Community News

42nd Jalsa Salana Canada promotes nine principles towards Pathway to Peace

Published

6 years ago

July 26, 2018

BY: JELANI GRANT

The largest Muslim organization in Canada held their 42^ndJalsa Salana Canada convention, with an attendance of more than 21,000 over the entire weekend. The theme for this year’s convention was “Pathway to Peace”, which they say will be achieved through the committed endorsement of nine principles. National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Canada Lal Khan Malik explained that the purpose of the campaign is to bring information to Canadians, and people around the world, about the various ways peace can be promoted based on the teachings of Islam.

The principles include the elimination of weapons profiteering, the need for nuclear disarmament, loyalty to country, absolute justice and recognition of the creator. The convention has served as an opportunity for members who have not yet been acquainted to network with others while reconnecting members who regard each other as family. Thousands of volunteers within the Amhadiyya organization helped plan and set up the three-day convention over months to ensure everyone who attended felt welcomed. To close each day, flavorful Pakistani meals were served buffet-style until everyone in attendance was full.

The Pan African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association US President Abdullah Dibba and PAAMA UK President Tommy Kallon attended the launch of PAAMA Canada at the convention. The organization began in the UK in 1986 and was recently launched in the US. Dibba has served as president since the US chapter launched in July 2017. The association began with the intent of “uniting together Ahmadi Muslims of African descent in the diaspora under one umbrella,” Dibba told Toronto Caribbean. “Under the auspices of the Association, it’s members come together in affectionate ties of brotherhood and sisterhood and carry out programs designed to promote intellectual discourse and dialogue, facilitate religious education and training, and engender service to humanity.”

The launch was initiated by the supreme head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V. The group held their 70^th Annual convention in America and Dibba said the hospitality and sense of unity are mirrored regardless of which country the convention is held in. “The turnout was great as we saw members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Canada from all backgrounds come together…they all serve the exact same purpose. Different cultures and countries have unique things which all contribute to the beauty of every Jalsa,” he said.

In addition to the prayer, religious speeches, and dialogue, the convention provided a space to support the global aid organization Humanity First. They are primarily a disaster relief organization that, through Ahmadiyya’s support, have provided global relief to those in need. Humanity First Media & Communications Director Mubashir Khalid has been serving the initiative for the past 13 years and says the organization doesn’t stop at providing temporary relief. “Within the rebuilding process, we have many different projects we work on,” Khalid said. The nine key programs currently active are disaster relief, food security, knowledge for life, water for life, global health, the gift of sight, community care, orphan care and is at the forefront of refugee resettlement in Canada. Registered in more than 50 countries and sustained by Ahmadi volunteers, and donations, the organization has provided support for devastating incidents such as the droughts in Kenya and Somalia, Hurricane Matthews impact in Haiti, and typhoon Tembin that hit the Philippines in 2017.

When Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, they were able to deploy relief teams faster than others because they already had facilities and volunteers established. “The beauty of Humanity First is that we are able to dispatch our teams within hours of notice in times of disasters,” Khalid said.

All of the volunteers are well trained to ensure the safety of everyone and though some of these missions require a full-time commitment, Khalid emphasized that no one representing Humanity First is paid for their work. “We have a large pool of volunteers who are professional firefighters, doctors and nurses that take time out of their schedules to volunteer time and money to do the work,” Khalid told Toronto Caribbean.

The volunteers who dedicate their time to supporting these programs do not view what they do as a job because they enjoy providing help to others. This initiative demonstrates a few other principles towards the pathway to peace; the need for economic equity and eradicating poverty, service to mankind and global unity among nations. Additionally, they provide local food banks, food delivery to those in need across the GTA.

Ahmadiyya is defined as the divinely promised revival of Islam prophesied in the Holy Qur’an. Founded in 1889 by religious leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the organization is registered in more than 200 countries with a membership of more than 10,000,000. Another principle followed during the pathway to peace is to reject extremism and being the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism, Ahmadiyya has historically demonstrated this principle through things like their annual convention.

Community News

Record entries for JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

TOCaribNews

Winner of the 2023 staging of the JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition ,Joel Miller, (third from left), shares a moment with representatives of the Jamaica Cultural |Development Commission (JCDC), organizers of the event. From left are Shaun Drysdale – Drama and Theatre Arts Development Specialist, Andrew Brodber – Director, Arts Development and Training and Executive Director, Lenford Salmon.

