Friday 4 December 2015

The Give and Take Project at Lambton College

Earlier this week, a group of Lambton College students worked with their professor, Lois Nantais, to bring to life the Give and Take project.

The Give-and-Take board, which stands beside the Tim Horton's lineup, is alive and well
after a full week! 

The idea of the project is simple: a board covered with bright sticky notes stands beside the Tim Horton's line. Each sticky represents $2 that someone has donated to keep the project alive. Anyone in line is encouraged to take a sticky note if they need it and to leave a sticky note if they can. A donation box at the top of the sign allows the notes to be replenished.

Each day, notes are taken, and more are added. And everyone who walks past the sign thinks about what it means to give to those around us and to exist as part of a community.

Thank you to Lois and to her students for bringing this project to Lambton and for encouraging all of us to think about generosity. I'm excited to see how long we can keep this project alive!

Monday 30 November 2015

Seven Important Takeaways From the Global Citizenship Summit

Thank you to Wade Fleming, who serves as our Intercultural Communication Award Coordinator at Lambton College, for the following guest post about the Global Summit.

As keynote speaker Leo Johnson explained, “global citizenship cannot be discriminant or conditional.” To be true global citizens (knowledge-seekers, listeners, learners, and helpers), we should try to understand everyone, consistently making informed decisions and seeking true understanding before we judge. We need to understand the “long-term implications” of such things as online-activism, and seek knowledge even when it is difficult, or when we face pressure from others to conform to some uninformed opinion.

The very first thing that both keynote speakers, Leo and Gilad, did was thank everyone who tirelessly worked together to make the event possible. I think it is important to remember that we can learn from simple, understated acts.

The choice of whether or not to wear a niqab is just that: a choice. Rezan Mosa and Aruba Mahmud, both Canadian-born Muslims, explained that they were not forced into wearing a niqab (covering all except the eyes, in Rezan’s case) or a hijab (a head-scarf, covering the hair, in Aruba’s case). In fact, Rezan explained that the person who expressed the most resistance to her decision to wear the niqab was her father. However, she chose to do so, in an effort to bring herself closer to God. Rezan did, however, explain that not all women get the choice, and that any time an act of worship is forced upon someone, it is no longer an act of worship. Aruba spoke further of how, as a woman practising Islam, she is not oppressed. She used art and humour to get her point across, explaining, “I cover my hair, not my brain.”

The goals of the global citizens include listening, learning, and understanding. As emcee Amy Weiler explained, global citizens should seek knowledge and be passionate about positive change.

Conversely, the goal of the global citizen should not be to solve other people’s problems. As Leo explained, “in order to solve my problem, you need to first listen to my story, and even then, you might need instructions from me.” We should think critically about where our money is going (when we support charities), what effects we are really causing (when we try to help), and whether we are helping at all (when we take to social media).

First Nations Elder Marie Short delved into the idea that we must first understand ourselves before we can help others, but also indicated that it is important to ask other people questions like, “who are you?” Marie believes that people are open to answering such questions, and we should take the time to think about how we might respond, if asked. Reiterating Marie’s sentiment, Gilad explained that people’s stories deserve to be shared, and that conversation is needed to create a better world and inspire change.

We are all in this together. This sentiment was reinforced by many of the evening’s speakers. Amy examined how, despite any perceived differences, we all live in “one world.” While speaking passionately about the Syrian refugee crisis, Lambton College President Judy Morris appealed to our shared humanity, explaining, “I stand before you as a human,” rather than as a Canadian, a woman, or any other label.

Gilad explained that his family, who are Jewish immigrants, were hesitant to support his dedication to global human rights issues; they struggled to comprehend how he could care so deeply about people who are not Jewish. Gilad’s response was that “it’s not a matter of being Jewish— it’s a matter of being human.” 

Friday 27 November 2015

Tomorrow: Round Dance at Lambton College

Lambton College's Aboriginal Student Council will host the second annual Round Dance tomorrow night. Everyone is welcome to attend! 

The Round Dance will begin at 7 pm on Saturday, November 28. The event takes place in the Lambton College gym. There's no charge to attend.

The Round Dance is a celebration of family and friends, and everyone is encouraged to participate. In addition to the dance itself (which is fun and easy to learn!), the night will include a 50/50 draw and an art/craft sale. 


