New Assistant Director – Judy Sillito
I am pleased to announce that Judy Sillito has been appointed to the new position of Assistant Director at EMCN. Many of you know Judy already from the years she has been doing excellent work as Manager of Language Services and I am confident she will bring a competency and an energy to the senior leadership of EMCN at an important time when there is the transition as I leave. Judy will work closely with the new executive director and Ralph, our associate director, in providing broad guidance on the directions of EMCN, as well as having direct responsibiilty for some areas of service and activity.
Welcome to your new role Judy, and congratulations.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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EMCN March Staff Meeting
Staff meeting this Friday, room 2 -4. Agenda items include presenters from Immigrant Women Awards, and Ukrainian Cultural Village. Karen will be showing her slides of agriculture in Africa. Please let me know if you have any additional agenda items.
Submitted by Helen RUsich
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RISE 2009 Celebration
Planning for the 2009 RISE Celebration is still underway. Some great entertainment, including music, dance, acrobatics, and hip hop will help make this an event to remember!
Nominations are open until April 18. Thank you to everyone who has been working to get nominations in. If you know someone who deserves to be recognized, please ensure they are nominated! Nomination packages and award categories are available on the EMCN website.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send an e-mail to Katrina at kpaufler@emcn.ab.ca
We will keep you all updated on the RISE Celebration through the weekly newsletter. E-mail Bill Hallam at bhallam@emcn.ab.ca if you have any other questions. Thank you!
African Dancers Required for RISE Celebration
African Dancers Required for RISE Celebration on May 7th. We need an experienced group. Contact Bill @ (780)719-0827 or at bhallam@emcn.ab.ca
Submitted by Bill Hallam
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Engineers Build Bridges
Submitted by Susan Hofforth
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Restorative Justice
The Edmonton Quaker Community is offering the following events on March 27 and 28 that focus on Restorative Justice.
These events will be facilitated by Meredith Egan, staff person at the national Quaker offices in Toronto. See Meredith's bio at the end of this announcement. Both events are free of charge.
Friday, March 27: 7 pm,
EXPLORING JUSTICE IN CANADA
At: Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church, 11210 59
Ave.: Exploring Justice in Canada
This is a public meeting--no pre-registration needed.
We will explore the goals of the legal system are in Canada and discuss what a more satisfying model of justice might look like. We will work with the group to define a concrete vision of a values-based model and will look at what role we can take in creating this new reality.
Saturday Workshop March 28: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: WHAT IS IT?
L'Arche (7708 83 Street).
••Space for this workshop is limited: To Register: contact Barbara Heather, bmheather@shaw.ca
You may have heard the phrase--maybe you even have some strong feelings about the value or fairness of this approach. This workshop looks at the values and principles of restorative justice and how they can be applied in schools, communities and institutions. It asks people to reflect on the intersection of discipline, punishment and penal abolition with restorative approaches and to explore appropriate responses to harm in our families, classrooms and communities.
Meredith Egan--facilitator:
Meredith Egan serves as Programme Coordinator for Quakers Fostering Justice, of the Canadian Friends' Service Committee, and she volunteers for Mission Restorative Resolutions, training, coaching and facilitating restorative processes in Mission, B.C. Meredith facilitates in prisons, schools and community settings, is an experienced victim-offender mediator and circle-keeper and trains others in these restorative practices. She has taught in a variety of settings, from elementary schools through University. She is honoured to have learned from Aboriginal friends and Elders.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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A Luncheon with the Honourable Peter Lougheed, speaking on the Contributions of New Immigrants
Submitted by Sergio Manrique
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Announcement: Ignite Change Now! Global Youth Assembly
July 30-August 2, 2009
The Global Youth Assembly brings together youth (16-28) from across Canada and the world to be part of the change. Express yourself through your creativity and diversity. Connect with like-minded youth, artists and global citizens from around the world. Make new friends and partnerships. Become part of the movement and ignite change now!
The GYA is a dynamic four-day forum featuring:
1.. Workshops: built around the theme of YOUth building community, youth will participate in workshops on topics concern social justice, global activism, local initiatives, leadership development and more!
2.. Keynotes: dynamic, world-renown keynotes to share their experiences on the local, national and global levels to inspire and discuss the realities of being a global citizen. Keynotes include: Lloyd Axworthy, Craig Kielberger, Ocean Robbins and more!
3.. Network: opportunities to network and connect with other youth to discuss the issues, share your ideas and meet new friends. Twitter GYA, follow our blog, network on Facebook—it’s up to you!
4.. Film Night, Hip-Hop Summit, Ethical Fashion Show and more!: hang out, talk, play, dance, sing—who says global justice can’t be fun? Your best chance to show yourself creatively or just kick back and relax!
5.. Action Planning: you’ve heard it all, now reach out and ignite change now! Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got that covered too; we’ll show you how to create a sustainable action plan to help you carry forward your project in your communities.
Are you ready? For more information or to register, please visit www.youthassembly.ca. We’ll see you there!
Calling YOUth Educators!
On the final day of the Global Youth Assembly the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights will host a Youth Educator Forum. If you or your organization have tools, ideas or resources that teachers or youth educators could use to aid and/or engage youth in moving from awareness to action then please check out our Call for Proposals at www.youthassembly.ca.
If you know any other organizations that may be interested in delivering a workshop at the Ignite Change Now! Youth Educator Forum, please forward this email. Thank you!
