Letter: Support Social Justice, Resist Racism and Sexism, Vote Yes to QPIRG Concordia
For the past two weeks, I’ve had the honor of being the chairperson of the “Vote Yes to QPIRG Concordia” referendum committee.
It’s been a privilege to meet with so many Concordia students during the campaign, and to realize how many people on campus care so deeply about a better world and building a more caring community.
Before the campaigning ends and the voting begins, I would like to take this opportunity to share some key messages of our campaign, and to urge students to turn out in large numbers and vote ‘Yes’ next week.
QPIRG Concordia has been an important progressive presence on campus for four decades. QPIRG’s core mission is anti-oppression, actively organizing to support mobilizing and popular education efforts. In an era with a troubling rise in racism, sexism and homophobia, enabled by far-right politicians like Donald Trump, unapologetic social justice organizations like QPIRG are needed more than ever.
Importantly, QPIRG Concordia provides a welcome and nurturing place for students and community members to get acquainted with issues in a non-judgmental setting. It’s a place for growth, mentorship, and support.
QPIRG Concordia has an amazing array of projects, initiatives, and publications—School Schmool alternative agenda, Convergence undergraduate research journal, Study In Action undergraduate research conference, the Alternative Library, DisOrientation, more than 30 Working Groups—that in diverse ways support and sustain students who want to be engaged members of their community. All of these benefits are available to students for free as a result of a fee levy.
It’s been almost a decade since QPIRG has had a fee levy increase, a reasonable time to again ask students for a modest eight cents per credit increase. Doing this will allow QPIRG Concordia to be an effective part of the progressive social and environmental justice community at Concordia and in Montreal.
On Nov. 15 to 17, have your student card on hand, visit one of the polling booths on either campus, and be sure to VOTE YES to QPIRG Concordia, your campus-community link for progressive social change.
