Tag: strike

Global Climate Change Week: What Is It and How Can You Show Support?
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, CO² emissions were standing around 330ppm nearing the critical 350ppm which marks the point where the CO² in the atmosphere is no longer at a safe level. Since then global emissions have been on a steady rise and don’t look as if they will be slowing down anytime soon. As of this week, CO² emissions were found to be sitting at 408.59ppm.
That number is significantly higher than what it was in the late ‘70s and has caused people around the world to recognize Climate Change as a crisis. However, even after this recognition, many people still do not realize climate change as the crisis it is and for those who do realize, they are stuck, frustrated, trying to figure out how they can solve this problem at hand.
Last Friday, September 20th marked the beginning of Global Climate Change Week which will last until this upcoming Friday. Primarily, this is a week dedicated to looking at the Climate Change Crisis and discussing what ‘we’ as individuals around the globe can do to help this crisis from getting worse. Across the world, during this week, there are various events being held to discuss solutions and evoke change from our nations.
On Monday the United Nations held the ‘2019 UN Climate Action Summit’ and UN Secretary-General António Guterres requested that leaders come prepared with realistic ideas: “I want to hear about how we are going to stop the increase in emissions by 2020, and dramatically reduce emissions to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century”.
Similarly the Saturday before the summit took place, the UN hosted a ‘Climate Action Youth Summit’. This event is geared towards considering what ideas and solutions young leaders may have that could serve to help the crisis at hand. The youth are often looked over when it comes to ideas about decision making and this event is designed to give youth that voice they often don’t have.
Now, how can we as university students show support for Global Climate Change Week?
Last year 16-year-old Greta Thunberg was fed up with the lack of action regarding climate change decided to strike by skipping school on Fridays and protesting outside of Sweden’s Parliament. Since then Thunberg has inspired students around the world to join with more than 2,300 school strikes in just over 130 countries joining in on the May 24, 2019 climate strike.
Kickstarting Global Climate Change Week off is the Global Climate Strike led by Thunberg. This strike took place on September 20th and was predicted to draw participation from over 150 countries, making that strike the largest one yet. There will also be an equally impactfull and crowd-drawing strike closing out the week this upcoming Friday as well. There will be events held in Halifax on the strike days as well as all week that students can attend to promote Global Climate Change Week.
In our own town of Wolfville, a young child by the name of Lily-Beth was plagued with climate change and was able to see its negative impacts on the world. She decided to skip school on Friday for the Global Climate Strike and stood in the Clock Park on Main Street with the hope strikers from the nearby schools would join her in the protest for climate change. To her delight, Lily-Beth was greeted throughout her time on Main Street by many citizens and students supporting this cause.
Aside from striking, there are other opportunities for students to get involved in our own Annapolis Valley:
- Wednesday, September 25th: Stitch-In In Support of Global Action for Climate Justice from 4-6pm at the Clock Park on Main Street
- Friday, September 27th: A $20 bus taking people from the valley to Halifax for the closing strike
Additionally, students can support the movement on social media or can reach out to Acadia’s Climate Club in hopes of joining or finding information on any events they might have!
September 25, 2019
Dear Acadia Student Leadership
Dear Acadia Student Leadership,
We know Acadia students started this weekend with the imminent strike on their minds. Our professors have spoken to us in class, content about it is circulating on social media, and the ASU has been keeping us informed via emails and Q&A’s throughout the week. As the party perhaps most invested in the wellbeing of this campus, students have a right and obligation to be aware of current negotiations and advocate for our interests. However, doing so takes a mental and emotional toll on us: one that we’re already beginning to feel.
A strike has not even begun yet, but we can all sense palpable tension on campus—not only the political friction we’re all acutely aware of between the Acadia administration and AUFA, but also the apprehension from students whose last few weeks this semester are uncertain. We all feel on some level the instability, uncertainty and lack of cohesion that the imminent strike has brought with it into our community.
Students have a right and obligation to own their role as critical stakeholders in the proceedings that are unfolding before us between AUFA and the administration. However, doing so inevitably gives emphasis in all of our minds to a serious fracture in the integrity of our community. In the face of this, we also have a right and obligation to preserve and protect the integrity of our campus community in every way that we can: we must continue to care, connect and come together as a community.
Though this coming week may begin with a strike, the rest of the week is filled with an astronomical amount of student programming that presents an opportunity to connect and engage with one another in a way that builds Acadia up, not that emphasizes its failings. We have a week’s worth of events for Chill Week next week; a cookie handout from Community Outreach Acadia on Monday; Sex Toy Bingo on Tuesday; Acadia Gets Checked Wednesday; the Peer Support Coffeehouse on Friday, and more. All of these events promote involvement, wellness, and connectedness amongst the Acadia student body. That is what we should be emphasizing in the face of a strike this week.
Acadia’s current situation, as troubling as it is, has a silver lining: we are being presented with an opportunity to form stronger ties to our community and to each other in the face of a shared difficulty, and show that, despite the deep concern and apprehension we all feel, the connectedness within our community is stronger.
The outcome of these negotiations will be decided eventually. As we’re all aware, a strike could damage the university’s reputation and student enrolment, among many other things. The concern over the fiscal damage this could cause is certainly great, but should not overshadow the concern for community morale and cohesion, which we should address just as rigorously. Regardless of the outcome of the negotiations and any fiscal impact it may or may not have on the university, our sense of community would still suffer if we meet this fracture with anything less than active efforts to build it back up.
As student leaders, we have a renewed purpose to, more than ever, deliberately and conscientiously promote care and connection in the midst of a difficult time for the Acadia community. Some concrete steps to take:
Promote student engagement opportunities. This is something all students can do regardless of role. RAs and House Councils particularly can share upcoming events with your residents, or arrange to attend as a group.
Be prepared to answer questions about negotiations and the strike. Students will have questions about what’s going to happen next week. Make sure to have as much concrete and factual information on hand as possible to avoid sensationalizing or exaggerating ongoing tension.
Host or help out with an event. Even if you don’t host one yourself, the IOs and clubs with events coming up this week could certainly use all the help we can get!
We hope AUFA and the administration come to a speedy resolution. In the meantime, we know what we need to do.
Thoughtfully,
Jenna Purkis, Coordinator, Acadia Mental Health Initiative
Paige Krentz, Coordinator, Acadia Women’s Centre
November 26, 2017

Tag: strike

Global Climate Change Week: What Is It and How Can You Show Support?

Dear Acadia Student Leadership