From Far Away

7 09 2014

from_far_awayBased on the book From Far Away by Robert Munsch and Saoussan Askar, this short animation tells the story of Saoussan, a young girl struggling to adjust to life in Canada after being uprooted from her war-torn homeland. She has come to seek a quieter and safer life, although memories of war and death linger, memories that are awakened when the children at her new school prepare for a scary Halloween. From Far Away speaks to the power within us all to adapt like Saoussan and to welcome a newcomer (National Film Board).

From Far Away (2000, 6 min 39 sec)

NFB-logo1





Talking about children…

17 04 2014

ngugi_wa_thiongo“Talking about the survival of children is not an act of charity. Children are the future of any society. If you want to know the future of any society look at the eyes of the children. If you want to maim the future of any society, you simply maim the children. Thus the struggle for the survival of our children is the struggle for the survival of our future. The quantity and quality of that survival is the measurement of the development of our society.”

Kenyan novelist Ngugi wa Thiong’o





GoldieBlox – engineering for little girls

14 02 2014

Debbie Sterling, an engineer from Stanford, found few women in her university class and decided young girls needed more encouragement to experiment with engineering and innovative design concepts. Her research led to the revelation that 87% of the world’s engineers are males, and to the development of a combination storybook and toy building set designed specifically for little girls – Goldie Blox. Her original crowdfunding launch successfully reached its $150,000 target in less than 5 days (watch the launch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-AtZfNU3zw) and GoldieBlox is now a series. The first building set, incorporating a belt drive, is available online and at select Target and ToysRUs stores along with #2  (wheel and axle) and #3 (hinge) in the series. goldieblox

For more about GoldieBlox, check out the web site: www.goldieblox.com

Thanks, Debbie, for recognizing the need to cheer on young inventors, and for tapping into young female minds with something more than pink packaging.





Neighbourhood and Maternal-Infant Health in Hamilton

3 02 2014

Mother-ChildA few months ago, the team of researchers conducting the Neighbourhood Study of Maternal and Infant Health in Hamilton hosted an invitational meeting to present their findings and to gather input from community members interested in this work. Their research focus looked at whether or not neighbourhood variations could be found in selected maternal-child health indicators. Does it matter if a new mother has lived in particular neighbourhood for a long time? Does neighbourhood play a role in pre-term birth?

The meeting was intended to get people talking about the research findings (including maps showing health indicators, like obstetrical complications, by census tract) and to hear from those who work in these neighbourhoods as well as those whose primary interest is maternal or infant health. It was seen as a starting point for sharing what the researchers learned, and seeing what the community might do to further their work or implement their findings.

 

The meeting was facilitated by Karen Smith. The link to the summary report is here: Neighbourhood Study of Maternal and Infant Health in Hamilton INVITATIONAL MEETING SUMMARY REPORT





Stereotypical costumes? Booooooo!

26 10 2013

Our friends at MissRepresentation (now The Representation Project) recently spotlighted the “increasingly gendered nature of Halloween costumes” and challenged us to be more creative with our efforts this year. And, they report, the response has been inspiring…

“Halloween is thought to have originated as a night to remember those who had passed or as a ritual to appease the “spirit” world. Today, most of us love the night because it gives us a chance to dress up and momentarily pretend to be something or someone else. There’s also the joy of collectively facing the “scariest” elements of our world.

Yet, over the years – as a result of widespread commercialization – Halloween has also devolved into a parade of our society’s worst impulses. From the hypersexualization of women and girls to encouraging violence in boys – not to mention racially and culturally insensitive costumes of all kinds – we often spend this night perpetuating the most harmful aspects of culture, rather than imagining something better.”

(takebackhalloween.org)

(takebackhalloween.org)

Instead of opting for the typical princess and super hero costumes for our girls and boys this year, we can stop perpetuating unfair stereotypes and help youngsters feel comfortable wearing costumes that go beyond the traditional.  At the very least, we can help offer them options that stretch beyond the predictible.

Check out the “Take Back Halloween” campaign, a website featuring creative costume ideas (for adults too) that are thoughtful and, in many cases, simple to assemble with commonly found items: www.takebackhalloween.org

By joining the move to “take back” Halloween, we can replace hurtful stereotypes with a celebration that is a fun and inclusive holiday for all.

Happy haunting!





