Diversity Education Workshops for Students:

• Digital Hate: How Connected Are You?
• Heroes Among Us
• Racism & Antisemitism in a Canadian Context
• Lessons & Legacy of the Holocaust
• Genocide & the Power of Action
• Who Was Simon Wiesenthal?

Speaker Profile:

• Marina Nemat
• Rick Rotchild

Lessons in Humanity: A Law Enforcement Sensitivity & Diversity Training Programme

Leading for Diversity: A Corporate Diversity Programme

For more information or to book a programme



Digital Hate: How Connected Are You?
In recent years the digital world has become a world of progress and social change. However, it also has a dark side - a world of intolerance, hate and misinformation that continues to offer severe consequences for those who find themselves caught up in it. This workshop explores the dark world of digital hate, cyberbullying and the real life consequences of this increasingly dangerous and growing trend along with the responsibilities of becoming a netizen, an on-line citizen.

Heroes Among Us
Who is a hero? Someone who possesses exceptional courage or ability? Someone who demonstrates noble qualities? A role model? How do you define a hero? This workshop will investigate the idea of a hero – what defines a hero, the role they play in our everyday lives, and who can be a hero. Discussions on character traits such as respect, empathy, integrity, and responsibility will be used to creatively investigate historical and modern day figures, including Simon Wiesenthal, Romeo Dallaire, Craig Kielburger, and Benazir Bhutto. Students will also have the chance to focus on their own lives, their defining characteristics, and the ways in which they can be a hero and affect change.

Racism and Antisemitism in Canada
For over a decade incidents of antisemitism in Canada have been on the rise. Through this programme students will explore what racism is, how racism affects them, and how racism affects the Canadian community. Students will also learn about different forms of racism in Canada, focusing on antisemitism and hate crimes both locally and nationally in the hopes of creating awareness and dialogue. This programme will enable students to foster attitudes of respect and tolerance in their home, school, and community.



The Lessons and Legacy of the Holocaust
A Survivor Speaks
“The Holocaust is not just a Jewish story, but a human story.” This programme offers an introduction to the Holocaust through a study of the events surrounding Europe at this time, as well as through testimony of a survivor. Students have the opportunity to meet a Holocaust survivor, listen to his or her story, ask questions, and gain a better understanding of the impact the Holocaust has had on society. This programme encourages students to examine the lessons they can draw from the Holocaust as individuals, citizens of a democracy, and as Canadians.



Genocide and the Power of Action
(There is pre-visit material for the teacher to cover in class prior to this particular field trip.)
The 20th century was plagued with genocide and this phenomenon continues to impact the world today. This hands-on programme will enable students to examine what genocide is and how to be an informed and active citizen. Students will have the opportunity to apply their new knowledge to create an exhibition to educate others about the current genocide emergency in Darfur, Sudan. By creating a mini-exhibition, students will develop methods to deliver information in an effective and engaging way. Students will decide the best way for using their mini-exhibition as a tool to educate others in their home, school, and community.



Who was Simon Wiesenthal?
The key to a tolerant society is through education, this was what Simon Wiesenthal believed. Students will view I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal (2007), which documents his life and the contributions that he made to the world. Through discussion of the contributions and attributes of Simon Wiesenthal, students will begin to identify positive character traits and ways in which to model these characteristics in their home, school, and community.




In 1982, 16-year-old Marina Nemat was arrested on false charges by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and tortured in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. At a time when most Western teenaged girls are choosing their prom dresses, Nemat was having her feet beaten by men with cables and listening to gunshots as her friends were being executed. She survived only because one of the guards fell in love with her and threatened to harm her family if she refused to marry him. Soon after her forced conversion to Islam and marriage, her husband was assassinated by rival factions. Nemat was returned to prison but, ironically, it was her captor's family who eventually secured her release. An extraordinary tale of faith and survival, Prisoner of Tehran is a testament to the power of love in the face of evil and injustice.


Rick Rotchild, is a social worker and bodybuilder. He facilitates anger management workshops and an outreach project to assist both parents and children with issues. Over the past 15 years Rick has worked in group homes, foster homes and dozens of schools with troubled latency and adolescent children.

After emigrating from Canada at a young age, Rick attended junior kindergarten in Israel where he was ridiculed and teased as a child. Later, he returned to Canada only to be on the receiving end of bullies. Rick’s story is one of overcoming and individual action, and he translates this to his young audience with ease.

Rick develops unique problem solving strategies to deal with difficult behaviors dependent on the child’s specific needs. This workshop is suitable for students from Grade 4 and up. Please note content is subject to change dependent on age and needs of students.




Programme Overview:
This full day, engaging law enforcement programme is designed to heighten awareness of contemporary issues of intolerance within our Canadian communities and open up dialogue on these issues in order to effect change. Humanity’s past is tainted with intolerance, injustice, and hatred. By studying events such as the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide and the genocide in Darfur and bearing witness to personal accounts of these times, we learn first-hand the importance of speaking up and the power of an individual. How do we take these historic and global issues and relate them to our lives today? These connections will be made throughout the programmeme. Respect for others and an understanding of differences along with education are key to bringing about change. Contemporary and local Canadian issues will also be discussed, along with opportunities to examine case studies, share experiences and offer suggestions for implementing change within each participant’s local community.


Programme Overview:
This 2 hour, interactive diversity programme is designed to heighten awareness on both historical and contemporary issues of intolerance within our Canadian communities and open up dialogue on these issues in order to effect change. Respect for others and an understanding of differences along with education are key to implementing change. Research supports that recognition of, and education on, diversity issues not only improves communication and develops like-minded organizational goals; it also improves task performance, personal satisfaction in the occupation, and commitment to the organization. Diversity programmes also encourage respect for differing communities and enable branching out into these communities as a client-source. Opportunity to investigate personal bias and develop dialogue within diverse communities are highlights of this programme, along with opportunities to share experiences and offer suggestions for implementing change.

Contact:

Melissa Mikel Director of Education Phone: 416-864-9735 x24 Toll Free: 1-866-864-9735 Email: mmikel@fswc.ca

Nicole Betel Education Associate Phone: 416-864-9735 x30 Toll Free: 1-866-864-9735 Email: nbetel@fswc.ca

Stephanie Eldridge Education Associate Phone: 416-864-9735 x22 Toll Free: 1-866-864-9735 Email: seldridge@fswc.ca