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It’s another Friday
It’s Diversity Community Newscast
The date is February 19, 2021
By your host Harriet Tinka….
Sponsored by Ray Z Plumbing and Heating…..
Here are the headlines for this week
The Year of the Ox – Henry Fung brings Albertans the message for Chinese Lunar New Year….
“…not being racist is not good enough….we must be anti-racist…,”Mayor Iveson hits home a Black History Month message….
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) invites people from diverse communities to serve on its new Chief Community Council…..
Diversity TV brings to you after this newscast, a Valentine’s Day Special Panel on why people go home to marry while there’re countless angels right here in their backyards.
Now the news in detail….
1. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) invites people from diverse communities to serve on its new Chief Community Council as it redesigns its community engagement strategy to be more inclusive.
As a recommendation from the EPS Commitment to Action initiative and other engagement efforts, the EPS is looking for community members with experience in marginalization, discrimination, and interested in being part of change to guide the EPS in addressing issues within vulnerable communities.
The deadline is February 28, 2021. For more information, please go to www.edmontonpolice.ca/ccc or send application to CCC@edmontonpolice.ca
2. It’s February! It’s another Black History Month. Who’s doing what in Edmonton and Calgary? Here’s what is up?
Saturday, February 27, 2021, 12 noon, by Africans and African Descendants Friendship Club of St. Albert – online.
Saturday, February 6 – 27, AJFAS Black History Month events on www.ajfas.ca
Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association will be hosting Black History Educational Workshops at schools in Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park and Ardrossan, February 10th to February 26th ( private).
Also, they’re hosting virtual videos, highlighting the meaning of Black History Month, what it means to African / Caribbean Canadians who have risen above the challenges and have accomplished, highlighting their valuable contributions to the many fields such as, politics, education, sports, Arts and Culture. This will be shown throughout the month of February on their Facebook Page.
On February 27, AfroQuiz will welcome 40 contestants from four age categories covering elementary through High School. Themed, “Health and the Black Community, 2021 will take an online format. Youth participants and spectators of all ages can register at www.ccach.org/afroquiz/afroquiz-2021-registration/.
Calgary
Raising Hope in a Pandemic, February 15 & 27, 1PM – online
Ethnik Festival of Arts and Culture, 26-27 February, 6-8 PM daily – online
Black History Month Desire to Make a Difference; Community Responsibility, and Integrity, February 27, 6-8PM.
Afrikadey! Arts & Cultural Society in partnership with Pan African Music Society of Nigeria for an online music concert March 13, 2021, from 6pm to 8pm.
Black History Month Offers… SASS Marketing Agency is offering help to the black community as part of Black History Month 2021. If you’re a #BlackOwnedBusiness in the Edmonton and area in need of graphic design work to promote your business during these difficult times, you can get a FREE offer from SASS. ⠀
To request a FREE 1 (one) time design promotional marketing material before the end of February, please click here tinyurl.com/1vo4he4c
Before we go to more Black History Month stories, we will take a quick commercial break….
“…not being racist is not good enough….we must be anti-racist…,”Mayor Iveson hits home a message of hope and commitment, saying it’s not good enough to not be racist but we must be actively anti-racist. The Mayor made the remarks at the official launch of Black History Month in the Francophone Community in Edmonton on February 5, 2021, organized by AJFAS, La FRAP, and Conseil Scolaire Centre Nord in Edmonton.
“… If there’s no seat for you at the table, bring your own seat….stop the self limiting belief…don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start your business…,” this a selection from an inexhaustible list of lessons learnt at the well attended BCW in Action’s Black History Month event on February 13, 2021, celebrating Black Businesses and families.
3. It’s Chinese Lunar New Year…It’s the Year of the Ox
Alberta Joins the celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year. Friday February 12, 2021, marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, the Year of the Ox. This year hasn’t happened for 60 years. The Ox represents the first year of the 12-year zodiacal cycle. This 16 days Chinese New Year 2021 was observed on Friday, February 12th, 2021. Mostly, the Chinese New Year festival period lasts for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s eve on February 11th and go on till February 26th. Some view the Ox as being symbolic of hardworking attitudes and reliability because of its role in agriculture. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Lunar New Year celebrations in Alberta are virtual.
Friday, February 12, 2021, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 PM, the Government of Alberta hosted an online event.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 AT 7 PM MST – 8 PM, Virtual Lunar New Year Celebration, Alberta NDP Caucus hosted another virtual online event.
Henry Fung, a leader from the vibrant Chinese community in Edmonton is here to shed some light on the celebrations this year.
4. Fashion of the Week…..
This week Fashion of the Week profiles the works of Alèthe Kaboré, owner of KYN Apparel. Months ago, masks were made mandatory in indoor spaces across Alberta. We are happy to be joined by local Edmonton designer Alèthe Kaboré, owner of KYN Apparel to run us through some of the different mask designs that they have; Ears Savers, Mask with Ties, Masks with Elastic, and Antibacterial Masks.
For more information on different mask designs, and how to buy, please go to kynapparel.ca
5. Diversity Profile of the Week….
She’s a mother, a nurse, she likes travelling, passionate about helping newborn babies in Neonatal Intensive care unit and has an eye for the arts. Her family and friends call her Gbemi, she loves to dance and is equally ambitious.
Please meet the exciting Gbemisola Bello, a Registered Nurse based in Calgary.
