Take part in our latest event - Calgary’s Audio Experience on July 21 at 6pm outside of Eau Claire Plaza downtown.
Wondering what an Audio Experience is? YYC Audio Experience is a live event where attendees download an audio file and listen to synchronized tasks in a specific place at a specific time through earphones/headphones. Here’s how it works: A week before the event, we will upload an audio file (around 45 minutes) that you download on your device (mp3 player, phone, tablet, etc.). Everyone meets at the specified location (Outside Eau Claire Plaza) wearing headphones/earphones, and blends in with the unsuspecting crowd. At the start time (6pm), everyone will simultaneously press play and that’s when the fun begins. A set of instructions will guide you and everyone participating through a journey of amusement. Laughter and confusion will follow as onlookers try to figure out what’s going on. More information: bit.ly/yycaudioexperience
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How do we define public art? Does it relate to our values or influence how we identify with our city? Perhaps it’s characterized by the relationship with artists’ process. Join d.talks for a discussion on the value of public art. Not the cost, but the ways that public art connects people to place.
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Given the horrific events that occurred on Monday, we will be organizing a vigil for the victims of the Toronto van attack. This will be an open space to light a candle and come together as a community to show our support for Toronto. We will also have a large sheet where folks can write their condolences to the victims. It will take place at 6pm on Wednesday, April 25th outside of Calgary’s City Hall. All are welcome and invited to drop by. We encourage everyone in attendance to keep in mind that this vigil will focus on solidarity in times of tragedy, and therefore we will not be asking any politicians to speak. We believe this is a time to hold space and honour those who lost their lives. We recognize that many factors and intersecting issues were at play that led to this incident, and there will be times and places to address those issues in the future; however, right now we would like to peacefully unite and pay our respects to the victims and their families.
We would also like to acknowledge this ceremony will be held on traditional Treaty 7 territory. Arts Commons is proud to welcome the first artist to pilot their PREAMP Initiative: Iman Bukhari. Iman is the founding member and CEO of our organization. She is using the one-week short-term residency at Arts Commons to create a multimedia art project titled WOC: A Sisterhood. This project is about the complicated relationship between feminine beauty, identity, and race (WOC meaning Women of Colour and also a play-on words of WOKE). This project builds on Iman's passion for social justice and the complex intersections of race. For her, this experiment is “about showing women of colour who are un-apologetically themselves… because it takes guts to be yourself.” Join us on Sunday, April 22 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Arts Learning Centre at Arts Commons for an informal open house, where you can see what Iman has been working on during the week. This is a FREE event, no tickets or RSVP is required.
Human language is constantly evolving. The way we speak and words we use change for many reasons including the changes in the environment we live in, to provide a better understanding or greater clarity, or changes in social norms and expectations. Sometimes, we don’t know how much our words can hurt other people or make them feel excluded. We need to educate ourselves and others on the meanings of words. The Inclusive Language Glossary (project: Language Decoded) is a guideline and education piece to help bring that awareness. We are decoding language to educate people by identifying the use of certain expressions or words that might exclude, discriminate, or hurt particular groups of people. We are currently in the process of completing the content for our Inclusive Language glossary, which is a tool through which folks can learn about the words out there that are not inclusive, the reason why, and get alternative words to use instead. We are looking for a dedicated, intuitive, and resourceful intern who can bring this project to life by April 2018. The intern will create a web application using https://slides.com/ to bring a unique way to present the information. This application does not require you to code, but is rather drag and drop based. We are ideally looking for an intern who is tech savvy and interested in design. We need someone who is organized and interested in digital design. You don't necessarily have to come from a coding background, but it will help if you do. If you are interested, apply with examples of your work (design work). The intern working on this will be working virtually, but will be required to join in-person with our CEO and team from time to time. We need someone who can work independently and has an artistic vision. Apply via SCiP todayThe Society for the Advocacy of Safer Spaces (SASS), Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation and Calgary Sexual Health Centre are very proud to present Safer Venue Con, a conference by the community, for the community.
