Type of Research: Research Paper, Database          

Research Description:

This project will compile information on criminal and scandalous activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) from its founding in 1984 to the present. It will attempt to track the consequences for CSIS of each scandal which has come to light. Finally, it will analyse the data according to a set of questions developed in collaboration with the People's Commission Network in the course of this project.

Part A. Scandalous activities and consequences for CSIS.

Drawing on a wide variety of public sources (literature review; media coverage; SIRC reports; internal Public Safety audits; court decisions and transcripts; interviews with activists and lawyers; reports by human rights and community organizations), information on CSIS misdemeanors will be gathered, synthesized, and categorized.

We are interested not only in illegal activities but any ""shocking"" behaviour: actions that are broadly held to be incompatible with justice and freedom. To narrow the scope of the research, we have categorized the kinds of activities that have in the past provoked public scandals. The following ten categories can be refined and modified in the course of the research, but serve as an initial basis:

Type of Research:

Paper, Feasibility Study, Evaluation Report    

About the Project:

The basis of this project is to help us to evaluate the efficacy of our pest control programme we recently enacted.  The new programme is based the principles of Integrated Pest Management and is heavily reliant on biological controls (predator insects) to control the populations of pest insects (in this case mainly white flies, aphids and mealy bugs).

To evaluate its efficacy we need someone to collect data on the pest and predator populations as well as the health of the plants, and create a report indicating where the pest control programme failed, succeeded and recommendations for the future of the programme. 

The researcher will work closely with the greenhouse Pest and Horticulture Coordinator and Projects Coordinator.

Research Description:

The project is based on community organizing and food solidarity. It addresses issues such as poverty, food insecurity, isolation, marginalization, class, gender and race. "There are roughly 4000 collective kitchen groups in the province of Quebec. Their popularity is based on the fact that they lower food costs, provide a social space where individuals can break with their isolation and prove that collective and cooperative forms of work are superior to competitive ones. 43% of wage-earners in Montreal live below the poverty line. 50% of residents in Verdun (excluding Nuns Island) live below the poverty line. Many of these residents are young workers and students.

We would like to offer services and activities to these sectors of the population. To do that we need to extend our schedule to evening hours. The researcher/organizer will work with the Director of activities in organizing and animating student and youth based collective kitchen groups.

Project Description:

The Montreal Media Co-op is looking for a student, preferably in Journalism or Communications, to undertake a research and writing project for the upcoming semester. The student would be expected to work with members of the MMC is researching one or several topics through various means, including Access to Information Requests, archival research and interviews. While familiarity with journalistic research methods is a plus, training will be provided to the student as well.

The research will revolve around a clear topic with the goal of publishing at least one in-depth investigative piece. The topic will be defined based on the needs identified by the MMC and take into account the student's research interests. Possible topics include: Housing and homelessness Poverty rates/anti-poverty programs Environmental initiatives on Montreal island Police brutality/killings and accountability Women, queer and trans- issues in Montreal Race and racism in Montreal.

For 22 years, local residents have fought to save a precious inner-city green space located between Park and Hutchison, Pine and Prince Arthur in the Milton Parc neighbourhood. The community-built and maintained park is now in danger of being sold to a developer who plans to destroy it and turn it into condos.

The Milton Parc Ad Hoc Committee to Save Parc Oxygène is a local residents group comprised of members of the Milton Parc non-profit housing coop project, and good neighbours.

The community group needs help to mobilize local residents, other community groups,  as well as students at Concordia and McGill who might be interested in the issue, raise public awareness through social media and other media,  help organize public actions, research similar precedents in Montreal and elsewhere.

WHAT KIND OF STUDENT IS THE GROUP LOOKING FOR?

Ideally, someone who is bilingual, environmentally conscious, with social media skills, loves to organize, recognizes the importance of this kind of community struggle.

TIMELINE:

To start immediately, because the threat of a condominium development is real.

Website:

www.facebook.com/parcoxygene