She was a nurse in Nigeria since 1996, before coming to Canada in 2010. In Canada, she took and passed the nursing exams, and has been working as a nurse ever since. Gbemi is not done, she is currently taking her Lactation Consultant course and dreams of taking a nursing research study in the future.
When Gbemi is not helping kids in the hospital, she’s working with moms across the world through the WhatsApp group she created, “super moms” with over 150 African moms with kids with Autism. She also spends some of her fun time doing interior decor.
Let me bring on the exciting Gbemi so you can hear from her in her own words….
A Diversity TV Black History Month Special….
“Politics can be a force for good….politics can make a difference in people’s lives…friends advised me to run for politics to give back in a bigger way and fight for the services that I benefited from…you’re as Canadian as anyone else, work hard, fight hard, volunteer to learn new skills and expand your network, this is your country, learn your history….”
From the bottom of his new country as a Somali refugee to the summit, a Canadian Minister opens up.
A Diversity TV Black History Month Special with Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Minister for Families, Children and Social Development.
6. Coronavirus Project Cool Times:
Alberta Health has reported scams where victims are asked to provide personal information, send money, or buy gift cards to secure a COVID-19 vaccine early. If you’ve received such a call, contact Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or your local police.
7. In Diversity TV International News….
Former Nigerian Finance Minister, and World Bank Executive, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, becomes the first woman, and person of African descent to be elected as the Director General for the World Trade Organization (WTO). The West African country of Guinea closes its border as Ebola spreads in the country amidst the presence of COVID-19.
8. Dish of the Week…..
Now that the restaurants are opened again, Selasi’s Grill prepares for us grill lines encrusted tender steak. Selasi’s Grill serves western, Chinese, and African food. Opened just months ago opposite Stadium, on 8604 112 Avenue Edmonton, with a large parking space, a bar, a large dining space, a private meeting room, and most importantly, delicious western, African, and Chinese dishes.
9. Announcements….
A. Are you an Internationally Educated Professional? The Global Talent Conference in Edmonton is looking to connect and inspire. This year the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC) will co-host the first Alberta Global Talent Conference with their counterpart in Calgary, the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC). The event will be virtual. This year’s theme is Redefining, Mentoring and Networking to take place on Thursday, February 25th, 2021, from 9AM – 4PM
To register, please go to https://whova.com/portal/registration/globa_202102/
B. Businesses within Edmonton’s Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) may be eligible for a rebate of up to three months of their 2020 BIA tax if they were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of a credit to their business tax account. The rebate is part of the Edmonton Economic Recovery Grant, as the City makes an effort to help businesses hurt by the pandemic. To be eligible, a business needed to have been closed for a minimum of two weeks in 2020 because of the pandemic, and earned zero revenue while closed. The rebate is only applicable to the BIA tax and not to any other type of federal or provincial tax. The application deadline is February 28. To apply, go to www.edmonton.ca/business_economy/assessment_tax/business-improvement-area-taxes.aspx?utm_source=virtualaddress&utm_campaign=biaassessment
C. It’s just a week left to apply for the Municipal Internship Program for new or recent post-secondary grad interested in a career in municipal government. The Municipal Internship Program offers opportunities for first-hand, practical experience and training in municipal administration, finance/accounting & land use planning. For more information, please go to the Government of Alberta website here https://bit.ly/2LVO44k
D. Employers can now apply for their staff, Albertan frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic to receive a one-time payment in recognition of their hard work and sacrifice. This Critical Worker Benefit is a joint federal-provincial program that will see $465 million go to approximately 380,000 Alberta public and private sector workers in the form of $1,200 cash payments. For detailed information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit: alberta.ca/workerbenefit.
E. Businesses can now apply for Alberta Provincial Government support during this COVID-19 pandemic. The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant offers financial assistance to Alberta businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations that were ordered to close or curtail operations, and that experienced a 30% revenue loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more on the Alberta Government website
F. In Toronto, former Calgary based community builder, Faith Greaves, leads her organization, Mozia Women’s Network Society and Mozia Professional Business Centre Inc. forward. On February 20, 2021, from 3 PM, they will do a soft launch via ZOOM, Facebook, and YouTube, of their 10,000 square feet Mozia Women’s Network Society and Mozia Professional Business Centre Launch. Hear more from Faith Greaves…..
G. Dr. Leslyn Lewis generated some political shock waves in the leadership race for the Conservative Party of Canada, in an election she came third. Her enthusiasm attracted some new Black votes to the party. A couple of weeks ago, she joined with others to form a Black Conservative organization – Conservative Black Congress of Canada. Fresh from the launch of the Conservative Black Congress of Canada organization in Canada, the Chairman of the organization, an Edmonton Politician, Tunde Obasan tells us more.
H. Edmonton will host a very important Diversity Conference this Summer on July 6-10, at 9AM, inviting big names like Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. III. Organizer, Patrick Arthur is here to tell us more….
For tickets, please go to www.diversityconference.ca
Thank you for watching Diversity TV Community Newscast from Harriet Tinka….See you next week.
We now begin our Valentine’s Day Special panel.
10. Diversity TV in the Community….
“…Hahaha….someone said we should shut the borders so that no one goes back home to get married…”
Why do people go home to marry while there’re countless angels right here in their backyards? A Diversity TV Valentine’s Day Panel…
Hosted by Diversity TV Tabitha Biel, here are our panelists:
Clive Chirunga, Life Experience Coach
Joy Gihana, Mental Health/Family Pyschotherapist
Nemata Okot, a Nurse
Watch the video and please feel free to comment or suggest topics of discussion.
