I wanted to make sure that you are all aware of the upcoming community dinner at St John’s Church this Sunday. The Community Kitchen Co‑op is hosting this in the hope that members of the congregation can learn more about good work that is happening through the Civic Hub. Thompson Tran (of The Wooden Boat) will be preparing the meal, and it will the include Vegan, Vegetarian and Halal options.
Dinner is free or donate what you can. I have also heard murmuring in the church that some folks would like to see the property turned into affordable housing… so this will be a wonderful opportunity for you to share your knowledge of the need for housing over a meal with unsuspecting parishioners.
Members from local government and the wider community are being invited to make this an opportunity for you to share what you are doing. The Civic Hub is a group of organizations that advocate for our community. Volunteers from the Community Kitchen Co-operative Kitchener-Waterloo Inc are organizing this dinner and will make you feel welcome.
Enter the building on the the corner of Duke and Water – Kitchener – through the accessible entrance on Duke Street.
POSTPONED: The Cross Cultures UN Day will be rescheduled for a later date
Gehan Sabry writes:
due to the current situation, I am putting the event on hold, and hoping to re-schedule as soon as the corona virus pandemic subsides, at which time we hope that you will consider attending
take care
Gehan
Open Invitation
Come join us and be part of our TWENTIETH annual commemoration of the
UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Saturday 21 March 2020
A full day public event noon to evening at Kitchener City Hall
Discrimination requires dialogue and education.
We do not limit the day to racism.
We invite presentations that address any forms of discrimination.
Confirmed so far:
Two international award winning special needs theatre productions coming to Kitchener
It gives me great pride to include two international theatre productions — one from Egypt and one from the Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) who include a cast of special needs individuals allowing them to flourish and share their incredible talents — the productions are internationally acclaimed, they are award winners and have been honoured by many entities including the UN, professionals in the field from Europe and many others.
(sign language and English subtitles provided)
Anti racism in education
Anti racism and Yoga meditation
KADAPUL
55 minute film followed by an interactive discussion
It is more than just a film. It is a medium and the impact of cinema that we can ascertain positive mindsets especially towards women. It deals with the real identity of women — through trials and tribulations — we still stand strong and powerful. It is a true validation to self. It is a movement of mindset — that defines beauty.
Be it Puri (Odisha) or North America — the problems and the movement is the same.
Sponsor if you can !
Your assistance in connecting me with people who wish to be involved would be greatly appreciated!
Panelist on specific topic
speaker on specific topic
Cultural, ethic, artistic presentation, visual art show, music, instrument, group dance during the evening’s Peace Concert
Showcase your talent, skill, culture
Promote your organization / business
Have an information table
There is also an opportunity to sponsor in the printed program
And so much to come… stay tuned
Please contact Gehan Sabry if you wish to be part of the day’s events: crosscultures@bellnet.ca, founder, editor, publisher of Cross Cultures Magazine
Promoting mutual respect since 1991 as well as a radio showCross Cultures on CKWR 98.5 FM, the local community radio station that has celebrated 46 years on the air !
Thank you for organizing the Interfaith Community Breakfast. It was good to hear many talk about peace, love, love for animals and so forth.
Many of us are respectful of people’s choices to provide sustenance and mostly do not comment about the food offered. However quite a number of people have chosen to live a vegan lifestyle to inflict as little harm to animals and the environment as possible and sadly there was very little
choice available at this breakfast. My wife refused to come to the breakfast as being diabetic she knew there would be nothing much to eat.
The fresh fruit, especially the berries where particularly welcome. None of the food was labeled as vegetarian, vegan or gluten free. I had no idea what the granola (?) was and I could not partake, as there was no alternative such as soy or almond milk. No protein for vegans.
So I only had fruit and cucumber for breakfast. Here is a simple U-Tube showing seven vegan breakfasts
At the end of the day there was lots of scrambled egg, which I don’t eat, but no more fresh berries when I went back for a possible second. Here is a viewpoint from many vegans about eggs.
The eggs are produced in horrendous conditions on factory farms where the male baby chicks are suffocated or ground to death alive. The milk and milk products are produced from cows who are raped to keep them pregnant (needed to produce milk) and whose lifetime is cut short to four or five years when they stop producing milk at commercial rates. The mothers cry for days after their babies are removed forcibly within a couple of days after birth.
