Youth Action Project on Poverty launches the Dignity Campaign!
June 24, 2015
In alignment with the City of Edmonton’s work to eliminate poverty, The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights gathered a group of diverse young Edmontonians together to explore poverty, participate in community engagement and formulate recommendations to present to the City’s Task Force: they are the Youth Action Project on Poverty (YAP).
These young people not only succeeded in educating themselves and their peers, they built relationships with marginalized youth and adults and they inspired the Mayor and his colleagues to rethink how those experiencing poverty are marginalized and criminalized simply for being poor.
Join members of YAP and renowned local artists as we create the first in a series of four art installations that tackle different themes around restoring the dignity of marginalized individuals and groups in Edmonton.
This month’s art project focuses on the theme of exclusion to compliment the vision of The Works festival to create a more inclusive and diverse downtown core!
Date: June 29th, 2015
Time: 4:30p.m.-9:00p.m.
Location: The Works Festival, Churchill Square
JHC’s Youth Action Project on Poverty is committed to cultivating a culture of dignity and respect for all in our city, with special focus on the most vulnerable and excluded members of our community.
This summer we are embarking on a Dignity Campaign with acclaimed First Nations artist Aaron Paquette and celebrated graffiti artist Aja Louden.
Meet the artists!
We will paint four large murals throughout the months of June, July, August and September (one per month) in public, highly visible areas throughout the city in order to challenge stereotypes and cultivate dignity and humanity for those who experience poverty.
Join us at the first of four art projects of the #YEGDignity campaign!
Rights in Play Reflection
June 17, 2015
Hannan Attitalla Reflects on Participating in one of our Programs
June 17, 2015
Contributing to the facilitation of the Rights n’ Play workshops at the Ekota Elementary School was a very fun and insightful experience. We worked with kids from grades K-6, ages that I myself am not too accustomed to working with. However, I was very surprised! I thought that human rights, children rights and the issues revolving around them would be very difficult to relay to younger children. Rather, the response and the dialogue that emerged was both interesting and refreshing. Kids were very engaged throughout all the sessions. Of course the games we played was a definite bonus, but even in the actual discussions the kids were consistently participating and contributing. Overall it was a great experience full of inquisitive questions, strong dialogue, relevant drawing and fun games! Children confirmed to me that we should never underestimate them and their capability to participate in the education, dialogue, initiatives and overall development of children rights. I am grateful to the John Humphrey Centre for having such a program and also to all the teachers and educators that accommodate our Rights n’ Play workshops!
THANK YOU!!
Hanan Attitalla
Call for Applications: Youth Action Project 2015
June 11, 2015
YOUTH ACTION PROJECT ON POVERTY 2015
A Chance to SPEAK, TAKE ACTION and CREATE CHANGE:
Tuesday nights starting September 22, 2015 from 6-8 pm
This four month project will bring together 20 young Edmontonians (16-26 yrs old) keen on addressing poverty in Edmonton and building on the tremendous impact YAP made last year with their recommendations to the Mayor’s Task Force on the Elimination of Poverty. Youth will meet weekly, hear from experts, build relationships with local service agencies and their clients and challenge the common discourse on poverty in Edmonton. As part of the program YOU will have the opportunity to make positive social change in your community and have your voice heard.
Youth of ALL backgrounds, abilities, languages and orientations are welcome!
This program will give young people a chance to have their voice heard in policy making and programming in Edmonton. We will dig into issues around gender, violence and so much more. Come out, be heard, speak up.
Deadline is August 30, 2015.
We would like to thank the Urban Partnerships Program for their support to this important project, funded in part by the Government of Canada and administered by the Alberta Native Friendship Centres' Association.
