YUTSA Coffeeshop, ISIS & Islamophobia and TTCriders

YORK COMMUNITY REPORT: The York University Tamil Students Association (YUTSA) will begin holding monthly ‘coffee-shop’ style talks on Wednesday, October 8th. The talks are aimed at creating an engaged community surrounding the Tamil diaspora at York University. Roshni Raveenthiran of YUTSA joined us on the show to talk about the coffee-shop and its theme of “Tamil Women’s Uprising Day” and the idea of revolutionary women fighting against struggle.

Facebook: YUTSA Facebook

Twitter: @YUTSA

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FEATURE REPORT: Dr Hatem Bazian is a professor at the University of California – Berkley and in an exclusive interview spoke to News Now’s Arshia Lakhani about his thoughts on the factors leading to the rise of ISIS, how islamophobia contributes to ISIS recruiting efforts and how many muslims word-wide are responding to the brutal rule of ISIS theocracy.

Twitter: @Hatembazian

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SPECIAL REPORT: Brenda Thompson of TTCriders.ca and Scarborough Transit Action joined News Now’s Christian Deo (@chrisjdeo) on the program to discuss what the riders union believes is the best solution to solving Scarborough’s transit woes. She also addresses the transit plans of the top three mayoral candidates.

Website: www.ttcriders.ca

Twitter: @ttcriders

ICE RIDE w/ Greenpeace, Experience the 1973 Chilean Coup & Joey Keithly of D.O.A.

YORK COMMUNITY REPORT: York University graduate and volunteer coordinator of Greenpeace Toronto Natalie Caine spoke to NEWS NOW about the potential dangers of oil exploration and extraction in the arctic. Greenpeace is organizing a worldwide ‘self-propelled wheeled’ ride on October 4th called the ICE RIDE.

Learn more about #savethearctic here and Greenpeace Canada

Find the Toronto ICE RIDE on facebook here

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FEATURE REPORT: Ovide Bastien moved to Chile in July 1973, two months before a CIA sponsored coup would murder the country’s then president Salvador Allende and overthrow his democratically elected Popular Unity government.

Bastien recounts the events in the years the followed in his book Chile: Underside of an Economic Miracle. He joined NEWS NOW to talk about his experience after the coup.

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INDEPENDENT ARTS AND CULTURE REPORT: Welcome to China Town is the second live album and one of over 20 releases from Vancouver punk band D.O.A. over the last 35 years.

Teaming up with Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, D.O.A. is hitting Ontario and Quebec with the True North Strong and Free Tour to promote the record.

In a tribute to D.O.A., Beau’s has brewed a special D.O.A. Hardcore 8.1 malt liquor that will be sold at all D.O.A. shows in Ontario. The band hits Toronto’s Hardluck on Saturday, October 11th.

Long time D.O.A.er and founder of Sudden Death Record‘s Joe Keithly joined News Now’s Christian Deo over the phone to talk about the record, politics and the beer.

Palestine and the Arab Revolutions with James Clark

INDEPENDENT ARTS REPORT: The Toronto East International Socialists hosted a talk with James Clark and Sid Lacombe called Palestine and the Arab Revolutions on Saturday, September 13th in Toronto. Haseena Manek spoke with Clark about the event, organizers and some of the topics that would be broached during the event’s discussion.

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014 – Disorientation Week at York, and the Toronto Palestinian Film Festival

York Community Report: Frosh week, also known as Orientation week at colleges and universities across North America has become a right-of-passage for post-secondary students. The week has come to be associated with parties, pranks and even recently sexual assaults. OPIRG York however is trying to change the conversations had at Orientation week at York University. To learn more about Disorientation week Christian Deo sat down with Volunteer coordinator at OPIRG Victoria Barnett as well as Zora – the Special Events and Program Coordinator for the summer of 2014. To learn more about OPRIG, please visit http://www.opirgyork.ca/ or tweet at @OpirgYork

Download this interview here.

 

Independent Arts Report: An outdoor screening of Laila’s Birthday is scheduled for this Friday, August 8th at Christie Pitts Park in Toronto by the Toronto Palestinian Film Festival. The screening comes to the public as TPFF gears up for their annual showings in September. NEWS NOWs Christian Deo spoke with TPFF spokeswoman Dania Majid about Palestinian film, the significance of the festival and the outdoor screening. For more on the Toronto Palestinian Film Festvial, please visit http://tpff.ca/ or tweet at @TPFF

Download this interview here.

Monday August 4th, 2014 – Shadeism, Canada’s Detention Policy, The Izzat Project

York Community Report: News Now’s Dani Sinnatamby speaks to director and producer Naani Thiyagarajah of “Shadeism”, a documentary regarding skin colour discrimination. The term shadeism refers to the discrimination between lighter and darker skinned members of the same community. Targeted communities most often include people of African, Caribbean, and South Asian diasporas.

Download this interview here.

Feature Report: Following our Monday’s Detainment Series, Fakiha Baig speaks with Mina Ramos of End Immigration Detention Network about Canada’s detention practices. Currently, Canada’s Immigration Detention Policy allows for indefinite incarceration of immigrants, amongst many other unjust and immoral detention practices. Fakiha and Mina discuss these practices and the United Nation’s call for a change in practice.

Download this interview here.

Independent Arts Report: Farrah Khan from the Izzat Project speaks to News Now about her comic titled, “Heartbeats: The Izzat Project.” The comic tells a story of six young South Asian women in Toronto who use illustration, design, and writing to share taboo stories and subjects that are present in the community. They women discuss subjects such as honour and violence. Farrah tells us how her comic book can help us better understand the realities of South Asian women in Toronto.

Download this interview here.