Wednesday 25 November 2015

Two Sarnia women share their experiences of the hijab and niqab

Rezan Mosa and Aruba Mahmud joined us at last week's Global Citizenship Summit and shared their perspectives on the hijab and niqab. Both women explained that they dress as they do not because they're oppressed, but because they're free. Mahmus explains that "in a world where women are hyper-sexualized, it was liberating" to commit to the hijab. Mosa and Mahmud shared some of their thoughts with Sarnia Journal reporter Cathy Dobson: you can read the full article here.

Thanks again to Aruba and Rezan for contributing to Lambton College's second annual Global Citizenship Summit!

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Hunger Count 2015

Food Banks Canada recently released the 2015 Hunger Report. You can download the full report here

To learn more about Hunger Count 2015 and Food Banks Canada's recommendations, visit their site.
More Canadians rely on food banks than ever before. Among many other important findings, the 2015 Hunger Report notes that "In March 2015, 852,137 people received food from a food bank in Canada. More than one-third of those helped were children."

Sarnia's own Inn of the Good Shepherd is also trying to help more people than ever before: their website notes that they're helping many first-time users and trying to address a "25% increase in need." Our local food banks need our help. But as Food Banks Canada's recommendations make clear, we also need structural change so that fewer Canadians need to rely on food banks.

Visit Food Banks Canada if you'd like to learn how you can help to end hunger in Canada.

Friday 20 November 2015

Art Can Change the World

If, like me, you left the Global Citizenship Summit more excited than ever about the possibility of effecting social change through art, I hope you'll consider checking out Jayu's fundraising campaign.

The Human Rights Film Festival is just one of Jayu's many projects that uses art to increase awareness about social injustices.

This organization is devoted to using art as a platform for change: they've recognized that art can ignite conversation around injustice in a way few other things can, and they encouraging all of us to watch, listen, and learn.

Donate in any amount that you can: any contribution is useful. For a $40 donation, Jayu will give you two tickets to their opening night film on December 11 in Toronto!

Art can change the world, but only if the artists and the organizations that provide us access to the art have the funding they need to continue their important work. Help Jayu keep doing what it does best.




Thursday 19 November 2015

Debunk the Myth

Thank you to everyone who made last night's Global Citizenship Summit such a resounding success. The food was delicious, the speakers were thoughtful and motivating, and the entire night was a celebration of our multicultural community here at Lambton College. 

Gilad Cohen of Jayu captured the audience as we previewed the
trailer for Jayu's 2015 Film Festival.  
We were fortunate to hear from Gilad Cohen, founder and Executive Director of Jayu, which operates the Toronto International Human Rights Film Festival. Gilad shared with us the difference that art can make as we struggle to begin a conversation around specific human rights abuses: art can provide common ground and a way in for so many of us. Gilad has visited Lambton before, and I hope he'll be back again--he's a captivating and motivating speaker. (He also gave us an update on Jayu's #CapturetheStreets project, now headed for a Harvard exhibit! And if you'd like to help ensure Jayu's mission continues, you can contribute to their Kickstarter campaign: more on that soon.)

We also heard from Aruba Mahmud and Rezan Mosa, two Muslim women who shared with us their experiences of wearing the hijab and niqab in Sarnia. Both clarified that choosing to cover themselves in public has nothing to do with oppression: instead, both understand their decision to veil themselves as a sign of their freedom to make their own choices and follow their faith. 

Our second keynote speaker of the night was Leo Johnson, a graduate of McMaster University and one of the final five in the CBC's Next Great Prime Minister competition. Leo is now at work on Empowerment Squared, an organization that's working on many important projects, including opening the first post-war library in Leo's native Liberia. Leo challenged us to consider the ways in which our (mis)perceptions of Africa and of each other shape our actions. 

Thank you to Ruth Geurts, Amy Weiler, and the organizational team that made this evening such a success. Thank you to our speakers and sponsors, and to the food vendors who prepared such a delicious dinner. And thank you, especially, to the students. So many Lambton College students volunteered to run cultural tables, sharing details of their traditions and beliefs; other students helped to prepare the room, to serve dinner, and to clean up afterwards. 

This college is a better place for our diversity. 

