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Posts tagged ‘dignity’

26
Sep

Global Dignity Day is almost here!

Global Dignity Day Canada – A Call for Participation !gdd logo

Fellow educators!

On Wednesday, October 15th, 2014, schools and organizations from around the world will once again celebrate Global Dignity Day (GD).

I am a teacher and I am privileged to be on the Canadian organizing committee once again!

There are wonderful resources and Facilitator Guides on the Canadian Global Dignity site to help you with activities for your classroom or school!

“…every human being has the universal right to lead a dignified life.”

What is Global Dignity?

Global Dignity (GD) (www.globaldignity.org) is an independent, international, non-political and non-partisan organization focused on empowering individuals with the concept that every human being has the universal right to lead a dignified life. Established in 2005, by HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant and Professor Pekka Himanen, GD is linked to the 2020 process of the World Economic Forum, in which leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society join efforts to improve the state of the world.

DAVOS-KLOSTERS/SWITZERLAND, 30JAN09 - HRH Crow...

HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2013 Success Story!

Last October, close to 15,000 students in 65 schools from Nunavut to British Columbia, alongside 365,000 students from around the world organized to celebrate human dignity and to empower all those around us to live with mutual respect, tolerance and kindness. What’s more, for the first time we reached over 290,000 people around the world on Twitter alone! Culminating with a national videoconference on Parliament Hill, which linked 1,200 students from coast-to-coast, we were thrilled with the enthusiasm and support that GD received from all walks of life.

“15,000 students in Canada from Nunavut to British Columbia.”

 

English: Yonah Martin, Canadian Senator from B...

Yonah Martin, Canadian Senator from British Columbia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We were also honoured with the support of politicians of all stripes, including: Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. John Baird; Health Minister, the Hon. Rona Ambrose; Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau; Deputy Leader of the New Democratic Party, Megan Leslie; Senator Yonah Martin, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate; Halifax MP Scott Brison; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Jeffrey Copenace and Inuit film maker Innosar Issakiark, to name a few.

In addition to our Canadian organizational partners – including TakingITGlobal, Right To Play, The World Economic Forum’s Canadian Global Shapers, YMCA Canada, The Canadian Commission to UNESCO and Adobe Youth Voices, amongst several others – we also received significant news coverage from CBC North, George Strombolopoulous, GlobalTV, CTV Barrie, The Ottawa Citizen (in their front page Throne speech article), the Huffington Post, the Montreal Global Shapers and the international Chinese television station NDTV.

GD Canada’s 2014 “Many Faces of Dignity” campaign celebrates the varied and diverse interpretations of human dignity and how these forces play out in our lives, like youth empowerment, anti-bullying, cultural diversity and beyond.

What is Required?

There is no cost to take part in GD and events have been designed to range anywhere from 15 minutes, to two hours, or even a full day. What’s more, GD celebrations are flexible and easy to integrate into any classroom setting. This year’s “Many Faces of Dignity” campaign celebrates the varied and diverse interpretations of human dignity and how these forces play out in our lives. By extension, this provides students with the opportunity to explore issues like youth empowerment, anti-bullying, cultural diversity and beyond.

“GD celebrations are flexible and easy to integrate into any classroom setting.”

In the attached agenda, you will find an overview of GD, complete with learning objectives. Throughout the GD process, students will learn about the importance of dignity in their own lives and the lives of others. From there, they will learn how to express what dignity means for them and they will learn how their own dignity is mutually dependent on the dignity of others.

Students Can Make a Difference!

Overall, it is our hope that by acknowledging existing inequalities, students will see that they have the ability to impact and enrich the lives of others through their own actions and choices, thereby promoting awareness and a social consciousness during a key time in their development.

“…promote awareness and a social consciousness…”

I encourage you to consider championing this global movement and help us to transform young lives, revitalize communities in Canada’s North, and mobilize young people from around the world to act for global change.

Register Your School

Visit www.globaldignity.ca and register your school / organization! Share this invitation with any individuals, groups and organizations who may be interested in supporting, volunteering or encouraging more people to participate in this important movement.

Get the PLAYMC2 App

Get the PLAYMC2 app and join the Less. More. campaign! Students will love posting their dignity microactions!!

 

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will learn about the importance of dignity in their own lives and the lives of others.
  • Students will learn to express in their own words what dignity means for them and their lives.
  • Students will learn about how their own dignity is mutually dependent on the dignity of others.
  • Students will name something they are for and what they want to do during the course of the next year to strengthen the dignity of others.

