Cycling4Diversity team profiled in the Agassiz-Harrison Observer

• Connect with Us

•  
•  

COMMUNITY

Raising awareness one peddle at a time

Members of the Cycling4diversity group visited two schools in Agassiz and one in Harrison Hot Springs Wednesday, May 25.

— Image Credit: Anne-Marie Sjoden/Special To The Observer

• 0
•  
•  

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
•                             

• by  Ashley Wadhwani - Agassiz Observer
• posted Jun 3, 2016 at 12:00 PM

To mark a week of promoting diversity, not-for-profit group Cycling4Diversity visited three schools in the Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs area Wednesday, May 25.

The C4D team spent the morning traveling between Kent Elementary and Agassiz Secondary school and later cycled to Harrison Hot Springs and spoke at Harrison Elementary, where they received a wonderful response.

The cycling group's founder Ken Herar said students were very excited to hear the group speak on  diversity..

“We are extremely honoured to have received the support from the community and the schools we visited on the first leg of our three-day journey.”

The founder said when he asked if racism exists in the area, “many of the students expressed concerns much work remains.”

For the groups’s executive director Anne-Marie Sjoden, this was her third ride, although first in Agassiz and Harrison.

“It always brings joy to me, when I hear the stories on how we have been making a difference in the peoples life’s that we have touched.  And how amazing friendships have formed all because of asking the kids to do one simple task, introducing themselves to some they had not been friends with before today,” she said.

For more information about the group, visit cycling4diversity.ca.

Surrey Now: Encouraging South Asians to step outside their culture

Cycling4Diversity urges Surrey Khalsa students to make friends with kids from other cultures

By BEAU SIMPSON
June 2, 2016 · 8:28 AM

 Share

Cycling4Diversity founder Ken Herar talks to Khalsa school students in Surrey on May 26. / SUBMITTED

NEWTON — Students at two Khalsa schools in Surrey were asked to do one simple task on May 26 – make friends with someone outside their own culture.

It’s a simple, yet powerful request the Cycling4Diversity team has been making in schools throughout B.C. for the past six years, thanks to founder Ken Herar.

“Our team has always felt welcomed at the Khalsa schools in Surrey and students were really excited to have a conversation on diversity related topics,” he said.

Herar founded the group  in 2010 after he found out he was not welcome at a certain Christmas party because he was South Asian.

He said despite the community support and the incredible response from the schools he visits, much work remains to be done.

“When the question was asked if racism still exists in the area, many of the students expressed concerns,” he said.

Anne-Marie Sjoden is Cycling4Diversity executive director. This was her third ride.

“It always brings joy to me, when I hear the stories on how we have been making a difference in the peoples lives that we have touched,” she said. “And how amazing friendships have formed all because of asking the kids to do one simple task, introducing themselves to some they had not been friends with before today.”

beau.simpson@thenownewspaper.com

Cycling4Diversity will be visiting Burnaby Schools on May 25th, 2016

CAYLEY DOBIE | BURNABY NOW 
MAY 20, 2016 01:50 PM

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
• 
  
• 

PreviousNext

Cycling4Diversity teammate Rick Lucy talks to students at Byrne Creek Secondary during a stop in Burnaby in 2013. The Cycling4Diversity team will be coming through Burnaby on Thursday.   Photograph By File photo

Cyclists will be riding into Burnaby on Thursday to promote inclusiveness.

For the sixth year in a row, riders with the Cycling4Diversity Foundation are travelling around the Lower Mainland for three days in support of Cycling4Diversity Week, born out of the United Nations’ World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, which aims to promote cultural diversity through understanding and inclusion.

Riders will be stopping at Burnaby South Secondary and Byrne Creek Secondary schools for a brief presentation on May 26, said Ken Herar, one of the organizers.

“It’s a half-an-hour kind of thing just to listen to what the kids have to say about (diversity) and how can we make our communities more inclusive and interactive with each other,” he said.

Herar said the purpose of the event is to connect with kids and help them think critically about racism and what biases they may have.

“People have biases, so we need to reflect on those things to make our communities a better place,” he said. “Racism has changed and it’s still out there, but people do it in different ways. Let’s be real, it’s not just the white people as people may think, it’s everyone. Everyone has biases.”

