Carleton’s Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is set to contribute money towards the construction of a learning commons tent in Confederation Park for Occupy Ottawa, pending a final decision by the accessibility committee, said vice-president (operations) Kelly Black.
The council voted to refer the decision of whether to contribute $300 to the association’s accessibility committee, said GSA president Elizabeth Whyte.
The tent would serve graduate students at Carleton who wish to continue their studies while participating in Occupy Ottawa, she said. The committee will look at the issue to ensure the plans would accomodate physically disabled students who might not be able to access the tent easily, she added.
“Several of our graduate students are partaking in Occupy Ottawa as activists,” Whyte said.
The goal of the commons would be to increase education by providing an adequate space to learn, as well as workshops providing education on several issues, Black said.
One of the goals of the movement is also to decentralize the education system, said Adam Dietrich, an Occupy Ottawa media representative.
“The addition of a learning commons would be beneficial and will help many of our current occupiers as it allows more people access to educational tools,” Dietrich said.
Occupy Ottawa’s goal of increasing access to education isn’t unique to Ottawa, Dietrich said. He pointed to examples where other Occupy movments have taken steps to ensure access to education.
“Occupy Wall Street, for instance, has gathered a large library of texts and books that anyone can access,” he said.
One key feature of the learning commons plan is to make the space winterized, which Dietrich said would help honour the protesters’ commitment to continue with the Occupy movement.
“From the beginning, it was our intent to stay for the long haul,” Dietrich said. “People scoffed at the idea of staying but there is a deep commitment among the participants and the GSA is honouring that commitment by planning for the winter months.”
The accessibility committee will meet to discuss the plan in the next week or so, Black said.
– with files from Jane Gerster