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Global Citizenship Summit 2015

Right now, more than three hundred Lambton College students are gathered together to learn about intercultural communication. They're hearing from two captivating speakers: Gilad Cohen and Leo Johnson.




If you'd like to join in the conversation, join us tonight at the Lambton Inn for the second annual Global Citizenship Summit! Dinner starts at 4:30, and the speakers begin at 6:30. For more information, check out our website!

Friday 6 November 2015

Unleash the Stress!

This week, the members of the Jack Project have encouraged all members of the Lambton College community to "unleash the stress." It's a busy time around here, as students push their way through tests and assignments to reach the end of term. The stress can start to bring us down if we're not careful.

To help keep us balanced, the team behind Lambton's chapter of the Jack Project has organized a free pancake breakfast, visits with therapy dogs, drop-in yoga, a car smash event, a flash mob surprise, and, yesterday, a mental health walk.

Lambton students, staff, faculty, and our mascot, Pounce, post at the end of our
walk in the sunshine.
The walk--which took us to RBC and back--was a wonderful break in the middle of the day, and a chance to chat with friends and colleagues. It was also an important reminder that good mental health doesn't happen automatically: we have to set time aside for ourselves if we want to stay healthy.

If you'd like to learn more about Lambton College's amazing Jack Project team, you can check out their facebook page.

Friday 30 October 2015

Next Weekend: SWIFF!

The first ever South Western International Film Festival takes place in Sarnia next weekend!

Here's a description of the event from the SWIFF website:

"The South Western International Film Festival is a international event held every first weekend in November that will establish Sarnia-Lambton as a cultural hub for Southwestern Ontario. By focusing on artist engagement, youth participation, community enrichment and our evolving diversity, SWIFF will create a unique and exciting cinematic experience for the community of Sarnia-Lambton while opening its doors to visitors from far and wide."

For a full schedule and more information on the films, please visit www.swiff.ca




Tuesday 20 October 2015

Lambton College students nominated for Samara award

Two of Lambton College's Social Service Worker students, Katie Horvath and Kari Roos, have been nominated for Samara's Everyday Political Citizen Award.



Kari and Katie are the co-founders of Lambton's student social-justice group, Vocalize. Both women have worked tirelessly this fall to encourage students to engage in conversations about democracy. The two were instrumental in bringing the All Candidates Debate to the college last month. 

Thank you, Katie and Kari, for all you do to encourage us all to be political citizens! 

Monday 19 October 2015

Anti-Poverty Rally

Last Friday, almost 100 concerned community members gathered on the steps of Sarnia's city hall to encourage action against poverty.

Here are a few of the photographs from last week's Anti-Poverty Rally. 


Peace begins when the hungry are fed.
Second-year SSW student Katie Horvath
with her daughter, Kali.


Lambton SSW students
 
Students display their signs for
passing motorists.



Lambton College's SSW students

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Friday: Anti-Poverty Rally

Friday, October 16, 2015
12:00 Noon
Sarnia City Hall
___________________________________

Living in poverty reduces a person’s health, limits their education and employment opportunities, affects their mental health and tears away at their dignity & self-respect.


Karen Mathewson – Community Legal Assistance Sarnia
Myles Vanni - The Inn of the Good Shepherd,
Thea deGroot – Citizens for Public Justice Lauren Duncan- Circles

The Federal Government needs to create a national anti-poverty plan and a national affordable housing plan. Join us to urge the parties running in the federal election to implement anti-poverty and affordable housing plans. Join us to let them know poverty in Canada is unacceptable and an affront to Human Rights!

Donate your lunch money or purchase a
Make Poverty History bracelet to support The Inn of the Good Shepherd


Thursday 8 October 2015

Democracy Talks Next Week!

Thursday, October 15 from 11:30 - 12:30 in L208: Democracy Talks

Talk of democracy and our political process seems to be everywhere these days as we prepare for the upcoming election--but we know that voter turnout seems to be forever declining in Canada, and the discussions around politics, for too many of us, drop away once election day is over. 

Samara would like to change that.

Samara is a charitable organization dedicated to educating Canadians about democracy. Named after the maple keys that fall to the ground this time of year and take root everywhere, Samara believes that true change can also take root and grow. 

