LOCAL EVENTS - WINNIPEG:

24 HOUR A-ZONE TELETHON:

It's been mentioned here before...the 24 hour telethon this May 1 to help build funds for the cooperative purchase of the A-Zone at 91 Albert St. here in Winnipeg. Here's a little reminder of what's coming up next weekend with the lineup of performers.

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Building the A-Zone Co-op 24-HOUR TELETHON
Type: Party - Benefit
Start Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 3:00pm
End Time: Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3:00pm
Location: 91 Albert St.

Description.A Marathon Fundraiser
Live from Mondragon @ 91 Albert
following the MayDay Parade Saturday May 1, 3pm
for 24 hours thru to Sunday May 2, 3pm

Come down in person to 91 Albert, or check the online streaming video at a-zone.org

You can donate in person, online, or both. We're buying the building - support the A-Zone Co-op!

Confirmed acts:

Sharon Bajer as Emma Goldman
DJ Coop
Subcity
The Peaches
Wanda Wilson
The Vibrating Beds
Adrien Sala
Adam CZ
Fat Crush
Serena Postel
Colin Smith
The Lorax
Matt Nightingale
Smash Mahkno Smash!
the silver fox and theo da pear man
Nathan Rogers
Clair Still
David Stubel
Dave Sweatman
See See Ryder

Also happening during the 24 telethon will be the Junto Punk Patch Quilt Raffle (http://a-zone.org/news/62/ ). Tickets are still available for $5 at the Mondragon, Natural Cycle, or the Junto.

Also, stop by the A-Zone during the telethon to enter the COVER BAND-OFF... http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=109461235757735
or email bandoff@chromatin.ca

Talent and MCs still needed! contact oldtimbrandt@gmail.com

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT/LOCAL NEWS-WINNIPEG:

THE "A QUILT" RAFFLE:

As mentioned before here at Molly's Blog the tenants of our local 'A-Zone' (the Old Market Square Autonomous Zone) are funding raising in hopes of purchasing 91 Albert St as a cooperative venture. Part of this fundraising is a raffle for the 'A-Quilt'. See the picture above. The draw will be held on May 1, followed shortly by the 24 hour fund raiser telethon. See details on the appeal below and check out the A-Zone website for what will be happening at the fundraiser. You can purchase tickets for $5.00 at Mondragon, Natural Cycle, Junto Library (all at 91 Albert St) or from various individuals.

The perfect thing for keeping warm on cold Winnipeg nights. Here's a repeat of the details about the appeal for support.

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Fundraising Campaign

“The A-Zone is what every activist in every city or town dreams of and few get to experience: a physical space that is under the control of those who work in it, part of a network of alternative institutions where people can learn, together, what could be accomplished in a better society. When I saw it years ago, my first reaction was happy surprise. It was only a little later that envy started to sneak in… one major problem I can think of is that there aren’t more of them.” — Justin Podur, ZNet

The Old Market Autonomous Zone, or the A-Zone, has provided affordable space to activist collectives, worker cooperatives, and small businesses since 1995. Beyond access to space, the A-Zone has brought together a diverse and complementary range of people and organizations with commitments to ethical, equitable, and sustainable business practices, the cooperative movement, radical organizing, anarchism, and grassroots cultural projects and events.

We are a meeting place, a training site, a work site, and hub of political organizing, discussion and debate. We aim to foster values such as non-hierarchical organizing, anti-racism, workplace democracy, solidarity with Indigenous peoples, feminism, refugee support, anti-police brutality work, and prisoner solidarity. For this, we’ve become known locally and internationally as an inspiring site of leftist dissent, collective organizing, and resistance to all forms of oppression and exploitation.

In the autumn of 2009, we, the tenants of 91 Albert Street were presented with the opportunity to collectively own and manage the A-Zone. Natural Cycle Courier, Natural Cycle Cycleworks, Winnipeg Copwatch, Canadian Dimension Magazine, Anarchist Black Cross, Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse, the Rudolph Rocker Cultural Centre, and the Junto Local 91 radical library, among other tenants, have come together to form a non-profit, democratically-run tenant cooperative.

We come together as a diverse set of organizations that, in different ways, provide energy and spirit to Winnipeg’s radical community. We aim to build a co-op that fosters self-sufficiency and mutual aid – not only for ourselves, but for a larger local and global commons. We hope to strengthen new and broaden existing social movements by continuing to make space available for public discussion, political organizing, and everyday mud-rucking.

The A-Zone needs your support! We are embarking on a 4-month international fundraising campaign to raise the funds needed for the downpayment. Donations of any amount are gratefully welcome. In-kind donations are also welcome.

Ready to donate? Cheques can be made out to “Winnipeg Parecon Worker Council”, and sent to the address and post box listed below. Please put our name in the notes section of the cheque.

