EMCN Grand Opening Celebration
Thanks for all the extra effort so many of you did with all aspects of getting the celebration ready and carrying it off. Many of you gave huge amounts of extra time to make it happen so smoothly and friendly. Special appreciation to Robyn for the overall coordination of the multitude of pieces that made up the whole.
With moves and financial challenges and heavy workloads I know it is possible to wonder if it is all worth it-- but every day I hear from people-- leaders in the community and humble ordinary folks who came here and were assisted by one of you-- that make clear your work is known and appreciated. Thanks and thanks again.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Congratulations and congratulations
In addition to the daily heroic work each of you as our staff team are doing all the time, it is exciting to see staff and other special friends contributing to a more intercultural community in extra ways too.
On September 19 a wonderful new book, The Story that Brought Me Here: To Alberta from Everywhere" was launched. It is edited by a former EMCN volunteer, Linda Goyette. And the stories include chapters by our very own Theresa Saffa, as well as Jalal Barzanji from our school services team and his spouse, Sabah Tahir who does some work with us, former board member Augustine Marah, former staff Chantal Hitayezu, and one of this year's RISE Award recipients, Athiann Garang. All profits from sales, if you buy the book at Audrey's Bookstore, go to support Edmonton's Writer in Exile program.
And on September 20 there was a first showing of a new documentary produced by CBC, working with EISA and the Supporting Culturally Diverse Youth initiative, that "stars" former staff person/current board member Pauline Mukashema as the host of the program that shares the voices of a number of refugee youth about their experiences settling in Edmonton. We have copies of this documentary and if you would like to see it please contact Rispah.
We can be proud of each of these and many others who are working through projects like this to share the immigrant/refugee experience with a wider audience, to educate for change.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Note from Roya Jamshidi
Many of you will know Roya Jamshidi, a tenant at Trinity Manor, a volunteer at many EMCN functions, and a friend of many of us. She sends along this note:
Dear Jim,
Thank you for your kind e-mail. My moving to Saskatoon was sudden due to waiting responses from different universities. I have been admitted to the Engineering faculty at the Saskatoon University.
I like to thank you for all the support and assistance you and others at EMCN over couple of years have given to me. I also had great time and enjoyed everyone's company and friendship and hopefully these friendships will last for ever. I have received lots of love and caring from everyone at EMCN.
Please convey my best wishes to everyone at EMCN. I will promise to keep in touch and visit whenever come to Edmonton.
Regards,
Roya
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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For immediate release: The City of Edmonton PEN Writer-in-Exile for 2008/2009 is Rita Espeschit.
Rita immigrated to Canada from Brazil in 2001, where she had published fourteen books for children, three poetry collections, and journalism in the country's top newspapers and magazines. She won the most important literary award in Brazil, the Jabuti National Prize. Her decision to move to Canada was both agonizing and wonderful. She came of age in a time of military dictatorship. At that time, secret police broke into her house, activist friends were tortured, a journalist colleague was murdered. More recently, the growing spectre of organized crime has made it increasingly difficult for her to live and work in Brazil.
Rita moved to Edmonton, with her family, for a safe environment and so she would not be constrained. Yet like so many other writers and artists, she did not speak English as her first language. She had left behind her publishers and clients, her professional contacts, and her reputation to start anew in Edmonton.
The goal of the City of Edmonton PEN writer-in-exile program is to help writers who have fled persecution in their home country to establish a career in Canada. Rita will spend half her time writing, at the Stanley A.Milner Branch of the Edmonton Public Library and at the University of Alberta's Canadian Literature Centre, and half of her time on community outreach - meeting with writers and speaking to varied audiences about literature, literacy and the importance of free expression.
Rita follows Jalal Barzanji, Edmonton's first writer-in-exile, a Kurdish Iraqi who arrived in Edmonton as a refugee in 1998. Jalal worked on a prison memoir during his year as writer-in-exile, met with innumerable writers, and addressed everyone from schoolchildren to the Downtown Business Association. In the winter of 2009, Jalal will take up a residency at Berton House in Dawson City. Both Jalal and Rita are published in the upcoming collection The Story That Brought Me Here, edited by Edmonton writer Linda Goyette.
Rita Espeschit will be formally welcomed as the 2008/2009 City of Edmonton PEN Writer-in-Exile on the evening of October 7, (the ARTery , 9535 Jasper Avenue, 7:00 pm), with acclaimed Canadian writer John Ralston Saul - the catalyst for Edmonton's Writer-in-Exile program. The event is hosted by LitFest - the Edmonton International Literary Festival (October 16-19) as a pre-festival "tease."
For tickets and more information, call 780-498-2500 or visit www.litestalberta.org. For interviews with Rita, or to ask about a speaking engagement, she can be reached at 780-469-8936 at home, at780-271-8936 on her mobile phone, and at the Edmonton Public Library at 780-442-6310. Her e-mail is espeschit@telus.net.
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Backgrounder
The City of Edmonton PEN Writer-in-Exile program is a partnership between the University of Alberta Faculty of Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, Royal Bank of Canada, the Edmonton Community Foundation, and Athabasca University. It is administered by the Writers Guild of Alberta. It receives support from the Edmonton Public Library, the Edmonton International Literary Festival, the Edmonton Arts Council, and the Canadian Literature Centre.
