GlobalFest’s change-seeking human rights forum set to wrap up

There are still two days left to take in GlobalFest’s annual-human rights forum before the fireworks festival lights up the Calgary skyline next week.

The forum, which began in 2007, promotes diversity, cross-cultural respect and equality structured around UNESCO’s Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination.

It encourages systemic change across Canada in a positive and safe environment.

The forum is free to attend at the Calgary Public Library ’s John Dutton Theatre, with a strong focus on youth for its final two days.

“Racism and discrimination is a learned thing, it’s not something that is inherently part of us. Whether it’s learned at school, whether it’s learned at home, whether it’s learned on the streets, it is something that people learn,” said Ken Goosen, GlobalFest producer.

“When we start looking at youth, they are our greatest hope at being able to change that cycle before it is learned and ingrained.”

Friday’s theme is Learning Together — examining how education and the urban arts can bring youth from all backgrounds together. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with a reception an hour before and after the panel.

The panel, moderated by Ryan (Rubix) De Guzman of GlobalFest’s urban arts crew, includes Carolyn Wallington, education program manager for Beakerhead, Dwight Farahat of Antyx Community Arts and Stegan Lewis of Wiseguyz.

Saturday’s focus is Future Generations — a session filled with live entertainment on the topic of youth voices, Indigenous knowledge and speaking your truth.

There is a reception at 12:30 p.m. and the session runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

It includes an hour-long presentation by Indigenous hip-hop duo Lightning Cloud, featuring Crystle Lightning and MC Red Cloud, whose recent adult colouring book called Indigenous Legends became a bestseller on Amazon.

There is another hour-long presentation by the GlobalFest urban arts crew titled Truth, which is a two-years-in-the-making theatrical production featuring 12 urban and traditional Indigenous stories.

“It’s personal, shared stories about how each of these artists struggled and why they struggled in these various areas and how they came to resolution and how they found themselves in the process,” said Goosen.

The GlobalFest fireworks show begins Aug. 16 with Ukraine and runs until Aug. 25. Tickets are available online at globalfest.ca.