On Sunday July 5, we’re taking to the streets of Toronto to call for a justice-based transition to a clean energy future.
March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate July 5th Toronto
Tue, 2015-06-30 16:50
#1
March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate July 5th Toronto
Tue, 2015-06-30 16:51
#2
Canada needs a new economy that works for people and the planet
From Alberta to the coasts, Canada is ready for an economy that creates good jobs for all, protects the air, land and water, and tackles climate change.
We don’t have to choose between the economy or the environment. By taking climate action, we can create an economy that is more fair and equal and generates hundreds of thousands of good green jobs. It means supporting the labour that takes care of people and the planet — education, healthcare, childcare and the protection of the land, much of it done by women. It means expanding localized agricultural systems to use less fossil fuels and provide affordable, nutritious food for everyone in Canada.
We want an economy in which workers earn a living wage – starting with a $15 minimum – and which prioritizes people who are unemployed, struggling in precarious, temporary, or non-unionized jobs or in industries being shut down. Which honours Indigenous peoples’ rights and recognizes their role in protecting the land, air and water for everyone. Which guarantees migrant and undocumented people are not excluded and receive full immigration status. Which ensures that black and brown lives matter as much as white ones and are free of racism and police violence. Which respects the limits of the environment made clear by climate science.
Climate action means protecting and expanding public control over our energy systems to ensure cheaper rates and a transition to clean energy sources. It also means building affordable, energy-efficient housing and better public transit.
This July, Toronto will host a Pan American Climate Summit and an Economic Summit, where politicians will face a choice: listen to corporate leaders from across the Americas gathering to advance an economic austerity agenda that is increasing inequality and causing a climate crisis felt disproportionally in the global south – or listen to the people.
On the eve of those summits, let’s make sure they hear our demands: a justice-based transition to a new energy economy, in which corporate polluters pay and ordinary people benefit.
The only way to overcome a small, powerful group who have a lot to lose is to build a massive movement of people with everything to gain.
On Sunday July 5, join the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate in the streets of Toronto.
Tue, 2015-06-30 16:57
#3
Tue, 2015-06-30 17:24
#4
In order to support organizing for the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate groups of like minded people are getting together to organize in “Hubs”. Each one of these is a place or identity based gathering space to help people mobilize their community for the March.
Organizing Hubs:
- Faith: Join on Facebook
- Students & Youth: Join on Facebook
- Arts: Join on Facebook
To set up an Organizing Hub – email [email protected] with details about the hub including hub name, name and email address of bottom-liner and a short blurb about the hub.
Join the Action On Sunday July 5, thousands of people will take to the streets of Toronto to call for a just transition from dirty energy into a clean energy future. Sign up here to join the action.
Tue, 2015-06-30 18:02
#5
Arts Organizing for the March
Art will be a major element of the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate. As writer and visionary Ursula K Le Guin said at the 2014 National Book Awards, “Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art.” Part of what made the People’s Climate March in New York so successful was the powerful arts organizing leading up to it — and we intend to continue carry that momentum to Toronto by putting art, culture and creativity at the heart of the mobilization.
We ask everyone participating to join us in this effort, by joining the Arts Hub or attending an art build (or organizing your own).
Art Build Parties
If you want to help with the arts, but aren’t sure how, come to one of our arts parties. On Thursdays & Sundays in June we’re getting together to make banners, signs, puppets and more! You don’t need any experience to help out — just show up, wear painting clothes, and bring snacks/drinks to share!
Arts Organizing Goals
- FACILITATE: the creation of powerful, beautiful, clear visual, performance, music art to amplify our stories, engage and energize participants, and reach our communities and the public in the streets and through all sorts of media and word of mouth.
- ENGAGE communities, groups, artists and everyone in making art, creating relationships and building movement, momentum and mobilization.
- ESCALATE: using art and innovation is a way to escalate our fight for a justice based transition to a clean energy economy. The process of art making and the powerful visuals and the People’s Climate March in New York played a strong role in the mobilization and power of that march and of the Flood Wall Street action the following day.