Connections to Education:

  • Character development must be a whole school effort.
  • Character development supports student achievement because it: develops the whole student as an individual (as an engaged learner and as a citizen); contributes to respectful, safe, caring and inclusive school environments that are prerequisites for learning; creates learning environments that are positive and collaborative so that teachers spend less time disciplining and more time doing what they do best – namely, teaching.
  • The increasing diversity of Canada’s population creates an opportunity for us to determine the beliefs and principles we hold in common. When school boards engage a wide cross-section of their communities in building consensus on character attributes, they are, in essence, engaged in a process of finding common ground.
  • The principles and attributes of character development are universal, based in equity and transcend differences as well as other demographic factors. Empathy for others and respect for the dignity of all persons are essential characteristics of an inclusive society.

Connections to 21st Century Skills:

Global Awareness

  • Learning from individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect

Communication and Collaboration

  • Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
  • Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
  • Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)

Global Dignity Principles:

  • Every human being has a right to a dignified life;
  • A dignified life means the opportunity to fulfill your potential. This means having a humane level of healthcare, education;
  • Dignity means having the freedom to make decisions about your life and to be treated with respect with regard to this right;
  • Dignity should be the basic guiding principle behind all actions;
  • Ultimately, our dignity depends upon the dignity of others.

Global Dignity Day Overview (approx. 2 hours total):

Screen Shot 2013-06-04 at 11.38.57 AM


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16
Sep

Digital Literacy & Storytelling

Thanks to Jamie Bell of the Nunavut Research Institute for this poster!

Note: This event is occurring at 7:00PM Eastern time for teachers and others who work with youth!  Please register HERE!!!

Digital Literacy GDD Webinar

8
Sep

Submit a Dignity Day Story

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NOTE: Submitting a Dignity Day Story is ONE of the activities related to Global Dignity Day. Please visit GlobalDignity.ca for other ways to become involved. We would love you to host a Dignity Day event for your students! Find out how.

Creating & Submitting a Dignity Day Story

Everybody has a unique dignity story about a person, event or place. As part of Global Dignity Day Canada 2013, we’re asking you to submit your dignity day story to share with students and youth across Canada and from around the world.

By sharing our stories, we hope we can better understand each other, our experiences and why it’s important to live with mutual understanding, respect and compassion for ourselves and everyone around us. Please follow the guidelines below to submit your unique story and share what dignity means to you!

1. THEMES

Within the “Many Faces of Dignity” framework, we’re cultivating engagement and action through four main pillars, including: Arts and Media; Healthy Living and Recreation; Community Building; and Sharing Food: Celebrating Life.

Two of these lend themselves to the creation and sharing of Dignity Day stories that you can submit to be shared in a new online gallery hosted at http://www.globaldignity.ca

a) Arts & Media — ‘What Does Dignity Mean to You?’ – this is an open-ended theme for you, and

b) Community Building — ‘Have a Senior Moment with Your Kids’

Pick one or both!

WHAT DOES DIGNITY MEAN TO YOU?

Consider what dignity means to you. Can you think of any stories that come to mind? If not, do you have any pictures that you think have dignity in them? Or could you paint a picture of what dignity looks like? Put your creative energies to work through video, writing, visual arts, social media, and more.

HAVE A SENIOR MOMENT WITH YOUR KIDS!

Our Elders and seniors have stories to tell. They have memories to recount.kerry and grandma

As part of Global Dignity Day Canada 2013, we’re encouraging you to ‘Have a senior moment with your kids!’  This is one example of how to share a dignity day story. Your students can create and submit a dignity day ‘story’ to share with students and other youth across Canada and from around the world. As with any other theme you may choose, we encourage you to use many different forms of expression to tell these stories.

By sharing our stories, we demonstrate appreciation, respect and honour for the elderly members of our communities. Their lives have touched many and we want you to capture significant moments in their lives by meeting with an elderly person you know or by meeting someone you haven’t known before.

Guidelines

Below is a guideline to create and submit your unique dignity story in line with the theme of sharing a senior moment:

1) Meet with an elderly relative or friend. This could also be an opportunity to meet a new elderly person in your community – through a place of worship or community centre.  Develop a relationship with that individual.

2) Through relationship and conversation, determine what is of significance to the senior. What was a most significant point in their life? What memory do they hold dear?

3) Capture the ‘story’ with the tools you need in order to create your chosen method – if you are writing a story, have pen and paper or a computer. If you choose to use visual arts of video, have your tools ready!  (see Possible Story Formats below for suggestions).

