Respect|Spaces : A Campaign for Students to Regain Control of the University Centre

SFUO VP University Affairs Ted Horton and SFUO Board of Administrators member Sarah Jayne King spoke about student space, administrative takeover of the University Centre and the Respect|Spaces Campaign on the September 24th Train.

Ted Horton explained how the University of Ottawa unilaterally derailed the funds that students had democratically decided, via referendum, to dedicate to the creation and maintenance of a student social centre. Whereas 60% of the University Centre used to house student services, in recent years that number has gone down to 18% whereas several student organizations have been forced out into sub-standard and unsafe spaces.

The Respect|Spaces Campaign was recently launched to reclaim student space and demand the eviction of non student businesses and administrative services from the University Centre.

David Noble vs York University and the Israel Lobby

On September 17, Five O'Clock Train co-host Denis Rancourt reported from Toronto where he was a witness to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal hearings in the case of David Noble vs. York University

David Noble's complaint is related to York University's then practice to cancel class on Jewish High Holidays only. Following an unambiguous investigator's report indicating that the practice was discriminatory, Dr. Noble announced that he would challenge the practice by giving class on Jewish High Holidays. Many acts of reprisal against Professor Noble were perpetrated in this unique case of an individual standing for principles of anti-discrimination in the face of the pressures of the Israel Lobby.

H1N1 Scare and Claude Lamontagne on Academic Freedom

The September 10, 2009 show began with a critical look at the fear tactics used by the University of Ottawa's Office of Risk Management regarding the H1N1 pandemic.

We were later joined in studio by 3M National Teaching Fellow Claude Lamontagne who gave his views on the state of Academic Freedom.

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Critical look at Mahatma Gandhi

The September 3, 2009, Five O'Clock train was a lively phone interview with co-author G.B. Singh of the new book "Gandhi under cross-examination", speaking from his university office in Nashville, TN.

Gandhi's life presents many contradictions and much evidence suggests an ingrained racism/classism. He recruited co-citizens in South Africa to fight in a colonial war against blacks. His later pacifism was not for cowards; since he stated that it was better to die trying to aquire arms to fight than to use pacifism as an excuse for cowardice.

Singh's book points us to this key quote from Gandhi that has much relevance in Canada's present colonial war in Afghanistan:

“I make no distinction, from the point of view of ahimsa, between combatants and non-combatants. He who volunteers to serve a band of dacoits [robbers], by working as their carrier, or their watchman while they are about their business, or their nurse when they are wounded, is as much guilty of dacoity [robbery] as the dacoits themselves. In the same way those who confine themselves to attending to the wounded in battle cannot be absolved from the guilt of war.”

Make no mistake, Canadians are the robbers here... Strong words from the most famous pacifist.

Political Use of the Law

Listen to August 27th's Five O'Clock Train with Human Rights Lawyer Yavar Hameed and York Faculty member David Noble.

In the words of David Noble, ''stop whining, start winning.''