suggested by Students’ Union President Kelly Kennedy? Transit Manager John King and Manager of Transit Planning and Schedules Wade Coombs answered these questions in a recent interview.

A fifty-page report entitled Development of LA Transit Fare Strategy was presented to Lethbridge’s City Council on September 24th of last year by King and Paul Gooderham of the Gooderham Group. Conducted over March and April of last year, its stated purpose is to create a fare adjustment plan which is long-term in scope, flexible enough to suit LA Transit’s changing business needs, suitable to stakeholders, and in accordance with the best practices of comparable transit authorities. According to the report, “approximately twenty Canadian transit authorities that were determined to be comparable to LA Transit” were studied, and in-depth telephone interviews with arranged with nine of them. Nine different local stakeholders groups are listed as having been consulted, with individual students and representatives from the ULSU and Lethbridge College Students’ Association included in separate groups. King clarified that this meant that Gooderham “consulted the Students’ Union of the day…Dustin Fuller was our key contact.” King also held that Gooderham didn’t consult with the current executive as he was already writing his final report by the time Kelly Kennedy’s executive was taking office.

President Kennedy disagrees with the methodology of the Gooderham report, which did fare comparisons of adult, senior and youth transit users, but not students. In his words, “we obviously found this disturbing, considering post-secondary students make up 30% of their ridership, which they recognized in the document.” To Kennedy, this means that LA Transit has provided no argument for raising student rates so dramatically. Regarding King’s contact with former ULSU President Dustin Fuller, Kennedy further claimed that Fuller did not “agree to any fee increases during that or those meetings.” Further, Kennedy stated he was unaware the Gooderham report was presented to City Council last September, and that he only became aware of it in December during a meeting with LA Transit.

The most significant business-side goal promoted by the report involved increasing LA Transit’s revenue-to-cost ratio from the current 33.7% to 45% over a five-year period. Achieving this will require further fare increases, which the report recommends happen annually so that smaller raises will be required. Coombs claimed that the reason fares rose so dramatically this year is because LA Transit had not enacted any increases for the two previous years. In his words, “this is a catch-up year for us…so what you can start looking for is an annual increase...which should be more manageable for our customers.” According to King, this particular fare increase is coming after “almost a half-million dollars in service” were added last July, including service on Columbia Drive, fifteen minute service between the university and downtown, and increased nighttime service. Further, Coombs claimed that the reason the monthly post-secondary student pass discount was ended was because LA Transit wants to place more emphasis on the semester pass, a change which will be focused on beginning in 2009.

During his December meeting with LA Transit, Kennedy proposed that the student monthly pass be raised in price by 11%, rather then the approved 20%, so that the difference between an adult and student monthly price would be maintained. King explained that adopting this proposal was not possible because the new fares had already been approved by City Council and that “we had a very short time frame to put in the new increase as it was.” King continued on to qualify that LA Transit only has one year of fares currently committed to, and that they are willing to look at Kennedy’s concerns prior to institution of the 2009 fare schedule.

Kennedy’s sharpest statement regarding the fare increases was his suggestion that the hikes may be “an attempt to strong-arm the student body into [supporting U-pass] the next time around.” When asked to clarify this statement, Kennedy said that this “is a question intuitively raised considering the unsuccessful referendum on U-pass last year.” He declined to totally commit to the idea that LA Transit is attempting to coerce students, but did illustrate his position by commenting that a U-pass system would provide LA Transit with a stable revenue source, “revenue that would be easy to forecast in the future, which they can plan around. U-pass would benefit a great number of students…but will also greatly benefit LA transit.” When asked if there was any truth to this suggestion, King responded with “none whatsoever.” King admitted that the failure of the U-pass referendum last year was a disappointment, but that after its failure “we just moved on. We still have a transit system to run…the fare increase is not related whatsoever to the U-pass…it had nothing to do with retribution.” King also admitted that LA Transit was interested in co-operating with another U-pass referendum, “but only if the students are.”

