TO. Greenspirational Events: what a week!

Angela Bischoff greenspi at web.ca
Mon May 18 22:51:32 EDT 2009


Toronto Greenspirational Events

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ANTI-PAN AMERICAN GAMES PICKET
Tues. MAY 19th 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Picket outside of U of T’s Olympic Reform Conference, U of T’s  
Athletic Center,
starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Clara Benson Building, 320 Huron Street,
south of Harbord.

U of T is bringing together academics to discuss 'Olympic Reform',
meanwhile they are proposing to build a $170 million Olympic-sized
Aquatics facility (at Scarborough campus) and a $50 million Centre for
High Performance Sport (at the St. George campus).  If built, the
latter will displace the Part-time Student Union’s (APUS) current
office location.

Additionally, students will be asked to pay further levies for these
high performance sports facilities that few will have the time to use.
The University is willing to spend millions for the Pan American Games
Bid, and yet, at the same time, they are proposing a 66% fee hike for
part-time students (those taking 3 & 3.5 will be asked to pay for 5
courses). These 'corporate' games are not a student priority!

During the current economic downturn, all levels of government will
invest monies towards the Pan American Games, which will cost upwards
of 1.77 billion. From past practice, we know these mega sporting
events end-up costing the community of the host city many times more
than what was originally proposed.

Instead of hosting Games for the rich, the Government(s) and
University should be investing in local services according to the
identified true needs of the community, especially while unemployment
and homelessness are growing, and postsecondary education is becoming
even further out of reach for many.

Join us on Tuesday May 19 as we picket outside of U of T’s 'Olympic
Reform' Conference and tell them where U of T’s priorities and
taxpayer’s resources should instead be spent. Meet us at 9:00 a.m. at
the Clara Benson Building, 320 Huron Street, south of Harbord.
*Free Food at around Noon.*

**MORE INFO ON WHY WE SHOULD OPPOSE THE OLYMPICS & PAN-AM GAMES**

Also, join us on Thurs 28th, 6 - 8 pm for the Free session: "Don’t
Play Games with our Priorities - No Pan Am Games", which is part of
APUS’s Free Education Week, May 25-30th, at OISE Rm 2212

Listen to anti-poverty activist Josephine Grey (LIFT) and Vancouver
Anti-Olympic activist Chris Shaw, (author of "Five Ring Circuses:
Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games") who will lead the
discussion. A full description of Free Education sessions and speakers
is available online at www.FreeEducationWeek.blogspot.com.

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FIERCE LIGHT -- OPEN IN TORONTO THEATRES

May 15 - June 1
Cumberland Theatre, Yorkville (159 Cumberland Street)
www.fiercelight.org, fiercelightfilms at mac.com

Official Hot Docs selection Fierce Light continues the quest for a  
fusion between spirituality and activism previously explored in  
Velcrow Ripper's award-winning feature documentary, ScaredSacred  
(Special Jury Prize, Toronto International Film Festival; Genie  
Award, Best Documentary).

The 2006 murder of friend and fellow media-activist Brad Will in  
protest-torn Oaxaca, Mexico, is the impetus for Ripper's journey,  
which takes him to the flash points of spiritual activism around the  
world, including Montgomery Alabama; Robben Island, South Africa;  
Andrah, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and South Central Los  
Angeles, where a months-long protest against razing of a vital  
community garden provides a highly dramatic spine for the wide- 
ranging film.

En route, Ripper encounters a number of eloquent icons, including  
American Civil Rights legend, Congressman John Lewis; actor turned  
activist, Daryl Hannah; Nobel prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu;  
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker; Buddhist peace activist  
monk Thich Nhat Hahn; famed tree-sitter Julia Butterfly Hill; and  
dharma punk Noah Levine.

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OPPOSE THE INTRODUCTION OF FLAT FEES AT U of T

RALLY: WED. MAY 20 at 4 PM at UTM - Buses leave at 2:00 p.m. from 100
Devonshire Place (1 block East of St.George Street & 1 Block South of
Bloor). Please RSVP at 416 978-0831.

The Fight Fees Coalition encourages the community to rally against U
of T’s Flat fees proposal outside of the Governing Council meeting at
the University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus, in the South Building.

It is clear that the University has misplaced priorities; instead of
ensuring that no student should have to drop out due to lack of
finances, tuition is on an alarming rise.  The Provincial government
stipulates an increase of 5% in its framework, however the University
is proposing to raise tuition by over 60% for some members, with the
introduction of the Flat Fees program.  Under this new proposal
students taking 3 credits or more will be paying for 5!  This increase
will negatively impact students’ ability to attend University and most
strongly impact student parents and working students who already have
difficulty maintaining their course load and paying current fees.

