The Clinton Global Initiative for Universities

Again from a recent email I received, this may be of interest to some folks out there: 


"The Clinton Global Initiative for Universities is an initiative created by ex-President Clinton to engage the youth of the world to commit to social justice and concrete action that could help people in their community, and in their world.

The main activity of the Clinton Global Initiative for Universities is to raise awareness about the CGI U general meeting. In 2011, the meeting assembled thousands of student leaders, dignitaries, and national youth organizations together to discuss issues of global importance. The speakers included Mandy Moore, Sean Penn, and Bill Clinton himself.

Students can apply to this meeting by committing themselves to solving a social issue. This can be in conjunction with efforts that they are already putting in to solving either problems at the local, national, or international level. CGI U aims to foster these commitments, and then help support them with any resources available at our disposal.

While applications and commitments are on hold for CGI U 2012 as the final meeting date and place are being set, interested applicants can apply for the campus representative team at http://www.cgiu.org/about/campus_representatives.asp."

Course in Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Canada and the Global South

Montreal's Social Justice Committee is coordinating a new Certificate course on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Canada and the Global South.


From an email I received today:

The SJC invites you to take part in a new certificate course: 
Economic, social and cultural rights in Canada and the Global South 



What are economic, social and cultural rights? What are the agreements in place to protect them? What are groups doing in Canada to defend these rights at home and abroad? 

This five-week popular education course will serve an introduction to economic, social and cultural rights. Participants will learn from guest speakers, share their knowledge, and work together to develop strategies for social change.

September 20 - October 18, 2011, Tuesday evenings at 6:00pm
Cost: $35 (Contact us if a sliding scale is needed)
Location: Centre St-Pierre, 1212 Rue Panet, Montreal (Metro Beaudry)
Wheelchair accessible. Childcare available upon request. Food and drink provided. 
To register, and  for more information on participating speakers, visit www.sjc-cjs.org.
 Course schedule:
Each week guest speakers will explore specific issues related to economic, social and cultural rights, and discuss their work defending these rights in Canada and the Global South.

Week One: Introduction to economic, social and cultural rights with a focus on the right to an adequate standard of living•    Equitas on the history of economic, social and cultural rights
•    Project Genesis on anti-poverty activism in Montreal
•    Social Justice Committee on how debt and international trade affect global poverty

Week Two: The right to work and labour rights•    PINAY on the rights of migrant Filipino women workers in Quebec
•    Children’s Care International on child trafficking and international child labour

Week Three: The right to health and social security•    Head & Hands on young people's access to sexual health care and education in Quebec
•    Handicap International on anti-landmine agreements and the rights of the disabled globally

Week Four: The right to family life•    LGBT Family Coalition on the legal and social recognition of LGBT families in Quebec
•    Canadian Crossroads International on women’s rights and gender-based violence in Africa

Week Five: Self-determination and the rights of indigenous people•    Chief Ghislain Picard on Plan Nord and the self-determination of First Nations in Quebec
•    Father Ernie Schibli on Canadian mining and the rights of indigenous people in Latin America

This project is made possible by generous donations from the Human Rights Program, Canadian Heritage and L'Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI).

Materials Analysis Tool Animation

I've been keeping busy working on a project with McGill's University Services to develop a tool to help their designers and consultants make more sustainable building and maintenance product choices. The tool is called MAT, short for Materials Analysis Tool.

We are just in the testing stages right now and are hoping to launch mid-to-late September. In the meantime, I'm working on a short promotional video to for McGill's Sustainability Projects Fund, the organization that funded the project.

Here is a little teaser - this short animation introduces the criteria that are used in the framework of analysis for  MAT.