November 5, 2009 7:00 pm Meeting Minutes

Anti-discrimination Community Forum

Attendance: Jennifer Wolney, BR Whalen, Krista Stovel, Mary Kline

Satish Shonek, Patti Shonek, Catherine Bellerose, Seong Gieun, Yunnie Lee, Nadine Ducharme; David Rooney

Food provided by: “Paramjit’s Kitchen”

Welcome and Introductions –

Alan Chell

The goal of this initiative is to look at the Revelstoke and assess what we can do to make it a better community. How can Revelstoke become more welcoming and inclusive?

At the first Anti-discrimination forum we asked:

How would you describe Revelstoke? We explored this in relation to multiculturalism, racism and discrimination.

What are some of things that we can do to make Revelstoke a better community? We explored this in relation to multiculturalism, racism and discrimination.

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Introduction– Mary Kline

Invited everyone to the Antidiscrimination Response Training (A.R.T.) workshops on the 18th and 19th.

Previous minutes – Alan reviewed the minutes.

Additions or Clarifications from first meeting, was anything left out.

Multiculturalism-

In Windsor, Ontario, the community hosts a Carousal of Nationseach summer – different communities exhibit food, art and dance.

Food is a draw

Celebration of diversity

Capacity in community to support everyone

  • Language services
  • Temporary workers

Additional Resources to be added to our October 1 list –

  • Victim services - translators for people who have been in accidents
  • ESL language lab (OC)
  • Classes – very limited (OC)
  • Volunteer ESL tutoring (OC) limits
  • Some Translated materials (OC)
  • Haiku

Needed – Ideas for Revelstoke

  • Haiku type event
  • A venue to display aboriginal art – First Nations
  • Black history month
  • Translator services
  • More representational dolls in childcare centre
  • Carousel of Nations
  • Canada Day should be more multicultural
  • Family community dance
  • Celebration of becoming a Canadian citizen
  • Welcoming committee
  • Welcome to Revelstoke guide
  • Citizenship ceremonies.
  • Hosting service - match newcomers with a local person
  • Mentoring services for jobs
  • signage in other languages
  • Youth can be at risk
  • Analyze the census data
  • More translated materials
  • Agency to help people who need assistance with settlement
  • School District settlement workers
  • Knowing someone’s story

Multiculturalism – begin to form an action plan

Racism

  • Stereotyping

What’s needed?

What needs to be done?

  • Awareness raised
  • More multicultural education in schools, It is difficult to fit in with the curriculum. Make a recommendation to include more in the curriculum as a district.
  • Provide more tools to address bullying.
  • More resources available for school district

Discrimination

What does it mean –

  • When you treat someone differently that someone you love/like.
  • ignorance
  • unintentional
  • Human Rights code has a good definition

How would you describe the situation in Revelstoke?

  • Accessibility for people with disabilities
  • Lifestyle/interracial relationships
  • Sporting culture
  • “playing like a girl”
  • Sporting Events
  • Who gets field (boys instead of girls)
  • Minor Hockey

What needs to be done?

  • accessibility
  • coached/organization education
  • language
  • More information accessible to different cultures
  • Consistency of language services important
  • Host/mentor family
  • Celebration (food) introduce everyone
  • More community involvement – extend the comfort zone.
  • Newsletter or “Current” could play a role

We need to recognise that there is a need to see what we can do in Revelstoke

Ask ourselves, “What can we do to become a more “Welcoming and Inclusive Community”.

Break-

How could Revelstoke have a Carousel of Nations?

Community Event to celebrate different cultures

  • food
  • crafts
  • music
  • dance
  • Olympics could tie in cultures Jan 26 – Torch in Revelstoke
  • world coming to Canada theme
  • Community – could hold in the Community CentreThe city contribute space for the event.
  • Families and food
  • 3:00 pm -7:00 pm
  • Saturday
  • Perhaps library involvement
  • Tie in with Family literacy day (CBAL story time -stories from different cultures)
  • Visual – Display for week before at the centre - Banner – Everyone trace hand – “Multiculturalism is…”

Food

$5.00 for 5 samplers

  • East Indian
  • Chinese
  • Japanese
  • Italian
  • French Canadian
  • Ukrainian
  • Aboriginal
  • German
  • Swiss
  • Australian
  • Scottish
  • Greek
  • New Zealand
  • Filipino
  • Korea
  • Indonesian
  • Exclude no groups

Entertainment

  • Scottish dancers
  • East Indian
  • First Nations
  • Pipeband
  • Italian
  • French Canadian
  • Art work
  • displays
  • performances
  • Zumba
  • Wine making
  • Henna painting
  • demos
  • Interactive
  • Children’s activities
  • Magic lantern show – David and Leslie Evans
  • Reading
  • Songs
  • World Map with push pins with pictures

Volunteer sub-committee

  • Alan Chell – book community centre
  • Satish
  • Patti
  • Nadine with Tracy
  • Krista
  • Mary/BR
  • ESL students
  • Jennifer
  • Catherine
  • School involvement

Will create different pages

Alan will call a meeting to ask for more involvement

Mary Kline: In January our goal is to have a draft of an action plan to address discrimination and racism. The committee will review the plan with the goal of a formal Action Plan for Revelstoke in February..

Next steps – formation of sub committees or focus groups.

Meeting adjourned at : 8:30 pm

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