After your $25 breakfast I needed to return home for a bowl of oatmeal, raisins and berries and to enjoy my coffee with soy milk. Quite disappointing.
I am sure the kitchen could have provided other alternatives such as beans on toast that do not involve animal suffering. With all the talk of peace and love for the creatures on this planet and the environment, one would have thought the breakfast itself could have been a testament to God’s love.
Basilian Volunteer Teachers give direct service to communities oppressed by circumstances of poverty by working as tutors, classroom teachers and campus ministers
Teach or tutor in under-served areas of the inner city of Detroit
Volunteer placements include possible teaching opportunities at Detroit’s Cristo Rey High School, Holy Redeemer Elementary School, and Southwest Solutions, a community organization.
Basilian Volunteer Teacher Corps (BVTC)
Basilian Volunteers bring hope to their students while at the same time gaining valuable skills friendships and professional development.
Detroit Cristo Rey Students
The goal of our program is to provide opportunity for talented and creative College graduates to teach or tutor in under-served areas of the inner city of Detroit
We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.
The Basilian Volunteer Teaching Corps is committed to providing opportunity for talented and creative college graduates to teach or tutor while living simply in community. Identified sites are located in under-served areas of inner city Detroit and on the partially devastated Caribbean island of Montserrat.
The Basilian Fathers
The Congregation of St. Basil is a vibrant community of priests, students for the priesthood, lay associates and parishioners. Founded in France in 1822, the community currently ministers in parishes and schools in Canada, Colombia, France, Mexico and the United States.
Peace Camp is an initiative housed in the MSCU Center for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College. The 2016 Directing team is made up of Kaitlyn Skelly, a current University of Waterloo student going into her 4th year of Speech Communication and Peace and Conflict Studies and Rebekah DeJong, a recent University of Waterloo Alumni of Peace and Conflict Studies.
The Peace Camp Team is happy to share that we have completed another successful workshop season! The Peace Camp 2016 season resulted in 101 peace education presentations facilitated at 30 different schools across the region, reaching an estimated 3235 students. Throughout the hour long workshops Rebekah and I had the chance to work with youth in elementary schools ranging from Grade 3 to Grade 8. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore ideas of social justice and peace building with youth and to empower students to use their abilities to have a positive impact on their communities.
Our activities ranged from Peace Postcards that became random acts of kindness to team building activities that challenged participants to complete a bridge building task without verbal communication. Junior students experienced a Circle Process that explored the impact our words have on the feelings of those who hear them. Intermediate students tried their hand at conflict analysis to understand the root causes of problems and create solutions that turn conflict into a peace building opportunities. These activates highlighted the workshop participant’s peace building skills and demonstrated how each individual is capable of being peace builders in our communities.
We loved seeing students experience “aha!” moments when ideas and concepts we were discussing clicked for them, especially when talking about how we can apply peace building to our everyday lives. It was exciting to witness the creative ideas students had to solve problems, express themselves and the depth of understanding for peace and compassion they demonstrated in our sessions.
Students we worked with were enthusiastic and engaged with the topics of social justice and peace building. In our feedback from teachers we were told that,
“the students were highly receptive and reflective based upon the ideas discussed”
and that they were impressed with the level of engagement their students showed while participating in the workshop. Another teacher said that “the message is positive and important and having it come from young adults is great”. Educators were pleased with the connections their students could make with local university students, “Thank you, so impressed with the many programs coming out of the University of Waterloo”. Rebekah and I are glad to hear about the positive impact this program has had on students and are grateful to the educators who welcomed us into their classrooms.
Throughout the 2016 workshop season one of the questions students ask us most often was “Is there a real Peace Camp in the summer?”, and the answer is YES! We have a week long day camp in August for youth ages 11-14. The camp is located on the University of Waterloo Campus at Conrad Grebel University College. This summer’s theme is ‘Peace In Action’ and the goal is to show campers that whatever their interests may be, whether it is art, music, math, engineering, business or even fashion, be they can use them to pursue peace. Registration is still open and we have a few more spots available.
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Peace and Justice: Part Three
Join us for Session Three presentations by Shakil Choudhury, Educator and Consultant, Anima Leadership, Nancy Kelly, retired Lutheran pastor, and Louisa D’Amato, a news reporter from the The Record and member of the local Jewish community.
