Arcadian Court

HARMONY AWARD BANQUET

Date:  Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Time:  Reception 5:30 pm / Dinner 6:30 pm

Venue: Arcadian Court, 8th Floor Simpson Building

401 Bay Street (at Queen), Toronto

The Harmony Award is presented annually to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions in the promotion of harmony and equity in Canada. Award recipients are also leaders in Canada who have a commitment and have worked tirelessly to enrich the diversity of our country. Past Harmony Award recipients included Sol Guy and Josh Thome, Roméo Dallaire, Stephen Lewis and Michele Landsberg.

This year’s award recipient is Jessica Yee, founder and Executive Director of Native Youth Sexual Health Network.  Jessica is a young woman on a mission.  She started volunteering for a Toronto women’s shelter when she was 12.  At 15, she spearheaded a letter-writing campaign in support of a gay student who was barred from bringing his boyfriend to the prom.

Several years later, Yee went to South Dakota to fight against the re-criminalization of abortion and connected with the powerful Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center.

By age 20, Yee has pulled those experiences together to form the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, the first agency of its kind run by and for youth that isn’t focused solely on disease prevention. With head offices in Toronto and on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin, the network is a North American force for healthy sexuality and reproductive rights, among other things.

Yee currently holds the second inaugural community internship at the Centre for Urban Health Initiatives at the University of Toronto. Her health research centers on empowering youth as researchers in the areas of sexual health promotion, decolonization, and reclaiming traditional knowledge.

A prolific writer and lecturer, Yee is the author of the forthcoming book to be published by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Feminist Education Now: Youth, Activism, and Intersectionality, and will be featured in the new National Film Board documentary Feminism Now.

Arts.For.Equity 2010

Harmony Movement is proud to announce our 2^nd Annual Arts.For.Equity Workshop Series!  This is a chance for youth to learn about diversity and equity while developing new skills in the arts.

As part of our exciting new “Project Peace” initiative funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Multiculturalism Program, we are proud to announce our 2^nd annual Arts.For.Equity workshop series, is taking place from August 23 – August 27, 2010.

This 5-day workshop series will present youth from across the GTA with a unique opportunity to participate in diversity training, while simultaneously developing new skills in a variety of art forms – from dance and photography to visual and performance art.

The youth will then use their newly acquired artistic skills to express their understanding of diversity and equity in their communities at a youth art showcase in September!

WORKSHOP DATES: Monday, August 23 – Friday, August 27.  Workshops will run from 11 – 4 p.m.

LOCATION: Art Starts @ Yorkdale Community Arts Centre

Yorkdale Shopping Centre, 3401 Dufferin St. (Lower Level), Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

This year, youth will be working with these amazing artists:

• Tobias Wang (Photography)
• Nylda ‘LadyNoyz Gallardo-Lopez (Dance)
• Nicolle ‘Coco’ Matthews of Elevated Grounds (Performance Art)
• Zanette Singh of Sketch (Visual Art)

If you are interested in applying and are between the ages of 13-18, please send in your COMPLETE application to Letecia Rose, Education Director at Harmony Movement by email (lrose@harmony.ca); by fax (416-385-2644); or drop off/mail your completed applications to: 255 Duncan Mill Road Suite 705, Toronto, Ontario, M3B 3H9. Applications are due by 12:00 noon on Wednesday August 18, 2009.

We will be selecting 25-30 youth to participate in the project. We will call you by Friday August 20, 2010 to let you know about the status of your application.

This Friday, June 25, 2010

We will be recognizing the young people, showcasing their films and enjoying some light refreshments!

Where: Toronto District School Board, Main Office at 5050 Yonge Street, Toronto (Next to Mel Lastman Square)

When: 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Parking: Off of North York Blvd in the parking lot

Over

Peace Tree Ambassadors from across the TDSB participated in student-led intercultural/interfaith workshops including African Drumming and Tabla, a play of Harriet Tubman, Fusion Dance, Mehndi Mela, Petals for Peace, Pow Wows, Hana’s Suitcase, Festival of Lights, Bollywood Beats and many other workshops that helped them raise funds for War Child Canada and Pennies for Peace.  Workshop presenters included students from Berner Trail Jr. PS, Dr. Marion Hilliard Sr. PS, Winchester Jr. & Sr. PS, Firgrove PS, Rose Avenue PS, Grenoble PS and Humber Summit MS.

A first time and unique experience for the children was to speak to Arab and Jewish children who united in Israel to celebrate Peace Tree Day at the Peres Centre for Peace. Thanks to modern technology, the Toronto Peace Tree Ambassadors from General Brock School were able to connect with the Arab and Jewish children via webcam and Skype to share peace initiatives. The students were intrigued to see their friends in Israel and how similar they are to children here.

To conclude the Toronto Peace Tree Day festival, the Peace Tree Concert highlighted beautiful creations of peace, diversity and fusion of dance and music by children and youth, plus inspirational messages from spoken word artist, Mustafa Ahmed.  The Peace Tree Ambassadors attending the festival left with many ideas to promote peace in their schools and communities including how to create their own Peace Tree, how to set up their Peace Tree Club, Peace Tree Centre and Peace Tree Stand in order to spread peace and diversity initiatives through out the school year.

Peace Tree Day was a very inspiring experience for all the children and youth who attended thanks to all the Peace Tree Ambassadors from schools across the TDSB who shared their vision of peace and respect for people of all backgrounds.

For more information about Peace Tree Day click here

Harmony Movement and the Multicultural Inter-Agency Group of Peel would like to invite you to participate in “Building on our Work: A Series of Practical Workshops on Diversity, Equity and Mental Wellness for Newcomers.”

