Since 1978
Fall 2014
Canadian Group Name: BROKE (Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder-Morgan Expansion)
Annual Budget: Below $30,000 annually (plus the currently ~$10,000 legal fund)
Group Goal: ”Clean shores and waters that draw people from all over the world, wildlife in the waters, on the shores and in the wetlands, economic benefits from tourism and marine life, and natural beauty as part of our everyday lives is threatened by tar sands oil Pipelines Through Southern BC! Join us to save it!” http://burnabypipelinewatch.ca/content/about-us
What the money would be going to: This organization is the only group specifically named in the SLAPPsuit by Kinder-Morgan for $5.6 million. They predict that they will need at least $20,000, and their current fund is around $10,000. They were mentioned in the suit due to their “Picnics, not Pipelines” campaign and presumably due to their high degree of success in the past of mobilizing Burnaby city residents.
Contact: http://www.burnabypipelinewatch.ca/ and info(at)burnabypipelinewatch.ca
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International Group Name: ARTESANA
Annual Budget: Well below our $200,000 cap a year, entirely through donations.
Group Goal: The Artesana Collective is an organization promoting institutional action to contribute to women’s organization and the women’s movement in Guatemala. The Artesana Collective pressures the State to create and apply public policy in order to prevent crimes against women, support the rights of detained women, and to stop social discrimination. The Artesana Collective works to contribute to the recognition, respect and exercise of women’s rights through art, sports and other forms of creativity. The Artesana Collective is formed by feminist women, defenders of human rights, artists and professionals.
What the money would be going to: Create and apply public policy in order to prevent crimes against women, support the rights of detained women, and to stop social discrimination.
Any other info you’d like to share with our members: Sandra Moran, one of Guatemala’s most prominent feminists and performance artists who works with Artensana speaks (in English) about the work of ArteSana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNjSAP3XOc
Website: http://colectivoartesana.org/
International Group Name: Esther’s Echo
Annual Budget: About $10,000
Group Goal: Esther’s Echo is a story telling organization. We help to spread an alternative narrative for Africa, one of empowerment and local leadership. Our mission is to foster support for local African leaders who are working in their own communities to foster change by sharing their stories with a wider online community. We are beginning with Esther Kanu, a woman who founded her own school for girls in post conflict Sierra Leone
What the money would be going to: Presently, Esther is working toward buying the building in which the school is held as opposed to spending the $1000 a year for rent. These funds will help ensure that the Women in Action Development Center remains secure and will be able to devote all future funds directly to the program.
More info: Esther’s School in Sierra Leone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VljYnNJ8aw0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUyO0TaeLUWIvcr_dpPAgqfQ
Esther’s Visit to Canada: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyPTuuIrQTo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUyO
Website: http://www.esthersecho.org
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Local Group Name: Downtown Eastside United (DTESU)
Annual Budget: ANNUAL BUDGET (not including in kind): $1,800/year
Group Goal:
DTESU was formed at the beginning of 2014 and is a neighbourhood residents association to fight for social justice for the low-income community in the DTES. Eighty per cent of our membership must live in the DTES neighbourhood and our steering committee is representative of the diversity in the community. In our constitution we acknowledge that we live on unceded Coast Salish territories, and that we will fight against gentrification, homelessness, poverty and the systemic discrimination against our community members. The steering committee (15 people) meets once per week and we've held three general meetings for our membership (80 – 100 people). Fighting the aggressive gentrification in our neighbourhood and working for affordable, accessible and safe housing are at the forefront of our mandate.
What the money would be going to:
DTESU aspires to make our meetings accessible to very low-income people and people with all types of barriers that prevent them from participating in decision making for their community. Unfortunately, we have no volunteer/in kind resources available to provide nutritious meals for very low-income people at our steering committee meetings. We are hoping TSSU can assist us to cover approximately 6 months- worth of these meals, estimated to cost approximately $500 based on $3.50/person/meal.
Any other info you'd like to share with our members:
Because our mandate is to struggle against involuntary displacement and gentrification, we have difficulty with eligibility for grants from foundations and government bodies. We rely a lot on volunteers, donations from individuals plus in kind donations from amazing groups who provide resources such as photocopies for DTESU posters every month that we use to advertise our General Meetings to DTESU Members who do not have phones or regular internet access.
Contact/Website/Where to find more information:
As we are a new group and are still building capacity, we do not have a website yet.
For more information please contact Wendy Pedersen, Steering Committee Member, Finance Committee Member, DTES United: 604-839-0379; wend.pedersen(at)gmail.com.
Spring 2014
International Group Name: La Colectiva de Mujeres Hondureñas (CODEMUH)
Annual Budget / Funding: Recently slashed when they lost their normal funding, well under $90,000 per year
Group Goal: CODEMUH is a women’s organization with more than 20 years of experience working for the transformation of practices that violate human, gender and labour rights of workers in the maquilas in Honduras. CODEMUH’s work with women maquila workers has been focused on occupational health and safety for several years, most recently against Gildan Active Wear and Hanes.
What the money would be going to: Research on Occupational Health and Safety for Maquila (“manufacturing operations in a free trade zone”) Workers in Honduras. Large numbers of mostly women, currently work in such environments for poverty wages with little safety or protection.
More Information: CODEMUH is also active in the broader women’s movement in Honduras, including running 2 radio programs a week on women’s and labour issues, assisting in OHS cases and continuation, holding public awareness events with 100 women, and assisting in holding workshops on human rights, labour rights, gender violence, and new laws. They are also involved in hundreds of legal cases. They were also a part of the Honduran Women’s Tribunal Against Femicide which successfully lobbied for legal reforms that were announced in February 2013 making the crime of femicide punishable with sentences of up to 40 years.
