 What does online accountability look and feel like? Go beyond the image and the doom scrolling to consider what it means to be accountable for racialized spaces online.
Friday, May 7, we’re presenting another conversation online, that will be looking at just that - online conversations. We’re gathering and hosting online more than ever, the ways in which we treat each other, express ourselves are being seen by the masses. In an effort to build uplifting communities in online spaces for racialized communities are we doing enough? Are we all conscious of what we share, type and say on online spaces - probably not. When we’re not, how do we remain accountable and authentic to the racialized voices we’re trying to uplift. This conversation is for organizations, individuals, allies and anyone who is interested in curating an authentic online presence that demonstrates your actions towards racial equity. The conversation will be looking at various platforms, mediums and action or inaction where we can take better care of one another online. Topics of discussion:
The topics for discussion will help participants learn what accountability can feel like, create a community of care and how to centre the needs of racialized communities. Join us as we navigate the online space together and identify how we can become more accountable to make the change offline! Panelists:
This event will be hosted by CommunityWise on Facebook Live and will be accessible by email for participants the afternoon of May 7, 2021. BLAC wants to give an applause to those who are partnering with us for the conversation: Woezo Africa, bahaghari, Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, CommunityWise, Calgary Foundation, ActionDignity, ACCT Foundation, Act2ENDRacism, Canadian Red Cross, Shades of Humanity, forEquity
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 The Calgary Police Service (CPS) would like to hear more from you on the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program! School Resource Officers (SROs) are law enforcement officers with the Calgary Police Service who are placed in elementary and secondary schools. You are invited to contribute your thoughts on the SRO program.
Students and young people can:
Parents and Guardians can: - Join this webinar on Wednesday April 28 at 6pm MST https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IxcBiZ7VT1ak_zxaSR-Sjg - Submit your thoughts through email by writing to cpsengage@argylepr.com Teachers and School Staff can: - Join this webinar on Thursday April 29 at 6pm MST https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o2bJhg1VQsyE8_GGjOr12A - Submit your thoughts through email by writing to cpsengage@argylepr.com Your participation is important to helping to understand if the SRO program meets the needs of students and community. If you have any questions or concerns about participating, please reach out to cpsengage@argylepr.com  Our members love working with ethnic communities on youth programming! In partnership with Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association (PCCA) and many others across Canada, we are proud to host the first ever Pakistani Canadian Youth Cultural Program online during the summer of 2021. We will be holding 13 different sessions for Pakistani youth across Canada to join and learn about their ethnic heritage to help build knowledge, pride and personal skills. This program is ideal for ages 12 – 30 and will be taught in a fusion of both English and Urdu. This program will not be political nor religious, as our aim is to be as inclusive as possible to all Pakistani youth.
Date: Every Friday for up to two hours from June to August 2021 Time: 5PM PST / 6PM MST / 7PM CST / 8PM EST Online: Register here. Meeting will take place through zoom. We have limited spots available, we encourage everyone to sign up as early as possible. We encourage all participants to attend all sessions. These sessions will not be available on any other platform other than Zoom. Cost: This program is free, but registration is required. Schedule:
This program is made possible thanks to a small fund by The Genesis Centre in Calgary. Thank you! Organizers of an Anti-Racism Arts Festival say a recent cyber-attack on the event discussing race is highlighting the urgent need for anti-racism work.
On March 20, at the 2021 Anti-Racism Arts Festival, facilitated by the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society (CVIMS) and created by the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF), had one of the Zoom festival events hijacked with anti-Black, incredibly horrific racist comments, inciting the multiple use of the racist term, the N-word, that was directed to the panelist Wunmi Idowu. “As a panelist, I was not given the opportunity to share my story but the incident that followed spoke for me and highlighted the struggles of Anti-Black racism in Canada. What happened on Saturday highlighted the fact that there is a growing problem with Anti-Black racism in our community that needs to be addressed. It’s a global issue and people who live in Canada are affected by it everyday,” said Wunmi Idowu, panelist and Founder & Director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc. This disturbing incident is an example of why anti-racism work is needed and a continued process. “This violent event of anti-Black racism exemplifies just how much more vulnerable the Black community members are to hate, ignorance and divisiveness when they are working in the very field meant to protect them. Wunmi, or any other community member, does not deserve this. There is a need for change,” said Iman Bukhari, CEO and Founder of Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation. The incident is being referred to as a "Zoom-bombing," a term used when people take over digital meetings and cause mayhem or post disturbing content. This incident also speaks to the magnitude of cyberbullying, and how systemic these concerns are as there is little accountability from multi-billion companies such as Zoom. According to ADL, it has been reported that more than 30 virtual events celebrating Black History Month and anti-racism events have been disrupted by racist attacks. Racist incidents during events online have become more pervasive, often even when organizers do what they can to put precautionary measures in place. "This was a violent, disruptive and traumatic event," said Jennifer Fowler, co-coordinator and Executive Director of the CVIMS. “I hope that others can learn from our experience, and many others who have experienced this. It is unfortunate that when planning anti-racism events, this is now something that organizers and facilitator’s need to be more prepared for.” The organizers condemn this incident, are putting in more safety measures for future events, and are investigating with law enforcement and Zoom. For more information contact: Wunmi Idowu (she/her) Founder & Director Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc. Iman Bukhari (she/her) CEO & Founder Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF) Jennifer Fowler (she/her) Executive Director Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society Use our contact form to connect with the folks above. More hate-filled incidents over the weekend in Alberta, all happening in broad daylight. It’s a concerning trend for the province, one that has some experts warning Alberta is developing a racist reputation. And if some people can’t feel safe walking down the street, could it drive them away altogether?
“People are leaving this province for a reason,” said Iman Bukhari, the CEO of the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation. “People don’t want to come to this province, in particular, minority groups won’t want to come as they hear more and more about this.” We're partnered up with Black Voters Matter Canada to build Black political power and a community of support. We know that Black people are often underrepresented as candidates, elected officials and generally are disengaged with the political process itself and we want to change that. Black Voters Matter Canada are a collective of Western and Northern-based Black community members who are keen to engage, encourage and empower more Black People to be involved in all levels of governments and politics. For our event series, we have confirmed all major federal political parties (Liberal, NDP, Conservative Party and Green Party) to participate and a final event showcasing the leaders and importance of Black Women in politics. This federal election series hopes to:
Click the images below to direct you to the free event links.
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.
 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. |
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