Join us for a day filled with opportunities to learn how to make your workplace safer and more inclusive. This free conference is open to anyone who works in nightlife including: servers, bartenders, bouncers, owners, managers and promoters. Basically, if you make money working in a space that serves alcohol - this event is for you. This day of workshops will give you the chance to gather with peers from your industry to discuss a wide range of topics you currently face daily in your jobs: preventing sexual assault, ending racialized harassment and discrimination, and how to better serve the LGBTQ2+ communities in Calgary. You will end the day with new tools and skills that will empower you to confront these issues in your workplace and beyond. You will also be provided with a complimentary, tasty lunch from our sponsors at Sidewalk Citizen, and a goody bag of resources to help you carry your learning with you. Workshop Details - register here Creating a Colourful Nightlife (facilitated by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation) This interactive workshop explores the roots of racism in our society. Together we will look at the impacts of racism in our communities, in the nightlife world, and other settings. We will connect personal experiences of power and privilege to systemic racism. This event aims to provide participants with tangible tools to develop and strengthen their anti-racism lens. Creating a Culture of Respect for Gender and Sexual Diversity (facilitated by Calgary Sexual Health Centre) Building on the anti-homophobia work that Calgary Sexual Health Centre has been doing since the 1990s, this workshop defines and examines the differences between sex, gender, and sexual orientation. We discuss the root causes of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism, while looking at both media messaging and our culturally constructed views of gender and the impact this can have on clients and coworkers. Participants will leave with practical strategies for creating a safer, more inclusive and respectful work environment. They will also learn about additional community resources and referrals. Building a Safer Scene (facilitated by Calgary Sexual Health Centre) This workshop is unique because it approaches this issue by exploring the negative cultural and social constructions of sexuality. Participants will explore current policies that address sexual harassment and will consider approaches to creating safer spaces for patrons and clients. We explore factors that may prevent people from intervening, strategies to address harassment, and highlight the roles of bystanders in the workplace. We will also discuss ways to support the person or people being affected by harassment. Participants will leave with practical tools that will prepare them to recognize when and how they can be active bystanders when witnessing acts of sexual violence. We acknowledge Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III. Accessibility Information: The room in the Kahanoff Centre where this event is being held is accessible by elevator, and an all gender bathroom will be available on site. Written by Mansharn Toor, Policy Analyst for Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation Canadians in 2017 proudly waved their red and white flags, celebrated and cheered on fireworks to mark 150 years of the Canadian Confederation. For many Indigenous peoples, this year was a reminder of their resilience and the struggle that lies ahead. As we transition into the 151st year of Canada’s confederation, its important to look at actions that can help heal the nation. The 150 Acts of Reconciliation for the Last 150 Days of Canada’s 150 written by Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky, outlines 150 activities Canadians can do to “think about Indigenous-settler relationships in new ways.” The #150Acts challenge is designed to confront settler colonialism by inviting people to consider their role. The #150Acts range from eating bannock to learning about the sophisticated and complex governing structures of Indigenous peoples. There are a number of action items that are easy to do, from the comfort of your warm sheets in bed. It is as simple as subscribing, retweeting or sharing content related to Indigenous governance and supporting Indigenous organizations. To mark the end of Canada’s 150th our team took the #150Acts of Reconciliation challenge. Sedrii Nur, attended a Pow Wow ceremony where she experienced and engaged in the continuity and beauty of Cree culture, stating “our history isn't very kind when it comes to how hard settlers tried to assimilate [Indigenous peoples] so it was really good to see a group of people keeping their culture alive.” Nur, who lives in Treaty 6 region, also visited Native Delights, a well known Edmonton food truck that serves up delectable bannock burgers. Others took the opportunity to research the significance of Two-Spirited individuals. Two-Spirited, is often a misunderstood term which refers to individuals who possess “both a feminine and masculine spirit” which as Hunzah Hayat describes “can encompass a wide variety of gender identities.” Others like Rick Alvarez, who never heard of the term, now knows not to conflate Two-Spirited with a person’s sexuality, rather it a social role that is unique to Indigenous peoples. Another uniquely Indigenous tradition is the honour in wearing a headdress. The headdress, as with other harmful depictions of Indigenous identity, have been appropriated for costumes and festival wear. Many people, as Quais Amer states “don't mean to appropriate [cultures]” it is just that people “never do their research, which turns into ignorance.” For people, who genuinely want to celebrate the beauty of Indigenous cultures, âpihtawikosisân encourages people to buy and proudly wear beaded earrings, moccasins and beautify art by Indigenous peoples. Its important to note the significance