Studio For Media Activism and Critical Thought

04/02/2024

You've probably seen the disturbing footage of Toronto police trampling and abusing peaceful protestors last weekend at the Land Day event for Palestine, one of several around the world. Here is a template letter provied by East End Acts that you can send to Olivia Chow and your city councillor.

Dear [______]
I am emailing to express my disapproval of Toronto Police and their increasing violence and aggression against citizens of Toronto advocating for Palestinian human rights. Across the city, more and more citizens are making their voices heard to oppose the ongoing genocide being committed by Israel. As you may be aware, in the past six months, Israel has killed 40,000 Palestinians, of whom forty percent are women and children. Israel has displaced and dispossessed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and is blocking food and essentials to Gaza, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe.
As Torontonians organize in increasing numbers against the genocide in Gaza, Toronto Police are escalating their attempts to suppress and criminalize our voices. This past weekend, at a peaceful demonstration attended by thousands of Torontonians supporting Palestine, Toronto police showed up in unprecedented numbers and showed unacceptable and unwarranted levels of aggression towards attendees, without warning. Police were seen rushing attendees, choking them, shoving them to the ground, and riding horses into the crowd. Some in the path of the mounted police were elderly, in wheelchairs, and others had children with them. Multiple people suffered injuries and many were hospitalized due to the police brutality. Six attendees were arrested, and one attendee was refused medical treatment while in custody.
This behaviour by Toronto police is unacceptable. Police are acting as if they have carte blanche towards demonstrators, and they are being emboldened by the racist narrative coming from many politicians that the Palestine movement is hate-promoting and violent. But Torontonians will continue to mobilize in support of Palestinian human rights, we will not be silenced.
I call on you as an elected official, to condemn the actions of Toronto police at Saturday’s gathering and the escalating police violence against Torontonians advocating for Palestinian human rights. Thank you for hearing my concerns.

Sincerely,
[your name]

02/09/2023

A critical, anti-racist look at EDI policies in the academy with Dr. Shana Almeida in conversation with university activists.

02/06/2023

TONIGHT: Join us for a deep dive into how equity policies have failed the city and the university - and what students & artists are doing to create change. With Dr. Shana Almeida, Zainub Verjee, Leen Amarin & Tegan Hadisi. On Zoom tonight, Feb 9, 6:30-9:30 Register here: bit.ly/SMACT-edi

A critical, anti-racist look at EDI policies in the academy with Dr. Shana Almeida in conversation with university activists.

01/31/2023

Join us THURSDAY FEB 9 for this virtual discussion…when neoliberalism and “inclusion” collide…with these kickass feminist thinkers. Scan the barcode to register!

04/06/2022

TOMMOROW IS THE DAY!!
…
This cabaret-style event will focus on women, LGBTQ+, trans and non-binary Ukrainians, and how they’ve been impacted through Russia’s re-invasion.
All the proceeds will go to 2 places:

Black Women for Black Lives
They are a UK based organization, created by 3 Black women, which raises money to rescue Black lives, especially students, who are being discriminated against while trying to flee Ukraine.
"In just 5 short weeks, we've been able to help evacuate people out of Ukraine, help them pay for food when their city was under siege and even help them afford accommodation, transportation and medical aid. We were also able to bring attention to their plight, and compiled resources and brokered partnerships to help them as they attempted to rebuild their lives. All this while the rest of the world forgot about them or actively discriminated against them".

Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
UAF is committed to supporting women, trans, and nonbinary activists on the ground in and surrounding Ukraine by providing flexible funding and security support. We are responding to requests from groups and individuals seeking:
• Support with emergency evacuations and relocations
• Legal, financial, and medical support
• Security and disaster survival training
• Increasing shelter capacities for children, women, and all other civilians
• Access to alternative communication channels, mobile internet, power banks, VPNs, proxy, spare phones, and tablets
…
You have one more day to register!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567