A local representative from Samara will join us at Lambton College on Thursday, October 15 from 11:30-12:30 in L208 to facilitate a non-partisan conversation about the democratic process. 

I had a preview of the presentation yesterday, and it’s really memorable and engaging. Please consider joining us no matter how familiar you are with the political process: this conversation is open to all students, faculty, and staff, and it will be most successful if we have a diverse group of participants.




Tuesday 6 October 2015

Chew on This!

Did you know that one in eight Canadian families struggle to put food on the table?


Vocalize co-founder and Lambton College student
Kari Roos hands out free apples and information.
“ChewOnThis!” events are being held today in more than 30 cities across the country, including right here at Lambton College. Volunteers are handing out brown paper bags containing an apple and information. 


"ChewOnThis!" is organized by Dignity for All, which is co-led by Canada Without Poverty (CWP) and Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ), both registered charities.

Today's "ChewOnThis!" campaign will be followed with an Anti-Poverty rally at noon on Friday, October 16 in front of Sarnia's City Hall. 

Visit www.chewonthis.ca to tell the government that you want a federal plan to end poverty.

For more information on the Dignity for All plan, visit www.dignityforall.ca/fedplan

Monday 5 October 2015

Pride Day at the Petrolia Library

11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015

ALL WELCOME

Drop-in to the Petrolia Library and celebrate the LGBTQ community in the Petrolia area.



The Open House includes displays and information by the Sarnia Pride Alliance, PFLAG and Rebound/Spectrum.
KidsTie Dye craft 6:00-7:30PM
Snacks and refreshments

Speaker sessions and craft will take place in the evening.  Please pre-register.


Petrolia Library
4200 Petrolia Line
519-882-0771

Wednesday 30 September 2015

The halls are orange at Lambton College!



Members of Lambton College's
Aboriginal Student Council
 volunteer to share information.






Thank you to all of you 
who wore orange today 
in support of survivors of 
Indian Residential Schools! 


Lila Bruyere, a residential school
survivor from Couchiching First Nation,
located in Northern Ontario. 

Lila attended St. Margaret's Residential
School
 in Fort Frances, Ontario.



Members of the Aboriginal Students Council
stand with Lila.
Here are a few of Lambton College's second-year Social Service Worker students. 

Tuesday 29 September 2015

Remembering the Victims of Residential School


Tomorrow, September 30, is Orange Shirt Day. Wear orange to honour the survivors of Indian Residential Schools. 
You can check out the Facebook campaign here
Indian Residential Schools, sponsored by the Canadian government and various churches, systematically removed First Nations children from their families for 150 years in an attempt to erase all traces of First Nations' cultures. Earlier this year, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released a report and a series of recommendations. Acknowledging the history and the pain is an important first step.

You can learn more about the October 30th campaign at orangeshirtday.weebly.com

How to Register and Vote!

1.      Register online: ereg.elections.ca (You might already be registered.)

2.      Decide where you’ll vote.

  •   If you’re not from Sarnia, you can still vote here. Stop by 595 Murphy Road (the old Sport Chek building) or call 1 866 281-4745 for more information.
3.      Find your polling station. (closest to college = Sarnia Christian School @ 1273 Exmouth St.)

4.      Vote! You have options:
  • on Election Day: Monday, October 19, 2015
  •  OR in an Advanced Poll at Fairwinds Lodge @ 1218 Michigan Ave: Friday, October 9; Saturday, October 10; Sunday, October 11; or Monday, October 12, 2015

5.      Remember your ID!
  • Bring your Driver’s License (if the address matches the city you’re voting in).
  • Bring any other TWO pieces of ID (one of these must show your current address).

To learn more, visit elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868

Can’t decide? Try the CBC Vote Compass: https://votecompass.cbc.ca/

All Candidates Debate: A Packed House!

The room was packed--some attendees
listened from the hallway.
Students, staff, faculty, and community members crowded into the room last week to hear this region's four candidates share their views on student poverty, immigration, marijuana, and more. 

Member were given a few minutes to introduce themselves and their party platform, and then the questions began. 
Lambton College Professor Lois Nantais, our debate moderator,
kept us organized and focused.

To keep the candidates on their toes, the debate featured a "lightning round": each candidate was invited to ding in to answer speed questions including the light (favourite book, favourite band) and the serious (personal relationships with poverty).

