Youth in Consultation Against Systemic Racism

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Original Message (from sikhyouth@shaw.ca)

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Dear All,

The SFU SSA has put the poster for this event up on their website at www.sfu.ca/~sikh/consultation.pdf

Please read more below.

YOUTH OF COLOUR IN CONSULTATION AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM

Consultaion March 27-28, 2004

BC Government and Service Employees' Union

4911-4925 Canada Way

Burnaby, BC

The Need for the Consultation

Systemic racism has intensified the struggles that all youth of colour and

indigenous youth of have to face on a daily basis. We see systemic racism as

the racism embedded in Canada's institutions that uniformly and methodically

keep communities of colour and indigenous peoples in the margins of

political and economic power. Systemic racism is a complex concept that some

people even deny exists. But it is high time that the discussion on

systematic racism continues. After the death of Mao Jomar Lanot, a Grade 11

student who was brutally attacked by a larger group of youth at Sir Charles

Tupper Secondary School, a community forum was organized on December 6,

2003. Members of the community and representatives from various communities

of colour came together to discuss with youth themselves about their

experiences with personal and systemic racism, violence, and discrimination.

The forum created a plan of action with several recommendations, one of

which was to hold this upcoming consultation. You are invited to participate

in the consultation, "Youth of Colour in Consultation Against Systemic

Racism." This consultation will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2004 and

Sunday, Mar

ch 28, 2004. This consultation will seek:

a. To gather youth of colour and members of the community to deepen our

understanding of systemic racism through discussion and analysis of our

experiences of racism and discrimination;

b. To empower, strengthen and build our communities of colour;

c. To understand our experieces with racism as a result of globalization.

The short-term goals of the consultation are to bring together marginalized

youth from various communities to discuss issues important to them, their

communities, their peers and their fellow Canadians living in a

multicultural country. This consultation will allow youth to develop a

statement of unity and outline an action plan promoting the multicultural

nature of Canada. The long-term goals are exponential. At this consultation,

the development of a Statement of Unity and a feasible Action Plan is of the

utmost importance. These ideas will be developed by the youth and put into

practice in a way conducive to their experiences and to the positive

development of a multicultural society.

Youth of Colour in Consultation Against Systemic Racism Program:

Day 1 - Saturday, March 27, 2004

9.00 - 9.30am - Registration

9.30am - Cultural opening

9.45am - Welcome address by Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa

Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance

10.00am - Keynote address by Dr. Sunera Thobani

10.40am - Panel speakers from SAYA, FKYC, Native Youth Movement on systemic

racism in education, employment, immigration and neo-colonization

12.00pm - Lunch and break

1.15pm - Speaker from Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa

Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance

1.20pm - Workshops on systemic racism in education, employment, immigration

and neo-colonization

5.00pm - Dinner and break

6.30 - 9.00pm - Cultural night

Day 2 - Sunday, March 28, 2004

9.00am - Breakfast

10.00 - 12.00pm - Report

ing back from the workshops and development of a

community action plan

12.00pm - Lunch and break

2.00pm - Rally at Vancouver Art Gallery

Hosted by: Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth

Alliance (UKPC) UKPC is a grassroots Filipino youth and student organization

formed in 1995 through the assistance of the Philippine Women Centre of B.C.

UKPC seeks to build a just and free society where people are no longer

exploited and oppressed.

Endorsed by: South Asian Youth Alliance, Native Youth Movement, Greater

Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens Association, Bus Riders Union, UBC

Colour Connected, Grassroots Women, Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth

Advocates, SFP!RG (Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group), BC Human

Rights Defenders, Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians, South Asian

Network for Secularism and Democracy, Centre of Integration for African

Immigrants, Black Historical and Cultural Society of BC, PICS - Surrey

(Progressive Intercultural Community Services), Palestine Community Centre,

Ellen Woodsworth (City of Vancouver City Councillor)

Registration fee: $25

For further information and to register, contact us at:

c/o Kalayaan Centre 451 Powell St,

Vancouver, BC,

V6A 1G7

Tel: 604-215-1103

E-Mail: yccasr@yahoo.ca

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