Dis-Orientation Week 2022

September 12th – 17th, 2022

Join OPIRG Peterborough and other local community organizations and facilitators for a week of fun, workshops, speakers, films, tours, socials, learning, agitation, and… DisOrientation!

What Is Dis-Orientation Week? Covid-19

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DisOrientation Week 2022 Events

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Monday, September 12

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Often we are presented with media and pop culture narratives of human trafficking and sexual violence that don’t give us a truthful look about the realities happening here in Canada. This can often lead to widespread myths, victim blaming mentalities, and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. So often the general public do not get the correct information on who is most disproportionately impacted by forms of sexual violence, and we may carry unconscious biases with us because of this.

Join KSAC as we unpack and debunk common myths of sexual violence and trafficking, shine light on the importance of addressing intersectionality and who is often left out of these important conversations, and create new narratives and strategies to help everyone become better allies for survivors. This workshop is open to folks of all genders. Please note some of the content in this presentation may be activating for some- KSAC staff can provide emotional/grounding support in the moment, and KSAC’s crisis services and general services information will be available.

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AVP workshops have the goal of empowering people to live non-violent lives through experiential exercises guided by facilitators. AVP was originally developed in prisons, and members of AVP-Kingston facilitate workshops in prisons between Montreal, Kingston and Oshawa. However, workshops can be done with any group of willing participants and builds a community among those who take part. AVP emphasizes that the participants bring in their own experience to a workshop, the workshop itself does not provide answers on how to grow and solve conflict, the people involved provide that for themselves through the experiences in the workshop. Exercises can be games where we share “the weather” of our emotions, practicing have conservations in tense situations or conflict, or forming deep connections through sharing difficulties in our lives. Two or three facilitators will guide the workshop with 8 to 20 participants.

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Zines have played an important role in community arts expression, information sharing, and empowerment amongst marginalized individuals. This workshop and discussion will present global and local context for the creation and sharing of zines, with local artist and facilitator Carlo leading participants in making their own zine.

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Tuesday, September 13

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Want to become a better leader, make a longer-lasting impact, and collaborate more effectively with your community? In this workshop, KSAC will be helping you build up skills to do just that! From 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm on September 13th (2 hour period), join us as we talk about what being a leader REALLY means, how to avoid the pitfalls male leaders can slide into, how to avoid activist burnout and much more! You’ll come out of this workshop as a better community organizer and role model through discussions and group-based activities.

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Since it first emerged on American college campuses in 2011, the fossil fuel divestment movement was inspired by successful anti-apartheid, anti-war campaigns and has become the fastest growing divestment movement ever. Fossil fuel divestment aims to remove the social license of the fossil fuel industry by pressuring institutions that we have a stake in to take a stand. While many institutions have committed to divesting over $40 trillion worth of assets, so-called ‘environmental leader’ Trent University is lagging noticeably behind. Despite growing pressure from students and the clear social, economic and environmental case for divestment, the Board of Governors has elected to continue investing in fossil fuel projects that contribute to the climate crisis and exacerbate violence against racialized communities around the world.

Join Sustainable Trent for a presentation on the basics and rationale behind fossil fuel divestment, the history of the fossil fuel divestment movement at Trent University, and the future of the movement. After the presentation, KWIC will lead participants in a guided discussion around what meaningful collective organizing could look like.

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BLM Nogojiwanong will show a series of films on the lawn at Sadleir House that exemplify themes of Black resistance and revolution. We believe our community can learn from these documentaries and films to organize and become a safe and more inclusive community.

Featuring the short films Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution & Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris

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Wednesday, September 14

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Experience your Campus farm-to-table food system first hand in this exciting tour of the Trent Vegetable Gardens and the Seasoned Spoon Café. These two organizations have partnered together for over a decade to create an accessible and sustainable local food system at Trent where organic vegetables are grown, harvested, processed, cooked and eaten all right here on campus!

Join us as we make our way through the Seasoned Spoon kitchen, café space, off-grid root cellar, rooftop garden, field garden and community gardens. We will discuss the work these organizations do to build alternative food systems at Trent and all the ways you can get involved including volunteering, research projects, workshops, community meals and more! Food has amazing potential to build community and initiate conversations about broader social and environmental struggles and movements. Find out how you can join the food movement at Trent!

