​Inaction is one of the most powerful forms of oppression. Our nation’s failure to collect adequate race-based data grants us to dismiss racism within our systems, and further works to actively promote a lack of transparency.
 
Join us on Monday June 5 at 6PM MST for a live streamed discussion on the needs and solutions for race-based data in Canada. Centered around the recent five-year study looking at race-based hate incidents, Iman Bukhari from Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, will be moderating the online event to hear from the panel about their perspectives.
 
Panelists:
 
Chad Haggerty has spent most of his life working in the criminal justice system. In his mid-30’s he chose to go to law school so that he could help the people that needed the benefit of his experiences most – people accused of crimes.
 
Hagir Sail is a respected professional in the field of anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with over 10 years of experience working in community development, police work, and social justice activism.
 
Steven Ngo currently works as counsel at Rivian and was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. He is leading a movement called Fix Police Reporting that is focused on removing barriers to reporting hate crimes to the police.
 
Keivan Monfared has a PhD in Mathematics and works as a Data Scientist with a personal interest in topics related to discrimination and equity. He is passionate about using data to inform and influence policies that directly impact underrepresented groups.

In June of 2020, we gathered over 70,000 signatures from Calgarians asking for the City of Calgary to address systemic racism. After three years, they have launched their anti-racism strategy.

The strategy is a good, safe start. However, the main aspect missing is what the Calgary Police Service will be doing to reform and address racism within their services. More than 60% of the people who came out to the public hearing spoke about experiencing racism from the Police. We have yet to hear from the Police on how they will hold themselves accountable.

Furthermore, overall accountability is also a concern. Making a strategy document is not enough. The City of Calgary needs to hold themselves accountable. We want to see an independent organization evaluate the City’s execution of the strategy and measurements. Governments should not be the ones measuring their own success, or funding partner organizations to measure it on their behalf.

According to the Canadian Criminal Code, a hate crime is defined as a crime motivated by hate based on race, ethnic origin, language, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, etc. A ​hate incident​ however is a ​non-criminal​ action committed against a person or property, the motive for which is based in whole or in part upon the same characteristics mentioned above. Because hate incidents are non-criminal in nature, police are limited in their ability to be involved. However, the harm caused by such incidents is both palpable and clearly pervasive.

Our national race-based hate data, provided by Statistics Canada, merely consists of police reported crimes. Even though most racialized and Indigenous peoples experiences are actually of hate incidents, not crimes. According to our five years study, only 4% of reports were actually deemed a crime, the rest were all incidents. The incidents are what happens day to day and what most people refer to when they say systemic racism.

We cannot reform our systems or mitigate racism without collecting data on hate incidents in order to better understand the issues.

People from around the world cross land and sea to reach the promised land of Canadian multiculturalism and diversity — an international image that Canada eagerly promotes and prides itself on as one of its greatest strengths.

Beneath that veneer, however, is racism ingrained so deeply in Canadian society that it appears natural to the naked eye — normalized so extensively, since the first moment of colonial contact, that it is the prevailing factor in how people engage not just with their neighbours, but also with the institutions that run the nation. While Canadians may clutch their pearls in horror at the rawer, more physically violent forms of race-based hate incidents, the daily experiences of racialized and Indigenous peoples are obscured behind the veil of purported multiculturalism.

So what does racism in Canada really look like?
​
This first-of-its-kind research project seeks to answer this question by tracking and collecting data on race-based hate incidents reported by mainstream, English-language media sources in Canada. Over a five-year period (2018-2022), Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation collected and analyzed race-based hate incidents, creating a unique data set that begins to paint a fuller picture of interpersonal, systemic and other forms of racism across the nation. The research illustrates characteristics such as frequency and locations of incidents, ethnicities targeted, intersectionalities (religion, gender identity, sexuality, etc.) and more.

This unprecedented data set highlights the varied nature and complexity of race-based hate incidents perpetrated against racialized and Indigenous peoples in Canada as reported by the media. The harm caused by such incidents is both palpable and clearly pervasive. As such, we are sharing our data with researchers, governments and institutions to build towards a more equitable future for all Canadians. We hope this data will inspire more Canadians to advocate change locally in their respective communities. Our dashboard houses all data collected, including links to the original media sources with the option to download raw data for further analysis.