On April 16, the Governing Council approved a tuition hike of 4.5%
(bringing in $40 million in revenue). The University is getting enough
money from students without further increases. Flat Fees will not
enhance students’ experiences on campus, as it will only serve to
limit students’ ability to become involved on campus. This proposal,
will force part-time students (those taking 3 and 3.5), many of which
are working students, to work even longer hours in order to pay for
courses they are not even able to take. "Stop Charging Students!"
Let’s make them hear us!

**SHUT DOWN THE UNDEMOCRATIC FLAT FEES PROPOSAL!!!**

Buses will be leaving from St. George at Hart House 2:00 p.m. from 100
Devonshire Place. The rally starts at 4:00 p.m. at the University of
Toronto, Mississauga Campus (UTM), in the South Building.

More information is available at:
fightfeescoalition.blogspot.com or email us at  
fightfeescoalition at gmail.com.

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CONSTANTINE’S SWORD

In this powerful documentary, we follow practicing Catholic,  
journalist, and National Book Award winner James Carroll as he  
explores the history of the Christian Church’s relationship with  
Judaism. From Emperor Constantine's vision of the Cross as a sword  
and symbol of power, through centuries of anti-Semitic persecution  
and killing, to modern-day conflicts sparked by religious extremism,  
Carroll opens up a troubling history that is often ignored. Directed  
by Oscar nominee Oren Jacoby.

GIVES CRUCIAL BACKGROUND HISTORY FOR CHRISTIANS INVOLVED IN  
INTERFAITH DIALOGUE OR MIDDLE-EASTERN PEACE ACTIVISM

Showing at:
FRIENDS HOUSE, 60 LOWTHER
(2 blocks north of Bloor at Bedford.  TTC: St. George)
WEDNESDAY  MAY 20 at 7:30 PM
$5/pwyc

  “At once enthralling and troubling... Constantine's Sword is a cri  
de coeur about the abuse of religion when aligned with the state.” --  
New York Times

Organised by the Toronto Catholic Worker, hosted by the Quaker Peace  
and Social Action Committee.

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Holocaust in the Congo: how 6 million have died & why the West is  
oblivious
A presentation by Makeda Crane of the Baltimore Sun, which highlights  
the role of Western business and geo-political interests in the  
plundering of the the DRC's abundant natural resources, as well as  
the suffering of the Congolese people.

Wed. May 20, 7 p.m.
Sydney Smith Hall,  / Student Life Centre, Room 1087, 100 St. George,  
University of Toronto
Info: Friends of the Congo, U of T, paulyork.2008 at gmail.com

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Food for Talk presents an upcoming seminar by Dr. Marina Castelo  
Branco, an urban agriculture expert from Brazil, to speak on:

Urban Agriculture in Brazil: what we know, what we should know

Date: Wed, May 20, 2009

Time: 11 a.m. - 12 noon

Location: 7th floor of Heaslip House, 297 Victoria St., Toronto, ON   
http://www.ryerson.ca/maps/

For more information, please visit: www.ryerson.ca/foodsecurity

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Ride of Silence

* To HONOR those cyclists who have been injured or killed
* To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
* To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD

THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET

Wed. May 20, 6:30
Meet at Spadina and Bloor

On May 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North
America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in
a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured
while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right
to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't
aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists
themselves.

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas
after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a
passing bus and was killed. (Read the full history here http:// 
www.rideofsilence.org/history.php)

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no
faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no
brochure, no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is
held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of
motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right
to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for
those who have been killed or injured.

Hosted by Bike Pirates: bicyclepirate at bikepirates.com

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Post-Carbon Toronto presents:

AN EVENING WITH THOMAS HOMER-DIXON

Thur. May 21st, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Sanford Fleming Building, Lecture Hall #1105
     University of Toronto Downtown Campus
     10 King's College Road

Post Carbon Toronto is pleased to present an evening with Thomas
Homer-Dixon, who will speak about the new book he has edited on the dual
crises of peak oil and global warming - *Carbon Shift* – take
questions, and sign copies of his books.

