By Ken Herar
The 11th Annual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards were a huge success with a sold out crowd in attendance at the Ramada Plaza & Conference Centre last Friday.
With 52 nominees from Langley, Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Mission there was no shortage of inspiring stories. Having been both a nominee and a recipient of the Champion of Diversity Award in 2007, I know firsthand the feeling on both sides.
The heart of the matter is that everyone is a winner at these awards and it’s encouraging to see the work that is being done around cultural diversity. So, for those who did not get make it onto the stage, I encourage you to continue your work and to be that vehicle of awareness and commitment.
For those recipients who were selected, I also encourage you to continue your leadership and be that ambassador for cultural diversity. The evening is also fabulous networking opportunity to meet diversity leaders from all parts of the Lower Mainland. I and Bob Soltis had the privilege of sitting next to Linda Rubuliak of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver and had many interesting conversations. With this connection, she was very interested in learning more how could work together on various projects in the near future.
The Guest of Honour for the evening was Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and the Master of Ceremonies was Mark Forsythe from CBC Radio. Guests were entertained by Latin group YAD Cubano and Mike Bertness.
Some of the nominees in the five categories were: Eugene Reimer Middle School, WJ Mouat Secondary School, Suburban Swing, Cool Runnings, Khalsa Diwan Society, Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre, GirlKIND and Petcetera.
Now your probably wondering what is Petcetera have to do with anything around cultural diversity. Reading their description in the program booklet Petcetera is dedicated to animal welfare, reducing animal euthanasia and promoting responsible pet ownership. Petcetera also plays a large role in School District 33 Chilliwack Special Needs Work Experience program. As we can see cultural diversity is not just limited to people, but also animals and how we can celebrate both our existence together. Its encouraging to see the definition of cultural diversity constantly expanding to be more inclusive for everyone.
The recipients of the 2013 FVCDA are as follows: Inclusive
Environment- L.I.N.C ( Long-term inmates Now in the Community) Society. Marketing/Outreach (2 awards) – Fraser Valley Child Development Centre and PriceSmart Foods Clearbrook. Reflective
Workforce- University of the Fraser Valley. Innovative Initiative- Man Turned to Stone T’xwelatse. Champion of Diversity- Francis Xavier Edwards of Mission.
Glen Flett from LINC said, “It was such an unexpected honor and a totally humbling moment. The work that LINC does is all about giving back. We don’t expect such an honor for doing what we should be doing-contributing to our community. “All of us at LINC are so grateful for the opportunities we are given and this award is very much appreciated. This grand demonstration of inclusion inspires us to join together to make a difference.”
Manpreet Grewal Manager, Multicultural & Immigrant Services at Abbotsford Community Services said, ” Cultural Diversity Awards brings us together as a community to recognize all the efforts being made to
make our communities inclusive. It is a celebration of small steps
taken each day and we are grateful to our nominees for the work they do, everyone who comes out to support them and our sponsors and partners who make it happen.”
I asked Goldie Van Garderen, who was this years event coordinator what are the judging panel looking for in nominees? She said, “ The judges are asked to consider all aspects of cultural diversity – age, abilities, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic background. Each individual category recognizes a unique quality of the nominees.”
Living in one of the diverse regions in the country there is so much to celebrate and be proud of here in the Fraser Valley.
Ken “Kulwinder” Herar is a Mission-based writer and a winner of the champions of diversity award for his columns in the LINK newspaper and other Fraser Valley newspapers. Herar can be reached at [email protected] or view his blog at http://www.kenherar.blogspot.com
