Toronto is a changin'.  Not only is it the most multicultural city in the world (check the UN stats), but now Canada's other official language is making a splash in our fair city. Besides a growing number of French schools, theatre, art and culture, as of October 23  there will be a new lunch series, Diner-Dialogues where socio-political discussions will take place in French, in downtown Toronto. The series is hosted by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute in partnership with Diversity Matters.
 
We will discuss diversity, our changing values as a nation, multifaith issues, citizenship and more. If you are Francophone or Francophile, join us on Thursday October 23 at 11:45 for lunch, and then some. For more info and to register, click here.

On vous y attend!

In June of each year, Italian Heritage Month celebrates the contributions Canadians of Italian heritage have made in the arts, business, education, and culture.  It is also a time to remember our past, and appreciate our native Canada even more.
 
Why such a month to commemorate our accomplishments? Why have the Asian or Jewish Heritage Month, or the Black History Month for that matter, been initiated?  I see it as an opportunity to get a glimpse into other cultures and how they are viewed and valued by Canadians who are members of those communities.  I also view these celebrations as an ‘Open Doors’ concept, where we are free to visit and discover new things about each other at a multitude of free events.
 
In a place like Canada, where diversity thrives, celebrating our heritage in designated months should be an opportunity for our neighbours, colleagues and friends to learn something new about one another.  The challenge remains making each celebration welcoming and inclusive so any interested Canadian can join in, if they wish to do so or are curious. Canadians of Italian heritage are active members of the Canadian mosaic. We have a lot to share with our fellow Canadians, and we have a lot to learn.
 
So, it’s June. You know what month it is and yes, we are celebrating!  Over 400 events have been planned across the country.  As part of Diversity Matters’ Giving Back initiative, we are a sponsor and have taken a special interest in organizing events for kids, and have also organized documentary screenings, poetry readings and language classes at the public libraries.
 
Visit www.italianheritagecanada.com for more details. You’ll probably see me with my kids at one of these events, gelato in hand, wearing a World Cup jersey.
 

Do you know a child who speaks English or French relatively well, but who also speaks another language? Do you think that they can read and write in their heritage language?  Rainbow Caterpillar is a multilingual bookstore whose passion is bringing books to kids and their parents and grandparents, in an array of languages. 2014 is a special year as they launch the first writing contest of its kind in Canada, The Junior Writing Competition, where kids aged 8 – 13 will be encouraged to write a story in their heritage language.  Diversity Matters, as part of the Giving Back initiative, is sponsoring the first prize for the winning story, which will be presented at a special event organized by Rainbow Caterpillar in November.
 
How do we make sense of diversity, of difference in race, faith, language?  How do we make diversity meaningful, so that it opens up our minds, makes us feel uncomfortable perhaps, teaches us something that we did not know? It is by turning to our neighbours, friends and colleagues and listening, learning and observing with them.  Books can take us to unknown worlds, and children’s books even moreso.
 
Join Diversity Matters in getting kids on board to read and write in their heritage languages. Here is where you go for more information: www.rainbowcaterpillar.ca/junior-competition.html

Can a white person talk about issues of diversity? 
 
I ask this question because when I was approached to write an article for the education magazine Teachers of Color, I began the conversation with them by pointing out that I am white. They responded that it was fine. What they wanted was to hear what I had to say.

We were off to a good start.
 
When it comes to pushing the boundaries on diversity, what is of more relevance – the person’s mindset or the disenfranchised experience that makes the person want to rework those boundaries? When we go in search of visible minority police officers or teachers, apart from the fact that they can serve as role models for their communities, should we only consider how they look, or should we take into consideration their mindset, how equitably they treat all people, regardless of how they have been misunderstood or mistreated in the past.
 
In my generation, visible minorities will become the majority in urban centres across Canada. All good, but what that means is that we have to continue to work away at the puzzle of making this country tick, given the changing demographic reality. It also means that we need to be more honest with ourselves  --  and that having more visible minority citizens does not necessarily mean that we are doing a better job at diversity.
 
Click here to read the article I wrote in Teachers of Colors magazine.

And make sure to sign-up here to receive a Free chapter of my latest book, Teachers At Their Best, which will help you better understand how to manage cultural diversity. 

I am happy to share that this month my photo exhibit Legacies will once again be going overseas, and this time to Lebanon and Kuwait where it will be part of the Francophone festivities and International Women’s Day events in those respective countries. 
 
The "Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts" (ALBA) in Beirut, Lebanon and the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters in Safat, Kuwait will be hosting Legacies with the intention of sharing perspectives on what it means to live in two worlds, speak several languages, and at once be committed to our heritage culture and be proudly Canadian. The photo exhibit will serve as a backdrop to understanding multiculturalism - 24 women - 24 countries, all Canadian and all speaking about identity, feminism, immigration and resilience.
 
My heartfelt thanks goes to the Canadian Embassy in Lebanon who spearheaded this from the onset, and for believing in me and my work.
 
I look forward to breaking  bread with everyone in Beirut next week, and sincerely hope that Legacies will be well received in both countries.

As we say au revoir to 2013 we look at the greats who made diversity happen for our global community.  Mandela was one of a kind.  He fought fiercely to reduce colour lines in his country, and give South African blacks some sense of dignity in their own country.
 