One hour was not enough. We spilled into hour two, but still, time ran out, because we all have questions that need answering. Audience members were invited to submit questions via Twitter, and we had more than we could handle: what will your party do to make Sarnia a welcoming place for young people to stay? What steps will your party take to ensure Canadian scientists have access to data? What are your thoughts on a woman's right to choose? What really happened to Marilyn Gladu's Twitter account?

The goal was to encourage students to talk about the election and to remind all of us to vote, and that was certainly accomplished. The event also reminded the candidates that they should be listening to what students have to say.


Wednesday 23 September 2015

Tomorrow: All Candidates Debate!


All four local candidates will join us at Lambton College tomorrow, September 24, at 11:30. This is a student-led debate. The questions will be real, and we hope the answers will be too. Please join us in N105! 

Monday 21 September 2015

Chew on This

Dignity for All has been calling on the federal
government to create a plan to end poverty. 

On Tuesday, October 6, members of the Centre for Social Justice and Vocalize will take part in the "Chew on This" campaign. We'll hand out lunch bags containing an apple and information about the fight against poverty in Ontario. (You'll find us in the South Building, in A-hall, and we'll be there all day.) The goal is to get people talking about poverty, which is an impediment for increasing numbers of college students across the province. We also hope that our participation in this campaign will help to remind everyone that poverty should be a key election issue. 

The Precarity Penalty, released in May 2015 by McMaster University and the United Way, explains the connection between unstable employment and poverty. More and more Canadians are working in "precarious employment," without benefits or a livable wage. Part of the solution is increased access to education: the report notes that "Workers with fewer educational credentials are simply dropping out of the labour force" (14), suggesting that those who complete post-secondary education will have a better chance of success. But education is only part of the answer. Even for those with diplomas and degrees, contract and temporary positions have become increasingly normalized, and the income gap continues to grow. Without national vision, it will be difficult to create lasting change. 

To read more, visit The Precarity Penalty, available here: http://pepso.ca/

To learn more about a federal anti-poverty plan, visit the Chew on This site: http://www.chewonthis.ca/about


Wednesday 16 September 2015

This weekend: The Wizard of Oz!

This weekend, the talented young people who are part of Rebound's Act II program will stage their production of The Wizard of Oz.

The employees and volunteers at Rebound have helped thousands of youth in our community over the years, and the theatre program is a perfect example of what makes Rebound so successful. According to the Rebound website, the Act II program "provides an artistic approach that allows youth to reach their full potential in a fun and safe environment." 

Michelle Shelswell, a Rebound volunteer and a faculty member at Lambton College, is studying the difference this program makes for those involved. You can read more about Michelle's study in this week's edition of The Sarnia Journal. 

If you'd like to support the life-changing work that happens at Rebound, please consider attending The Wizard of Oz this weekend.

Thursday 10 September 2015

World Suicide Prevention Day

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.

According to CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), " an estimated 4,000 Canadians – and one million people worldwide – die by suicide each year." And as we all know, thousands more contemplate or attempt suicide. Despite the huge portion of our population affected by these tragedies, we too often stay quiet about suicide, and the taboo--that suicide does not make for polite conversation--still lingers.

But more and more people are working to change that. Here at Lambton College, the Jack Project is encouraging all of us to talk about mental health. To show your support for mental health awareness, you can join the Suicide Prevention Sarnia Lambton team at Canatara Park this evening. At 6:30 pm, they'll walk together to bring attention to the ways that mental illness affects us all.

If you'd like to learn more about the Lambton College chapter of the Jack Project, check out their facebook page.

Monday 24 August 2015

Festival of Good Things

For the third year in a row, the Festival of Good Things will be a chance to celebrate the creative and positive energy that seems to be growing in our community these days.


The folks behind this festival work hard to make sure that it's fun and free. There is a charge for admission to evening concerts ($10 per night), but entrance to the rest of the day's events is by donation. There will be music, vendors selling handmade goods, and this year, the Run of Exploding Colour, a chance to fundraise for your favourite charity. There are lots of activities for kids and families, and all are welcome.

I really admire the idea behind this event. The organizers decided they'd like to see a festival in Sarnia, and they made it happen, and they made it free. If you're in support of creative events like this one, you might consider volunteering to help ensure the festival's success.

