Poverty Events this Week at the U of L

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. Please stand with us.
If you are physically unable to stand, you can still participate through holding a sign or wearing a white band.
For more info on the global event: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/

In 2006, only 20 people stood up at the U of L
In 2007, 120 people stood up at the U of L
In 2008 - how many people will stand up? Let's try to improve on last year's numbers!

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.

(Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=39376015361)

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.
(Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=38735012974 )

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 and Treeline
-Joint event by Student Action Collective and LPIRG
(Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34192896325 )

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/
(Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=33563811151 )


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.

Poll: Which organizations should get the funds we raise?

We are in the midst of planning our Poverty Awareness Days, and we need to decide which organizations will get the funds that we raise. I would like to split the money equally between an organization that works locally here in Lethbridge or across Canada, and one that works to eliminate global poverty.
Please respond to the two polls below to help us decide which organizations will get our funds.
Thanks!





Thanks for your input!

A New Semester, New Opportunities to Make a Difference

So we are back at the University after the summer, and looking forward to getting things moving this semester. Here's a preview of what's coming up this year

RUSH WEEK (September 8-12, Atrium)
We will have a table during Rush Week, and will try to get a few more people actively involved in the Student Action Collective so that we can do more, bigger, better things this year because we wont be burning out the few of us who have been involved so far!
So come by the table, say hi, and sign up to be on our e-mailing list, and to volunteer for events we're already starting to plan. If you have your own ideas for events or projects we'd love to hear about them! And be sure to bring a friend or several past the table to sign up as well.
We'd love to get club status (makes things a bunch easier) at the University, but to do that we need to have lots of people sign up to be involved - so come by!

POVERTY DAYS (Oct 15-17)
This year's poverty events will take place over fewer days, but hopefully will be action- and awareness-packed, and we hope to have over 200 people Stand Up at this year's Stand Up and Take Action event (later we had 120 people stand up). The stand up event itself will take place during the lunch hour, but exact times and more details on all of Poverty Days will be posted here as they are determined. If you would like to help with Poverty Days in some way, PLEASE send us an email, with your help we can make this event a huge success!


Other Possibilities for Events or Projects include:
-an Anti-Racism workshop/event
-another Wish List (unless the SU takes this on themselves)
-collaborations with other clubs/organizations on their events and projects
-YOUR idea for an event or project

Here's the 2008 Wishlist!

Here is the complete tabulated wishlist.
The views represented below do not necessarily represent the views of the Student Action Collective, and are merely a compliation of all wishes submitted. Please note that only wishes that were submitted with a student ID number were included, and any wishes that personally attacked an individual were removed.

To see all wishes submitted within a particular category, please email us at ulethstudentactioncollective@gmail.com

Total Wishes Submitted: 230
Total Number of Students Who Submitted Wishes: 71

The number in brackets after each wish is the number of times that wish was submitted by different students.

Transportation
-U Pass (20)
-better buses (1)
-student discount on buses (3)
-campus car-share program (1)
-better parking(1)

Daycare
-Daycare on campus (13)

Bookstore and Library
-Double sided printing in library(1)
-better bookstore (1)
-at-cost course packs (2)
-fair buy back prices (3)
-used bookstore with fairer prices (6)
-personal skills training of registrar's office and bookstore employees (1)
-more computers in the library (1)
-Longer library hours all year (2)
-larger library (2)
-More books (1)

Food
-get rid of sodexho (4)
-better food available(3)
-more food options - vegan, vegetarian, organic, fair trade, local, ethnic diversity wider variety (7)
-Good Food Club (2)
-at least one coffee shop/restaurant open 24 hrs at exam time (1)
-better hours at all food locations (1)
-less expensive food (1)
-Coffee (get rid of starbucks, serve fair trade organic) (2)

Payment Options
-use ID card in SU food Court (2)
-Take credit card at Cash Office (5)
-Take debit everywhere on campus (4)

Fellow Students
-school spirit/less apathetic/more invovled students (4)
-no more sweatpants in class (1)
-less liberal idiocy (1)
-less conservative christian ideology shoved down students throats (1)
-enhanced campus community (1)

