Minutes from Steering Committee, March 20, 2009

March 20, 2009 – OISE Peace Lounge 3:30 – 5:30

Attending: Hartley, jes, Emily, Brendan, Matt, Duncan, Bonnie,

Regrets: Deborah, Jenni, Robyn, Simon, Margo

1. Steering Committee Commuication

• Google Groups doesn’t seem to be working consistently for everybody; this could be because some people’s e-mails are awaiting moderator confirmation
• look into Google Groups and who’s receiving info; jes will talk to Robyn about this

2. Meeting with Warren

• Brendan had a quick meeting with Warren
• Warren is willing to work with us on a proposal: vision, theme
• Re: coming to PTO Warren recommended that as many as possible attend
• They could possibly waive conference fee as well as arrange billets
• Warren suggested that some come early and “shadow” Minneapolis organizers

3. Attending PTO Minneapolis

• who’s definitely almost possibly going: Simon, Duncan, Steven, Deb Barndt
• wants to / maybe: Jes, Matt, chris, Emily, Brendan (and Kai), Adam L, Hartley
• can’t: Robyn, Bonnie,
• look into memberships – perhaps create membership fund to support
• Brendan will talk to Warren about financial constraints

4. Conference Date:

• last weekend of June 2010 is G8 in Huntsville
• Corvin suggestions: OISE is okay; alternatively an OISE prof could book space at UofT; Judy Rebick & Ryerson
• Moved and agreed that we take OISE as space for last weeks of June: 18, 19, 20
• confirm G8 dates; confirm pre or post and this opens up possibility for pre-G8 events
• Mixed Company – Jokers Symposium – we support Mixed Company in organizing their symposium as a pre or post event
• Adam will contact Daniel to confirm acceptance of OISE

5. Conference Theme Brainstorm:

• We’re not gonna take it
• whose gonna take it: not us
• connecting to other 2010 things happening
• migration
• colonialism
• something fun and light
• who are our heroes
• what is a heroes
• role of heroes
• twisted sister and The Who
• Qui Bono – Who Benefits
• What is Peace
• Carnival – circus
• tie into Joker Symposium
• Batman Begins
• The Joker’s Not Dead
• Seize the Moment
• Repeat the Moment
• Make the Moment
• Borders
• Crossing Borders
• Breaking borders
• Defining Borders
• Drawing Borders
• Erasing Borders
• Jokering borders
• Remembering Borders
• Mapping Borders
• History of Oppression
• Remembering our History
• Resistance and Rebellion
• Global Problems, Local Solutions
• When is Enough Enough
• G8 is Enough
• Be the Change
• Holding Ourselves Accountable
• Responsibility
• Troubling the Waters
• Patti Lather’s new book
• Re: Public
• Re: framing

• send out e-mail for continued discussion and decision at pre-Minneapolis meeting
• chris will spawn an e-mail on theme brainstorm on Google Groups

6. Hussan’s offer to do some anti-colonial education with the steering ctte

• Brendan confirming Hussan’s interest

7. Outreach to groups we should have at the table

• check community mapping report
• Regent Park Focus – Adonis Huggins
• Children’s Peace Theatre – Karen Emerson, artistic director
• Sketch – Phyllis Novak, Rudy Ruttiman
• Native Earth – Jes can do outreach
• COBA – Collection of Black Artists
• Artists Mentoring Youth (AMY) – Claire Calnan
• Supporting Our Youth – Clare Nobbs
• 519 Church – jes has contacts
• Montreal – University of the Streets, Concordia Institute
• Jumblies – Ruth Howard
• PARC – Bob Rose
• Jack Pierpont – Inclusion Press
• No One Is Illegal
• KWIC

• chris will spawn e-mail on google groups about this
• everyone asked to add, and also inform whether contact as been made to avoice doubling up on people

8. Reports from Subcommittees

• Matt apologizes
• add Margo to Finance & Fundraising

Hospitality:

• decided to split up hotels, hostels and university residences research
• one hostel in Toronto won award
• suggestion of asking $25 for billeting for entire weekend which is given as subsidy to billeter to reduce conference fee
• suggestion to stay at Unionized hotels – e.g. Sheraton…
• check number of “accessible” rooms at hotels
• check services etc
• create ‘zine/map of our own of downtown Toronto
• think about storytelling event on Toronto Islands – history of Islands (talk to Shadowlands); Native Bus Tour; etc…

Funding Ctte:

• check out Tourism Toronto support
• research transportation discounts – Greyhound
• Laura Copeland’s advice
• Mixed Company interested in being connected to coordinate grant applications

• All subcommittees urged (STRONGLY) to meet before next steering ctte meeting
• Brendan will e-mail everyone ctte lists and e-mails

9. Looking Ahead:

• Friday, APRIL 24th – 3:30 – 5:30
• Friday, MAY 8TH – 3:30 – 5:30

• Matt to confirm Minute taking
• chris to facilitate

Report from Feb. 26th Steering Committee Meeting

So attendance at the last meeting was pretty slim - just Emily, Sara, Hartley Bonnie and I. We felt that we lacked quorum to make any decisions of a substantial nature.

We propose that we have the next meeting Friday, March 20th, 3:30pm at the OISE Peace Lounge. If it's ok with chris, he and Hartley will get their chance to facilitate and take minutes.

We are starting to get to the point where some serious decisions need to be made. The five of us spent the time this past Thursday assembling an outline for an agenda for the 20th. Feel free to add to this...


1. Set a date for the conference.

2. Decide on a (or some) place(s) to hold the conference.

3. Choosing a theme for the conference - Brendan will contact the PTO Board and get a list of all past themes (to be distributed by email).

5. Report from meeting with Warren Linds and discuss the creation of a "conference proposal" in conjunction with Warren, Ellie and Alejandra (Liaison committee from PTO)

6. Discuss Hussan's offer to do some anti-colonial education with the steering committee.

7. Reports from the sub-committees.