Thomas Homer-Dixon was born in Victoria, British Columbia and received
his B.A. in political science from Carleton University in 1980 and his
Ph.D. from MIT in international relations and defense and arms control
policy in 1989. He then moved to the University of Toronto to lead
several research projects studying the links between environmental
stress and violence in developing countries. Recently, his research has
focused on threats to global security in the 21st century and on how
societies adapt to complex economic, ecological, and technological
change. He has written ‘*Environment, Scarcity and Violence*’; ‘*The
Ingenuity Gap*’; and ‘*The Upside of Down*.’

He presently holds the Centre for International Governance Innovation
Chair of Global Systems, at the Balsillie School of International
Affairs in Waterloo, Canada, and is a Professor in the Centre for
Environment and Business in the Faculty of Environment, University of
Waterloo.

Thomas Homer Dixon latest publication, ‘*Carbon Shift*’, is a collection
of writings on peak oil and climate change, which he edited with
contributions from writers such as Jeffrey Simpson and Jeff Rubin.

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Ontario’s Energy Future: Nuclear or Renewable?
A community forum – all welcome!

- Friday, May 22, 7 p.m.
- St. Lawrence Community Rec Centre, Multi-purpose Room
(on the Esplanade between Parliament and Sherbourne)
- Free
- Accessible venue

Confirmed speakers:
Jack Gibbons, Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Greenpeace

Invited speaker:
MPP George Smitherman

Hosted by: Residents for Green Energy
For more info: 416 604 5783, ss.how11 at gmail.com

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FREE screening of the award winning documentary film
BEHIND THE MASK
followed by a Q & A with filmmaker Shannon Keith.
Behind The Mask: A unique documentary focusing on those individuals  
who take direct action to save animals.

Fri. May 22, 7:00 p.m.
University of Toronto- Bahen Centre 1170, 40 St. George, University  
of Toronto

The films subtitle: “The story of the people who risk everything to
save animals,” is nothing but the truth. For more than thirty years
the organization has been freeing nonhuman animals around the world
and destroying property that causes harm to those animals totaling up
in the hundreds of millions of dollars of “damage.” As the film
explains, the ALF has been identified by the FBI as the number one
domestic threat in the U.S. despite the fact that they are against
harming any living creature human or nonhuman, and have not harmed
anyone since becoming established in the mid-1970s."

Who are they? What kind of a person would risk so much to save the
lives of animals? The Animal Liberation Front, comprised of
clandestine animal rights activists, is now labeled the #1 domestic
terrorist threat by the FBI. Who are these "animal liberationists" and
why do they believe that breaking the law is the best way to help
animals? What inspires them to challenge the status quo, fight against
all odds, and endure public reproach?

Director Shannon Keith goes BEHIND THE MASK and captures the hearts
and souls of men and women who unveil their individual struggles for
Animal Liberation. This controversial documentary weaves together the
lives of people who face jail, devastation, and even death for their
ideals. BEHIND THE MASK exposes never-before-seen footage that reveals
the extent to which these individuals will go to save the lives of
animals.

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Health For All:
Health Care Provision and Direct Action Politics Panel

Friday May 22, 2009
7-9 p.m.

Ryerson University
Thomas Lounge
63 Gould Street
Free!

Join Students for Medicare and No One is Illegal as we bring together
health professionals, organizing alongside their communities in the  
fight
for health for all!
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Health care professionals are on the front lines of care every day, and
are direct witnesses to the inadequate resources and access to health  
care
facing many marginalized populations in our own communities. It is  
during
their professional lives that health care providers realize that just
showing up to the clinic will not be enough to make everyone well.

This evening will provide opportunities to discuss the difference  
between
patient advocacy and patient solidarity. We will learn from example how
community members and health care professionals have used creativity to
build safer, healthier communities and a healthy analysis of what it is
that really makes us sick, and what it will take to realize health for
all.

Panelists include:

-Bethany Schroeder, Executive Director of the Ithaca Health Alliance,
Ithaca, NY (www.ithacahealthalliance.org)
-Roland Wong, M.D.
-Samir Shaheen Hussain, M.D, Solidarity Across Borders Montreal
-Cathy Crowe, R.N.

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Guess who's coming to Toronto...
George Bush, war criminal!
Be there to give him the welcome he deserves!

 From launching an illegal war on Iraq that has killed over one  
million people, to advocating torture at Guantánamo Bay and secret  
detention centres around the world, Bush has lots to answer for - and  
should be held to account. Join us for a city-wide rally on May 29 -  
the day that Bush is slated to speak in Toronto - to demand that he  
be charged and arrested for war crimes.