BY RUSHANE FERRON

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) has received an unprecedented number of submissions for this year’s FiWi Short Film Competition. Launched earlier this year, the competition drew an impressive 47 entries. Currently, 17 shortlisted films are available for public viewing on the JCDC’s YouTube channel, with winners set to be announced on October 24^th.

Executive Director of the JCDC, Mr. Lenford Salmon, expressed pride in the competition’s growing success, stating, “This record number of entries reflects how Jamaicans are embracing the programmes offered by the JCDC. While the Commission is well known for preserving and showcasing our culture, we also recognize the importance of using technology to engage, particularly with our youth. The FiWi Short Film Competition is a perfect example of how we can bring our culture to life in the digital age. The fact that it’s four years old and already experiencing this level of growth is a promising sign for the future.”

Drama and Theatre Arts Development Specialist at the JCDC, Mr. Shaun Drysdale, attributes this year’s spike in entries to the increasing interest in filmmaking, fueled by the proliferation of social media platforms that support storytelling through visuals.

“We are living in a digital age. Filmmaking is now in the hands of the average person on the street via his, or her cell phone. Add to that the inherent creativity of Jamaicans and you are left with a potent combination, which when given the correct environment, can reap tangible rewards. That is what we are experiencing at this time,” Mr. Drysdale said.

The JCDC FiWi Short Film Competition seeks to promote Jamaican culture through the production of films ranging from 3-5 minutes in duration. The films must be based on set criteria, and primarily centred around a Jamaican proverb.

This year’s proverbs are: “Sweet mout fly follow coffin go a hole”; “Puss nuh hab han, but him tek him foot wipe him face”; “Keep clear a ole house, les dem fall dung pon you”; “Rockstone a riber bottom nuh feel sun hot”; and “Finger tink, yuh cyan cut eh trow ‘wey”.

In addition to the proverbs, participants were also given two special themes around which to build the treatment of their films, based on concepts provided by two sponsors. These are: “SEAS IN FOCUS: Uniting for marine managed areas”- National Conservation Trust Fund of Jamaica (NCTFJ) and “Need a passport quick, Get it with just a click”- Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

Mr. Drysdale further noted that this year’s shortlisted films represent a variety of the possible genres with eleven dramatic works, two animation films, one comedy, one documentary and two science fiction films. Three of the participants are from the youth category, which is for filmmakers between 12-18 years old and the remaining 14 from adult category.

In addition to viewing the short films online, the public will have an opportunity to view at a special screening to be held on National Heroes’ Day, Monday, October 21^st, 2024, as a feature of JCDC National Heritage Fest and Family Fun Day being held on the south lawn at Devon House in St Andrew.

The FiWi Short Film Competition was started by the JCDC in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition is the brainchild of the JCDC’s Drama and Theatre Arts Unit and encourages Jamaican amateur filmmakers to examine selected Jamaican proverbs and based on their interpretation create the treatment for a short film.

Community News

York Catholic is leading the province in educational achievement

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Paul Junor

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), which administers the Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments across Ontario and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), recently released the 2024 results. For many schools across the province, EQAO results are a snapshot of how students are doing compared to their peers in other schools at the same grade level.

The York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) has maintained a high level of consistency with respect to the outstanding performance of its students on the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). In a media release on Wednesday, October 9^th, 2024, details were revealed about the positive achievements and exemplary accomplishments of its students.

EQAO results were released on September 26^th, 2024. The focus was, “Mathematics Achievement Remains an Area of Focus but Sees Gradual Growth Over Time with Some School Boards Showing Significant Increases; Literacy Achievement Remains High but Shows Some Decline.” The data was based on the 2023-2024 school year during which over 570,000 students wrote the EQAO assessments at the elementary and secondary levels on the English and French-language school systems.

For students who wrote the Grade 3 Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics:

71% met the provincial standard in reading compared to 73% in 2022-2023, and 73% in 2021-2022.
64% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in writing, compared to 65% in 2022-2023 and 65% in 2021-2022.
61% of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in mathematics, compared to 60% in 2022-2023 and 59% in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 6 Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics:

82% met the provincial standard in reading, compared to 84% in 2022-2023 and 85% in 2021-2022.
80% met the provincial standard in writing, compared to 84% in 2022-2023, and 84% in 2021-2022.
50% met the provincial standard in mathematics, compared to 50% in 2022-2023 and 47 % in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 9 Assessment in Mathematics:

54% met the provincial standard, compared to 54% in 2022-2023 and 52% in 2021-2022.

