The Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association (GVJCCA) is pleased to introduce a series of monthly Zoom workshops to support racialized communities, address racism, and build community networks. These sessions aim to empower, educate, and build allyship. We would love to have your participation.
Indigenous Issues & Solidarity
Saturday, March 13, 2021 1-3pm (PST)
Indigenous Issues & Solidarity will address various crises facing Indigenous communities alongside the global pandemic. We will explore Indigenous worldviews, settler colonial allyship, and alliance building. This workshop will focus on group discussions in order to cultivate a commitment to decolonizing action. In seeking to strengthen inter-community solidarity, we invite all to join this important conversation.
This session will feature Norm Leech (he/him), who has been the Executive Director for the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre (VACPC) since May 2016, and is a frequent speaker, facilitator, and storyteller, sharing the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Norm talks about the Indigenous Worldview and Indigenous relations to genders, the written word, and the land. He is trained in facilitation with the Canadian Human Rights Foundation (now Equitas) and with St’at’imc Restorative Justice in Lillooet. At VACPC, Norm facilitates cultural sessions for Police Academy and Sheriffs Academy at the Justice Institute. He has been teaching Indigenous Tools For Living (ITFL) across Canada and online.
Antiracism 101, Saturday, February 13 from 1-3pm (PST)
The first workshop, Antiracism 101, will be held on Saturday, February 13 from 1-3pm (PST). It will address burning questions including: What’s the difference between “antiracist” and “not racist”? What is White privilege and White fragility? How can we move past discomfort when talking about race? We will also explore the history of racism in BC, leading up to the present day.
We are pleased to feature two guest speakers:
Giselle Clarke-Trenaman (she/her) is a professional freelance Stage Manager and works as the Production Coordinator and Facilities Manager at Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver. For the past three years she has been developing a program called “Black History Matters” to fill the education gap of Canadian Black History in the Elementary school system. It had its pilot launch in the fall of 2020.
Parker Johnson (he/him) is a group facilitator, mediator, intercultural educator, and organizational change specialist who is committed to building just, equitable, diverse and inclusive organizations. Parker studied administration, planning and social policy at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and rounds out his education with practical application in mediation, coaching, intercultural communication and anti-oppression work. As a workshop facilitator, he is a master at bringing concepts alive through the power of storytelling.
Welcome will be provided by Sxwpilemaát Siyám (Chief Leanne Joe), one of sixteen Hereditary Chiefs of the Squamish Nation and the first female Chief of the Lackett Joe Family. She is currently Transformative Storyteller for Economic Reconciliation, with Simon Fraser University, and a Trustee for the Squamish Nation Trust.
Register for Antiracism 101 here for free!!
This session is particularly targeted for those seeking a deeper understanding of antiracism, but we welcome participants of all education levels and backgrounds. Registration is open to all adults – youth 12 and up may join their parent participants. Please note: sessions are guided by applying respect, kindness and supporting participant safety.
