Text Size:
Hart House Debates Committee / Events
Noam Chomsky on the State-Corporate Complex: A Threat to Freedom and Survival
Presented by the Hart House Debates Committee, Science for Peace and Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation (NECEF)
Details: The Hart House Debates Committee, Science for Peace and Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation (NECEF) present The State-Corporate Complex: A Threat to Freedom and Survival, a talk by academic, author and political activist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky will be introduced by Toronto Star Columnist and best-selling author Linda McQuaig. A Q&A session will follow the talk.
When: Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 1:00pm. Doors open at 12:30pm. Please arrive early to ensure the best seating within your seating area.
Where: Hart House Great Hall (in-person) with overflow in Debates and East Common Rooms (audio and television screening only). 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto
Great Hall Tickets: Non-students $20/ Students $10
Overflow rooms: $10 for everyone
Tickets will be available from UofTtix on Monday February 28 2011 at 11am.
*** Please note: The first 400 tickets will be assigned to the in-person talk in the Great Hall, with an additional 300 tickets assigned to overflow rooms where live audio and video will be streamed.*** Limit of three tickets per purchase per person. Pre-purchased tickets can be picked up directly at the UofTTix Office.
Also, on the evening of April 6, Chomsky will be giving a talk at UTSC, entitled Academic Freedom and the Corporatization of the Universities, organized by the Office of the Dean and Vice-Principal Academic UTSC.
About the organizers:
Hart House Debates Committee: www.harthouse.ca/debates
Near East Cultural Education Foundation (NECEF): www.necef.org
Science for Peace: www.scienceforpeace.ca
Media contact:
Nicole Pointon, Senior Communications Officer, Hart House
Tel: 416.978.7585
E-mail
_________________________________________________________
2011 Churchill Debate Featuring Guest Speaker The Hon. Bob Rae
Presented by the Hart House Debates Committee and The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy
Details: U of T students will open the evening with a free formal debate on the resolution “ Be it resolved that support for democracy should be the foundation of Canadian foreign policy,” followed by an address on the state of Egypt by Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic and Member of Parliament, the Hon. Bob Rae, who has strong ties to debating at Hart House.
When: Thursday March 10, 2011, 7:30 pm
Where: Hart House Debates Room, 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
Cost: Free to students
For more information, please contact: hhdebatescommittee@gmail.com
Or by phone, Hart House Senior Communications Officer Nicole Pointon 416.978.7585, or Hart House Debates Committee Semra Eylul Sevi 416.799.3368
About the Churchill Debate: Presented in association with the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy, which seeks to advance learning and disseminate knowledge about parliamentary democracy.
About Hart House Debates: Since 1924, Hart House Formal Debates have been the premier forum of debate and discussion at the University of Toronto. The Debates are led off by some ofthe best student debaters at the university and also provide opportunity for all in attendance to express their views. The debates conclude with a prominent guest speaker, often newsmakers, journalists or academics, providing their perspective on the resolution. The debates are often lively, always fre, and open to the general public.
_________________________________________________________
Haiti One Year Later: What must be done?
Details: It has been over a year since the catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haitijust outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince, causing enormous destruction. Although billions of dollars have been pledged by the international community to aid reconstruction and provide humanitarian relief in Haiti, only a fraction of the funding has been released and development efforts have faced significant challenges.
Join the Hart House Debates Committee and partners for an evening of insightful, interactive discussion on Canadian aid and development efforts in Haiti: What has the Canadian government done, how effective has it been, and what still needs to be done? Melanie Newton will moderate a panel of four distinguished speakers including Valerie Rzepka, Joel Etienne, Maryse Bermingham and Antoine Derose
Presented by: The Hart House Debates Committee, in partnership with the Canadian International Council – Toronto Branch (CIC), Students in Solidarity with Haiti(SSH), the University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU), The Caribbean Studies Students Union (CARSSU) and The Caribbean Studies Department
Where: East Common Room. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle
When: Wednesday February 9th, 2011 from 7:00- 9:00 p.m.
Cost: Free. In lieu of snacks and refreshments, a donation will be made to l’École La Reine Soleil Jardinière.This is a primary school and professional development school three hours outside of Port au Prince.
About the Partners:
The Hart House Debates Committee provides opportunities for debate and dialogue on the important issues of the day, through major events like formal debates, public lectures, community service projects, hosting tournaments, and sending a team to the World University Debating Championship tournament.
The Canadian International Council – Toronto Branch (CIC) is a non-partisan, nationwide foreign policy council established to strengthen Canada’s foreign policy. It promotes research and dialogue on international affairs issues through a national network that crosses academic disciplines, policy areas and economic sectors.