One week earlier, on May 22, join us for a public forum to hear  
international law experts and civil liberties campaigners explain the  
myriad of crimes committed by the Bush administration, and to find  
out how Bush could formally be charged with war crimes in Canada.  
Also find out how other US leaders - including former US president  
Bill Clinton, who will appear with Bush on May 29 - could be charged  
with war crimes, too.

Don't let Canada be a haven for war criminals.
War criminals not welcome here!

PUBLIC FORUM
Why George Bush should be charged with war crimes
Friday, May 22 at 7pm
Steelworkers' Hall, 25 Cecil Street
East of Spadina, south of College

Featuring Michael Mandel: Osgoode law professor and international law  
expert & Others TBA

RALLY: War criminals not welcome here!
Friday, May 29 from 3pm to 6pm
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West
TTC: Union
Featuring: Music, spoken word, drumming, speeches, games, outdoor  
carnival and more!

Event on facebook:
http://www.facebook .com/home. php?ref=home# /event.php? eid=89123079461

ORGANIZING MEETINGS
Mobilize to protest Bush!
May 11 (Mon), 19 (Tues) and 25 (Mon) at 7pm
Steelworkers' Hall, 25 Cecil Street
East of Spadina, south of College
Join us to build the city-wide mobilization to protest George Bush's  
visit to Toronto. All welcome!
For more information, please e-mail info at nowar.ca

The Toronto Coalition to Stop the War is Toronto's city-wide anti-war  
coalition, comprised of more than 70 labour, faith and community  
organizations, and a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance.  
www.nowar.ca | info at nowar.ca | 416-795-5863

Please donate! Send a cheque or money order payable to TCSW Canada to:
TCSW, 427 Bloor St W, Box 13, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1X7

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The Secret Handshake

Canada's first and only diagnostic specific schizophrenia peer  
support group/network created by and for people with schizophrenia

A fundraiser

Fri. May 22, 7 - 9 p.m.

Lola, 40 Kensington Ave.

http://thesecrethandshake.ca/pages/poster3.pdf

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A North American native perspective on enviromental protection

A talk on stopping Dump Site 41 and protecting Mother Earth, by  
Mohawk activst Danny Beaton (Turtle Clan, Mohawk Nation).
Also with Council of Canadians. Introduction by Prof. Stephen Scharper.

Fri. May 22, 7 - 9 p.m.
U of T (location tba)
for more info: Danny Beaton: 416.921.0014 or beatondanny at yahoo.ca

Celebrate Earth Day by attending an informative talk on how First  
Nations regard Mother Earth and the necessity of protecting her.

The talk will focus on a local campaign - the effort to stop the  
infamous Dump Site 41. Site 41 is the province's plan to allow the  
drainage of a pristine aquifer to make way for a garbage dump.

The necessity of stopping Dump Site 41 has brought together First  
Nations activists, the Council of Canadians, environmental NGOs, and  
citizens concerned with social and environmental justice.

For details on the campaign see http://www.stopdumpsite41.ca/

Also, sign the petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-dump-site-41

And join the Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2343037814

Day one of Walk for the Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M0NGtQqiL4

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Decent, affordable, accessible housing for all
Stop the sell-off of public housing

Sat. May 23
11:30 am
13 Trefann Street
(north of Queen, just east of Parliament)
Free Meal

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, TCHC (Toronto Community  
Housing Corporation) tenants, people on the TCHC waiting list and  
supporters will meet outside of one of the houses slated to be sold  
by TCHC to demand it and all TCHC units remain public housing.

TCHC is quietly proposing to sell-off 326 apartment units and 45 single
family homes that are located in sought-after neighbourhoods, primarily
downtown and in the Beaches. Many large families are living in two  
bedroom
apartments, waiting for larger units, while TCHC is emptying select  
units
in an attempt to to sell-off its prime real estate. These sales (and the
City's displacement of poor people through “redevelopment”) means that
many TCHC residents are being displaced from their schools, friends and
communities - neighbourhoods that many residents have lived in for  
years.

TCHC says that the units up for sale are in such a state of disrepair  
that
they cannot be fixed. We have seen many of the units and it is a bold
faced lie! Further, the units that are in really bad repair were
purposely not kept up by TCHC so that they could sell the units off down
the road and use their dilapidation as an excuse.

Public housing can be updated and revitalized without selling the land,
forcing people from their homes and displacing entire communities.

We Demand:

Build housing, don't sell it! Repair, don’t redevelop! Don’t Ask,  
Don’t Tell!

