The Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau will be holding a day-long event discussing racism, xenophobia and other types of discrimination.
“NOT ME” The Presumption of Tolerance, will be a deep dive into potentially uncomfortable conversations to help identify discrimination, what to look for in potential situations and how to address it.
Volunteer Services Bureau Executive Director Carol-Anne Pasemko says the discussion about intolerance is nothing new but the consequences of it going unchecked would be disastrous.
“Coming to an understanding of what hate, racism, and prejudicial ideas can do to decimate a community.”
Pasemko says the powerful reach of everyday tools like social media is also making it not only more difficult to fight intolerance, but in some instances, is giving some people with those ideals a platform to spread it to the masses.
“People are becoming more and more vocal about some of the feelings that normally we would have, out of good manners, kept to ourselves if that was your belief. But now it’s almost like it’s promoted if you don’t go just one extra step then you’re not going to get that notice about it, so it’s fundamentally going to create a lot of problems.”
“NOT ME” The Presumption of Tolerance takes place Saturday, September 21 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at Teresa Sargent Hall inside the Montrose Cultural Centre.