4) Create your dignity day story in one of the formats below. Ask a friend, parent or teacher if you have questions or if you need help.

2. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Submission Guidelines (for teachers, youth leaders & parents or students 18 years or older)

To submit your ‘story’, please send the following to submissions@globaldignity.ca:

  • the link (URL) to the site where you have created or uploaded your artifact (story)
  • please make your email subject line reads: Global Dignity Day Story – (the name of your school or home town/province)
  • In your submission email, make sure to include:
    • the number of stories being submitted
    • the theme of each –  a) What Does Dignity Mean To You? or b) Have a Senior Moment with Your Kids!
    • a primary point of contact (first and last name)
    • the name of the school (organization), the city, the province,
    • a phone number and an email address for possible follow-up.

All dignity day stories must be submitted to submissions@globaldignity.ca no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on October 10th, 2013 in order to be included in the national celebrations. If you have questions, please email: submissions@globaldignity.ca with the subject line: Question: Global Dignity Day Story

3. POSSIBLE STORY FORMATS

These are just a few ideas on how you can work to share a story. Submit a more traditional piece or try one of the Web 2.0 tools!

Please contact peter@globaldignity.ca if you would like some help getting started.

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8
Sep

Join the Conversation on Global Dignity Day!

gddc2013_logo_web blue 200

A Webinar to Support You!

Monday, September 16, 2013 7:00 – 7:45 PM EST

REGISTER NOW! Space is limited!

(This event is for Canadian participants. If you are outside of Canada, please check Global Dignity site.)

The Sixth Annual Global Dignity Day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16th, 2013, and will be celebrated in over 50 countries around the world. This year we build upon the great success of last year’s event during which hundreds of thousands of youth participated across 50 countries.

What is Global Dignity Day?

Established in 2005, Global Dignity Day is linked to the 2020 process of the World Economic Forum, in which leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society join efforts to improve the state of the world. A dignified life is defined as one where you have the opportunity to fulfill your potential, are treated with respect and have freedom of choice.

On this day, role models from across the country – including parents, educators, athletes, Senators, former and current Members of Parliament as well as international business and thought leaders – join thousands of volunteers to make the day possible. In Canada, role models will speak with youth across the country from Nunavut to British Columbia with the aim to instill a positive, inclusive and interconnected sense of value in young people that will guide them as they grow. Within this year’s theme, “the many faces of dignity”, students will be able to explore several facets of dignity.

How Can You and Your Students be Involved?

Get a great preview of this initiative at GlobalDignity.ca. The Global Dignity team wants to make it easy for you!! So you will see that there is a Facilitator’s Guide, an Express Guide (for shorter activities!) and a guide to help your students to produce and submit a Dignity Day story. It’s pretty awesome because we offer youth the opportunity to produce their Dignity Day stories by traditional means or with some cool Web 2.0 tools!

Join our Webinar to get More Info!

Now join us for a webinar to learn how to participate by:

  • Submitting a Dignity Day Story
  • Hosting a Dignity Day event
  • Using the Dignity Day App (Yes! A brand new Social Action app!)

When: Monday, September 16, 2013 7:00 – 7:45 PM EST (Come early to check your connections – from 6:15 PM on!)

Where: Blackboard Collaborate – REGISTER HERE!

Who:

  • Giovanna Mingarelli, National Chair, Global Dignity Canada
  • Peter Skillen, Steering Committee, Global Dignity Canada; OTF Connects Facilitator
  • Brenda Sherry, OTF Connects Facilitator

Technical Requirements:

Headset: Please have a headset with microphone. (Those you use with a cell phone work fine!) If you are in a quiet room by yourself, a headset with mic may not be as necessary!

Computer: Joining the session is usually straightforward – but there can sometimes be challenges with different browsers and so on! Hint: Join us any time after 6:15 so that we can try to sort that out! Contact peter@globaldignity.ca with challenges!

Thank You!

A BIG thank you from Canada’s Global Dignity Day National Chairs & Steering Committee to the Ontario Teachers’ Federation for its generosity in hosting the webinar on its Blackboard Collaborate service!

Contact Info:

peter@globaldignity.ca
Peter Skillen
Steering Committee, Global Dignity Canada

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16
Oct

FOLLOW Global Dignity Day – Oct. 17th

Giovanna Mingarelli

Below is a letter from Giovanna Mingarelli, the Chair of the Canadian Global Dignity Day committee!