of the headdress is, as is the Indigenous view point, which is very interconnected in complex and sophisticated governing structures. As Hayat discovered, Indigenous peoples had intricate land and fire management structures where fire was understood as “a part of healing the land, and thus used it to hunt and maintain the land.” The impact of Indigenous Residential Schools, for Amer and Nur is a significant period of Canada’s recent history that cannot be understated. Nur, went as far as visiting a Residential era school in Saint Albert, Alberta. She summarizes the experience as such: “[the school] is an 8 min drive from where I live. The school closed in 1966 which is still part of the century all of us were born in. Despite the attempt to try to assimilate first people; it's a display of their strength that they still have cultural gatherings (like pow wows) where they celebrate and embrace who they are. What a resilient group of people – respect.” In fact, the last Indigenous Residential School to close was in 1996. The importance of taking the journey of reconciliation is vital to how we wish to shape the next 150 years. Whether it is simply discovering the traditional land you reside in, visiting your local museum or wearing an Orange T-shirt on September 30th, each step of reconciliation will take us a little closer to reframing the Indigenous-settler relationship. To learn more please visit the 150 Acts of Reconciliation and use the hashtag #150Acts to participate in the discussion and shape how we all participate and act upon reconciliation as intended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Written by Mansharn Toor, Policy Analyst of Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation The international refugee crisis, has until recently, not been on the radar of many Canadians. Canada’s unique geopolitical position shelters itself from having to deal with large waves of refugees seeking asylum. That is, until the border of Quebec witnessed 11,300 refugees entering by foot from the US. These individuals are worried that President Trump’s anti-refugee and anti-immigration policies will result in the forced removal of themselves and their families. The result of this influx has taken a burden on Montreal, wherein, the city has not prepared itself for a flow of migrants. A warning sign that many Canadians should prepare for, as our world is dealing with major security issues ranging from Climate Change to the spread of extremist groups. This week, Prime Minister Trudeau took a stronger stance on refugees seeking asylum by stating that his government will not fast track those individuals who have crossed the border illegally. While, Trudeau is worried about his re-election in 2019, his government should not slow down the process of seeking asylum. The current crisis at Montreal speaks volumes, as Canada is ill prepared to respond to those fleeing persecution, terror or civil war. The Haitians who are entering Canada through the US, are seeking safety because Canada and US have a Safe 3rd Country agreement. This agreement, in short, states that a refugee is required to request protection from the first safe country they arrive in. Because Canada’s borders are not as porous as European counterparts, the country has not had to resort to Ritsona like refugee camps. Advocates are calling for the Trudeau government to suspend the agreement, as more and more refugees are applying in Canada once being denied in the US. 3 days ago, Trump announced that his government would send Haitians back home. Many of whom, escaped due to environmental insecurity. While many Canadians will point their fingers to Trump’s anti-immigration stance, as they should, lets reflect upon Canada’s inaction. Often only 1 in 200 refugees who formally apply are selected by a developed country. This leaves many refugees in limbo as they fear for their lives. Refugees awaiting the decision on their application for asylum in refugee camps are crippled as they cannot work, gain citizenship, or attend school. At this moment, Europe, Australia, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have felt the brunt of the burden. In Europe, $35 USD is spent per asylum seeker and in Canada that number is about $48 USD. On the face of these numbers, Canada seems to be doing better. However, if you compare and contrast the rate at which Canada is welcoming refugees with that of European countries, the spending starts to look pathetic. Prime Minister Trudeau, began his tenure, with tear jerking photo-ops as he welcomed 40,000 Syrian families into Canada and with the hashtag #welcomerefugees. While, nations with a smaller GDP, like Sweden have welcomed over 67,000 refugees in 2016 from Syria, Eretria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Sweden, Canada’s international identity is that of peace keepers. A role that the previous administration was reluctant to commit too, as Harper’s regime reduced the number of international troops and openly disliked the UN. Prime Minister Trudeau in 2015 ran a campaigned to reinstating Canada’s role as a peace keeper and a part of that role includes welcoming refugees who are seeking asylum. Canada’s population, continues to worry economists and population specialist, as the rate of growth is not as fast as some would hope. While, many who align themselves with the anti-immigrant sentiment will argue that jobs, housing and social security will breakdown upon welcoming new Canadians, I am here to say, rather immigrants throughout history have contributed to the development and identity of the nation. That is not to say Canada shouldn’t prepare itself for a rise in refugee and migrant claims by investing in affordable housing, removing restrictions for immigration and by investing in social services to help the transition. To close our borders and remove hope, as Trudeau has done this week, contributes to an unsafe and vulnerable world.
