Here in Edmonton, over 4,000 people gathered to say loudly and clearly that we will not tolerate discrimination, and that we will stand in support of all those who have been (and continue to be) the targets of hatred and closed minds. We have noted, with growing concern, what appears to be a trend towards polarized public discourse in our beloved Alberta.

WE BELIEVE THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO. AND SO, WE MARCH ON.

On January 20, 2018, the March On! Edmonton Collective will stand in solidarity with cities acros Canada and North America. By marching and rallying in solidarity on January 20, 2018, we are saying that we intend to remain vigilant here in our country to ensure that the hard-fought gains that have been achieved are not reversed or diluted.

The Edmonton event will be taking place by the north steps of the Alberta Legislature on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 1 pm. We have a diverse and compelling group of speakers and performers including Muriel Stanley Venne, founder of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, who was recently honoured with the naming of a Provincial building in recognition of her lifetime of activism.

Elder Elsie Paul of the Kokom Kisewatisowin Society will be delivering the blessing to kick off the event.

Other speakers include:

• Nasim Kherani (President of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women);
• Stephanie Shostak (a transgender advocate focusing on diversity and inclusion);
• Mimi Williams (a community volunteer, political activist, and media commentator); and,
• Debbie Reid (disability rights activist, most recently affiliated with the SKILLS Society). Debbie will be joined by Amy Park, a member of the disability community who works at the Self Advocacy Federation as the Learning and Planning Coordinator.

The Raging Grannies will be performing a few songs as only they can. The event will conclude with a solidarity walk around the Legislature’s fountain area, accompanied by the sounds of Chubby Cree, a woman-led Indigenous drumming group.

This event has been entirely planned by a grassroots group of two women:

Paula Kirman is an award-winning writer, photographer, filmmaker, musician, and activist. Since the 2017 Women’s March, Paula has become the face of Completing the Story (completingthestory.com), an initiative seeking to increase and improve the visual representation of women in public spaces, such as murals, monuments, and place names. As well, her second short film was released, concerning the inner city and social housing (caringcommunityfilm.com). Paula has documented Edmonton’s activist scene for over a decade at her blog RadicalCitizenMedia.com and produced a community access program for Shaw TV. She also edits an inner city community newspaper and works with numerous non-profit groups as a social media and website consultant. In December of 2016, she received the Human Rights Champion award from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights.

Following the 2017 Women’s March, Alison Poste has become active in the political sphere, including a City Council run where she placed 3^rd out of 12 candidates in Ward 4. Alison is also an active member and President of the Alberta Party in Edmonton-Manning. Professionally, Alison has been recognized for her project management and policy development initiatives at the municipal, provincial, and federal orders of government, primarily as it relates to land development and disaster recovery efforts. Personally, Alison maintains an abiding passion for social justice issues and the written word.

For More Information:

The organizers can be reached at: wmwyeg@gmail.com

www.wmwyeg.org | Twitter / Instagram: @wmwyeg