Earlier in the year, the United States commemorated 50 years of Martin Luther King's famous I Have A Dream speech which envisioned a decent place for all Blacks in America.  Each event reminds us that there is still unfinished business.  So much more work needs to be done before there is true equality and an integral sense of belonging for all citizens. 
 
In 2013 we saw a rising star in Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani woman who, after receiving a bullet to her head for insisting that girls deserve an education, she went on to speak at the United Nations on her 16th birthday and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her determination to give girls a voice. Mandela`s perseverance, Martin Luther King`s speech, Malala's courage taught us what great leadership can look like.
 
In Canada, we had less-than- stellar moments when it came to diversity. Quebec introduced the controversial Charter of Values which ultimately would focus more on what is on people's heads, rather than in their heads (to borrow the slogan from an Ontario hospital recruiting Quebeckers) -- or in their hearts.  As well, multilingual, multicultural television programming was slashed across the country by the multi-billion dollar Rogers empire. The gains that had been made in ethnocultural broadcasting over the last two decades were washed away by a handful of executives at Rogers. Just like that.
 
How do you think Canada faired this past year regarding diversity? 
 
Who inspired you in 2013?
 
And on a final note, Welcome to 2014!
 

Last week was anti-bullying week in schools. I am writing about it this week because despite the fact that "anti-bullying awareness week" is now over, we still need to be thinking about it.
 
During anti-bullying week, students across the province wrote rap songs, poetry and short stories. They did interactive exercises, wore pink and huddled together to chant against bullying.  All good.  Thankfully, the Ontario Ministry of Education has legislated stiff sentences for recurring bullies. Bully once and you get a warning. Bully twice and things get more serious with citations in the Ontario Student Record (OSR) and possible suspension. Monitoring bullying is only going to get tougher because of the far-reaching social media machine: texting, facebook, and instagram are making it harder to decipher who started what, and when.
 
Bullying is not only about kids at school. It happens between parents & kids, brothers & sisters, adults & their aging parents, bosses & employees. It is everywhere and it is very human. It is also about power and a false sense of ego. Those who are bullied go on to bully. Some dismiss it as a joke, but they obviously do not have a good sense of humour. If kids are being bullied, it is important that they not ignore it in the hopes that it will go away. They should seek help from an adult and that adult should intervene immediately. The bully and the victim need to be separated so as to ensure that everyone is safe.  Quietly and calmly try to assess what happened, by speaking to both separately and in private.  Apologizing may not necessarily be the objective here. The bully needs to understand the consequences (suspension, OSR) and the zero tolerance rule with the new legislation that is now in place. Treat both parties with respect. We need to model the behaviour we are looking for.
 
If you have bullied someone or been bullied, what did you do? Every action requires a response. What was yours?

The Toronto District School Board thinks that girls can be leaders. I think so too.

This past October, the TDSB Leadership Academy opened its doors once again to young minds and future leaders, with a new name The Jean Augustine Girl's Leadership Academy. It is the first leadership academy for girls in a public school in Ontario.  There are many leadership academies, but they are all private. This academy is in east Toronto, and is for any girl who wants to work hard and think big, regardless of the coffers at home.

Alberta is a step ahead of Ontario, by having two such academies supporting young girls to be smart, and to be confident. I attended the opening ceremony of this Academy and the energy was electrifying. Those girls have a lot to say and they are going to find solutions to matters big and small.  Frankly, I am proud that my tax dollars are going to initiatives such as these. A strong democracy means a strong education system.

We shouldn't stop at one Leadership Academy for Girls. Bring it on.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Please share your comments below. 

History has taught us that when minorities feel that they are not being heard, or that their rights are being surpressed, they fight back, and usually with guns. Luckily, in our democracy, they fight back with words and charters reminding us of common values. 
When Quebec took a strong stand on the state of their language, and introduced Bill 101, despite some disgruntled people, overall it raised the status of French, and the number of people speaking it in their province.  For those who did not agree, they said bye-bye and moved away. They brought their families and their brains to neighbouring provinces, and francophone communities grew, and so did quality French education in those provinces. In a way, Quebec helped many of us in other parts of the country become bilingual, and for that I need to thank them. 

Thirty-six years later, in 2013, the minority is feeling it needs to make changes and take control of its identity again, and passes the Charter of Quebec Values. It raises issues that most Canadians would rather not discuss. My guess is that many Canadians are having problems with multiculturalism these days, and my guess is that we would prefer not to talk about it. Frankly, as a Canadian, I am embarassed that such a charter would even be debated in any legislative assembly in this country.

Despite my anger, I hope that the conversation keeps going, because for it to stop means that we make our democracy weaker. Frank discussions can facilitate breaking down barriers and reducing stereotypes, with the objectives of accepting each other's differences, and the values underlying those differences.
 
I'll take words over guns any day.
 
Join me in the conversation. We need to remain integral to who we are as a nation.

The new site makes it easier to navigate and find relevant information about each of the services and creative works offered. Whether it's about dealing with diversity in a classroom, in an organization or in a hospital, Diversity Matters now offers workshops and training sessions tailored to your needs. An events section has been added as well to give you more information about interesting diversity events I am part of, such as most recently the United Nations MultiMedia & Multiculturalism Forum.

Finally, I invite you to subscribe to my blog to learn more about how to manage diversity in your environment, and to receive the latest news about diversity events and activities. 
Click here to sign-up: http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1832696801.htm

Looking forward to connecting with you!