I am SOOOO excited.

————–

Dear friends,

It’s my great pleasure to share with you our successful results for Global Dignity Day Canada 2012 moving into our national activities tomorrow.

After much anticipation, we’ve far surpassed our goals for this year with now over 53 schools registered and close to 9,000 students participating in the day from Nunavut all the way to British Columbia. What’s more, tomorrow we join 350,000 students in over 50 countries to celebrate human dignity and to empower all those around us to live with mutual respect, tolerance and kindness.

Tomorrow we will be hosting a national videoconference event on Parliament Hill linking over 1,200 students from across the country to share in the day’s celebrations.

We’ll be joined by our national role models who include: Founder of TakingITGlobal, Jennifer Corriero, NDP MP Niki Ashton, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, Jeffrey Copenace from the Assembly of First Nations, traditional Inuit researcher, Curtis Konek, Ryan Hreljac, the Founder of Ryan’s Well and our event’s keynote speaker, Wesley Prankard, the Founder of Northernstarfish. While she’ll be in South Korea for the event, a great thanks goes out to Senator Yonah Martin and her office for all of  their efforts in supporting tomorrow’s activities. You can tuned in to the video conference from 11:00 – 1:00 p.m. here: http://www.livestream.com/globalencounters.

Our role model videos, now live HERE, will also be aired in classrooms across the country as inspirational messages to teachers and students. Be sure to also check out our new Heroes Trailer, reflecting one of the main themes this year. You can also read more about us in this week’s Hill Times, our Global Dignity article in the Toronto Star as well as my most recent blog post for the World Economic Forum.

I encourage you to tune in tomorrow and to celebrate Global Dignity Day by sharing all of this with friends, family and colleagues in support of this special day. Finally, if you tweet, please support us by Tweeting it to #gdignity.

Thank you for all of your support in recent months – very much looking forward to this!!

Giovanna

—

Giovanna Mingarelli

18
Sep

Global Dignity Day 2012 – Get Involved!

Celebrating Global Dignity Day in Canada

October 17, 2012

Dear Teacher, School Leader, Youth Worker!

This is an awesome opportunity to help you teach your students about human rights and dignity.

“The mission of Global Dignity is to implement the universal right of every human being to lead a dignified life. We all have the ability to increase the dignity of others and thus we increase our own dignity. The more dignity we have, the brighter our world will be.”

Global Dignity Day was established in 2005, by HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant and Professor Pekka Himanen.

“The Fifth Annual Global Dignity Day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17th, 2012, and will be celebrated in over 50 countries around the world. This year we build upon the great success of last year’s event during which tens of thousands of youth participated across 25 countries.”

For complete information please visit the Canadian Global Dignity Day site.

Host Your Own Dignity Day Session

You can host your own Dignity Day session at your school. Have a facilitator come in and speak to your students about dignity. Facilitators can be plumbers, health workers, bankers… in short, anyone that want to see young people become their best self can be a role model.

“A typical Dignity Day session lasts about two hours. The facilitator usually starts by telling his or her own story about dignity. Then, the children are asked to define dignity in their own words. After discussing the Dignity Principles, the children tell their own stories in front of the class. Finally, they typically write a letter to themselves stating what they want to achieve for themselves and others through dignity. A year later, these letters are sent back to the students.”

Download These Guides

Please download the complete Facilitator’s Guide for more details on hosting your own Dignity Day event.

Short on Time? Try this Express Guide!

To hold a quick dignity day session, consult the 2012 Global Dignity Day Canada Express Guide(each session within takes less than 30 minutes with very little prep time).

Register

Register here!

GDD Supports Ontario’s Education Initiatives

It is clear that children and youth everywhere face an opportunity gap. However, the fact that the gap is man-made means that we have control over its size. Educating our students about dignity and empathy will help narrow this gap by fostering school learning environments that are respectful of diversity, and that are caring and collaborative. Global Dignity Day therefore supports Ontario initiatives and documents, such as Growing Success and Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, by promoting inclusion, safe schools and anti-bullying.

Your support of Global Dignity Day will help us to involve as many students and schools as possible. We hope that you will accept our invitation and join as a participating school of Global Dignity Day 2012!

Please Share

Please feel free to share this information FAR and WIDE – to your local colleagues and those at a distance. We are a small world now.

For complete information please visit the Canadian Global Dignity Day site.

Follow @GlobalDignity Use the hashtag #gdignity