Regarding the process of consultation itself, both King and Coombs expressed disappointment that they did not have time to engage as fully as they would have liked with all of their stakeholders. Coombs stressed that the fare increases impacted all of LA Transit’s users – 70% of whom are not post-secondary students – while King stated that LA Transit has specifically “committed to discussing future fare increases with the Students’ Union of the day.” Kennedy has also committed to ensuring students are consulted about future fare increases and that he hopes “to do a presentation to city council this semester.”

LPIRG Events! February 4th - 10th

2008-02-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Fairly quiet week coming up. The first meeting of the Events and Community Outreach Committee is this Thursday, and a pretty creative forum on women and democracy is taking place Saturday. I've also got some information for you on the upcoming LPIRG board elections. Finally, our complete film schedule is now finished and ready for viewing here.

THURSDAY the 7th
Events and Community Outreach Committee Meeting

This'll be the first meeting of the ECO committee and I'd like to have students involved with it. This committee will be responsible for organizing, promoting and carrying out events, as well as making connections with other like-minded community groups. If you've thought about running to join LPIRG's board, or are just looking to do some creative volunteer work, here's your opportunity. We'll brainstorm some event possibilities, try to identify other community groups that might like to be involved and create a committee mandate to submit to the LPIRG board for approval. I'll be chairing this meeting and keeping everything on track, so it won't take any more than an hour.

This meeting will take place at noon in the LPIRG office, located just off of Galileo's Gallery. If you've any questions, please email me at cody.sharpe(at)uleth.ca.

SATURDAY the 9th
Dialogue on Democracy: Where are the Women?

Sponsored by the Famous 5 Foundation and the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership, this interactive theater presentation discusses why women aren't equally represented at all political levels (only 64 of 308 MPs are female) and what can be done to change this. From the event's website, "it’s time for some radical ideas. How about gender quotas or an all-women’s party? Or a tax structure that reflects the gender split in representation?"

This event runs from 11:30AM 'till 3PM and is being held at the Galt Museum. Lunch is included, and you can register online or by calling (403) 244-6666. Cost is $20 for community members, $10 for students.

Nominations for the LPIRG board of directors elections are fast approaching. Below is a complete timetable of when things have to happen by, including nomination closures, orientation meetings and voting dates. I'll be posting more info on the elections as the time approaches, but if you're thinking of running I'd encourage you to drop by the office and speak with Shelia about the job's obligations sooner rather than later.

Nominations Open: Monday, February 11 @ 8:30 a.m.
Nominations Close: Thursday, February 14 @ 4:00 p.m.
Orientation Meeting: Thursday, February 14 @ 4:00 p.m.
Campaigning Begins: Saturday, February 23 @ 8:30 a.m.
Campaigning Ends: Tuesday, March 4 @ 8:30 a.m.
Online Voting Open: Wednesday, March 5 @ 8:30 a.m.
Online Voting Close: Friday, March 7 @ 3:30 p.m.
Results: Friday, March 7 @ 4:00 p.m.

LPIRG Events! January 28th - February 2nd

2008-01-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

My apologies for skipping last week's update. The board attended a two-day developmental workshop last Friday and Saturday, meaning I only had Sunday to get my week's prep work done. Updating slipped my mind, but fortunately LPIRG didn't have any events planned for last week anyhow. ;)

The workshop was led by two volunteer instructors on behalf of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture and was a very valuable experience. We learned about the legal obligations of board members, how to develop policy, how to revise a constitution and have the provincial government recognize it, what different roles a board can play and - most interestingly to you - the purpose and use of committees to accomplish the ends of a board.

At the moment, LPIRG doesn't have any committees. After attending this workshop however, we've decided to establish a few in order to make LPIRG more effective and efficient. Through them, there are opportunities available for non-board members to get involved in LPIRG's operations. For example, I'll be helping with the Events & Community Outreach committee. It's role will be to plan and carry out events which keep with LPIRG's goal of promoting public education on social issues, and to enhance LPIRG's visibility both on-campus and in the wider community.

This description probably sounds pretty broad and ambiguous, but that's deliberate. These committees are being built from the ground up, which means they don't even have official outlines of their responsibility and authority yet. That's something that the members will have accomplish, which means that you have the opportunity to assist in a fundamental change in the way LPIRG operates. If this interests you, please let us know by emailing us at pirg(at)uleth.ca. We'll let you know which committees need volunteers and put you in contact with the board members responsible for them. If you're interested in helping create the Events & Community Outreach committee, you can write to me directly at cody.sharpe(at)uleth.ca.