Snapshot of the data

This unique race-based data set begins to paint a fuller picture of interpersonal, systemic and other forms of racism in Canada, through incidents in:

• Government services showing:
  • denial and inaction on racism is present in all public sectors; and
  • politicians continuously minimize experiences of racialized peoples and discourage anti-racist education, while holding responsibility for policies related to public safety, services and education;
• Publicly accessible spaces showing:
  • race-based hate incidents are commonplace across the nation in businesses, workplaces, places of worship, online, and in both recreational and professional sports; and 
  • race-based hate incidents in these spaces grew significantly in step with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Overarching violence against racialized women, children, youth and seniors, manifested in ways such as:
  • racial slurs and verbal attacks;
  • individual physical assaults; and
  • group-based physical assaults (including groups of people perpetuating harm, as well as organized hate groups)

The above findings illustrate the profound way in which racism is deeply woven into the foundational fabric of Canadian society — with far-reaching and devastating implications. These are the areas we must focus on for reform.

Call to Action

Government policies and practices currently in place to address racism are insufficient, at best. Our primary purpose for this study has always been to highlight the critical need for nation-wide data on race-based hate incidents to drive necessary anti-racist reform. Canada must become a data-driven country to improve equity and outcomes for racialized and Indigenous peoples, thereby creating transparency so all Canadians understand the importance of anti-racism work in Canada. 

We ask the Government of Canada to hire an independent agency — not Statistics Canada or law enforcement/policing organizations, due to broken trust in racialized communities — to collect national data on race-based hate incidents and their characteristics. As previous initiatives have failed due to government agendas and lack of funding, it is paramount that this work is data-driven and done in partnership with provincial and municipal governments, but without interference from any governments, including law enforcement or the wider justice system. The independent agency must receive adequate, ongoing funding (separate from Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy budget), in order to collect data as trends evolve over time, and a comprehensive understanding of anti-racism pedagogy.
​
While our study is urging one major recommendation — for the federal government to hire an independent agency to collect nation-wide data on race-based hate incidents — we encourage policy-makers to use our data to generate further recommendations in areas such as politics, government services, media, policing, education, sports, workplaces, businesses, online and other industries/sectors where racialized Canadians are negatively impacted.

This spring, we are pleased to be hosting the 2022 Anti-Racism Arts Festival in Regina online. Due to lack of funding, we will only be having one event, our film challenge! We anticipate this festival to inspire, teach and feature local artists to use creativity as a catalyst for change. 

Dates: March 11 - 13, 2022
Time: 4:30 p.m. CST
Venue: Online

Teams of local amateur and professional filmmakers will be given 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit short films with the themes of anti-racism. Teams will be required to integrate a quote into their film that will be assigned to them. Online information packages for the film competition will be emailed out prior to the competition. Winners of the film challenge will receive monetary prizes and be announced on March 21 on our website.

Check out films that have been created in the past: Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Nanaimo.  No experience necessary, so get your team together and enter the challenge!

Register today.

Racism creates a ripple effect of exceedingly detrimental impacts to individuals, communities, and the collective wellbeing of any given geographical or social region as a whole. Though all who experience racism are subject its negative and harmful effects, children are especially vulnerable to the consequences. As educators, it’s important to acknowledge that the events of our society, past and present, impact the practice and activities of our classrooms. Students are coming in with knowledge and experiences that are rooted in real life, and teachers must be reflective and responsive enough to create space for this knowledge and these experiences to be valued as learning. As worldwide conversations and actions are taking place to eliminate systemic racism, how can we not step back and reflect on teaching and instruction?

In celebration of the completion of our anti-racist education hub for K-12 teachers, Culture Commons, we are hosting an important dialogue about creating anti-racist schools. Join us on Monday, January 17, 6PM MST, as we speak to anti-racist educators involved in this active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes. This event will take place online via Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and Twitter Live. There will also be a livestream on our website (canadiancmf.com) available above.

