OPIRG-Toronto is looking for new action groups for 2012-2013!
Deadline for Applications: Monday July 23rd, 2012
OPIRG-Toronto is a volunteer-based group at the University of Toronto, with a mandate for action, education and research on environmental and social justice issues. We are part of an international network or Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), including ten others in Ontario.
We seek to empower and educate students and other members of the community, provide a forum for learning and sharing skills, and give people the tools and opportunity to work co-operatively for social change. We also provide resources and support for students interested in community based research.
OPIRG-Toronto conducts all its programming work in line with a strong commitment to anti-oppression and we strive to provide an anti-racist, trans and queer positive, accessible, harassment-free space for students and community members to further develop their skills as community organizers. All action groups must uphold this anti-oppression mandate and action group members are required to attend anti-oppression training, offered by OPIRG-Toronto. Action groups will also be asked to attend an orientation in the fall hosted by OPIRG.
What role do action groups play at OPIRG?
Action groups are the core of OPIRG and the most common way volunteers get involved in the organization. They are essentially a collective of volunteers who organize around a specific issue, campaign or initiative (they can include anywhere from 5-50 people). Each action group gets a write-up in the OPIRG newsletter and are featured on the OPIRG website, and staff try to recruit new members to the groups throughout the year. All action groups are initiated by volunteers, and must be approved by the Board of Directors. Some examples of current and former action groups include: Toronto Anarchist FreeSkool, Students Against Sweatshops, Queer Action, Barriere Lake Solidarity Network, Mining Injustice Solidarity Network and Environmental Justice Toronto.
Our Action Groups:
Our action groups are organized autonomously around various issues of social justice and environmental action. All action groups are allocated an appropriate budget (for events/projects they wish to pursue throughout the year) in September and have access to the following:
a library
office resources (phone, fax machine, printer, button maker)
computers with internet access
meeting space at the OPIRG office or anywhere on the U of T campus
a commitment to fully accessible spaces for all events and meetings
support from OPIRG staff and board members for project support, visioning and outreach.
Action Groups' Mandate:
OPIRG-Toronto is committed to working on a wide range of issues from an integrated anti-oppressive framework in order to work towards providing a safe and accessible space for people coming from various marginalized communities. This includes but is not limited to Frist Nations people, transgendered/transsexual people, women, disabled people, people of colour, poor people, and immigrants and refugees. Although out organization has a lot of work to do towards becoming more inclusive and proactively supportive of the struggles of all oppressed people, we believe that encouraging new action groups to research, educate, and take action on these issues is a step in the right direction.
How to Apply:
To be considered as an OPIRG-Toronto action group for the 2012-2013 year, pleaee fill out the application form and return it by e-mail to opirg.toronto@gmail.com or to the OPIRG-Toronto office, 563 Spadina Crescent, room 101. If submitting you application by e-mail, please indicate that it is an action group application in the subject line. The OPIRG-Toronto board of directors will review all action group applications and communicate to applicants their decision. The upcoming action group term will run from September 1st, 2012 until August 31st, 2013.
Please note our office is open Monday - Thursday, 11 am - 6 pm.
For questions on the application process, please e-mail opirg.toronto@gmail.com. Please see our website for the application form:
http://www.opirgtoronto.org/content/opirg-toronto-looking-new-action-groups
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