Festival of Faiths
September 3, 2015
"We are excited to announce that the John Humphrey Centre's Youth Peacebuilders team is organizing the first Edmonton Festival of Faiths, which will be an interfaith event providing Edmontonians with an opportunity to learn about the different faiths, traditions and belief systems present in our city, from the people who actually practice them. There will also be interfaith panel discussions, performances, and presentations. With the aim of fostering a greater awareness and appreciation of Edmonton’s faith diversity, Festival of Faiths will be a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for Edmontonians of all backgrounds to reflect on faith diversity, community and compassion.
Here are the details:
Date: Saturday, September 19th, 2015
Time: 10:30 am - 4 pm
Location: Edmonton City Hall, City Room (main atrium)
The faiths currently confirmed that will be represented at the event (and this list is still growing) include:
- Anglicanism
- Atheism/Agnosticism
- Ba'hai
- Buddhism
- Eckankar
- Falun Dafa (Falun Gong)
- Islam
- Judaism
- Sikhism
- Swedenborgian
- Unitarian Universalism
- Wicca
- Zoroastrianism
After the recent local vandalism attacks at the Cold Lake Mosque, and the Siri Guru Singh Sabha Sikh Gurdwara and Beth Israel Synagogue in Edmonton, one of our panels for the day will be focused on combating hate from an interfaith perspective. Our other panel will focus on human rights and the persecution of minority faiths and traditions around the world.
We will also feature several interfaith performances, and the Mosquers, Edmonton's Muslim Film Festival (themosquers.com) will be screening some of their films from their recent festival. The festival will kick-off Edmonton’s inaugural YEG Peace Fest, a week of events running from September 21st to October 2nd which will promote peace and human rights throughout the city.
Please help us promote the event by tweeting with the hashtag #yegfaithfest and sharing the Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/events/1451208051849183/
The Festival of Faiths is being planned by the John Humphrey Centre's Youth Peacebuilders project, an interfaith program where youth and young adults aged 18-30 visited various different faith centres around Edmonton to learn about different traditions. This project has been made possible by the Edmonton Community Foundation and is supported by the Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action."
Call For Submissions: Human Rights Awards
August 26, 2015
We are thrilled to announce that we are now accepting nominations for our annual Human Rights Awards. We invite you to nominate individuals of all ages, businesses or organizations that are making a positive contribution to the lives and well-being of people in Edmonton. We are also proud to honour two recipients with the Gerald L. Gall Award and Randy Palivoda Award in recognition of outstanding efforts beyond the borders our City of Champions.
Recipients are those that are actively promoting, fulfilling, protecting or educating on human rights in our city and making our communities a place where all belong, are included and able to participate.
This year we will be selecting five awards:
three for local human rights champions making Edmonton a better place - a place where all are included, participate and belong;
the Gerald L. Gall Award for an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to and has demonstrated excellence in the protection and promotion of human rights in Edmonton and Canada; and,
finally, the Randy Palivoda Public Service Award for an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to and has demonstrated excellence in the protection and promotion of human rights in his/her role as a public servant.
Nominations close on November 1, 2015 and all award recipients will be contacted prior to the awards ceremony that will be held on December 13, 2015 at the ATB Financial Arts Barn.
Now Accepting Applications for This Is Our Canada: Exploring The West Retreat
June 25, 2015
WANTED: Human Rights Renegades
40 young renegade Western Canadians, between 16 and 28, who care about our country and want to work towards building peace in their communities through truth and reconciliation. These youth will work as a team to build a renewed sense of what it means to be Canadian in Western Canada.
Start Date: Friday, November 6th, 2015
End Date: Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
Where: St. Paul, Alberta
Why should I attend?
At the retreat, you will join a movement of young people from across Canada committed to defending and protecting human rights in your home communities. Through an educational tour of St. Paul, you will deepen your understanding of the diverse experiences that make up Western Canada and how these experiences have shaped our realities as Canadians today. You will also engage in debate, dialogue, brainstorming and hands on sessions to equip you with the tools to affect change in your community and strengthen a culture of human rights.
What are the costs of attending?
Registration at the retreat is free and includes accommodations and food. We will also be arranging transportation for participants from Edmonton, Alberta to St. Paul on Friday, November 6th.
We have a small number of bursaries available for travel to Edmonton. Please email info@jhcentre.org for more information.
What are my commitments beyond the retreat?
Each retreat participant will become part of a regional squad that returns to their community with a commitment towards action. At the retreat, participants will break into three thematic work areas: human rights education, community peacebuilding, and human rights documentation. Volunteer commitment up until March 31, 2016 is between 40-50 hours.
How to I Apply?
Register here! Applications are due on September 30th, 2015. Successful participants will be notified on October 8, 2015 of their acceptance.
This project has been made possible [in part] by the Government of Canada and planned by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association, Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre Society, St. Paul Champions for Change, Boys and Girls Club of St. Paul and District, Saddle Lake Boys and Girls Club, Kehewin Music Project.