Host:
​
Michelle Casten Magbanua is an elementary French teacher at Rocky View School Division with a Bachelor's degree in both Drama and Education. She believes that the role of education is to empower the youth, using her quirky and personable teaching style to instill a sense of open-mindedness and growth in her students. Michelle seeks to dismantle oppressive systems and create an anti-racist school system through the power of education.

Panelists:

Dr. Sonia Aujla-Bhullar is a scholar, researcher, and educator with a PhD in Curriculum and Learning. As a public-school teacher and published author, Dr. Aujla-Bhullar has studied and researched the unique aspects and challenges of inclusion and diversity within Canada through understandings of post-colonial and critical race theory in education. Her past and present work focuses on anti-racism as an institutional practice and applications of diversity, inclusion, and equity between schools and racialized communities.

Courtney Walcott was elected Councillor for Ward 8 in Calgary during October of 2021. Previously, he was a teacher and basketball coach at Western Canada High School and a community organizer who worked on numerous anti-racism initiatives within education, including with our organization as a volunteer.

Chantal Chagnon is a Cree Métis Singer, Drummer, Artist, Storyteller, Actor, Educator, Facilitator, Social Justice Advocate and Activist with roots in Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan. She shares Traditional Indigenous Songs, Stories, Culture, History, Arts, Crafts and Teachings and has presented in numerous classrooms from preschool through university. Chantal is passionate about building awareness and sharing understanding of Indigenous culture, spirituality, social justice and political issues. 

About us:

The Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF) is an award-winning not-for-profit organization run by committed volunteer Millennials and Gen Z. We work to improve race relations in Canada by creating cultural understanding through education, technology and arts. Culture Commons is our newly created resource hub for K-12 teachers disrupting systematic racism, by promoting an anti-racist, multicultural, equity and inclusivity based lens in education within Alberta classrooms. (culturecommons.ca)

A first-of-its-kind online hub of no-cost educational resources promoting anti-racism in Alberta K-12 classrooms, created by the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF), launched September 14, 2021.

Culture Commons offers thousands of lessons, activities and tools that teachers can use to incorporate anti-racism education directly into their teaching plans. Resources are available for all core K-12 subjects and options, and are linked to current Alberta curriculum outcomes. Culture Commons is piloting in Alberta with plans to expand country-wide.

“Culture Commons empowers educators to teach about anti-racism and multiculturalism within their existing lesson plans through thousands of free resources that represent numerous cultures and ethnicities,” says Iman Bukhari, Founder and CEO of CCMF. “When students see themselves reflected in the course material, it helps to break down racist stereotypes while building a worldview that is more inclusive and equitable. We are calling on all provincial and the federal governments to help make this service available Canada-wide.”

Culture Commons was created in response to CCMF’s research paper, Long Way To Go, which found that limitations in time, funding, accessibility and knowledge were some of the top challenges for teachers in teaching about multiculturalism or anti-racism. This is why Culture Commons was created to be free-of-charge with easy-to-use navigation and accessibility features, such as enabling the use of screen readers.  

“I used several resources about immigration from Culture Commons that were very meaningful and relatable for my class. It led to a great discussion and the stories paved a way to let students share and connect their own unique cultural experiences,” said ​Nikka Peredo, an elementary school teacher in Calgary.

As Culture Commons’ library of resources continues to grow, CCMF is linking these resources to curricula country-wide over the next five years. Furthermore, CCMF will also be launching a free, online, six-week training course on anti-racism in 2022.
​
For more information on Culture Commons, visit culturecommons.ca
​
Media Inquires:
For media inquiries, please contact us.

About Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation:
The Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF) is an award-winning not-for-profit organization run by committed volunteer Millennials and Gen Z. We work to improve race relations in Canada by creating cultural understanding through education, technology and arts. Being on the forefront of advocacy our foundation often works with ethnic communities on programming. various intersecting identities and racial backgrounds, all whom are volunteers. For more information, please visit canadianculturalmosaicfoundation.com.

