News 5

Defend Our Climate, Defend Our Communities

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Sarah Jackson

FROM TARSANDSoRIPELINES © TANKERS

Tyson Kelsall
Culture Editor
oO: 16 November 2013, a group
of nearly 150 people came
together at Prince George’s Civic
Center to take a stand against
a variety of environmental and
social issues under the umbrella
of “Defend Our Climate, Defend
Our Communities” (DOCDOC),
which spawned over 130 protests
in solidarity across Canada fighting
community-based environmental
issues as well as on a global scale.

DOCDOC is another event in
a trend of important events

that are marking a shift in
environmentalism towards truly
recognizing the intersection
between ecological issues with
Indigenous rights and social issues
in Canada. There has recently been
some overlap between these causes;
until now they have mostly been
distinct. Some might point to Idle
No More as a key factor in raising
awareness when it comes to the
diversity of Aboriginal philosophy
and law.

The DOCDOC march in Prince
George had an array of drumming
and songs. The march went from

the Civic Center to Shirley Bond’s
office, where the most prominent
speakers were First Nations.
Carrier-Sekani representative
Terry Teegee spoke about the
importance of protecting our land,
and more importantly, starting

to consciously move away from
society’s dependence on fossil
fuels. He compared our reliance

to an addiction problem, relating
it to Rob Ford’s recent drug-use
concerns. In this sense, we have

to admit we have a problem, and
then move forward, he claimed.
Chief Martin Louie, who is part

of the Yinka Dene Alliance, also
spoke about protecting the land

- he especially focused on the
significance of water. Chief Louie
also touched on the difficulties
with our obsession with money.
This is another topic that is
starting to interline and find its
way into the conversations of
environmental protests and within
activist discussion. If this argument
becomes fully incorporated in

the environmental movement, as
indigenous rights previously was,
then we are not far from seeing
an anti-capitalist discourse find
its way to the forefront of the
movement.

The day of solidarity drew many
people throughout the nation. In
Victoria, there were 1000 people
standing on the ocean shore at
Clover Point. In Vancouver, roughly
5000 congregated around Science
World. In the latest polls, 59% of
Canadians believe climate change
should be a top priority for their
government, a clear sign that an
increasing number of people are
becoming knowledgeable about the
potential effects of climate change.
As Defend Our Climate, Defend Our
Communities happened on the
heels of Typhoon Haiyan, whose
severity has been largely blamed
on climate change, some people
are concerned about Canada’s
reputation on the international
level.

UNBC Club Wins Development Debate

Nicole Halseth
News Editor

he local UNBC World University
Services of Canada (WUSC)
committee recently won a national
debate for what it thinks the future
of development should focus on.
The debate was: Youth Voices
on the Future of International
Development. The debate was
held in conjunction with the third
annual WUSC International Forum,
which was held in Ottawa from
1-3 November, and members from
over 80 universities across Canada
attended. The event was organized
in conjunction with the Center
for International Studies and
Cooperation (CECI).

This year, WUSC sent five members
of their local committee to attend
as delegates. Prior to the event,
these students collaborated to
submit a proposal for their vision of
the most important issue of global
development today. Their proposals
were judged by WUSC executives

in Ottawa, and the top three

were chosen to debate in front of

the entire congregation during

the conference in Ottawa. UNBC
WUSC’s proposal was chosen as one
of these top three.

Their version of the greatest issue
of global development today was
that it should be a contextually
based and collaborative process.
They competed against proposals
with a focus in education, water,
and migration.

During the debate itself, members
of WUSC UNBC were able to
successfully and eloquently

state their case and win over the
audience (and the judges). While
their proposal was not initially well
received, they were able to come
back from being the underdogs

in public ratings. They won the
debate with a landslide 51 votes,
up from their original 13 votes, to
win by a margin of 20 votes to their
closest competitor. Delegates of
other Canadian universities at the
conference even began tweeting
about the debate, with quotes from
UNBC’s delegates springing up
across a wide range of social media
sites.

Though the debate represents a
significant achievement for the
WUSC local committee, and UNBC
asa whole, the conference offered
other opportunities to its delegates.
Students were able to network with
other WUSC members across the
country, pool their ideas, and listen
to notable speakers on a wide range
of topics.

More information on the 2013
WUSC International Forum can be
found here: http://forum.wusc.ca/
great-debates-discussions-2013-
international-forum/.

UNBC’s WUSC delegation has since
returned to Prince George, and the
members are now focusing on their
next event.

WUSC UNBC plans to hold a Bike for
AIDS event on 1 December from 10
am to 4 pm, at the Northern Sports
Center: Bike for AIDS isa Uniterra
fundraising event meant to raise
money (and awareness) to buy
bicycles,and bicycle-ambulances
for HIV/AIDS health workers and
educators in Malawi. Due to the
remoteness of some communities

in Malawi, and road conditions, it
can be difficult, if not impossible,
to get traditional ambulances to
all HIV/AIDS patients who need
them. As such, sometimes the
most practical solution is to take a
bicycle.

The local WUSC committee will be
fundraising for this event from 26
to 28 of November in the Winter
Garden. They will have a booth set
up, so please feel free to come talk
to WUSC about the event, learn
more, or donate money to sponsor
a WUSC member to walk on World
AIDS Day (1 December). For every 2
dollars donated, a WUSC member
will walk one lap. You can also stop
by the Northern Sports Center on 1
December and donate. Help WUSC
reach their goal of $200 to buy a
bicycle for HIV/AIDS workers in
Malawi. Hope to see you there!

Check out Facebook for more
information about our local WUSC
committee and their upcoming
events!