Winnipeg Independent Media Centre

Doer Presents Inter-Canadian Trade Deal to Premiers

Posted by vanessa on Wednesday, August 1st at 5:22 PM

This week from August 8-10th the Council of the Federation, a group composed of all thirteen Canadian premiers and federal government representatives, will meet in Moncton, NB. Created in 2003, the aim of the council is to foster better relations between provinces/territories and the federal government. In the past meetings have generally centered on bickering about the fiscal imbalance -i.e. how the federal government transfers money to the provinces (and how much). They also created a committee, whose Council representative was Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, to look into the viability of a Canada-wide internal trade agreement. Doer approved the progress report hashed out by said committee in 2006 and he will be presenting their “action plan” to the Council on August 8th. The plans for a national trade agreement are widely regarded as being modeled after TILMA, the controversial trade agreement between Alberta and British Columbia.

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A Call Out! Action Against the Three Bandidos!

Posted by vanessa on Wednesday, August 1st at 1:39 PM

A call out has been issued: activists from across North America are being asked to converge at Montebello, Québec in order to show opposition to new corporate fair trade deals. Harper, Bush and Calderon will be meeting at Montebello’s luxurious golf course to discuss a new Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) agreement between the three North American states.

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Cuba Si!

Posted by trainspot_of_thought on Wednesday, June 6th at 8:03 AM

Nearing the end of the Mayworks Festival, the Manitoba-Cuban Solidarity Committee held a fundraiser social chockfull of presentations, tasty morsels and passionate music. Cuban Si! was held at the Chilean Association Hall last Saturday May 26th, to raise money for both the Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade and Pastors for Peace.

The Che Guevara Work Brigade is having their 15th annual trip to Cuba this summer. For three weeks (July 27 – August 17), the “Brigadistas” learn and participate in Cuban culture. The schedule includes going to museums, learning about alternative medicine and alternative energy, learning the art of Cuban dance and working in agriculture. About eight Winnipeggers are attending this upcoming summer brigade. Many people attend repeatedly year after year. The group ranges in age, but they all have the same interest in travelling, volunteering, and learning about Cuban culture. The main objectives of the brigade are to condemn the U.S. blockade against Cuba, to promote cultural exchange between Canada and Cuba, and to inform Canadians of the achievements of the Cuban Revolution.

The evening was an informative celebration of Cuba and Che Guevara. After an awesome Cuban meal, Hugo Torres played politically charged acoustic songs that included a song called “Who Are The Terrorists?” (Tell me who has the weapons of mass destruction). In another song, he captivated everyone and got them singing along to his passionate chorus “We shall overcome”.

For more info on:

The Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade
http://www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca/brigade/

The Cuban Five:
http://www.freethefive.org/

http://www.antiterroristas.cu/

El Paso coverage of the protest against Posada Carriles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3bkRpCOxZE

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May Day – Not Just for Maypoles and Martyrs

Posted by vanessa on Thursday, May 10th at 8:30 PM

Here’s a question for ya: what’s the greatest day of the year? What’s that, Christ-mas? Nah, too commercial. Thanksgiving? Not if you’re a turkey. July first/fourth? Ha, don’t make me laugh. Or cry. Halloween? Well, not scary enough, it simply cannot compare to the wondrous greatness that is (drum roll please)…May Day! We here in Winnipeg certainly know how to celebrate this day – by making it last all month. So let us explore this day and remember why it is so important.

Although the roots of May Day grow far back in our history and are celebrated for many different reasons, most notably by pagans as a celebration of re-birth in the new spring season, the day is familiar most-widely as International Workers Day. It was established as a memento mori for workers who have given their lives in the struggle for fairer working conditions and as a message to today’s workers: many have struggled in the past in order that you can have a better life, and through solidarity and organizing their dreams of fair workplaces can be realized. Now.

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Breakin' Down the Walls

Posted by mediablitz on Wednesday, May 9th at 10:30 PM

Beyond Walls, the first annual art showcase of current and former Manitoba prison inmates took place this past Sunday at the Canadian Mennonite University. The informal event drew a crowd of people split by appearance (crazy tough biker tattoo guys and fuzzy headed Grampas and Grandmas) and exhibited a variety of contributions in visual art that ranged from awesome handmade blankets to embossed leather belts. Hung up on the walls were vibrant paintings and sketches along with captions explaining background information about the artist and their work. A number of stained glass works by two artists were positioned in front of the windows to let the sun shine in if there had been any, unfortunately clouds stubbornly occupied the skies for most of the afternoon. One stained glass work in-the-making picturing a wolf sat near a huge, intricate dream catcher made by the Ni-Miikana Healing Unit - a program at Stony Mountain Institute focused on aboriginal spirituality. Scattered across a handful of tables was an assortment of handiwork: sculptures of a mother bear and cub created from soap (!!!!) with nail clippers, a wooden memory box and three painted hand drums by residents of the Manitoba Youth Centre, among other things. There was a singular work of collage in the exhibit, stuck in the frame of a computer screen (Very cool. One of my favorites)

In addition to the display of visual arts there was a performing arts portion to the afternoon that consisted of some musical performances (guitar jammin’ and sing-a-long style) and poetry readings, all material written by the inmates.