Enough housekeeping! Here's what's going on this coming week!

TUESDAY the 29th
Women Scholars Speaker Series: Severn Cullis-Suzuki

To be clear, this isn't an LPIRG event, I just want to help promote it. Speaking on the topic "Who’s the Revolutionary? Realizing Our Roles in Extraordinary Ecological Change" is Severn Cullis-Suzuki, daughter of famed Canadian environmental activist David Suzuki and an accomplished activist and academic on her own right. According to her bio she started a NGO called the Environmental Children's Organization when she was nine. What were you doing when you were nine? ;)

The talk is taking place in Ballroom B of the Students' Union Building and starts at noon. There will be a discussion period afterwards and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to attend.

WEDNESDAY the 30th
Cinema Politica Film: Shadow Company

We've shown some really interesting films so far in our CP series, and this one is on my short list of favourites. It's about the historical role played in warfare by private military contractors - or mercenaries, whichever you prefer -, the evolution and reality of their business and the significance of their presence in Iraq. Currently, there are over 70,000 employees of PMCs in Iraq alone, and their sector generates over $100B in annual revenues. To put this into perspective, there are between 120 and 150,000 US troops currently in Iraq. In the words of the filmmakers, "without the right legal framework and more open business practices, this trend toward military privatization could have dire implications for all of us."

As always, the film will be shown in Galileo's Gallery at 7PM and will be followed by an open group discussion. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Update Soon

2008-01-20T22:24:00.001-07:00

My apologies, but I'll be a day late with the update. I've spent today doing readings for my classes, and posting just slipped my mind. I'll have a full listing of the weeks events up tomorrow evening.

- Cody

LPIRG Event! January 14th - 20th

2008-01-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year & welcome back to the U of L! LPIRG is working on several events for you to take advantage of over the coming semester, and below is a look at our first two of the semester. Don't forget to drop by our office - located in Galileo's Gallery - to check out our alternative film and book library, get more info on upcoming events, or talk to Shelia about how LPIRG can help you conduct your research, engage with your activist interests or organize your own events.

TUESDAY the 15th
Carbon Trading Critic Larry Lohmann

In conjunction with the Sierra Youth Coalition and the Durban Group for Climate Justice, LPIRG is pleased to present our first speaker of the new year. He's the editor of Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatisation and Power, which is a wide-ranging and well researched critique of carbon trading emissions schemes. In Lohmann's opinion, carbon trading results in few real environmental benefits because it doesn't place an emphasis on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, but rather on swapping credits between unindustrialized, non-polluting states and industrialized polluting ones. Lohmann attended the recent Bali conference on climate change to present his work and will share his experiences from it.

This free talk will be taking place in Ballroom B in the Students' Union Building at 7PM. The day after this event...

WEDNESDAY the 16th
Hoodwinked: The Myth of Free Trade

LPIRG's first Cinema Politica film of the semester is a Canadian-made documentary which takes a long and hard look at NAFTA, the assumptions that it's based upon, and the economic realities it both creates and perpetuates. It also discusses the impact that free trade has on quality of life for individual citizens and the sovereignty of states. A segment of the film can be viewed below.

This free screening will take place in Galileo's Gallery at 7PM. Refreshments will be provided and an open discussion will follow.

LPIRG Events! November 26th - Dec 2nd

2007-11-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Need a break from studying for finals?...no? How about a break from procrastinating? I thought so. LPIRG has three events happening this coming week for you to check out: a man talking about boats; a talkie; and an opportunity to make some new friends and get on TV.

