Welcome to the EXILE Infoshop’s virtual home! Browse around to find out more about other awesome groups in Ottawa, check out some local activist and fundraising events, and (below) find regular news updates about what’s going on with us.
Find us: 256 Bank St. (second floor), Ottawa, ON.
Hours of operation: Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 8pm; Sunday noon to 5pm.
1pm-2pm: how to winterize your bike @ EXILE Infoshop
2pm-3pm: “indigenous solidarity for settlers” by ipsmo @ EXILE Infoshop
3pm-3:30pm: intermission
3:30pm-4pm: vegan baking with Auntie Loo @ Umi Cafe
4pm-5pm: letter writing to prisoners workshop @ Umi Cafe
ACT 21 – A COMMUNITY TALKS
– FEB 3rd at 7PM / LIVE WEB CAM Q & A with author DERRICK JENSEN
DERRICK JENSEN, author of ‘What We Leave Behind’, ‘ A Language Older Than Words’, ‘ Endgame 1 and 2′, ‘The Culture of Make Believe’ and ‘ Welcome to the Machine’.
“What We Leave Behind” …If we are not responsible for what we leave behind, then who is ? Join author, Derrick Jensen, live from California via Web conferencing for a one hour of Questions and Answers. The second hour will be an internal town hall discussion of the topic and other issues from his books on environment and culture.
Derrick Jensen is a leading voice of cultural dissent. He explores the nature of injustice, how civilizations devastate the natural world, and how human beings retreat into denial at the destruction of the planet. His work examines the central question, “If the destruction of the natural world isn’t making us happy, then why are we doing it?”
Rather than proposing easy answers, Jensen traces the roots of the culture’s pathology and finds the places where they intertwine, revealing fresh and startling connections.
Wednesday, FEB 03rd, 2010
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Simard Hall , Ottawa University
Cafe Alternative, Basement
60 Universite Priv; Ottawa
A $5 donation is suggested – Seating Limited
More info at:
Email: actcityottawa@gmail.com
Web: http://ato.smartcapital.ca/actcity
Sponsored by:
SFUO/FEUO, ActCity Ottawa and Exile Infoshop
EXILE INFOSHOP, UMI CAFE and BOOKS to PRISONERS - OTTAWA PRESENT
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Book Release and Spoken Word Event
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Who Am Eye: a spokenword memoir by
Akili Castlin
A celebration of the writing of Akili Castlin, with performances by local
poets and allies.
Akili is a politically conscious prisoner held captive in the Security
Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay State Prison, where he continues to
write, study and live a life of reverence and respect for those who’ve
paved the way.
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UMI CAFÉ
Saturday, January 30 / 2010
7pm – onwards
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WHO AM EYE is a spokenword memoir, presented in three parts, that explores
the realities of life as a multiethnic black man. The poems combine sharp
political criticism with an honest examination of the author’s particular
experiences as he tries to “navigate the vertiginous space between being
poor, black and living from paycheck to paycheck and middle-class, white
and privileged: the equivalent of going from the field to the overseer’s
house, and back again.”
More info available at:
http://akilicastlin.wordpress.com
Dear Bonehead the Hate Artist,
An open letter to the fool who continues to denigrate our outdoor sign with swastikas and mindless comments (“commie scum”, etc.):
You got us again! Congratulations for another thoughtful act of sabotage. You’ll notice that we’ve once again cleared your canvas (i.e. repainted our sign) and have returned it to its rightful location on our outside door.
Sorry for taking so long to write you, it is apparent to us that you are desperately seeking some attention. We work collectively and therefore had to discuss what to do about your “art”. As an organization committed to egalitarianism – something we assume you know very little to absolutely nothing about – this sometimes means long meetings and thorough process. It also means that decisions at the Infoshop are addressed by a diversity of opinions but, in the case of your hate-art, there certainly are not many.
Your fascist art is bullshit. It is hateful. It is an expression of violence and intolerance that tests the limits of any sensible thought. It is also embarrassingly moronic. (Embarrassing for you! Did you even realize that?). Collectively we are at a loss over how to address your sad little hate-doodles.
For the record: we consider ourselves – much like you, it would seem – as proponents of public art. That said, our shared interests probably end there. Many of us are practitioners in transforming the monotony of these empty streets into the wonderful theatres of expression that we’d only hope any sane person would embrace. It seems that you, on the other hand, are just a racist jerk or just an idiot (some of us suspect the latter but maybe both). We’re not sure what to think of whatever propels you to commit such pathetic, half-assed hate-art. To be clear: we do not want to encourage you to improve on your midnight hate-scribbles. We are sick of cleaning the artistic excretion of your sad little mind and we’d prefer it stops.
So in light of these times of hope, here is our first tactic: a straightforward request. Dear Bonehead, can you please stop drawing your hate scribbles on our sign? If we’re mistaken and, for some reason way beyond our abilities to understand, we are misinterpreting your swastikas and “commie scum” comments, we’d actually like to hear you out. That might sound ridiculous. OK, that does sounds completely and totally ridiculous because it is completely and totally ridiculous… but, we’re serious. If that is at all appealing to you, we’d encourage you to read our anti-oppression statement and write us your thoughts (preferably by mail or email this time).
