Community Development

2018-2019

“Coming together as youth of the same community”

2. Introduction

The objective of the South-Sudanese Youth of Canada (SSYC) conference (Edmonton, AB, July 2018) was to gather young South-Sudanese youth (SSY) across the country, identify challenges facing the South-Sudanese community, brainstorm potential solutions, and develop connections to help combat the identified challenges. The SSYC conference was successful in achieving its aims. As a result, a variety of challenges have been identified which encompass a variety of topics. Moreover, a network of SSY from a variety of cities (Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Winnipeg) has been established to drive initiatives aiming to confront the identified challenges. The major challenges identified can be divided into eight categories: criminal justice, family dynamics, gender equality, health and wellness, identity, self-improvement, tribalism, and volunteerism (Table 2.1).

Table 2 1: Challenges identified by the South-Sudanese Youth of Canada (SSYC) 2018 conference.

Challenges Elaboration/Examples

Apathy in community

Criminal Justice

Intergenerational gap/Family Dynamics

Gender Equality

Health and Wellness

Identity

Lack of support for youth

Self-Improvement

Difficulty getting youth and other community members to care about their community.

Knowledge of the law, law enforcement, correctional facilities, etc.

Difficulty in communication between generations within the community, challenges with child services, etc.

Gender roles, sexual harassment, problematic gender relations, etc.

Mental health, self-confidence, substance abuse, sexuality, romantic relationships, etc.

Cultural development, language, traditions, triple identity (Canadian vs South-Sudanese vs Black), etc.

Elders unable to develop youth inclusive events, lack of support for youth initiatives and leadership.

Career guidance, life insurance, credit literacy, etc.

2.1 Brief overview of organizational structure

An organizational structure was developed to begin addressing the aforementioned challenges

The general structure of SSYC is outlined in Figure 2.1. Briefly, the four major groups (community development, conference planning, communications/marketing, and sponsors) work together to counteract the effects of non-holistic integration by confronting the challenges identified during the SSYC 2018 conference. The primary objective of the sponsors subgroup is to generate funds for the organization. The communications and marketing subgroup promote excellence within the community and amongst the youth, as well as manage the groups various media platforms (Instagram: ssyofcanada, Facebook: SSYC, Snapchat: ssycofcanada).

The conference planning subgroup focuses on developing the annual conference, an event where all youth in participating cities will gather to revaluate community challenges, discuss progress, maintain and foster new connection and networks. With the collaboration of youth leaders across the country, the community development subgroup aims to develop two-to-three city specific events during the year. As, South-Sudanese communities vary in their development across the country. More details of the SSYC organizational structure can be found in the final report of the SSYC 2018 conference, this document will focus primarily on the community development subgroup.

3. Community Development

Community development ultimately aims to change the culture within the South-Sudanese community, across the country, by developing relationships (social events), providing learning opportunities (workshops) and inspiring community involvement (volunteerism).

3.1 Social Events

Social events serve the purpose of facilitating a sense of community and identity within the South-Sudanese community, through, the development of youth specific and intergenerational events incorporating elders. Some examples of these events include game nights, fashion shows, and cultural showcase.

3.2 Workshops

Workshops are intended to provide learning opportunities for both youth and elders in the SouthSudanese community in areas encompassing, but not restricted to identity, health and wellness, gender equality, self-improvement, and the criminal justice system. Workshops are intended to be interactive and provide a platform for open discussion.

3.3 Volunteerism

The volunteerism initiative allows SSYC to promote civic involvement within not only the South-Sudanese community but Canadian society at large. This will be achieved by supporting and celebrating those who are already involved within the community, connecting individuals to activities they are passionate about, providing mentorship opportunities for youth, and developing initiatives to impact the lives of those living in dissolute conditions overseas.

4. Community Development 2018-2019

The community development initiatives for Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Winnipeg for the 2018-2019 period are detailed below.

4.1 Event Details

4.1.1 Calgary

4.1.1.1

Meet-Eat-Greet

Calgary’s initial community development project through SSYC was an introductory event that aimed to unify and connect SSY within Calgary. The purpose of the event was to present Calgary’s branch of SSYC (SSYYC) to youth who were unfamiliar, encourage participants to interact in a social setting, and establish an environment for future events in which SSY felt comfortable and enthusiastic towards participating. This event was based off the theme of connections. Post conference, many SSY expressed interest in maintaining relationships and answering to the goals set from the 2018 SSYC conference. This event granted as an opportunity for Calgary’s SSY to begin the early steps in address the needs of SSY within the city.

Itinerary

Table 4.1: Structural outline of SSYYC Meet-Eat-Greet

Media

Figure 4.1 showcases SSY attending the Meet-Eat-Greet event in Calgary. The event’s turnout was approximately 30 people. Note, the event corresponded with Black History Month celebrations. Although unplanned, some attending SSY engaged with themes corresponding to the holiday as represented in the following photos.

Budget

The budget for the SSYYC Meet-Eat-Greet event is highlighted in Table 4.2.

Marketing

SSYYC’s method of advertainment included digital communication via Facebook and Instagram. Figure 4.2 illustrates the marketing poster that was distributed. Although this is the only poster that was created for the event, other methods of online advertisement were incorporated as means of promotion. One of which was sending event notifications via Instagram and Facebook to SSY who were actively engaged in media accounts.

4.1.2 Edmonton

4.1.2.1 Meet-Eat-Greet

Edmonton’s first community development initiative through SSYC was a game night for SSY in Edmonton. Similar in nature to Calgary’s (SSYYC) initial event, Edmonton’s (SSYEG) first event aimed to achieve three aims. First, the team aimed to introduce SSYEG to attendees as an extension of SSYC. The second aim was to establish the best form of communication with attendees to solidify engagement and networking. The third aim was to collect demographic information in which the community development committee could use to gain insight of their audience and use to better future events.

Itinerary

Table 4.4: Outline of Expenses

The event was marketed through word of mouth, city specific social media and through the SSYC media channels, registration was performed through Eventbrite. Figure 4.4 showcases the poster generated for SSYEG’s Meet-Eat-Greet event.

4.1.2.2 Melanin Roots

The second community development launch for SSYEG was a collaborative youth-led event called Melanin Roots. The participating youth groups included the City of Edmonton Youth Council (CEYC), YEG The Come-Up youth, Black Students Association (University of Alberta), and SSYEG. Through artistic performances, an immersive art showcase and panel discussions, the event Melanin Roots aimed to celebrate the rich histories and vibrant cultures prevalent in Edmonton's black community. Furthermore, Melanin Roots aimed to develop lasting relationships within the African-Diaspora and Caribbean communities, other minority communities, and the City as a whole. Melanin Roots was also a component of the CEYC Speaker Series, a larger initiative championed by the City of Edmonton Youth Council aiming for youth empowerment in marginalized communities; accordingly, the event endeavored to discuss current issues in Edmonton's Black communities now and develop community-minded measures for addressing them.

Media

4.1.2.3 Culture Night

SSYEG’s cultural night aimed to start addressing the issue of Identity (inflicting many SSY), the intergenerational gap between elders in the community and build relationships between the various South Sudanese tribes in Edmonton. During this event, elders and youth participated in various tribal dances of South Sudan and listened to presentations about their cultural significance, as well as the various tribes’ cultural practices, traditions, ideologies, and experiences. By attending the event, participants had the opportunity to learn more about their South Sudanese heritage and further bond with various members of their community.

Itinerary

Table 4.6: Structural outline of SSYEG Cultural Night

Budget

Table