Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Kicking off the Cycling4Diversity tour from Mission
Cycling4Diversity gets underway
A team of riders, lead by Mission’s Ken Herar, gathered at the Cherry Avenue park for the ceremony, which also drew MP Randy Kamp, and Mission Mayor Ted Adlem.
The trip will see the cadre stop at 40 venues in nine cities, ending in Victoria at the B.C. Legislature on May 25.
There are seven core riders who will do the entire journey, and a number of others who will join the ride in their respective cities and do a portion.
You can follow the team’s trip through Facebook. Search for the Cycling4Diversity page.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Cycling4Diversity 2012 team arrives in Langley
Cycling For Diversity
Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese welcomed Ken Herar,
who heads up the Cycling 4 Diversity group, to the Muriel Arnason
Library on Tuesday evening. Herar and a team of cyclists spent several
days cycling from Abbotsford to Victoria, speaking to schools and
community groups about the importance of diversity in building strong
communities. For more details, see the website
http://kenherar.blogspot.ca/
Frank Bucholtz/Langley Times
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Cycling4Diversity team gets ready to pedal to Victoria
Mission cyclists using pedal power to bolster ethnic diversity
Dean Fortin, the mayor of Victoria, will be on hand to welcome the Cycling4Diversity team when it arrives from Mission.
Photograph by: Adrian Lam , Times Colonist
Ken Herar is spinning his wheels when it comes to ethnic diversity.
The spin starts Tuesday as Herar and entourage ride their bicycles from Mission to Victoria, stopping along the way at a host of schools and public events to get the message out about the need for people to start a dialogue that has long been lost with social media and our harried lifestyles.
Herar, who was born and raised in Mission, has South Asian parents. And he sees how society has gone from being all-inclusive to people of different ethnic backgrounds often sticking to themselves.
“What has happened in the last 20 years is we are starting to lose our values,” he said Monday as he prepared for the 200-plus kilometres of riding in the second annual Cycling4Diversity tour that he founded last year.
“We don’t speak to our neighbours any more,” added Herar, a columnist with the Abbotsford-Mission Times.
“People aren’t talking. People don’t want to mix with one another.”
In some cases, he points out there are soccer leagues for South Asians only. “If we are to live in a multicultural society, we need to start talking to one another,” he said of the need to generate awareness around the value of diversity.
“We should never stop building bridges in a multicultural society.”
Herar and the others who will participate in the ride over the next four days said the response last year by schoolchildren was tremendous. They will make 40 stops along the way at schools and civic celebrations on the ride to Victoria.
“This is a grassroots campaign,” he said. “It needs to come from the political end, too.”
The final stage of the cycling trip is to the steps of the Legislature, where the Cycling4Diversity participants will be greeted by Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.
For more information on the cycling tour see the Cycling for Diversity 2011 Facebook page or contact Herar at 604-615-2499 or Cycling4diversity@gmail.com
jcolebourn@theprovince.com
The spin starts Tuesday as Herar and entourage ride their bicycles from Mission to Victoria, stopping along the way at a host of schools and public events to get the message out about the need for people to start a dialogue that has long been lost with social media and our harried lifestyles.
Herar, who was born and raised in Mission, has South Asian parents. And he sees how society has gone from being all-inclusive to people of different ethnic backgrounds often sticking to themselves.
“What has happened in the last 20 years is we are starting to lose our values,” he said Monday as he prepared for the 200-plus kilometres of riding in the second annual Cycling4Diversity tour that he founded last year.
“We don’t speak to our neighbours any more,” added Herar, a columnist with the Abbotsford-Mission Times.
“People aren’t talking. People don’t want to mix with one another.”
In some cases, he points out there are soccer leagues for South Asians only. “If we are to live in a multicultural society, we need to start talking to one another,” he said of the need to generate awareness around the value of diversity.
“We should never stop building bridges in a multicultural society.”
Herar and the others who will participate in the ride over the next four days said the response last year by schoolchildren was tremendous. They will make 40 stops along the way at schools and civic celebrations on the ride to Victoria.
“This is a grassroots campaign,” he said. “It needs to come from the political end, too.”
The final stage of the cycling trip is to the steps of the Legislature, where the Cycling4Diversity participants will be greeted by Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.
For more information on the cycling tour see the Cycling for Diversity 2011 Facebook page or contact Herar at 604-615-2499 or Cycling4diversity@gmail.com
jcolebourn@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Cycling4Diversity prepares to celebrate at Matsqui Rec Centre on May 22nd
Diversity ride gets rolling at schools & MRC May 22
The
second annual Cycling4Diversity rolls out at 8 a.m. from Mission's
Griner Park on May 22, to take the message of diversity and acceptance
to schools in the district and across the Lower Mainland on a
200-kilometre, four-day tour.
Spearheaded last year by Times' diversity columnist Ken Herar, the effort has led to the now-official Cycling4Diversity Week, on from May 20-26. It was proclaimed earlier in April by Abbotsford West MLA and Minister of Health, Mike de Jong.
Helping him along are C 4 D executive coordinator Sarina Di Martino Derksen, and Dwayne De Souza owner of Kapesh Media, who designed the group's logo.
Herar began the campaign last year to educate young people, in response to the ongoing intolerance and misinformation he would encounter from time to time.
He said about one dozen cyclists will begin the tour in Mission, where he and others will visit eight schools to talk about racism, tolerance and diversity.
"We've got good support from the Mission RCMP, the Abbotsford Police and the fire department," he said.