Tue, 2015-06-30 20:32
#6
The March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate is being organized by a broad coalition of groups across Canada listed below.
http://jobsjusticeclimate.ca/partners/
...
..the video
A New Kind of Climate Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjRmzfKZWgU
Tue, 2015-06-30 21:44
#7
Idle No More at the Toronto Climate, Justice and Jobs March
Wanda Nanibush
quote:
Today, I want to talk about Indigenous people’s role in this struggle. We are at the forefront of this struggle, because we’re the first ones who experience all the detrimental effects of climate change. We are also a source of strategy for thinking about climate action because we know the land intimately, and we’ve been at the forefront of thinking about climate change since well before scientists even became involved. So I think we need to put Indigenous rights at the centre of this movement.
As Indigenous people are putting their bodies on the line across this country trying to stop things like the oil sands, trying to bring attention to the flooding of their lands when you do hydroelectric dams, trying to bring attention to the fact that 70% of all uranium is on Indigenous territory globally, so when we look at nuclear as an option, it’s not a great option for us––so there’s all this knowledge that Indigenous people have that can really benefit our strategies going forward....
http://www.idlenomore.ca/idle_no_more_at_the_toronto_climate_justice_and...
Tue, 2015-06-30 21:51
#8
Syed Hussan at March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate Launch
I want to begin by acknowledging that we’re on the territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit, lands that have been defended by the Haudenosaunee people and the Wendat Nation. I want to thank and I’m honoured to be standing here with my sister Wanda and my brother Clayton, to be followed soon by my sister Melina, because these indigenous nations, these indigenous warriors, these indigenous people are walking this path of resilience, this path of struggle, our path of survival, this path of defending these lands and territories that has been walked on for a millennia. The work that we do in our cities and our communities before this march, in the days before and the days that follow, have to be grounded in the reality of indigenous struggle, of indigenous resurgence, of indigenous worldview, and a real desire to decolonize, to move forward into a place of decolonization....
Wed, 2015-07-01 09:48
#9
Why Students Are Joining the March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate
If it’s wrong to wreck the planet, it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage. The divestment movement is based on the idea that we cannot continue to invest in companies that undermine our future. My name is Jody Chan. I am a part of the University of Toronto’s fossil fuel divestment campaign and part of the growing student divestment movement.
There are now fossil fuel divestment campaigns at over 300 schools across North America. We are growing fast, we’re learning fast, and we’re winning. Our victories include the New School, Syracuse University, the University of Glasgow, and Hampshire College. Just a few days ago, Oxford University decided to rule out all future investment in coal and tar sands....
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/why-students-are-joining-the...
Wed, 2015-07-01 15:19
#10
Beyond Teamsters and Turtles: Jobs, Justice, Climate
quote:
In May I attended a cross-country meeting called by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis to begin the work of building a broad movement to fight climate change by presenting a new vision where reversing climate change can be done in the context of increasing social justice and good jobs. A movement where Indigenous Peoples, the first defenders of the land, are in the lead. A movement that reaches out to immigrant communities whose countries are already drowning, baking, or collapsing in face of climate catastrophes. A movement where unions realize that climate change is as much a threat to their members as austerity and find ways to link both struggles. A movement where environmental activists understand that it is the peoples of the earth not the corporate overlords who will save the planet.
There were divisions at that meeting and they continue. Unions, for example, support certain pipelines that environmentalists oppose. 350.org, a key organizer of the march wants the bitumen from the Alberta Tar Sands to stay in the ground. The unions don't agree yet. There remains deep scepticism among Indigenous activists about how solid is the solidarity expressed by settlers. There is concern from activists of colour that support for their issues is only present when their support is needed. There is still the gap of knowledge and sometimes solidarity between Quebec and the rest of Canada. All of these divisions were present in the May meeting and we talked about them.....