Physical Plant
-more microwaves(2)
-more student art around campus (2)
-good gallery space for displaying U of L art collectionbetter accessibility (1)
-more residence spaces (1)
-Better security (lighting) (2)
-more study space on 6th floor (1)
-first nations building/ aboriginal center (1)
-ashtrays in smoking areas (1)
-same number of hand dryers(high powered) as sinks in bathrooms (1)

The Zoo
-Games (Ping pong, foosball) (2)
-more music - bands coming to play, battle of the bands, DJ shows (5)
-new/better audio system (2)
-better hours at the zoo (1)
-movie nights at the zoo (1)
-more interesting (and not dissapointing) events (1)
-Privatize zoo and run like business (1)

Funding and Scholarships
-support and scholarships for all sports - including rodeo (1)
-more needs based scholarships for international students (2)
-more student scholarships (2)
-automatically enter all undergrads for scholarships (1)
-Hold essay contests for larger scholarships (1)
-Lower tuition/tuition cap, for all students, including international (3)
-better funding for women's hockey team (1)

The SU and its Projects
-postal outlet on campus (6)
-lounge spaces around campus (1)
-Guest speakers (2)
-Awareness projects (genocide awareness, political awareness) (2)
-better awareness of resources for students (1)
-Clubs (better relationship with SU, easy room-booking) (2)
-more women in SU government (1)
-SU print services (fair prices) (1)
-Forbid military organizations from recruiting on campus (1)
-Don't allow companies to hand out pamphlets in classes (1)
-student run café (1)
-24 hr convenience store (1)
-Don't spend money on ugly sculptures or tombstones (1)
-Free Intramurals (1)
-Sex Ed campaign, make contraceptives and info more available(2)

Environmental
-community garden on campus (10)
-more recycling - paper (in classrooms), cardboard, glass, plastic, metal, batteries (8)
-compost bins on campus (2)
-use recycled paper in printers, photocopiers, in all departments (3)
-solar power (1)
-Wind power (2)
-more awareness about recycling on campus (2)
-Plant native grasses on campus, not invasive or water-intensive varieties (1)
-get rid of all disposable plastic in SU building (2)
-more environmentally friendly packaging and dishes/cutlery on campus (3)

University Adminstration
-students the focus of the University (1)
-more recognition and support of faculty of social work (3)
-commitment to understanding and action on climate change (1)
-U of L bigger and better in the future (1)

Courses and Registration
-more rational registration system (get courses needed) (1)
-PSI and PSII offered both semesters (2)
-information on course requirements for degrees, starting at NSO (1)
-madatory courses in environmental awareness (1)
-better course offerings in environmental studies and environmental science (1)
-madatory courses in native history (1)
-grad student registration online (1)
-First year course on the state of the world and current major issues (ie climate change, communicable disease)(1)
-madatory courses in personal health and well being (1)
-no more 8 am classes (1)

Internet and Computers/Printers
-better internet signal - especially D & E blocks, and PE (2)
-computer labs open during reading week (1)
-Print money and photocopy money should not be separate (1)
-photocopiers in UHall should be better maintained (1)
-wireless laptop printing (1)

Other
-ATMs for other banks (2)
-freedom (1)
-Giant wind-protecting dome over campus (1)
-better sports teams (1)
-end the Pysch department (1)
-weekly lotteries for $100 give aways (1)
-grand entrance hall (1)
-hot tub (1)

Operation Wish List

Do you ever find your self thinking
"You know what I wish we had at the U of L?"
Well now is your chance to be heard!

The Student Action Collective is creating a wish list of what students would really like to see happen at the University of Lethbridge. This wish list will be presented to the University Administration, and to the Students Union candidates.

Submit your wishes and be heard!
You can submit them one of two ways:
1) In person by dropping a piece of paper with your ID number and all your wishes in one of our ballot boxes on campus Feb 11-15
2) by email by sending them to ulethstudentactioncollective@gmail.com with “wish” in the subject line!

The deadline for wish submission is February 24th at Midnight

You should know:

-If you want to be contacted about campaigns for any of your wishes, please put your email address on your slip of paper, or in the body of your email.