October is Child Abuse Prevention Month

12 10 2013

Lots going on this month to remind us that child abuse needs our ongoing attention, as well as providing us with opportunities to help out and support the cause…

VOTE

Check out the AVIVA Community Fund competition where $1,000,000 is up for grabs and help to support the Community Child Abuse Council of Canada by voting (daily) for the Child Abuse Prevention and Parent Support Program. Just register, then sign in daily and vote: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf17152

CHECK OUT THE MUSIC

BTown Sound in Burlington is hosting another of its popular acoustic nights on October 18th – free admission, proceeds from the cash bar, live and silent auctions to the Community Child Abuse Council of Canada. Up for auction: autographed ukelele from hot indie band Walk Off The Earth! Details on their web site: www.btownsound.ca

USE YOUR VOICE

Have a conversation about child abuse – we can’t stop it if we aren’t talking about it.

AND MORE…

Please take a moment to see what else is happening, get informed, make a donation, and find out about other ways you can help: www.childabusecouncil.on.ca

(aviary.com)

(aviary.com)





A Win-Win-Win for Children, Families, Communities

30 09 2013

It’s about helping children after the trauma of abuse. The focus is supporting parents and caregivers. And we all benefit.

That’s the winning combination behind the Community Child Abuse Council’s entry in the AVIVA Community Fund competition this year.  It’s a simple concept that, with your support, could do a great deal of good.

The Community Parent Support Program

  • A series of facilitated group programs to support parents and caregivers whose children have been sexually victmized, or who have problem sexual behaviours (including sibling incest).
  • Developed by an experienced team of professionals and offered by the Community Child Abuse Council over the past several years – with solid results.
  • Parents (including foster parents) and caregivers (including grandparents) learn together and get the support they need to understand what their children are going through. In a safe and supportive environment, they strengthen their knowledge about sexual abuse and its impact on families, and enhance their ability to support their children. And, importantly, their involvement in these groups has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s treatment outcomes.

Now, the Council has an opportunity to share this proven model with others, supporting parents and caregivers in any community (even remote ones and those without specialized treatment options for children). The proposal will see the program published, packaged, and distributed widely, together with the materials and supports needed by facilitators to deliver these groups in any community. These innovative resources will be affordable, adaptable, and ready to implement in any community, anywhere. And, to make this a win-win-win scenario, any revenue from the project will be reinvested into the Council’s child abuse prevention, education, and treatment programs. That means more treatment for local kids in need, more prevention work, and more community-focused educational initiatives.

Voting begins today – September 30th – and it’s easy to vote. Just go to the AVIVA Community Fund web site, find the “register” button at the top right of the page (takes 30 seconds, and only required on your first visit), and once you’re registered, select the Community Parent Support Program and vote!

Here’s the link: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf17152#.UkHqha-RE2Y.email

You can also search for the Council’s project on the AVIVA Community Fund web site using (idea) number is ACF17152.

Please tell your friends, use your social media connections, and help generate as much support as possible for this proposal – with your help, and enough votes, it will move on to the next rounds and one step closer to the funding that will make this important project possible.

In the first round, you can vote 15 times (but only once per day for the same project). So, please, use those votes to help put valuable and vital resources in the hands of caring communities where they can do the most good for families who need them.

Thank you so very much.





Play On!

18 08 2013

Strong kids = Strong families = Strong nation. That simple but powerful mission is behind Canadian Tire’s new campaign to bring play back to childhood. It is an inspiring and  welcome partnership to get youngsters active again with the help of influential athletes and players of all types. It reminds us about our longtime “passion for play” while pointing out that “play doesn’t come out to play as much anymore”. Nostalgic and iconic images of children at play are appearing on the company’s TV commercials, and supporters of the campaign are posting their own videos and photos online showing how and where Canadians play.

-we-all-play-for-canada-Confidence. Creativity. Strength. These qualities, cited as goals of the campaign, are ones we can all encourage in children of all ages. “A country without strong children cannot stay strong”, says the campaign. No argument here.

Play on!

http://www.weallplayforcanada.ca/





Dads Matter

16 06 2013

Can’t say it any better than the folks at Miss Representation (link below) – celebrating fathers who empower their daughters…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHKcO_C4JlE&feature=youtu.be

Happy Father’s Day!

(photo: David Cooper, Toronto Star)

(photo: David Cooper, Toronto Star)