These workshops will focus on practical knowledge and skills building for service providers in different areas.  We are pleased to have Mr. Kwasi Kafele, the Director of Health Equity, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health(CAMH) as the Presenter of this series.

When: Tuesday June 8th, Friday June 25th, Wednesday June 30th and Wednesday July 7th, 2010

Time: 12:00 noon – 3:30 PM

Where: Mississauga Valley Community Centre, Program Room 3. Mississauga Valley Blvd., (Burnhamthorpe & Hurontario). Mississauga, ON L5A 3R8

Please be advised that there is a fees of  $10.00 for MIAG members and  $25.00 for non-members for each workshop. There are two options for payment:

- A cheque to be mailed out in advance to the following address:

MIAG - 3034 Palstan Rd. Suite # M3. Mississauga, ON L4Y 2Z6

or

-  Cash or cheque to be received at the door on the same day.

Please call (905) 270-6252 or e-mail : info@miag.ca in your earliest convenience to register and reserve your spot.  Seats are limited.  Registration will be on first come first served basis.  Snacks will be served.

For more information click here

To see agenda for June 8th click here

Join us to experience, explore and celebrate diversity and peace through the spirit of children and youth from across the Toronto District School Board!

“If we are to create peace in our world, we must begin with our children.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Peace Tree International, Harmony Movement and the Toronto District School Board’s Departments of Student and Community Equity and Safe and Caring Schools request the participation of Peace Tree Ambassadors from schools across Toronto to celebrate Peace Tree Day at Mel Lastman Square on June 1st from 10:30a.m. to 2:00p.m. Peace Tree Day, inspired by the film The Peace  Tree  by Mitra Sen, was first proclaimed by Mayor David Miller on June 1, 2006.  On Peace Tree Day, students will participate in inter-cultural/interfaith workshops, panel discussions, enjoy a taste of food from diverse cultures and experience the Peace Tree concert reflecting peace, diversity and fusion through the arts by children and youth.

Schools are able to send a maximum of 26 students per school to act as Peace Tree Ambassadors – potential young leaders for social action who will be able to share their learning from Peace Tree Day and spearhead the Peace Tree Spirit initiative in their schools in the fall.  Only a limited number of spaces still remaining. TTC tickets will be provided courtesy of TDSB’s Office of Student and Community Equity for Peace Tree Ambassadors to attend the event. Participation in Peace Tree Day is $8.00 per student, which will go towards food for the day (‘Taste of Diversity’), plus a donation towards War Child Canada (warchild.ca) and Pennies for Peace (penniesforpeace.org).

Please email peacetreeday@harmony.ca by May 21st to register your school to participate in the Peace Tree Day 2010 festival, Toronto’s peace festival by children and youth. Please email the name of your school, contact person, phone and number of students participating in Peace Tree Day. More details regarding Peace Tree Day are available at www.peacetreeday.com

This project is proudly funded by Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Multiculturalism Program.

Prestigious Awards Banquet pays homage to MTV icons and celebrates diversity amongst education and media.

Diversity Education Leader Harmony Movement honors social justice activists Sol Guy and Josh Thome of MTV Series “4Real”, at annual awards banquet October 29^th, 2009.

Toronto, October 29, 2009: The annual Harmony Awards Banquet, which recognizes leaders in the areas of diversity, activism and education, will take place on October 29^th 2009 at Arcadian Court, in Toronto Ontario.  The event, which provides scholarships to ten exceptional students across Canada, honors an outstanding educator and will present a special award to the MTV series “4Real” co-founders Sol Guy and Josh Thome.  The banquet is the organization’s main fundraising initiative and has presented the coveted Harmony Award to past honorees such as Roméo Dallaire and Steven Lewis.

This prestigious event attracts over 400 attendees every year including government officials, as well as community partners and leaders within Toronto’s education system.  “We wanted to recognize and celebrate students, educators and activists that were making an impact in their immediate communities and around the world”, says Executive Director Cheuk Kwan.  “The Harmony Award gives us that opportunity, at the same time providing a platform for meaningful exchanges amongst all those who are committed to diversity in education”.

This year’s event will be hosted by a surprise celebrity host and includes performances by Juno-nominated singer Zaki Ibrahim and international artist Waleed Kush.  Silent Art Auction and Dinner is included. Tax receipts will be provided.

Press passes are available upon request

For more information about the Harmony Awards Banquet or to purchase tickets, visit: www.harmony.ca

WHAT: Harmony Movement Awards Banquet

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, 2009: 6pm Reception, 7pm Ceremonies Commence

WHERE: Arcadian Court, Simpson Tower, 401 Bay Street, Toronto ON

***

Harmony Movement facilitates diversity and equity education programs in schools and communities across the GTA and southern Ontario, that promote inclusion by educating and empowering youth.  Harmony Movement delivers more than 100 diversity initiatives and works with thousands of young people every year.

www.harmonymovement.ca

Based in Vancouver, 4REAL uses the power of the media to inspire young people both in Canada and around the world to take action for positive social change. 4REAL has become a global force with Canadian roots. The TV series now airs in 166 countries and 34 languages. In 2008, Sol and Josh became the first Canadians to receive the National Geographic Emerging Explorers Award for their work.

www.4real.com

For media inquiries and further information please contact:

Munira Ravji, Press Coordinator

647.403.7042 or at press@bene-fete.com

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Venue: Art Gallery of Ontario, Gallery School (Lower Level), 317 Dundas Street West

In partnership with Manifesto Community Projects, Unity Charity, and Art Gallery of Ontario. Special thanks to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Multiculturalism Program, and Headshots.