-Your wishes will be recorded by ID number, so it is anonymous unless you decide to include your email address.

-You can submit more than one wish list (to add wishes you hadn’t thought of the first time), but any repeat wishes submitted with your ID number will be deleted.

-We will keep track of how many people wish for the same things, and those wishes will have the percentage of respondents who wished for it listed beside them in the final list – so don’t decide against submitting a wish for something because you figure someone else will!

Get your friends to send in their wish lists too! The more people submit their wishes, the more powerful our wish list will be!

If you'd like to help with this project, send us an email at ulethstudentactioncollective@gmail.com and we'll put you to work!

Please Join Our New Mailing List!

Please join our new mailing/discussion list by sending an email to studentactioncollective-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

This list will help us to keep in touch with our members, pass on important information, and keep you informed about meetings, events, actions, and ways to get involved!
You can also join our group on Facebook: search Lethbridge Student Action Collective.

Press Release and Fact Sheet on Child and Family Poverty in Alberta

Media Release
November 26, 2007

Child and Family Poverty Too High in Wealthy Alberta
New Statistics Show Need for Provincial Poverty
Reduction Strategy and Living Wage Policies

“It is hard to imagine that in the wealthiest province in Canada we have 64,000 children (1 out of every 12) living below the Statistics Canada’s low-income cut off (LICO After Tax), said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, the Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “What is even more shocking is that 49% of these children had at least one parent working full-time, full year.”

Public Interest Alberta is on the steering committee of Campaign 2000, a national coalition of over 120 organizations that released a report card on child and family poverty in Ottawa today. The Campaign 2000 report, It Takes a Nation to Raise a Generation calls on all levels of government to set real poverty reduction goals and proposes a number of positive solutions that would reduce child and family poverty in Canada.

“The good news is that some governments like Newfoundland are willing to set firm poverty reduction strategies and are taking action. The bad news is that far too many other governments seem to deny there is a problem or pretend they are already taking the issue of poverty seriously,” says Moore-Kilgannon.

Public Interest Alberta also released new statistics that show that 21.9% of all employed Albertans are earning less than $12/hour. The majority of these low-wage workers (52%) are older than 24 years of age and 64% are women. The new statistics also show that some cities in Alberta have a higher percentage of low-wage workers: Lethbridge (29%), Red Deer (24.7%), and Edmonton (22.9%).

“With the recent announcement of a $4 billion provincial surplus, it is time all political parties and municipal politicians identify the concrete and measurable steps they are going to do address poverty in Alberta. For example, people need to put pressure on all levels of government to establish living wage policies that will make sure that anyone working full-time under contract to the government will not be living in poverty,” said Moore-Kilgannon.

The fact sheet is available on the Public Interest Alberta website at http://www.pialberta.org/ and the Campaign 2000 report, can be found at http://www.campaign2000.ca/.

-30-

Media Contact: Bill Moore-Kilgannon (780) 420-0471





Low Wages and Child and Family Poverty in Alberta
Fact Sheet

How many children are living below the Low Income Cut Off in Alberta?
According to the latest Statistics Canada figures, there are 64,000 children in Alberta in families with income below the LICO After Tax. (8.6% - or one in twelve of all Children in Alberta) 1

How many of these children have parents working full time, all year long?
49% of all the children living in families with income below the Statistics Canada low-income cut off have at least one family member who has worked full time full year.

How many people are making less than $12/hour?

There are 343,400 employed Albertans making less than $12/hour (April 1, 2007). This is 21.9% of all employed Albertans. 2

Are the majority of low wage workers young people?
There are 177,600 people in Alberta who are older than 24 years of age making less than $12/hour. In other words 52% of all people working in this low wage jobs are older than 24 years of age.

How do women compare to men when it comes to earning low wages?
There are 219,600 women earning less than $12/hour – this is 64% of the total number of people earning less than $12/hour.


Notes

1 – Statistics Canada measures the number of children in families living below the low-income cut off both before tax and after tax is taken into consideration.

2 – All the data that measures the number of low-wage workers in Alberta were purchased by Public Interest Alberta from Statistics Canada and is the average annual salaries for the year ending April 1, 2007.