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The Apostle of Anarchy - Winnipeg Marks Centennial Visit from Emma Goldman

Posted by vanessa on Tuesday, May 8th at 5:04 PM

This year marks the hundredth year anniversary of Emma Goldman’s first visit to Winnipeg. The woman J. Edgar Hoover notoriously described as “the most dangerous woman in America” spoke to a “large and enthusiastic audience” (according to the Telegram, 1907) at the Trades Hall from April 10-15th, 1907, and was presented by the Radical Club and the Society of Anarchists (also referred to as the “Anarchy Club”). Goldman gave two lectures in German titled “Crimes of Parents and Educators,” and “Direct Action vs. Legislation” and a Yiddish speech entitled “The Position of the Jews in Russia.” She lectured twice in English; “Misconceptions of Anarchism” and “The Revolutionary Spirit in the Modern Drama.”
Emma Goldman also spoke in Winnipeg in 1908 on “Why Emancipation Doesn’t Free Women” and other lectures, in 1927 she spoke more than 20 times and in 1939 she returned to Winnipeg for the last time

One Hundred Years Later
In celebration of her historic visit to Winnipeg, CKUW 95.9FM and the 2007 May Works Labour Festival are presenting “The Apostle of Anarchy,” a night to recognize this remarkable woman, to stand in solidarity with her beliefs and to mark another hundred years of radicalism in Winnipeg. The night will feature an actress portraying Miss Goldman and she will be re-enacting her time here in the ‘Peg, presentations by Paul Burrows and Patrick McGuire and musical accompaniment provided by The 1919 Insurrectionary Orchestra and The Magnificent Sevens. Event takes place 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16 at the Mondragon Bookstore & Café (91 Albert St.). Tickets are $5.

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Military to conduct massive training excercise in downtown Winnipeg

Posted by Derek on Saturday, January 28th at 9:23 AM

From April 30th to May 6th, 2006, more than 500 Canadian troops, backed by helicopters, armoured vehicles, and artillery, intend to transform downtown Winnipeg, Canada into an urban-warfare training playground in the largest training excercise of its kind ever held in Canada. Operation Charging Bison is intended to simulate situations Canadian soldiers "would encounter in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq."

What are we calling for?

We are calling for a broad range of actions to counter this training, from high-school walk-outs, to street theatre, to teach-ins, to direct action, to a national convergence, to solidarity actions. We encourage people to take the initiative to plan their own autonomous actions, but we're also eager to see co-operation between organizing groups. We are planning a major day of action on May 1st, International Workers' Day.

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NDP Tells MFL - No Boycott of MTS Centre

Posted by macho on Wednesday, November 9th at 9:43 AM

by "union activist"

It All Makes Sense Now

An anonymous source has divulged disturbing information that Manitoba NDP premier Gary Doer has told Darlene Dziewit not to back any boycott of the MTS Centre under any conditions.

We are made to believe that Darlene Dziewit agreed to obey Gary Doer's order.

The flip flop politics of Darlene Dziewit and the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) dealing with a boycott of the MTS Centre all seem to make sense now.

So once again it would seem that the MFL, the so called global voice of union workers has again shown it is only loyal to the politics that keeps workers in bondage.

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2nd Annual Canada-Palestine Film Festival

Posted by Derek on Thursday, September 22nd at 9:38 AM

The 2nd Annual Canada-Palestine Film Festival runs from Thursday, September 29th - Sunday, October 2nd, 2005 in Winnipeg at Cinematheque (100 Arthur Street).

After last year’s stunning festival success entitled Images of Occupation & Resistance in Israel-Palestine, the Canada-Palestine Support Network-Winnipeg is proud to present The Occupation Will Still Be Televised: The 2nd Annual Canada Palestine Film Festival.

Media attention surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict has dwindled since the exaggerated frenzy and misplaced hopes surrounding both the death of Yasser Arafat, and the subsequent Palestinian elections in 2004-05. But Israel’s brutal and illegal military occupation of Palestinian lands continues unabated into its 38th year. The Western media’s willingness to be side-tracked by non-issues and shell games, such as the recent “Gaza disengagement,” has failed to silence Palestinians living under Occupation, or break their resolve to live with dignity and struggle for meaningful self-determination in their ancestral homeland. It has also failed to silence those Israelis who recognize that peace cannot be achieved by military occupation, ongoing colonization and dispossession of another people.

Since the new Intifada (“uprising”) began in 2000, there has been a proliferation of new Palestinian and dissident Israeli voices, particularly artists and film-makers, within Israel-Palestine, as well as throughout the diaspora. The Canada Palestine Film Festival is pleased to bring some of these voices and untold stories to local viewers in Winnipeg and Canada.

For further details, including complete film descriptions and schedules, pick up the latest (Sept/Oct) Cinematheque catalogue, or visit our website.

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13 North American Cities Take Action Against UN Massacre in Haiti

Posted by macho on Tuesday, July 26th at 9:06 AM

In response to the July 6th Cite Soleil massacre at the hands of U.N. troops in Haiti, thirteen North American cities demonstrated to bring an end to the state violence and to restore democracy to Haiti. Canadians are becoming increasingly worried about their government's direct involvement in the toppling of Haiti's democratic government last year.

In Winnipeg, a small group took their concerns to the office of SNC-Lavalin, who are complicit in the UN violence (pictures and details below). The following day the UN occupation force MINUSTAH put out a press release admitting for the first time that its forces may have killed civilians, and announcing that it will launch an investigation into the Cite Soleil massacre. Haiti solidarity groups are gravely concerned that a body accused of atrocities is investigating itself.

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