SFPIRG

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (Reading Group Part 1)
2024-07-31 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Vancouver) | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
In this 3-part facilitated reading group, participants will be diving into Walter Rodney’s book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. In the first session, folks will be exploring who Walter Rodney was as a guerilla intellectual and looking at the first two chapters of the text. We’ll get to discuss some of the basic concepts that ground Rodney’s study of the encounter between Europe and Africa, and we’ll also get to dive deeper into some of the case histories he provides of pre-colonial African development.

RSVP Form

Workshop: Learning from Palestinian Resistance
2024-08-06 16:00 - 18:00 | Khalida Jarrar Library, 515 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada
In this workshop on Palestinian Resistance, participants will be exploring Palestine’s national liberation movement and reflecting on the different tactics its made use of at different points in its history. The goal of this session is to draw out lessons in this rich history of activism that can be applied to our movements today, here and now: Palestine solidarity work, anti-colonial movements in so-called “canada,” and so much more.

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How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (Reading Group Part 2)
2024-08-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Fraser Library, 250 - 13450 102nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0A3, Canada
In this 3-part facilitated reading group, participants will be diving into Walter Rodney’s book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.
RSVP Form

Teach-in: Marxist Fundamentals
2024-08-20 18:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
In this teach-in on Marxist Fundamentals, participants will be reviewing some of the basic concepts in Marx’s theory of history. We’ll be discussing concepts like “base and superstructure”, “mode of production”, and “class”, and reflecting on how these concepts can deepen our understanding of the world around us and inform our political work.

RSVP Form

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (Reading Group Part 3)
2024-08-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Khalida Jarrar Library, 515 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada

SFPIRG 2024 Annual General Meeting
2025-03-10 08:00 - 17:00 | BC
Join SFPIRG for our Annual General Meeting!
Every year we gather together as an organisation to think about where we have been and where we are going. This is an opportunity to recognise amazing community work we have supported and led, talk about finances and funding of a non-profit organisation, and recognise the work we have ahead.
Register here!
As a student-funded organisation, we love opening up our doors to share the work we have done together as a community! Every year at our AGM we review what we have done in the past year, reflect on what works, what doesn’t, and think through how we use student funds to fuel change in the world – and in students! This year, we ware excited to be joined by sχɬemtəna:t St’agid Jaad Audrey Siegl of Musqueam Nation to welcome us to the territory.
Once again, we will be hosting this event online for the safety of the communities we work with. We will not have ASL available for this event, but will have closed captioning available. We are also committed to making spaces emotionally accessible for folks, which includes supporting generative conversations (even/especially when its difficult) and providing trigger warnings. If you have other accessibility needs we can work to meet, please let us know by emailing Noëll at engagement@sfpirg.ca
We will be updating the meeting documents as we get them prepared:

the SFPIRG AGM Agenda
the meeting minutes from our previous AGM
the Annual Report for 2023-2024 of our activities and relationships
Financial reports for the reporting period

Movie Night
2026-01-13 17:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Welcome Social & Game Night
2026-01-14 17:00 - 21:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Anti-Oppression Workshop
2026-01-19 15:00 - 17:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Towards a Scientific Analysis of the Gay Question: Study & Discussion
2026-01-20 17:00 - 19:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (Study & Discussion)
2026-01-21 18:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Caliban and the Witch (Study & Discussion)
2026-01-22 18:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Zine Workshop
2026-01-28 14:00 - 16:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Organizing Meetings 101
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:30 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Rebel Reads - Book Sale
2026-02-12 11:00 - 17:00 | SUB Social Stage, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada

Arts & Crafts
2026-02-17 17:00 - 19:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Movie Night - Viewer's Choice
2026-02-18 17:30 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Table Reads
2026-02-23 17:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Study Session
2026-02-24 17:00 - 19:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Board Game Night
2026-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Study: Toward a Scientific Analysis of the Gay Question
2026-02-26 12:00 - 14:00 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

Building Mass Movements
2026-03-24 18:00 - 20:00 | BC
Interested in building genuinely MASS organizations with the power we need to change the our universities, our cities, and our world? Join the People’s University crew for a teach-in historically successful methods of mass movement building and a discussion about how we can implement them today.
To get the most out of the session, the facilitators encourage folks to read Lesson 2 & 3 from the book Activist Study (also known as ARAK) in advance.
🗓️Date: Tuesday, March 24th,
⏰Time: 6-8 PM
📍Location: TBA
If you have any access needs you’d like us to know about, please feel free to message us through our instagram or email research@sfpirg.ca.