If our tactic is unsuccessful – as we suspect it will be, for the record – we’ll have to continue with this (already tired) ritual that you’ve initiated. To be perfectly honest, yes it is annoying. Again, congratulations!!! Hopefully you relish in that big score for fascism! Despite the small annoyances of re-painting our outdoor sign, please rest assured that we will continue to do so. When the sheer absurdity of this ritual grows tired and fails to fulfill whatever kick you’re getting from it, please know that it will end silently and forever remain an empty story for you to hold close to your little sick heart. When it does end, we will simply carry about our normal affairs. So please know this: We will likely never even notice the ritual is over. That will be the payment for your efforts. This will be the metaphor for your life, dear petty-fascist. Get used to it.
If nothing else, we’ll see you in the streets.
EXILE
Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7pm
The Olympics - fascist adventurism.
This event is both an educational event to raise awareness about the destructive impacts of the Olympics and the launch party for the newest issue of The Dominion. This most recent issue of The Dominion is a Special Report on the Winter Olympics.
ALSO, The olympic torch will be in Ottawa between Dec. 12 – 14. Olympics Resistance Ottawa will be organizing a demonstration to show that, despite the constant propaganda, not everyone LOVES the Olympics. No Olympics on Stolen Native Land!
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What is wrong with the Olympics?
EXILE will be open as usual except for the following days and times:
open Dec.24 from 9-12(for last minute consumers)
closed Dec.24 12-8
closed Dec.25 12-8
closed Dec.31 12-8
closed Jan.1 12-8
ten years of looking back
…still talking about it
Le Collectif du Chat Noir cordially invites you!
On November 30th 2009 the anti capitalist movement will be celebrating the ten year anniversary of the historic “Battle of Seattle”! and what better way to do this than a Monday night filled with friends, your favorite journal and a screening of the
awesome (and, uh…100% accurate) movie Battle of Seattle, starring Woody Harrelson as a COP!
We will also be taking the opportunity to officially launch our mobilization against the G8!
***6:00 – doors
***6:30 – Dave Bleakney (PGA, CUPW) – a look back on the last ten years, and a look ahead at the upcoming anti-G8 mobilization
***7:00 – movie magic
***9:30 – go home
let us know if you would like child care at this event
Monday November 30th 2009
6pm
Montgomery Legion Hall – 330 Kent St
(wheelchair accessible)
Intro to Radical Clowning (for adults) – workshop with Paula; from 4 – 6 pm
Chaotic Travels – Skills Share & Poetry Night with Paula and Arlen; starts 8pm.
Wednesday Nov.18, 2009
$10 or donation
Download the posters today!
We regret that this event is not wheelchair accessible
Intro to Radical Clowning (safe space* for adults).
A “regular” clown trains for entertainment, a “radical” clown experiments with
stretching the boundaries of expression and trains for imaginative stimulation, creativity and revolt of apathy, boredom, and the miserabilist capitalist death machine which effects our sense of possibilities.
Imagine the impossible! Play! Feel! Scream! Laugh! Em-body!
Come play in a safe space* with Paula, and loosen, enliven, shake awake. We will be playing various clowning games in consideration of these things. A practice of engagement with every day, every moment life to infuse it with imagination.
Bring wierd clothes!
(phobias note: for this particular workshop no “actual” clowns will be present, at most, a red nose might be passed around, but no “It” characters here)
*SAFE SPACE
Because Paula has worked in radical, activist settings, there is a component of “safe space”. There is never a point where anyone has to do anything they are not comfortable with, that includes touch and noises. If at any point someone feels uncomfortable or threatened, the priority is to attend to that reality. Playing when you are an adult isn’t just “pure fun”, it can be difficult and confusing. There is always space for that,and the workshop is run to be able to include at any time any concerns or difficulties anyone has. The second aspect of “safe space” is that there is no tolerance for language or behavior which is oppressive to anyone, that includes language and remarks that may be felt as sexist, racism, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or offensive to any group or person. All participants help maintain this component, and it becomes as relevant as the group needs it.
Find out or sign up funisfreepress -at- gmail.com
Yep it’s that time again, we collectives love to meet and reorganize, so we’re doing it again on Saturday Nov.14 2009. The space will be closed from 3pm onwards.
When: Saturday October 17, 2009, 8pm
Where: EXILE Infoshop, 256 Bank Street room 200
Cost: Pay What You Can
Synopsis:
In the 1960s and 1970s, the polarization of the political situation of the USA was becoming acute with the Vietnam War abroad and civil rights at home being but the most obvious issues. For the youth political movement, the seemingly ineffectual methods of peaceful protest and resistance led to the rise of an idealistic faction that want a more extreme approach that the Establishment could not ignore. This faction, called the Weather Underground, attempted to team up with the Black Panthers to violently confront the US government that started with street riots and escalating to bombing government targets. Thorough archival footage and interviews of the veterans of both sides of this conflict, this film covers the resistance movement’s campaign of selective violence through this period until changing times and disillusionment brought it to an end while the FBI used unethical and illegal methods to hasten it.
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