​After the disturbing yet sadly obvious news about the remains of 215 innocent Indigenous children's bodies found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, here is a letter template addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau, that everyone can use asking his government to commit to action. Please add your information and send it to his office. Help us flood his mailbox in order to hold our government accountable. We encourage you to mail a letter in, but if that is not possible you can send via email: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca.

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

To Prime Minister Trudeau,

​The discovery of the bodies of 215 innocent Indigenous children in a mass grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School is physical evidence of the genocide committed by the Canadian Federal Government against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This is the time for action and justice, no more empty platitudes and apologies without change. Justice must be served for these 215 innocent children and the countless other lives taken by the deliberate actions of the Canadian Government and Churches. The Federal Government of Canada has known of these atrocities not only through the work of Truth and Reconciliation, but because you have legislated and funded the institutions. It is the responsibility of this government to ensure the harm committed is amended. I am calling on the Canadian Federal Government to act now.

We call on you, the leader of the Canadian Federal Government, to publicly commit to the following:

• Publicly commit to providing financial support and adequate resources to assist Indigenous Communities in searching all sites of Indian Residential Schools, Hospitals, Industrial Schools, and any other potential mass grave sites. These efforts must be Indigenous led and the Federal Government must quash all bureaucratic roadblocks that may exist to prevent this work from being expedited swiftly.
• Publicly commit to funding proper cemeteries, resting places, and memorials for those lost in residential schools. These children were stripped of their dignity in death, and the Canadian Federal Government has an enormous moral obligation to ensure they are laid to rest with all the proper respects and dignity by their loving communities.
• Publicly commit to launching thorough criminal investigations and/or post-humous trials for all known offenders, in an effort to bring justice to the 215 Indigenous children and the countless others killed in the Indian Residential Schools.
• Publicly commit to utilizing the term “Genocide” as opposed to “Cultural Genocide” moving forward in an effort to be truthful about the atrocities committed by the Church and State against Indigenous Peoples.
• Lastly, I call on the Federal Government to honour the Treaties made with Indigenous Peoples. Treaty obligations are still not being fulfilled. Communities are still without clean water. Children continue to be displaced from their communities by the Child Welfare System. Indigenous Peoples continue to be brutalized by police and the incarceration rates continue to climb. Indigenous Women are disproportionately murdered and missing without justice. Education is still drastically underfunded. And this government continues to dispute children and residential school survivors in court. This is but a small list of examples that show the atrocities Indigenous people face. This government needs to stop paying lip service and act boldly in implementing the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, as well as honouring the treaties according to their true spirit and intent.

The Government of Canada can no longer deny the crimes of genocide committed against Indigenous Peoples. There can be no reconciliation without truth and action or it continues to be an injustice.

​Please do the right thing.
Thank you,

Help us promote the good work of the Change Langevin School committee focused on changing the name of the Bridgeland Science School in Calgary from Langevin, the residential school architect.

