antidote has recently been been awarded the BC Representative for Children and Youth Awards of Excellence 2009. antidote has won the Cultural Heritage and Diversity Award. An intergenerational team took the ferry over on November 4th to accept the award on behalf of our membership. We had a great day in Vancouver and got a chance to wow all sorts of people with the amazing work that we do. Stay tuned for more information on the celebration we will be having at the First People House at the University of Victoria on December 3rd.
I accepted the award of behalf of the group and shared the following words:
BC Representative Award Acceptance Speech by Manjeet Birk
As an intergenerational network we try to practice what we preach and as a result you will see us travel in pacts of intergenerational teams. This intergenerational team is honoured to accept this award on behalf of the hundreds of girls, women and allies that are part of our Victoria area network.
We would like to acknowledge the traditional Coast Salish territory, known as Vancouver, that we accept this award on. As well as the traditional Coast Salish territory that we work, play and organize on. It is in deliberate partnership with our Indigenous daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers that we work across our commonalities of displacement, violence and discrimination to build a better space for our next generation.
It is a truly humbling experience for us to accept this award. Despite the fire that exists in our hearts and fuels the work that we do, much of it is done quietly or in silence. It is in the quiet support, mentorship and shoulders that we provide to one another that gives our network the strength for us to continue fighting against the social injustices that we see and live everyday. Whether it be in helping our girls give a name to the racism they experience, supporting our sistahs in negotiating the fine line between theory and practice, loving our aunties as they experience the challenges of negotiating careers with families or witnessing our elders tell the stories of their past we listen, support and love. And it is through this love across age, race and experience that we become the change we wish to see.