The Festival of Good Things takes place on the Friday and Saturday of Labour Day weekend (September 4 and 5) at the Sarnia Bay Marina. To learn more, visit the Festival of Good Things.

Thursday 20 August 2015

Another Awesome Win!

A hardworking team of people from Lambton College had the chance to pitch an idea to Sarnia's Awesome Foundation last week. Though they'd had only a few days' notice before presentation day, they'd been working on their idea for weeks. The team put together a creative and impressive proposal, and . . . . they won!

The pitch: help ensure the success of the second annual Global Citizenship Summit, to be held at the Lambton Event Centre on November 18, 2015. You may have read about last year's summit--the night, which featured interesting speakers, wonderful food, and the chance to learn about many different cultures, was a huge success, and this year will be great again. You can read more about the goals of this year's Global Citizenship Summit here

The winning team accepts the Awesome Foundation funds,
which will be used to support this year's Global Citizenship Summit.
Thanks to Alisia Esene for the photograph.

Thank you to the wonderful and dedicated team--Kari Roos, Katie Horvath, Suhail Babwani, Amy Weiler, Zackery Roos,  Bonnie Szeto, Tunji Ibidunni, Emily Fortney Blunt, Rebecca Marshall, Ruth Geurts, and more--who worked so hard to make this happen in such a short amount of time. 

Thanks also to the generous folks behind Sarnia's Awesome Foundation. You may have read about the Awesome Foundation on this blog before, since Lambton College's Aboriginal Student Council won Awesome Foundation funding to host the Round Dance last January. 

Stay tuned for more information on the Global Citizenship Summit! 

Tuesday 30 June 2015

Humans of Lambton College

Yesterday, the Sarnia Journal ran a feature story profiling one of Lambton College's recent graduates, Oluwasegun Alawode. Most of us know him as Bisi. You can read the full story here.

The talented Erica Ostojic captured this shot of Bisi 
to cap off the Humans of Lambton College project. 
Over the past year and a half, Bisi has been working with Lois Nantais, a professor at Lambton College, on a project they've called Humans of Lambton College. Together, they've documented stories from dozens of perspectives around this place: Lois asks the questions, and Bisi takes the photographs. You can see the entire collection online here, and for the next month, you can see a selection of the portraits on display in the SAC lounge at Lambton College.

So many of us are grateful for the energy that Lois and Bisi have put into this project. Through these stories, many of us have gotten to know our colleagues and our community a bit better. By helping all of us to feel connected, Lois and Bisi have made this college a better place. Thank you to you both!


Thursday 25 June 2015

Rain cheque

We missed out on hearing from Gilad this week. The huge Monday-night storm shut down power at the college for Tuesday, and we unfortunately had to call Gilad to cancel.

I heard from a lot of disappointed folks, but I have good news: Gilad may be back to Sarnia in the fall! I'll keep you up to date on our plans and progress.

More soon...

Monday 22 June 2015

Jayu: Using Art to Change the World

Please join us tomorrow to hear again from Gilad Cohen, founder and executive director of Jayu.

Jayu is a human-rights organization based in Toronto, founded with the belief that art can encourage conversation and spark change. Gilad's presentation tomorrow will focus on the communication across cultures that art can make possible.

We will meet in P111 from 1-2. We hope to see you there!

Thursday 11 June 2015

Jayu returns...


The word is out: Gilad Cohen will make a return visit to Lambton College on Tuesday, June 23 at 1pm. Stay tuned for details...

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Students share their stories of Haiti

Nursing students at Lambton College share pictures and
stories of their experiences in Haiti.
On Monday morning, a crowd of interested faculty and staff gathered to hear two panels of Lambton College students share their experiences of their time in Haiti.

Both groups had travelled to Haiti as part of their college experience: nursing students volunteered to run medical clinics and educational sessions in Haiti, and another group of students travelled as a component of Ruth Geurts' International Community Development course, a general education class that Ruth teaches here.
Kari Roos, an SSW student here at Lambton College, helps with the Haiti art table.
The proceeds of these sales are returned to the Haitian artists.