Alberta's Premier Rachel Notley will be hosting Calgary’s first Art from the Unknown exhibit at McDougall Centre. Our guerrilla art installation Disposable Red Woman will be featured in the display. As a social experiment, the artists of this display placed the piece on various streets in Calgary, Canada and started filming the public’s reactions. This art piece questions our lack of responsibility and urgency about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & Two-Spirits in Canada. The artists of this project hope to evoke empathy and a sense of urgency in society to intervene with this injustice. We invite everyone to join us and see our art work and experiment in action. This free event provides a no-cost gallery space to new and emerging artists in our community. Art from the Unknown will be held at the historic McDougall Centre building at 455 6 St. SW. Dates:
Written by Mansharn Toor, Policy Analyst of Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation As a response to the current state of race relations, Anti-Racist activists — Alisha Gordon, Mel Vee, Souad Farag and Iman Bukhari —took some time over the past weekend to pass on techniques and practices they use in their activism and day-to-day. Conversations about racism are never easy to facilitate, to help guide people to build a space for respectful dialogue, our panelists identified four tools: relationship building, self-compassion, ally-ship and introspection.
Race and racism are not stagnant concepts, rather, race and racisms evolve and manifest differently, depending upon the place, time, individual and situation. Conversations about racism is never easy, however, by using the tools listed above, we hope that individuals will take the steps necessary to take part in open and respectful dialogues about racism. We thank Calgary’s Community Wise for hosting, and the panelist and audience for taking the time to have a frank conversation about racism.
Additional resources:
The free event mentioned above was brought to you by a collaboration between Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, Uproot YYC, and Community Wise Resource Centre. We're hiring a student to be our Research Report Writing Intern. We need this student to be currently enrolled at one of the 26 publicly-funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta. We require someone who has experience in writing, researching, and analyzing various documents and media in order to put concepts together. We need someone who is comfortable working from home, but will be required to join meetings in person or online or phone from time to time. Ideally we would prefer someone who has studied race relations or social work and has completed research before. The person should also know how to properly reference research articles. Knowledge of the Alberta curriculum is an asset as well. Intern gets $1000 upon completion and paper must be completed by April 2018. Please send a sample of your work when applying. Interested? Apply today via SCIP Worldwide rise in racist rhetoric has made it more important than ever to have meaningful dialogue with people of differing opinions and ideologies. Through collaboration with different community partners, this event aims to provide the public with tangible tools to engage in meaningful and productive discussions about race. Panel members from diverse backgrounds will discuss their own experiences in the context of their respective communities, providing both insight and recommendations on appropriate ways of navigating through difficult conversations. This interactive workshop aims to educate, inform, and equip audience members with the confidence needed in overwhelming and hostile situations. This free event is brought to you by a collaboration between Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, Uproot YYC, and Community Wise Resource Centre. Join Facebook event Panel speakers
From a distance you see a wrapped-up cloth laid on the street. Underneath it is an Indigenous blanket. You look closely and there seems to be red markings that look like blood on the cloth. What do you do?
