YMCA-YWCA International

I'm part of the International Committee here at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg (go to the website to find out what the Y does, and how you can get involved!)

We're publishing the next newsletter and I contributed an article to it! I wrote about this year's Peace Medal Winners - they are SO COOL!! Here it is:

The YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg, together with YMCA associations across Canada, marked World Peace Week November 14 – 24 by encouraging kids, youth and adults to create peace by living it, every day, with family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. The week included displays and contests in all four branches, activities in regular children’s programs, a Peace Week Breakfast, and LIT and Leaders Peace Jam. The highlight of this week of activities was the announcement of the 2007 YMCA Peace Medal Winners.

“The Peace Medallion recipients have led the way in showing how any one of us has the ability or power to create positive social change without special resources. They are a tremendous inspiration and role model for improving the quality of life in a community, either at home or overseas,” says David Young, Chief Executive Officer.

KEVIN FREEDMAN, winner of the Adult Peace Medal, has always been passionate about human rights and peace. Kevin began working in the inner city at the Salvation Army Booth Centre when he was twenty, and represented the Salvation Army on the Winnipeg Homeless Committee in an advocacy role. He discovered Peace Brigades International (PBI) through a random Google search, and was accepted into the program in December of 2005. PBI is an international grassroots Non-Government Organization (NGO) that has promoted nonviolence and protected human rights since 1981. They send international volunteers to areas of conflict, where they provide protective accompaniment to human rights defenders threatened by political violence. They also facilitate other peace-building initiatives.

Celia Guilford, a Project Coordinator for PBI, nominated Kevin for the prestigious Peace Medal, describing the amazing accomplishments and contributions he has made. As part of the PBI team, Kevin provided protective accompaniment and international presence to threatened human rights defenders. To assist in bringing peace to the region, Kevin actively networked and cooperated with high-level Indonesian government officials, various embassies, and local and international NGOs to ensure the safety of local human rights defenders; monitored and dispersed information on social, political and human rights issues in Indonesia; gathered, evaluated and analyzed information on security issues/threats; contributed to the writing of bi-weekly newsletters concerning local NGOs in Papua and Aceh, and participating in writing letters of concern to local and national governments in the event of a security risk situation.

Kevin’s work in Indonesia also extended beyond PBI. In May 2006 a devastating earthquake hit the Jogjakarta region, one of the poorest provinces in the country, where he was living. 6,000 died and over a million were left homeless after the disaster. Kevin and some friends provided emergency relief to hundreds of victims – using their own money and almost $7,000 in donations gathered through a website created by Kevin.

Kevin came home in August 2007 to complete his BA at the University of Winnipeg. In an article he wrote for Rights and Democracy he describes his admiration for the Human Rights Defenders (HRD) he worked with during his time in the country: “I find inspiration in, and am fascinated by, the HRDs that PBI works daily with here in Papua, and hope some day I may be able to make an anonymous impact the way they do.”

Kevin plans to return to Indonesia in January, and hopes to study law in 2008.

The Youth Peace Medal went to the VINCENT MASSEY COLLEGIATE PEER HELPERS, who work to make change happen! This group has served as ambassadors, peacemakers, problem solvers and friends. The Peer Helpers is an ethnically diverse group of students from all high school grade levels. The group was nominated by Ruth Elizabeth Stargardter, Student Services Department Head at Vincent Massey Collegiate, who describes their meetings as a time of discussion about everything ranging from the co-ordination of activities to how each and every one of us can and must have an impact on promoting peace and unity. The many activities and campaigns organized by the Peer Helpers demonstrate their creative drive to helping the community at large.

Last year, the group organized the first Wear Red Campaign for World Aids Day. They encouraged students to wear red to show their support of people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada and internationally and also set up a booth during the lunch hour to raise awareness and funds, which were donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The group also organizes a Holiday party each year for students enrolled in the English as an additional language program. This past year they organized a unique pot-luck, encouraging every student to bring a dish as well as a story or tradition from their own culture or heritage that they would like to share.

After a fire destroyed the school on the Black River First Nation, one of the members saw an article on the situation and the group launched into action by organizing a Book Drive, accepting hundreds of donations of all types of young and adolescent literature to replace those lost in the fire.

The Peer Helpers also made history by organizing the first ever Addictions Awareness Week to be held by the school. Their aim was to promote safety and the well-being of students in an interactive and non-judgmental approach.

Considered to be the highlight of the year, the group organized the World Vision 30-hour famine. Activities included a documentary, a thought-provoking round-table discussion, a presentation from students who’d just returned from working in Africa, playing the World Game, as well as raising several thousand dollars!

Starganter best describes the actions of this innovative group by summarizing their work on a 50 foot mural, which they completed in one week by working every day for three to four hours after school. The mural - depicting a circus theme, elephants, laughing children and dancing lions - was completed with the collaboration of the Sainers’ Foundation, and will be separated into portions sent to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Montreal, the Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Winnipeg and the Shrine Temple in Winnipeg. Both the mural and the Peer Helpers serve as “a constant reminder of the incredible work that can be done when groups co-operate to make a difference in the lives of others while promoting a strong sense of community.”

Congratulations to the 2006/2007 Vincent Massey Peer Helpers: Gladys Yeung, Seni Akinrinlola, Michelle Bakkelund, Dania Khalid, Sarah Khalid, Victor Le and Samantha Worms!