submitted by Linda Hill

What a joy it was to share leadership with twenty Inclusive Leaders from diverse generations, cultures, abilities and other backgrounds who came together to co-facilitate welcoming and inclusive activities during our National Day of the Child family celebration in Duncan, BC, Canada, Saturday, November 23, 2019.

We showed up along with over 100 more volunteers to support this fun, free, family celebration organized by Children’s Rights Advocate, Mary Dolan and the Family and Children Council of the Cowichan Region and Communities.  What a beautiful day of lifting up our children and youth.

When it comes to facilitating Inclusive Leadership education, direct experience and active participation are absolutely the best teachers!

Inclusive Leaders Victoria Blouin and Muriel Peter shared leadership with other youth volunteers in inviting the community to give children a hand. Many hands contributed to this participatory “Art in Community” mobile that combines the healing teachings of the Medicine Wheel with the United Nations Rights of the Child Declaration.

Ladysmith Inclusive Leaders Amy McMillan, Anna Fairweather, Camille Marquis, Jennifer Yee Fairweather, Robert Soumang and Tina Fabbro spent the day engaging children, youth and families in connecting our different generations and cultures by playing exciting, challenging and always surprising co-operative games. They were joined by more Inclusive Leaders, Maureen Nicholson, Diana Lindley, Liam Klettke, Pema Rigzin, Melissa Parker and Faith Lindley along with lots of happy children and families.

Diana Lindley, John Scull, and Ellie Barnhart are three Inclusive Leaders who are also musicians and climate change activists. They were joined by students and teachers from St. John’s School Shawnigan Lake in learning and performing Diana Lindley’s Climate Rights for Children song. Diana’s Climate Rights for our Children organization pledges to protect the essential human-right of children and youth – of this and future generations – to inherit a safe and habitable planet with a climate “right” for life

Glaucia Desrochers, one of the co-founders of the Inclusive Leadership Co-operative, is a charasmatic Inclusive Leader who brings the world together in unity through music, dance, and creative movement. Today was an extra special day of community-building because of the participation and role modeling from Inclusive Leaders Melissa Parker, Tina Fabbro, Robert Soumang, Amy McMillan, Lindsay, Beal, Terri Beaton and Muriel Peter along with a dozen children and their families.

This day of Inclusive Leaders coming together to co-facilitate Inclusive Leadership activities was supported in part by funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism. For more information about how you can participate in the Inclusive Leadership Strengthening Bridges project, contact inclusiveleaders@gmail.com