Families First Foundation 2nd Annual Blanket Dance Call for Volunteers
June 14th, 2016
News
Vigil For Orlando
June 13th, 2016
A tragedy has occurred in Orlando, Florida recently: in an act of violence, a gunman opened fire on more than 50 unsuspecting club goers in a place that was known as home to many LGBT community members in the area. Pulse nightclub is especially known for providing a safe space for Latinx and trans people.
It is imperative that we all collectively acknowledge this crime for what it is: an act of hate on the LGBT community, and an execution of violence based on institutionalized hate fostered by systematic forces that have been in existence for centuries. The shooting is not an opportunity to promote the pervasive Islamophobia that exists within our society, irrespective of anyone’s sexual orientation or gender presentation. It is however proof of how we as a society must examine, be critical of and change the fact that there is still a great divide between laws and the beliefs of people who are expected to abide by said laws.
The LGBT community already experiences higher rates of physical and sexual violence, poverty, homelessness, frequent denial of medical care, and the constant policing and pathologizing of our identities within institutions that have legal standing on multiple government state levels. Most of us currently live in fear of losing our homes, jobs, families, equal protection under the law and more. This multiplies when a LGBT person experiences racialization, cis-sexism, ableism or any combination of identities that are subsequently oppressed in our society that prioritizes white, straight, cis-gender, and physically and mentally ‘able’. We must resist against division within our already fragmented community, and demand more for ourselves and the younger generation of our community who is being shown that violence experienced at Pulse is what awaits them if things do not change. We must strive to go beyond hoping that “it gets better” and recognize that we deserve better, and act accordingly.
Tonight, many of the UWSA and Board Members will be attending the Vigil for Orlando at the Manitoba Legislature Building for the families that have lost loved ones due to hate in Orlando, Florida. Others will be there in spirit. Some of us on the UWSA are LGBTQ+ and this directly impacts us as a student community working towards combating LGBTQ+ violence and homophobia. We are deeply saddened that loved ones were taken due to intolerance and hate, but we are also frustrated at the islamophobia that has surfaced because of this tragedy.
We highly encourage the University of Winnipeg student body to come out to pray for the families of the Orlando shooting and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, as well challenge the Islamophobia in you’re own circles when talking about this horrific tragedy.
Statement written by Jacq Pelland, UWSA LGBTQ Director & Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie, UWSA Vice-President External Affairs on behalf of the UWSA and Board of Directors
UWSA at 2016 Provincial Budget Announcement
June 1st, 2016
Your UWSA Executives and Board Members represented students at the announcement of the 2016 Provincial Budget. Read the Canadian Federation of Students – Manitoba breakdown of the budget and how it will affect post-secondary students in the province. Read it here.
Education is a right for all Indigenous students. Sign the petition now!
May 11th, 2016
From the Canadian Federation of Students:
After the 2016 Federal Budget, the Canadian Federation of Students broke the news that the budget did not commit to lifting the restrictive 2 per cent funding cap on the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) for Indigenous students nor did it invest an additional $50 million per year as promised by Trudeau. This was neither a mistake nor an oversight by the government. The commitment to increased PSSSP funding was deliberately left out of the federal budget. But it’s not too late! The federal government can still right this wrong and open access to post-secondary education for thousands of Indigenous students at a small cost.
Join the Federation in calling on the Trudeau Government to immediately invest $50 million in the PSSSP and fully fund all Indigenous learners.
What you can do to support this campaign:
- Learn about post-secondary student support for Indigenous students by reading the Federation’s latest blog post
- Sign the online petition
- Tweet @JustinTrudeau and @CarolynBennett and tell them to mend their broken promise to Indigenous students
- Download and share this image to garner support through your networks
UWSA General Office Summer Hours
May 4th, 2016
The General Office will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you are unavailable to make it to the office during this time, you can schedule an appointment at uwsa@theuwsa.ca
Have a question but not sure who to ask? You can ask a question here.
Spring/Summer Term Health Plan Opt-Change/Opt-Outs
April 28th, 2016
All full-time undergraduate students, taking 9 credit hours or more in a term, are automatically included in the UWSA Health Plan. All other UW students (part-time, graduate, registered with accessibility services) have the option of opting into the UWSA Health Plan. As well, all students on the health plan can extend their coverage to their spouse, common-law partner, or children.
Students starting as full-time students in the Spring and Summer term can opt-change or opt-out of the UWSA Health Plan starting May 1, 2016. You can opt-change/opt-out here!
To read more about the UWSA Health Plan here: https://theuwsa.ca/healthplan/
Job Opportunity at the U of W
April 18th, 2016
The English Language Program at The University of Winnipeg is seeking a project officer for the Languages at Work component of the Explore Program.
The Languages at Work Program is a joint initiative of the Explore Program and Young Canada Works. Designed for Explore bursary recipients, Languages at Work offers participants unique opportunities to continue learning their second language in a professional context. Following the completion of the Spring Explore program, bursary recipients will have the opportunity to stay in Winnipeg for job placements.
Read more about the job here: LAW Project Officer