MONDAY the 26th
SACPA on Campus: Canadian Navy and International Naval Security with Commander Kelly Larkin

Commander Larkin is the current captain of the HMCS Calgary, a multi-role patrol frigate which is slatted to be deployed to the Persian Gulf next year. Cmdr. Larkin will speak about the Canadian Navy's role as part of the U.S. led coalition forces in that region, as well as share his thoughts on the future of the Northwest Passage and the debate over Arctic sovereignty. Cmdr. Larkin has over of two decades of experience in the Canadian Navy and has held a wide variety of postings, including several aboard submarines (I'm certain none of them took place inside a mall). As an aside, LPIRG is currently looking for students to get involved in next semester's SACPA on Campus speaker series. If you're interested in getting involved, please send me an email at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com and I'll introduce you to the right people.

The Commander will speak at noon in Andy's Place (AH100). Lunch will follow. This event costs $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

TUESDAY the 27th
Wal-Town

A project that began in 2004 came to fruition in 2006 with the release of Wal-Town, a film which takes a hard and critical look at Wal-Mart's way of doing business. Topics broached in the film include this massive corporation's affect on the communities they enter, their labour relations practices, and their impact on human rights, both domestically and abroad. The creators of the film purposefully included the opinions and views of Wal-Mart employees, managers and other advocates via frank interviews. A preview can be viewed below.

The film will be shown at 7PM in Ballroom A of the Students' Union Building and will be followed by an open group discussion. Admission is free.

SATURDAY the 1st
Lethbridge VS. Wal-MartA group of students from LCI, along with their social studies teacher, are planning a protest rally against Wal-Mart. We here at LPIRG love a good rally so we're jumping on the bandwagon and inviting everyone at the U of L to paint a sign, hop on the bus and join us for a peaceful display of democracy in action (hence why we're also showing Wal-Town this week). If you're on Facebook, add yourself to the event located here.

This event is taking place at 1PM. Admission is free...though don't expect us to post your bail.

Housekeeping!

2007-11-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months now since I first put this new site together, and I've decided I'm going to change how I do couple things.

First, in-depth news and event posts will ALWAYS go up on Sunday and cover everything happening over the next seven days. This will provide students with regular and reliable updates on what LPIRG is up to. I'll occasionally post articles during the week as well, but you can always expect to see a complete listing of upcoming events on Sundays.

Second, the Upcoming Events sidebar will include EVERYTHING that LPIRG has on its calender as happening 'for-sure' . This will allow students to understand our long-term plans and goals as well as allow more time for event news to filter out. I'd also like to use the Upcoming Events sidebar to promote what other groups - who fit with LPIRG's purpose of serving the public interest by promoting education, dialogue and action - are doing. If you know of an event you think LPIRG should help promote, or have suggestions on how we can serve U of L's students better, write to me at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com.

LPIRG's Sustainability Week: November 20th-22nd

2007-11-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) is proud to bring the students at the University of Lethbridge a three day event on November 20th, 21st and 22nd called “Sustainability: How We Can Make a Difference.” This is an event which is aimed at raising awareness about our impact on the Earth, and also promoting the idea of sustainability as a priority in our lives and education.

On Tuesday the 20th, starting at 11 am in Andy’s Place (Anderson Hall) until 2 pm, speakers will be presenting on Blackfoot philosophies, notions of sustainability, and what we can do to affect change in our lives and communities. Speakers include:

Narcisse Blood – speaking on the Blackfoot relationship to the land
Billy Wadsworth –speaking on the application of Traditional Blackfoot Warrior Ethics in Modern Society
Paul Bohnert – speaking on environmental sustainability
Stan Knowlton – speaking on Blackfoot Starscape
Trevor James – speaking about hemp products

Everyone is welcome to attend part or all of this event. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

On Wednesday the 21st, there will be display tables, speakers and live music in the Atrium from 11 am to 3 pm.  Display groups will include:

- Project Porchlight
- Council of Canadians, Lethbridge Chaper
- Lethbridge Green Map
- Harvest Haven
- Solar Alberta
- Oldman Watershed Council
- Southern Alberta Group for the Environment
- Re-Pete
- University of Lethbridge Physical Plant and Operations
- Good Food Club
- LPIRG
- Green Party of Canada

There will also be several student presenters, including:

- Christine Michell and Tom Rutherford, students: display on Prairie Sky, communal living in Calgary
- Nadine Duckworth, masters student: display on communal living in general
- Native American Studies Department table: display on “Relationship to the Earth”
- Danis Claire, NAS student: display on her trip and experiences in Bolivia
- Cindy Deschenes, NAS student: speaking about the current situation of clear cut logging on her reserve in Northern Quebec

In the evening, there will be a FREE SHOW AT THE SLICE BAR & GRILL, starting at 7pm, featuring the funky music of The Creationists and Love Potion Ice-Nine.  Come out and dance for the Earth!

