Righting Relations: YEG Conversation begins...
January 4, 2016
Righting Relations: Strengthening Adult Education for Social Change
A women-led initiative in partnership with the Catherine Donnelly Foundation
You are invited to participate in a conversation to discuss the needs of low income communities around adult education geared for social change in Edmonton.
Intent on contributing to End Poverty Edmonton, this meeting is for adult educators, community organizers and low income citizens in Edmonton to provide input into the creation of a hub for critical learning, networking and radical social change.
How do we provide adult education that enhances the economic and political literacy of Edmonton’s low income population? How can we Edmontonians work together to meet these needs as well as build our own capacity for adult education and community organizing?
The Catherine Donnelly Foundation has committed to a five year contribution of $2.5 million to help build a national network of adult educators and community organizers committed to social change.
Edmonton will be one of the lead cities moving this forward, aligning with our commitment to being a Human Rights City.
Wednesday, January 27th
3 - 5 pm
Multipurpose Room #6 (Green and Gold), Commonwealth Stadium
(11000 Stadium Rd, Edmonton, AB T5H 4E2)
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/righting-relations-community-conversation-o...
#ReligiousPeaceWeekly Series (week 4)
December 18, 2015
Another one of our #ReligiousPeaceWeekly series!
“Being a Muslim is a weird paradox for me. It is a combination of culture and religion that are so intertwined that is impossible to tell them apart. But there is a big difference. Religion is about faith, whereas culture is about society. It took me years to understand that. Growing up in a practicing Muslim household, faith was and is a large part of my life. In my faith, I found peace, love and empathy. But, this is not the mainstream view of Islam. When most individuals think of Muslims, they think of suicide bombers, terrorists and religious zealots. This is not my Islam. The attacks that occur are not in my name as a Muslim. However, the recent wave of Islamophobia that is spreading throughout North America has made so many treat me as though I am a terrorist. When I wear the hijab, I can see the stares from across the room. The jokes about terrorism can be heard beneath the cloth that covers my head. Joking about it became a defense mechanism for all the comments and stereotypical assumptions. So, to the woman who stared at me until I felt obliged to walk away, to the young man who joked about my having a bomb underneath my jacket, and to the mother who shushed her children as they asked why my hair was covered; I hope that you learn that we are the same. I go to university in the hopes of earning a degree. I come home and hug my parents. I denounce the very same terrorists that you do. I hope you learn that the exclusion of individuals from society creates radicalization. That your actions are creating another generation of youth who feel excluded from society, who seek refuge and understanding with organizations such as Al- Qaeda because they could not find it in their community. I hope that you find the very same peace, love and empathy that I found in my faith in your lives.” Batul Gulamhusein
Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA)
December 15, 2015
One of John Humphrey Centre’s major projects this year was an impact assessment of children’s rights in the province of Alberta. In partnership with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) we spent the summer hearing from vulnerable children and young people about the state of children's rights in Alberta. We surveyed 127 diverse young people through our Rights In Play program, held 10 focus groups, and had an interview to capture how is society supporting children and youth rights. Siman Panaych, one of the educators talked about her experience holding focus groups:
“Many of the youth are not used to having someone ask them their opinion; rather, they are used to being talked down to. For this reason, it was unnerving for some youth to be given the liberty to speak their mind and be told their opinion was valued”. Siman recounts, creating a safe space for youth to talk was also challenging. Children and youth are not only not used to speak, they are also afraid.
We look for help and support of agencies that provide services to vulnerable children to reach to First Nations youth, young offenders, youth living with disabilities, children in care, immigrant children and youth, and children and youth living in poverty.
Primarily, the study unveils that First Nations youth and young offenders are the two groups whose fundamental rights are less protected. They are vulnerable and discriminated against. Also, it is important to point that the main common concern among all consulted youth is the lack of spaces free from drugs.
Different groups pointed at issues like the lack of safe, clean, and youth shelters, and the inaccessibility of social services in certain areas of the city. Access to social services is easier for children in the system (youth in care and young offenders) than for the ones at risk that have not been detained or in care. Participants identified the need for more information about social services in schools and other places they frequent.Youth in poverty do not know what services exist nor how to access them. The concentration of social services in few places of the city restricts accessibility.
Race, gender, appearance, and access to economic resources are identified as the elements by which young people are discriminated. Participants argued that the justice system does not accept that people can change. After a young person has a record, it is impossible not to be labelled guilty or an “offender” forever.This research clearly demonstrates that in spite of common concerns, not all vulnerable youth have the same perceptions of their rights.
We would like to thank our partners at the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate for their support and willingness to address the systemic and pressing issues that affect young people all over the province. Consider supporting the work we do by becoming a member of the JHC!
Read the OCYA report here
Youth Voices: Children's Rights Assessment Report by John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
