June 2021 - Ways to Take Action

Hello! Welcome to my first monthly round-up of actions you can take to help create a more democratic, socially just, and progressive world.

Indigenous History Month:

  • Commit to reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action - these were published in 2015 and yet most Canadians still haven’t read them (I didn’t read them myself until 2019 and I wish I had read them sooner)

    • Printable PDF can be found here (it is only 10 pages long!)

Mourning the deaths of 215 Indigenous children:

  • Make a donation, big or small, to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society - here

  • Commit to learning more about Indigenous Histories and contemporary Indigenous rights issues in Canada (I will be starting the course below in the fall if you are looking for an accountability partner, let me know!)

    • Indigenous Canada is a Massive FREE Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada

    • Topics covered in this course include:

      • The fur trade and other exchange relationships

      • Land claims and environmental impacts

      • Legal systems and rights

      • Political conflicts and alliances

      • Indigenous political activism

      • Contemporary Indigenous life, art, and its expressions

Pride Month:

  • Commit to learning more about queer history and the queer elders who have lead our movement for liberation

  • Some suggested accounts to follow:

  • Prioritize your learning from Trans people and queer people of colour

  • Some suggested accounts to follow:

Release The 21:

  • On May 20th, the Ghana Police Services raided a workshop whose aim was to educate participants on the rights of LGBTQ+ persons. All of the 21 people arrested identify as LGBTQ+

  • You can make a donation to support their legal costs here

  • You can follow LGBT+ Rights Ghana to learn more

Free Palestine:

  • Commit to learning more about the complex history of the conflict in Israel/Palestine

  • MCC (full disclosure: they are a Christian/Mennonite non-profit) has worked in Palestine for years. Their Peace & Justice Office has put together some helpful resources here:

  • Sign this petition to tell CBC that they must provide adequate coverage of the 2021 Human Rights Watch Report on Israel

Carly Friesen