As a social experiment, the artist of this guerrilla art display placed the piece on various streets in Calgary, Canada and started filming the public’s reactions. This art piece questions settler and immigrants lack of responsibility and urgency about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & Two-Spirits in Canada. The artist of this project hopes to evoke empathy and a sense of urgency in society to intervene with this injustice. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & Two-Spirits in Canada is a human rights crisis that has only recently become a topic of discussion within national media. In 2015, the RCMP reported that while aboriginal women represent just 4.3% of Canada’s female population, they represent 16% of female homicide victims and 11% of missing persons cases involving women. We can't ignore the patterns that are being repeated again and again in the lives of these women. Until the root causes are addressed, the violence will continue. This art piece asks WHY Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & Two-Spirits are seen as disposable in our colonial society and what are YOU doing to help end this? This art display was created to spark discussions among settlers and immigrants about their ignorance relating to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans & Two-Spirits in Canada. View some Unsolved Cases of Indigenous Women and Girls. We're hiring! We are looking for an illustrator student who is currently enrolled at one of the 26 publicly-funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta to help us bring our new project to life! Our new project is a comic art/meme project and we need someone who can work independently from whatever location they prefer, are artistic, a good drawer/cartoonist, interested in race relations, pop culture/memes/social media and wants to work on this awesome project because they believe in the cause. This student can work virtually and be located anywhere, but they will be required to be part of meetings from time to time, either via video chat/phone/in-person (only if possible). We will work with you to make sure the project is successful and it will be a lot of work, but it will be worthwhile. The project must be finished by April of 2018. Upon completion, you will get $1000 CAD. Apply today via SCiP! Note: You will need to make an account and be eligible through the website. Get to know the diversity of people that are part of our city. Learn about the diversity of cultures and ethnicities in Calgary. This year during Culture Days on Sep. 30, come out to YYC Diversity Fest at the Genesis Centre where folks can engage in understanding and learning of cultures, ethnic groups, practices and more. Enjoy over 30 interactive booths, free cultural foods, entertainment and artist showcases, as well as other learning opportunities free for all. Following the event, stick around for Culture Shock 2017 at 5:30pm, an urban youth dance battle celebrating diversity and community put on by Antyx Community Arts. Culture Days is a 3 day-long, annual collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Schedule of Performances: 12pm: Land Acknowledgement, Welcome, Thank you to partners and funders 12:15pm: Indigenous Traditional Hoop Dance (Indigenous Dance Studio) 12:30pm: South Asian Dance Performances 1pm: Chinese Traditional Dragon Dance (Honan Shaolin Association) 1:15pm: Choreographed Dance/Song performance (Progressive Cultural Association Calgary) 1:30pm: Russian Folklore Singing Group (Russian choir "Razdolie) 2pm: Free Food is Served! (Biryani from Tandoori Kabab Hut Restaurant) 2:15pm: Teekay performance (Calgary hip-hop singer, Tarik Robinson from Dragon Fli Empire) 2:45pm: Epic Bhangra Dance Performance 3pm: Brazilian Music and Dance Performance 3:30pm: Sarb Akal Music School (Classical Indian Music, Flute and Drums performance) 4pm-5pm: Battle of the Choirs ("Symbol" Choir from Bucharest, Romania vs. MRU's Ariosso Choir) By Mansharn Toor, Policy Analyst at Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation The former contributor to the Toronto Star, The Walrus and the Torontoist, Desmond Cole has spent much of his adult life challenging policing and racism in Canada. Cole, having been a victim of police discrimination, is now travelling through Alberta to discuss the practice of carding. At a discussion at the Calgary Public Library, Cole educated the audience on what the practice of carding involves, our rights, the role of an ally and the trends across Canada and more specifically in Alberta. Here are major points you'll want to remember and understand: 1. What is Police Carding? Carding, quiet simply, is when an individual who is in a role of authority gathers personal information of an individual without reasonable suspicion that you have or were about to break the law. While carding is often associated with the police, the interrogation of an individual and tracking of information can occur in various places where the authority abuses their position of power. Carding can result in the gathering of sensitive information that is then shared across jurisdictions, with the RCMP and even with Canada’s Security Intelligence Services (CSIS). The consequences of police carding and tracking of personal information is significant and has led to harassment, mental aguish, and in some cases the loss of life. As the next section will allude to, people from marginalized communities are disproportionately targeted by the police. 2. Trends across Canada While statistics are important and should be utilized, Cole is quick to point out that people of colour have been saying what the statistics have for years. In many cases, simply talking to people from marginalized communities can inform the lay person of the issues and concerns. However, as we know numbers speak louder than words. And the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture. Indigenous people (especially women), black communities and Middle Eastern people are far more likely to be carded than their white counterpart. The overrepresentation of Indigenous women is extremely troubling provided that the police are part of the reason for the high rates of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Persons with mental health issues, from the LGBTQ+ community and from poor socio-economic environments are not given the help they desperately need by the police and authorities. Rather, racism and discrimination are rationalized in the name of keeping neighbourhoods safe. However, the Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association (RMCLA) in Alberta has observed that carding simply does not correlate with crime statistics. Cole, has been stopped by the police over 50 times, he now uses these four words and recommends anyone who is the victim of police carding to state: “am I being detained?”