Circles for Reconciliation – Volunteers Wanted for Student-led Initiative
Intercollegiate Circles for Reconciliation
My name is Anne Lin Arghirescu and I’m a first-year Cegep student at Marianopolis College, in Montreal. I am writing to you to ask for your help in an initiative, that I hope can foster a spirit of understanding and reconciliation among Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
In the fall, I started an Intercollegiate Circles for Reconciliation with an Indigenous friend from Marianopolis, Karonhianoron Curotte.
The Circles are a partnership with the Circles for Reconciliation Manitoba-based non-profit, which organizes discussions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous, mediated by specially trained facilitators (their website: https://circlesforreconciliation.ca/). The purpose of the Circles is to foster reconciliation and create meaningful and mutually respectful relationships.
The initiative consists of a series of 10 Circles (held virtually through Zoom), spread out over 10 weeks and bringing together 5 Indigenous participants and 5 non-Indigenous participants. The same 10 participants have to commit to all 10 meetings in order to complete the Circle.
Our first 2 Circles were organized in the Fall and Winter for students from anglophone Cegeps and universities in Montreal. They garnered significant interest, and so we have decided to bring the Circles back for a third intercollegiate student edition in the Winter, to start in April. Here is the link to a booklet that we have put together in collaboration with the Marianopolis literary magazine following the Fall Circles. It compiles articles, stories and comments shared by participants regarding their experience in the Circles: https://issuu.com/mari.litmag/docs/circles_booklet.
Because of the unbalance in demographics, we have more difficulty recruiting Indigenous participants for the Circles. Karonhianoron and I would be extremely grateful to you if you could share the information about the Circles with students, teachers, parents and members of the Indigenous community, and help us recruit Indigenous participants who would be interested in taking part in our discussions. The participants don’t have to be students, and can even come from anywhere in Canada.
Indeed, given the fact that a number of Cegep professors and staff members have expressed their interest in taking part in a Circle, I was hoping to organize a faculty and staff Circle starting in late March or beginning of April. We would encourage professors teaching courses pertaining to Indigenous Studies or Third World studies to participate if they are interested.
Interested participants for the student Circle would be invited to register through this form: https://forms.gle/UbhkQymrkSKdST9w6
Registration is currently open for both Indigenous participants and non-Indigenous students who would be interested in taking part in a Circle, although there is a significantly greater need for Indigenous sign-ups.
Interested participants for the faculty and staff Circle would be invited to register through this form: https://forms.gle/WTh63JCekY2FASAb6
Registration is currently open for both Indigenous participants and non-Indigenous faculty and staff who would be interested in taking part in a Circle. Could you help me share these links around? Do you have any contact people suggestions I could reach out to?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my message, and for your help.
Please feel free to send me an email at alinarghirescu@outlook.com if you have any question or a suggestion regarding the recruitment process.
Wishing you a great day,
Anne
