In an effort to create more welcoming communities, the All Welcome Here group will be hosting a dynamic community discussion series this year .
“How do we start talking about race? Creating welcoming communities” are down-to-earth discussions intended to will guide participants through education, personal experiences and wonderings.
The series launches with ‘Asking uncomfortable questions: How do we start talking about race?’ on March 21st at 6:00 p.m. at Macaulay Church Museum in celebration of the United Nations International Day to Eliminate Racism.
“As we’ve been doing anti-racism and community work, we’ve learned that many here would like a deeper understanding about racism, but they’re often uncomfortable talking about it,” said All Welcome Here’s Founder, Judith Burfoot.
Burfoot explained these learnings have provided the spark for All Welcome Here to put together a year- long series of conversations taking place across the County.
The following topics will be the anchors for the conversations:
April – Working on myself: Unlearning and personal reflection.
May – Standing strong for my neighbours: Bystander intervention.
June – Working on Reconciliation: Indigeneity and Reconciliation.
September – How do I talk to my kids?: Raising socially conscious children of all ages.
October – Being BIPOC in the County: Uniting across cultures. (Black, Indigenous and People of
Colour guests only)
November – Have you ever thought about what it means to be white?: Unpacking whiteness.
(White guests only)
November – Courageous Conversations: Having anti-racist conversations with family
members/friends.
“We want to provide a space for people to ask questions that might feel uncomfortable and to discuss anti-racist topics that they have seen in the news or want to learn more about,” added Jessica Lindsay- Sonkin, AWH’s Education Lead. “As a teacher, I know how incredibly important it is to have safe educational opportunities to learn and challenge ourselves.”
All Welcome Here will offer a safe and supportive space where people can ask uncomfortable questions, learn more about anti-racism and develop concrete tools to make the County a more welcoming community for all of us.
All meeting spaces are accessible. Suggested donation is $45 but please pay what you can, including $0! Childcare provided upon request. Seating is limited so please be sure to register in advance.
Event and ticket information at allwelcomehere.ca or email info@allwelcomehere.ca for details.
-Staff