On Thursday the 22nd, we will be hosting the dialogue “Knowledge is Power,” the first of its kind at the U of L.  It will run from 11 am to 2pm at Andy’s Place.  This is a discussion that is open to all students, professors and community members.
The topic for this is going to be the implications of the academic pursuit of learning, and seeks to answer the question of how is our identity as students - and consequently our relationship to our surroundings - shaped by how we learn at university? The dialogue will be officially moderated by Leroy Little Bear.

That evening at 7pm there will be a screening in Galileo’s Gallery of 'Toxic Alberta', a film showcasing the exploitation of the tar sands in Alberta’s north.  Due to improved oil extraction technology and record oil prices, Canada is poised to become a major player in the geopolitical market place. The big question going in is what does this sudden access to previously unobtainable oil mean? Is this our get-out-of-jail-free card for the present energy crisis, or is it another pipe dream being hyped up by the very corporations and lobbyists who stand to gain the most from it?

Traveling through the haze of Ft. McMurray did nothing but fortify filmmaker Meredith Danluck’s stance on fossil fuel. It's dirty, expensive, and - most importantly - nonrenewable. Al Gore recently likened the oil sands to a drug pusher, satisfying our jones for quick and cheap energy. Like all of the other events this week, admission is free and refreshments will be provided!

For any questions or comments please email stephen.mcglenn@uleth.ca.

Cinema Politica: My Daughter the Terrorist

2007-11-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday, November 6th, LPIRG presents its forth film in the Cinema Politica Series, My Daughter the Terrorist. The show starts at 7PM in Galileo's Gallery and will be followed by a group discussion. Refreshments are provided and, as always, the show is free to all. Below is the offical summary of the film as well as the trailer. See you there!

What makes anyone want to blow themselves up for a cause? In this intimate and personal portrait we join two young female elite soldiers trained for the ultimate mission. We share their childhood experiences, their dreams and their families’ loss. Left behind are the mothers.

Dharsika and Puhalchudar belong to the last batch of the Black Tigers, and are now equipped for the last mission: strapping an American-made Claymore mine to their bodies, able to blow themselves and everything within 100 feet to pieces. We first meet them at an optimistic time: The peace talks are making progress, and the Black Tigers are officially decommissioned. The girls are serving as ordinary soldiers.

The girls have a close friendship. For seven years they have been eating, sleeping, training and fighting side by side. They can survive for weeks in the jungle without supplies. They don’t know exactly how many enemies they’ve killed in ordinary battle.

Their only source of information is what the guerilla allows them to know, and sincerely believe that their great leader would never order them to bomb civilians. The grisly images of the bombing of Columbos very own World Trade Center is a somber counterpoint to this.

Dharsika’s family is typical: the father died in the war. We meet her mother, who has been struggling to bring up her family in a war-torn society. She tells us that Dharsika stayed with the family just long enough to bury her father, then disappeared into the guerilla’s hands. She is proud of her daughter’s fight for their homeland.

This film ends with us and the mother hoping to meet Dharsika and Puhalchudar on Hero’s Day, the yearly pompous and grand celebration of every single tiger martyr. But we – and her mother – are unsuccessful. In the pessimistic mood of faltering peace talks the guerillas have decided to put them into active service again. Alongside the wailing and grieving mothers clutching the graves of their loved and lost ones, she places her flowers on the grave of the unknown soldier and walks away.

Alberta's Bill 46

2007-10-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

Lethbridge activists, frightened by AB Energy Minister Mel Knight’s nasty trick - Bill 46, have organized a demonstration at 9:00 am,Wednesday October 31st, 2007 outside the Lethbridge Centre, 5th Ave South& 5th St South.