Renee Vaugeois
Executive Director, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
T. 780.453.2638
E. renee@jhcentre.org
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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[refugee-rights] Countries in turmoil fuel rise in asylum applications
24 March 2009 - The number of people seeking asylum in industrialized countries rose in 2008 for the second year in a row, partly due to an increase in applications by people from Afghanistan, Somalia and other countries experiencing turmoil or conflict, says a new United Nations report. http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/STATISTICS/49c796572.pdf
Released today by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the report contains provisional asylum statistics for 51 industrialized countries last year.
According to the agency, an asylum seeker is an individual who has sought international protection and whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined.
Last year, some 383,000 new asylum applications were submitted in the 51 countries, a 12 per cent increase over 2007, during which there were some 341,000 applications.
The report shows that while the number of Iraqi asylum seekers declined by 10 per cent in 2008, Iraqis continued to be the largest nationality seeking asylum in the industrialized world, with 40,500 applications submitted last year. This is followed by Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan and China.
The countries of origin showing a significant rise in applications included Afghanistan (up 85 per cent), Zimbabwe (up 82 per cent), Somalia (up 77 per cent), Nigeria (up 71 per cent) and Sri Lanka (up 24 per cent), all of which experienced unrest or conflict in 2008.
The United States was still the main country of destination for asylum-seekers of all nationalities in 2008, followed by Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, the report adds.
UN News Centre
Submitted by Ariela Cerna
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In Bed with the Word: Reading, Spirituality and Cultural Politics
Friends:
Join us on April 9 for a public launch of author Daniel Coleman's "In Bed with the Word: Reading, Spirituality and Cultural Politics." The launch is cosponsored by the University of Alberta Press, the Humanities Department, Augustana Faculty and the Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion and Public Life.
In his work, Coleman addresses questions such as: When people want to pray, to worship, to marry or bury, why do they reach for a book? What is it about reading that feels like a spiritual posture? What kinds of reading go beyond being private entertainment to produce personal and social change? A work of informal literary essays on the relations between spirituality, reading, and living in the public, social world, In Bed with the Word is a timely project that calls attention to the increased importance of read-ing as society moves from print-based culture to “screen culture.”
Coleman will be on the Augustana campus to talk about his work and sign copies of his book on Thursday, April 9 from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. in Room F103 of the Faith & Life Centre, Augustana Campus, 4901 - 46 Avenue, Camrose. Further information is available on the attached poster.
This is also a reminder of the upcoming visit of Distinguished Visiting Fellow Mumtaz Ahmad, who will be participating in a number of events from April 3 - 6. Please see the posters for more information.
MUMTAZ LECTURE SERIES
ISLAM FOR CHRISTIANS
IN BED WITH THE WORD BOOK RELEASE
Religious Formation, Identity and Politics
Friday, April 3, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., F104, Augustana Campus, 4901 - 46
Avenue, Camrose
Descent into Chaos: Pakistan & India in the Wake of the Mumbai Attacks
Monday, April 6, 2009, 12 noon, Lecture Theater N-102, The King’s University College, 9125 - 50 Street, Edmonton
Descent into Chaos: Pakistan & India in the Wake of the Mumbai Attacks
Monday, April 6, 2009, 7 p.m., Telus Bldg, Room 150, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Islam for Christians: What You Always Wanted to Know
Dr Ahmad joins a number of other guest presenters in this Ronning Centre Consultation, hosted by
Professor Ibrahim Abu-Rabi, ECMC Chair in Islamic Studies, University of Alberta and David J. Goa, Director of the Ronning Centre
Saturday, April 4, 2009, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church, 10014 - 81st Avenue, Edmonton
There is no registration required, and there is no fee to attend any of these events.
For more information on these events and other work of the Ronning Centre, please visit our website at www.augustana.ualberta.ca/ronning
Debbie Smeaton for
David Goa and Dittmar Mundel
Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion and Public Life
780-504-5942; 780-672-1587
david.goa@ualberta.ca
pdmundel@telusplanet.net
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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35 DIFFERENT BURSARIES FOR BLACK STUDENTS : BBPA NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
(Email from Nancy for SCDY members)
35 DIFFERENT BURSARIES FOR BLACK STUDENTS : BBPA NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The BBPA National Scholarship Fund was established in 1986 by the Black
Business and Professional Association (BBPA) and is dedicated to supporting
and promoting the achievement of academic excellence by Black Canadian youth
pursuing post-secondary education.
The BBPA National Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to Black students
attending a college or university in Canada.
Recipients of BBPA National Scholarships must :
1. aged 17 to 30
2. be Canadian citizens or permanent residents
3. demonstrate high academic achievement
4. financial need
5. community involvement.
web: http://www.bbpa.org/newsite
We disseminate community information;we educate to enhance world views.
We give knowledge to the wise so wiser they shall be.
With the hope that the fruits of wisdom will continue to germinate! Laurence
Courtesy: COUNCIL OF CANADIANS OF AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN HERITAGE (CCACH)
Visit us at: www.ccach.org
Wish to join the list or wish to be removed? Be kind & let us know. Email:
ccach01@telus.net.
Edmonton is the proud host of the 2009 ICLEI World Congress - a conference
on advancing local environment initiatives.
Visit: www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009
Submitted by Helen Rusich
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Immigrant Father’s Project: Parenting Between Two Cultures
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Brown Bag Poster – Nakache
Submitted by Mana Ali
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2009 PIA Conference Brochure
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
EMCN Weekly Newsletter - March 25, 2009