. These words are important because Section 9 of the Charter of Rights and Freedom protects individuals from being arbitrarily detained. 3. Becoming an Active Ally Cole confronted the issue of an active ally, by exclaiming that words do not matter as much as actions. Privilege is a responsibility and must be acted upon. As one activist in the audience expressed, it is not always safe to stand up against the police and can lead to abuse, violence, and loss of life. The loss of life and harassment is becoming all to normal in Canada which is why its important that ally’s place their bodies, themselves in between and beside individuals who are victims to unfair policing or anyone wearing a uniform. It becomes the job of the general public to pressure politicians and Canada to enforce freedom rather than continuously seek justice. One manner is to put an end to the practice of carding. Finally, it is equally vital that the information collected by the police is handed over to the public to be utilized by academics, researchers and policy makers to inform and assist vulnerable communities. Cole is currently working on an upcoming book on systemic racism in Canada, sure to be a best seller. We'd like to thank Progress Alberta and Desmond Cole for putting on these events and educating us all. On Thursday, May 18, our organization partnered up with Bow Valley College to host "Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion" activity with their students. This event was also part of our latest project about inclusive language. We are currently working with several partner organizations across Canada to build a glossary of words that identify words that are not inclusive, the reason behind that, and what words to use instead. We're hoping to bring this project to life by next year through creative mediums.
We'll keep you updated on the progress, and feel free to get in touch with us to contribute. By: Mansharn Toor, Policy Analyst for Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation Amidst the recent controversy revolving Canada’s National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s “grammatical” mistake, we’ve witnessed a humiliating lack of religious understanding from the media. Unfortunately this is nothing new. Minister Sajjan was under a lot of heat this week for his comments made on a recent trip to India where he described himself as the “architect” of the Canada-led military operation against the Taliban in 2006. The attack was a critical moment for Canadian forces in Afghanistan in an effort to destabilize Taliban coalition forces. The opposition are calling Minister Sajjan a liar and question his honesty. Sajjan apologized for his mistake and corrected the statement saying that “While I am proud of the role I played during my deployments to Afghanistan, my comments were in no way intended to diminish the roles of my former superiors and fellow soldiers. To them I offer my sincere apologies.” Where he should have stated that he was an architect rather than the architect, Sajjan’s role in the military operation was significant nonetheless. The Calgary Sun ran a political cartoon on May 2nd 2017 in an effort to criticize Minister Sajjan. The commentary was intended to be “a pun on the Minister stewing in his own lies” as stated in an apology by Jose Rodriguez, the Calgary Sun’s Editor. The Sikh community were less than pleased with this depiction. For those of you who don’t study theology and are not familiar with Sikhism, the depiction of Minister Sajjan was considered an insult by Sikhs because it was similar to the death of one of Sikh’s ten Guru’s, Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was killed by martyrdom of the elite Hindu and Muslim. At the time of his death, Sikhism and its philosophy was spreading throughout India, which was seen as a threat to some religious leaders. The result of the ongoing tension between differing faiths was the torture and death of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Guru Arjan Dev Ji`s last moments on earth was sitting in a burning hot pot where hot sand was poured over his body until his last breath. The image here is one depiction of the death of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, look familiar? Sikh’s thought so. Many in the community reached out to the Calgary Sun, who for their credit have replaced the image of Minister Sajjan. While the wrong has been remedied, this event has sparked some outcry among Sikhs who are troubled with the insults made about a man who proudly represents Sikhs in Canada. The question then becomes, was this “an act of deliberate ignorance of Sikh history”? Giving the Calgary Sun the benefit of the doubt, as many may not know the history of Sikhism, however, a simple blurb apologizing to Sikh community does not show the willingness to bridge understanding with a community that continues to shape the countries landscape. Our media plays a vital role in our society. It is time the media take responsibility and educate their staff on cultural and religious understanding. If you are going to communicate to us, get to know us first... because we all contribute to Canada’s mosaic. Are you a Canadian teacher and have about three hours in the next three months to volunteer your time? We are working on a multicultural curriculum that k-12 schools will use in their classrooms (for free). We are looking for volunteer teachers who would like to take part in this project to give us any useful perspective and insights on what they think is needed. It wouldn't be much time commitment and we're fairly flexible. Please contact us today if you're interested. |
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