We are asking the Calgary Board of Education to immediately rename the “Langevin Science School” to the “Bridgeland-Riverside Science School” as a tangible step consistent with the commitment made in 2021 to “advance equity, anti-racism and inclusion” by the CBE CARES committee.[1] As described in existing policy documents, we also ask the CBE to convene a School Naming Committee and select a permanent name for this school consistent with the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, and to do so in a manner that truly reflects the importance of honourable Nation-to-Nation dialogue. 
We believe the current name is inappropriate because Hector-Louis Langevin was a vocal proponent of colonial, assimilationist and genocidal policies towards Indigenous peoples. As a cabinet minister he said the following words, which continue to cause harm today:
 “The fact is if you wish to educate these children you must first separate them from their parents during the time that they are being educated. If you leave them in the family they may know how to read and write, but they still remains savages, whereas by separating them in the way proposed, they acquire the habits and tastes – it is to be hoped only the good tastes – of civilized people.”[2]
He did not view Indigenous people as equals, and lead the implementation of racist policies at several levels including the establishment of the first Industrial Schools, the imposition of misogynistic non-traditional Band Council governance styles, and the creation of “Indigenous Status” definitions decided by the colonial government.[2,3]
 We believe expecting Indigenous students to walk into a school whose name honours a man who did such harm to their people is fundamentally inconsistent with the CBE’s responsibility to “provide safe and positive learning conditions […] that foster a sense of belonging and a respect for diversity”.[4] Honouring Langevin does not support Reconciliation. His name is inextricably linked to decades of intergenerational trauma which continues to affect Indigenous students, families and Canadian society as a whole.
Non-Indigenous students are also failed by an educational system that refuses to acknowledge the whole truth of our history. A name change which honours the spirit and content of the Calls to Action contained in the Final Report of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission[5] is necessary to ensure the CBE's core belief that “public education serves the common good”.[6] 
We note that many distinct governments from across the country have recognized the importance of removing Langevin’s name from various landmarks since at least 2017. Calgary City Council’s chose to re-name the Reconciliation bridge (formerly Langevin bridge).[7] The Office of the Prime Minister changed the name of their offices, which were formerly known as the Langevin Block.[8] Ottawa City Council renamed Langevin road after Algonquin elder William Commanda, who served as Chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation.[9]
In this time of Reconciliation, we should be working together in a Nation-to-Nation way. Accordingly, and as required by CBE Governance policy[10], we expect the School Renaming Committee to engage in meaningful, transparent dialogue with all community stakeholders. We ask that Committee membership include representatives of the Niitsitapi Nations (Blackfoot), Tsuut’ina Nation, Nakoda (Stoney) Nations and Métis.

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:

• Safety plans for online events, responses of care
• Public Callouts or Call-ins
  
  

Accountability:

• What is Allyship on Social Media
• With Public Statements
• What is community solidarity? Community Care?

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:

• Wunmi Idowu, Founder & Director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc.
• Tyson Bankert, BLAC Capacity Builder at CommunityWise Resource Centre
• Julie Alati-it, Bahaghari

Moderated by: Kinya Baker, Shades of Humanity

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

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: 

• Join this webinar on Tuesday April 27 at 5pm MST https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ie3WpLCdR0ymNB7AAJ8VLg​
• Complete this survey here https://questionnaire.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=da7dfc67-b538-4bc1-8232-156d81264b8d  
• Submit your thoughts through email by writing to cpsengage@argylepr.com  

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:

1. June 4: Introduction to Pakistan’s creation, geography & ethnography
2. June 11: Urdu reading & writing class
3. June 18: Urdu reading & writing class
4. June 25: Urdu reading & writing class
5. July 2: Urdu reading & writing class
6. July 9: Cultural cooking
7. July 16: Cultural arts & music
8. July 23: Popular sports
9. July 30: Cultural cooking
10. August 6: Cultural festivals and traditions
11. August 13: Highlighting prominent Pakistanis from different walks of life
12. August 20: Languages of Pakistan
13. August 27: Finding balance, being both Canadian & Pakistani

This program is made possible thanks to a small fund by The Genesis Centre in Calgary. Thank you!

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:

• hear directly from Black Members of Parliament (MPs) and federal candidates on their experience and advice on running in elections,
• connect with and learn from officials from all major federal political parties on how to seek a federal nomination, and
• network with and join a community of politically interested Black People in Western and Northern Canada.

Click the images below to direct you to the free event links.

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:

• Releasing the makeup of the selection committee to the public before commencement of selection process.
• Provide selection criteria to the public for comment and feedback, thereby increasing involvement in the creation of a committee meant to serve marginalized communities.
• Reduce the value placed on traditionally credentialed applicants vs. those with lived experience and grassroots connections. Systemic discrimination often manifests itself in reduced access to post-secondary education, therefore valuing traditionally credentialed applicants eliminates the voices of those most likely to experience the most detrimental aspects of systemic discrimination.
• There must be guaranteed flow of information from within the committee to the community throughout this process, i.e., Non-Disclosure Agreements must not restrict full community engagement and transparency on an ongoing basis

To reiterate, Defund2Fund sees the promise behind this committee. However, there will always be more work to do. So, in the spirit of collaboration, we offer our congratulations to those selected and look forward to our voices uniting behind the mission to end systemic racism in all forms.

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