In a one of a kind event, Building Friendship Through Art, ANDPVA and The Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT) collaborated to build a Friendship Mosaic Project on June 10, 2023 at the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre in Toronto as part of RECONNECT 2023, a biennial, bilingual conference for community foundations, sector partners and nonprofit leaders across nations.
Link https://communityfoundations.ca/initiatives/reconnect-2023/
Artist Noami Smith (Chippewa), Palestinian/Canadian Artist Faten Toubasi and Egyptian/Canadian Artist Randa El Gafarawy collaborated to design a friendship mosaic and friendship bracelets that reflect how our communities’ commonalities are what connect us. Approximately 40 participants and 20 volunteers, including other artists shared stories about their history, culture and living as Indigenous people or newcomers to Toronto.
A bracelet was also designed for Little Amal, a 3.5 metre-tall puppet who walks through cities around the world in support of refugees. The bracelet was presented to Little Amal at Celebration Square in Mississauga on June 10.
Friendship bracelets were made for all participants.
ANDPVA and The Arab Community Centre of Toronto gathered at the Waterfront Centre in Toronto for a feast and workshop featuring Indigenous cuisine by Nookomis Kitchen and Middle Eastern cuisine. Dishes included three sisters soup, venison meatballs, wild rice, bannock, falafel, kibbeh, manakeesh, baklawa and more.
Inspired by social capital, these experiences highlight what connects our communities, how we are more similar than different, and encourages new ways to learn about each other.
The Arab Community Centre of Toronto is a community agency that empowers individuals, families, and communities to lead informed, productive, and culturally sensitive lives.
