CES Annual Newsletter: Issue 2, June 2003
Editor’s Words
Welcome to Issue 2 of the CES Newsletter. From this issue onward, the newsletter will be published annually. This decision was made in light of the launch of the new CES website, which will now serve as a more immediate channel of communication and information sharing. (To find out more about the CES website, turn to “CES Goes Online” on Page 2.) If you are interested in helping us to compile future newsletters, please contact the editor at 604-771-7227.
Michael Yue, Editor
Inside this issue:
- President’s Report
- Study Circles: Citizens Dialogue and Action
- Special Feature: CES Goes Online
- Net Pointer: Building Online Communities
- Global Citizenship
- Civic Election 2002 and Voter Turnout Project
- 2003 Summer Program: Understanding First Nations
President’s Report
I am delighted to report to you that the Civic Education Society achieved tremendous work last year. These activities were results of the contributions of our talented and caring members and volunteers.
- Civic Election, 2002
- Radio Programs (AM 1320 and AM 1470)
- Hotline service (AM 1470)
- All Chinese-Canadian Candidates Forum
- Chinese-Canadian voter turnout in Vancouver and Richmond. Published 2 reports.
- Volunteers Appreciation Dinner, 2002
- Against Reckless Driving and Street Racing, 2003
- Public Forum (Co-organizers: SUCCESS, Richmond Health Board, Richmond Mandarin Lions Club, supported by RCMP and ICBC)
- Public Education Program (Partners: Fairchild TV, Talent TV, AM 1320, AM 1470, FM 96.1, Sing Tao and Ming Pao)
- Government Liaison, 2003
- Presented a position paper to Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee on how to enhance ethnic participation in municipal affairs.
In 2003, the Board set long-term and short term goals for CES. To enhance our strengths, we will build stronger working relationships with community partners.Internally, through new activities and tools such as email and the new CES website, we will improve our communication with members and volunteers. The new website will help promote our work and provide civic education resources to the community.
I would like to thank all of our members and volunteers who had contributed their efforts to the Society. Ken Tung, President
Study Circles: Citizen Dialogue and Action
There are many ways to facilitate citizen dialogue. One method is the Study Circle. “A study circle is simply a group of 8-12 people from different backgrounds and viewpoints who meet several times to talk about an issue. In a study circle, everyone has an equal voice, and people try to understand each other’s views. They do not have to agree with each other. The idea is to share concerns and look for ways to make things better. A facilitator helps the group focus on different views and make sure the discussion goes well.” (extracted from the website of the Study Circles Resource Centre, www.studycircles.org.)
In the next year or so, CES is going to develop a mechanism to train study circle facilitators and help the community to organize study circles. CES will play an educational and facilitative role, while community members will decide what issues they want to tackle and how they plan to take action, if needed.
If you are interested in becoming a study circle facilitator, please contact us.
Special Feature: CES Goes Online
In 2002, the CES Board approved a plan to develop an organizational website. The new website has the following objectives:
- Provide online communication channels between the CES Board, members, supporters, partners and the general public
- Provide an online platform for civic education and political participation
- Promote the work of CES
- Attract new members, sponsors, donors and partners
- Serve as an archive for CES activities
Websites are dynamic entities. At this stage of its development, the CES website is the result of our modest effort to gain an online presence. If you are interested in providing assistance to the continuous improvement of the website, please contact us at
See you online: www.civiceducationsociety.ca
* The CES website is hosted by the Vancouver Community Net (www.vcn.bc.ca), which owns and operates a free, publicly accessible, noncommercial computer utility that provides a public space on the internet.
Net Pointer: Building Online Communities
One of the wonders of the internet is its capacity to facilitate the building of online communities. While communities as we know them have spatial or temporal limitations, online communities cut across those limitations to allow for freer association of the like-minded.
Over the years, many giant internet service providers, such as AOL, Yahoo! and MSN, have developed tools and services that make it possible for their members to create online communities, bringing together people with similar interests, political stances, religions, or philosophies. In line with the development of the new CES website, we have also created an online community on Yahoo!. What we have set up is an online forum, or discussion group. When you belong to this forum, you will be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas (in English or Chinese) with other forum members using various online tools, including email. The messages you send are read by other members of the forum, so the discussion is public. (Of course, you always have the option of taking your discussion private by sending emails to the individuals you want to communicate with.)