Cycling4Diversity will be at Burnaby South Secondary at 9:30 a.m. and at Byrne Creek Secondary at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.cycling4diversity.ca.

© 2016 Burnaby Now

- See more at: http://www.burnabynow.com/community/cyclists-coming-to-burnaby-high-schools-1.2260365#sthash.liyCF8sP.dpuf

Cycling4Diversity Week in the District of Mission May 22nd - May 28th, 2016

Cycling4Diversity week in Mission

The District of Mission has proclaimed May 22-28 as Cycling4Diversity week. Riders will head out beginning May 25.

— Image Credit: Kevin Mills Photo

• 0
•  
•  

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
•                             

• by  Kevin Mills - Mission City Record
• posted May 20, 2016 at 12:00 PM

It’s Cycling4Diversity week from May 22-28 in Mission and throughout the province.

This year, riders will be taking to the streets on a three-day tour of the Fraser Valley/Lower Mainland area.

On May 25, cyclists will ride through Hope, Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs, stopping at schools and other community buildings to share stories about diversity.

Riders will go again on May 26, this time from Burnaby to Surrey and will wrap up the tour on May 27 in Mission and Abbotsford.

“We are trying to encourage people in the community to reach out to people they may not know in their neighbourhood or in their workplace and schools, to bridge the culture gaps that we still face,” said Ken Herar, founder of the event.

This year marks the sixth annual Cycling4Diversity event. Since it began, cyclists have visited more than 100 schools in the area.

“We’ve done all the schools in Mission already (except for one),” said Herar.

While it has yet to be confirmed, riders are hoping to visit Dewdney Elementary this year.

There are usually six to 10 riders at a time taking part in the event.

“It’s better with a smaller group because it gives everybody a chance to speak at the school and share their experiences. It’s not about how many people, it’s about the message,” said Herar.

Students are encouraged to share their stories as well.

“We want people to hear about the challenges, but about the positive stories as well.”

Abbotsford MLA Darryl Plecas thanking Ken Herar

Abbotsford News & Cycling4Diversity Colouring Contest

The Abbotsford News & Cycling4Diveristy present: The Diversity Challenge

COLUMN: Diversity Challenge returns to Abbotsford

February 24, 2016 · 9:48 AM

 Share

Back by popular demand The Abbotsford News and Cycling4Diversity will be hosting The Diversity Challenge, giving you the readers the opportunity to provide your input on the diversity question.

Having organized this contest for many years, I have always enjoyed working with our readers and the public to create a discussion that will make people think and provide their valuable input. In that time this opportunity has allowed for some amazing responses that I have shared with all of you over the years and with some of the schools.

In this year’s Diversity Challenge there will be a question that respondents can answer in 140 characters, which the top three winners will have their answers posted on all of The News  social media sites, including others prizes.

The question is: How has diversity impacted your life? Please, leave the hashtags #DiversityRocks #Cycling4Diversity, along with your response. In past years the question has been age restricted, but this year we’ve opened it to all ages and hopefully we will get an outstanding response before the March 31st deadline.

There will also be a colouring contest for children ages (five to 10), which parents can pick up at The News front desk, which is popular with young kids and usually get a entire class at schools participating vying for the top three spots.  If you are a teacher and would like me to come to your class to speak to the kids about The Diversity Challenge, send me an email at my address below and I would be more than happy to come for a visit.

Whether it is the diversity question or the colouring contest, I think it’s a fabulous idea for schools to participate and it’s really exciting for me as an organizer to witness young minds in action tackling this opportunity in a positive way. There are ten cute characters that need to coloured in and diversified for our judges to inspect.

On a topic such as diversity, we at The Abbotsford News feel it’s an asset to be engaging with the public with our contest creating an understanding that diversity is our strength that will guide us into the future and build our community even stronger.

News publisher Andrew Franklin said, "The News is excited to partner with Cycling4Diversity in this awareness campaign. Our city reflects a true multicultural community and this campaign allows us to engage like-minded people to share a positive message in social media. A huge thank you to Ken Herar for spearheading this important message of an inclusive community."

As an example, here is my response to the question: It is our diversity that has allowed me the opportunity to meet and speak with so many people through this column and in so many other ways on topics and issues that affect us all. It is our diversity that always brings us together with an open mind.

Contact Ken Herar at kenherar@gmail.com