Dear Friends,
CASSA has had an exciting start to 2010. Our efforts in the York Region are continuing to become stronger. We also had an amazing forum and booklet launch on the topic racism and Islamophobia last weekend. We are looking forward to CASSA’s Open House, Equity Council AGM in York Region, Trailblazers United: Youth Leadership Series and the release of the dates for our South Asian Heritage Month activities. We are also excited about our upcoming unique conference on anti-poverty for non-profit agencies on March 22nd. Our partnership with South Asian Studies at University of Toronto to offer a course together is a milestone in our collaborations with the Academia. We welcome Canadian Aids Treatment Information Exchange and Goodwill ERC as our two new members. More information on these activities can be found in this newsletter. Thank you for your continued support and guidance.
Sincerely,
Neethan Shan
Executive Director
Equity Council of York Region: Community Information meeting – Jan. 28: On January 28th, a diverse group of York Region residents participated in the interactive Community Information Meeting to learn more about the proposed Equity Council of York Region. A number of individuals and agencies signed up for the general membership. Several nominees also came forward to run for the council's Executive Committee. We are looking to expand our membership to reflect York Region's diversity of age groups, sexual orientations, ethnic groups, abilities and genders and encourage anyone committed to enhancing access, equity and inclusion to run for the Executive Committee. If you are interested in getting involved, visit http://www.welcomingcommunitiesontario.ca to fill out the membership and/or nomination form and come to Angus Glen Community Centre on Thursday, Feb. 25, from 7-9 pm to participate in the membership's vote for the first ever Equity Council of York Region.
For more information and to RSVP, contact Keerthy Narayanan at keerthy@cassa.on.ca or 416 932 1359 x 12.
Vadukkal/Sargoshian Forum – Jan. 30: The Vadukkal/Sargoshian forum on racism against the Tamil community and Islamophobia against South Asian Muslim community residing in Ontario was organized by CASSA on January 30th at the Malvern Public Library. The event was a huge success with a large number of people from both the communities participating in the forum. An important highlight of the event was the launch of a resource booklet “Vadkkal/Sargoshian – Resisting Racism and Islamophobia” which is a useful source of information to both the communities on understanding and taking action against the instances of racism and Islamophobia. This booklet will be will available on our website www.cassa.on.ca shortly.
UPCOMING EVENTS OF CASSA
Community Dialogue: “Strengthening Social Planning in York Region" – Feb.16: CASSA invites you to attend this community dialogue organized by Social Planning council of York region to discuss social planning needs within the region. The discussion will include focused conversations in each of the Council's priority areas: poverty reduction, immigration and settlement, access and equity, housing and education. The event will be held at the Plaza Suite of the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge Street, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.
For more information or to RSVP, please contact Lavenya Rajendra at lavenya@cassa.on.ca.
Open House – Feb. 23: CASSA is organizing an open house on Tuesday, February 23rd at its new location at 2401 Eglinton Ave. East, Toronto, M1K 2N8. All are welcome to attend!!! For more information, call 416 932 1359 extn. 10
SAYAC Film screening of “Unfair Dealing” – Feb. 24: South Asian Youth Advisory Committee (SAYAC) will be hosting a film screening of Unfair Dealing (2008), a Canadian documentary about the so-called Toronto 18, making critical points about Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as about Canadian authorities involved like the RCMP and CSIS. The film will be screened on Feb. 24th at the Ryerson Students Centre in collaboration with RSU and CESAR. After the film, there will be discussion, including speakers talking about civil liberties. FREE to all, snacks will be provided.
For more information, contact Anu Radha Verma at anu@cassa.on.ca
Equity Council AGM – Feb. 25: The first AGM of Equity Council of York Region will be held on Feb. 25 at Angus Glen Community Centre on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 7-9 pm. For more information and to RSVP, contact Keerthy Narayanan at keerthy@cassa.on.ca or 416 932 1359 x 12
Anti-Poverty Action Conference – March 22: CASSA invites you to join us for the “Anti-Poverty Action Conference: Agencies Exercising Agency Poverty Reduction” on Monday, March 22, 9 - 5 pm at Oakham House, Ryerson University (55 Gould Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1E9). A panel and a keynote speaker will discuss various topics related to poverty reduction strategies and six workshops addressing poverty in multidimensional contexts will also be offered for conference attendees. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Registration is free for CASSA members and students. For non-members, the registration fee is $30. Agencies facing financial concerns may request a waiver. More details on registration and program will be released shortly.
If you have any queries, wish to provide your suggestions or to explore possibilities of partnerships, please contact Tulsi Naik at tulsi@cassa.on.ca or Nafisa Tanjeem at nafisa.tanjeem@cassa.on.ca.
