United Nations International Decade for People of
African Descent
The United Nations declared 2015-2024 the International Decade for People of African Descent, with the theme : “People of African Descent: recognition, justice and development.”
ADSBC has been working with Various levels of Government, non-Profit organizations and Civil Societies to promote International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) in Canada. We have done this through Workshops, presentations, ADSBC Annual forums of people of African Descent, which aim to promote awareness of International Decade for People of African Descent, African Descent Festival and various community and school outreach.
ADSBC is an instrumental organization in leading meetings with ambassadors, diplomats, Municipal, Provincial, Federal and international organizations to engage them into awareness of International Decade for People of African Descent in Canada and outside. ADSBC has inspired many scholars, political leaders, civil and non-profit organization about understanding of International Decade for People of African Descent and our Executive Director, Yasin Kiraga Misago has met with local, regional, national and international leaders to discuss how to raise awareness of UN International Decade for people of African Descent. ADSBC has been a major source of information and information-sharing about the International Decade for People of African Descent working with the Office UN International Decade for People of African Descent in US and Geneva Switzerland.
In 2017, the ADSBC partnered with the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, the Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and the Federation of Black Canadians to promote the Black Canadians Summit. We again partnered in 2019 for the Summit.
Visit the site, www.un.org/en/observances/decade-people-african-descent, for more information on the General Assembly’s proclamation, actions taken, programmes and multimedia with exhibits, video and images.
ADSBC visits a school during African Descent History Month.
ADSBC - IDPAD Program
African Descent Society BC is proud to have been a part of the Black in British Columbia (BC) Convener pilot project. It was funded by the BC Government under the Resilience BC Framework. As part of its Convener role, The African Arts and Cultural Community Contributor Society (AACCCS) led a community assessment of the performance of BC — both government and society — in terms of the key thematic issues developed under the Canadian Strategic Action Plan (2017-2024) that resulted from the inaugural National Black Canadians Summit on the International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) (2014-2024) proclaimed by the United Nations.
In following the three tenets of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, Recognition, Justice and Development, the ADSBC has worked on the following activities:
- African Descent Festival
- People of African Descent Public Forum Series: ”What’s the United Nations International Decade For People of African Decent”
- Annual (IDPAD) conferences and public lectures during African Heritage Month in February and on March 21 to commemorate United Nations’ Day Against Racial Discrimination
- UNESCO General History of Africa
- Regional and/or PAD multicultural soccer galas
- PAD multimedia campaigns
- The Refugee Theatre: Firehall Arts Centre Production regional tour
- PAD video Documentaries .
- PAD Workshop and continuing conversation, poetry and storytelling
- Community engagement with stakeholders
- Development and dissemination of educational materials and a website educating all Canadians about the root causes, the impact/harm and other consequences of anti-PAD racism and other forms of discrimination and ways to combat them. The materials aim to combat anti-PAD racism. We create an interactive, public-access, user-friendly website (with FB, Twitter and other social media feeds). The website will host anti-racist and social justice videos, be interactive, and create brochures/pamphlets. Hard copies in the form of pamphlets, brochures and flyers, posters and postcards will be distributed to schools (grade schools and post-secondary) and the general public.
- PAD Social Justice. Youth and community members get opportunities to learn in a Social Justice course. They will be trained as leaders and volunteers to work on various aspects of this project. They will in turn train selected students from grade schools and impart their skills in anti-racist leadership and activities.
- Human Rights Workshops: this involves a series of workshops targeted at youths of different age groups.
- Refugee Firehall Theatre Arts Performance
- Involving ethno-cultural communities..
- PAD Heritage Fair Quiz: This is a national quiz to test contestants’ knowledge about the history, current affairs, trivia, etc., about “Black/Africa Canada.” The questions will be picked largely from our website.
- Public Forum Series: This will include different themes such as UNESCO General History of Africa Project Awareness; Non discrimination and Equality before the Law; Access to Justice; Seeking Reparation and Apology for Historical Wrongs; Human Rights Education and PAD; Healing and reparation of historic and current injustices and regional reconciliation commission for PAD; UNESCO General History of Africa Project Awareness.
- United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent Multimedia Publicity.
- Train thirty (30) anti-racism advocates who will be able to function in a number of settings
- Train 3000 youth advocates to address the strategies of the UN Programme of Action
- Create a skills bank for several youth and
- Create the IDPAD website.
- Youth mentorship Program
- Public Forum Series with the following themes: Right to development and measures against poverty; Foreign academic credential integration program and skill development recognition; Skill development workshops; Access to health care services; Human Rights Education and PAD; Affordable housing and cultural spaces for PAD and; PAD and the Rights to Education.
- Conference on healing and reparation of historic and current injustices and regional reconciliation commission for PAD
- Multimedia publicity campaign on United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.
- PAD Curriculum Development Initiative Project (based on UNESCO General History of Africa)
Slideshow of the National Black Canadians Summit in 2017