It was clear that the trip was meaningful and memorable for each of the presenters, and even life-changing for some. The nursing students spoke about seeing the theory they'd learned in the classroom come to life, and the challenges of communicating through the language barrier. Several of these students mentioned that the "cultural compentency" they'd discussed in the classroom had entirely new meaning for them now, as they encountered in their conversations with Haitians entirely different methods of treatment and very different belief systems from their own.

The focus for the general education group is on listening and learning. They don't travel to Haiti to parachute in with solutions: instead, they go there to learn about Haitians and about themselves. Both groups of students emphasized how much the trip revealed to them about themselves and their own preconceptions.

These trips happen in conjunction with Hands up for Haiti, a group of medical professionals that partners with Haitians to build sustainable educational and medical programs in Haiti. Our students also work with Rayjon, a local NGO that's been helping people to learn about Haitians and contribute to Haiti for thirty years now.

Thanks to the students who volunteered to share their stories with all of us.

If you'd like to learn more about Lambton College's connections to Haiti, please contact me. I'll be happy to put you in touch with the right people.

Friday 5 June 2015

Lambton College students visit Haiti

Every year, Ruth Geurts leads two groups of Lambton College students to Haiti. Nursing students and students enrolled in the International Community Development course visit Haiti for two different purposes--the first to listen and learn, the second to serve. 

If you'd like to learn more about what happens in Haiti--how the students prepare, what they do while they're there, what they take away with them--please consider joining us on Monday, June 8. We'll hear from students about their experiences, and we'll have the chance to ask questions. We will meet in L208 at 10:30 am

Feel free to email me (erica.kelly@lambtoncollege.ca) if you'd like to know more!

Friday 15 May 2015

Dignity for All: Upcoming Anti-Poverty Workshop

This past February, a group called Dignity for All released an anti-poverty plan for Canada. (Our Advisory Committee member Kelly Chappell Finch wrote a helpful blog post about the plan, which you can read hereKelly’s post also includes a link to the pdf of the full report.)

Now we have a chance to learn more about the report and to discuss its implications for Sarnia. On Thursday, May 28, from 9-11, the local Poverty Reduction Network will be hosting a workshop at Living Hope Christian Reformed Church, located at 1281 Exmouth Street in Sarnia. Anyone who would like to learn more about poverty, both locally and nationally, is invited to attend. Participants in the workshop will become part of the discussion about the causes of poverty and the structural changes necessary to equality for all.

Attendance is free.

You may have read last month’s article in The Observer about the workshop.

If you’d like more information about the workshop, please leave a note in the comments section or email me directly: erica.kelly@lambtoncollege.ca

Monday 4 May 2015

We're in the news!

Last week, the Sarnia Journal profiled our college's new student-led social justice club, Vocalize.


Kari Roos, Erica Kelly, and Katie Horvath pose for a picture.
You can read the full story here. Thanks to Susan Roberts at the Sarnia Journal for her interest in what we've been up to!

Thursday 23 April 2015

Sarnia Justice Film Festival: Last film of the season!


This Saturday (April 25), the Sarnia Justice Film Festival will screen Divide in Concord: A Tale of Banning Bottled Water. The film will be shown upstairs at the Sarnia Library at 7 pm. All are welcome, and there is no charge to attend.
Jean Hill, who leads the fight against bottled water in her town.
(photo credit to The Toronto Film Scene)

Divide in Concord follows the story of Jean Hill, an 84-year-old woman working to ban the sale of bottled water in Concord, Massachusetts. 

After the film, attendees will be invited to participate in a dialogue about the state of Canadian water, and experts will be on hand to answer questions. 

You can read more about the film and the debate it's generated here: http://divideinconcord.com/

For more information about the Justice Film Festival, email justicefilm@sympatico.ca or visit

Friday 10 April 2015

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes


On Saturday, April 11, stop by the Lambton Mall at noon to show your support for Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an annual event that encourages people to speak out against sexual assault and gender violence. 

Men from the community will put on high heels and walk a mile through the mall to raise awareness. At the same time, they'll be raising funds to help support the essential support offered by the Women's Interval Home and the Sexual Assault Survivors' Centre in our community.

If you'd like to volunteer or participate, email walkamilesarnia@hotmail.com.

And if you can't be there tomorrow, consider telling others about the event anyway. Speaking out against domestic violence will help to end it.