04/06/2022

GHADEER ELGHAFRI✨
…
Ghadeer Elghafri is a Palestinian-Canadian from Gaza, born and raised in Dubai, living
in Toronto. She is a newcomer, immigrant, radical intersectional feminist, poet, singer,
actor, improviser, comedian, warrior, healer, activist and advocate.
Ghadeer has performed in dozens of poetry nights and read her Arabic poetry with English
translation. She organized inclusive multicultural multilingual open mic poetry nights in
Toronto for 7 years. She has featured in Shab-e She’r poetry night series and in an art show
at Daniels Spectrum by the Diversity Institute at Ryerson University.Ghadeer has published her Arabic and English poetry in newspapers, magazines and an
anthology, Poetry ReRooted: Decolonizing Our Tongues in Toronto. Her poem
Alhuwiyya (The Identity) was published in English in the anthology of Muslim American
Writers at Home in San Francisco by Freedom Voices Publisher.
Ghadeer writes about longing to her passed away father, occupation of her homeland
Palestine, her city Gaza under attack, Jerusalem ethnical cleansing, war, violence,
resistance, intergenerational trauma, diaspora, refugees, right of return, prisoners,
identity, rage, mourning, grief, sadness, madness, loss, justice, surviving, nostalgia,
love, peace, feminism, society, humanity and more.
Ghadeer’s poetry and poetry nights inspired the community by conveying a message,
changing narratives, breaking stigmas, reinforcing cultural heritage and creating
awareness in the society.
…
If you want to see Ghadeer Elghafri, don’t forget to register!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567

04/05/2022

FERRON✨
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Ferron (pronounced Feh-ron) (she/her) is a q***r feminist Métis folk icon … “In her 40-plus years as a singer-songwriter, she's influenced everybody from Ani DiFranco to the Indigo Girls, and started her own record label in the late 1970s. An outspoken advocate for social justice issues, one of Ferron's first hits, 1980's "Testimony", became an unofficial anthem for the post-folk women's music movement” (CBC)
https://www.cbc.ca/music/read/a-candid-interview-with-ferron-an-unsung-canadian-treasure-1.5071953
…
If you want to see Ferron along with our other presenters, don’t forget to register!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567

04/05/2022

BÄNDOO ZAN✨
…

Bänoo (pronounced Bah-noo) Zan (she/her) is a poet, librettist, translator, teacher, editor and poetry curator, with more
than 200 published poems and poetry-related pieces as well as three books. Song of
Phoenix: Life and Works of Sylvia Plath, was reprinted in Iran in 2010. Songs of Exile,
her first poetry collection, was released in 2016 in Canada by Guernica Editions. It was
shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award by the League of Canadian Poets in
2017. Letters to My Father, her second poetry book, was published in 2017 by Piquant
Press in Canada. She is the founder of Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), Toronto’s most
diverse poetry reading and open mic series (inception: 2012). It is a brave space that
bridges the gap between communities of poets from different ethnicities, nationalities,
religions (or lack thereof), ages, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, poetic styles,
voices and visions.
…
If you want to see Bänoo Zan along with our other presenters, don’t forget to register!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567

04/05/2022

BLISK BAND✨
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BLISK Band (she/her) is an all-female musical trio that focuses on the synthesis of Balkan and Slavic polyphonic song and dance backed by hypnotic percussion and melodies. It is an ethereal musical journey traveling through Ukraine, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and beyond. The members of BLISK hail from Canada, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
…
If you want to see Blisk band along with our other speakers, don’t forget to register!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567

04/05/2022

SARRAH GHADEER MALEK✨
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Sarrah (pronounced Sah-rah) Ghadeer Malek (she/her) is a Palestinian writer, editor, and spoken word poet living in Toronto, Canada. She explores issues of home & belonging, occupation & migration, land & displacement through creative poetical performance, and using the style of magical realism in her creative writing. She is passionate about creating independent artistic spaces showcasing collective and individual voices. Her first major publication is a co-edited anthology called Min Fami: Arab feminist reflections on space, identity and resistance published by Inanna Publications in 2014. Currently, she is working on 2 works-in-progress; a spoken word poetry collection titled Poetical Thawra, and a short story collection called Thawra. Both have received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and Toronto Arts Council.
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If you wanna see Sarrah along with the other performers, don’t forget to register!!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laboratory-of-feminist-memory-wartime-edition-tickets-306085699567