International Women's Day in Sweden

In May 2010, the Canadian Embassy in Sweden opened its new premises in the heart of Stockholm, where it will continue to conduct business as usual, and showcase Canadian talent from all corners of our country.

On International Women's Day, March 8, 2011, the photo exhibit Legacies opened at the Embassy, and provided a backdrop for a seminar on the Canadian integration model, which was attended by the Swedish Minister of Integration. If anyone in that room read the insights found in Legacies, then they will have a clear idea of what integration means for new citizens in their adopted homeland.

Given that the exhibit is also in French, it will stay on in Stockholm and participate in La Francophonie events organized by the Canadian Embassy.

March 8, 2011 is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.

Stereotypes sell . . . but we're not for sale

Can you think of anything good about stereotypes? I can't.

The Italian American community has published the book Anti-Italianism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), which documents how Italians of all stripes are stereotyped in North America. My article, Stereotypes sell, but we're not for sale, is the only Canadian contribution to this collection of essays by American scholars, media, writers.

Two steps forward. One step back. For all the gains Italians have made in North America, the mobster and the gum-chompin' bimbo still manage to portray us on television screens and publicity ads. Two steps forward. One step back.

We've come a long way . . . but not far enough - yet!

The Last Rite wins 2010 CEMA Award

On November 6, The Last Rite won the 2010 Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA)(http://www.canadianethnicmedia.com/) Award in the category of best television documentary for its sensitive and thoughtful multifaith portrayal of death and dying. The Honourable Federal Minister of Labour, Lisa Raitt, was on hand to present the award to an audience of more than 250 people. Other winners at the CEMA Awards Gala were in the categories of television (news), radio, print, internet and the distingished Sierhey Khmara Ziniak Award for exemplary work in the field of multiculturalism. From the presenters to the entertainment to the winners, it was an evening in celebration of diversity.

Legacies Photo Exhibit at Queen's Park

In June, the Honourable Laurel Broten, Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, hosted a reception at the Ontario Legislative Assembly to welcome Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, prior to their annual meeting. A number of women leaders who have worked tirelessly on the advancement of women were also in attendance to share their knowledge and experiences with Ministers. The photo exhibit Legacies was on display and served as a backdrop for the eclectic exchange of ideas that evening.

Susan Seaby, Executive Director of the Ontario Women’s Directorate (http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/owd ) writes "I would like to convey our sincerest thanks to you Gina, for participating at the reception in June at the Legislative Assembly. The Legacies photo exhibit added a special feel to the evening, and was very much appreciated by all the guests. "

International Festival of Cinema & Religion

The Last Rite has been selected to participate at the International Festival of Cinema & Religion (http://www.religionfilm.com/) in Italy, (October 8 - 21, 2010).  The screening is scheduled for Saturday, October 9 in the majestic northern city of Trento. 

Festival screenings also take place in Rome and Bolzano. This year's theme is Journeys of Faith, Journeys of Hope. The International Festival of Cinema & Religion is dedicated to promoting, through the medium of cinema, a culture of dialogue, and to also creating opportunities for filmmakers of different cultures and religions to meet and share their knowledge and experiences.

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed on October 9th !.

The Last Rite in the community . . .

In May and June The Last Rite was featured at a number of different events. Palcare Network (http://www.palcarenetwork.org/) organized a Lunch n' Learn for Newmarket's healthcare community, and The Durham Hospice (http://www.durhamhospice.com/) showcased the documentary at their Annual General Meeting.  Mount Royal University (http://www.mtroyal.ca/) in Calgary shared The Last Rite with their students in a graduate program.  It seems that no matter the place or the event, the documentary generates a great deal of discussion, and that is always a good thing.

Hardworking Women Indeed

In March 2010, Multicultural Canada launched a new learning module Hardworking Women Indeed (www.multiculturalcanada.ca/ItalianImmigrationtoCanada), which looks at the contribution of Italian immigrant women to Canada.

When I was asked by the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO) (http://www.mhso.ca/) to work on this project, I had no reservations saying yes.  MHSO had a number of interview tapes of Italian women who were born at the turn of the 20th century, which they wanted to include in the national Multicultural Canada project.

Before long, I was honing my calabrese, napolitano, veneto, romano dialect skills in order to synthesize and capture in writing the womens' lives in Canada.  It was nostalgic and humbling to put these hardworking womens' experiences on paper, and then on the internet.  Each story, joke, fable brought me back to my childhood memories of growing up Italian-Canadian.  Each anecdote convinced me that these women had more fortitude in their soul than I will ever muster up in a lifetime.

Words on paper, or on the world wide web, can rarely do justice to the depth of life experiences, but Multicultural Canada and MHSO have tried to do just that with Hardworking Women Indeed.  If you read the module and learn something you didn't already know, I would love to hear from you.