Mission Statement
The Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) is a student-run, student-funded non-profit organization dedicated to community-based research, education, action and awareness in the public interest. RPIRG exists to provide its members with the resources to be active citizens on the University of Regina campus and in the broader community.
Land Acknowledgement
RPIRG is based in Treaty 4 territory and the homeland of the Métis people. The Nêhiyaw/Cree, Nakawē/Saulteaux, Nakota, Lakota, Dakota and Métis/Michif Peoples continue to be in kinship and practice reciprocity with this land that has sustained them for countless generations.
As staff and board members of RPIRG, we recognize the interconnection between each other, the land, and all other beings, and our responsibility to tend to these relationships - a process captured in the Nêhiyaw concept of Wâhkôhtowin (Woah-COAT-oh-win). For us, this responsibility involves honouring the spirit and intent of treaty, actively working to dismantle and repair the harms of colonialism and white supremacy, and coming together collectively to build a better world for future generations.
Statement of Values
RPIRG is committed to the following values in all of its work:
- consensus decision making
- non-partisanship
- autonomy/independence
- environmental sustainability
- plurality and diversity
- accountability and transparency to our membership
- social equality and anti-oppression
- public interest over private interest
- fostering participatory democracy and engaged citizenship
Change. Powered by Students.
History: Citizen Involvement is Everyone’s Responsibility
The PIRG tradition was formed in the 1970s by political activist Ralph Nader as a resource and platform for students passionate about social justice in their community. A PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) is a membership-based group, usually centered on the local campus, whose student and community volunteers work to expose and confront systemic injustices that have been overlooked or ignored by governing bodies. PIRGs believe that the health of a society is measured by the level of participation of its citizens; therefore, the University of Regina PIRG (RPIRG) aims to provide tangible resources and training to equip Regina’s next generation to be strong community leaders.
Because PIRGs are student-run, aside from the focus on social justice, each one is unique. RPIRG’s individual identity is determined by the priorities set by our members here at the University of Regina. Having students at the helm of RPIRG will guarantee that the direction will remain squarely in the hands of its student members, which guarantees that our funding will be directed to the projects that most accurately reflect student and public interest. Whether you are committed to protecting Saskatchewan from too much corporate influence, researching discrimination, advocating for more equitable communities, or engaging in mutual aid work, we are the place for you. Talk to someone at RPIRG today about your vision for our community and let us know how we can support your ideas.