For students who wrote the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT):

85% of first-time eligible students were successful, compared to 85% in 2022-23 and 82% in 2021-2022.
52% of previously eligible students were successful in 2023-2024, compared to 63% in 2022-2023 and 85% in 2021-2022.

John De Faveri, Interim Director of Education of the YCDSB writes, “We are always looking for ways to provide a better school experience, but today is a time to celebrate our students and staff for their excellent academic achievement. I want to particularly highlight the incredible work that is being done in mathematics, which we see in these results. Mathematical literacy is such an important life skill and we are happy to share a love of numbers with our students.”

Results from the Grade 3, 6 and 9 EQAO Mathematics results show improvement in Mathematics compared to 2023. In addition, with respect to reading and writing results for Grade 6 there has been a consistent steady upward rise in the performance of students as 89% and 90% of students met or exceeded provincial standards when compared to the province’s average of 82% and 89%.

Elizabeth Crowe, Chair of the Board of Trustees for YCDSB states, “EQAO results are just one of the ways we see how York Catholic is leading the province in educational achievement. As a Catholic learning community, we want to see every child succeed and EQAO results help us measure our progress toward that noble goal.”

Overall, the percentage of students who participated from YCDSB in Grade 3 and 6 EQAO were 97% and 98%, respectively. For Grade 9 Math assessment there were 93% of eligible students and 97% in the OSSLT.

Any parents or guardians interested in learning about the 2024 EQAO and OSSLT results and individual school results for their children can check the EQAO’s website: https://www.eqao.com/results/.

Community News

York Catholic District School Board plans open house for future high school students

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2024

Paul Junor

Credits: Pch.Vector

BY PAUL JUNOR

There is: planning, preparation, and organization that parents, guardians and caregivers must make in York Region as they prepare their children for high school. For those who chose to send them to a high school at the Catholic board, there are open houses planned to make this process easier to navigate.

In a press release on Thursday, October 10^th, 2024, details were revealed about these open houses. It notes, “The open houses will highlight key aspects of each school, including administration, programs, graduation requirements, uniforms, school structure, student opportunities and more. In addition, information about the registration process, including registration dates, deadlines and documents needed to enroll, will be discussed.

The media release mentioned the seven regional programs, and ten Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) programs. They include:

Advanced Placement

Programs with an extended and enriched curriculum allow students to earn credits or advanced standing at most universities.

English as a Second Language

(ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD)

English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development programs assist English language learners from diverse linguistic and education backgrounds in attaining English language proficiency.

French Immersion (FI)

Students who completed the Elementary French Immersion programs, or equivalent can continue with the immersion program to earn a French immersion certificate upon graduation.

High Performer Athlete (HPA)

An academic-based program for student-athletes participating in competitive-level athletics. Students benefit from a flexible timetable to help balance their academic and athletic commitments and earn high school credits for the work they put into their training.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

A rigorous and intellectually challenging pre-university course of study that allows students to earn an IB Diploma upon graduation, recognized in Canada and abroad.

Regional Arts (RAP)/Integrated Regional Arts Program(iRAP)

Students specialize in drama, dance, visual arts, digital media arts, instrumental music, or vocal music- while obtaining their high school diploma. In the iRAP, students experience their learning through an integrated model where the curriculum is explored in relation to the interconnectedness of the individual, the community, and the world.

STREAM Program

Students explore real-world challenges and use the design thinking process to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills, guided by the traditional Catholic social teachings. This academic program uses an interdisciplinary approach to inquiry and problem-based learning.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)

Students can obtain a diploma with a specialist in either: Arts and Culture; Aviation and Aerospace; Business; Health and Wellness; Hospitality and Tourism; Information and Communication Technology; Justice, Community Safety and Emergency Services, Manufacturing; or Non-Profit. Every YCDSB school offers a SHSM program.

Parents or guardians who live in York Region and are interested in any programs can check: Website: www.ycdsb.ca