Disorientation 2012 Callout for Proposals and Volunteers

Disorientation 2012 Callout for Proposals and Volunteers

What is Disorientation? 
For the past several years, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Toronto, the University of Toronto Student’s Union and our allies have been collaborating on Disorientation, an alternative orientation week that fosters student activism, educates and agitates students about social change and works to connect campus and community issues. Disorientation is a week of forums, panels and workshops intended to expose students and community members to critical analysis, insight and research about a range of social and environmental justice campaigns in the city of Toronto and abroad.

 Last year’s Disorientation theme was “The Past is a Battleground” and the week included keynote speaker Sunera Thobani’s retrospective on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, as well as workshops on direct action, media, decolonization and anti-imperialist struggles. All the content of Disorientation must fit broadly within the commitment both UTSU and OPIRG Toronto have made to working within an anti-oppression framework. We see the work of Disorientation as providing both the practical tools and political analysis for individuals and organizations to actively confront racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, imperialism, colonialism, patriarchy, transphobia and all intersecting forms of oppression. All Disorientation proposals must fit within this mandate of anti-oppression. 

The University of Toronto Student’s Union (UTSU) and OPIRG Toronto have begun to organize for the next Disorientation week, scheduled for the September 17th-21st, 2012. For Disorientation 2012, we want to talk about austerity. What is it? What does it mean for our communities? How can we resist it? We want to start conversations about budget priorities. Let’s talk about where money is going, like prison expansion and bank bailouts, and where it isn’t.  The evidence of an austerity agenda is everywhere, and we need to fight it. Students have proven to be integral to this fight, from the striking students in Quebec who refuse to accept tuition hikes, to students in England who protested cuts to education spending. Students can prove once again that they oppose austerity in all its forms. 

Submit a Proposal!

But wait! We also want to know your thoughts and hear your proposals for content for Disorientation! Are you a part of a community organization, campus group or collective of people interested in educating people about a specific campaign or issue? Do you want to organize a panel? Plan a workshop? Let us know and we can try and fit it into the schedule. E-maildisotoronto@gmail.com for the proposal form and more details. 

Process for Approval: 
1) Organization/Person submits completed proposal form to disotoronto@gmail.com or to the OPIRG office by Monday June 18th, 2012. 
2) The Disorientation committee will review the application and will contact the organization/individual with any questions/concerns/clarifications. 
3) Depending on the schedule of the week, the number of proposals and the relevance of the proposed activity to Disorientation and/or the theme of the week, the committee will make a decision and contact the individual/organization. 
4) If the proposal is approved, the organization/applicant will be asked to appoint at least 2 contact people working on the event to be in correspondence with the Disorientation committee. 
* As both OPIRG and UTSU have their own ideas and priorities for Disorientation week, please be aware that there are a limited number of spots for proposals. We may not be able to accommodate all proposals within our schedule, even if they fit within our mandate. Preference will go to proposals that fit within the themes and priorities that have been identified by the committee for this year’s Disorientation. 

Disorientation 2012 is looking for volunteers to help make this week our best one ever. Are you passionate about social and environmental justice? Are you interested in learning more about political campaigns happening here in Toronto? Looking to get more involved in campus politics and/or community organizing? We want you!
Disorientation is a great opportunity to plug into the political work happening at the University of Toronto and throughout the city, and learn more about the various issues groups and individuals are fighting for right now.

Join the Disorientation committee this summer and help us plan the week around the themes and priorities we have identified. We want your input about what we need to talk about, what’s going on in this city and what’s important to students! Or join us in September to get the word out about Disorientation. We need people to assist with outreach, media and event logistics. We will provide the skills if you can provide your time! We can provide trainings on the work we do and how to promote Disorientation, on outreach strategy and event coordination. 

To get involved in Disorientation 2012, e-mail us at disotoronto@gmail.com. Please let us know when you will be available, and what volunteer opportunities you are interested in. 

OPIRG Toronto is a volunteer-based group at the University of Toronto, with a mandate for action, education, and research on environmental and social justice issues. U.T.S.U. is YOUR Students’ Union. We coordinate events, services and campaigns throughout your time as an undergrad at UofT. Some of our awesome events include Orientation, Winterfest, U.T.S.U.’s Got You and eXpression Against Oppression.

Check out  www.utsu.ca  or www.opirgtoronto.org for more information on the work that we do.