Wednesday 8 April 2015

Jayu's #Street Photography Project

I’m looking forward to the presentation from Jayu today—like the members of this organization, I’ve always believed that art can be the genesis of powerful social change.

I’ve just been reading about Jayu’s new project for this spring, called the Street Photography Project. The organization is pairing homeless youth in Toronto with talented local photographers, providing them with cameras, and encouraging them to tell their stories through photographs.

At the end of the spring, the resulting photographs will be shared at local galleries, and all proceeds from sales will be returned to the young photographers.

This is a simple but powerful idea, and Jayu hopes that the resulting images will change lives—not just of the photographers involved, but also of viewers. Part of the goal is to “smash negative stigma and stereotypes about homeless youth.”

Please join us today in K203 at 1:30 to hear more about this and other Jayu initiatives. Visit their website to learn more: http://www.jayu.ca


Monday 6 April 2015

Jayu, Art, and Human Rights

The people behind Jayu believe that art can make a difference in the fight for human rights. Their hope is "to be the catalyst for change and envision a world of globally minded and informed individuals who support human rights."

Please join us this Wednesday, from 1:30-2:30 in K203, to learn more about Jayu's mission. Gilad Cohen, the founder of Jayu, will lead the conversation. Here’s the link to the Jayu website if you’d like to learn more:  http://www.jayu.ca

The hour has been organized by Wade Fleming, the Intercultural Awareness Award organizer at Lambton College. The hour will be a chance to learn more about Jayu (which Wade tells me is a Korean word that means “freedom”) and to join the conversation about the intersection between art and human rights. 

I hope to see you there!

Friday 27 March 2015

The Residential School Experience


On Tuesday, March 31, Susie Jones will visit the college. Susie Jones is a Walpole Island First Nation Elder and a residential school survivor, and she's visiting to share information with us. This presentation will provide an opportunity for us to learn more about the residential school system--a system that, while it's no longer in practice, continues to have a powerful effect on the lives of many first nations people. It's a piece of Canadian history that we should all be aware of.

The title of Susie Jones' talk is "The Residential School Experience and the Intergenerational Impact on First Nations." We'll meet in the Lambton College Residence and Event Centre from 5-8, and soup, frybread and cookies will be served.

This is an important topic, and the presenter deserves our full attention and our respect, so we've asked that all who are attending enter the event in a spirit of reverence and thanks. We're asking that all in the audience avoid using cell phones during the presentation to demonstrate to the speaker that our full attention is on her and her story.

Registration is required, and space is limited: if you'd like to attend, please email Kim Jackson at pprc@lambtoncollege.ca to reserve a seat.




Thursday 26 March 2015

Words

Thea deGroot, one of the members of our Centre for Social Justice Advisory Committee, wrote a guest column for today's Sarnia Journal. You can read her column, called "The words you use do matter," here.

Thea reminds all of us to think about the implications of the language we use. Thea writes, "Easy labels allow us to differentiate ourselves from those who differ from us in one aspect, and thus make all kinds of judgments about them and keep our distance." Even (and sometimes especially) when we're not thinking about the power our words hold, they can be used to reinforce hierarchies and stereotypes. 

The words we choose to use have power both to harm and to help. 

http://thesarniajournal.ca/guest-column-words-use-matter/

Friday 13 March 2015

Focus on Palestine

If you're free on Wednesday, March 18, please consider joining us at Lambton College for an information session titled "Post-secondary Education under Political Conflict – Focus on Palestine." 

Dr. Khaled Nigim will be leading this presentation for us. It's a chance to learn more about a complicated and ongoing crisis. 

In addition to his teaching role at Lambton College, Dr. Nigim works as a consultant with the World Bank, investigating post-secondary options for Palestinian students. He will share background information and video clips to explain some of the challenges young people face when pursuing higher education in unsettled situations. 

No prior knowledge is necessary. Please email me (Erica.Kelly@lambtoncollege.ca) to RSVP or to ask more about the event.

Thursday 12 March 2015

In the News!

The successful launch of our new social justice student group, Vocalize, made the local papers!

You can read the full story here: A Voice for the Voiceless. Thanks to Carl Hnatyshyn from Sarnia this Week for telling the story.

Congratulations to Vocalize! We're all looking forward to seeing what's next for you.