Students in Solidarity with Haitiat the University of Toronto (SSHUT) is an action-based
group campaigning at the Universityof Torontoto raise awareness on Haitian culture,
history and politics. SSHUT builds on these educational awareness campaign to develop resource and learning partnerships between Haitian students and universities and the Universityof Torontoand its community of students, staff, faculty and administration. SSHUT also monitors and reports on Canadian foreign policy in Haiti, with an aim at holding the Canadian government accountable to human rights, social justice and environmental preservation within the Haitian nation.
_________________________________________________________
A Debate on the Decriminalization of Prostitution in Ontario
On Wednesday, January 19th, at 7:00 pm, the Hart House Debates Committee, Hart House Social Justice Committee, and Free the Slaves U of T, presents a free panel debate on the court challenge Bedford/Lebovitch/Scott vs. Canada concerning recent changes to the laws criminalizing prostitution in Ontario and its implications.
On September 28, 2010, Justice Susan Himel, of the Superior Court of Ontario, struck down all three Criminal Code provisions regulating prostitution; communicating for the purposes of prostitution, pimping, and operating a common bawdy house. This decision has been accompanied by much debate and confusion over the rights of sex-workers in Canada.
The event will feature brief presentations from the panelists who will each argue why prostitution should or should not be decriminalized. Following the panel, the audience will have an opportunity to engage in lively dialogue on this issue. The event is free and will take place in the Great Hall at Hart House, located at 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto. Refreshments provided.
When: Wednesday, January 19 / 7:00 pm
Where: Hart House, Great Hall / 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
Featuring: C. Gwendolyn Landolt, Founding member and National Vice President of REAL Women of Canada and intervener in Bedford/Lebovitch/Scott vs. Canada; Julie Grant, Exec-At-Large of Sex Professionals of Canada; Mariana Valverde, Professor and Director of the Centre of Criminology at the University of Toronto; Nikki Thomas, Treasurer & Deputy Director of Sex Professionals of Canada; Phil Horgan, President of Catholic Civil Rights League and intervener in Bedford/Lebovitch/Scott vs. Canada; Stacey Nichols, Solicitor for the applicant Valerie Scott; Detective Wendy Leaver of the Special Victims Unit, Toronto Police Services
For further inquiries please contact:
Email: hhdebatescommittee@gmail.com
Hart House Debates Committee Organizer Ben Peel 647-448-7631
Hart House Social Justice Committee hhsocialjustice@gmail.com
Hart House Staff Advisor Jenifer Newcombe (416) 978-5204
Free the Slaves U of T: freetheslaves@utoronto.ca
Hart House is a living laboratory of social, artistic, cultural and recreational experiences where all voices, rhythms and traditions converge. As the vibrant home for the education the mind, body and spirit envisioned by its founders, Hart House encourages and supports activities that provide spaces for awakening the capacity for self-knowledge and self-expression.
**********
Media Coverage:
The Newspaper: Decriminalizing Prostitution 2011-01-20 http://thenewspaper.ca/the-news/item/395-decriminalizing-prostitution
The Strand: Hart House debates prostitution 2011-02-03 By Leila Kent http://media.www.thestrand.ca/media/storage/paper404/news/2011/02/03/News/Hart-House.Debates.Prostitution-3973477.shtml
____________________________________
Journalist and Author Linda McQuaig Sparks Debate: Too Much Money at the Top?
Hart House Debates Committee presents: Are Billionaires Dangerous?
U of T students will open the evening with a free formal debate on the resolution “Be it resolved that billionaires are a menace to society” followed by an address by writer Linda McQuaig, currently a columnist at the Toronto Star, on the themes of her recent book The Trouble with Billionaires. Free refreshments and snacks will be served.
When: Wednesday, November 10 / 7:00 pm
Where: Hart House, Debates Room / 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
Linda McQuaig has won a national reputation for taking on the Establishment. The National Post called McQuaig, a columnist for the Toronto Star and the author of seven nationally bestselling books on politics and economics, “Canada’s Michael Moore.” Career highlights include winning a National Newspaper Award for a series of Globe and Mail articles which sparked a public inquiry into the activities of political lobbyist Patti Starr, eventually leading to Starr’s imprisonment, and two Maclean’s cover stories probing the questionable business dealings of Conrad Black, who subsequently told the CBC that she should have been “horsewhipped” for the stories. Her latest book, The Trouble with Billionaires, written with tax professor Neil Brooks, shows how the rise of an exceptionally wealthy new elite has
far-reaching negative consequences for society.
The Hart House Debates Committee provides opportunities for debate and dialogue on the important issues of the day, through major events like formal debates, public lectures, community service projects, tournaments, and the World University Debating Championship. Past topics include the limits of free speech in a pluralistic, democratic society, sharia law in Ontario, and debates among political candidates at the mayoral, provincial and federal level.