Student-Worker Centre : Know Your Rights Workshop
2026-03-26 14:00 - 15:30 | SFPIRG Lounge SUB 1410, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
The student-worker centre of SFU is hosting its’ inaugural event — A Know Your Rights Workshop hosted by the Worker Solidarity Network. This is an opportunity for all student workers on campus to learn more about their rights and get connected with and learn from other student workers.
The workshop is 1.5 hrs long and it covers top 7 forms of wage theft (reg wages, overtime, stat pay, termination pay etc), how to advocate for yourself, and some community organizing essence in the last 30 minutes.
Location : SFPIRG
Time: 2PM

Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine
2026-03-30 18:00 - 20:00 | BC
Strategy and tactics go hand in hand, and we need to critically develop both if we’re going to succeed in achieving libration! Join the People’s University crew for a discussion of the book Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine and a reflection on how we can strengthen Palestine liberation work on campuses, in Vancouver, and across the world.
🗓️ Date: Monday, March 30th
⏱️ Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
📍Location: TBA
If you have any access needs you’d like us to know about, please feel free to message us through our instagram or email research@sfpirg.ca.

Film Screening : Dear Comrades
2026-05-01 18:00 - 21:00 | BC
Dear Comrades is a 2020 Russian historical drama film about the Novocherkassk massacre produced, co-written and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. It was entered in competition at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. At Venice, the film won the Special Jury Prize. The film received a nomination for BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and was selected as the Russian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, making the shortlist of fifteen films.
This is the first in a series of 5 films we’ll be screening at the Fletcher Challenge Theatre downtown. Grab your tickets soon, Early bird tickets are only $5. The people’s university Committee will also be present at the screening to facilitate a lively discussion amongst everyone that comes, we hope to see y’all there! Check the QR code or the link in our bio for ticketing info
https://sfpirg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/trailerpart2.mp4
https://sfpirg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/trailerpart1.mp4

Is Marxism a Science?
2026-05-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5K3, Canada
The People’s University Project presents the first in our summer series of “Second Saturday Study” Hosted at SFU Harbour Centre(Room to be announced soon)
What is a science? In the organizing space, we often talk about science, without having a concrete definition of what makes something scientific. Additionally, we often posit our theories as scientific theories without being able to point to the evidence or the reasons as to why they might be considered scientific. We hope to challenge these assumptions and, through this process, give people more confidence in their application of science to society by discussing and proposing our own ideas of why we consider Marxism to be a science. We hope that Attendants will discuss and debate amongst each other and move towards a more common understanding of what constitutes a science and how it could be applied to the real world.
No reading required – There will be a presentation followed by a discussion

Is there Class in Our Analysis?
2026-05-30 12:00 - 14:00 | BC
What is class analysis? What is the mass line? In organizing spaces, many organizations say they are practicing the mass line, but we often lack a shared understanding of what it actually means to do so. If we claim to be applying the mass line, we must also commit to the scientific process it requires: reviewing the results of investigation, analyzing conditions through a class lens, extracting demands, forming a mass line, testing it in practice, and assessing its correctness.
This series will use existing investigation done within the labour movement as the basis for study and analysis. Through this process, we hope to build organizers’ confidence in applying class analysis within their existing organizations. Participants will develop their ability to identify class consciousness, recognize the class character of ideas and demands, and better understand the material interests and tendencies of different classes in society.
Participants will discuss the mass line method of leadership, including objective and subjective factors, antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions, class consciousness, willingness to struggle, advanced, middle, and backward forces, sites of struggle, and other key questions. We hope that attendants will practice debate, sharpen their analytical skills, and become better equipped to raise and clarify political disagreements in their respective mass organizations.
No prior reading required — there will be a presentation, case study activity, and group discussion.

Cinema & Struggle: Paris is Burning
2026-06-05 18:00 - 21:00 | Fletcher Challenge Theater, 515 West Hastings, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
Stick around after the film for a lively debate and discussion on the political themes of the film and the way we see those things play out in real life today!
“For anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, Paris is Burning is a reassuring reminder that someone somewhere totally gets you.” (POV Magazine)
“A film about resistance, passion and the determined reclamation of cultural space, Paris Is Burning has been tremendously influential, and is essential viewing for any student of the issues it concerns or of the documentary form.” (Eye For Film)

Creative Hangout
2026-06-09 14:00 - 17:00 | BC
Come hang out with us for an afternoon of making things, listening to nice music, eating pizza, and relaxing in good company.
We’ll have clay and creative materials available, so you can make something at your own pace! No experience, pressure, or finished product required.
Creative Hangout
June 9th
2:00 – 5:00 PM
🍕 Pizza provided
🎶 Nice music
🏺 Clay + creative materials
Location: SUB 1410
All are welcome.
