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After videos show police in Alberta handling non-compliance contradictorily, CityNews spoke with our Board Member Chad Haggerty, who says the incidents continue to show differential police response to mask-mandate incidents demonstrating, at best, a subconscious bias. Fair, transparent, and accountable police action is needed, regardless of race.
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 This spring the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society (CVIMS), in partnership with the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF) is pleased to be hosting the 2021 Anti-Racism Arts Festival. This festival has travelled across Canada since 2015.
The festival hopes to bring together people from Nanaimo and surrounding areas to participate and attend the week-long festival, which features various art and educational activities free of charge. We anticipate this festival to inspire, teach and feature local artists to use creativity as a catalyst for change. To take part in the events, click on the registration link. 48-hour Film Challenge Led by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation Teams of local amateur and professional filmmakers are given 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit short films with the themes of anti-racism. Teams are required to integrate a quote into their film that will be assigned to them. Teams will have online help from anti-racist filmmakers during the challenge in order to explore the topic of racism on a deeper level. No larger than four people a team will be permitted to enter the festival. Online orientations for the film competition will occur where teams will be coach in the rules of the competition as well as appropriate COVID protocols. Teams witnessed breaking any rules, including protocols, will be disqualified. Winners of the film challenge will receive prizes! Dates: March 12 - 14, 2021 Time: 4:30 p.m. PST Venue: Online (information will be provided once you've registered) Register for free Food and Learn Workshops We often fail to realize how much language influences our view of the world and people. Join one our sessions meant to expand your recipe collection and knowledge of another language. These workshops will keep you wanting to eat and learn more. Experience the Philippines: Cook Filipino Cuisine and Learn Tagalog Presenter: Diana Bieri has been an educator for the last fifteen years, living in several countries and working in multicultural environments. She is grateful for her traveling experiences, which allowed her to immerse in various cultures and especially try authentic cuisines. She tries to incorporate the world's lovely flavours into her home cooking; for example, adding heat to otherwise non-spicy dishes from the Philippines, her home country. She looks forward to sharing the afternoon with you, showing you how to cook two of the most common Filipino dishes: adobo and lumpiang shanghai. Date: Saturday, March 13, 2021 Time: 5 - 7 p.m. PST Venue: Online zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcuf-CqrDMjHtWlL3c2OIwSHjYJnaUyXMwW Experience Persia: Cook Persian Cuisine and We are Dancing too! Presenter: Cooking with Shirin! Local Nanaimo “Bees Knees Café” owner Shirin Younessian is bringing their March “Persian Cuisine” celebrations to the Festival! Learn a move or two of “Persian dance” and most important of all have a delicious supper at the end to share with family and loved ones. If this date does not work for you visit www.beesknees.com for more workshops being offered in March, funds being raised to support local community organizations. Register quickly as we have a limit of 20 attendees to help us to make sure everyone’s getting their questions answered. Date: Monday, March 15, 2021 Time: 4:30 - 6 p.m. PST Venue: Online zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpf-qgrj0pGd1SAvGjVSSE3-qjUqiox4-- Experience China: The Art of Chinese Dumplings: History, Origin and Tradition Presenter: As the only members of her family living in Canada at the time, Churmy Fan and her parents made friends through food. Having lived in Canada for over 20 years now, Churmy enjoys rediscovering many traditional Chinese cuisines and adding her own flare to her cooking. Date: Thursday, March 18, 2021 Time: 6 - 7 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpfu6oqDsvG923srLekquV4PgxZ6ssBzGH Explore the world of head coverings Focus on Sikh Turban Head coverings have been in existence long before the introduction of any religion and are worn by people who follow various religious traditions. Learn about the history of the Sikh Turban and its meaning. Presenter: Yuvraj Singh is a community leader, volunteer organizer, student researcher and Alberta youth parliamentarian who has been serving the Alberta community as a member of various community boards, engaging in student leadership at the U of C, a part of national youth development councils and by spearheading community projects such as interfaith programs, food drives and debate/public speaking mentorship with community stakeholders. Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021 Time: 2 - 3:30 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqdOCsqj0vGt1IC-D7njgMIf_qOArdCavf History of Hip Hop with A.J. “MegaMan” Born in Kinshasa, Congo, A.J. is a member of Heavy Hittaz, Soulbotics Krew & Creator of Funkanometry, Minibots and Gigabots crew, A.J. “MegaMan” Kambere is a world-renown professional dancer, Battler & entertainer. With his talent in Hip Hop, Popping/Animation, Memphis Jookin, Stepping/Gumboot Dancing & Bopping, A.J. MegaMan has taught in every continent sharing his knowledge to other dancers. Join us as he shares his knowledge of the history of Hip Hop, and some of his incredible talents. Date: Monday, March 15, 2021 Time: 3 - 4:30 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsd-Cvqz4uGtOz4bGtIDvQ2btIM7VsYxU2 This workshop is made possible by our partnership with Crimson Coast Society. https://www.crimsoncoastdance.com/ Sacred Hand Drum Making Workshop A drum is a medicine used as the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It is a tool for bringing out someone’s voice or songs and can be used as one beat with all the drums of the world for bringing out creative energy. Presenter: Donna Manson will guide us through the making of a sacred drum. Donna is a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation and is married to Gary Manson. Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Time: 4 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register online for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvc-2rrzIrHdU5anszgWboMa3-Kuh_l3Kl Introduction to the language of the Snuneymuxw: Hul'q'umin'um' The language of the Snuneymuxw is Island Hul'q'umin'um', a living language that expresses their worldview and way of life. Hul'q'umin'um' is one of the twenty-three Salishan languages of southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. Presenter: Elder Gary Manson. “Uncle” Gary was born on the mouth of the Snuneymuxw River in 1948. He now lives 100 feet from where he was born. Married to Donna Manson, they have six children and eight grandchildren. Gary is a survivor of Residential School and deeply connected to culture and land. He has worked as an Elder for the past five years in healing circles, is a regular canoe journey participant and is glad to sit as an elder at Vancouver Island University. Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Time: 4 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqceCvrz0jH9NrgUOvY3VhwPtnspaI6GZJ Evolution and Revolution of African Braids The discovery of ancient stone paintings depicting women with cornrows in North Africa shows that braids date back thousands of years. A specific look could indicate the community that you belong to, your marital status or your age; and these hairstyles were passed down through the matriarchs of each generation. Understand the significance of African braids, how to appreciate them and watch a tutorial. Presenters: Wunmi Idowu is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, instructor, performer, producer and the Founder and Director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc. She is also an educator and equity consultant with the focus of influencing change by using the transformative power of the arts. With a multidisciplinary approach that blends African music, dance, theatre and storytelling. Folu Ayodele-Daniels is the founder and Creative Director of The FAD Beauty Hub. Folu is a trained Healthcare Management Professional, but very passionate about the beauty industry. In 2016, she started the journey to creating a beauty Hub which shall be the effective center for all beauty activities as time goes on. Her goal is to give all clients their expected outcome upon every visit and ensure each person leaves the space high spirited, looking confident and more beautiful. Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021 Time: 2 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcucOqvqj8pHdyjkvSQU84keOM3SjAquNAz Panel Discussion on Addressing Racism in our Community (Panel TBC) Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021 Time: 4 - 5:30 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdeqqrTkjHdf3uTajI8UqnGEKY-f2lh4s Red Carpet Short Film Screenings On the night before the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, join us for a red carpet gathering and screening from the film challenge. Prizes and winners of the film challenge will be rewarded by a local jury. Be sure to support your local filmmakers, and dress up! Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021 Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m. PST Venue: Online Zoom Register for free: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdeqqrTkjHdf3uTajI8UqnGEKY-f2lh4s Organizers, Partners and Funders for festivalThis year's national festival was created by the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, in partnership with Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society. Some local Vancouver Island community organizations have formed an alliance informally known as the Nanaimo Community Impact alliance. Members include Foodshare, CVIMS, Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre, Mid Island Metis nation, Society for Equity and Inclusion, Literacy Nanaimo, Boys and girls club of Central Vancouver Island, and Nanaimo Youth services association. This is the committee for the festival. Other partners include the Nanaimo Museum, Vancouver Island Regional Library, and VIU. All partners are contributing in kind through providing space, volunteers and shared responsibility for publicity. Re: 11 February 9, 2021 - Calgary Police Service Anti-Racism Action Committee Selected
Statement from Defund2Fund (copied from their release) The Calgary Police Service commitment to anti-racism has so far culminated in the creation of the CPS Anti-Racism Action Committee. Defund2Fund would like to congratulate the members selected to this committee: Dr. Fouzia Usman, Shuana Porter, Holly Wong, Rishi Nager, Kim Kakakaway, Giftii Girma, Adam Massiah, Eddie Richardson III, Dr. Darren Lund, Tyson Bankert, Adanech Sahilie, Walter MacDonald White Bear, Inez Ashworth, Lissy Snowden, and Stephen Shirt. Doing this work well means we must engage in it with the spirit of partnership. The many members of Defund2Fund remain hopeful that this committee will work to amplify and serve those most affected by systemic racism. While the present composition of this group is promising, the lack of transparency that surrounded the selection process continues to stoke fears from Calgarians who are reticent to trust the bureaucratic processes that exist within systemically racist institutions. This is notably seen in the silence from the CPS for 7 days following the initial statements sent out to applicants alerting them to the status of their application. Compounding on this, calls from the community went unanswered. While Defund2Fund was able to reach CPS and have a small dialogue in the days preceding the release of the committee’s composition, this dialogue came without concrete answers. This demonstrated a lack of preparation to be proactively transparent. To rebuild trust, the Calgary Police Service must dismantle traditional barriers that have been normalized through years of institutionalized discrimination. This would entail, but is not limited to:
Defund2Fund Coalition Defund YYC – Black Lives Matter YYC - Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation – YYC Black Town Hall – The United Black People’s Allyship Movement – The Black and Indigenous Alliance AB – The Colour Factor – RAAR - Rural Alberta Against Racism – Black People United – Blackfalds Against Racism – Vermillion Unites for Equality – Canadian Voices Against Racism - RDAR, Red Deer Against Racism - Project Calgary Courtney Walcott is a team member and works incredibly hard at everything he does. He has been volunteering with us for about a year now and led our CBE petition, K-12 hub and educational workshops. He is currently running for Ward 8 Councillor in Calgary. We love and support Courtney for all the amazing work he has done with us and beyond. Courtney is a high school teacher (in ward 8) by profession, and has been a very active advocate in anti-racism, equity-work, accessibility, environment, economy, thriving culture of Calgary and more. Honestly, if you're in Ward 8, there is no better candidate. Like his page, support his campaign, donate $5 if you can, and in October make sure you vote for him.  Courtney Walcott is a teacher at Western Canada High School in the heart of Ward 8, a basketball coach, and a community advocate. As a Councillor, he will fight for a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous Calgary. Find out more at courtneywalcott.com.  We're so thrilled to be working with Artist Jae Sterling on the #YouBelongInCHV Art Bench Program launching at The Crescent Moon Festival, Feb 12 - 14, 2021. The Crescent Moon Festival is a grassroots small-works art festival in Crescent Heights Village Calgary that pairs local artists with organizations that promote, support and celebrate diversity, inclusion and equality.