A Day of Professional Development
Waterloo Region Occasional Teachers Local
Friday, January 17, 2014 from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM (EST)
Kitchener, ON
The Equity and Social Justice Committee for the Waterloo Occasional Teachers Local is pleased to present a Day of Professional Development. We are pleased to provide two workshops; you may choose to attend either workshop or both! If you choose to attend both workshops, lunch will be provided.
Workshop #1 (10:00am to 12:00pm): An Arts and Literacy Approach to Address Bullying presented by Larry Schwartz. This interactive workshop will invite K-8 teachers to explore and integrate the Arts into literacy approaches to address bullying issues. Participants will be offered drama and arts strategies that help students to respond reflect and consider healthy relationships while recognizing that everyone is capable of showing positive actions.
Workshop #2 (12:30pm to 3:30pm): Social Justice Begins With Me presented by Jeffrey Wilkin. This workshop introduces members to the Social Justice Begins with Me resource kit, designed to help teachers address issues of equity and social justice in their classroom and assist students in developing awareness and understanding of these issues. Lesson plans for K to grade 8 are linked to Ontario’s curriculum. The workshop will show teachers how to engage diverse learners and create classroom environments that are safe and inclusive.
Have questions about A Day of Professional Development? Contact Waterloo Region Occasional Teachers Local on Eventbrite
@PeaceCampGrebel holds a week-long Peace Camp from 29 July to 2 August
Sarah Klassen, the Camp Coordinator for Conrad Grebel Peace Camp writes:
Peace Camp is a week-long day camp for youth ages 11-14, where youth can participate in games, activities, sports, crafts, and drama similar to what you would find at any other summer camp, but with a focus on peace and social justice. We use educational activities, engaging guest speakers, and exciting field trips to empower youth to work for peace in their homes, school, neighborhoods, communities, and country.
This summer, our theme is “Local Actions with Global Impact” and we will be looking at actions that we can take locally that will have a peaceful impact on our wider national and global communities. We have some great plans in the works for activities, guest speakers and field trips surrounding this theme that we think youth will really enjoy. Peace Camp 2013 will be held on July 29th to August 2nd from 9 am to 4 pm. The cost is $175 per camper, lunch included, and there are some subsidies available. We still have spots available for interested youth!
Peace Camp aims for Global Impact with Local Actions
WATERLOO, ON—Conrad Grebel University College’s third annual Peace Camp is a memorable and meaningful summer camp option for youth aged 11-14. This week long day camp, starting on July 29th, is action-packed with exciting new activities, crafts, games, and field trips that will encourage youth to inspire lives, strengthen ties, and make peace happen all over the Waterloo region.
Last year a camper came away from Peace Camp saying: “I’ve learned so much that I’d like to remember my whole life. I’ve made so many great friends and counsellors I’ll never forget. I’ve learned that sometimes being sad because of a story makes you remember it even more. This camp really made me care about things and made me try harder to make the world better. I really want to come to this camp again because here, every game or story, or person you meet, means something. In this camp I’ve learned to stand up for what I believe in and NEVER give up no matter what!”
Equipped with a 5-year grant from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation and on-going sponsorship from the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union and Josslin Insurance, Peace Camp is embarking on a voyage of learning and discovery where youth will collaborate with people in different neighbourhoods to help ordinary citizens do extraordinary deeds.
Peace Camp partners with the peacebuilding organizations of Interfaith Grand River and House of Friendship, as well as organizations committed to reversing the effects of violence – Working Against Youth Violence Everywhere committee (WAYVE) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Peace Camp is fortunate to be able to draw on the experience and expertise of these organizations to include people from all walks of life in peacemaking in Peace Camp’s programming.
Peace Camp Coordinator, Sarah Klassen, noted that “this summer’s theme ‘Local Actions With Global Impact’ will allow youth to participate in and experiment with arts, crafts, games, and sports that will not only teach co-operation and respect for others in the local community, but in the global community as well.” Youth will learn about actions that can be taken at home that can have a peaceful impact around the world.
Registration is now open! Peace Camp will be run from Monday, July 29th to August 2nd, 2013 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and lunch is included. Peace Camp is committed to providing a low-cost program to make sure all interested youth can participate. The total cost per camper is $175.00.
Peace Camp at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo.
Inspiring lives. Strengthening Ties. Making Peace Happen in the Waterloo Region