ESTEVAN - Estevan Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS), Transition Services and Southeast Newcomer Services (SNS) are promoting exciting things happening locally in March, which have been inspired by March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Racism is a globally recognized issue, and at SWIS, Transitions and SNS, they recognize that they have a role to play in the elimination of racism, as members of this community. To stand against racism, they have come together to create a variety of anti-racism projects for the month of March, which will all be spearheaded under the campaign title of March Out Racism.
The anti-racism projects for the month include spotlighting remarkable Canadians from diverse backgrounds on social media pages. During the month of March, people can visit the SWIS and Transitions Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more about these remarkable individuals and the great contributions they have made to Canada.
Furthermore, they also have an ongoing project with anti-racism pledges which are being signed by participants, community organizations, schools and the general public. These pledges state “Racism. It Stops with me!” and are followed by the printed names of those who would like to stand by that statement and contribute to empowering others to do the same within the community.
The pledges will be displayed at Affinity Place outside of the walking track the week of March 14, and will stay up for the duration of the month. They have a few student volunteers who will be helping out with the setup of the display.
Pledges will continue to be collected and added to the display throughout March. If you would like to sign the pledge, visit the SNS office on Sixth Street or look to the community events bulletin at the Estevan Leisure Centre.
They also have a photo and video project going on, both of which will be displayed on their social media pages towards the end of the month. The photo project spotlights SWIS and Transitions families as they take a stand against racism. Those participating have been submitting family photos which are then placed into an anti-racism frame template, and will all be compiled at the end of the month to show SWIS and Transitions families’ support.
The video project is a short compilation of various local organizations and community members showing their support for the March Out Racism campaign. The video captures the participating members who are saying “Racism. It stops with me.”
Last on the agenda for the month is a virtual anti-racism workshop which will be hosted on March 21 from 4-7 p.m. A Zoom invitation link will be uploaded to social media pages the day before the workshop so that anyone who is wanting to attend can join. The first hour of the workshop will focus on creating an understanding of discrimination and racism that is easily understood by children of all ages. It will be interactive and engaging.
The latter segment of the workshop will feature a representative from the RCMP who will be speaking on the topic of hate-motivated crimes. This portion will be geared towards older youths and adults.
The three organizations encourage everyone to join in any capacity that they can. They appreciate all the support during the March Out Racism campaign.
For more information and to keep up with upcoming events, follow their social media pages on both Facebook and Instagram. Estevan SWIS and Transitions Services are funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
