Occupy Speakers Series
St Thomas University and University of New Brunswick professors are teaming up to keep Fredericton’s Occupy movement alive. The Occupy Winter Speakers’ Series will discuss social justice issues affecting the community. Vanessa Cormier has more from the first lecture in the series.
Members of the Fredericton community are meeting here at James Dunn Hall each Tuesday to hear St. Thomas University and University of New Brunswick professors speak on social justice issues in our city
What started on New York’s Wall Street on September 17 has gained momentum in Fredericton.
While protesters are no longer occupying the side walk in from of city hall, the occupy movement is alive and well in the Fredericton community.
Matthew Hayes and John Gilbert-Walsh, both St. Thomas University professors, have put together a speakers series that is set to run twice a week until February 25.
“There’s been a lot of interest, people are interested in finding other way to show their support for occupy and for policies that will support greater levels of equality, because not everybody is gonna go camp downtown.”
The talks are open to students and the general public.
Tuesday sessions will take place on the St. Thomas campus while Saturday sessions will be downtown at Conserver house on St. John Street.
Hayes is the first speaker in the series. His talk is titled Occupy Tuition: What Students Can Learn from the Occupy Movement.
Debate and discussion is encouraged at these events.
Mary-Dan Johnston took part in the demonstrations downtown and has followed the movement to the classroom.
“Obviously it was really important for students and faculty and staff in the university community but there are lectures upcoming on food production and forestry in New Brunswick, there may be one on shale gas, but these issues we have to deal with everyday. Rather than thinking of them as our individual problems we can take action to try and solve them.”
In his talk Hayes explained that this movement was created and pursued by the people. He encouraged attendees to mobilize. Occupy may be out of sight, but in Fredericton, it’s certainly not out of mind.