Past speakers include author Christopher Hitchens, Elizabeth May, Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker, Former Prime Minister John Turner, and Nobel Laureate Professor John Polanyi.
For further inquiries please contact:
Email: hhdebatescommittee@gmail.com
Phone: Program Coordinator Jenifer Newcombe (416) 946-8391 or
Communications Director Semra Eylul Sevi (416) 799-3368
**********
Media Coverage:
The Newspaper - Linda McQuaig speaks at Hart House 2010- 11- 11 By Martin Waldman http://www.thenewspaper.ca/the-news/item/348-linda-mcquaig-speaks-at-hart-house
____________________________________
Who Wants to be a City Councillor
Hart House Debates Committee presents:
Who Wants to be a City Councillor?
Meet, mingle and discuss your concerns with the next Toronto city councillor
Councillor hopefuls for the St. George campus wards 20 and 27 duke it out for your vote at this game-show style debate. This unique relaxed and casual atmosphere provides the perfect forum for students to come talk politics, mix and mingle with the hard hitters, and be heard. Free refreshments and snacks will be served and there will be a cash bar for alcohol.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with city councilors and affect municipal officials’ understanding of student concerns and challenges. Tell your next city councillor what you really think about bike lanes, student housing, landlord/tenant disputes, road conditions, cost of TTC for students, and other issues.
When: Wed. Oct. 6, 7:00 pm
Where: Hart House, Debates Room / 7 Hart House Circle Toronto ON, M5S 3H3
Website: www.harthouse.ca/municipalvote
For further inquiries please contact:
Email: hhdebatescommittee@gmail.com
Program Coordinator David Pereira (416) 946-8391 OR
Communications Director Semra Eylul Sevi (416) 799-3368
**********
Media Coverage:
Open File - Students grill Vaughan over housing- 2010-10-7 By Matthew Braga http://www.openfile.ca/toronto/file/2010/10/students-grill-vaughan-over-housing
The Varsity - Candidates duke it out at Hart House - 2010-10-11 By Samya Kullab http://thevarsity.ca/articles/34982
The Newspaper - Hart House Debates Committee brings city council elections to U of T - 2010- 10-7 By Tejas Parasher http://www.thenewspaper.ca/the-news/item/311-hart-house-debates-committee-brings-city-council-elections-to-u-of-t
____________________________________
Debate and Workshop: Cheat or Cheated? Gender Injustice in Sport
Tues. Feb. 2nd, 5:00PM
Debate & Discussion
Debates Room
Free
Is gender testing a necessary part of elite sport and the Olympic Games?
The Hart House Debates Committee and Debating Club will debate this topic and welcome sport sociologist Dr. Ann Travers to offer reflection and commentary on the broader issue of gender injustice in sport.
Wed. Feb. 3rd, 10:00AM
Open Workshop -
Beyond Gender Injustice: Re-envisioning Sport
East Common Room
Free
Dr. Ann Travers will co-facilitate this round table workshop, offering a more intimate setting in which to explore barriers and challenges to integrating all people in sport.
*******
Media Coverage:
The Varsity- Athletic bodies confused over gender - 2010-02-04 By Semra Eylul Sevi http://thevarsity.ca/articles/26062
____________________________________
Panel Event: Pandemics: Threat, Preparedness, and Response
Title: Panel Event: Pandemics: Threat, Preparedness, and Response
Location: 7 Hart House Circle- Debates Room
Start Time: 7:00
Date: 2009-11-26
End Time: 10:00
Description:
On November 26, 2009 Hart House Debates Committe, the Canadian International Council, and the University of Toronto Political Science Association will be holding a panel event discussing the possibility of a pandemic outbreak. Given the recent declaration by the World Health Organization that the H1N1 flu virus is a Phase 6 pandemic, the two questions many people are asking are - what threat does a pandemic pose and how prepared are we to respond to one? Speakers will address these pressing questions and elaborate on their respective points of view.
This event is free. There will be a coctail reception to follow as well as a book signing. CPAC and the University of Toronto radio station CUIT will be onsite recording this event.
Speakers:
Dr Vivek Goel: President & CEO, Ontario Agency for Health Protection Promotion
Prof Roger Keil: Director, The City Institute, York University, Networked Disease: Emerging Infections in the Global City
Dr Alison McGeer: Infectious Disease Consultant, Mount Sinai Hospital
Prof Andrew Price-Smith: Colorado College, Contagion & Chaos: Disease, Ecology, & National Security in the Era of Globalization
Moderator:
Prof Peter Warrian: University of Toronto
Hart House/ härt hous / noun
- A living laboratory of social, artistic, cultural and recreational experiences where all voices, rhythms and traditions converge.