The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action are a set of 94 recommendations issued in 2015 to address the legacy of Canada's residential school system and advance reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians. They call on governments, institutions, churches, and everyday people to take specific steps in areas like child welfare, education, justice, and Indigenous language revitalization. Progress on these calls has been slow, with many remaining in progress or not started, despite the creation of a national holiday (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and legislation to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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Canadian Arabs are among other communities that need to take more action. Canadian Arab artists can be the community spearheads by learning and cooperating with aboriginal counterparts to develop children's books teaching the new generations about the Calls for Action.

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The Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society is realizing the areas to develop as it started drafting its DEI Statement/Policy. Bearing in mind its commitment to social justice, and the role of arts in the Society, the Board decided to move beyond what might be seen as performative to actionable commitment. Moving from reading the Land Acknowledgement at the beginning of its events, the Board moved to recording the Land Acknowledgement in Arabic and English languages in the voice of an aboriginal artist, and inviting an aboriginal music band to perform at the beginning of its 2025 film festival.

 

The upcoming step is having this important social justice issue as part of its programing. Realizing it has been more than 10 years and still a lot is to be achieved on the Calls-for-Action front, and and simultaneously a lack of knowledge/action still persist among the Canadian Arab community, the Board decided to be an active ingredient of the Canadian Multicultural Mosaic. 

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​What do we aspire?

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We Hope to organize workshops between Arab artists and aboriginal counterparts, as well as experts on the Calls to Action, to develop artwork to launch children's books in both Arabic and English to Educate & engage the community.

 

Who will benefit?

 

The Community at large, generally.

Canadian children.

The Arab community, in specific.

Schools (Ethnic & Arabic Schools).

Encouraging & modeling other ethnic communities.

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Pay it forward effect:

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Books will be available in libraries to borrow and educate.

Books will be available in schools to borrow and educate.

Books can be available in lend among community members to borrow and educate.

Artists involved will be spearheading their community.

Artists involved will be modeling to other communities' artists.

Artists involved will have social/societal roles to be followed by other communities' artists.

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