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For Dis-O Week, TUPS seeks to host a viewing of the first episode of the handmaidens tale. After the viewing member will host a constructive dialogue about the autonomy and resistance of women with participants. TUPS will also provide a “further readings” package. The package will focus on writers that are Queer, Black, Indigenous, and of Colour.

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Join Trans Peer Outreach @ CMHA and the Trent Queer Collective for a very Queer virtual game night! A fun, lighthearted way to meet new students, seasoned students, and everyone beyond or in between. You’ll also get the chance to learn about some local Queer-centred or -affirming support services and have your questions answered by the hosts. We welcome all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and our allies; please reach out to the TQC () with any accessibility needs or requests. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

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Thursday, September 15

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About Shanese Steele

Shanese Anne Indoowaaboo Steele is an Afro-Indigenous femme living and working on the traditional territories of the Missauagek and Potwatomi people. Being Métis Anishinaabe Kwe and a Black person of Trinidadian and Grenadian descent she understands the complexities of the diasporic experiences of visitors to these lands in relationship to the original inhabitants. Her work includes both traditional knowledge from her Métis Anishinaabe ancestors and community as well as that of her Black ancestry. Shanese’s work is about building bridges between Black and Indigenous peoples living on Turtle Island and Globally, Supporting LGBTQAI2S+ community, advocating for victims of intimate partner and violence and creating space and opportunities for all marginalized communities. All of her work comes from a decolonial, Queer, feminist and pro-Black framework.

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Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle are excited to announce that the 44th annual Take Back The Night march and rally will be taking place in-person on September 15th at Silver Bean Cafe in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough from 6pm-8:30pm.

With this year’s theme of “Rising Strong Together”, we hope to show how much positive change can be enacted when our community of the four counties comes together to support one another- when we give space for all voices to be heard, especially the ones that are often silenced. This year’s event will begin at 6pm with light refreshments, and the opportunity for community members to make posters and tobacco ties for the evening. Our schedule of speakers and performers will begin at 6:30pm, and the event will end off with our march along the downtown sidewalks of Nogojiwanong/Peterborough (walking route TBD).

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Friday, September 16

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Curious about seed saving but not sure how to get started? Ever wonder how to enhance your own self sufficiency and food sovereignty? Then this event is for you! As part of OPIRG’s Dis Orientation week, join the Trent Student Seed Savers and Trent Vegetable Gardens for a delicious and informative workshop.

Participants will learn about the basics of saving seed from master seed saver, Catriona Henderson, and be introduced to the groups on campus educating students on sustainable agriculture and working to enhance student food sovereignty and food literacy. This hands-on workshop will include a garden tour and harvesting activity, plus a live demonstration on saving tomato seeds. Participants will make a delicious salsa fresca with campus-grown vegetables and enjoy this delectable snack together in the garden.

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Saturday, September 17

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OPIRG Peterborough and The Free Market welcome everyone to come over to the Sadleir House lawn to swap, donate, and collect any gently used clothes, books, and small household items!

As we face a climate crisis alongside increasing economic inequity, we believe this is one way to collectively challenge capitalism and nurture sustainability by reducing items that might head into landfills and sharing with our community.

Food Not Bombs will also be on the lawn providing free and delicious vegan BBQ!

The event will be outside and will follow COVID-19 protocols. Hand sanitizer and masks will be available and we ask that people maintain a comfortable distance.

*If you are unable to attend on Saturday, but would like to donate to the Free Market, please contact to book a drop-off appointment during office hours from September 5th – 9th.

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Let’s share ideas about how we can better support each other and the communities we are a part of! Join us for a conversation about mutual aid, community building through sharing food with your neighbours, and capacity building insights garnered from one year of operation of Community Fridge Nogojiwanong/Peterborough. We will discuss what mutual aid is, what organizing outside of traditional capitalist structures has the power to achieve, and explore the effects of decolonizing community care. Bring your thoughts, questions, and complaints about mutual aid, solidarity projects, and community/capacity building!

Community Fridge Nogojiwanong/Peterborough is a local group that has operated a community fridge and pantry since September 2021. The fridge is plugged in outside of a home on Dublin Street, inside a weather-proofed shed which includes shelving for pantry items. A community fridge operates like a Little Free Library but for food. The guiding principles of CF Nogo/Ptbo are: take what you need, leave what you don’t, give what you can, no questions asked.

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Thank you to our sponsor, Sustainable Trent!