SANSAD Public Forum

Sunday July 29, 2012
4.00 pm-6.00 pm
Café Kathmandu, 2779 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

It is unfortunate that the South Asian community is generally poorly informed and not responsive to the issues of the First Nations in Canada. South Asians, who have historically experienced and struggled against colonialism in their homeland and honour the heroes of this struggle could be expected to empathize with the original and continuing victims of colonialism in Canada.  And as a people who have experienced, struggled against, and continue to struggle against racism, they could be expected to stand in solidarity with the aboriginal people who continue to be the greatest victims of racism in Canada. But the enjoyment of benefits based on the dispossession of the aboriginal people has made us stay away from the concerns of the First Nations. How can we overcome our complicity in injustice and learn to stand in solidarity with oppressed aboriginal people? South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy invites the public to a discussion and exploration of this urgent question.

Panel
Joint Keynote Speakers:  Dr. Ronald Ignace (former Chairman of Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, Chief of Skeetchestn Band and Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University) and Dr. Marianne Ignace (Professor of Anthropology and First Nations Studies, SFU)

Raj Chouhan (MLA Burnaby-Edmonds)
Gurpreet Singh (Host of Radio India)
Sadhu Binning (Poet and writer)
Moderator: Zahid Makhdoom

For more information contact Chin at 604-421-6752