| Human transformation and progress towards a more | | | | When I visited the group was set up in a big classroom |
| positive enlightened way of living have long been topics | | | | and studying how to use video equipment. I did not |
| that fascinate me. Many of the articles on this website | | | | want to interrupt them so I pulled aside one the staff |
| focus on the personal transitions that so many of us | | | | people to find out further information about the |
| go through. But not only do we as individuals go | | | | program. I ended up talking to Sarah Mair, a social |
| through transitions and change, but communities and | | | | work coop student from Ryerson University who is |
| cities also undergo transformations. Following my trip to | | | | currently spending some time at Scadding Court |
| Mexico last year it became clearer for me than ever | | | | helping with the Outer Limits project. She filled me in a |
| that my chosen home town Toronto is definitely one | | | | little on some of the training that had already taken |
| of the best places to live in, and I wanted to start an | | | | place: the program participants have been receiving |
| initiative to celebrate Toronto, a city that is often | | | | training on how to teach English as a Second |
| underappreciated and whose uniqueness and | | | | Language, how to speak basic Bengali, even how to |
| significance is overlooked by its own residents. For | | | | cook Bengali cuisine. The participants have also been |
| some reasons, we seem to collectively suffer from | | | | spending time learning photography and videography |
| some sort of strange persistent inferiority complex | | | | techniques in order to learn how to document their |
| here, wondering whether we are indeed a world class | | | | amazing experiences in India. As I spent time talking |
| city or not. Toronto: Are we a world-class city or not? | | | | with Sarah I realized that she is an interesting individual |
| Well, I for one am a strong proponent of Toronto. As | | | | in her own right. As the daughter of Jamaican |
| an immigrant woman and female entrepreneur I have | | | | immigrants she has lived in different parts of Toronto, |
| personally seen the opportunities that this city can | | | | and as a person of colour she has had her own |
| provide to people from all over the world, and my | | | | experiences with Toronto's ethnic diversity. Sarah |
| Celebrate Toronto initiative will encompass an | | | | commented that she has had various key experiences |
| extensive article series, photo exhibitions and | | | | growing up when she has witnessed or been at the |
| neighbourhood portraits that will culminate in a big | | | | receiving end of racial slurs. Sarah explained that |
| fundraising event later this year for the following | | | | especially during high school students tend to quite |
| project: The "Outer Limits: International Youth Project" | | | | naturally segregate along racial and ethnic lines. She |
| is a highly innovative program that was conceived by | | | | expressed that young people of colour often do not |
| Kevin Lee and his staff at the Scadding Court | | | | receive the same opportunities and found that her |
| Community Centre to help young people at a | | | | situation improved when she started attending a |
| crossroads. In future years it will become a full-fledged | | | | black-focussed school. An after school black-focussed |
| anti-gang / anti-gun intervention program and will be | | | | program helped her develop a sense of pride and |
| carried out in partnership with Toronto Community | | | | identity as a person of colour. Sarah added that |
| Housing and India's Durbar Mahila Sammanaya | | | | persons of colour are often alienated by a Euro-centric |
| Committee near Kolkata. This Indian organization is a | | | | curriculum, and towards the end of her high school |
| well-established non-profit agency that works toward | | | | years she noticed considerable tension among |
| a secure social existence and better life for sex | | | | students of different backgrounds. Based on her own |
| workers and their families. Over the last few years the | | | | experiences, Sarah has decided to make her own |
| team at Scadding Court has raised close to $100,000 | | | | contributions to improving this situation, and through a |
| to built a residential school to provide training and | | | | career in social work she is planning to help |
| educational opportunities for this group of children who | | | | marginalized individuals and people of colour. But she |
| represent one of the most marginalized and | | | | plans to go even further and move into the field of |
| stigmatized segments of Indian society. The most | | | | policy making and down the road might even consider |
| innovative part of this program is that the Outer Limits | | | | politics, in order to make an active contribution towards |
| program will select youth from various low-income | | | | creating more respect and tolerance for people of all |
| neighbourhoods in Toronto, take them out of their usual | | | | backgrounds. She added that during a recent visit to a |
| environments to teach English to the children in Kolkata. | | | | Toronto-area mall, a friend from Ohio commented on |
| Located on a different continent in a vastly different | | | | the astounding ethnic diversity in Toronto, a society |
| environment from their own, the Toronto youth will | | | | unlike any other. In her and her friend's opinion even |
| have an opportunity to reevaluate their own lives in this | | | | New York City does not compare to the ethnic |
| new context, become involved in community service | | | | diversity that you see right here in Toronto. Sarah feels |
| and undergo life-changing learning experiences. The | | | | very strongly about her desire to become involved in |
| ultimate goal of this program is to create a new | | | | anti-racism and anti-oppression work. She wonders |
| generation of community leaders who will go back into | | | | what makes us so silent and hesitant to bring about |
| their own neighbourhoods and plant the seeds of | | | | change, and plans to raise awareness for these |
| positive change throughout different marginalized | | | | issues. She mentioned that there are still many |
| areas all across Toronto. The Outer Limits: an | | | | institutional problems with racism and it's going to be a |
| international program with tangible local benefits. The | | | | long road ahead yet to eradicate it, but fortunately |
| first group of four Toronto youth is scheduled to go to | | | | there are many agencies in Toronto whose work is |
| India on their international assignment on January 16 | | | | dedicated towards this cause and we are making |
| and they are planning to stay until April 12. For the last | | | | progress. Sarah's passion impressed me, particularly |
| few weeks they have been receiving training on how | | | | when she explained that she has a severe hearing |
| to teach English as a Second Language, how to deal | | | | disability and during her childhood doctors had told her |
| with culture shock and how to interact with the local | | | | that she would never be able to talk. She added that |
| children in India. They have also attended training for | | | | due to her hearing disability, so many people have |
| the creation of photo and video documentaries; and | | | | helped her in the past, and now she wants to become |
| the group will be publishing their experiences on a blog | | | | active to give back to the community. |
| throughout their entire stay in India. Last Thursday I | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal for |
| made the trek to Scadding Court to catch a glimpse | | | | unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. |
| of the group's training program, their preparation and | | | | Check out our FREE ebooks about travel. |
| their emotions as they prepare for this trip of a lifetime. | | | | |