NSPIRG

NSPIRG (Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group) is a student activist organization with a focus on environmental and social justice issues. It is funded by students at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and functions as a referendum-mandated society of the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU). Their stated mandate is "to link research with action for social and environmental justice within an anti-oppression framework."

Origins

NSPIRG was created by a DSU referendum in 1990. It receives funding via a $4 direct student levy. Although the group is required to allow students to opt out of the levy, some students have recently criticized the organization for neglecting to advertise this option, resulting in a total of 12 students opting out in 2008/2009.

The 1990 referendum question read:

Yes, I support the establishment of a Public Interest Research Group at Dalhousie University (Dal-PIRG) which will operate as a student run, student funded research, education, and action organization at a cost of $2.00 per student, per semester ($4.00 per year), which is refundable to those students who do not wish to participate.

NSPIRG Campaigns

Resisting/Replacing Atlantica

This is a movement opposing the Atlantica Initiative, a proposed trade zone spanning the New England States and Atlantic Provinces, which the group claims "threatens to seriously undermine labor rights and environmental standards".

Save Lincolnville!

This is a campaign to oppose the Lincolnville Landfill, which the group sees as an example of environmental racism. It is also concerned with the rights of Black Nova Scotians and First Nations communities.

No One Is Illegal - Halifax

This is an initiative supporting immigrants and refugees in Canada. The campaign is in its infancy, and involved groups include the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association, Halifax Refugee Clinic, and the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty.

Rooting Out Racism

This is a campaign to stop institutional racism and discrimination in Halifax schools through human rights advocacy and support for victims of discrimination.

Controversy

At the Dalhousie Student Union's 2009 Annual General Meeting, a non-ratified campus group known as SMAC (Students Mobilize for Action on Campus) proposed several controversial motions, which, among other things, called for the non-renewal of the union's food service contracts, in favour of student run food service, and a ban on Canadian Forces recruiting on campus. Despite the different name, some students, including DSU 2009/2010 presidential candidate Eric Snow attacked the group as being a front organization for NSPIRG, citing overlap in membership and resources. DSU VP Education, Mark Coffin, noted that NSPIRG reserved space for a meeting in the Student Union Building, and SMAC advertised the meeting as their own. Due to time constraints, discussion on the SMAC motions was postponed until the remainder of the meeting on April 1, 2009.

At the March 11 meeting, Dalhousie Law student Daniel Pink subsequently introduced a motion that NSPIRG should apologize to all Dalhousie students, be evicted from their office in the Student Union Building, and have their funding withheld by the DSU.

The issue of whether to add the motion to the agenda was hotly debated, and came to a contentious vote. Initially, the attendees voted by a show-of-hands, which resulted in the motion failing. However, because of the size of the voting group, Vice President(Finance & Operations) of the DSU, Matt Golding, moved that the vote be put to a ballot, to ensure its legitimacy. The vote was held, but the Chair deemed the result illegitimate because 8 more ballots were collected than given out. Following a second ballot vote, the motion was passed. Some students have criticized the legitimacy of the ballot vote, because additional, perhaps uninformed, students were allowed to enter at the time of the vote. They hold that the outcome of the vote was changed because of the lapse of time between the show-of-hands vote and the ballot vote.

Following the meeting, two campaigns were initiated. A group of students loosely known as "Stop NSPIRG" circulated a petition asking for NSPIRG's funding to be put to a referendum. The three presidential candidates for the 2009 DSU election signed the petition. Another group of students in support of NSPIRG began a campaign to inform students AbOUT the organization, its working groups, and its campaigns. Prior to the continuation of the AGM, NSPIRG held a press conference featuring Halifax NDP MP Megan Leslie. A former NSPIRG adherent herself, Leslie denounced the Stop NSPIRG campaign, suggesting that it was related to a nationwide Conservative coup d'état on "progressive" campus organizations.

In the subsequent second part of the AGM, held April 1, 2009, discussion on the "NSPIRG Motion" began. The motion was by and large the same as previously presented by Daniel Pink. However, a student proposed that the motion be amended to remove the majority of the text, leaving only a resolution to have DSU Council arrange a referendum in the 2009/2010 school year, in consultation with NSPIRG. The amendment passed, and voting returned to the main motion. The motion failed, with 214 in favour, and 237 against. The effect of this is that Council will not be required to have a referendum in the 2009/2010 school year on NSPIRG's funding.

Affiliated groups

Working Groups

Working groups are issue-based groups supported by NSPIRG that have access to NSPIRG resources and funding.

• Anti-Oppression Youth Education Project (AYEP)
• Campus Action on Food
• DalGreen
• Films on Critical Issues (FOCI)
• Haiti Action Halifax (HAH)
• Metro Student Living Co-op
• Students Coalition Against War (SCAW)
• Seymour Green Community Organic Garden
• Students Taking Action in Chiapas (ZEN)
• Students For Students
• Vegan Potluck Group

Other associated groups

• Halifax Coalition Against Poverty (HCAP)
• Halifax Refugee Clinic

External links

• NSPIRG site
• Stop NSPIRG site