OPIRG-Toronto is hosting a winter conference, where students and community members can present research, campaigns and/or papers on work related to social and environmental justice. Check out the callout for proposals below!
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED TO JANUARY 12, 2015!
Contested Spaces: TRACX Winter Symposium
Saturday March 14, 2015
University of Toronto
Callout for Proposals
The Toronto Research and Community Exchange (TRACX) works to build space for undergraduate and graduate research on social and environmental justice, and facilitates connections between campus resources and community organizations working for social change. In spring 2015, join us to showcase research with a community organizing focus. How do we push for community-based, accountable, social justice research? Where do we start? Through the TRACX program, students can develop research projects useful to campaigns and the long-term goals of grassroots community groups, with the overall aim of funneling the resources of the academy, towards community organizing. This inaugural annual winter symposium, will feature community-based social justice research by community groups and students.
This is not an academic conference. We want to problematize and challenge people’s perspectives on research, encourage social investigation and engage in collective, creative problem solving and skills sharing around community concerns. Whether you’re a student, non-student, activist and someone curious about activism, everyone is encouraged to participate and attend!
This is not just a paper presentation. We want to create space for roundtables, breakout groups, interactive activities, zines, art and much more! We welcome ideas for organizing panels, workshops, multimedia presentations, etc. Get in touch with us at opirg.tracx@gmail.com!
This year, we invite proposals for presentations, papers, artwork, and project updates on how we build spaces of resistance, spaces for organizing and spaces for community. Space, both as physical terrain and an ideological concept, figures prominently in social movements. What spaces do we fight for? What strategies help us reclaim space? What spaces become central to social movements?
Possible topics to explore could include:
• prison abolition/prisoner solidarity,
• mass movements such as Occupy,and Palestinian Solidarity
• Disability justice/activism work
• Pan Am Games and other mega sporting event resistance,
• Neighbourhood-based organizing and municipal politics,
• Campus and community collaborations and activism,
• Food justice/sovereignty
• Indigenous struggles and land sovereignty.
Please email a short description (150-250 words) on how you are interested in engaging in the symposium, including the format (art, presentation, etc.) and the topic by the deadline included below. Any questions and concerns can be directed to us at opirg.tracx@gmail.com.
Deadline for Proposals: Monday January 12th, 2015
Volunteer!
Are you interested in helping organize the conference? We will be meeting throughout the fall and winter to put together the schedule and other logistics. Email us at opirg.tracx@gmail.com to get involved!
