Social forum in Montreal-North aims to empower community
Entering its fourth edition this weekend, organizers behind the Montreal-North social forum Hoodstock are switching their focus from reacting to acting.
The event aims to empower the racialized local community through workshops, discussions and performances, explained Sophia Sahrane, one of the event’s general co-ordinators. This year’s summit runs from Friday until Sunday at Henri-Bourassa Park on Pascal St. and Laurier Ave. and the Maison de la Culture et Communautaire de Montréal-Nord at 12004 Rolland Blvd.
Last year, the event centred on sharing information, with many of the workshops and discussions focused on Black and Islamic feminism, Sahrane said.
Now, she continued, “we’re trying to find a way forward.” The hope is that this weekend equips the community with the tools needed to mobilize using the knowledge gained in past years, she explained.
Started in 2009, the year after 18-year-old Honduran immigrant Fredy Villanueva was fatally shot by a Montreal police officer in Montreal-North, Will Prosper, one of the founders, explained that at the time, Hoodstock served to denounce racial profiling. That year’s edition was titled “Organize to Rise,” he said.
As their vision for the forum and their community broadens, Prosper said, they’re throwing back to that first year with the title “We Rise.” The idea: “Let’s put in place action that will have an impact on the community.”
Both he and Sahrane referenced Saturday’s social innovation project workshop, taking place at 1:30 p.m. in Henri-Bourassa Park. The workshop will feature six community projects, all in various stages of development. The purpose of the workshop, Prosper explained, is to exemplify how a community can work together to solve problems they face.
The Maison Numérique, for example, is a centre that would supply the area’s low-income families with access to internet and technology. It would also host workshops that teach children how to code, he said.
A study by Centraide using 2011 national census data found that 32 per cent of the Montreal-North community is living below the poverty line. A project like this would allow those individuals the same opportunities as those who could afford internet access at home, Prosper said.
Sahrane spoke about Librairie Racines, a bookstore that features the work of racialized authors that will be promoted during the workshop. That project, led by Gabriella Kinté, came out of last year’s Hoodstock and opened its doors last week at 4689 Henri-Bourassa Blvd. East.
Sahrane called the bookstore an example of how the community came together to provide support, both financial and otherwise.
“We’re not waiting … for outside organizations or government bodies to help us,” Sahrane said. “We’re really trying to get back to the grassroots movement and build it for ourselves.”
The weekend also features film screenings and more arts-centric events, such as a rap writing session and breakdancing workshop.
“These kinds of artistic activities can benefit especially the youth, and by benefiting the youth, it benefits the community as a whole,” explained Sahrane.