Stop the “Redevelopment” of Our Neighbourhoods:
Currently, there are six large housing projects undergoing or slated for
redevelopment this redevelopment is being promoted as an improvement to
TCHC communities. Specifically, the city argues that the so called  
“mixed
communities” will improve the lives of poor people. The truth however  
is,
that this is an excuse to take away poor people's homes that have high
property values. The City isn't demanding that Rosedale be turned into a
'mixed neighbourhood' – just the places where poor people live. Further,
over time, these rebuilt communities will become gentrified; we can  
expect
TCHC to rent more of the units at market value, pushing poor people out.

Ensure that Enough Social, Supportive and Accessible Housing is Built  
to Eliminate the Waiting List:
Over 70,000 households are waiting to get into social housing. It
takes about 5 years to get a tiny bachelor unit in Toronto Community
Housing Corporation (TCHC) and about 10 years to get anything else.
Thousands of people are working multiple jobs, going hungry, and
living in rotten conditions while they wait. Thousands of homeless
people pack into shelters or sleep on the streets every night because
no supportive housing is available. Accessible housing for disabled
people is very hard to find and is often extremely expensive. As the
economic crisis continues, this situation will get even worse. We need
more housing and we need it now!

Repair TCHC Units:
Nearly 60,000 units of public housing in Toronto are being allowed to
deteriorate. TCHC admits that $300 million worth of repairs is needed to
bring their buildings up to a minimum legal standard. People are  
forced to
live with gaping holes, leaking ceilings, exposed pipes, peeling paint,
electrical sockets that spark and infestations of rats, mice and  
bedbugs.
This is unacceptable, this is illegal and it has to stop!

Don't Ask Don't Tell
People without immigration status are especially marginalized in our  
city.
People without status are forced into precarious housing, unable to  
access
safe, decent paying work and shut out from public services. There are
over 500,000 people living without status across Canada, many of whom  
live in
Toronto. A person without status is not eligible to apply for Toronto
Community Housing. Further, if a family, living in housing, has even one
family member without status that entire family will be evicted. We
demand the city implement a Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. This policy  
would
prevent all TCHC workers from asking people what their immigration  
status
is, from refusing housing to people without status and from sharing that
information with immigration authorities.

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For the Love of Cycling
Fundraiser for Chris Kasztelewicz (Taxi vs. Cyclist)

Last November, 36 Toronto cyclist Chris Kasztelewicz lost one of his  
legs in a vicious road rage incident involving a taxi.  In  
conjunction with the start of Bike Month, the Toronto Cycling  
Community is gathering together to hold a fundraiser for Chris to  
help raise his spirits, and assist with ongoing rehabilitation costs.

And spirit-raising it shall be - for all who attend!!  You are hereby  
invited to join Toronto's Cycling Community and generous sponsors at  
this Saturday night bike racing, booty shaking, beer drinking,  
socializing, fundraising extravaganza - not to be missed!

For The Love Of Cycling
Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 8:00PM to 1:00AM
Toronto Free Gallery
1277 Bloor St. West (just E of Lansdowne, S side)
Facebook event link - http://tinyurl.com/q2to78

Featuring:
- Local DJ's (to be announced!)
- Cycling themed Raffle (prizes still being collected - to be  
announced!)
- GoldSprints stationary bike races - $5/race, winner splits the pot  
with Chris
- Exhibition of Transformation/Agitation by internationally acclaimed  
visual artist Favianna Rodriguez (show runs April 25th to June 6th)

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Toronto Bike Month

Events featured in Bike Month offer a wide range, that include  
something for everyone. Events are grouped by the following categories:

bike art, film and music
bike races, tours and group rides
family bike events
workshops, clinics and seminars
special events, street parties and other
For the complete calendar of Bike Month events: www.toronto.ca/ 
cycling/bikemonth/calendar-events.htm

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Bike Summit 2009

The Bike Summit will be held on May 28, 2009 at the Novotel Toronto  
Centre. We've been working hard to produce an excellent program with  
an impressive line-up of speakers for our registrants. Recent  
additions to the program include Martijn J. te Lintelo, Senior  
Advisor of Mobility Policy in the City of Nijmegen, the Netherlands  
and two new sponsors: the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the  
Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It promises to be stimulating and inspiring day. Registration is  
going strong and numbers have already reached two-thirds capacity.  
Last year the Bike Summit sold out in advance. Avoid disappointment  
and register today.

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