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Local Group Name: Spartacus Books
Annual Budget: Around $70,000 a year
Group Goal: Non-profit all-volunteer-run bookstore and community space that has become a local institution for over 40 years. They carry information and host workshops that aren't otherwise available to give people tools for social change and are open 7 days a week.
What the money would be going to: It would go directly into new books to improve our feminist and labour sections and help with our recent and urgent reno-viction.
Website: http://www.spartacusbooks.net/
Group Name: The Mainlander
Brief Description: A grassroots local progressive news source bringing news, analysis, essays, and investigative features.
Annual Budget / Funding:
Group Goal: The Mainlander aims to:
What the money would be going to: Focus the funds to better support women writers and increase diversity in writers.
Website: http://themainlander.com/
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Group Name: BROKE (Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder-Morgan Expansion)
Annual Budget: Below $30,000 annually
Group Goal: "Clean shores and waters that draw people from all over the world, wildlife in the waters, on the shores and in the wetlands, economic benefits from tourism and marine life, and natural beauty as part of our everyday lives is threatened by tar sands oil Pipelines Through Southern BC! Join us to save it!" http://burnabypipelinewatch.ca/content/about-us
What the money would be going to/ 1 or more notable accomplishments in the past/ any other things: In past got the City of Burnaby to come out against the expansion and continue to host movie showings, demonstrations, and have recently created a youth outreach subgroup.
Contact: http://www.burnabypipelinewatch.ca/ and info@burnabypipelinewatch.ca
Group Name: Sacred Circle
Annual Budget: < $70,000 annually
Group Goal: Artists, especially women on financial assistance, meet, carve and make jewelry at the Sacred Circle. The space also operates as a retreat and sanctuary for women who are homeless, as a place for front line workers to coordinate the search for missing women, where the national database for missing and murdered women was created and where families can come when they are in town and debrief with Elders. Sacred Circle does not receive any government funding. The Portland Hotel Society has generously contributed the rent free space at 33 W Cordova.
What the money would be going to: To pay for costs associated with the completion of a totem pole in the Downtown Eastside. The purpose of the pole is to honour the “survivors” in the Downtown Eastside community. The pole will be installed at a space determined by the community, ideally before the Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March in 2014.
More info: The totem pole is ready to be carved in the Sacred Circle site at 33 W Cordova in the heart of the DTES. Please see the video that we made in October 2013 about the pole here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GUkfsZFNyU
Contact: Please call or email Wendy Pedersen at 604 839-0379 (wend.pedersen (at)gmail.com).
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Group Name: Unist’ot’en Camp
Brief Description: “The Unis’tot’en camp stands directly in the path of the proposed pipelines. As long as it stands, no pipelines can be built. By supporting the camp, you are not only helping grassroots Wet’suwet’en assert their sovereign right to live on their unceded traditional territories, you are also helping to put a stop to the eco-cidal expansion of tar sands and shale gas projects through the creation of a so-called “energy corridor.” ”
Annual Budget / Funding: Camp is funded through donations, and is far below our cap of 200,000 annually.
Group Goal: To stop the construction of pipelines on unceded Wet’suwet’en land.
What the money would be going to: Basic camp upkeep – including food, fuel, and supplies. The camp just held their annual Action Camp, wherein folks from all over came for workshops, to learn and share knowledge.
Website: http://unistotencamp.com/
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Group Name: Esther’s Echo
Budget: About $10,000
Description: Esther’s Echo is a story telling organization. We help to spread an alternative narrative for Africa, one of empowerment and local leadership. Our mission is to foster support for local African leaders who are working in their own communities to foster change by sharing their stories with a wider online community. We are beginning with Esther Kanu, a woman who founded her own school for girls in post conflict Sierra Leone
What the funds would be going for:
Presently, Esther is working toward making the annual rent on her school building which is 1,000 USD. We have currently provided half of this funding. The other 500 dollars will help ensure that the Women in Action Development Center remains secure in its current location until April 2014.
An Accomplishment:
Our largest achievement was the sponsorship of Esther Kanu, the founder of the Women in Action Development Center, to come to Canada in 2012. Through sponsorship of Capilano University, Esther came to empower young social entrepreneurs in Canada by providing training and encouragement with respect to student-led social justice initiatives.
Videos Demonstrate our work abroad:
Esther’s School in Sierra Leone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VljYnNJ8aw0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUyO0TaeLUWIvcr_dpPAgqfQEsther’s Visit to Canada: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyPTuuIrQTo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUyO
Their website (http://www.esthersecho.org) is still under construction.
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Group Name: Burnaby Homeless Task Force
Budget: $174,000
Group Goals: To END homelessness in Burnaby and, in the interim, to identify and address issues of homelessness in Burnaby.
What the money would be going for: A variety of items and efforts which contribute to the 5 strategic goals – 1. Develop a broad continuum of housing 2. Adequate, stable income sources that ensured basic necessities of life 3. Adequate community support services for vulnerable populations 4. Community awareness and support 5. Community capacity building
Website: http://www.burnabyhomelesstaskforce.org
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Group Name: BC Labour Standards Coalition
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Website: http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/
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Group Name: No One Is Illegal
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Website: http://noii-van.resist.ca/
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Group Name: Rising Tide Vancouver
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Website: http://risingtide.resist.ca/
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