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/judes/2015/06/beyond-teamsters-and-turtl...
Wed, 2015-07-01 16:23
#11
RNAO to march for jobs, justice and the climate in Toronto rally
Ontario nurses are hitting the streets alongside other social and environmental advocates to fight for a healthier future. Members of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), including President-Elect Carol Timmings, will join a countrywide grassroots campaign at the March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate July 5 in Toronto.
Thousands of concerned Canadians will gather at Queen's Park at 1 p.m., just days before the Climate Summit of the Americas and the International Economic Forum of the Americas' global meeting are to be held in Toronto. Demonstrators will discuss building an economy that creates good jobs for everyone while protecting the environment and addressing climate change. Following the rally, participants will march from Queen's Park to Allan Gardens.
"Without jobs that provide a living wage and a strong and stable environment, Ontarians' health and well-being are at risk," says Timmings, who is also director of healthy living and chief nursing officer for Toronto Public Health. "As a society, we can no longer afford to ignore these issues."
RNAO has long spoken out about the social and environmental determinants of health, as part of nurses' holistic approach to health promotion and disease prevention....
http://rnao.ca/news/media-releases/2015/06/30/rnao-march-jobs-justice-an...
Wed, 2015-07-01 19:25
#12
March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate
quote:
Introducing the People’s Climate Torch
Inspired by the Pan Am torch, we will be carrying the People’s Climate Torch. Our solar-powered torch is a symbol of hope, unified climate action and commitment to our shared future.
On July 5th the torch will be passed from hand-to-hand by Pan-American residents of Toronto. We’re looking for people of all ages from the 41 Pan-American nations, Indigenous nations and communities, to carry the People’s Climate Torch during the march.
Join us and help us raise the torch, as we all pledge our commitment to protect our environment and our future. Let's join our voices to the voices of people around the world, as we call for meaningful action on climate change.
For further information, or to volunteer as a torchbearer, please contact: [email protected] (link sends e-mail)
http://www.green13toronto.org/event/march-jobs-justice-and-climate
Thu, 2015-07-02 08:39
#13
Transportation
Check below to find buses headed to Toronto and connect with other organizers headed to the event! If you’re interested in organizing a bus, click here.
http://jobsjusticeclimate.ca/transportation/
...
March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate - KW Bus
On July 5th we'll be marching in Toronto for an economy that works for people and the planet.
We want an economy where workers win, communities have more democratic control, and those most impacted and impoverished are the first in line to benefit. An economy that honours Indigenous peoples’ rights and recognizes their role in protecting the land, air and water for everyone. An economy that respects the limits of the environment made clear by climate science.
Two buses will be leaving from Kitchener - Waterloo to join the march. Thes buses are organized by Waterloo 350, a WPIRG action group, and Divest Waterloo. The schedule will be as follows.
Departure: UW campus (Haggey Hall): 9:00 AM;
Departure: Kitchener City Hall: 9:30 AM;
Guelph pickup: (TBA)
Leave Toronto 4:00 PM
Donations will be accepted to help cover the cost of the bus.
This march is taking place on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit River, the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, and the Seneca.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march-for-jobs-justice-the-climate-kw-bus-t...
Fri, 2015-07-03 05:49
#14
Allan Gardens and the Fight for Justice
The March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate will culminate, on July 5th, will end with a celebration in Allan Gardens. A more fitting location for a struggle for a just and sustainable future is hard to imagine. For generations, this park has served as an accessible recreational space for low income and marginalized communities. Homeless and displaced people in the city have used it, and still do, as a place to survive. It has also been a site of struggle and resistance for communities under attack. Allan Gardens has a long and rich history, which we will build upon on July 5th.
quote:
Closer to the present, in 1999, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) set up a three day ‘Safe Park’ for the homeless that was attacked by the police and dispersed. The next year, on June 15th, Allan Gardens was the starting point for a march led by 1,500 homeless people and allies to the Ontario Legislature. In recent years, indigenous women have used Allan Gardens to demand justice for their missing and murdered sisters. Rallies have been held there to defend the rights of sex workers.
