Ottawa Global Shapers host myCanada150 Photo Exhibit for Canadian Multiculturalism Day — Ali Tejpar
As Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations neared, the Ottawa Global Shapers met together over the past five months to plan an event to signify the importance of this milestone.
Inspired by the famous Humans of New York blog and The World in London photography project, we set out to showcase and celebrate Canada’s commitment to pluralism in a global climate of rising isolationism, xenophobia, and fear.
Our project, the myCanada150 Photo Exhibit, did just that, by featuring over 80 inspiring stories and photos of Canadians from countries all over the world. We launched the outdoor exhibit on June 27 (Canadian Multiculturalism Day) and displayed it on Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa over the Canada Day weekend to thousands of locals and visitors.
Each story started with “my Canada is…” and offered heartfelt personal messages about what it means to be Canadian. The exhibit featured stories from Indigenous Peoples, 1st to 3rd generation immigrants, and refugees. Some stories were about people whose grandparents came to Canada generations ago with nothing but the clothes on their backs, while others were about families who had fled war-torn countries in search of a peaceful home.
The myCanada150 Photo Exhibit demonstrates that, here, pluralism is not some abstract ideal but a commonly held Canadian ethic at the center of our collective identity. We wanted the exhibit to serve as a reminder of how far we’ve come as a country but also of the important work that remains to be done on engaging with our collective faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, including genuine reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
The exhibit was a terrific way to discover first-hand the truly diverse stories of Canadians. With the generous support of community partners and sponsors, including Explore150, the Ottawa Community Foundation, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association, and Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, we had the opportunity to share these profound stories with Canadians and visitors from around the world.
About the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community
The World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community is an international network of city-based hubs that brings together young leaders between 20-30 years old. Shapers are highly motivated individuals selected on the basis of their exemplary achievements, potential, and commitment to make a difference. To that end, hubs undertake projects to improve their local communities.
The Ottawa Hub is comprised of over 20 exceptional young professionals from the local public, private, and non-profit sectors. The Ottawa Hub is engaged in projects that empower young people to be agents of change, promote pluralism, foster respect for human dignity, and harness the talents of millennials to enrich the Ottawa community. Recent projects and partnerships include Ottawa Peace Talks, Global Dignity Day, and a tri-sector leadership workshop as part of the One Young World Summit in Ottawa.
Connect with the Ottawa Global Shapers on their Website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Ali Tejpar is currently a J.D/M.A. dual-degree candidate at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. Among over 24 awards and honours, Ali has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Top 50 Emerging Canadian Leader, and Associate Fellow of Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Commonwealth Society.