PEN Canada is committed to defending freedom of opinion and the peaceable expression of such opinion, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It campaigns on behalf of writers around the world persecuted for the peaceful expression of their thoughts. In Canada, it supports the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in Section 2(b) of the Charters of Rights and Freedoms. PEN Canada is a centre of International PEN, the worldwide writers' association founded in England in 1921.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Free Film Screening - Helen's War: A Portrait of a Dissident
Hello,
Parkland Institute is proud to be one of the co-sponsors of Dr. Helen Caldicott's upcoming visit to Edmonton. Dr. Caldicott is one of the world's most renowned speakers, writers and advocates on the questions of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. She will be speaking in Edmonton on Wednesday October 8 at the Horowitz Theater at the U of A. In preparation for her visit to Edmonton, there will also be a screening of the film "Helen's War: A Portrait of a Dissident" on September 24 at the Stanley Milner Library. Details for both events follow below:
Free Film Screening - Helen's War: A Portrait of a Dissident 6:30 pm Wednesday September 24, 2008 Stanley Milner Library Theatre Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton Admission is FREE
Dr. Helen Caldicott in Edmonton
7:30 pm
Wednesday October 8, 2008
Horowitz Theatre, Students' Union Building University of Alberta, Edmonton Admission is FREE, donations accepted for organizations working on nuclear issues in Alberta
These events organized by Sierra Club-Prairie Chapter & Council of Canadians-Prairie Region, with co-sponsorship by the Environmental Research & Studies Centre (University of Alberta), Mountain Equipment Co-op, Project Ploughshares, the Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG), Pathways, & the Edmonton Small Press Association.
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PARKLAND INSTITUTE - website http://www.ualberta.ca/parkland Edmonton Office: 11045 Saskatchewan Drive, T6G 2E1
Phone: (780) 492-8558 Fax:(780) 492-8738
email: parkland@ualberta.ca
Calgary Office: 2919 - 8 Avenue NW, T2N 1C8
Phone: (403) 270-9669 Fax (403) 283-6480
email: parkcalg@ualberta.ca
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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SUNSIH/REUSSI Western Regional Conference
http://www.sunsih.ca/sunsihreussiwesternregionalconference
submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Performance of GWG: Piece by Piece multimedia show Songs by Maria Dunn, presented by Ground Zero Productions
Saturday, September 27, 2008, 5:00 - 6:30 pm Venue 8: Avenue Theatre 9030 118th Ave Admission $8.00 | All day pass $40.00 Ticket sales at Avenue Theatre G
"GWG: Piece by Piece" is a 60-minute video ballad depicting the experiences of immigrant women who worked in Edmonton's GWG clothing factory over its 93-year history. With songs written by Juno-nominated songwriter, Maria Dunn, audio visual materials filmed and edited by Don Bouzek of Ground Zero Productions, and research, interviews, and archival materials provided by historian, Catherine C. Cole, the performance will feature video footage of women who worked at GWG interwoven with songs inspired by their stories.
Maria Dunn will be accompanied by Sharmila Mathur (sitar) and Shannon Johnson (violin).
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
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Global Citizenship Education Conference - Oct 23 - 25
University of Alberta
Global Citizenship Education Conference
October 23 - October 25
“Global Citizenship Education and Post-Secondary Institutions: Policies, Practices and Possibilities”
Plan to attend this conference if you would like to learn more about what global citizenship is and how to encourage post-secondary students to engage as global citizens. Presentations will focus on theory and policy as well as practices inside and outside the classroom.
Thursday, October 23, 7:00 pm
Opening Keynote Address
Dr. Nita Freire - Brazilian educator and critical pedagogue who collaborated with Paulo Freire on three of his books: "Pedagogy of Hope", "Teachers as Cultural Workers" and "Letters to Cristina"
Dr. Donaldo Macedo - Professor of English and a Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston
Register now:
http://www.international.ualberta.ca/globaled/gceconference.cfm
There are reduced rates for students and options for attending the keynote and single days only if you cannot attend the entire conference.
Conference themes include:
Nancy Hannemann
Director, Global Education
University of Alberta International
International Centre, 172 HUB International
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1
ph. (780) 492-5962, fax. (780) 492-1134
nancy.hannemann@ualberta.ca
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
Understanding Community Gangs: An Introduction
Alberta Practical Social Awareness Research Association (APSARA) presents a Workshop: Understanding Community Gangs: An Introduction
A workshop on community gangs, why they are here and why young people get involved, for students, parents, human service workers, teachers, social workers. Improve your practice through the insight of 15 years of community experience by facilitator Somkhuun Thongdee
Tuesday September 30th 2008 6:30pm – 8:30pm
John A. McDougall School Gymnasium
10930-107 Street Edmonton, Alberta
Cost $50.00
Receipts available, Cash payment can be made at the door, If paying by cheque please make payable to: Somkhuun Thongdee
Proceeds go to help children and youth programs For more information or to register please call (780) 499-4133
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
2008 Annual Membership Meeting of Community Initiatives against Violence
Community Initiatives against Family Violence – 2008 Annual Membership Meeting Registration
The Child Abuse Response Certificate Program
City of Edmonton Free Admission Day
City of Edmonton Family Fun Sampler Pass
Kaleido Family Arts Festival
Abbottsfield Youth Project’s Second Chance Masquerade Gala
Ankur Multicultural Association for Performing Arts Presents Spectacular Multicultural Night
Promoting Cultures of Peace in a Troubled World: An Interfaith and Interdisciplinary Perspective
Winteractivate Your Community 2008