The purpose of the demonstration is to show public opposition to Bill 46, on the same day that the EUB (Energy and Utilities Board) will hold a public hearing, at the Lethbridge Centre, to re-initiate the MATL (Montana Alberta Tie Ltd.) application process which was cancelled in the face of public outcry over the EUB spies scandal.

After learning about the details of various sections of Bill 46, attendees of a public information meeting held Friday night at the Lethbridge Public Library, were concerned, alarmed, and angry. Joe Anglin, Vice Chair of theLavesta Area Group (one of the landowner groups spied on by the EUB) spoke to a packed room about Bill 46 and how it seeks to undermine Albertans'basic democratic rights.

Bill 46 is legislation designed to violate and diminish the rights of Albertans. The Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta is planning to pass this bill in November.

Bill 46 — The Alberta Utilities Commission Act:
- Authorizes the Commission to make an order or decision without giving public notice and without holding a hearing;
- Gives the proposed Alberta Utilities Commission the power to prevent landowners and the affected public from making verbal representations, even if a hearing is held;
- Restricts the ability of landowners and the affected public from to hire outside legal counsel when intervening in regulatory hearings;
- Eliminates any requirement for industry to prove a transmission line is needed by the public, or is in the best interest of the public; and
- Is retroactive to June 1, 2003.

Mr. Anglin outlined how some of the sections in Bill 46 would combine to make legal the EUB's illegal behaviors in the handling of the MATL application. He emphasized that "opposition to this bill is not about transmission lines, or power plants". Rather, it is about a Bill that degrades democratic process and removes "three basic rights of public participation; the right to be informed, the right to object, and the right to present evidence to your objection". Anglin called Section 24(1) "the death nail in the coffin of your rights".

If this sounds like fiction, it's not. However 'unbelievable' it sounds, the truth is, this Bill amounts to a gag order on the public, and is an insult to democracy and the'public interest'.

This legislation impacts the rights of all Albertans. Speak up now, or the erosion of your rights will continue until you are completely powerless.

Cinema Politica: A Crude Awakening

2007-10-17T07:31:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday, October 23rd, LPIRG will be presenting the third film in it's Cinema Politica series. The screening begins at 7PM in Galileo's Gallery and will be followed by a group discussion on the films' claims. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of LPIRG, and, as always, the show is free to all.

OilCrash, produced and directed by award-winning European journalists and filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack, tells the story of how our civilization’s addiction to oil puts it on a collision course with geology. Compelling, intelligent, and highly entertaining, the film visits with the world’s top experts and comes to a startling, but logical conclusion – our industrial society, built on cheap and readily available oil, must be completely re-imagined and overhauled.

The idea that the world’s oil supplies have peaked, or will soon, is gaining mainstream currency. Robert B. Semple, Jr., associate editor of the New York Times editorial board, writes in the paper’s March 1, 2006, online edition:

“The Age of Oil — 100-plus years of astonishing economic growth made possible by cheap, abundant oil — could be ending without our really being aware of it. Oil is a finite commodity. At some point even the vast reservoirs of Saudi Arabia will run dry. But before that happens there will come a day when oil production ‘peaks,’ when demand overtakes supply (and never looks back), resulting in large and possibly catastrophic price increases that could make today's $60-a-barrel oil look like chump change. Unless, of course, we begin to develop substitutes for oil. Or begin to live more abstemiously. Or both. The concept of peak oil has not been widely written about. But people are talking about it now. It deserves a careful look — largely because it is almost certainly correct.”

Semple concludes: “These [are] not doomsday scenarios from conspiracy theorists, but hard scientific facts backed by serious research.”

You needn’t be a conspiracy theorist to see a connection between America’s current obsessions with the Middle East and national security, and the world’s looming oil crisis. The frenzied search for alternative sources of energy now being pursued by the largest multinational energy corporations makes it clear they also believe a crisis is fast approaching. Each day’s headlines, whether the subject is Iraq or South America, sheds new light on the issue.