On July 5th, when the park is filled with people demanding climate justice, it will be vital to understand that a system that accepts poverty and inequality will not protect the planet and the fight for a sustainable future is, at the same time, a fight for a just society.
http://jobsjusticeclimate.ca/2015/06/22/allan-gardens-and-the-fight-for-...
Fri, 2015-07-03 16:21
#15
Sat, 2015-07-04 14:58
#16
Walking Our Faith - Faith Organizing for the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate
On June 18th, Pope Francis released an encyclical on climate change. Meanwhile in Toronto, Canada a wide reaching group of faith communities has been coming together to mobilize for the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie51PuIikYc
Sun, 2015-07-05 08:08
#17
Thanks. Hope your march goes well!
Sun, 2015-07-05 12:25
#18
..txs lagatta. i hope so as well.
Today the March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate takes the streets in downtown Toronto. Led by the communities on the front lines of Canada’s failing fossil fuel economy and climate change, this march brings together the coalition we need to build a new kind of economy: labor, immigrants, environmentalists, climate activists and social justice leaders of all kinds.
Follow here for live updates from on the ground in Toronto:
...
..twitter updates and lots of pics
https://twitter.com/hashtag/jobsjusticeclimate
Sun, 2015-07-05 17:35
#19
Sun, 2015-07-05 19:04
#20
Wonderful!
Sun, 2015-07-05 20:00
#21
Jane Fonda attends Toronto climate change rally
Kinda cool.
Mon, 2015-07-06 07:50
#22
In terms of things to involve oneself in a movement for, jobs and climate concerns sort of cancel each other out don't they, particularly if they're in the manufacturing sector? If you have a job producing solar panels and wind mills, presently neither of the production processes involved can be said to be environmentally friendly. Ditto for electric cars. And what do we do with all those batteries? What will we be buying with our paychecks? Just hand me that piece of meat and I'll take it home and cook it as is?
Mon, 2015-07-06 10:39
#23
I take it you didn't commute to Toronto for the march, SJ.
Mon, 2015-07-06 10:52
#24
Slumberjack, what is your solution? I do find there is too much emphasis on electric cars (in urban settings) where there should be far fewer cars, but some kind of electric car or small bus will probably be necessary in the countryside and isolated areas even in an ecologically-friendly world. I don't see how we could live without some electric or otherwise powered trams or other vehicles even in a post-carbon society. Producing bicycles pollutes too, though of course far less than a larger or petroleum-powered vehicle.
Many forms of remediation will create some pollution, such as reformatting neighbourhoods to make them more walkable, cyclable and public-transport oriented.
Mon, 2015-07-06 10:53
#25
Slumberjack, what is your solution? I do find there is too much emphasis on electric cars in urban settings where there should be far fewer cars, but some kind of electric car or small bus will probably be necessary in the countryside and isolated areas even in an ecologically-friendly world. I don't see how we could live without some electric or otherwise powered trams or other vehicles even in a post-carbon society. Producing bicycles pollutes too, though of course far less than a larger or petroleum-powered vehicle.
Many forms of remediation will create some pollution, such as reformatting neighbourhoods to make them more walkable, cyclable and public-transport oriented.
Mon, 2015-07-06 11:05
#26
I take it you didn't commute to Toronto for the march, SJ.
No I didn't. I wouldn't be able to lug enough sustenance for the trip.
Mon, 2015-07-06 11:25
#27
Slumberjack, what is your solution? I do find there is too much emphasis on electric cars in urban settings where there should be far fewer cars, but some kind of electric car or small bus will probably be necessary in the countryside and isolated areas even in an ecologically-friendly world. I don't see how we could live without some electric or otherwise powered trams or other vehicles even in a post-carbon society. Producing bicycles pollutes too, though of course far less than a larger or petroleum-powered vehicle.Many forms of remediation will create some pollution, such as reformatting neighbourhoods to make them more walkable, cyclable and public-transport oriented.