This year, they will light up 10 art benches throughout the BIA for socially-distanced, self-guided tours all weekend. This event will be marketed as part of the city-wide Chinook Blast Festival in February. DONATIONS during February 2021: Be sure to check out and support Jae's work. Any donations we get during the month of February will be given directly to Jae for his phenomenal work. You Belong Bench Artist Jae Sterling Jae Sterling is a multidisciplinary artist and founding member of the SANSFUCCS collective. A musician at heart, he has also extended his art form over the years to include painting (acrylic & oil), digital design, mixed media, and writing. Through his early years in Kingston, Jamaica to the landscapes of North America, Jae spent the past few years developing his artistry by weaving his experiences growing up in Jamaica, South Florida, and coming into adulthood In Canada into all his projects. In 2020, Sterling embarked on an ambitious, year-long multimedia exhibition, Riding Horses With White Men (RHWWM). This exhibition is currently on a cross Canada. Jae was recently commissioned to paint a 3000 square foot mural, titled The Guide & Protector, in Calgary’s Chinatown, celebrating Black lives, making him the city’s first Black male solo muralist. Jae is working with the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation on his You Belong Art Bench.  We're looking for four BIPOC Canadian Artists who draw to help us create the second edition of Race Issues (COVID-19 racial microaggressions theme). Each artist will get paid $500 for creating 10 comic memes. If you are interested, please email us with information about you, your work and portfolio and why you want to take part in this project.
Finalized artists will be selected and contacted by end of February. Please use the form attached or email us at canadiancmf@gmail.com. Artist fees come directly from our donations, therefore we can offer $500 per artist. Thank you to everyone for their interest. Two of our team members (Courtney Walcott and Iman Bukhari) recently had the opportunity to complete an online workshop in partnership with Alberta's Teacher's Association on how educators can talk to their students of race and racism in a classroom setting. The workshop discussed:
Did you miss our free Cultural Competency Virtual Fair during September 2020 for Alberta Culture Days? No problem. We recorded the sessions for this! This interactive fair will help folks of all ages gain insight into, appreciate and interact with a few different cultures and belief systems they might not normally have a chance to connect with.
This fair was funded in part by Government of Alberta for Culture Days 2020
Petition: Reallocate the Calgary Police Service Budget and Reinvest in Our Communities Now9/28/2020 The Defund2Fund Coalition is a diverse collection of Calgarians - made up of Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Non-People of Colour and 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and individuals - who share a vision of a more resilient, more humane Calgary. We call on Calgary City Council to reallocate funding from the Calgary Police Service (CPS) budget to communities. Our coalition is seeking a 30% reduction to the CPS budget, to be reallocated throughout our communities, to rebuild trust, and to rectify systemic barriers in the financial capacity of Black, Indigenous, other racialized communities and 2SLGBTQ+ people. Reallocation of a portion of the CPS budget is supported by CPS. Chief Mark Neufeld told Calgary City Council that, should they reduce police responsibilities, “then we can certainly divert the dollars.” We couldn’t agree more. Here are the facts:
Please sign our petition and follow as we fight together for a more resilient Calgary. Defund2Fund Coalition
Defund YYC – Black Lives Matter YYC - Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation – YYC Black Town Hall – The United Black People’s Allyship Movement – The Black and Indigenous Alliance AB – The Colour Factor – RAAR - Rural Alberta Against Racism – Sankofa Calgary – Black People United – Blackfalds Against Racism – Vermillion Unites for Equality – Canadian Voices Against Racism - RDAR, Red Deer Against Racism - Project Calgary - VOICES YYC What is proactive policing? While reactive and traditional policing is the act of responding to a crime after it’s been committed, proactive policing is a method of seeking out and deterring crime before it occurs through police presence and show of force. A commonly cited example of proactive policing is “stop-and-frisk”, which is the practice of detaining, questioning and/or searching any civilian on the street for weapons or other contraband. Proactive policing is also the practice of increasing police presence in certain areas to send a message to the public - we are here and we are watching you. Proactive policing relies on the assumption of potential guilt, which is contrary to one of our most basic democratic principles of justice -- that citizens are innocent until proven guilty. Does it work? It’s hard to say. It