'We all need each other'

Passport to Unity, a three-day celebration of Sault Ste. Marie’s growing cultural diversity, kicked off this week with workshops at ADSB and HSCDSB schools, presented by the Sault Community Career Centre.

SooToday.com was on hand Friday at White Pines Collegiate, where Grades Seven and Eight students took part in an educational workshop presented by the Sault Community  Career Centre’s Jane Omollo and Saira Anjum (pictured here).

Jane is from Kenya, while Saira is from Pakistan.

Jane told students that just as no two individuals are alike (even identical twins), the world is diverse.

Students were instructed that in a constantly changing world, with a changing Canadian population, it is vital that we as a society be welcoming and inclusive.

As one of many interesting examples of how different cultures express themselves differently, it was pointed out that while Western brides traditionally wear white on their wedding day, South Asian brides wear red to express their love.  Wearing white in South Asia, by contrast, can mean a woman is experiencing sadness.

Students were quizzed on their knowledge of different cultural aspects around the world, including language, religion, food, dress and dance, as a way of embracing and celebrating diversity.

Jane pointed out that Sault Ste. Marie has been built on immigrants, and the community’s diverse background is something we can be proud of.

Culture is something that should not keep us separate, but something that can and must be shared, students were told.

Jane said “the more culture is shared, the more a person realizes it’s not ‘all about me.”

“We all need each other,” she said.

Passport to Unity continues Saturday with a cricket demonstration from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the West End Community Centre.

The public is encouraged to come and check it out.

Sunday marks Passport to Unity’s flagship event at the Essar Centre from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will include a rich variety of foods to sample, with 15 entertainers scheduled to perform throughout the day.  3,000 are expected to attend this family event.