Publc transit should enjoy greater incentives and support than is currently the case. Government support of the auto sector should be fazed out entirely.
The focus on jobs/climate should invoke enviromental sustainability, localized distribution.
Mon, 2015-07-06 14:11
#28
McKibben and Klein lead thousands at Toronto's March for Jobs, Justice and Climate
[VIDEO]By Fram Dinshaw in News | July 6th 2015
“We need to be taxing those parts of our economy that are doing the most harm, like financial speculation and extraction, but obviously stopping paying the polluters is the first step towards actually getting the polluters to pay for this crisis that they created,” said Klein, who is also a 350.org board member.
Nonetheless, her idea is already gaining traction in some political circles, as the NDP is promising to make polluting industries pay for the environmental damage they cause, alongside pledging fresh investments in renewable energy, more energy-efficient technologies for industry, and improved public transit to wean people off cars.
Such measures would be a critical first step in tackling climate change before rising temperatures and extreme weather spin out of control.
http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/07/06/news/mckibben-and-klein-lead-...
Mon, 2015-07-06 15:54
#29
..for me it's not a question of having all the answers to the crisis that we face. but that it's, in the words of joe walsh, "time to change the batter". the building of a new economic system. so the strategy proposed by this project from the onset is to organize around climate justice which really encompasses all other struggles. and placed at the forefront of this project is the struggles of the first peoples. this is where the struggle begins..to decolonize.
Mon, 2015-07-06 16:08
#30
..from today's front web page. lots of pics
Thank you.
On July 5th, we made history. In a spectacular demonstration of unity, over 10,000 people marched together in Toronto for Jobs, Justice and the Climate. This is the most diverse climate mobilization ever to take place in Canada.
The March brought together frontline Indigenous communities, Canada’s largest unions, students, social justice organizations and grassroots activists. Together, we sent a clear message: the people of Canada are ready for a new economy that works for people and the planet. By standing in solidarity with one another on July 5th, we have demonstrated that future is possible.
We marched as wild fires sweep across Saskatchewan and communities in South Asia recover from a series of devastating heat waves. The extreme climate events taking place this summer have been another solemn reminder that every minute we delay means more catastrophic and irreversible damage to people and the environment.
We are tired of sitting on the sidelines as world leaders repeatedly fail to deliver the action that we need to combat climate change. Politicians have failed to lead us– it’s clear that people are leading the way.
We know that the economy we need puts justice first by prioritizing Indigenous rights. It is one that secures good work, clean jobs and healthy communities– that means fair wages for all including migrants without status. Ultimately, we have the solutions we need to get there and we know very well who is responsible for the climate crisis.
Thank you for taking part in this historic moment.
Tue, 2015-07-07 20:00
#31
Quebec’s Movement for Economic and Environmental Justice
It’s not often that we see mass mobilizations against the neoliberal system of institutionalized inequality and the fossil fuel-based economy. It is rarer still to see them happening in close proximity – but that is just what is being attempted in Quebec.
The rallying cry of the spring 2015 movement, often dubbed Printemps 2015, has been opposition to the austerity measures imposed by the Liberal government of Quebec – cutting spending on public services like health care and education while also reducing the tax burden for corporations and the wealthiest citizens. But added to this message, within the Printemps 2015 mobilization, is a rejection of the petro-economy. These two cries build from the historic 2012 Quebec student strike, which effectively thwarted attempts to raise tuition rates, and from grassroots environmental movements opposing hydraulic fracturing and pipeline projects in la belle province.
The attempt to unite these two struggles – against budget cuts and against fossil fuels – raises some questions.
How can the two political fronts work together coherently? Knowing what we do about environmental destruction and climate change, is it viable to maintain an economic model based on continuous growth? And what insights can the Printemps 2015 mobilization offer to those of us outside of Quebec?