might, but not without significant consequences. A recent opinion piece on CNN from an American law enforcement analyst and retired FBI agent who mostly worked in New York City stated that “studies [on proactive policing] have provided evidence they can prevent or reduce crime.” Yet, an analysis by the Washington Post found that, while major felonies declined in New York City from 2002 through 2013 (when stop-and-frisk was implemented by the mayor), the reduction did not correspond to the increase in stops by police. According to Washington Post, “crime has continued to fall since a federal judge deemed the practice an unconstitutional violation of civil rights in 2013.” An analysis by the New York City Civil Liberties Union showed that, at the height of stop-and-frisk in NYC in 2011, over 685,000 citizens were stopped. Nearly 9 out of 10 stopped-and-frisked New Yorkers have been completely innocent. And racialized people continue to be the overwhelming target of this practice. What are the consequences in the Calgary context? A proactive policing approach in Calgary would see an increase in patrols in high-crime areas like downtown and the northeast -- where there is a high percentage of racialized and/or marginalized people, many of whom are criminalised and excluded from participation in high paying jobs. This will inevitably lead to an increase in racial profiling of innocent civilians, and erode any sense of trust and community belonging amongst those civilians. Increased police presence and force sends a clear message to these communities, and especially impressionable youth, that there is something wrong with them and they do not belong here. When people feel ostracized from the community, or that they don’t belong there, they lose any sense of responsibility to that community, including keeping it safe. Why would anyone be concerned with a community that is actively telling them they are unwelcome and under suspicion? This will also add to the already highly disproportionate numbers of Indigenous and Black people in correctional facilities. The initial instance of incarceration often leads to cyclical involvement in the justice system and extreme social inequality. Regardless of the work one has done to make up for a past crime, that criminal record will be a constant barrier to employment, housing, education and other necessities to lift oneself out of this cycle. Ongoing probation continues to send a message to criminalized people: we do not trust you. Add on increased police presence to this cycle and the message is clear: you are not to be trusted. So, why would people are told they are criminals trust the very people who keep telling them they are criminal? Why does crime happen in the first place? Trauma and poverty are inextricably linked. Trauma, especially during childhood, changes the way one’s brain is wired. According to brain science, without positive interventions, this causes the brain to continue exhibiting those fight-or-flight responses which greatly increases the likelihood of criminal behaviour as an individual ages. Poverty and unemployment are also strong indicators of incarceration rates. Racism and poverty are forms of trauma, as are negative interactions with law enforcement, especially when they are unwarranted. If increased policing results in increased trauma, it will inevitably lead to an increase in crime. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. What’s the alternative? We can effectively reduce and prevent crime without negative long-term consequences by addressing the root causes of crime such as poverty, unemployment, lack of belonging and trauma. It’s not only the more humane and just thing to do, it will actually lead to a more prosperous Calgary for all, and increased trust and engagement with police. A percentage of the police budget must be reallocated to social programs that address the root causes of crime through an anti-racist, trauma-informed lens, rather than continuing to increase funding to the never-ending cycle of the justice system and agencies that don’t actively address systemic and interpersonal racism on a daily and operational basis. This approach is proven to work: for example, Glasgow, Scotland's most populous city, lowered its murder rate by 50% through "smart law enforcement" combined with "programs targeted to youth, family health and other services in problem places." This may mean that the City of Calgary needs to look at new organizations, lead by people with lived experience of, and expertise in racism, for this movement to be effective. It will be a process, rather than an overnight phenomenon. But it is necessary for the health and wellbeing of all citizens in Calgary. We know that criminalizing people does not work in the long term and “proactive policing” sends a message that certain people and certain areas of the city are not to be trusted. Let’s move Calgary forward and use a modern approach to policing that builds respect and resilience into the community we all call home.  |
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