Tonight, in a few hours, dozens of red tents will open up along Main Street near Science World.  It is a solidary sleep-over with the Tent City that has been ongoing since Monday at noon on Hastings Street.  There is a line-up of musical acts scheduled for the evening.  Here’s the note from the Red Tent campaign:

 

We will be distributing red tents tonight at 7:30pm on the North lawn of Science World. Participants are encouraged to bring sleeping bags, blankets, food and anything else they may need for the evening. There will be coffee and muffins in the morning delivered both to the tent village and to the parallel solidarity event at Science World.

In the morning, there will be opportunities for photos with the tents. We will then head to the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Right to the City: Rally for a National Housing Program for noon.

We expect participants to treat each other with respect. Everyone is welcome even if you don’t plan to sleep in a tent.

8pm to 9:30pm – LIVE PERFORMANCES

  • Cultural Medicine Cabaret Choir
  • Sunskript (live vocal and instrumental looping
  • BTM (Bhangra hiphop dancehall)
  • MC Praxis (Hiphop MC)
  • Joanna Chapman-Smith (acoustic folk vocalist)
  • In.Stead (women’s acapella hiphop)
  • Hari Alluri (notorious political poet) 

9:30pm to late – PERCEPTION DJs

That African and Jonny Dubbs rocking out some revolutionary dance tunes! 

Basis of Unity:

Vision: The Red Tent Campaign is national campaign that invites the participation of all persons and organizations wishing to end homelessness in Canada. Anyone who supports the Basis of Unity is welcome to become involved with ongoing initiatives, or to download images and use rent tent materials, graphics and messages to undertake initiatives of their own.

Goal: To persuade the federal government to enact a funded National Housing Strategy that will end homelessness and ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for all persons living in Canada.

Strategy: To use red tents and like items as symbols on the streets and in the media to draw attention to Canada’s homelessness crisis, educate the public about the need for a funded national housing strategy and mobilize people across the country to pressure government to take action on homelessness.

Principles: Non-Violence: a commitment to peaceful protest and resistance and tactics that do not lead to harm to people or destruction of property.

Non-exploitation: the empowerment and genuine participation of people who are homeless, working to ensure their safety and working from a foundation of respect for their experiences, perspectives and needs.

Collaboration: actively encouraging individuals and organizations from different sectors and regions passionate about ending Canada’s housing crisis to coordinate and work together.   

Inclusion: minimizing barriers to participation in the campaign and tolerating differences in perspectives and approaches as long as communication and activities are undertaken in a respectful and non-discriminatory way.  

Unifying Themes: The unifying themes of the campaign are (1) a basic design framework of a red background and white lettering (2) key messages “Housing is a Right” and “End Homelessness Now!” and (3) a commitment to promoting the goals of the campaign in a creative, and visually engaging manner.

 

 

 

You can show solidarity with homeless people in Vancouver by sleeping in a tent. If you would like to sign up to sleep in a red tent, send an email with your contact information to: [email protected]

The People, United, will Never be Defeated!”

 

 

In the morning, they will wake up and head over to the Right to the City:  Rally for a National Housing Program for noon at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

 

There will be speakers from the Frank Paul Society, First United Church, Carnegie Community Action Project, Pivot Legal Society, the Downtown Eastside Power of Women Group and Member of Parliament Libby Davies.

 

In Vancouver, we are launching this campaign for a national housing program and we will join with organizations in Toronto,  Montreal, Ottawa and around the country.

 

www.redtents .org, www.2010homelessness.ca

 

Am Johal

Am Johal

Am Johal is an independent Vancouver writer whose work has appeared in Seven Oaks Magazine, ZNet, Georgia Straight, Electronic Intifada, Arena Magazine, Inter Press Service, Worldpress.org, rabble.ca...