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The content on the Activist Toolkit this week is based around several quickly approaching days of action. We’ve got prison abolition tools and resources to help you interact safely with police in honour of the International Day Against Police Brutality on March 15.

There are environmental tools and campaign materials to support your activist efforts on Bottled Water Free Day, also on March 15.

In case the date wasn’t busy enough, it’s also a rallying time for Canadian postal workers, who are gathering to speak out, once again, against the plans to end door-to-door Canada Post mail delivery, and cut thousands of jobs. There’s an awesome blog up on the Toolkit with lessons we could all learn from the Canadian Union of Postal Worker’s long, historic past of radical activism. Definitely consider checking out an event and standing in solidarity with Canada Post workers. 

If you’re interested in prison abolition, check out this tool featuring an Abolitionist Toolkit. There are a bunch of particularly interesting parts to the resource, including specific sections on connecting with non-abolitionists by finding common ground.

In honour of the day of action against police brutality, this week the Toolkit is home to a cool zine focusing on the history of police violence, as well as a list of ways to resist brutality from the authorities. Check these tools out to gain a good sense of the movement’s historical background and tips for moving forward.

On the environmental side of the Toolkit we have a few different kinds of resources. In honour of Bottled Water Free Day there is a how-to guide on launching a campaign against the wasteful plastic bottles. Another tool offers free materials you can use to raise awareness or contribute to a fully-fledged campaign at home, at work, or at school.

Keeping in mind these ideas of waste reduction and minimizing plastic in particular, check out this resource on green living tips for your kitchen. There are a couple of tried and true ideas (such as emphasizing reusable containers and re-using products like aluminum foil), but also some lesser-known tips. Have you ever thought about the temperature at which you set your fridge and freezer? Or the amount of water you’d save by turning your facet on only partway? Everyone should be able to pick up a trick or two with this green living tool.

For the outlier tool of the week, we have Mythopedia, a site described as a “Wikipedia of conservative misinformation,” where you can search a political claim to see whether it’s a “truth” or a “lie.” Busting political myths that the mainstream media knowingly or unknowingly perpetuate is a great way to inspire new activist efforts.

What will you be doing on Saturday? Anyone dividing their time and energy between all three causes?

Megan Stacey

Megan Stacey

Megan Stacey is a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton University. She has experience in magazine writing, communications work, television, radio and weekly news rants (aka Friday night dinner...