Online forums are extensions of real-life discussions. They are commonly used by people to continue with their discussions and associations after they have met in real-life situations. Many people today have multiple membership in various online groups, not dissimilar to our real-life experience of belonging to different organizations, clubs, and associations, etc.
If you are a CES member, you can join the CES Group on Yahoo! and experience the benefits of online discussions and community building. Joining the group is by invitation only. Please contact the group owner at this email (info@civiceducationsociety.ca) to express your interest. To find out more about Yahoo! Groups, go to www.groups.yahoo.com.
Global Citizenship
When he was asked where he came from, the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes replied, “I am a citizen of the world.” By saying that, he refused to be defined simply by his local origins and group affiliations; he insisted on defining himself in terms of more universal aspirations and concrns. The Stoics who followed his lead developed his image of the kosmoolites, or world citizens, arguing that each of us dwells, in effect, in two communities – the local community, and the broader community of human argument and aspiration.
To put the ancient concept of world citizens in the contemporary context, one can clearly see its relevance as we are all talking about globalization and its impact on us. Most of us are probably familiar with globalization as defined in economic terms, but being global is not just about gaining profit from economic activities. Being global is to CARE FOR THE WORLD in human terms. As an example, Oxfam, in consultation with key educators, has published a curriculum for global citizenship that enables young people to develop concerns about the world, challenge poverty and injustice, and take real effective action for change. The specific focus of this curriculum is the challenge of poverty, the eradication of which, believed by Oxfam, is the only way to ensure a secure and sustainable future for everyone. (For more information of the Oxfam curriculum, go to www.oxfam.org.uk/ coolplanet.)
Globalization is a highly controversial topic. As global citizens, we may take different perspectives on its nature and impact. People may not agree, but it’s important to learn about various positions and make our own judgement rationally.
Civic Election 2002 and Voter Turnout Project
Following our tradition of promoting participation in the Canadian political process, CES started a voter education campaign for the 2002 Civic Election by organizing an all Chinese-Canadian Candidates Meeting in October 2002. We then operated an Election Hotline on the Election Day.
As the last chapter of the campaign, our volunteers conducted a study on Chinese- Canadian voter turnout in Vancouver and Richmond. It is the third time we conducted such a study. (First one in the 1999 Civic Election and second one in the 2001 Richmond By-Election). 2 reports were published to summarize the study findings, and to discuss the findings in the context of understanding the political participation of immigrants and ethnocultural/visible minorities. The first report (Summary Report) is downloadable from the CES website; the second report (Extended Report) can be obtained by special request with a small donation to CES (contact Michael Yue at 604-771-7227 for details).
It was our honour that CES was invited by the Intercultural Advisory Committee, City of Richmond, to present the project and our thoughts on how to facilitate the political participation of the Chinese community. This opportunity proved that our work was recognized and that we would be able to make a difference, thanks to the commitment of our members and supporters. The position paper is downloadable from the CES website
Understanding First Nations People: Join Us This Summer!
In summer 2001, CES organized a summer program that helped participants understand First Nations people in BC, thanks to funding from the Chinese Canadian Association of Public Affairs (CCAPA). The program was a great success. The new CES website has an extensive section on the 2001 program. You will find it in the “CES Archives”, under the title of Chronicle of ‘Understanding First Nations’.
This summer, we are doing the program again. The 2003 program is tentatively scheduled for August 17-22. Both youth and adults are welcome to participate.
We will take participants to First Nations communities for first-hand experience of how the First Nations people live their lives, see the world, deal with day-to-day challenges, revitalize their cultures and languages, assert their rights as indigenous people in this country, and work hard to develop their economies. Workshopswill also be organized to provide the participants with more knowledge about the First Nations in Canada.
As indigenous people in Canada, the First Nations have suffered tremendous injustice in the past. Many issues surround their existence in modern day Canada, complex issues that are rooted in history and often require much effort to understand. This program is a small first step to encourage everyone to learn more about the First Nations, since they are as much a part of Canada’s future as we are.
If you would like to find out more about the program, please contact Mabel Tung: (Email) mabeltung@canada.com (Tel) 604-274-8248.
