In this podcast, Next Up grads Max Fineday (Saskatoon 1) and Janelle Pewapsconias (FNMI 1) along with Cindy Blackstock talk about the colonial sources of our greatest national health emergencies, and how the processes of colonization aren't in Canada's history, but still grow and perpetuate in our politics and communities today.

http://www.thinkupstream.net/radio5 

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/upstream-radio/id1034624700?mt=2

(reposted from www.thinkupstream.net)

click on the play button to listen to this podcast.

Congratulations to Next Up alumni Sarina Gersher and Hilary Gough who were elected to Saskatoon City Council on October 26, 2016. Gersher is a GIS analyst has worked at Meewasin Valley Authority, was a board member of Saskatchewan Environmental Society, and was a founding member of Bus Riders of Saskatoon. She completed Next Up in 2013. Gough has been Operations Manager at Upstream Action, a non-profit organization focused on social determinants of health. She has also been an active member of Saskatoon Cycles and a mentor at The Princess Shop. She completed Next Up in 2014. 

Saskatoon's new City Council. Next Up alumni Hilary Gough (fifth from Left) and Sarina Gersher (fourth from Right) were elected on October 26, 2016.

This summer NU 2009-10 alum Claudia Li was featured in the Globe & Mail's The Food 53, which celebrates influential people in Canadian food.

Claudia Li: Her NGOs promote food justice in the context of Chinese culture and cuisine

By Cliff Lee 
The Globe and Mail

August 2016

The future of Chinese food and culture in Canada has never been as secure – and it’s because Claudia Li is looking to her roots to find the way forward.

Stacey Gomez, a graduate of Next Up Ottawa's fourth cycle, is working as the Action Coordinator at the Centre for Gender Advocacy at Concordia University in Montreal. Check out this article and video to hear her eloquently explain why she participated in organizing a new march to oppose sexual violence.

“We wanted to offer an alternative to Take Back the Night,” said Stacey Gomez, a march organizer.

“We don’t just want the night, we want the whole day to feel safe.”

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Lauren Montgomery, a graduate of the third round of Next Up Ottawa, is a PhD student and Chair of the Women's Caucus at CUPE 4600, the union representing teaching assistants and contract instructors at Carleton University. Lauren has been on the front lines in a struggle by Carleton students and unions to compel the university to improve their sexual assault policy.

“I want to see prevention mechanisms that are really concrete, like mandatory consent training for everyone on campus. I want it to be embedded in the curriculum. I want it to be something that’s a part of courses,” Lauren told the Ottawa Citizen; the story was recently featured on their front page.

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AYO Next Uppers,

Kamusta! My name is Christopher Clacio. I was born and raised in Winnipeg, MB on treaty 1 land of the Anishinaabe Nation. This is also the home of the Metis Nation. (I would also like to acknowledge that this whole planet is indigenous territory.) One thing to note is that I'm Filipino, but the thing that connects my life with indigenous communities is the concept of Family.  I am very active in the North End of Winnipeg with a youth movement called AYO, Aboriginal Youth Opportunities. 

Chris Chang-Yen Phillips named Edmonton's 4th historian laureate

Edmonton's newest historian laureate is not your typical historian

(Source: CBC News  posted April 6, 2016)

Chris Chang-Yen Phillips doesn't have a history degree.

In fact, he's a far cry from the traditional history professor in many ways, but that didn't stop him from becoming Edmonton's latest historian laureate. That he's atypical is perhaps the most exciting thing about his new position, he said.

Among other mobilizing events around climate change, alumni Rachel Malena-Chan and Andrea Cessna, along with current NUpper Justin Fisher, have been directing their effort toward a media project that highlights issues surrounding climate justice. These 3-5 minute tutorials aim to bridge the gap between active supporters and those who may not know how to get involved in the movement by providing information, resources and key-messaging. Moreover, this series of short videos intends to create a platform for Indigenous voices, young people, people from frontline communities in Canada and the rest of the world, and others who are disproportionately impacted, to speak out against climate injustice.

Check out our videos on demystifying climate justice, pipelines and the People's Injunction, individual choices vs. systemic change and urgency

Hi! My name is Claire and I’m a fourth generation settler on Treaty 6 Territory in Edmonton, Alberta. I graduated from Next Up 6 last year, and right now I’m taking a year away from my studies at the University of Alberta in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies to study and intern in the US.

We are so proud of Next Up's very own Darcy Vermeulen for winning the BC/Alberta regional Notable Award for the National Arts and Culture category!