Trailblazers United! A South Asian Youth Leadership Series – Mar. 06 to May 15: CASSA is hosting a series of sessions focusing on youth engagement and leadership for young South Asian youth from the ages of 16-24 at Fairview Public Library, Room C, 4th floor from March 6th
to May 15th. There will be six sessions related to various topics including leadership, identity, anti-racism, civic engagement, anti-oppression, media skills, fundraising, volunteer management and team building. The youth who attend at least five of the six sessions will be awarded a certificate of accomplishment at CASSA’s 3rd annual Fires of Resistance youth conference in May 2010. This is a great opportunity for the youth to acquire knowledge and various leadership skills to address social justice issues in our communities!
If you are interested in joining this leadership series, please submit your resume and a write up (300-500 words) on why you are interested in attending this leadership series to Sanjay at sanjay@cassa.on.ca by 12 noon on February 16th, 2010!
UPCOMING EVENTS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS:
Hope for Haiti Concert – Feb. 04: Hope for Haiti is a collaborative effort of community activists, artists and students to raise funds through concert performances to aid Haiti’s relief and rebuilding works. The first concert will take place at Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto on February 4th from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information and to buy tickets, visit http://haiticoncert.com/
SAAAC fundraising event – March 06: South Asian Autism Awareness Centre is holding a fundraising show on Mar. 06 for the children with Autism. Click here to view the flyer. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact 416-824-8847 or 647-297-4560 or email to saaacinfo@gmail.com
Skills for Change Employment Resource Centre: To view a detailed February workshop calendar, please click here.
Call for Performers: Are you a performer of some kind? Identify as a youth? South Asian? The South Asian Youth Advisory Committee (SAYAC) is calling amazing performers to participate in the 3rd annual Fires of Resistance conference, celebrating South Asian youth activism in May 2010. In the past, we’ve had amazing performers including Humble the Poet, Farheen Beg, Stolen From Africa, Gurpreet Chana and others! If you are interested in performing and connecting with youth from across the GTA who share a passion for social justice, please get in touch with Anu at anu@cassa.on.ca. Honorariums are available for performers. Remember, Fires of Resistance 3 (FoR3) is coming … May 2010!
Call For Workshop Facilitators: The South Asian Youth Advisory Committee (SAYAC) is looking for amazing workshop facilitators for Fires of Resistance 3, annual conference in May, celebrating South Asian youth activism. Social justice is the general theme. In the past we’ve had workshops on topics including mental health, yoga for people of colour, migrant justice, spoken word and so much more. Workshops are around an hour in length, and are expected to be participatory. If you identify as a youth and South Asian or a person of colour with experiences or knowledge to share for youth interested in social justice and activism, please get in touch with Anu at anu@cassa.on.ca. Honorariums are available for workshop facilitators.
Research study on “Every day activities of South Asian high school girls”: A research study is being conducted at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto to understand the everyday activities of South Asian girls in high school. This study is being done as part of a PhD research thesis to learn more about the types of activities South Asian girls in the GTA participate in. Findings from this research will help people who design programs and activities for teenagers. For more information and to sign up, visit www.myeverydayactivities.com
Heart & Stroke Annual Report – The Heart & Stroke Foundation released its Annual Report titled ‘A Perfect Strom of Heart Disease Looming on Our Horizon”. Click this link to read the full report.
Toronto Police Now Hiring For 2010 Youth In Policing Initiative: The Toronto Police Service is now accepting applications for the 2010 Youth in Policing Initiative. Every summer, 150 youth in the age group of 14-17 are hired from Priority Neighborhoods to work throughout the Toronto Police Service. They are placed in 45 locations, including all Divisions and support units and in addition to their daily duties, these students also have the opportunity to work on community projects and at cultural events across the City. This is an excellent opportunity for the students to conclude their summer with a solid work experience, a better understanding of the Toronto Police Service and networking. For more information on this program, visit http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/yipi
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Employer: CASSA
Youth Alliance Project II Coordinator
Employer: METRAC
Senior Net Developer
Employer: United Way Toronto
You or your organization can also become a member of CASSA, if you wish to support our mission/mandate. Please visit our website www.cassa.on.ca for details on our mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. The members will receive a regular update on various happenings in the social services/social justice field in Ontario's South Asian communities.
Annual Membership fee is only $10 for individuals and $20 for organizations. Joining as a member will also keep you informed of opportunities about jobs, volunteering and community events. Click here for more information about becoming a member of CASSA and its benefits.
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