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Neighborhood Empowerment and Resource Centre Inc. (NEARC Inc.) is a Winnipeg- based youth serving not-for-profit organization. NEARC Inc. It is a fairly new organization, yet we are emerging organization. NEARC Inc. envisions a just society with culturally diverse, socially empowered, and financially sustainable communities with its mission to thrive empower immigrant, newcomer, and disadvantaged communities by providing guidance and support to students, and youth. NEARC Inc’s Purpose is “to address and prevent obstacles faced by newcomer children and youth, and enable their full participation in Canadian society, by facilitating and providing life-skills training, academic guidance, personal mentorship, and connections to employment opportunities”
MANITOBA YOUTH FORUM (MYF)
During the 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Neighborhood Empowerment & Resource Centre (NEARC Inc) on June 2017, its outgoing President, Mr. Netra Kaphle proposed a motion to integrate Newcomer & Indigenous youths. This motion was carried unanimously and highly appreciated by members.
Immediate after this proposition, NEARC Inc Executive Director, Mr. Bijaya Pokharel has been assigned as a Team Lead to research on existing similar programs and developed our own pilot project ensuring that it can be scaled and replicated elsewhere in the Province. For more than one-year NEARC Inc. has consulted more than 15 Indigenous Leaders, numerous community members from both communities, almost same number of Newcomer Leaders. Shared so many organizations including Manitoba Association for Newcomer Serving Agencies (MANSO), Youth Agencies Alliances (YAA), Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW), National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation (NCTR), United Way of Winnipeg, Poverty Reduction Council of Winnipeg, Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg (BGCW), Spence Neighborhood Association (SNA), African Communities of Manitoba Inc. (ACOMI), Elmwood Community Resource Centre (ECRC), Central Neighborhood Advisory Committee (CNAC), Canadian Muslim women’s Institute (CMWI) Rossbrook House, Immigrant and Refugee Communities of Manitoba (IRCOM) and Unity Somali Inc.
During this consultation phase, NEARC Inc. has equally shared with various urban Indigenous organizations such as; Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg (ACW), Aboriginal Youth Organization (AYO), Indigenous Leadership Development Organizations (IDLI), Manitoba Association of Friendship Centre (MAC), Returning to Spirit Inc (RTS), Winnipeg Boldness Project, White Buffalo Spiritual Society Inc. (WBBS).
In order to have through input from both the communities and youths. On March 2018, in partnership with Manitoba Association of Friendship Centre (MAC), a Urban Indigenous Organization, NEARC hosted a open Project Sharing Meeting which was attended by both community leaders and represented by both youths. This was a unique initiative where NEARC Inc. was able to leverage and was able to achieve its main objective of getting community feedback. This event was co-facilitated by Mr. Ron Brown, President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg (BGCW), a proud member of the Annapolis Valley Mi’kmaw First Nation in Cambridge, Nova Scotia and Mr. Abdikheir Ahmed, Director of the Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW). NEARC Inc. would like to thank both of them for their pro-bono commitment of facilitating the meeting. It was also attended by the Member of Parliament West Central riding of Winnipeg, Mr. Robert-Falcon Ouellette, including Director of MANSO, various officers from the City of Winnipeg.
For the successful ex*****on of the MYF, NEARC Inc. has formed a Five Member Project Advisory Committee (PAC). This comprises representation of both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communities and is more inclusive. All the members are sectoral leaders and will participate in an individual capacity. The NEARC Inc. has developed a Terms of Reference (ToR) for its members to professionally serve as a Team Member of the PAC and avoid any misunderstanding and conflict of interest.
After rigorous interactions and dialogues, NEARC Inc. has developed a partnership with Indigenous Partner, Returning to Spirit Inc. (RTS), a Winnipeg-based Indigenous organization. The RTS is committed to reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people for more than 12 years.
Through Manitoba Youth Forum (MYF), NEARC Inc. & RTS have aligned to Champion Calls to Action # 93 recommended by the then Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). Through, the MYF together we plan to engage, educate, empower, reconcile and employ newcomer & Indigenous youths. In one batch, through this Pilot Project we plan to integrate six Newcomer and six Indigenous youths for the span of eight weeks. As a pilot project, we aim to run such 12 batches where 72 Newcomer and 72 Indigenous youths, a total of 144 youths will have life changing experience.
As part of this initiative, we will be delivering 40 Assimilation Workshop Series of Four-Weeks each accommodating 16 individuals in one workshop. At the end of the project a total of 640 Indigenous & newcomers individuals will benefit. Newcomers will learn about Indigenous People, their culture, their way of life, brief history about Indian Residential Schools, their rituals and ceremonies. Likewise, Indigenous individuals will the fact why many of the newcomers have arrive to their homeland, their struggle and stories, origins of newcomers, their cultures, faith, and most importantly both side will be able to have a clear picture of other side and gradually learn to live in harmony by developing mutual relationship . Thus, the main purpose of these Assimilation Workshops Series are to dispel the myths both side have, break the cultural barriers and stereotypes and building bridges and connecting deeply with each other.
NEARC Inc. is proud to share that our Project Lead for the Manitoba Youth Forum, Mr. Bijaya Pokharel attended Five Days Intensive Workshop on Truth & Reconciliations Right Relations at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. NEARC Inc. has been long waiting for this workshop. We are honored to share that Banff Centre has offered scholarship for Tuition, Room & Board and other logistic costs were covered by generous funding from Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU) under its Organizational Development Grant. NEARC Inc. is grateful to ACU’s continuous support.
If you would like to add or share something about Manitoba Youth Forum, please feel free to mail or call our Team Lead for this initiative, Mr. Bijaya Pokharel at [email protected] or mail to Ms. Lisa Raven, Executive Director, Returning to Spirit Inc. at [email protected]. RTS's website at http://www.returningtospirit.org