The tour will continue on May 22 to several schools in Abbotsford, and it will be joined by APD Deputy Chief Rick Lucy and Abbotsford city Coun. Bill MacGregor.
Then everyone is invited to take part in a big party at the Matsqui Recreation Centre, at Clearbrook Rd., Abbotsford, from 4: 30 to 6 p.m. The event will feature celebration of the region's rich diversity, lots of food, dancing and live entertainment.
Over the next two days, the Cycling4Diversity crew continues into Langley, Surrey and Burnaby, then through Vancouver and Richmond, again visiting schools and groups to spread the message of inclusiveness.
The riders will visit an estimated 34 schools in the nine communities.
On May 25, the tour will head for Victoria's legislative buildings, which will be opened for these special guests.
Spearheaded last year by Times' diversity columnist Ken Herar, the effort has led to the now-official Cycling4Diversity Week, on from May 20-26. It was proclaimed earlier in April by Abbotsford West MLA and Minister of Health, Mike de Jong.
Helping him along are C 4 D executive coordinator Sarina Di Martino Derksen, and Dwayne De Souza owner of Kapesh Media, who designed the group's logo.
Herar began the campaign last year to educate young people, in response to the ongoing intolerance and misinformation he would encounter from time to time.
He said about one dozen cyclists will begin the tour in Mission, where he and others will visit eight schools to talk about racism, tolerance and diversity.
"We've got good support from the Mission RCMP, the Abbotsford Police and the fire department," he said.
The tour will continue on May 22 to several schools in Abbotsford, and it will be joined by APD Deputy Chief Rick Lucy and Abbotsford city Coun. Bill MacGregor.
Then everyone is invited to take part in a big party at the Matsqui Recreation Centre, at Clearbrook Rd., Abbotsford, from 4: 30 to 6 p.m. The event will feature celebration of the region's rich diversity, lots of food, dancing and live entertainment.
Over the next two days, the Cycling4Diversity crew continues into Langley, Surrey and Burnaby, then through Vancouver and Richmond, again visiting schools and groups to spread the message of inclusiveness.
The riders will visit an estimated 34 schools in the nine communities.
On May 25, the tour will head for Victoria's legislative buildings, which will be opened for these special guests.
© Copyright (c) Abbotsford Times
Sarina Di Martino Derksen and the Cycling4Diversity team are ready to deliver the message in 2012
Written by: Sarina Di Martino Derksen
Executive Coordinator and Director of Communications for Cycling4Diversity
This year's 2nd annual Cycling4Diversity ride is almost here and I can't believe that we're
under a week away. Next week, from May 22-25th the Cycling4Diversity team will be
travelling from Mission to Victoria, BC. making over 40 stops throughout the nine cities
meeting with wonderful individuals to celebrate diversity and discuss issues regarding
racism and discrimination. This initiative is all about teamwork, creating awareness
and bridging the divisions. By travelling through the different cities and meeting with
students in several schools as well as community organizations, neighbourhoods and with
political leaders, we will once again have the opportunity to encourage discussions that
will help to create awareness regarding some of the significant issues we are facing in our
local communities.
The Cycling4Diversity initiative began in 2011 to celebrate “World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development” on May 21st - a day proclaimed by the United
Nations. Our goal was to make a number of stops along the way in different cities to
celebrate diversity and build bridges. Our committed Cycling4Diversity team is dedicated
to continuing to spread this important message throughout the years to come.
As Executive Coordinator, I'm excited to be part of this important initiative. It is a honour
to be able to carry this message from city to city and be able to discuss topics of diversity,
racism and discrimination and hear personal life stories and experiences that people have
endured. We're all in this together and stand as one in the fight against discrimination.
Diversity is ever shifting and changing, thus our approach regarding the topic and matters
at hand must reflect such a change. We live in an incredibly diverse country and are
very blessed because of it. Let us not take those living around us for granted or tolerate
discrimination that we might witness first hand. It is our responsibility and duty in life
to stand up against injustices we see take place against others. I urge and challenge
everyone to reach out to someone in their workplace, school or neighbourhood that might
be of a different race or culture and start talking with them. We can not begin to celebrate
diversity until we actually begin talking with one another. Without active dialogue, there
can not be any celebrations.
Prior to the ride this year, we were awarded the proclamation from British Columbia
by the Health Minister Mike de Jong deeming May 20th - 26th as "Cycling4Diversity
Week in British Columbia." Currently for our 2nd annual 2012 initiative, we have been
awarded seven proclamations from various communities and three letters of support from
Fraser Valley mayors. The support and expressed need for such an initiative has been
tremendous.
Founder of the Cycling4Diversity initiative, Ken Herar said: "As being someone that is
South Asian, we are also bringing this awareness to my community. I sometimes hear
unfortunate incidents where South Asians are not playing their part when it comes to
integrating into the community and celebrating diversity. These are important steps
as we move forward in our communities and our nation. We're asking people during
Cycling4Diversity Week from May 20-26th to reach out and establish more intercultural
friendships and experience what diversity is all about. Some of the stops will include:
May 23rd the Khalsa School at 11:30am on 124th Street, Surrey and the P.I.C.S office in
Surrey at 12:30pm. On May 24th The Punjabi Market on Main Street at 3:00pm and the
Richmond Cultural Centre from 5:00-6:00pm. Come out and join us in these celebration "
Anyone who would like to or contribute as a financial sponsor can contact us at
sarinaderksen1@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)