Activist clubs are organized to achieve a political goal and are not affiliated with a political party. Examples of past clubs are, the Students for a Free Tibet, the Rights and Democracy Club, or the Popular Participation Movement.

Out On Campus is a student social club at VIU which organizes activities for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit and Questioning students and their straight-identified allies. Out On Campus club is also VIU’s Gay/Straight Alliance network and invites all who are interested and supportive to join in our efforts to raise queer visibility on campus. We wish to underscore our focus on the importance of cooperation across the spectrum of sexual orientations.

We strive to provide a positive environment for LGBTTQ individuals and those who may be marginalized because of their sexual orientation or gender identification. We host events in safe space where queer students, faculty and staff can openly discuss topics related to gender, sexuality and queer issues without judgment or bias.

Through the year we organize film nights, socials, workshops and discussion groups. Members are notified of events on campus and in the mid/north island area via our email list.

In addition to being a social club, Out On Campus actively seeks to engage students and the public through special events and actions which highlight issues of discrimination against the queer minority. We work to raise awareness of political and social issues through outreach and various media campaigns.

The Out On Campus club meets every second Wednesday at 10:30 am.

If you are interested in being part of the Out On Campus group, please contact us through email.

To be updated

In the pursuit of human rights around the world and at home, we are  a student run club supported by a national organization whose mandate is to “work with individuals, organizations and governments in Canada and abroad to promote the human and democratic rights defined in the United Nations’ International Bill of Human Rights.” Through pub nights, conferences, film presentations, speaker series, conferences and informal gatherings we try to spread awareness, while supporting our fellow human rights activist groups on campus and in and around Nanaimo. If you are interested getting involved in our planning processes, fundraising efforts, or just in showing up at the events to support us, you can contact Angela or Lise.

The VIU Hempology 101 club is an activist group with the goal of educating the student body and general public of the many uses of the Hemp/Cannabis plant including medicinal and industrial. We hope to bring awareness to the harm that prohibition causes on society and to families.
Hempology brings diverse speakers to campus, from activists to law enforcement, and shows documentaries from the movement. Activist activities will also be planned through the group.
We are a non-smoking club, as we don’t wish to break the law, but we do hope to help change the law.

World University Services of Canada (WUSC) is an international development agency founded over 60 years ago, based on the belief that education changes the world. WUSC is a network of individuals and post-secondary institutions who believe that all peoples are entitled to the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a more equitable world. Our mission is to foster human development and global understanding through education and training.
Our development projects in the Balkans, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Haiti, Malawi, Palestine, Peru, Sri Lanka and Vietnam deliver meaningful results in education empowerment. International volunteer cooperation is one of our main tools for delivering campuses across Canada, WUSC has formed a large network of university students who are able to connect and engage in issues related to sustainable international development, human rights, and forced migration. Each refugee is sponsored by a WUSC group on campus that raises the necessary funds to support the student for one year. The local committees (groups of students, faculty, staff and community members) are responsible for fundraising for the scholarship, carrying out preparatory work, such as course registration and living arrangements, and supporting the student when they arrive in Canada.
In order to initiate WUSC related activities here on campus we have created a Local WUSC Committee at VIU. The purpose of the Local Committee is to carry out National WUSC projects at a local level. This year we will participate in the student refugee program by sponsoring a refugee student to attend our University in the 2009-2010 year of study.
For a short 10 minute documentary made by CBC about WUSC enter the link below. It follows two student refugees from the camp in Africa to the universities in Canada.