Address:
Old Market Autonomous Zone Co-op
2D - 91 Albert Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 1G5

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-WINNIPEG:
CORNERING THE "MARKET":


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Molly recently received this appeal from the Junto 91 Radical Lending Library of which I am a member here in Winnipeg. The Junto is located in the Old Market Autonomous Zone, also know as the A-Zone, at 91 Albert St. Winnipeg. This is a building in the Exchange District of downtown Winnipeg that hosts a wealth of alternative groups and projects including, of course, the Mondragon- Winnipeg's local infoshop and radical cafe. It is hoped that this building can soon be puchased outright and run as a cooperative venture. That is the nature of the following appeal - for support in this worthy endeavor.
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Global Call for Solidarity: Support the A-Zone Co-op Initiative!
April 8, 2010
“The A-Zone is what every activist in every city or town dreams of and few get to experience: a physical space that is under the control of those who work in it, part of a network of alternative institutions where people can learn together what could be accomplished in a better society. When I first saw it years ago my first reaction was happy surprise...one major problem I can think of is that there aren’t more of them!”
-Justin Podur, Znet

Since 1995 the Old Market Autonomous Zone (A-Zone) at 91 Albert St. has provided affordable space to worker co-operatives, activist collectives, and related businesses and organizations. It is a home for people and groups dedicated to the values of justice, solidarity, liberation, democracy and so much more. The A-zone is known locally and internationally as a vital and inspiring site of activism and organizing against all forms of oppression.


In the autumn of 2009, we, the tenants and supporters of the A-Zone, were presented with the opportunity to collectively purchase this four level heritage building in the heart of Winnipeg’s Exchange District. We hope to strengthen new, and broaden existing social movements by continuing to make the space available for public discussion, political debate, and everyday activism. To continue managing the space in a way to foster self-sufficiency and mutual-aid.


The tenants of the A-Zone have been meeting to organize the not-for-profit, democratically run A-Zone Tenant Co-operative with the goal of purchasing the building from its current owner. We have launched a four month international campaign to raise the down payment and we would like your support.
Some of our current fundraising efforts are:
• A raffle on May the 1 for an amazing, hand-crafted Punk Patch Quilt made by local supporters.
Tickets are still available, and the quilt can be viewed on the A-Zone website http://www.a-zone.org/ .
• A commemorative, silk-screened A-zone art poster has been designed and is available for purchase. It too can be viewed on our website http://www.a-zone.org/ .


Finally, we would like to invite you to catch our “Building the A-Zone Co-op Marathon Fundraiser,” May 1 to 2 . Co-presented by the MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts, and CKUW 95.9FM. This 24-hour non-stop event will be held in Mondragón Bookstore and Coffeehouse at 91 Albert St. and will be simultaneously webcast and partially radio broadcast. It will feature musicians, poets, comedians, and culminate May 2 with a performance by actor Sharon Bajer in costume as revolutionary anarchist activist Emma Goldman. ( That's right. Emma will return from that great commune in the sky especially for this event only - Molly )Audiences will be encouraged to call with donations to the Emma Goldman Grassroots Centre at 1-204-942-6994.


Donations of any amount are gratefully welcome! Cheques can be written to “Winnipeg Parecon Worker Council” and marked “A-Zone Co-op” in the notes section. For more information check out http://www.a¬zone.org/ or contact our fundraising committee at azonefundcom@gmail.com

THE JUNTO
Junto Local 91 Radical Lending library (known previously as the Liberty Library) is a collectively-run, volunteer based lending library on the second floor of the A-Zone. We’re dedicated to maintaining a comprehensive collection of reading material as well as audio and video resources free for the public to use and enjoy. Our library offers radical, rare, and relevant fiction and non-fiction on topics such as: anarchism, gender issues, indigenous struggles, environmentalism, labour history, art, do-it-yourself, and much more.


Junto has over 1000 members, organizes fun and inspiring events and has sponsored the Winnipeg Anarchist Book-Fair. We share a second floor common space called the Emma Goldman Grassroots Centre and maintain it as a welcoming resource area for solidarity groups to meet.


Junto needs this affordable space as it continues to work toward a better world.


We write to you in anticipation of your support of this exciting initiative. By supporting the A-Zone Co-op you are supporting Junto as well, and the fellowship we share with the other groups at 91 Albert Street.
Thanks for your support and we hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Members of the Junto Local 91 Radical Lending Library.

COMING SOON AT THE RUDOLF ROCKER CULTURAL CENTRE:

A number of events are coming up soon here in Winnipeg at the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre, on the third floor of 91 Albert St.. The RRCC opened up this summer as part of the Old Market Autonomous Zone, a collection of projects such as Mondragon Books (the first floor) that run out of this building. The Centre is an open space for lectures, art exhibits, cultural events and, yes, party time too. See the above link for more details. Anyways...

Friday, September 28th:

'Ali Abunimah: One Country: A Bold proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse'

The Palestinian-American author Ali Abunimah is on a cross Canada tour during the month of September to promote his new book of the same title. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Chicago he is a frequent media commentator in such newspapers as the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, cofounder of the Electronic Intifada website in 2001 and more recently the Electronic Iraq and Electronic Lebanon sites. See more details on the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre site above.

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

7:00 PM

'Honore Joseph Jaxon: Prairie Visionary, Lifelong Defender of Indiginous &Metis People, Labour Agitator, Anarchist and All-round Trickster'

Honore Jaxon was Louis Riel's secretary and fellow participant in the North West Rebellion of 1885. The author of a new book on his life, Donald B. Smith, of the University of Calgary, will be present to speak about the subject of his work, from his participation in rebellion in what is now Saskatchewan to his involvement as labour leader and anarchist in Haymarket Chicago and his association with anarchists such as Voltairine de Cleyre and Rudolf Rocker. There will be a visual presentation of 75 photos to accompany the talk, a performance of James Keelaghan's song 'Honore', followed by a book signing, drinks and snacks downstairs at Mondragon. Once more further details at the RRCC site linked above.

Stay tuned to the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre Site for more events as they develop.