Civic Candidates Forum at the U of L

2007-10-04T14:00:00.000-06:00

Shelia wrote this and posted it to the U of L Notice Board. I'll be writing a full article on the Lethbridge municipal election and Take Back Your City campaign this weekend, but don't let that stop you from researching stuff on your own. -Cody

The University of Lethbridge Students’ Union and the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group will host a civic candidates forum in the Atrium at Noon on Wednesday, October 10. This is a great opportunity for students to take action on issues that matter to them and put pressure on candidates to address these issues.

This forum is organized as part of the Take Back Your City campaign aimed at encouraging young people to take part in the democratic process and become more aware of how all levels of government impact their lives. Take Back Your City is a non-partisan campaign coordinated by Public Interest Alberta in connection with student unions and associations throughout the province, with the assistance of several provincial organizations, unions and advocacy groups.

"The young citizens of Alberta need to become active in the affairs that affect them,” says Kelly Kennedy, University of Lethbridge Students’ Union president. “This campaign will engage students and Alberta’s youth to become more involved in the democratic process."

To begin the forum, candidates will each introduce themselves and then the floor will be opened up for questions. Everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions.

CP Screening: Born into Brothels

2007-10-04T13:56:00.000-06:00

Born Into Brothels, the second film in the Cinema Politica Film Series, will be screened on Tuesday, Oct. 9th at 7pm in Galileo's Gallery. As always, the show is free of charge, refreshments will be provided, and a open group discussion will follow the film.

The most stigmatized people in Calcutta's red light district are not the prostitutes, but their children. In the face of abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life.

In Born into Brothels, directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman chronicle the amazing transformation of the children they come to know in the red light district. Briski, a professional photographer, gives them lessons and cameras, igniting latent sparks of artistic genius that reside in these children who live in the most sordid and seemingly hopeless world.

The photographs taken by the children are not merely examples of remarkable observation and talent; they reflect something much larger, morally encouraging, and even politically volatile: art as an immensely liberating and empowering force.

Devoid of sentimentality, Born into Brothels defies the typical tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly. Briski spends years with these kids and becomes part of their lives. Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities or primitive imagery, and a true testimony of the power of the indelible creative spirit.

Intent for a Nation: The True North Strong and Free

2007-09-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

Why do Canadians think so small? "We're a serious country. But our clout-we don't use it," says Michael Byers, who argues it is time for a clear-eyed appreciation of our strengths and weaknesses, of all we have and all we could be.

Instead of emulating our increasingly-isolated neighbour, Byers says we should be advancing the Canadian model, an idealistic, fiscally prudent, socially progressive vision of foreign policy that has never looked so good.

Playing against George Grant's seminal Lament for a Nation, Byers' new book Intent for a Nation is an informed and opinionated overview of where Canada stands globally, and what aggressive and progressive social, environmental, and governmental policies are needed to carry the country forward in an ever more competitive and volatile world.

The Globe and Mail writes that Intent for a Nation is "a passionate and cheerful call for international action, based on a diligent reading of our values and our potential... closely argued, convincing, challenging, sometimes even exhilarating."

Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia. Prior to 2005, he was Professor of Law and Director of Canadian Studies at Duke University; from 1996-1999 he was a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford University. Dr. Byers is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books, Toronto Star and Globe and Mail, and a frequent guest on the CBC, CTV and Global.

This is a special session of the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs at the University of Lethbridge in partnership with the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group and the U of L Students¹ Union

Moderator: Jenn Prosser, Program Director at CKXU Radio

Cost: $10.00 Public / $5.00 Students (includes lunch)
Time: 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Ballroom A, Students' Union Building, University of Lethbridge

Cinema Politica: Corporations in the Classroom

2007-09-23T16:52:00.000-06:00

LPIRG's first Cinema Politica screening is this coming Tuesday, September 25. It's being held at 7PM in Galileo's Gallery, right next to the LPIRG office in the SU Building. We're bringing the popcorn, drinks and snacks, you bring the inquisitive mind. I couldn't find an online preview of the film, so their website and the press release description will have to suffice in painting a vivid enough picture to entice you into coming out. For a complete list of upcoming CP screenings please check out the Letbridge section of CP's website, located here. Hope to see you there!

