OPIRG Peterborough is proud to announce the much-anticipated launch of Dis-Orientation Week 2023, “Rebirth and Disruption: Solidarity, Identity, and New Imaginaries”. 

Set to ignite the minds and hearts of our students and community, we invite you to join our six-day learning extravaganza starting on Monday September 25th, to Sunday October 1st. With over 15 different events, sprawled around downtown, campus and Sadleir House, this year's event promises to embark you on what will be a radical awakening for the mind, body and soul! 

In a world where it’s easy to feel powerless, where a cacophony of voices can seem to effortlessly drown out the shout for justice and individuality, and where the future feels ever dark and uncertain, Dis-Orientation Week emerges as a collective reminder that throughout history, real transformation and societal change begins from the bottom-up. That real change is driven by the collective power of the people. In other words, Dis-O Week serves to promote spaces of hope and empowerment. 

Since its inception in 2005, Dis-Orientation week has been a catalyst of change, serving Trent students and the Peterborough-Nogojiwanong community as an alternative orientation guide, introducing new and returning students and community members alike to different and unconventional views. It intends to inspire participants to find a sense of belonging outside the boundaries of tradition, consumerism, and the status quo.

Our theme this year, “Rebirth and Disruption: Solidarity, Identity, and New Imaginaries” places the spotlight on the extraordinary potential within all of us, and more broadly, the community. It’s about rediscovering your own activist/revolutionary spirit, while fostering deeper connections within our community and re-envisioning our relation to the Land. This is your chance to reignite the activist flames that lie dormant within the heart of student life at Trent University, but beyond that,  it is also an invitation to explore fresh perspectives, honor and learn about your new home, challenge conventional practices and ideas, and explore a world full of possibilities.  

This Week will feature a diverse range of events, including training and information sessions, thought-provoking movie screenings and discussions, liberating art and activism workshops, and non-conformist, awe-inspiring tours and ceremonies. 

Here’s a glimpse of what Dis-Orientation Week 2023 has in store for you: 

“United For Housing Justice: Tenants Union Info Session with ACORN” 

Tuesday September 26th, 6PM-8PM @ Dreams of Beans Cafe

Hosted by ACORN and OPIRG Peterborough

ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) Canada and OPIRG Peterborough invite you to an info-session on union organizing in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong. Come and explore how to mobilize our community for a change, particularly in relation to the current housing crisis. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about tenant unions, voice their concerns, and learn how to collaboratively devise strategies for change! Discover how you can play a pivotal role in starting an ACORN chapter in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong.

“Inwendaamin Oki (How We Are Related to the Land)” 

Thursday September 28th, 9:30AM-12 PM @ Mnidoowag A'Kiing at Trent

Hosted by: Inwendaamin Oki with Elder Dorothy Taylor 

Be part of a poignant Land and Water Acknowledgement Ceremony, guided by Elder Dorothy Taylor from Curve Lake. The ceremony will commence with a sacred Fire and prayer, followed by an opportunity to embark on your own tour of the Lands. 

“Climate Conversations and Cathartic Collaging” 

Sunday October 1st, 2 PM-4PM @ Sadleir House, Lecture Hall

Hosted by: Student Rebellion Trent 

Student Rebellion Trent invites you to a soul-stirring event aimed at grounding your commitment to combat the global ecological crisis right here, right now. Dive into the exploration of Trent University’s complicitness through fossil fuel investment, through a brief introduction to divestment, and the Sustainable Guyana Program partnership. Unleash your creativity as a cathartic response to this knowledge by collaging. Learn how to use art as both an envisioning tool and as a form of activism.   

As we stand at the verge of this incredible week, we invite you to join OPIRG Peterborough along with esteemed partnered organizations, levy groups and key local activists and artists! Don’t miss being a part of a place where individuals become a collective force! 

A big thank you to all community organizations, levy groups, individuals and beloved hosts who joined together to make this incredible week a success. A special thank you to our incredible sponsor the TCSA, whose support is invaluable to our efforts in bridging communities together. 

Join us as we explore new horizons, embrace change, and amplify our voices in the spirit of collective action and solidarity. 

For more information, event registration and complete schedule of events please visit our website by clicking here. Or Visit us on Instagram: @opirgptbo

OPIRG Peterborough would like to acknowledge that those of us who are settlers are uninvited guests occupying Traditional Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg Territory. We are located on the land associated with the Williams Treaty of 1923 and Rice Lake Treaty #20 of 1818. We are grateful that the Indigenous peoples of this territory, and Turtle Island as a whole, have been caretakers and inhabitants of the land since time immemorial. Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg teachings, ceremonies, language, and traditions are intrinsic to the territory and should dually be respected with our own ways of living.