DOWNTOWNERS

Directed & Produced by Jessica Eskelson & Nichole Ketcherside in 2004 and 2005, Downtowners is 47 minute documentary film that shares the voices of young people who are homeless in Olympia Washington, as they explore issues such as sexual violence, public space, gender roles, street culture, and community perceptions. These voices inspire a connection and understanding seldom experienced by those who lack direct experience with the streets.

Often referred to as "at-risk", "marginalized", or "disadvantaged", these youth and young adults live on the fringes of society, and their struggles include uncertainty, instability, barriers to resources and lack of support in creating solutions.

In an effort to raise awareness by deepening the dialogue about issues of youth homelessness and sexual violence, Downtowners introduces street life from the perspective of the young people who live it.

History of Downtowners
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profile: HOPE International

HOPE International Development Agency is a Canadian, non-profit, international development agency based in New Westminster, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada.

Working in Africa, Asia, and the Americas in such countries as Ethiopia, Cambodia, India, Afghanistan, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic, HOPE International undertakes and supports people-oriented projects. These projects empower people and communities in need. Many projects focus on the provision of clean and safe water, sustainable living, primary health and sanitation, and the environment. The projects of HOPE are accomplished with the help of volunteers and the skills of the local people overseas, combined with the charity of people here who care.

It is HOPE International’s aim to offer hope to the poverty-stricken and hungry: those whose present circumstances afford them none.

Why Poverty Puts Us All At Risk

L.O.V.E.

Leave Out ViolencE (LOVE) is the leading not for profit youth violence prevention organization in Canada. LOVE helps youth who have lived with violence in their lives, growing together as community leaders of violence prevention.

LOVE is creating a youth led movement against violence by teaching youth how to use their voice and become champions against violence. Since LOVE began in 1993, these young leaders have reached hundreds of thousands of children, youth and adults reducing violence in schools, neighbourhoods and homes.

Through specialized programs, youth develop the skills and motivation to help break the cycle of violence. LOVE is led by youth for youth. LOVE's leaders are comprised of youth who best understand violence, as they have been personally challenged by: gangs, weapons, domestic violence, racism, drugs and bullying.

Giving young people a sense of purpose and a voice empowers them to take a stand against the violence that has penetrated our communities.

LOVE BC

STREET KIDS INTERNATIONAL FIGHTING THE STIGMA OF AIDS IN YOUNG WOMEN

A GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE COMBATTING AIDS IN KENYA SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Toronto, Canada (July, 2006) This month, Street Kids International is launching a new program that will seek to address the severe gap in HIV/AIDS prevention programming for young women in developing nations. The program will be funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as one of a number of grants awarded toNGOs focused on addressing HIV/AIDS in developing countries through grassroots partnerships. Street Kids International received the grant for their work in partnership with a local Kenyan organization. Street Kids International has built its reputation on a series of award winning animated videos including Karate Kids that transcend cultural specificity and language barriers to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in young people. Building onthis expertise and a well developed network of experts, a series of resource materials which highlight the voice and ideas of youth will be created and tested. The project will directly address the particular challenges of HIV/AIDS among young women.
The grant that will enable Street Kids International to complete this work is funded by the Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA) and will be administered on their behalf by the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) and the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD). Street Kids International is proud tohave received this grant for this critical work and fully supports the bringing together the Canadian Government, several Canadian-based NGOs, as well as local NGOs to most effectively address the pandemic of HIV/AIDS facingthe world’s young people.

Street Kids International

WADE IN THE WATER Maps Through the Skin

"The word "explorer" conjures up antiquated images of seekers and conquistadors, men who ventured into a much larger world than our own has become. Wade Davis is driven by that same zeal to explore but not for gold and not to chart an unknown coastline. He explores human societies and the mysteries of the plant life that shape them - healing, hallucinogenic or simply edible. From the coca fields of the Andes, to Haitian voodoo rituals, Davis has lived among an astonishing range of what he calls "endangered cultures."

In February 2007 The Back Door invited Wade Davis to our hosted speaker's event:
MAPS THROUGH the SKIN,
art image created by Amy Dryer, Calgary.

The event theme was IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD, and was planned to honor all adults and 'elders' with the Calgary Board of Education Student Support Services who use their personal cultural maps each day to really see, understand and assist children and young people for whom traditional options do not work. Wade spoke about cultures around the world and how they nurture their children toward participation as adults in their societies.
Our key message to all adults working with these important young people:
THANK YOU FOR SEEING THE PERSON IN THE CHILD.
marilyn dyck, thebackdoor

The Glenbow - Crumped!

In May, the Glenbow museum payed homage to a select group of Albertans recognized for excellence and ingenuity in their fields. Among that group was Jazz legend Melvin Crump. Recognized above all as a forceful element during the civil rights movement and a strong voice in the black community Melvin continues to inspire musicians and the socially concious alike.


Excerpt from The Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort

" In 1910, 160 African-Americans from Oklahoma came to settle in a small community about 100 miles north of Edmonton later known as Amber Valley. Out of this group came a very special individual named Melvin Crump. Melvin’s childhood was not an easy one. Melvin’s mother died when he was 10, then right after that his older sister died. At a young age his father and older brother left home. He was raised by his grandmother. He had to quit school after grade 8 and find a paying job, from shining shoes to killing chickens and labouring farm work.
Where Melvin really shone was his strong passion for self-learning, for human rights, and equality. He worked as a sleeping car porter on CP Rail, traveling across the country. He stood up for the rights of the black porters, who worked long hours and were paid the lowest wages. He challenged bigotry and the prejudice of those who practice intolerance. It comes as no surprise that he later became the president of the Alberta association for the advancement
of coloured people. Throughout his life Melvin Crump sought respect. He received it both for himself and others."

Glenbow online exhibit

From Nortel Exec to Head of Street Kids

Rosemary McCarney won't let you forget about the 100 million kids making a life on the streets.

by Caroline Nolan

On the 2nd floor office in a fashionably funky building in downtown Toronto, Rosemary McCarney looks out at a city which by her own estimate, is home to as many as 10,000 of the estimated 100 million street kids in the World today.
As executive director of Street Kids International (SKI), and charged with a passion for bettering their lives and future, the 49-year-old lawyer, former World Bank and Nortel executive reflects on the irony of thousands of homeless kids living and begging amid the corporate hum and hustle that place Toronto among the richest cities in the World.
Ironic too, that Canada- widely viewed as one of the best countries in the World to live in - is home to an estimated 34,000 more. Horrific as those numbers are, as monumental as the task may seem, Rosemary McCarney views her challenge with the kind of optimism that is infectious and goes a long way toward explaining the extraordinary international reputation of the Canadian based organisation.
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