Davao celebrates Canadian culture

In celebration of the Kadayawan Festival in

Mindanao, Davao will feature Canadian culture on

Aug. 18. Kadayawan is a festival of thanksgiving for

bountiful harvest and tribute for the colorful tribes of

Mindanao.

Dubbed as “Canadian Cultural Day,” a joint project of the

Canadian Embassy and Ateneo de Davao University in

collaboration with the Department of Tourism and the

local government of Davao City, the event highlights a

mini exhibit on Canada, film screenings and

inter-university forum on human rights and

anti-discrimination.

The inter-university forum on human rights and

anti-discrimination is an echo seminar of the recent “Stop

Racism Youth Challenge,” a special millennium initiative of

Canada that brought young people from all-over the world

to take up challenges and actions to combat racism.

“The forum will promote understanding of the significance

of equal treatment for all peoples and the promotion of

peace and conflict resolution. It will build toward the 2001

United Nations’ World Conference on Racism,” said Kent

Vachon, Chargé d’ Affaires of the Canadian Embassy.

The forum will gather students and faculties from major

universities in Davao, local government officials, and

NGOs. Ryan Silverio, a human rights advocate from

PhilRights and member of the Filipino delegation who

attended the Stop Racism Youth Challenge, will share his

experience and the materials he gathered during his

enriching trip to Canada.

The mini exhibit will feature a set of 31 frames depicting

the symbols of Canada, and other reading materials on

the different aspects of Canadian life and society. It will

be an informative and educational venue to enrich the

public’s knowledge on Canada.

“The Sweet Hereafter,” an award-winning film by Atom

Egoyan, will be showcased at the audio-visual room of

Ateneo de Davao University. Other films to be featured

are “Awaken Your Spirit in Canada” and “Just a Little Red

Dot,” an award-winning Canadian film that empowers

people to combat discrimination.

Canada has been cooperating closely with the Philippines

in the development of audio-visual media. They recently

ratified the audio-visual co-production agreement which

will complement the growing cultural relations and foster

greater cooperation between Filipino and Canadian

producers.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

has long undertaken the Local Government Support

Program (LGSP) in support of development in the region.

Last year, Canadian Secretary of State Raymond Chan led

a very successful mission that further strengthened the

trade links between Canadian and Philippine business.