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CORPORATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

Director Jill Sharpe’s latest documentary reveals that our children are no longer safe from advertising even when at school. Because funding for education is falling short, teachers and administrators are struggling to keep the gates closed to marketing companies. It’s called Trojan horse marketing and it works like a charm in creating life-long brand name consumers not life-long learners.

Marketing to school age students is now a 2 billion dollar industry. The way corporate sponsors are stepping up to the plate, offering promotions, sponsorships and even free curriculum there is no stopping the flow of advertising in covert forms. Or is there?

The problem is there are few or no regulations in place to protect our children from corporate marketing campaigns that look just like classroom lessons. And schools need playgrounds and gym equipment that taxes do not seem to pay for any longer. Enter new corporate champions.

First come sponsorships, then come naming rights and next come learning materials in the classrooms! Watch as donations become classroom resources and product placement opportunities. The good news is some school districts are fighting back and succeeding in keeping the classrooms a safe haven from the marketing hype.

About the Director:
Since the early 1990’s director Jill Sharpe has created an award winning body of work in the documentary genre which has been presented internationally at film festivals and along broadcast airwaves in over 20 countries. Highlighted in Queue Magazine as one of the Top 21 Artists for the Twenty First Century who could change the face of BC culture, Sharpe’s interests span the issues of social justice, media and culture.

About LPIRG

2007-09-23T16:46:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago I sent a letter to the Meliorist regarding what LPIRG is and what it can do for students. I'm reposting it here for the same reasons.

Sir,

Hello! My name is Cody Sharpe, and I'm on the board of directors for the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group. With the school year just beginning I thought that now would be an excellent time to inform everyone as to what exactly LPIRG is and what it can do for them.
LPIRG is a student run non-profit organization directed by seven volunteer elected board members and one employee, which operates to advance the public interest and increase public education on a wide variety of subjects. Topics range from the environment, minority rights and social justice issues. In the past we've conducted workshops on media relations, public lectures about the SPP and a week long film series on water use issues.

In addition to running events LPIRG also provides funding and other resources to students to pursue their own research, attend conferences, construct events and organize working groups. These funding dollars are an excellent way for students to take their education beyond the classroom and express their creativity through their work. Working groups are one of the most exciting ways for students to do this; they're groups of students working together on researching a specific topic towards a specific goal, such as publishing a paper or advocating that a particular public policy be enacted or modified. LPIRG also offers an alternative library with books, magazines and DVDs available for students to sign out.

The major criteria that all funding applications must pass is that the proposal must be in the public interest and serve public education. The board members of LPIRG are completely willing to assist anyone who wishes to apply in writing a successful application. Application forms for all of the different types of funding we provide can be picked up at the LPIRG office, which is located inside Galileo's gallery. Come on in to chat with Shelia, LPIRG's sole staff member, check out our wide range of literature, pick up an application or suggest an event we should run or service we can provide you. And don't forget to drop by our Rush Week table in the Atrium with your questions!

Yours truly,
Cody Sharpe

Our New Website

2007-09-21T14:43:00.000-06:00

Are you excited? I'm excited. You are? Fantastic, that makes two of us.

Welcome to the all-new online home of the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group! Here you'll be able to find info on upcoming events in our community, how to apply for funding or form a working group, and what your elected representatives on the LPIRG board are up to. My name is Cody Sharpe and I'll likely be the person you'll hear from the most on this website, so allow me to introduce myself.

I'm a 4th year Political Science major. My primary interest within my major is environmental policy, specifically as it pertains to the control, distribution and sale of water. I occasionally get distracted by international relations and lately I've taken a real interest in the politics of the Middle East. I'm also in love with sociology, especially in the context of mass media and communications. I've been the President of the Political Science Association here on campus and I'm currently a volunteer programmer at CKXU, Lethbridge's best radio station (and your campus station). There I help with FYI, the Monday morning news program, and run my own heavy metal show, The Early Morning Hot Pot o'Rock (Wednesdays at 9AM, in case you were wondering).

Over the next few days I'll be making several posts and updates to this new site, such as an LPIRG FAQ, a listing of our upcoming workshops and film screenings, and so on. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to post them here or send me an email at cody.sharpe(at)gmail.com.