Announcement & Call for Applications
Please read ALL the information below before submitting your application.
The OCASI School for Social Justice (SSJ) is a training institute for OCASI member agency employees (and OCASI staff), to build capacity in social analysis, community organizing, and advocacy for social and economic justice.
The SSJ will be held from October 17 to November 28, 2017. It consists of six-days in-person and six-hours online sessions. Applicants must be available to attend the FULL session for ALL the sessions.
Who Should Apply:
The training institute is meant for individuals (regardless of position within the agency), who already have an awareness and some understanding of systemic discrimination and oppression, who can apply the learning in their efforts for social change, in the context of their work at an OCASI member agency.
Click here to review detailed description.
Training Dates:
In Person Training:
- Monday October 23 and Tuesday October 24, 2017 (all day) – Toronto
- Monday November 6 and Tuesday November 7 2017 (all day) – Toronto
- Monday November 27 and Tuesday November 28, 2017 (all day) – Toronto
Interactive Web-based Training:
- Tuesday October 17, 2017, 10:00 am (1 1/2 hour) – Introduction Webinar
- Tuesday October 31, 2017, 10:00 am (1 1/2 hour) – Webinar
- Thursday November 2, 2017, 10:00 am (1 1/2 hour) – Webinar
- Tuesday November 14, 2017, 10:00 am (1 1/2 hour) – Webinar
Please Note: OCASI staff must obtain support from their managers to participate.
Application: Click here to download the OCASI SSJ Application [Word document].
Please email your completed application form and supporting documents to policyevents@ocasi.org
Supporting Documents Required:
- Resume showing work/volunteer experience in non-profit human services sector; and demonstrated involvement in social justice/community development work in any capacity (including professional, volunteer, personal/private)
- Please submit a signed support letter from your Manager  - Click here to download the form letter [Word document].
Deadline for Applications:
Please complete the on-line application by Friday, September 22, 2017. Don’t forget to attach all the requested supporting documents. Candidates will be informed of the results of the application process by Friday, October 6, 2017.
Click on the links below for download:
OCASI SSJ Application [Word]
Form support letter [Word]
Scope: Key Themes/Issues included in the Program:
- Critical self-awareness: naming, empowering, and taking care of ourselves
- ourselves, our social location/identify; our experience of power and oppression
- intersectional analysis: multiple oppression and location, anti-oppression analysis
- structure of power and power relations; our role and participation; self-empowerment
- identity politics and politics of power; self-empowerment and organizational/community strategies
- racism: root causes, world history/colonization, systemic/structural, and other forms of racism; anti-racism strategies
self-care and sustained activism - Acknowledgement of First Nations' Land; Canada's colonial history and First Nations' struggle for sovereignty and control; Truth and Reconciliation Report: Calls for Action; Residential School/Intergenerational Survivors
- Social analysis: basic framework; approaches (historical, structural, and the current moment or "conjunctural”); structure of power and privilege
Analysis of "key moments", major trends, and forces: economic, political and social forces - Balance of forces: for and against us (allies), long and short term, trends analysis
- Popular education tools for social analysis: building a learning community; education for change; action and reflection; the personal and political; individual, organizational and social change
- Strategies for change: short and long term, issue-based campaigns and movement building; education, advocacy, and community organizing; coalition building
- Media analysis and how to engage with media for social change
- Registered Charities regulations and advocacy
- Policy change at the municipal level: immigration and refugee policy and anti-racism organizing strategies
Contact Information:
Should you have any questions, please contact Martha Orellana at (416) 322-4950 ext.230 or morellana@ocasi.org or Amy Casipullai at ext.239 or amy@ocasi.org